Heard talk you were dead

Artorias crossed graciously across the border into Ashen at Chimera’s behest and followed alongside his friend at a leisurely pace, the two dire brutes strolling through the overgrowth. He listened as Chimera regaled him with the tale of what had happened following his sickness and his family’s departure from Auster. Chimera and his primary queen had lost a daughter, then the pair had created another litter in place of their lost child, his oldest still out amongst the world, and the rest of his queens were doing well. A mixed bag of emotions to sort through, but it also put into perspective just how long Chimera and his sect of the Kleins had been gone for.

"I’m sorry about your daughter. I can’t imagine losing a child," the Carpathian brute sympathized with his friend. He couldn’t bear to even think about losing one of his children, the very thought turning his stomach. "Nine new pups? Are you and Aliana going for some kind of record number of kids?" Artorias chuckled and gave a mischievous grin to Chi when the brute asked about his own family and if he was still putting his pups in Briar, returning the other male's playful look. "As often as I can. We're up to eleven now, so I'm starting to catch up to you. Briar and I have elected to not have a third litter just yet, though I'm sure if I insisted she wouldn't put up much of a fight. You know how that urge is." Artorias was well accustomed to how his wife got when she was in heat, and with her season just starting now only time would tell if they'd make it through summer without him planting more children inside her belly. Another chuckle rumbled in Artorias' chest; Chimera had always been able to bring out a side to him that seldom ever showed, and it seems like that hadn't changed with time.

"So I see you've found another crown to wear," he stated, deciding to just bring up the matter at hand so they could enjoy their reunion more fully without the bog of politics to slog through. "How is Venom doing? Hopefully it's nothing serious?" Details about Venom's abdication to Chimera had been scant, and Art always dreaded the worst when it came to his friends. Hopefully Chimera could assuage some of those fears he had surrounding the former Empress.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"