It had felt like years since Az had stepped paw in Boreas, and more than once he had taken the wrong path home and needed Diablo to redirect him south east. He’d never been a strong navigator, that job was always left up to his mother and even to Hana. Even thinking her name was painful, and the direwolf swallowed the train of thought with a hard grimace. How long had he been gone? Long enough, he supposed. The anxiety building in his chest burned hotter and swelled as he approached familiarity. Did the Armada even remain? Had his father moved their home in search for his missing family? It was Az’s job to protect Zee, perhaps Sirius had too much faith in his abilities. They’d come at night, set the world around them ablaze and stolen her before Az could get his bearings. One-on-one combat he’d might have had a chance at, but navigating a raging forest fire was well beyond his capabilities. Hunting however, for that he’d been brilliantly trained. Following the captor’s trail was easy enough, though the path was long and slow when walked upon singed paws. When he’d eventually found them he knew he was no match. Infiltrating a pack was beyond anything he’d ever considered learning. Spy work, not soldier work. Work that Hana - no. He swallowed it down again, this time with a soft growl. When he’d imagined coming home, the son in him pictured only his father. He’d run to the border and eventually into Sirius’ embrace, allowing himself to relax for the first time in seasons and accepting the safety of the warlord’s presence. If only life was that easy. Az paused beneath the willows, feeling their hanging foliage tickle across his back and drawing comfort from the camouflage and shade. Sirius would blame him for this. He knew his relationship with his father would never be the same. Az willed himself further but his paws would not advance, and it wasn’t until the sun began to set that he forced himself from the cover of the brush and towards the plains.   Whatever was left of his pride kept his head high, and he only hesitated for a fleeting moment before he forced himself past the border. This was his home, and he tried to force away the feeling that he was a stranger here, unwelcome, and requiring introduction. “Diablo, go find my father.” The bat gave his master a glance, the worry clear in his eyes. Sirius was not an evenly-mannered warlord, who knew what he’d do upon seeing his lost son’s companion. Disbelief? Anger? Murderous? Likely the latter. Az did not acknowledge the bat’s worries with words, nor did he turn to meet his companions’ fearful expression. After a quiet moment, Diablo spread his wings and took to the skies to find the towering behemoth who had claimed the land. Az stopped to wait, stepping up atop a rock to see clearer across the plain. Lilith remained at his side, full grown as Az now was. Patches of her fur were growing unevenly - she’d spent too long in the flames in pursuit of Zee. The cat bristled and turned, squinting through the tall grass for danger and occasionally rumbling a warning. Az’s senses were heightened too - who knew what new wolves had been accepted into the Empire and how they’d react to his presence. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

The Warlord was working in one of the training rings with Iris when the bat swept across the territory and flew towards the Warlord, capturing his attention. He stopped immediately, and stepped from the ring, singling to Iris that the lesson was over. Knowing she would find her way back just fine on her own, he turned and walked away from the ring without a word. He did not trust himself to speak. “Diablo.” he said softly, for of course he recognised the bat.

“I thought you died with… with your handler.” he said, swallowing past the sudden lump in his throat that came with the reminder of Azure. He had tried so hard… he couldn’t banish Zee from his mind, but Azure he had mostly buried. Hidden beneath his insanity. Seeing the bird threatened to topple him over the edge, and he turned from pleasant to snarling in an instant, showing his teeth to the creature. “You should have shown yourself that day, you coward!” lunging towards the bat who swept out of reach. The Warlord's teeth snapped in the open air, and his breathing quickened. He lunged again, and the bat continued to move. Almost like fleeing in slow motion, leading the snarling snapping creature from the beach.

The bat had no good senses left, it was almost like he was taunting Sirius, staying just out reach, but never leaving. Or perhaps it was Sirius without the sense, unable to comprehend that he was being led.

Before he knew it, he was nearing the border, and the ghost of his son stood there. Sirius fell still and silent, staring in disbelief. Frozen.


"Sirius Fatalis"

Sirius’ furious form in the distance brought Az’s heart to beat quick in his chest. The warlord chased his bat, snapping and swiping in what Azure could only think was misdirected anger. A good idea then, that he’d sent Diablo rather than going off to find Sirius himself. The bat curved his wings, cutting through the sky at just enough height to keep himself free of the warlord’s roaming teeth and claws, but low enough to taunt him onwards. Seeing his master brought a new speed to his steady flapping, and soon he was back safe between the young adult’s shoulder blades, Sirius having paused in his chase. Seeing his father standing in stunned silence brought emotion to Az that he couldn’t put a name to. He shuffled his oversized paws, swallowed, and cleared his throat. “Don’t kill the bat, he’s the only one who’ll remember how to get back to Mom.” His words were cautious, deflective. Az - while usually quite demanding of attention - knew he was in a shit spot here. Either he’d have to admit he’d failed in his job to protect her, or he’d need to deal with the smothering love of a parent who’d thought he’d lost a child. Mentioning Sirius’ wife was a calculated way to throw the attention off himself, otherwise he might die of either embarrassment or shame where he stood. An apology was warranted, but he couldn’t bring himself to say the words. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

The ghost spoke, the words so tandalising if he could just let himself believe them, swallow them as truth. He stared at the boy, who had not come to him in his dreams, and barely surfaced free of the lock in his thoughts. He was different from how he remembered. More rugged, less cocky. Surely he had not always looked this way. He pulled his disagreeable body forward, drifting closer to the boy.

He looked so unbelievably real, more here than any image of Zee he had conquered. He stepped closer, until he was just before the boy, and then he reached out a paw, and poked him silently on the shoulder. There was resistance as the claw met flesh. He may even have nicked the skin a little as he put more force into it then needed. He had expected to swipe through, for his paw to travel further then it had. “No, no. You're both dead. I haven’t seen her ghost since… No. No.” He shook his head, and poked his boy again. “No. Azure, truly?” Impossible, impossible.

"Sirius Fatalis"

The son recoiled from the warlord's claw, his offense shining brightly in his eyes. His lip pulled back silently - more out of instinct then anything else - and he lifted one oversized paw to swat gently at his father's tentative touch. "Stop it, I'm not a ghost." He insisted. "If I was dead, I'd have taken my killer down with me. There'd be no unfinished business keeping me around. And I'd go haunt someone worth haunting, like -" The names died on his lips, and he did his best to suppress his sigh. Az's head lifted, now matching his father in height as he met his gaze. What sort of death had Sirius thought claimed him? While Az knew he wasn't invincible, he'd hoped his abilities in combat were enough by now that a few seasons away wouldn't default his state to deceased. There was the mention of seeing ghosts, and searching his father's haunted gaze he knew the warlord had not been exaggerating. He gritted his teeth, taking a cautious step backwards off the rock in case the wandering claw might seek his flesh once more. "We're okay, we're alive." Az confirmed, as if the word would trigger some sort of understanding. Well, she was alive when I left. Not a reassuring addition, Az did not speak it aloud. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Azure knocked his paw away, his words a little exasperated and pointed. More like the stubborn boy he remembered. “We found your body. We buried you, both of you. The pack mourned.” And I broke. he didn’t say it, but it was there in his eyes.

“Alive.” He closed his eyes for a long moment, trying to… to… he did not know what. Trying to bring reason to a mind that had never been wholly sane in the first place. When he opened them again, Azure was still there. The Warlord leapt forward, crushing Azure to him before his boy could resist. He was not foolish enough to hold him for long. Just one hard, heartbreaking squeeze, and then he was gone again before Azure could pull him off. Giving the boy space so he did not feel crowded. “Azure…” I love you, I’m sorry. I failed you.
“Where.” he said instead. One word, for it was the only one that mattered.


"Sirius Fatalis"

Azure kept silent as his father fell into silence, no doubt grasping with his thoughts and the shift in reality. They'd found bodies? Of what, a kudu-horned wolf, the size of a child? A direwolf, adorned with bone spurs, bear paws, and saber fangs? The thought was sobering, perhaps there had been more thought behind his mother's capture then he'd anticipated. The pack had mourned. For his mother, more likely then for his sake. Though there were a few he hoped felt some sort of sadness at his death. Had Hana and Venom mourned him, too? Could you return from being a ghost, or did that make everything more awkward? "That sucks." He admitted after awhile, unsure what else to say. Suddenly his father grasped him in an unexpected hug, so tight and fierce that it took his breath away. Before he had the chance to even consider whether he'd hug back or bite the man, he was released and deposited back onto the stable ground. Shame crushed him, and he tore his eyes away from the warlords' probing gaze. "Quite far north. She's been taken. A pack, maybe a dozen wolves. Diablo can take you." He lifted an oversized paw cautiously, displaying the poorly healed burns upon his pawpads that were starting to scab over for the hundreth time. "I.." He shut his eyes, imagining the embarrassment his father might read in them otherwise. "I don't think I can handle the journey with you. Take some warriors, ones with the stamina to cross the continent." "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

He needed to leave, he needed to do it now, before Azure saw his tears. His heir was alive, and had come home to him. “The Armada is not the strength it once was.” he admitted grudgingly. The only able bodies were Asla, who had recently birthed pups, Naiche, whose small body would not keep up with him, and Mortis. The rest had left, or made themselves scarce, and Mortis would be capable of what was to come. “That is wise, Azure. Rest, the pack needs its heir back.” He said. Racing forward almost absent mindedly, he kissed Azures crown like a blessing, and then he was gone.

Putting the full force of his body into his stride as he tore across the border and out into the world. Running with all the brute force of a Warlord, even if endurance wasn’t his strong suit.


"Sirius Fatalis"

Azure frowned, his head tilting slightly at Sirius' words. What had happened to the Armada, that he had no one to turn to to rescue their queen? He had questions, wanted selfishly to force his father to remain and explain. Sirius' hurry was however understandable, and Az knew there was at least one wolf left around who could be counted on to give him honest information. He'd need to find Asla, his dearest sister, and ask her what had befallen their pack. "Okay. Good luck." He offered, clearly uncomfortable. Sirius was powerful, but to send him on his own into unfamiliar territory, to invade a pack? Azure did not voice his hesitance, knowing he could say nothing to change the alpha's mind. Sirius took off quickly, not waiting for Diablo to lift from his master's back and guide him. "Better hurry up." Azure warned him, shaking his shoulder to dislodge the creature. The bat reluctantly took to the skies once more, hurrying towards the galloping direwolf to take the lead. -exit- "Speech" "Thinking" "You."