Until The Madness Ends

The seafaring wolf dipped his head politely and introduced himself as Balthier Destruction. The name sounded familiar, but it didn't ring any immediate bells in his head, so he let the matter be for now. When he introduced himself as the warrior from Fenmyre, suddenly his presence made sense. Chimera had hinted at the notion of sending a warrior his way to help supplement his waning numbers, but he hadn't told him who to expect. That coupled with the fact that Balthier had come from the sea and not from the direction of Fenmyre had really thrown Art for a loop. Recognition lit up in fire opal eyes and Artorias gave an audible sound of acknowledgement. "Ah, yes! Chimera told me someone would be coming. Please, come in, Balthier." He ushered the other male across the border and welcomed him into Hallowed lands. "Though we don't own the Shimmering Shore by right, it's one of our de facto territories," he explained. "Feel free to keep your raft moored there. It'll be safe there."

Artorias led the way across the lush plains and south towards the castle in the distance, letting Balthier take in the sights of the Hallows around them. "The Hallows has three territories we occupy. The Wildberry Grove to the north, the Starlit Plains, and the castle and fields around it where we all reside. You're welcome to take a room in the castle for yourself, or you can make a den out on the plains if you prefer." Artorias noted how Balthier had not arrived with much in the way of personal belongings. Perhaps he'd left most of his possessions back at Fenmyre, or maybe he liked to live a sparse lifestyle. Either way, the Hallows would provide their guest with all he needed. "You have free roam of the castle and our lands. While you're here, consider yourself one of us. Help yourself to food and wine if you're inclined to drink, we make it all here so there's plenty to go around." Art gave a soft chuckle; ever since Briar had taken over their wine production, the Hallows had been churning out more varieties and flavors of wine than he could keep track of!

When the two wolves began to near the castle, Artorias glanced to Balth and began to fill him in on his role. "Thank you for helping us out, Balthier. Your expertise will be helpful to us all. You'll be working with the Knights and Vanguards, helping to sharpen the Knights' skills and keeping the pack safe. Any tricks, techniques, or lessons you can teach them will be beneficial. And if you have any additional skills or passions, I encourage you to pursue them here as well." Artorias slowed their gait, allowing Balthier to interject with any questions or concerns he might have while he spoke. He knew this was a lot of information for the Fenmyrian wolf to take in. "As far as laws go, the Hallows doesn't have many, but what we have are adamant. Outside of spars or training, bloodshed and violence are not tolerated. All are welcome here so long as they come in peace, so you may see a number of strangers come and go. Other than that, just pull your weight, be respectful to myself and my Queen Briar, and don't knock anybody up and you'll be golden. Er... no pun intended." He paused, glancing to Balthier's fur with a bit of a smirk. "This is probably a lot to take in, and I don't want to overload you. Do you have any questions for me?" He glanced to the black and gold brute beside him, leaving the floor open for Balth to voice anything that might be on his mind from the first impressions he was getting.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "Argent"