Not a minute past midnight

Artorias chuckled when Zephyrus lamented how slow time was actually passing for him. The wolf remembered being a wee pup and longing to be an adult as quickly as possible. Oh, how foolish he had been... He watched with all the pride a father could have for a son while Zephryus ever so carefully removed the lid from the box, revealing his birthday gift contained within. He watched his avian son's face for that moment of recognition, the alighting of glee when he realized what he had been given. In all their training, Artorias had been able to identify Zeph's strengths and weaknesses when it came to armed combat. The raptor's greatest drawback was his inability to wield a weapon without sacrificing something in turn, be it his movement or his stability. He had meticulously crafted this design with Ruga's collaboration, and the end result was something he was very happy with. He hoped Zeph would be equally as happy with them too.

Briar showered their yearling son in affections while they both wished him a happy birthday. The emotion that crossed Zephyr's crystal blue eyes wasn't missed, and Artorias knew they had done well this year. He also knew they'd unintentionally set the bar quite high for all his remaining birthdays too! Zeph extended his tremendous wingspan in the room, catching the Aegis by surprise as his son pulled him into a tight embrace. Loving and lighthearted laughs escaped the azure wolf while he hugged Zeph back, nuzzling into his soft downy plumage. "Your mother and I know what you like. I hope they're suitable in use. I'd have tested them out first, but, y'know... paws." He wiggled his digits in the air as if to emphasize why he was unsuited to beta test his own creation. "Te iubim, fiule."

Slightly extracting his head from the feathered warmth of the gargantuan raptor's embrace, Artorias peered up until amber met cerulean blue eyes, a proud smile on his muzzle. They weren't quite done with Zephyrus' birthday gifts just yet. Zephyr had made tremendous strides in improving his skills to contribute to the pack and it was time to reward him for his diligence and tenacity. "You have another surprise today too, Zeph," Artorias said with a knowing grin. "As a yearling, you are now allowed to choose your path within the Hallows. Briar and I have watched your progress with your training and we're both incredibly proud of you. So, what rank would you like to pursue, Zephyrus?" Artorias had a hunch Zeph would want to follow the path of the warrior or the scout, but he would let his son make that choice for himself.

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