After Kharnage's talk with Mercy the male had been pretty adamant about enjoying his family free life. At first he'd found solace in the fact that he wasn't surrounded by adults anymore. There was no one around him anymore who could look down on him for his choice of words, his brooding personality, and no one that he had to depend on. He didn't have to face the disappointments that came one right after another due to the lack of proper training. He didn't have to attend Vereux's stupid attempts at bonding or his even more cringe-worthy healing lessons that ended up not being worth the effort of appearing. He didn't have to worry about appealing to his mother and living up to any standards set for him. Kharn was free and he could act and do as he pleased. As time passed though the newfound enjoyment of his freedom turned into loneliness and one again into irritation. He was constantly on the verge of a pissy mood. He was still rather irritated with his mother. She still didn't seem to be the same woman he'd known back in Imperium, but his longing for company was starting to override it. His original ideas of finding strangers to teach him had failed and the only thing he'd managed to accomplish was learning how to get his own food. Even that was becoming a harder task with winter looming. Prey had already been scarce due to the lack of rain and it was only going to get worse. His fighting skills were dismal at best at times. Regulus had only given him the basics when he was younger and since then he hadn't been able to pick up much on his own. He'd managed to square off against a coyote at one point, on his trip to the desert, and had barely managed to kill the mangy mutt. It was only by sheer luck he'd managed to get a hold of its throat, but not before it'd gotten a nice bite to his chest. He'd had a better time in scrounging for interesting items. He'd never seen a cactus before and his mind had automatically flicked towards his sibling, Dragon. He snickered at the thought of taking the prickly thing home to show him before he remembered that he no longer lived in Ivalice with the rest of him. This had put him in a rather foul mood and to his regret he'd taken it out on the cactus before learning that the cacti felt very much like a porcupine when he bit into it. He'd learned his lesson after not being able to eat for a week. The cactus had given him an idea though and eventually he'd managed to dig one up before spearing it on a stick. The thing was partially dried up now and stiff, but still quite covered in prickly spines. His plan for it was a thoroughly enjoyable one and on more than one occasion it'd helped brighten his mood considerably. So it was at this point in time, cactus, stick, and all that he'd trudged back towards the borders of Ivalice. His boredom and longing to see his cinnamon coated sibling overrode all anger towards his mother. He paused at the borders, having to remind himself he could no longer crossed them, and plopped himself down before them. He let the speared cactus fall to the ground before he raised his head and summoned his brother. He wasn't particularly keen on seeing his mother first and instead hoped to see Dragon before he made his final decision on coming home. Walk, "Talk" Think

His mind had been constantly wandering to the things his mother had told him. Mercy. Lykos. Kharnage. Vereux. Her own feelings. The night she nearly walked off a cliff...he shuddered at that thought. He couldn't imagine what it would have been like to suddenly not have her around. To not even know what happened if she had done it. But he was glad she didn't, and he made a promise to himself to help her where he could. She didn't ask for it, no. Nor did he feel obligated to stick around or forced to do anything. It was simply who he was, and she was his mother. She had been there for them their whole life, unlike their father. And even though she had changed, wasn't that expected? Nobody really stayed the same, did they? Especially when things in life had impact, and he had seen firsthand a lot of the shit that seemed to impact his mother's life. Even he felt himself changing. And whether it was for better or for worse was yet to be determined. He sat at the base of a pine, pondering life and what he should do until they had the pack meeting. He had to admit, he was nervous about the whole thing...but that was normal too, right? He knew he was getting himself kinda hyped up about it all, and he wanted nothing more then to tell his brothers. Gryphon was the only one he could really talk to though. And Lykos well...he wasn't even going to consider that jerk. And Kharnage? He had left...which saddened him, but what could he do? In the end though, Gryphon didn't seem like a bad choice. He always seemed pretty level headed out of all of them, and it had been a while since they talked or spent any time together. So with that plan in mind, he got up and started to make his way around in search of his brother. That is, until a familiar howl caught his ear. He stopped where he was, head turning towards the call, his head cocked in confusion. Was...that really him? Or was he hearing things? More importantly, why did it sound like it was for him and not his mom? Curiosity would make his limbs move, taking him towards the border in earnest. He was excited to see his brother, but also worried that it might be something bad. Was he alright? He didn't want to think that bad things would happen, they were all at the age to be able to fend for themselves...to some degree. He knew Kharnage's mentor--their uncle-- hadn't done a single thing to teach him. Whereas his own mentor had at least given him a lesson or two, and Gryphon's mentor had been doing what she could both during her pregnancy and with raising her first litter. Everything was a jumbled mess, he knew. And he hoped that he could change it all soon. At last, the male made it to the borders and walked along it until his brother came into view. His tailed wagged a bit, the young male a little unsure as he tried to gauge whether or not Kharn was hurt or something. But...he seemed alright. On the outside anyway. "Kharn! I'm so glad to see you! Where have you been? What have you been up to? I know you haven't been gone very long but a whole lot has happened!" He was excited, anxious, a barrage of other things he couldn't quite describe that he didn't realize he had just pelted his brother with so many questions. He couldn't wait to hear what he'd been up to since he left, even though it hadn't been too long. "Speech"

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Kharnage was content to let his prized prickle stick (he had deemed it such) sit at his paws as he waited for someone. He'd specifically called for Dragon but if mister high and mighty was around he had no doubt that he'd come to investigate. Lykos would be sure to come see what the missing sibling, the one who had deserted his family to go be free, was up to after returning to the borders. He scowled darkly at the thought. He never would have imagined that he'd dislike one of his siblings this much, but his time away hadn't done anything to improve his mood towards his similarly coated sibling. In fact as he thought about he he desired nothing more than to tear away all of Lykos' skin so he was left fur-less so that they could no longer look alike. Now that he thought about it he was glad no one mentioned the likeness. He was bound determined to rip away they eyeballs of anyone who spoke of it aloud. His scowl disappeared completely as he heard paw steps approaching. He could tell by the scent that it was Dragon so his mood lightened considerably and his brother was greeted with a friendly tail wag as his fur brushed against the earth. He really hadn't been gone too awfully long and yet it felt like forever since he'd seen his family or stepped foot back into these lands. Granted he'd expected to have been gone much longer, forever possibly, and yet he'd gravitated back here like a moon to its planet. It was strange how it worked out. "Kharn! I'm so glad to see you! Where have you been? What have you been up to? I know you haven't been gone very long but a whole lot has happened!" Dragon came off as a little worried, at least in appearance, and Kharn faltered at this thought. Had he really worried him that much? It was a little hard to tell now that Dragon was pelting questions at him one right after another. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. Where exactly was he supposed to start with the twenty questionnaire? He grinned broadly at the thought and focused on him as he sat comfortably. He was more interested in what he'd missed while he was gone, but he couldn't deny his sibling the chance to have his questions answered. "Lets see: I roamed the north for a bit, met a chick, she was overall kind of meh, wandered the north some more, saw some really interesting sights. Then I got bored and headed south for a bit, then towards the desert, saw these strange plants growing there, got into a fight with one and it won, brought one home as a souvenir." He then looked pointedly to the small-ish one on the stick. "Then I got bored and decided to come see what I was missing at home. So overall nothing too grand, mostly just really boring and lonely. But tell me what I missed!" Walk, "Talk" Think

He sat down, tail continuing to wag as his brother dove into the details of what he'd been up to since he had left. It seemed he had a small adventure at least, though probably not the one he wanted. It was a shame, he had kinda hoped his brother would find something out there. But it seemed a harder task then he thought. The same thing probably would have happened to him if he had done the same, but he didn't really have the same feeling of wanderlust that Kharnage had. Even so, he was glad that he had come to visit. He laughed when his brother mentioned the part about the plant he fought with had won. And it was then he noticed the prickly thing on the stick. "Haha, and what do you plan on doing with that little cactus? I've seen 'em when I first met Esarosa. They only really seem to grow in the desert, I'm glad they're not up here but...i wouldn't mind pushing Lykos into one!" He grinned with mischief, the thought of Lykos covered in cactus needles was extremely amusing. He didn't miss the part where his brother said the word 'home' and he wondered if he was thinking of coming back already. He felt bad that his adventures hadn't gone the way he had hoped...he especially didn't like that Kharnage had felt lonely out there. "I'm sorry things didn't work out, Kharn. Maybe we can go on an adventure together soon!" Ah! Maybe this was his opportunity to tell him about the mission he'd gone on! And all the other things that had happened too! Did his brother know about what really happened that day with mom and Lykos? His mother hadn't told him much when Kharnage had left, so he didn't know what his sibling knew or didn't know. "Man where do I even begin?" Where did he begin? There was so much to tell! Maybe...he would get a kick out of Lykos' situation. So he'd start there first. "Well...did you know that mom demoted Lykos down to Insubordinate? That jerk isn't the heir anymore! And for a good reason too!" He snorted, gaze hardening when he recalled what his mom had told him. "Lykos decided he wanted to follow that lying bitch, Mercy. That he would rather follow someone like her. I mean, how stupid and brainwashed can you get? She trespassed and insulted our pack and family, and maimed mom! If you ask me, mom did the right thing by trying to force claim that bitch for doing what she did. I would have done the same thing if I had found her!" The male was starting to get heated when he recalled what he was told. And his mom wasn't one to lie. She had no reason to. There was more he wanted to say, but he clamped his jaws shut before he let his emotions get the best of him. At least for a moment. "Speech"

He chuckled softly as Dragon noticed his gift. It seemed they had very similar views as what to do with cacti. He tried his best to make his face look as innocent as possible while answering in a voice that said "I'm definitely not up to anything." "Oh, it's just a present for dear old Lykos." He couldn't keep a straight face anymore and his lips turned up in a mischievous grin as he added, "So he can shove it up his ass." Yep, the animosity towards their largest sibling definitely hadn't dissipated since he'd left. He was slightly sorry for himself that things hadn't gone according to plan. If he'd had Dragon to go along with him it might not have bothered him so much. He hadn't expected his sibling to come along though and probably wouldn't have let him regardless. He belonged in the pack and Ivalice fit him like a very comfortable glove. He couldn't quite see Dragon giving that up permanently. So he shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant way. "It's alright, it's not a big deal." Kharn was definitely far more eager to hear about what had happened while he was gone. He listened eagerly and his mouth fell open in shock before a broad smile took over. Lykos got demoted?! That was the best news he'd heard in ... well forever! Oh this was too good. He'd already known Lykos had talked to Mercy, but he hadn't understood the extent of it all. Best of all mom had found out! He really couldn't wait to rub this in Lykos' face. It was like a whole bunch of holidays jammed into one day. "Oh man I can't wait to see his face. I bet he's pissed." He laughed. "It's about time he got knocked down a peg, or six." Walk, "Talk" Think

The usually jovial male was still frowning, trying not to seethe with rage at certain thoughts. But luckily, Kharnage was a great distraction! Even more so with the cactus he planned on using to stick it up Lykos' tight ass. That thought was amusing...but he couldn't feel as bad for their brother anymore. His brother was a flat out punk and deserved every bit of bad karma that came his way! He nodded, thinking about what Lykos must be feeling now. "I'm pretty sure he is, but I haven't seen him around. He's probably hiding in his den, I mean he's not allowed to leave pack lands without a babysitter anyway!"

He rolled his shoulders a bit, trying to rid himself of the tension he felt towards Lykos. He did find it all amusing. Who's the idiot now? Snorting to himself, he returned his attention to his brother, curious to know why he had decided to come back so soon. "So, asides from wanting to shove that up Lykos, what else did you come by for?"His tail wagged as he stood up then, a mischievous look twinkling in his eye as he slowly inched forward like a cat about to pounce. Without much warning, he leaped at Kharnage, attempting to wrestle him down. "Or you just came by because you missed me, huh?"

"ROAR"

It was more than amusing to hear that Lykos now required a babysitter. The fact that he was skulking around in his den made it all the better. It sounded like Lykos' ego had been knocked down a few pegs. Good. He thought to himself. After all the shit that had happened it was what their sibling needed. Well actually he probably deserved to have the crap beaten out of him and then some, but this was a good start. Dragon seemed to be wound up pretty tight. With all the drama circling around Lykos he could imagine he was having a hell of a time with it all. Ears flicked as Dragon questioned him as to why he came back. He eyed him as he stood up, but didn't think too much of it. Too late. He missed the mischievous glint in Dragon's eye. The next thing he knew he was rolled over on his back with a massive cinnamon colored fluff-ball standing over top of him. "God damn you're fucking big." He joked with a laugh. Dragon was barely larger than himself, but he was still big. "Yeah I admit I miss you guys. I miss having stuff to do. I halfway thought about coming back, but if I join again I wanna feel important. I felt so useless and shoved to the side the last time I was here and I hated it. My mentor didn't even call me once to train and I didn't want to attend any more of those stupid healer meetings." Walk, "Talk" Think

He snorted, his attempt at pinning Kharnage successful. He was sure if he had done something like that to Lykos, his brother would have gotten offended, complained, or started a fight over it. Then again Lykos was never any fun. He was always a party pooper. "Hey it's all fluff and muscle! Least I don't have a belly like that one kid from that Liar guy." Chuckling, he remembered the way he had seen Vadim's belly wiggle around. But he wouldn't really make fun of the kid, it was just comical. He was kinda glad they were gone though. He was tired of them always breaking the rules and their dad not doing shit about it. Total disrespect to his mom! Oh well. They were gone now. That was one less useless group to deal with. When Kharnage began to answer his question, Dragon pulled himself off of his brother and flopped onto his rump, head tilting as he listened. In a way, he totally understood where he was coming from. The mentors they had really sucked! They were late in learning what they should have already known, and he couldn't exactly blame his mom for that. She had assigned wolves who had volunteered to teach them, and they totally...didn't. "I know how you feel. Amachi only gave me a couple lessons, but not anything to actually practice with." He rolled his eyes at the thought. He never really got to do a spar to put all these explanations to the test. Oh well. "But hey, you know...maybe we can train and practice together!" It was an idea he was willing to do, especially now that he would be taking over soon. He had to get his fighting skills up to par. "Ah, that reminds me...mom made me the heir. And...she plans on passing the pack to me with the next meeting here in the next week or so." He shuffled his paws in the dirt, wondering what Kharnage would think about it. Should he dive in to tell him about the different plans he had? Or...well, he guessed he would wait to see how Kharnage reacted first. "Speech"

Kharnage really didn't mind being shoved to the ground. Had it been Lykos or a stranger he would have tried to snap their faces off by now, but Dragon was the exception to the rule. As much as he joked, Dragon really wasn't all that fat. A little heavy yeah, but certainly not in the bone crushing way. As he mentioned Vadim, the roly-poly kid from from Liar's brood, he chuckled. Yeah that kid was pretty big. Even in the mine shaft in the dark, Kharn could see his belly fairly easily. It was obvious he didn't miss any meals, but Kharn couldn't bring himself to make fun of the kid either. He hadn't been too terrible. As Dragon pulled himself off of him Kharnage dragged himself into a sitting position while they talked. He knew it wasn't entirely Avalon's fault that his mentor hadn't called him once. It made him feel better that Amachi hadn't done a good job with Dragon either. It did give them the opportunity to learn everything together at least and it meant that Dragon and him would be on the same playing field in terms of knowledge. He definitely enjoyed a more hands on approach and at least he'd have someone who would be dedicated with him. His mind didn't stay on that topic for long. He was almost sure he'd misheard Dragon when he so casually mentioned that Avalon had made him heir. His mouth fell open a tiny bit as his mind reeled. He was heir and he was taking over in a week or so. Wow he had missed a lot. His shock was replaced with a wide toothy grin and his tail thumped against the ground. "Dude that's fucking awesome. You'll make a much better alpha than Lykos ever could!" At least Dragon was an alpha he'd be willing to follow. He would have left if Lykos actually took over. Walk, "Talk" Think