Take a chance on me

The ravens in the skies over the Hallows saw the Fatalis boys approaching the borders before Citadel's call had ever gone out. One of the jet black corvids swooped back toward the castle to report the wolves to its master, diving through the sky and into the gardens where Artorias was busy supervising his pups at play. The raven landed atop the titan wolf's back, delivering its report through croaked words just as Citadel's summoning call was issued. Artorias' expression shifted into confusion and concern. What were Basilisk's children doing down here so far from home? He'd heard no word from the Armada letting him know they'd be arriving. Something about this felt wrong, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Leaving the children in the care of their mother, Artorias began to make his way to the borders of the plains, crossing through the soft summer grasses until he spotted the forms of the two large pups waiting for him. Citadel was already massive, showing he would likely be matching his sire's height, and Iskandor wasn't too far behind him. But most concerningly, there wasn't an adult in sight with the boys. No Basilisk, no Ignita, no chaperone or guardian—nobody. Brows knitting together as a concerned frown settled on his face, Artorias met the Fatalis lads at the border, looking them both over briefly. Neither seemed hurt or malnourished; a good sign.

"Citadel. Iskandor. This is... an unexpected surprise," Artorias said, doing his best to be diplomatic and not jump straight into acting like a father. "What are you two doing all the way down here? Has something happened?" Artorias made no effort to hide the concern on his face. The presence of two unescorted pups from their allied pack at his borders meant something had gone down. Was the Armada still standing? Was their family all right?

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"