Well... Here I am!

Hallux dove through the small clearing with the fury of a bullet fired from a gun, talons latching onto the nape of his neck. A startled grunt was all he could manage, occupied as he was with the garden. Spring was in full swing now, and summer was very nearly upon them, and he'd missed out on a great deal of gardening time. Using the wickedly sharp gauntlets that had once been for battle, he scored the earth and upturned the loamy soil for planting. The metal talons were useful for digging, and didn't go to waste now that he'd given up his attempts at being a great warrior for Abraxas. The half finished planting was interrupted as he released his grip on the bundle of agrimony that he'd been about to set into the dirt.

"You'd best have a good-" he was interrupted by the ebony bird, who hopped onto the space between his ears and grabbed a tuft of ear fur in one claw for good measure. "That blond man is here, he's calling for you." she rasped insistently, and took off. With a quizzical hum, he brushed the worst of the dirt from his fur. Dropped the metal claws into the garden bed outside the shrine outbuilding, and followed Hallux's insistent calls through the alabaster woods of the shrine. Long limbs carried the godling with practiced ease over the familiar terrain, muscle memory acquainted with the myriad narrow game trails radiating outward from the shrine to its secondary buildings and down to the coastline. Today, though, he needn't have hurried too much. By the time he'd been ready to go, Hallux was leading him deeper into the trees, towards the shrine proper. The golden pelage stood in stark contrast to the pale trees and dark undergrowth, so he could slow his pace and come abreast with his unexpected guest at his own leisure.

"You've finally plucked up the courage to cross the bridge, I see." he teased, flashing Emile a wry smile as he came astride with the nervous male. "It's lovely to see you again, Emile." he added, eyes crinkling at the corners with genuine glee. Already, the path was beginning to widen, the undergrowth thinning out to reveal the first glimpses of the shrine in all its glory just beyond. A flash of pride in his chest, as he looked at the well tended stone structure that sat off to the side from the glowing violet pool. It looked the same as it had when he'd been a child, after a few seasons of maintenance and cleaning. Something worth showing off to guests. "Welcome to my home, would you like to come inside and have some tea?" soft vocals crooned, and two-toned eyes shifted back to the gilded man at his side. "You must be exhausted after the long trek from Auster, I'd imagine." the dark male added with a small furrow of his brow, quickly wiped away in favour of nodding towards the now visible shrine- rest for the weary, peace and solitude for the troubled.

"Pontifex" || "Hallux" || "Pollux"