Adrift, All I Know I Was Is Gone

Aureus took a deep shuddering breath as he sat alone in the garden. His mind couldn't process the loss of his father and so he'd just taken off, needing some time to himself before his twin called the members of Risen together to decide their future and what to do. The ground beneath him rumbled and shook and he had no idea if that was why he was shaking or if that was a result from the awful, churning sickness that seemed to be boiling in his stomach. His gaze turned northward to where he could see a violent scar of smoke illuminated by an eerie orange glow. For now the destruction seemed so far away but he knew the ash would spread and the earth would shake and the weather would change. Kali rubbed his head against Aureus' shoulder in a gesture of comfort while Griff watched silently from a tree above.

Should they stay? Should they go? He didn't know his brother's plans or what would happen to the pack now that Malleus was dead but he knew, as heir, the pack was now his brother's responsibility. Aureus knew he should stay and help his brother but in all honesty all he wanted to do was start running, to just head as far south as he could until he couldn't go any more and then maybe, just maybe he'd know what to do.

He assumed at first they'd stay but as he watched the cloud of ash and felt the northern breeze on his face he supposed it might be best if they relocated the pack farther south. Eager to turn his mind from grief to anything else he gazed southward. Directly south of them was the wraith's woods. That would give them a bit of shelter and there was a lake within the woods that would provide drinking water and some prey but it was a creepy place. Besides he wondered if prey, startled by the explosion, might opt to move even farther south. There were definitely plenty of fine options such as the ancient oaks. There was good shelter there and also water and surely some prey though he hadn't really explored that territory as much as he would've liked to so it was hard to comment on it. For one thing the trees there were exceptionally large and if they blocked too much sunlight there might not be enough smaller plant life to feed larger prey like deer.

There was also the Lazuli Falls. They were truly beautiful and would be a scenic place to live. The falls provided a good source of clear water for drinking and there were likely to be many caves in the mountainous terrain. In addition to the lush greenery there were also, according to Kali, a number of rare herbs that grew there. That would be useful for their healers as they moved to a new place though come to think of it he wasn't sure who was a healer in Risen but he was certain they had some. Embarrassment flooded him for a moment. He'd been so focused on adventure and exploration that in some ways he felt like he barely knew his family apart from his immediate family and even then the only one he was really close to was Aureus. From the time he was about six months old and on he rarely took the time to hang out with Felicity or Eligos let along his other sister. He also found himself wishing he'd spent more time with his father while he was alive. If he'd had any idea what was going to happen he'd have done more to make his father proud.

Tears started to roll down his face and he shook his head, leaning himself up against Kali's sturdy form. No, he couldn't think about this now, not right now. He turned his mind back to where the pack should move if they did decide to leave the amron's castle and gods garden. There were plenty of options which was good though really, what made the most sense to him would be moving back to Risen's original haunts. The grapevine cathedral and the cattail creek had housed the pack well in the past and provided a steady stream of water and shelter. The lush lands also attracted prey and while it was true everywhere would be struck hard with the drought season he still felt that those two lands in particular held up well against the dry season. Yes, he felt if they should go anywhere they should just move the pack back to where it was originally but he felt it was ultimately up to his brother. Still he would offer his advice and just do the best he could.