Amon looked over the canyon with a sense of deep satisfaction. He'd grown very fond of the place his sister had chosen to make her den. Ever the strategic mind, Pyralis had found a most excellent land for rearing pups. Hard for them to escape as younglings, and plenty of nooks at crannies to stow away in. Of course, there would be little need for such things before long. His children were growing, nearing a year in age. He was baffled at how quickly it had come about, but there was no getting away from it. Pyralis' children were older yet, bound to be fully grown before long. He huffed out a sigh. He could not help but be impatient. He knew it was ideal for the continuation of their line that he wait until his and Pyralis' children were older before launching their long anticipated conquest. More for his sister's benefit than his own, seeing as with seven children of his own... well, to be frank, he could afford to spare a few for the cost of war. Pyralis was not so fortunate. It was his duty to the family to give Asharya and Ashiel the best chance for survival, and beginning a war certainly hadn't seemed to fit that bill. Soon the time of waiting would be past. Amon looked up into the sky, at the heavy iron clouds which swirled there. The rainy season was stretching on and on, but he did not mind. The frequent rains brought life to their canyon, plants and creatures alike. He wondered what his children might be up to on such a blustery, damp day such as this. Now that they were of an age to attempt hunting for themselves, Amon felt far less pressured to linger about. Still, that did not mean he would not enjoy an occasional day of reacclimatizing himself with 'their' lands. Perhaps a border patrol was in order... "Talk" "You" Think

Chasing Twisters In The Canyon

Dark clouds stretched across the afternoon sky. Pyralis was gnawing away at a bison femur, content to be at home for the time being. The kids were growing swiftly and she was much more comfortable with letting them roam and do as they would. Pyralis paused in her gnawing, her golden eyes drifting to where her slave girl, Lydia, was sleeping. With the kids growing more independent the young healer had much more down time. Pyralis had meant to get rid of her by now but having a healer around when there was much fight training to be done was particularly useful. Not that Seth was a poor healer. She'd much prefer an Abraxas but the little runt was always off doing who knew what. Though now that Malleus was spending more time with the family perhaps he could fill that role. Her eyes narrowed again at Lydia. She didn't know what to do with the girl. Kill her? Just let her go? Keep her? Perhaps she'd talk with Amon about this.

A howl rang out through the canyon and Pyralis grinned. Speak of the devil. She rose to her paws and turned to the girl. "Stay put, this is a family matter." Heading toward the meeting she moved swiftly and gracefully. Anymore she knew the canyon like the backs of her paws and it didn't take her long to arrive. Grinning at her brother she sauntered in to take a seat. "Why Amon, it is good to see you. Please tell me you have exciting news."

My Cathedral Is The Badlands

Ashiel was taking an afternoon nap. Curled up in a nook in the canyon, one that he considered his own private getaway, he was content to spend the day resting before the next training session but his uncle's call canceled those plans. Ashiel lifted his head, curious as to what his uncle was calling them together for. The man was something of an enigma. Ashiel hoped some day to spar the other and show what he'd been learning but he doubted he was quite ready for that yet. Slipping out of the crevice and onto the ledge he began making his way toward the meeting. Ashiel realized he needed to start getting proactive about his future and he'd already made two goals. One was to improve his fighting ability, the other was to start meeting the mortals of this realm, sizing them up and getting a better feel for their mission. Ashiel preferred the safety of familiar territory but that was not going to work if he wanted to meet his goals. Ashiel approached the gathering which so far consisted of his uncle and his mother. "Greetings, Uncle Amon, it's good to see you. Hey mom!" He brushed up against Pyralis' right shoulder before sitting next to her. "Talk" "You" Think

She paced the length of her den. Many were absent throughout the seasons but she did not fear for that. No. Thoughts of the varility of the family had been passing through her head. There were so few children born now and the ones that had been born she feared would not be war ready when it was needed. She herself had yet to conceive but there was little problem with that. She was not just going to breed with any mortal. No she wanted a spirit or another god. That was her condition for herself to bed another. She'd yet to see one so she questioned if her cousin had lied to her.

The sound of a summons rose and she shot a look to the den entrance. Her eyes looked to the pelt then that graced her bed. A glare set on her features. Perhaps Amon had finally decided what he would do about that betrayal. She moved, exiting her den and watching the pass. She had set herself up where she had a good view of the easiest to traverse entrance. Not that it was easy exactly but it was the most pleasant way down. Of course she knew a not so pleasant way for the mortals that would try and she quite enjoyed the thought of watching one splat at the bottom after tumbling down.

She pressed on. Moving to the gathering her cousin had called. She stopped beside Pyralis and sat. Her eyes passed to her second cousin and she gave the boy a smile then looked to Amon. She lifted a brow. Then to pyr she dipped her head.

Walk, "Talk", Think

The sudden commotion outside his den brought Seth's deformed muzzle up, bright eyes staring warily out into the brightness. Oh, what now? His stub of a tail twitch, oversized ears following suit, and finally with a sigh the dwarf dragged himself to his paws. It was better to find out what his family was up to now, little as he wanted to subject himself to the possibility of being given to his aunt Pyralis as a gopher again, rather than wait to find out later and have something bite him in the ass.

Knowing his aunt, that might be literal.

He poked his head out of the crack in the rock, blinking a moment to adjust to the light, before the rest of him followed in his peculiar hopping gait. He kept his face carefully smooth, his eyes very carefully wide and innocent and a wag of appeasement shifting his bobbed tail against his hindquarters as he sidled up towards his gathering family. He, very very carefully did not even glance toward aunt Pyralis, instead keeping his gaze locked on his uncle's chin. Beside his much taller, more graceful relatives, the dwarf far more closely resembled a dhole than a wolf, a comparison he could not help but make with the familiar sting of bitterness.

"Good morn, Uncle Amon," he greeted the current patriarch with a smooth unctuousness. "How rare to see... so many of our family together these days," he added with a faint question deliberately injected into his tone.

His father's summons rang through the canyon and brought the titan out of his reverie. He was slowly getting back into the swing of things since returning home. Malleus had spent the better part of a day clearing out a new den and preparing it to his liking. He was debating whether or not to stock it with herbs. The titan wasn't the best of healers but he intended to better himself. It was a useful skill to have when certain members of your family tended to get into a lot of fights. It might be a good idea to keep some things on hand just in case. But what kinds? That was the problem. He didn't know. He had half a mind to find himself a little healer slave like Pyralis; someone to teach him and temporarily fill the gaps where his knowledge was weak.

He continued to mull both his selection of herbs and the possibility of a slave over on the way to the gathering. Once there Malleus stopped at the edge of the gathering to look over those in attendance. Many he hadn't seen since returning to the family and one in particular surprised him. Ashiel had shot up considerably and was showing every sign of filling out and becoming a strong and capable man. Clearly Pyralis had chosen his father well.

After giving a warm nod to any who made eye contact with him, the titan moved off to the side of the gathering and settled down by himself. Seeing Ashiel had gotten him thinking about children of his own. He was two years old now and quickly approaching the turn of his third year, and he had nothing to show for it. Sure, he was still very young, but he was beginning to feel the pressure. They all had to do their part and while it may not have been true Malleus felt as if his father was impatiently waiting for his children to bless him with another generation of Abraxas. As the oldest of Amon's children it made sense that he would be the first and that thought only added to the pressure he felt.

She'd been all over the place lately, probably missed some meetings in the time she'd spent doing her own thing, but over all Razi was quite pleased with the way she'd used her time thus far. Though she hadn't made much progress in speaking with the Alpha of the pack nearby, much to her dismay, she had gotten the chance to learn about those who were residing in the lands to the north in Boreas. That was worth all the lost time and prolonged absence as far as Razi was concerned. Hers was a strategic mind, one that preferred to think ahead and life life on a foundation of well laid plans so she never had to move blindly through life or enter a situation unprepared. Too bad this didn't seem to be a common trait even among her kin.

It was by sheer luck that the woman found herself nearing the lands inhabited by her family when they began to assemble. Pausing, Razi waited a moment and considered whether or not forsaking her isolation would be worth it for something so annoying as a meeting. Okay, yes, it would be a good idea to go but she certainly wasn't in a presentable state to be reconnecting with family.

Stalking through the canyon the Abraxas woman entered the meeting space where the others were gathering and took a seat off to the side, reclining in a manner that suggested she was more here as an observer than as one who was going to engage with the group. Her thick fur was a little haphazard, carrying a strong smell of mint and... blood. Narrow gold eyes flickered over the group and took them all in. There were many she wasn't entirely familiar with. It made her the slightest bit uncomfortable but not enough for her face to betray even a hint of her uncertainty. When did the brown woman arrive? Who was she to them? The funny looking smallish one was a curiosity, but one she was less inclined to worry over as he was so small.

Amon was no fool. He was hardly caught unawares by the dalliances of his kin, nor was he surprised by his families far-ranging tendencies. This was not unheard of, nor was he disgruntled by it. Those at home in the canyon that day were those he expected to find. These wolves he considered the core members of his family, if only because these were the wolves he most often associated himself with. Pyralis, his steadfast sister and her children. Skia, the cousin he had not asked for but found himself grudgingly accepting of all the same. His nephew, his own son, and his sister Razi made themselves known as well. Amon was comforted by this gesture of pack, although they weren't quite such by official terms. The grouping of wolves could often be found nearby, but he was not fool enough to attempt to bind them to one land or another. It was neither his place not his implication. Still, that did not mean he would not attempt to use them for his own purposes. In the crowd surrounding him he felt strength and power and drive. He knew these were the wolves the Fallen God had chosen as his emissaries. "Hello, hello," he graveled as they fell in. "Didn't expect so many of you to be lingering about on a day like today," he mused to himself in that low, rumbling voice. He oversaw each of them, individually. Each looked like they were in good health. He wondered after the Abraxas wolves who had ranged too far to hear his call, and wondered what pursuits they might be chasing. He hoped, for their sake, that it was something worthwhile. "It's been a long year since our arrival here," he began in muted tones. "A long year, and much has changed. We have left our mark on this land, adapted to it." He gave a grave nod towards the youth of their grouping. Ashiel and Asharya, two bright youths of his sister's creation. Gaios and Asharya, his own ilk, had been born not long after. Four strong, promising young youths to further the goals of their not-quite-pack. Good. He began again. "We have waited long enough. I believe the time is upon us to begin pressing our visions upon the landscape. You have all had a year to contemplate how we would best serve this land. I'd be interested to hear your opinions," he hedged in a lighthearted, informal tone. He did not want to give this grouping a title of officiallity, as if it might further the view that he was their defacto leader. His interactions with family members over the last few moons had led him to assume that they had elected him as such, though her personally felt it a bit of a hinderance. In times of lesser obligation, when he did not have pups to rear, he might not have minded as much. Instead, he had found his family members rather stagnant when he was less available. Well, the time for that had certainly passed. "You are each powerful warriors, blessed by the favor of the Fallen God," he began. "It is time we began leaving our scar on this land. I wonder, why do the loners say to me, 'Abraxas who?' It's sickening." In their homeland the Abraxas had been a feared name, one wrought with power and understanding. There was none of that here. "In the next moon I'll be mounting my first advance against one of the packs here. I hope to see many of you fighting alongside me." The comment was made lightly, though now without weight. His implication was clear. They were not truly Abraxas, if they were unwilling to fight for their family name. The time of meek obsequiousness had come to an end. He scanned the grouping, searching for the light in their eyes that would tell them they too had been blessed by their God's domineering spirit. The time of rest was at an end. Let their domination of this land begin. "Talk" "You" Think

Chasing Twisters In The Canyon

Pyralis reached out and licked her son's ear as he sat down next to her, pressing close. She wasn't in the mood to scold him and decided just to enjoy what would be her last season of motherhood. After this she'd consider her children to mostly be adults. They would need to tear themselves from her side and stand on their own which she knew they would have no trouble doing. They were already quite independent and adventurous. Only Ashiel seemed to occasionally cling to her. She dipped her head in greeting as Skia sat next to her and proceeded to ignore Seth.

She grinned and dipped her head in greeting to Malleus as he arrived. Oh this was exciting! It had felt like so long since they'd had a gathering. She grinned at Razi as well but frowned a little as no others showed. Hmm… she was expecting more than that. Ah well. Amon began the meeting and Pyralis listened with interest, eager to hear what her brother had called them together for. She fidgeted as he stated that they'd waited long enough, it was time to start making their name known in this land. Finally! Though Pyralis would prefer to wait til her children were yearlings before starting any trouble…. oh who was she kidding. She'd managed to get into enough trouble regardless but without young to fuss over she felt she could step up her game.

"Amon, you know I'll stand beside you. I'm always ready to shed a little blood." She grinned at her brother. "Have you selected a pack for your first advance? I have investigated Talis, I've even been inside their territory but if you wish to investigate any of the northern packs just ask."

My Cathedral Is The Badlands

ooc: feel free to skip Ashiel, I'll get to him when I can

Ashiel kept his focus mostly on his mother as he leaned into her, taking comfort in the warmth of her fur. Some relatives would make eye contact with him and he'd nodded his head in respectful greeting but he mostly kept to himself. His green eyes focused on Amon as the older male began to speak. He respected his uncle and knew the man was the head of the family and would be a key player in determining his future. He listened as Amon spoke, taking in what he could. They were going into battle? He looked up at his mother, eager as always for a good fight but he felt in his gut some nervousness at the prospect. Was he ready for this? Wait…. they were going to participate weren't they? Ashiel stood up quickly, next to his mother. "Me too!" He didn't want to be left behind, he was almost a yearling! "Talk" "You" Think

YOUNG AND A MENACE

ooc. late af, and I am super sorry my friends D:

The children of the Fallen One were gathering. Amassing their clan on the outskirts of their claimed territory of the Bent Canyon. Oh, this would be interesting. Lithe form would prowl towards home, curiosity goading them along their path. Pallid paws thumped fearlessly over the terrain, begging for an assault from all sides. Their unwitting patriarch had summoned, and they would all follow his lead. After all, the clan was merely a band of thugs without the direction of a leader. Threatening but without any real cause for true terror. Hungry eyes roved over the landscape, seeking out the forms of family.

Arriving on the scene, it appeared the godling was late. As always. Fashionably so, of course. A soft flip of the tail, and they shoved their ears forward to catch the last of Amon's words. Oh yes. It was time to rain the wrath of the Fallen One upon these pathetic mortals. They similarly caught Pyr's offer of Talis, which Kaine had paid only slight attention to. It wasn't that interesting, save for their interesting fortress within the territory. Kaine longed to claim it as their own, whenever they could get their greedy paws upon it. "Talis would fall quite nicely beneath us, I think. It is far from enormous, but their destruction would surely spread word of our might across these lands." Kaine drawled. They weren't really afraid of what being late might incur from their brother, as he most likely was well aware of how much the deity roamed nowadays.

Pyr's son was getting big. Too big, almost. How was Kaine to impose their will and put the fear of the Fallen One in the children if they were all bigger than they were? Unfair, truly. Diminutive in stature, but not in wits, Seth had made an appearance. Lovely. It had been some time since they had seen the boy last. That strange cousin of theirs, Skia, was also there. Kaine had yet to form a genuine opinion of the girl. So far, they were mostly of the mindset that she was something to be wary of. Not quite trusted, but kept around while she was of use.

"speech"


I THINK THAT GOD IS GONNA HAVE TO KILL ME TWICE

The titan's gaze swept across the gathering while his father spoke, his expression passive, as he took in those that were in attendance. Not a bad showing for a people who'd been sent out to take in the lay of the lands. Undoubtedly the rest were still doing just that. He did wonder just how far his siblings had wandered and if any would return. It was possible that they'd decided to make their own way. If that were the case he hoped they found success, but if he had his way, they'd return to the collective and find glory with their people.

Malleus found himself nodding along his father spoke. Each statement struck a chord with him. It was time to act, to leave a mark, to be known in these lands. The titan would do whatever was necessary to see that goal to fruition. He wasn't above getting in the thick of it; no task was beneath him. "I'm with you," he rumbled to his father. "Whatever you need of me, I'll do it."

Past a few glances, Seth was by and large ignored by his gathering family, which was all to the better as far as he was concerned. It meant he had little to do but simply listen with a deliberately-projected outward interest and curiosity as his uncle spoke to them. A faint, cynical smirk twisted at his muzzle despite all his control when Amon spoke of them all being great warriors, an aborted glance towards his own stunted form momentarily drawing his gaze from Amon before he snapped his mask of interest back into place. "Then I shall work on improving my skills in healing, Uncle, that I may help make certain that all are healthy and strong enough to lend their fangs to your campaign," the dwarf spoke smoothly instead with a bow made somewhat graceless by the stiffness of his twisted body. The words were meant as more than support for the family and for Amon's plans, they were a subtle reminder that despite all else Seth was still useful to the family, that he had a way of rising past the physical weakness that he'd been cursed with. To remind him that he had valid reasons not to kill Seth. It was, Seth felt, a very important reminder to make at a time that they might considering weeding out the dead weights to allow more resources for the useful.

TABLE BY VETHYSNIA
She listened to the reactions and responses of the others with mild interest, though she couldn't say she really found what they offered up all that impressive. Suggestions of going after Talis were dishearteningly... expected, she supposed. It was natural to impulsively go after what one found the most easily within their grasp. That didn't excuse the unoriginality though.

After Amon had spoken and the others expressed their support, all that formal garbage, Razi chose her moment. Pulling herself up to sit a little straighter she let her smooth vocals ring out across the space, "It would be dreadfully easy to make our closest neighbors our first target," she began, words dripping from her tongue at a pace that hinted at how much care was taken to choose the right way to present her thoughts. Razi was nothing if not careful and methodical, after all. "But, to take the easy route would be the least impressive option. To drive home the message of our strength, I suggest we leave our mark on one of the packs of boreas. Showing we are willing to cross vast distances to send a message would be a point that would not go unheard. They would be unable to go without becoming deeply familiar with the name Abraxas. Attacking Talis simply would not have the same effect, after all, it's quite isolated here in Auster."

With her two cents having been put out there for the group to digest, Razi relaxed slightly and awaited the reactions of the rest. Truth be told she wouldn't be at all upset to have someone argue, supposing they had good enough points to back up a differing position. For now it was time to hopefully fade back to the position of observer. Hopefully Amon knew her support was a given. She would offer whatever assistance her relatives required of her, no need to boast of it aloud. Hell, if there were enough other healers perhaps she would be tempted to get involved in the fighting given the opportunity. Stranger things had happened.