Standing at the Edge of the World

Alastor watched as, one by one, the rest of the Mendacium clan assembled. He wore the touch of a smile when he watched Naraca scoop up Saracyn and begin smothering him in playful affection, to which the small red and black pup began to fight and wrestle against. The young woman had taken to his children like a duck would take to water and it warmed his heart to watch. He regarded Poe and Imperia as they joined, and smiled to Sera when she emerged. He was glad to see his friend had come to join them. By blood or not, Seraphina was part of his family now, and he was so glad she had chosen to come join him. Lastly came Irilyth, his wife's handmaid, who was hovering near the edges. She didn't look his way, so he simply acknowledged her existence and turned back to Manea.

Manea began, addressing their setback and laying out the groundwork for their next moves. The family would come together to form a band—a progenitor for the pack they would one day found together—heralded under the same banner of Elysium. It was a name he knew she had put a lot of thought into, a name he had helped her with, and one she was damn proud of. They'd travel, train, form relations, perhaps find some of the others their mates. When the time was right, they would return to found their empire here. This was not the end of the story, just the turning of a page. Manea then asked if her family would join her. Alastor didn't need to respond; his wife knew he would charge through the gates of hell and back for her. He was by her side, for now and for always.

Imperia pledged her support, then left the gathering. Alastor watched her leave with disheartened obsidian eyes. He would need to have a talk with Imperia—a heart to heart of sorts. He knew some of her history with the Mendacium family as told to him by Manea, but he could only imagine how she felt to be surrounded by these magnificent wolves with a myriad of colors and mutations only to be left out. It was a feeling he could empathize with, being without any himself. Perhaps they could commiserate and find common ground where they lacked what others possessed. Ara boisterously vocalized her support as well, then set to tickling Saracyn, who burst into a giggling fit and flailed his paws at her larger ones to try and fight her off. Alastor snickered, then turned dark eyes to the others, waiting to see who would stay and who would leave the family.


"Alastor"