Finally, they'd arrived. There was one last thing Circe needed to do before she took Pnuma to see Archon. Something she doubted she'd get his approval on, but alas, she was going to do it anyway. "Alright, Pnuma," she said brightly as she gently shimmied out from under him. "We're almost there, but there's one thing I want to do before we meet up with my brother. I bet your meds are wearing off and you're really feeling that leg now, huh?" She'd been deliberately jostling it for the last half hour or so. Hopefully this would make him more willing to go along with her suggestion. "I thought it might be a good idea to take a break and maybe give you something for the pain." "Circe" "Gwydion"

Pnuma had awakened from the sedative's effects a long while ago, the pain returning to his limb. He did not expect his ride to be such a rough one, his wounded leg getting bumped what felt to be constantly. Every touch brought a slight twinge of pain up his nerves, causing him to hiss quietly in pain. He had tried to maneuver himself to alleviate the problem, but the pain was never remedied, almost following him. He began to become desperate for anything to relieve his pain but never got enough courage to ask the woman himself.

Thankfully, Circe stopped and slipped him off her back. He kept his injured leg off the ground, not wanting to bare any weight on what he believed to be a broken bone. He nodded at the woman's first question. The meds have worn off when he woke up and the burning sensation returned during his entire conscious trip. He already knew what she was going to say next but allowed her to say it before he once again nodded eagerly. "Yes, please!" he accepted, though with a bit more enthusiasm than he meant to put in his voice. A pause from the walking and an escape from the pain was exactly what he wanted. He didn't care if it was another sedative or if he would stay awake to see what she used. Either way, he would accept with ample gratitude.

Pnuma jumped on her suggestion in a flash and Circe, loving the ease with which her plan was coming together, was forced to suppress a pleased smirk. She ducked her head and carefully adopted a contemplative look as she unrolled the bundle of herbs at her paws. Last time she'd dosed him he'd gone down very quickly and while she'd been pleased with his reaction, she was reluctant to give him the same mixture again. Wolfsbane was a tricky substance. A tiny amount acted as a sedative, but too much could be lethal. While she felt no attachment to the yearling, there were limits to the risks she was willing to take with his life and she couldn't in good conscience give it to him again. A corpse would do her no good. Circe carefully unrolled a thin bundle of fox skin. Inside was a mixture of herbs very similar to the one she'd used on Pnuma in the rock garden with one very important difference: no wolfsbane. In its place was a generous handful of purple flowers. Flowers that would help lull him to sleep without threatening his life. Had she known about his interest in plants, Circe would have made a point to tell him (possibly even truthfully) about what she was giving him and why (okay, this one would definitely be a lie) she was giving them to him. "Alright, go ahead and eat these," she said as she sectioned off a portion of the mixture. To occupy his mind while the plants worked their magic, she asked, "I forgot to ask earlier. Is there anyone I can track down for you? Anyone who might want to know what happened back there?" "Circe" "Gwydion"

Pnuma once again took great interest once he noticed the foxskin. It unrolled and everything seemed to be the same, however, when he tasted his separated portion, a certain spicy taste was missing. He knew something had been switched in the concoction and wondered the new effects it would have. He was almost excited to see how his body would react to the medicines. He had lost all fear of the woman and did not suspect any tomfoolery in the blend of herbs. In his mind, Circe was just a kind woman helping an almost stranger. Who could be afraid of that? Even the spirits were calm, only saying the usual 'look behind you' nonsense or gibberish he could not make out unless he really focused, which he did not.

He noticed the effects were not as quick as before, slightly disappointing considering he would have to deal with the pain in his leg a little longer. It did give Pnuma some time to ask questions. A share of the portion was still left and he wanted to know exactly what was in it. Before he could ask, Circe had a question for him to answer first.

He didn't know how to answer at first. The only people he knew at the moment was the woman, a kind man named Tyranis, and his family. He doubted the man would really care considering they had only met once, but his parents were the real ones that stumped him. When he had lived with his family, they seemed to almost avoid him, though he also avoided them so it wasn't really their fault. He was sure his mother would care just because she was his mother, but he doubted he would ever be in their territory again now he had learned how big the world really was. If he ever was to visit, the wound would be healed and no one would be the wiser. No need to travel across the continent just to worry an old woman.

"No thank you, I don't think that's necessary. I don't know enough people that would care enough for you to go looking for them," he replied, though surprised by how depressing it sounded hearing it aloud. He himself didn't care but he didn't want to worry the woman. He quickly changed the subject.

He laid down, partly to prepare for the drug's effects, partly to get closer to the herbs. "What are these anyway? I mean, I know their herbs and very similar to the ones back at the weird rock garden, but what are they called and stuff?" His voice sounded casual, but his face conveyed his true eagerness to learn of these plants, his tail lightly thumping against the soft ground in excitement.

"No thank you..." Good, Circe thought.  While she'd never had any intention of tracking anyone down, this saved her the trouble of having to make something up. Pnuma's admission that few people would be concerned was also music to Circe's ears. Had she been a true believer she might have thought her family's god had put this mortal here for her. Pnuma's eager expression didn't go unnoticed by Circe. Had he been a little less hopeful-looking she might have waved him off with a simple answer and redirected the conversation back to him so she could learn more about him, but there was something about his expression that kept her from doing so. "In one way or another they're all for pain." Her answer was dishonest as she was considering unconsciousness a type of analgesic in this instance. Circe pointed to one of the purple flowers. "This is trillium," she said truthfully. "It's an effective painkiller, usually used for childbirth when ingested. Also good for wound care so there's some in that poultice too." The rest of the dried plants looked too similar to point out so Circe lumped them together. "The rest is wintergreen and god's blood." "God's blood" was what she was going to call the mix of yawn inducing plants meant to put him to sleep. Hopefully he would be none the wiser. "Both are decent painkillers, although the wintergreen is probably what's making you sleepy." Another lie. Wintergreen was known for many things, but not that and 'sleepy' was putting it mildly, but eh, details. "Circe" "Gwydion"

Pnuma listens intently to what the woman was saying, or rather, as intently as a canine slowly succumbing to the effects of an anesthetic as one could be. Stifled yawns started to appear more frequently and his head started to feel light, but Pnuma was not ready for sleep, not yet.

He liked the sound of how almost everything in the mixture was a painkiller, though it did not come to a surprise to him considering that was what he asked for. However, the name God's Blood caught his attention. He had never heard of such a plant if it was a plant at all. Perhaps it was a special liquid you soaked plants in to add the numbing effect painkillers had. Perhaps it was a dark red plant with raindrop shaped petals. He was excited to learn but first, he had to be able to put the thoughts into words.

"Whats... What's God'th." He paused, his tongue kept on getting tied and his brain kept on forgetting what it was going to say and how to say it. The spirit's constant whispers weren't helping either. They were still calm but their persistent hisses and hums right in his ears were making it hard to concentrate. He could barely think on his own but the voices were making it worse. They never quiet down. "Shut up, do you ever shut up," he murmured quietly, pawing at his ears with his uninjured paw in frustration. To his disappointment, the spirits remained in his ears, but he had come to expect this from the spirits.

"What's God's Blood look like? I've... I've never heard of it..." He finally spoke, words slurred and slightly drawn out. To be honest, he had never identified any of the plants before, but God's Blood seemed more interesting to learn about. It seemed every plant either had a name he couldn't pronounce or a boring name but this plant's name seemed to tell more about it than any other. A nagging feeling in the back of his mind told him it would be just a normal plant, but why not feed his curiosity, even if the answer was a tad disappointing.

Already the plants were beginning to have an impact on him. He certainly was a lightweight, not that Circe was complaining. His low tolerance for sedatives was making her job easier. Unbeknownst to Pnuma he was just one little nap away from becoming hers. She frowned as he pawed at his ears and told her to shut up, but thought the outburst was odd for the wrong reasons. Circe suspected it was the herbs doing and that alarmed her. If he was having a bad reaction his fear could rid him of the sedative's effects and she didn't think she could safely dose him again. He asked her what god's blood was and Circe was quick to offer an unsatisfying answer. "It looks a lot like dandelion. So much so, in fact, that only a practiced eye can spot the difference." After a beat she added, "It's a rare plant, but if I see some I'll point it out." "Circe" "Gwydion"

He paused, confused as a frown appeared on the female's face. It took him a moment to realize he had spoken a little louder than he had meant to. Circe had taken what he said as an insult to herself. Surprise had woken him up slightly and he visibly perked up. "Oh! I'm sorry, I wasn't..." 'I wasn't talking to you,' he wanted to finish, but he couldn't mention the spirits. Not yet. The man he had met called them a gift, but Circe may not feel the same. "I'm sorry," he concluded looking to the floor for a moment.

Pnuma was disappointed once learning of the herbs normal, although stealthy appearance. His mind had created some mystical plant, perhaps even a fruit that fell from a huge red tree, so the plant's casual image was quite the let-down. The urge to press the female for the hidden differences between the two, just in case he could need one, was quickly suppressed. He didn't want to bother her. With an injured leg, upsetting your caretaker wasn't the best idea. She seemed so kind but he didn't want to test the limits of her temper, especially considering she thought he had insulted her just a few moments ago.

He wanted to learn the most about Circe before he fell asleep. Though that was a few minutes away, he wanted to gather as much as possible. He didn't want this to seem onesided, so he allowed some information about himself to spill into the conversation.

"You... You said you're taking me to your band right? This will be my first real group that wasn't my family. I'm not really sure how this works or if every group is different, but I'm pretty sure I can't just walk in. Are you sure they will just allow some stranger in? Especially and injured one that won't be able to really pull my own weight. Of course I'll do everything I can to repay you for your kindness! It's just, I don't know how your leader is like." He would pause for a moment, thinking, before looking back to the woman. "Unless you're the leader?" Curiosity and concern coated his words. He had not considered this person to be an alpha of some sort, or even worse, royalty! He had been talking to her like just some other canine when she could actually be some super important leader!

In response to Pnuma's apology Circe shook her head dismissively and waved it off. There was no need. Even if she wasn't salivating over her prospects - which got better and better as the minutes ticked by - she wouldn't have been offended by his outburst. Circe laid down and casually crossed her forepaws as Pnuma began to ask her about the band and his potential place in it. She nodded in response to his first question and then was silent as he voiced the rest. "I'm not the leader," she said with a small smile. "But my brother is and he's a very understanding man. I don't think he'll expect anything in return. You see, my brother has dedicated our band to spreading the name of the Fallen God and helping those who are unfamiliar with Him reach understanding. This," she gestured at the poultice on his leg and then shrugged. "Is how we help. My guess is that Archon - my brother - will welcome you and let you stay with us for as long as you need." Circe was fairly certain of that, but she was also willing to say anything to get Pnuma one step closer to where she wanted him. "Circe" "Gwydion"

Pnuma didn't know what to think of the woman's dismissive approach to his apology. He didn't know if she was offended or if she was dismissing it because she wasn't offended. Either way, he decided to keep his mouth shut about it as that was what the woman seemed to want. Besides, he didn't want to seem annoying by constantly apologizing for something the woman appeared to see as small.

As the female spoke, Pnuma tried to keep his expression from looking tired as he genuinely was interested in what she was saying, but his lids subconsciously started to droop and muffled yaws started to become even more frequent. In some ways, the anesthetic was nice. Normally, he would avoid sleep in fear or predators. It was hard to go from having multiple strong wolves protecting him to being all alone. Finally getting some shut-eye, whether he liked it or not, was peaceful. However, falling asleep mid-conversation made him feel uncomfortable, forcing his head up and eyes open as they fought against him. Though he was not moments away from sleep, it made its presence clear as it waited to engulf him.

"So this band is Religious?" he asked in reference to this 'Fallen God' character. "I'm not opposed to it, but what does it... stand for?" He struggled to find the appropriate words. He wasn't exactly religious himself, though he did believe in the afterlife. Where else did his spirits come from? This didn't mean he was ignorant to the things other people believed as he would eventually encounter devout people in his travels. He was aware that some asked people to be kind in order to get into the afterlife. He was also aware of those that asked for blood in exchange for gifts. He didn't believe this she-wolf would believe in the latter, considering she was so kind as to use her own medical supply on a frail yearling, but one could never be too cautious. "What does this religion... expect people to do," he elaborated or at least attempted to.

Circe nodded in response to Pnuma's first question. While she herself only pretended to be, as far as she could tell, Archon bought into the whole religious thing. His beliefs, like his mission, seemed to be genuine. Now whether or not he was motivated chiefly by belief or self interest was something she couldn't speculate on. As for her motivation? 90% self interest. Reiterating something she'd already said, Circe tackled Pnuma's  second question. "The band's mission is to spread the name of The Fallen God." She was rather new to it herself so if Archon had any other goals she was oblivious to them. "What does this religion expect people to do?" Ah, smart boy. That was a question she'd ask if she was in his place. "Same as the band's mission - spread the name of The Fallen God. You see, a long time ago The Fallen God reined supreme in the heavens. He was a god above all others; just, righteous and loved by mortals. So loved, in fact, that the lesser gods became jealous. They overthrew him, cast him down into this world and then stripped him from mortal memory." She paused to eye him and try to gauge how well he was following along. Hopefully he'd remember this and she wouldn't have to repeat herself later. After a beat, she continued with the story. "My family and I, the Abraxas, are descendants of The Fallen God. It's our mission to aid him in reclaiming his throne and rewinning the hearts and minds of the mortals here." "All He asks of mortals is that they recognize Him and His place above all gods and spirits. Some, like those in my brother's band, strive to bring awareness to the people, to give them a community and a connection to The Fallen God." "Circe" "Gwydion"

Pnuma tried his best to absorb as much of the story as he could, the sedatives actively working against him. He was able to catch most of what she said and it seemed rather simple. Talk about their deity to get him back into power. No rituals or superstitions, at least none that the woman mentioned. However, Pnuma was still suspicious. This woman basically just said she was a demi-god or at least some diluted equivalent. Now, Pnuma believed in spirits, but gods able to breed with mortals seemed a bit of a stretch. Though he would not speak his uncertainty in fear or being insensitive, his subtle expression showed his internal thoughts clearly

"What will this god do once he's back in power? Or, at least, what can he do once enough people recognize him?" He voiced his question carefully. He did not know how well she would take to him questioning her god's integrity, but he also didn't want to put the wrong god into power if they did exist.  Suddenly the pull of sleep wasn't so comforting. He didn't know what she could do while he was asleep if he offended her enough. She seemed so charming but he knew some people could hide their anger easily. The spirit's anxious mumbles didn't help his feelings of unease. He was able to make out some words of mistrust and doubt. The spirits where here to guide him so he had no reason to doubt their words, though they were also known for exaggerating and mentioning things before they happened. He would be watchful, but he wouldn't label the woman as bad unless he saw incriminating evidence for himself.

Pnuma's sleepy gaze was skeptical, but that was to be expected. He had, after all, just learned he was in the presence of a godling. Such a lofty claim had to be backed up with some form of proof. And Circe, a unbeliever though she was, was confident she could deliver satisfying evidence. "First thing He will do when He ascends is restore balance to this world." She looked around as if taking stock of the world around them. "Think of all the ways things are wrong here. This isn't how it's supposed to be. There should be a balance, an order, to our world." Circe shook her head. "Right now there is chaos." Her gaze was soft and imploring when she turned it on Pnuma. She searched his eyes with an expression that hinted at a need to see he understood how pure her intentions were and how eager she was to see order restored to the world. In actuality, she was just trying to determine if he was on the verge of slipping from consciousness. The last thing she needed was for Archon to accidentally stumbled on them before she had a chance to "fix" Pnuma up. "Circe" "Gwydion"

It was starting to get difficult keeping his head up. His head was bobbing sleepily as he fought to stay awake. It felt rude to fall asleep in the middle of a conversation, but the herbs didn't care. He knew he had to wrap things up before he passed out.

He was capable of understanding most of what she said. The god wanted to balance the world. It made sense to worship a god that would remove the chaos in the world. Again, he didn't believe what she was saying, but then she started staring into his eyes. It didn't sway his beliefs, but he felt as though she was sincere with him. It felt as though she genuinely thought that saying the name of this god would purify the world and she wanted that. He caved in.

"That seems lovely..." His voice, though soft and mumbly, was honest. "When I join your band, I will spread the name of the god as well. If that's your wish," he added. These words were also a truth. Though his mind would not add to the god's power, if he was even real, another's might. However, her knowledge on the god brought some questions. Someone must have told her the god's intentions, and someone must have told them, and so on and so on. Eventually, it must somewhere end at the god himself, or at least some lesser god. Did that prove the voices were spirits or even gods? Did someone in their lineage hear the spirits too, telling them about their god-like ancestors? He would have to ask later, as he didn't have the time at the moment.

"I-I'm sorry." He rested his head on his paws, though avoiding his injured leg as he did so. "I can't stay awake; we will have to continue later if you don't mind." Guilt clawed at his throat as he spoke, not wanting to force the conversation to an unnatural halt, but it was better than falling asleep mid-sentence. "I'm sorry," He mumbled again, eyes closing. He listened to see if she protested but it didn't last long. Within moments his breathing slowed as he fell into a deep slumber. With his mind occupied with dreams, he was oblivious to the outside world and what it may do to him.

Yes, yes, yeeeees! Pnuma was fading fast now. Circe's gaze grew sharper as she watched him slip away. Any second now and he'd be snoring and she could get to work. "I'm glad you're thinking about joining us," she said, forcing herself to speak soothingly even though her excitement was rising. "But it's what you want, my dear. If you want to join us and help us with our mission, it is your choice. We will welcome you if you do and if you do not, we'll take care of you until you're well all the same." Pnuma admitted he couldn't stay awake any longer. "It's alright, just rest. I'll call Archon to us and when you wake you can meet him. No need to apologize, with the day you've had you've earned a good rest." It was more of a day than he realized. And just like that, he was out. "Pnuma?" she said softly. When he didn't rouse she tried again, this time louder. "Pnuma wake up!" Still nothing. She reached out and nudged his injured leg. No response. Giddy now, Circe bounced to her paws. She quickly removed the bandage from his leg and then glanced around until her eyes landed on a crevice between two large rocks by the shore. Her eyes lit up. That gap looked perfect. She hummed happily as she scruffed Pnuma and drug him over to the rocks. Once there she wedged his injured leg between them, stretched it out, and then propped it up at the elbow and wrist with two more rocks. Still humming, Circe sized up the swollen lump at his wrist. She was going to have to be very careful otherwise this could go very wrong. But, there was only so much sizing up she could do. Best to get it over with while he was out. Without hesitation Circe stomped on Pnuma's wrist. When nothing happened, she did it again. Then again and again until she heard an audible pop and felt the bone give slightly under her paw. His leg may not have been broken before, but it was definitely was now. Circe carefully pried it from the crevice and looked her handiwork over. It looked pretty good. The lump of swelling was now bigger, but she hadn't broken the skin over it or displaced the bone terribly. With Archon's unwitting help she could mask this new damage and play up the new pain Pnuma was no doubt going to feel as part of a necessary and merciful remedy. To hide the evidence of her crime, Circe kicked away the rocks she used to prop the leg up. With that done, she then howled for Archon. "Circe" "Gwydion"

Archon and Obi had been working on making some form of... solid mass with which to build a church. They aimed to emulate some of the other large features these lands boasted. A big area, protected from the elements, stationed by a lake of glowing water seemed like the perfect place for more joyous occasions. As for the less joyous occasions... Archon had his eyes set on the volcano by Abaven's lands.

Circe was conveniently close when she called and Archon left Obi to his brick making while he went to investigate. When he came upon his sister, he greeted her warmly- although without physical contact. His eyes were immediately drawn to the unconscious wolf by her. His smile deepened.

"Have you brought us a sacrifice?" His face showed no signs of joking as he drew closer to the unconscious male. "You managed to capture him and only damage his leg," Archon observed with a dry chuckle. "You'll have to teach me your secrets. Obi suggested setting traps, but you don't seem to need those."

Archon drew back from his sister respectfully. Even if he were to head a band, one's catch still belonged to them. His eyes searched her face, "What should we have done to him?"

Circe had just enough time to pretty Pnuma up a bit before Archon arrived. She beamed at him, equal parts pleased to see him and proud of her catch. "The best traps, dear brother, are laid in the mind." As for what to do with Pnuma... Circe's gaze dropped to the sleeping mortal. "His name is Pnuma. He's a lost little puppy with no one to love him." She looked him over with what could have passed for a loving expression were it not for the way her gaze sharpened just before she looked back at Archon. "First thing's first: we fix his leg." "He seemed open to our ways. With a little coaxing and a little love," she said as she nudged Pnuma's broken leg. "I think he'll stay." "Circe" "Gwydion"

Archon's sister gave a brief reasoning of her 'trap' before looking back to the mortal. Circe called him a lost little puppy and Archon made his best over-exaggerated sad face, complete with a pout. She also said they would need to fix his leg.

"That seems like something Obi and I can manage," Archon said confidently. "How long do we have until he wakes? We can work on his leg now or after he's awake- it doesn't matter to me."

As for the man staying, Archon hummed for a bit. "We'll put effort into keeping him with us. He might grow to see our ways. Besides-" Archon flashed a toothy smile, his voice lowering. "If he doesn't, we can always break him more."

Archon regained his composure quickly. It was a small look inside his mind- one meant for only family who he knew would understand him.

"Shall I call Obi?"

"I knocked him out under the guise of fixing his leg so we best get it over with while he's out lest we shatter the trust I've been fostering." She'd worked hard to get him where he was now. It would be a shame to lose him. "If he doesn't, we can always break him more." Circe nodded, her expression bland and seemingly indifferent. Archon had his ways and Circe certainly wasn't above inflicting harm to get what she wanted. One way or another they'd get what they wanted. "I think he will. He's curious and lonely. Shouldn't be too hard to bring him into the fold." As for his companion, Circe nodded. "Yes, please do. The sooner we can get this done the better." "Circe" "Gwydion"

Archon called for Obi, his tone reflecting that healing was needed. Though Obi wasn't a wolf and couldn't understand all of the careful subtleties of howls, Archon had worked to get him to understand some... special howls. The howls for Obi wouldn't convey much of anything to another wolf, but as long as Obi heard and understood it, all was well.

In a short time, the monkey appeared clenching a fur of healing supplies. As he approached the unconscious male, Archon filled him in.

"If Pnuma is to join the band, his leg must be fixed," Archon explained. "If his leg heals improperly..."

Obi nodded and unfurled the fur, revealing the stock inside. With his nimble hands, he would be able to set the leg with some sturdy bark and use the fur to hold it steady. A thin bird's bone and some horse's hair would make for a needle and thread to tighten and secure the wrapping. All the supplies were here.

Obi carefully laid out the instruments, glancing at Circe and silently asking what she would have him do.