As it stood, Archon had lost one of his women. He wasn't entirely thrilled at the lost time or placing, and it left him a little short handed in building the church he had in mind. The visions God had been giving him were clear, though.

Now he just needed to give the news to Malleus and tell him of his plan moving forward. Abaven was fodder, for all he cared. Maybe, if they started producing, they could be a good mortal spawning point. He wasn't quite sure yet, but after the explosion after Sparrow's death, Archon was only reminded of the delicious feeling of watching the mortals scramble under pressure. His heart still beat a little faster at the thought of it.

Archon knew a better way to spread the word of God. He had to think of the next generation. He had to think of the overwhelming wave of mortals that had yet to hear the Fallen God's way or feel his presence.

At the border, Archon howled for Malleus. It was important they were on the same page. Besides, it had been ages since he had visited any family.

While he should have been pleased to hear his brother's voice, Archon's howl only stirred up his annoyance. Malleus sighed. He had conflicting feelings on this encounter. He felt both prepared for it and under equipped, both eager to engage his brother and exhausted already. Because of this, he drug his feet a bit and took his time in answering the call. Malleus, reaching Archon, paused to regard his brother. His demeanor was cool, but the anger he'd felt during his meeting with Shaye had lessened with each passing hour. Now he was mostly just disappointed. He'd thought Archon capable and thought him considerate enough to keep his brother informed, and yet, here they were. About to have a conversation that was too late. Malleus had stood in front of the mortal woman in complete ignorance. His situation - and Abaven's too - were an embarrassment not just for Malleus, but for the Abraxas as a whole. Instead of hearing of their exploits and trembling, the mortals could now console themselves knowing they could simply wait and outlast an Abraxas occupation. "Archon," he said coolly by way of greeting before diving straight to the heart to the problem. "You're about a day late and I've lost count of the explanations you owe me. You just missed Shaye Destruction."

Malleus seemed to take a while and eventually Obi caught up to Archon before wandering off a ways again. When Malleus showed himself, he regarded Archon coolly before stating that Archon owed him some explanations. It wasn't until Shaye was brought up that Archon's expression mirrored light shock- which was honestly a lot for him.

It appears God works in mysterious ways," Archon replied with a thoughtful hum.

"I suppose I should tell you that I had meant to beat her here but I had to track down a deserter first. I'll assume you know more or less about Abaven, then?"

Archon sighed, screwing his eyes shut. Shaye had been a headache from the moment she showed up and it was really starting to irritate Archon.

"For a while, I've been having visions of becoming... mobile. It worked around to say: More ground can be covered in bands than in the occupation of a dying pack and if that pack begins to heal, it can always be conquered again. I thought on it for a while. I thought I was simply desiring freedom, but just as I wished for evidence of God's will, the old alpha of Abaven was struck dead by a bear. I thought I must be meant to dissolve Abaven, but Shaye-" he couldn't say the name without a small flick of his ear- "begged me for the pack. I thought, 'this group of wolves is pathetic even by mortal standards, I should just end them.' But I could only think that these wolves standing around me, shaken as their world begins to shift and crumble, would serve us much more if left in tact. How much deeper we could drive the pain of their inevitable demise. The chaos we could create."

Archon had to reel himself back in. He was getting excited again. Surely these feelings he was having were his body channeling God's will. It was as if God was agreeing with every intention he had for Abaven's future and manifested that in the feeling of a mental reward.

Archon took a deep breath and let it out.

"As it stands, it may serve as a good reaping ground for the younger and less experienced of the Abraxas. Besides that, my time was not all amiss; I found a mortal who quickly and passionately fell into the worship of God. I can feel that future Abraxas will come from her womb. I also came across Nura Abraxas. She has sided with me and supports my inclination to travel in a band- a movable church, flexible enough to spread God's word and wrath through the lands."

Normally Archon wasn't one to give lengthy speeches, but God had him feeling energized and excited. For once, he truly felt that he needed where he should go and what he should do. He just needed Malleus to see the same.

Malleus remained quiet as Archon spoke. The only answer he gave as he brother filled him in on the state of things was a nod that confirmed he was more or less caught up on Abaven. Of course he had many, many questions but in due time he would hopefully have answers to them. After Archon finished speaking Malleus was quiet for several moments. He studied his brother and noted the uncharacteristic exuberance that emanated from him. This he took into consideration as he formed his reply. He was heartened by his brother energy, but he wouldn't allow that to get in the way of the rebuke he felt compelled to give. His brother had made a error in judgement, one that threatened the image of the family, and he needed to be held accountable. "It's all well and good that you feel a calling, Archon, and I hope you find success with it, but surely you see the position you've put me in. What you've done to our image," he said with a disappointed shake of his head. "Those we subjugate will look at us now and think that all they have to do is bide their time and wait for us to move on." He now understood why Shaye had reached him first and he couldn't fault Archon for taking the time to tend to a deserter, but that only absolved him of one error. "When you were deciding your next course of action, why didn't you seek me out or send for me? Together we could have purged Abaven, filled it with Abraxas and appointed another of our kind to lead it. Then we would be in control of two packs and a band. Is that not a better outcome?" They would have lost nothing.

Archon listened to his brother silently. He didn't let his excitement or enthusiasm overshadow his respect for his sibling. He didn't agree with his brother fully, but he could see where he was coming from at the very least. Archon nodded with Malleus's comments until the very end.

There was a moment of silence between them. Archon tried to gauge the situation. Did he hold and revere his brother above himself? Were they equals yet? Archon himself still had not decided.

"I see what you are saying, brother, but I think that you're mistaken. They may think they can wait us out for now, but we will prove them wrong, will we not? I could have dissolved them, let them rot, but that type of perishing lacks the kind of... sharpness that true suffering holds. The type of suffering they deserve is being able to see that light of hope not smolder out, but to be blown out by the breath of another."

Archon was convinced this had to happen for Abaven. He was confused about it at first, but having Nura with him was reassuring.

"I assure you I have no intentions of letting them go that easy. We have lost nothing, only gained an opportunity to make them suffer God's wrath longer. You gave me that pack in full faith, didn't you? Then why do you doubt me now, brother? At my side, validating my vision is Nura Abraxas. Surely we would not both disappoint."

Archon dipped his head. He meant no disrespect and showed all the proper courtesies.

"I have a feeling the Fallen God will show his approval of my actions soon and we will both reap the benefits. Do not let Abaven wander from your mind, but do not worry about them," Archon rumbled. "Shaye has shown a curiosity and a particular wariness of us, has she not? This alone is proof that we have not lost them, but gained them in a different respect. I truly believe, Malleus, this is God's will."

Malleus sat in broody silence for many long moments as he considered everything Archon had said. He disagreed with his brother's views on suffering. Unless his people had been wronged he saw no need to be excited about the potential to create suffering. It was useful tool and one he saw no need to exclude from his world-conquering toolbox, but not something he could get excited about without a good reason. And a distant scheme, the slight potential for something in the future? Not good enough. It was time to break the news to him. "While I still disagree with the decision I can't deny that you've been called elsewhere. At any rate, it is behind us now. I think we can both agree that we need to look to the future. You should know, then, that I am working on an agreement with Shaye." Perhaps things would have been different if Archon had gotten to Malleus first, but that was in the past. Malleus sighed and let the last of his annoyance go. They needed to be of one mind and purpose if they were to succeed and they couldn't very well do that, could they, if he remained displeased with his brother. He would need to make a point to keep in touch with Archon from here on out so they'd be on the same page. The distance that would likely be between them would make the difficult, but he saw no way around it. "Tell me more about this band of yours."

Archon could see his brother's displeasure, but it wasn't something that nagged at him too badly. Malleus hadn't been there to make the decision and so that decision was all Archon's. If he had wanted so badly to keep Abaven under his control or to purge it, he could have made that intention clear or gone and headed the investigation himself. Archon never took the occupancy as anything other than a learning tool to observe mortals for a time.

At his brother's words, Archon met his eyes, "Perhaps we were mistaken to not simply purge it from the beginning, but you're right. Please do let me know what you decide with Shaye about the future." Archon made a point to respect his brother's rule over his empire, but he had not yet risen to the status of their father yet.

Malleus asked of the band. Archon's babbling excitement had come and passed with his brother's disapproval.

"A band has a better reach than a pack," Archon reasoned. "Free to act upon God's will without obligation to guarding land or ranks. Purebloods and followers act as one unit- a singular force of God- under the church that I intend on building for Him."

"Please do let me know what you decide with Shaye about the future." In response to this Malleus nodded. If Archon planned on starting a band then he would be entitled to pack updates and battle plans same as any other Abraxas leader. That way, should he choose to act politically in some way, Archon would be prepared for the political upheaval that would no doubt follow. In response to his brother's statements about bands versus packs, Malleus chuckled. Were they going to jump straight from one disagreement to another? "I'll grant you that your mobility will be useful," he said lightly, "But we're going to have to agree to disagree about which has the longer reach." Sure, Archon would be able to move freely, but having a base of operations, a place to store supplies, install battlements and dig dens, allowed them to grow bigger and stronger than a band ever could. He regarded his brother curiously. "How close are you to establishing this church?"

Archon hummed deeply at his brother's insistence in disagreeing about reach. He could think of ways to try to prove the point. They could have a 'kill or convert' contest if they were desperate to prove themselves, but Archon had a feeling it wouldn't be necessary.

Malleus asked then about how close he was to establishing the church and Archon took a moment to think it through.

"As a band," Archon started, "I'm more or less ready to go. I'll head back East to gather the followers who were residing with me in Abaven. However..."

Archon looked behind him, sure Obi was there somewhere.

"My... companion and I have plans to build a solid structure in which to glorify God. That may take a little more time, but you will know when it is finished."