Ecclesiastes 7:1

Through the thin break between the fur and the ground, the boy could see many paws emerging from the pallid treeline. His two toned gaze widened in amazement. He was aware there were other wolves around, mother had mentioned them and given them brief lessons on the important figures that would feature in their lives. Not that he could tell who was who based on the outlines of their toes and the shades of fur below their ankles. That didn't stop him from wondering who was attending his emergence into the world of gods and kings. Were they important? There were so many other wolves, there had to be someone there that was high up in the hierarchy. He was practically vibrating with excitement, and had to consciously contain himself, stilling his tail when it attempted to wag in delight. He tucked it securely under his rump, and parked his hindquarters firmly against the ground just to be safe. "Hail Empress Venom," that was mother's voice, and Obi's. Oh wow, the Empress! He was a bit hazy on the lessons in his excitement, but he was fairly certain they were closely related. Of course she wanted to see him emerge in all his glory! His sisters too, probably, but in this moment the boy struggled to imagine this as anything less than his moment of veneration by those around him.

"Today you will bear witness to my children as they are anointed and accepted by Abraxas, earning their names both surname as one of Abraxas' own and their given name which will signify who they are and what they will become in the eyes of The Fallen God."his mother sounded so much cooler when she was talking to everyone else. Important, holy. Would he sound like that one day? Like his words mattered, and everyone should listen to him? Forget that, his big moment was approaching, and he felt his heart hammering in his chest. The scent of sweet smoke soothed his nerves, familiarity lacing itself into the downy fur around his nostrils as he drew a deep breath in. Incense, like Obi often lit in the shrine halls. The imperceptible patter of water against the fur resting along his back, he only vaguely caught the sound over the thrum of his pulse in his ears. The snow crunched under feet that sounded just as small as his own. Obi- the boy rarely heeded any thought as to the size of the monkey that he'd grown up with, but it occurred to him suddenly that Obi wasn't much bigger than he was right now. Why was he thinking about this right now? "Abraxas gives his name and power to... Patience. Patience Abraxas!" the soft snap of a raised pelt from a small body. That must have been the sister that had arrived before him. Patience. A virtue he was rather well versed in already. That meant it was his turn ne-

"Abraxas gives his name and power to... Pontifex. Pontifex Abraxas!" and the world was so bright all of the sudden, his pupils swallowed by the pale violet hues of his irises as he adjusted to the brilliant alabaster world around him yet again. The patter of holy water against his crown, his spine, sent a brief shiver racing through him. Was mother always so big? The wolves gathered around were also impossibly large, and he found himself fighting the urge to cower away from their immensity. Instead, he stared up at his mother with wide, baleful eyes and drank it all in. Always watching, always absorbing everything, this boy. The words began to settle into his bones, sinking through skin and muscle and cartilage, until they whorled in the core of him. Pontifex. Abraxas. That was him. That would always be him, from now until the death of everything. Should he thank her for the gift of a name? But she was already moved on to his next sister. No, it was Abraxas' doing. He was going to thank Abraxas soon, when the rest of his sisters were named. Their ancestor, their God.

He glanced over at his bob-tailed sister. Patience. Her name was Patience. She was sitting so patiently, with her chest puffed out and her paws neatly arranged. Should he be sitting more proudly? He shifted his posture, attempting to work off of what his unveiled sibling was doing. Shoulders back, chin up, ears forward. He curled his tail around mismatched forepaws. Attention drifted to his other sisters, still veiled from the world and the eyes of Abraxas. "Abraxas gives his name and power to... Faith. Faith Abraxas!" and then she was there, his sister who glowed. Faith. A critical pillar of their lives, and one of the most holy virtues. She looked.. he wasn't sure how she looked. Her little tufted ears and softly luminescent markings drew his eye, as they always did. How was she feeling right now? How were any of his sisters feeling right now? Was he the only one that was feeling itchy under all these eyes that roved over him and the ceremony? "Abraxas gives his name and power to... Modesty. Modesty Abraxas!" Finally, his last sister was unveiled. She was far darker than he was, and it really showed in the light of day, accompanied by the starkness of pale snow all around. Her markings stood out far more intensely than his own. Modesty was her name, perhaps God was aiming to curb any hubris that she might develop over her beautiful coat? But then, why not Faith, with her glowing pelt? It dawned on him, that his name stood out against theirs. Why was his different? Did it mean he was special to God, or that he wasn't good enough? A prickling sensation tripped down his narrow spine. What did this all mean? Everything was so overwhelming.

He held himself high and mighty as mother had taught him, doing his best not to betray an ounce of weakness or anxiety to the onlookers. After all, he was a divine creature now, in all his glory. "Now, together we will pray- the pups' first prayer out loud as they repeat after me. My family is urged to join- if they remember the prayer our father taught us so long ago." his mother's somber vocals rang out across the clearing with a new tone, a gravitas that reminded him of what he was doing here. It was time to pray, finally. Give thanks to Abraxas. Carefully, he inclined his muzzle towards the earth in supplication of their God. The soft consonants and heavy vowels of the divine tongue did not come naturally to him, when he was finally allowed to utter them with his own lips. He stumbled here and there, despite his practice. Idiot! He sought to apply his fervour to give thanks to their divine ancestor as penance for his difficulty in wrapping his tongue around the words, words that he would get better at with practice. The gentle ebb and flow of the words as he sought to follow his mother's lead began to form a gentle hymn with the many overlapping voices around him. Was this what it meant to be part of something bigger? It was beautiful.

As the tail end of their prayer faded away, he found himself calm again. The tautness of his muscles had softened into a lax, easy posture as he rejoiced in the sounds of the holy language. His mother spoke up again. "Now, from the other Abraxas, you may each make a statement to the pups, then they will be anointed and you will be allowed to meet them." she announced, and the boy found himself scanning the assembled wolves for the familiar mottling of his mother's coat. There were many who bore it in attendance, and many of those were blessed by Abraxas with strange and wonderful adornments. Part of the boy felt a pang of sorrow that he had not developed the blessings of his relatives, or his littermate. There was still time, Obi had assured him, but he felt sure that he would notice something by now. A tall femme, marked in charcoal and alabaster, not unlike himself, stepped forward. The boy stared up at her in wonder, recognition finally igniting behind his bicoloured eyes. This was Empress Venom, his aunty. She was beautiful, and regal. She carried herself over the snow as though she was gliding on the air itself. He wondered what she might have to say to them, under the gaze of Abraxas himself.

”May you know the gifts of god, and feel the sun upon your face. May your victories display dignity, and your defeats grace. May you marvel with the wonders of nature and the earth. May you value education, and know your own true worth. May you live and love with honesty and do the thing that’s right. May you sleep in peace at night, may you thrive upon a challenge, and follow your own path.” she said to them all, and something stirred in his chest, though he wasn't sure what. Conviction? Excitement? There was so much to see, know, and feel right now. Should he give thanks for her blessing, or remain silent? Patience said nothing- she hardly seemed to move at all, in fact, aside from righting herself to sit even taller before the eyes of the Empress. The young shadow opted to seek out her gaze, if he could garner her attention for a moment, and bob his head gently in thanks. Couldn't get in trouble for speaking out of turn if he didn't speak, right?

"talking" thinking actions