build upon the foundation [Ashen Meeting]

Raijin had, per usual, been working on restoring his house. With the help of the monkeys and now Asla, things were progressing much quicker than he’d thought. All the walls had been reinforced and insulated, making it much warmer in the cold of the night. The fireplace was kept well fed and he’d managed to pillfur a few warm pelts from the pack stock to pad a warm bed. There were still the holes in the floor to deal with, cleaning to be done, and it needed to be furbished, but it was beginning to feel like home, especially with the good company that he’d found in the small Armada princess. They were spending more time together than he’d anticipated but he couldn’t say he didn’t like it. She was charming and seemed to match his wit, their banter almost endless. Any jab he gave was given right back and he found himself relaxing around her, into whatever it was that they were forming.

When the call had rang out, Raij had given the woman a small bump with his shoulder and a thanks, letting her know she was welcome to stay and take advantage of the warmth of his bed in his absence before turning and heading off at a lope toward the shrine. He found himself ever grateful for the bridges that were suspended between the islands, allowing for easier passage. If not, he would have had to swim and in the frigid temperatures...well that wouldn’t have been pleasant at all.

The large, saber toothed man arrived later, certainly not the first but certainly not the last. His golden gaze fixed on his cousin and Venom, his form stopping briefly on his way across the clearing to bow to the Empress and give a wink to Hattori before situating himself a few feet from the others in the group. He noticed his shared apprentices, Panic and Malachai, and he offered them a grin as well before waiting for the meeting to begin.