Chasing Twisters In The Canyon

Summer in Auster was hot and humid. The sun had just dipped below the horizon, giving Pyralis a bit of respite on her journey back to the Talis home lands. She'd been pulled away from her exploration the last time but this time she was going to complete what she'd started come hell or high water and to make sure her kids didn't get into any trouble while she was away, she'd dragged them along. Pausing at the border Pyralis let out a brief howl to let Dragon know she was there before marching right into the territory. Above her Alkali soared, the hawks wings casting a shadow on the ground as she slipped in front of the moon.

It was truly gorgeous here. The lush plains stretched out before her, dotted with flickering lightning bugs. An earthly imitation of the grand spectacle of stars that stretched above her in the velvety black of night. She paused to wait for her children to catch up. They were here to learn and to observe and she expected them both to take something from this experience and be, reasonably, behaved.

My Cathedral Is The Badlands

Ashiel stalked after his mother as they made their way toward Talis. She'd chewed him a new one last season when he'd had his accident in the caves but even after all this time she still wasn't letting him live it down. One stupid mistake! He sulked for a bit but as they got closer to their destination he felt his heart start to hammer. Was she really sure about this? Just waltzing right into pack territory like this? He knew she had an agreement with the alpha but this seemed… really bold. They stepped over the border and Ashiel kept close to his mother, his senses turned up to eleven as he searched for any approaching danger. This was a chance to scout out the inner workings of Talis and perhaps learn more of this mortal leader. A firefly flicked in front of his face and Ashiel snapped his jaws over it, making a face for a moment before swallowing the bug. Bleck… had he really enjoyed doing that as a pup? "Talk" "You" Think

A howl had alerted him to an approach, and luckily he was in the plains that night doing a round of patrols before going to sleep. He listened for a moment as the howl died, and recognized who it belonged to. Ah, so had Pyralis returned to finish her exploration of his lands? Changing his course, he headed towards the direction she had called from with Kimahri and Shiva both hounding him. It was an odd sight seeing a wolf with two feline predators at his side, but ah they were such good companions. As he neared Pyralis location, the wind brought him another scent. Someone else was with her? Not only that, but he noticed that she had decided to just walk straight into his territory after calling, and although he appreciated the notice, the barging in...not so much. "You would do well to wait at the borders next time..." Shiva said dryly as the trio stopped in Pyralis' path. Dragon glanced at his feline comrade before turning his attention back to Pyralis and her tag-along. Although the two were large enough to most likely hold their own, he was sure they wouldn't fare well against a whole pack. "Shiva is right. Not everyone in Talis knows who you are, and had anyone else come before me, I doubt they would have been very pleasant towards you intruding." His tone wasn't threatening, but there was the hint of a warning to his words. For her sake, he hoped that she would take caution and wait at the borders next time. Of course, he didn't know her well enough to know if she'd actually take heed to his words, but if others of the pack had gotten to her before he had, there was no telling what may happen. Glancing towards the boy at her side, he rose a brow with intrigue. He smelled similar to Pyralis...and also detected the underlying hint of someone vaguely familiar. He couldn't place his paw on it now, but the thought sat in the back of his mind. "Nice to see you again, Pyralis. And who is this that has come with you?" His gaze remained on the boy, clearly a yearling, though still quite large for his age. "Speech"

Chasing Twisters In The Canyon

Pyralis took in the stretch of the horizon and the shifting of the grass as the breeze shifted, bringing her the scent of Dragon and his pet. She turned with an grin of mock innocence on her face. She chuckled at the jaguar's comments before turning her head elegantly to face Dragon. "Oh? That would have been their mistake then." Her expression darkened for just a moment before it melted off her face with a laugh. "Don't worry, this late at night I had a feeling I'd run into you first. An alpha is far more seasoned and efficient to answering the calls of strangers at borders." Dragon would ask about her about Ashiel and she stood tall with pride. "This is my son, Ashiel. He has an interest in leadership, I thought it might be good to bring him along. Perhaps he could ask you a few quest-" Pyralis froze as a cloud shifted past the moon casting Dragon's face in it's light.

He'd been mauled, that much she could see and his eyes…. he was blind! "Sainted spirits, Dragon. What happened to your eyes! Seen a bit of action have you? Oh, sorry, saw." She chuckled. He was a fair fighter so she expected him to reasonably well against other mortals. Against a goddess like herself though? Not so much. "I hope your opponent fared worse or do you have a bit of vengeance to seize?"

My Cathedral Is The Badlands

Ashiel watched at the alpha approached with a pair of big cats. He eyed them carefully, uncertain what to think of the sight. He let his mother do the talking but his ears perked at the mention of asking questions. He wasn't quite sure what he could learn from a mortal leader…. what not to do? But then, his mother was always wiser than she let on. Her wisdom bared itself in unexpected ways and unexpected situations. He nodded as she introduced him. "Good evening." Pyralis continued to speak but her voice cut off suddenly as it was revealed that the alpha was blind, the evidence of battle still lingering on the male's body where it became clear that his eyes were infected. For a moment Ashiel wondered why the man would stay an alpha. Sure, he could correct for the loss of sight with his hearing and sense of smell but wouldn't that be dangerous if the pack was attacked or challenged? Had he really managed to compensate for the loss of site so thoroughly. Ashiel narrowed his eyes in thought. "Talk" "You" Think

He eyed her, gaze narrowing just slightly at her comment. He was pretty sure most of the members of his pack could handle a trespasser, though they weren't often up at this hour. He did nearly all the night patrols, and his albino sister occasionally did as well, though she still had much to learn. "I am sure my own could test you wrong," He responded with a bit of humor, tail flicking against his heels as he appeared amused. Though his lot weren't particularly violent, more than one wolf could probably do some damage, even to a Goddess. While he himself was no divine being like Pyralis and her kin claimed to be, he supposed he had done well to live as long as he had, though he still had a long life ahead of him...hopefully. She would introduce the yearling at her side as Ashiel, her son. A brow rose as he looked at the boy, a small grin widening his muzzle as the boy greeted him, "Good evening, Ashiel. You're a handsome young man, I'm sure you do your mother proud." Before she could finish speaking, however, the light from the moon cast itself in such a way that she would notice his scars and his impairing vision. She questioned him about, and he was both amused and somewhat serious as he thought about it. "Ah, yes. I can still see, though my vision isn't going to be what it was. My healer tells me it will eventually be taken by infection, and I must admit some days are foggier than others, but for the most part... I simply seek to enjoy seeing what I can before it completely fades away. We staged a raid against a pack by the name of Celestial this past Spring, I would say the field of injury was even on both sides. One of my warriors managed to mangle the leg of their alpha, and several of their members were blinded and maimed as well." He thought back to the raid, trying to remember who had been injured on both sides and who had done what. It was honestly a whirlwind in his mind, the adrenaline and the heat of battle had kept him occupied from really paying attention at the time and he hadn't talked about it much either. "I suppose perhaps vengeance might be in order...however, the one who ultimately did the damage was my own kin. A cousin of mine. We fought, but she also had the help of her alpha. Celestial seems to like to gang up on others, another of my members fought against two others, but he came out the victor after successfully blinding them." Greed was a wildcard, that much he knew. He couldn't blame the younger wolf for his actions that day, nor did he care to lecture him on how harsh he might have been. After all, Celestial had been just as invested in wanting to seriously harm them just the same. The more time that passed and the more he had thought about it, he felt no remorse for them anymore. He wondered then, what Pyralis might do in such a situation. "I wonder though...what might you do in such a situation? Should your own kin do such a thing to you? Granted we are the ones who raided them, we did not go in with the intent of doing such significant damage...at least, not against my own." He was truly curious about her response, if any, for he himself had constant conflict about what he'd do...especially with his morals and all. "Speech"

Chasing Twisters In The Canyon

Pyralis let out a chuckle. "Perhaps some day we should test that theory. We have warriors to train, I'm sure a friendly tournament between our family and your warriors would be enjoyable." She did not know what Amon would think of training with the mortals but it was a thought. They were expendable in her opinion and could be used as training fodder. Who knew, perhaps one of them might prove a worthy opponent for the god kin.

Dragon spoke of his eyes and she wondered if perhaps he was bluffing. Feigning more sight than he actual had in hopes of still appearing intimidating. It was hard to believe he could still see through that mess. The talk of a raid caught her attention. My, my, wasn't he a bold one? Her expression turned more serious at the mention of the maiming. She wouldn't have struck the mortals for being quite this violent but in hindsight that was incredibly foolish of her. She'd seen much in her wandering and she knew well that mortal cruelty could easily match that of herself and her kin. "Sounds like quite the violent affair. Is this how you mortals typically conduct such business or was there something more personal between you and this Celestial?" The mention of his own kin maiming him had her wondering if this was some sort of internal family affair. A rivalry for power or something of the like.

She continued to walk through the plains, enjoying the unusual company as the moonlight passed over the castle that grew bigger with each stride. "Well, for one thing, I wouldn't lose." She winked at Dragon and chuckled to herself, her blazing confidence and pride was not easily dimmed but she shrugged lightly. "It is a difficult question and it hinges on two things. One, did I do something to deserve it? I am not… always an ideal cog in my family's machine. Sometimes I am brash and ill fit and I am aware of these shortcomings… but I can not imagine myself committing a crime great enough for such a punishment. However, if it came to pass I would accept the punishment." What would that mean though? To be a blind Abraxas? Would she even be allowed to live? "I suspect though that such weakness would mean that I would then be killed so there would not be much point in worrying over it. However, if I had the opportunity, I would seek vengeance. If I felt it was unjust I would retaliate without hesitation though naturally it would be to the shadowy arts or through some underhanded means. I am not fool enough to try another head-on battle."

She paused as the wind picked up speed, rolling the dark clouds above her and blocking the moon. "The second would depend if my opponent was worthy of respect. We all respect some of our family members more than others. If one I felt I was superior to simply 'got lucky' then I would feel that vengeance would be in order to salvage my name and reassert myself. Again, this all assumes I would be allowed to live in such a crippled body. I would expect my brother would slay me and allow me to be set free." It may have seemed brutal but they were on a mission and there was no room for dead weight. If Amon didn't kill her she'd die of shame.

Pyralis let out a chuckle and turned to Dragon with a wicked grin. "Since we have the esteemed alpha of Talis in our midsts, how about a tour of the castle while the night is still young?"

My Cathedral Is The Badlands

Ashiel spent most of his time listening and filing away information as he studied the alpha. He felt heat rush to the cheeks at the mention of him doing his mother proud. That was certainly one of his goals though at times it felt unattainable, like he was striving down a path that would never end but simply loop back to where he started. At the talk of the raid and the blindness Ashiel remained impassive if some what confused. How could a blind alpha rule? Wasn't he a liability to the pack? Weakness in the Abraxas was always swiftly purged and he turned away as his mother answered Dragon's question about revenge. He couldn't imagine anyone actually maiming his mother. It was such a strange thing to thing that it could even be possible and to think that she would then have to be purged? Ashiel did not care for this conversation and was grateful when Pyralis suggested moving on to the castle. He nodded his agreement. "I would like to see the castle. Dragon, if you don't mind I am curious… how do you intend to lead once you lose your sight? Will your pack still respect you? And what about battle? As my mother said the blind do not… live long, in our family. Honestly, you are the first blind wolf I've ever met. What becomes of your life now?" "Talk" "You" Think

He chuckled at her suggestion, and nodded. It was something to think about, after all. It would give his warriors a chance to test themselves against someone new. He was sure that sparring within the pack and with the same wolves over and over got stale..."Actually, that's not a bad idea Pyralis. Perhaps we can get together with your alpha and discuss it. Since we've been the only pack in Auster and all the other packs so far away, it would be a refreshing change of pace around here." It was a great idea in his head. A friendly tournament between the two neighboring packs would do everyone good, he was sure. He continued to lead them through the plains, Kimahri and Shiva warily watching them. With Dragon out on his own, they felt even more protective of him. After all, who knew if these two outsiders would be bold enough to try and attack their alpha in the middle of the night? Then again, the two were simply suspicious of everyone... "Well, it depends I guess." Dragon replied, "We simply tried to raid for medical supplies, it was a hard season for us at that time. I didn't think it would go as violent as it did, but it was also our first raid so perhaps I was naive at the time to think we wouldn't meet much resistance," He glanced at her before looking away, "I have nothing against Celestial, they were simply the closest pack to us. I have family there, after all, and despite what was done I hold no ill will towards them. They were simply doing what any pack should do, and that's to protect their home." He nodded firmly, guiding them towards one of the few ponds that adorned the plains. He quietly listened to her response to his his questions, a brow quirking and surprise and confusion flitting across his face. So far it seemed, her family potentially saw blindness as a weakness, at least to their own. He couldn't imagine having to meet that fate. To be killed because someone else stole something away to put one in such a position...He was lucky, he supposed. That he wasn't raised in such a culture, but was that really grounds to be killed? A wolf could still be useful without sight, he was sure. "I've yet to decide if I will be seeking vengeance or not. My opponent was younger, though I am not quite sure what her level of fighting was. Whether she was better than me or simply beat me due to my exhaustion at having fought a couple battles prior, I don't know. But perhaps I'll figure it out later. What I wonder, is that it seems harsh to be killed over a disability that was forced upon you." He glanced at her again, referring to what she mentioned about Amon potentially killing her if she were to go blind. But beyond that, he didn't question it further. Every family had their own ways of dealing with their own, he was just lucky that his family didn't resort to such means...at least, not that he was aware of, anyway. At the mention of seeing the castle from both visitors, he nodded and altered his course to lead them in that direction. "Certainly!" His ears flicked, catching Ashiel's questions about what might happen when he went completely blind. He figured sooner or later he'd be asked such questions, and he had thought long and hard about his answers when it came to it. "Well, as everyone knows, respect is often earned. I would think that I've worked long and hard enough to earn the respect of my pack mates, and that they'd stand by me no matter what. Of course, I can't guarantee that. As for fighting, I would simply work even harder to learn new and innovative ways to fight. Just because one loses his sight doesn't mean he is completely useless. Everyone has potential, blind or no." He chuckled then, "But to answer your last question, I do intend to lead until I have an heir to take my place." "Dragon"||Kimahri||Shiva

ooc: if you want to start a new thread go for it. I did start one while the muse was going but its pretty rushed and if you don't like it I don't mind.

Chasing Twisters In The Canyon

Pyralis' mind shifted and shimmered and never seemed to stay in one state. Some days she played her cards close to her chest and other days she just let words fly from her mouth without much thought. Dragon seemed interested in joint training and she couldn't wait to mention it to Amon if just to see the look on his face. She had no idea if he'd go for it or not but she was always up for a fight, mortals, spirits, bears, mortal spirit bears, it didn't matter to her.

She continued her exploring as he talked, growing distracted for a moment by scat that indicated some sort of deer was in the area but had probably moved on a few hours ago. Her eyes narrowed as she squinted at the droppings but it was more from Dragon's words though she made sure to keep her face turned from him. There was something decidedly dirty about raiding one's family but for once she kept her words in check. Apparently he held no ill will toward the pack but vengeance against the individual was still to be determined. To be honest she had a hard time picturing him taking revenge on anything but perhaps he had some latent skills she was unaware of.

"Vengeance will be a decision you'll have to make but I say a good, fair fight right from the start wouldn't be a bad idea. Though if this woman's need for her own vengeance wasn't satisfied with your eyes she may take something else. I suppose you need to ask yourself what you hope to gain from this vengeance? What need will it satisfy? Will it fix broken pride? Send a message to your enemies? That sort of thing. " She lifted her head to meet his glance and shrugged. "The ways and the wills of the fallen god are complicated. My standards have been laid at my feet and if I were to lose my sight in a fight it would be because I had… shown terrible weakness and failed to appropriately defend myself. I would need to pay for that failure. Though again… I am just guessing. I do not know for certain what my brother would do." That was simply the way it was in her mind and her thoughts were based more on her father than Amon. She knew they'd had more siblings before the others were dispatched. Culling litters had simply been a part of their culture and it would extend into adulthood should members of the family turn their back on the fallen god or show some other form of weakness or disease that would cause them to be pruned from the family like a bad branch from a tree.

-exit-

My Cathedral Is The Badlands

Ashiel listened quietly as the alpha spoke of the raid and of vengeance. He was intent on listening, gleaning as much information as he could, carefully filing it away for later use. His mother was the chattier sort. She indulged mortals out of a sense of amusement. Ashiel doubted his mother saw this man as any sort of friend or ally. Rather she was fishing about to see what use she could get out of him and he sincerely doubted the family would be enthused about training with mortals. Of course his mother did believe everyone had a use to the Abraxas even if it was just dropping them off cliffs for familial amusement. Ashiel was still trying to decide how he felt about the whole 'mortal' situation. He supposed in some ways he did agree with his mother. Most of the mortals he'd met had something to offer or some wisdom to be gleaned. Gleaming specks of usefulness buried in all that mud. So Ashiel tried to emulate her. Dragon was a leader, surely he had some wisdom to offer the ambitious youth. Ashiel listened quietly and nodded where appropriate. Dragon was banking on past deeds being enough to keep the packs respect, at least long enough until he had an heir. All of it seemed like quite a risk to Ashiel. What if less scrupulous characters found out about the alpha's weakness? Would they set upon Talis? What of this Celestial? Though Dragon seemed confident he could find new and innovative ways to fight and this caught his interest. He'd never met a blind wolf and did not know how they could manage to fight but maybe Dragon did have some idea. "Thank you, for your answer." Ashiel would love to see how a blind wolf fought. Moving next to his mother they made their way toward the castle. -exit- "Talk" "You" Think

The trio continued through the plains on their way to the castle. He listened quietly to Pyralis' response, and his mind would fall into deep thought. Vengeance for the sake of pride seemed like the right idea, but then again...his pack had been the one to raid the other. His cousin simply did what any pack wolf would do, and that was to protect their home regardless of who was attacking. He didn't blame her, he could only blame himself for his naivety about the idea. They had come extremely close to winning, but his warriors had been just a tad unprepared. Perhaps it was time to call everyone together, and soon. Talis needed to step up their game and get to training again, everyone including himself, had been too slack in their duties to the pack. He glanced at Pyralis, nodding a quiet thanks as his mind toiled away with a swarm of different thoughts. And when Ashiel thanked him, he nodded to the youth as well. "Anytime." Came a simple reply. He had a lot on his mind now, and though he was older now than he was when he first took over the pack, he still had much to learn. Perhaps it was time to seek out some advice from someone older, wiser, more...experienced. For now though, he'd guide the pair towards the castle so they could finish their exploration. And somewhere in the back of his mind, he hoped they wouldn't use what they learned against him. Perhaps he'd been too open, or maybe he was just...that desperate for advice from an outsider. After all, he didn't expect anyone in his pack to understand. Sometimes all one needed was to hear the words of someone from a different background, and Pyralis was certainly one such creature. -Exit- "Dragon"||Kimahri||Shiva