I'm a Believer

In his dreams, he was running through the jungle of his childhood fast enough that his heart was racing during his sleep. The fire of the volcano reached the trees and set them on fire, lighting the usually dark domain and setting its inhabitants on fire. He was running with his two sisters on his right side, his two brothers on his left. He would look to them and they would nod to him, in front of him.. his father was leading them, a giant phantasmal wolf of solid black that even the light of the fire couldn't touch. He was leading them away from the volcano, every turn he took an evade of the dangers that could prevent their escape- their freedom. Elias followed full speed, as his siblings did.. and all around them were their ancestors- he could feel them.

When they finally made it through the jungle, Elias found himself staring at a large plateau. Suddenly, all around him, the souls of their ancestors became visible entities of red, blue, gold and silver. Orbs of light flowed around him, lighting up his brothers and sisters and warmed them as they passed through them and toward the plataeau. They circled in the air for quite some time, beneath a dark sky of ash. Their light danced off the ash like slow before finally they fell into the earth. From the earth sprouted a titan of a wolf, as big as the sky and red as the devil. It shook the earth and stared at them with wide open eyes. Elias could hear it's stomach growling, wanting... would it kill them?

Fear and awe continued to fuel the fast-paced beating of his heart. The titan stared down to Elias and his siblings, a snarl cracking through the air suddenly- it was louder than any crack of lightning Elias had ever experienced. He winced, whimpering slightly in his sleep, as he braced himself. The titan was angry, though its anger only became matched by Elias' own as the snarling continued.

'Apollyon, we are your children. We follow you, we feed you, we are you.' Was the Apollyon mad that Elias had left their home, mad that he had spent so much time running from his past..? Elias could feel his wrath. Yes, he was angry. Their had been no offering for the reaping this year and they were setting up home in a new territory, a new home that was far from their traditions.

'Apollyon, we have found our altar, we have risen once again.' Elias ran toward the titan, neck craned back with his head looking up to the colossal that took up the sky. It seemed no matter how much he ran, the Apollyon was unreachable.. and yet still, Elias' speed was relentless.

'Will you forsake me now, when I live under your name- when everything I do is for YOU?!' Elias rolled in his sleep, his head nearing Zuriel's as he growled lightly. His words echoed in his dream, though they seemed to be heard by the titan. Suddenly, the titan began sinking back into the earth, his red fur desaturating and turning gray, like stone. The ash in the sky transformed into snow and the titan continued to sink.. and sink..

Finally it was just his head and left paw breaching out of the pits of the earth, his mouth open and growling, teeth bared while every feature hardened during it's transformation into stone. From the jaws of the titan formed two mountains.. two very familiar mountains. It was home, it was Fenrir's Maw. Another growl rumbled the earth beneath him and Elias continued to stare at the mountains, his eyes wide. The paw that had been left darkened, turning black and from it formed the burning Mount Volkan. From its fire came those that he had seen over the past season. Zuriel released as a pure being of blue, followed by the golden and glowing form of Vale- then one by one the rest followed- Dimitri, Drakan, Miach, Daelos, Legion, Terra. Following them were the Lambs, looking to Elias with expectant eyes. Elias thought it was over, this was his pack. This was his home.. he was relieved.

Though, from the fires of the volcano came five massive entities. They shook his soul like they shook the earth and woke him immediately.

He found the nose of Zuriel against his cheek, shaking him awake and he tried his best to calm his racing heart and listen to her words. 'Wake up, wake up! They're coming!' Had she shared the same dream..? No, no. It wasn't them, it was them he quickly realized as she began preparing. He stood to his feet immediately, ready to aid her in whatever way he could as he watched her independently find her own herbs and lay down. He nodded to her when she instructed she wanted no one else here and he stood in a way that barricaded himself between her and the door.

He watched her, admiring her as she delivered these pups and lifted herself each and every time to clean them. His eyes widened when the red furred pup was cleaned, though dark and damp- Elias could tell what that color was. That color was everything to him.. and with the dream he had just had... was this...

He didn't have much time to think about it quite yet, Zuriel wasn't done. When the last pup struggled to begin breathing, Elias found his heart racing once again. He whispered inwardly, he could feel the battle that was happening on the other planes. Demons were fighting for this pup, destroying one another as they would attempt to rip through and make it to the natural world. Would they hesitate too long and cause this pup his life?

Elias sucked in a breath when he finally heard the child's cries, finally.. he was alive. Each one was healthy, and each one an extension of Elias' own pride. He neared Zuriel, pressing his forehead and snout along her own as he closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the feeling of her near him with the presence of their five children at her stomach.

"The strength in you is something otherworldy, Zuriel. You continue to amaze me every day. I am here if you need anything, I won't leave you today." He gave her a moment to breathe, stepping back from her as his ruby gaze looked to her with more love behind them than he possibly ever had. He rested his weight beside her, staring at her.. though finally his head turned to look over their children, then rose as his ears stood up to form his tall crown.

"We will name them in the tongue of the Apollyon. Our old language, just as my father named myself and my brothers. For the first born twins, Dominus and Domina in honor of my father. May they grow as close as the similarities in their markings. For the second daughter, Actaea- a deadly plant that stands tall above the fields it frows and dapples it like the white on her back. May she grow as fierce and strong as this flower does. For our next son, Ignis.. after the fire that the Apollyon crafted his fur from. And lastly, Casso- after the demon managed to finally make it through- they must be strong, and may he grow in good favor and knowledge of this demon." He looked away from the pups, back to Zuriel and relaxed his ears, reaching over to her again to administer lavishing licks to her cheek. She was undoubtedly tired, but he wanted to remind her that even if she slept, he would still be here.