Confidently Malleus strode past one of the big stones and into the heart of the formation. The circle of stones with their strange markings and near perfect symmetry were a mystery. Who but the gods could have placed them there? They had to serve some ethereal purpose and it was for that reason that Malleus had come to them. He stopped to survey his surroundings. Perhaps standing here would amplify his connection to The Fallen God. Malleus wasn't his father; he didn't have the same intimate connection to their God like Amon did. Since he was a child Malleus had been amazed by his father's ability to converse so easily with God. It was so clear that the elder Abraxas was gifted; so clear that God guided him. Malleus wanted that. All the training in the world couldn't help him figure out what God wanted of him. He could fight and he could train, but how, other than success or failure, was he to know what God wanted of him? His expression troubled, Malleus sat down and cast his gaze heavenward.

Ardora was wandering. She had been feeling a bit lost - years had passed since the fall of her tribe, and years had passed since she had lost Phoenix, the young boy who had also been fire-blessed. Just as long since she saw another fire-blessed wolf, though that truthfully wasn't that unusual. She just had hopes, seeing two in such a short time in this strange land. Moreso, she wished she found her tribemates. She wished she found her family. Instead, she found nothing. Nothing of importance, anyway. Still, she persisted. Despite feeling down, despite feeling dejected, she knew she should keep going. Uldormun kept sending her signs - leaves that showed fiery colors when the season wasn't right, the glimpse of fire in the sky. Once, there was a small little patch of grass that was gently smoldering, and her breath was enough to cause it to flare briefly, something that was rather unusual for her. These signs kept her going, even when everything else might lead her to be little in her faith. Especially when a strange compulsion hits her. That had been the latest sign. It was definitely a more direct sign too, than most of Uldormun's communications, and she followed that compulsion here, to this circle of stones that was so perfect. What was it he wanted with her here? Was this a place of spiritual power? She arrived in the afternoon, with the golden and orange hues of the daytime fading into the blues and blacks of nighttime. Nothing had appeared then, but she wandered around them, inspecting them, watching them, staying in the area. It wasn't until the moon started to reach it's zenth that she noticed something. Movement; the scent of another, and a wolf moving to the center of the formation, staring at the sky. Was this was Uldormun wanted? Was this his mission. Ardora moved closer, the soft glow and spark of her fur more than giving her away - and in this night with a bare sliver of a moon, it made her look even more ethereal than she normally did. "Did Uldormun send you here as well?" she asked softly, stopping several feet away to gaze that the rather large individual. Was this what he wanted? "Talk" "You" Think

His expression turned fervent as he stared up at the moon. He didn't dare demand God answer him, but that didn't stop him from hoping - praying - that He would answer. More than anything else Malleus wanted to have the same kind of connection his father had with their forefather. He was in charge now - no matter how briefly - so where was His voice? How was he supposed to know what path was blessed and what path was not? The soft sounds of an approach brought his gaze back to earth. As always he was prepared to do battle, but the sight of the woman knocked all the fight out of him. He'd met a few blessed individuals since coming to these lands, but none compared to the woman before him. The woman was ethereal and beautiful; her coat giving off an otherworldly glow. He had no doubt about it: the woman before him had to be the descendant of a god. Uldormun? He frowned. He wasn't familiar with that name. "No," he said firmly, but not harshly. After all, he didn't yet know who he was speaking to. It was entirely possible the spirit knew the Fallen God by another name. He lifted his chin proudly and said, "The Fallen God has brought me here." It wasn't quite a lie. He may have come there to seek God, but it was likely that the Fallen God had used his troubled state of mind for something else.

Whatever she was expecting, it was not that. Shock colored her expression at the boy's - man's - words, and her eyes widened momentarily in her surprise before her expression shuttered close. "The Fallen God," she said flatly, staring at him hard. "You are one of hers?" Offspring of Svelmina; goddess of ice, and darkness. A goddess who desired power too much, and took too much power, and tried to be the ruler of the Pantheon, instead of ruling side by side with her brother like she had spent centuries doing.

The Fallen God. It wasn't possible for them to be back, was it? But who else could it be? What other fallen god? There were no other fallen gods, not really. There were a few gods that Ardora knew of that had sided with Svelmina - wanting to get on her good side - but as far as Ardora knew, they had backed off at the end. No; this male could only mean one thing.

But why? This meeting was no chance. She had been urged, at the very least, by Uldormun. Sent here by him. And he, sent by Svelmina. "What do our gods want?" she breathed, unaware that she had spoken out loud. What did they want from them? Clearly something... but... what? Ardora eyed the other, wary and uncertain, but also relunctant to step away - she knew Uldormun had sent her here for a reason, and she would not abandon his guidance.

Her reaction surprised him. Clearly she'd heard of the Fallen God before. Perhaps their name and mission had spread faster in these lands than he'd thought they would. That thought pleased him. How long would it be before all knew their name and the name of the god who had made it all possible? One of hers? Well, there was one fact that had gotten confused along the way. The Fallen God was male. "If you mean one of His," he corrected, "then yes, I am." He didn't know what to make of her next softly spoken statement. Malleus certainly didn't know who her god might be. She'd said Uldormun; perhaps that was the name of her god. It didn't matter that much to him, really. Only one god mattered. All the others were inferior. The woman's wariness didn't escape his notice. If she bolted he would pursue her; he couldn't allow such an exquisite creature to simply run off. He had too many unanswered questions right now. If she was the descendant of a god her blood would be priceless among the Abraxas. He would be remiss if he simply let her flee. Staying and talking to him was one thing; he was willing to respect her autonomy (for now) as long as they were more or less on the same level, but running was different. If she behaved like prey, he would treat her like prey. Carefully to keep her in his peripheral, his gaze drifted to the heavens. Hopefully removing the weight of his gaze would lessen some of the tension she felt. "I don't know about you and your god, but I am here...to pray." That was more or less a lie, but he could not - would not - share his worry with a stranger.   "Malleus" - "Pascal"

Ardora eyed the other male. His? Since when was the Fallen God a male? Svelmina, a male! Haha! No; she was the female; and Uldormun was the male.That was how it was supposed to be, for balance, until Svelmina ruined it all. "If you mean the Fallen God, Svelmina of ice and darkness, then it is most definitely a Her. After all, that is the only Fallen God there is." She spoke this with a somewhat incredulous tone - shock coloring it, along with an undertone of surprise.

Her eyes widened further as he spoke again, and she shook her head roughly at him. How? How did he not know anything? "Did your ancestors not tell you anything? Did they not tell you the stories, the legends, the truth? Of how the Fallen God came to be? Of who the other gods were, and of the prophecies? Did these things not get passed down at all? They are the most important of all, these origin stories." She paused, glancing at him, and then around them.

"Perhaps that is why you say He, because that is what you are taught. We should sit, and I will tell you the stories that I was taught, of my god and your god, and how everything happened." Goodness knows, the male needed it. To be so woefully uneducated... that was something that Ardora didn't expect in a million years.

Malleus' eyes narrowed as the woman tried to rebuke him. He knew his god. And his god was a man. He was the embodiment of masculine characteristics. He was a protector, a conqueror; He was stoic and lion-hearted; He was a male. That wasn't to say all males were that way and all females weren't, but generalizations could be made. It made no sense for the the Fallen God, the conqueror of the mortal plane, to be female. The feminine essence was life-giving. Birth and life, nurturing and teaching, these were not the traits of a conqueror. She continued to speak, spewing repugnant nonsense that roused his anger instead of his curiosity. Finally he'd had enough. He didn't care how beautiful she was or if she was god-blooded. Her words were sacrilegious and he couldn't bear any more. "No! I will not tolerate anymore of your blasphemous lies! You would do well, witch, to not speak another word on the subject."   "Malleus" - "Pascal"