Sometimes she wasn’t so certain of the power she wielded within the world. Ashen was a strong pack, and not only because of her own prowess but it was the connected power of her and the packs that wove together as the Empire. Venom did not assert herself over her partners, but treated them with the respect that one of her peers deserved, because that was what they were. She did not lord over anyone, but held her pack together and respected her fellow leaders that called her their ally. Venom was strong when she was on her own, but more than that she was the strength of herself and those she trusted. Venom trusted in the mortal realm for her strength, when once she would have looked to the otherworldly.

Being an Abraxas meant so much to her in her younger days. Archon was her whole world and she wasn’t more proud of anything as her name. Time changed all things however, and after a while the Empress felt like she was betrayed by the very god she idolized. Perhaps the disconnect with the spiritual world was the real cause of her devotion to the celebrations this season. She missed the ways things once were, when Archon was there to care for her. She could easily picture her father standing before her, and Obi next to her, running his strange paws through her fur. When life had been so much more simple.

With the veil lifted Venom’s mind often shifted towards her father, the beyond, and if she had taken the right path in her life. There were many pivot points she could look back on, crossroads that would change her life forever and bring her to the place where she now rested on her haunches in quiet contemplation. She was seated on the tallest hill that the pitfalls had to offer. After carefully navigating her way here so she could see both the volcano and the shrine simultaneously. The subtle glow of lava in one direction, and the shrine’s magical glowing waters the other.

Her memory was foggy, and she couldn’t recall either the herbs or ceremony Toxicity or Obi would have performed to actually meet with the Abraxas patriarch. She felt some kind of blessing upon her after her gift to the statue, she felt the curtain pulled back at the bonfire. This might have been her best, and possibly last, time to contact the spirit of Archon. She had confidence the task could be done, the real struggle was the question of if it was a good idea. She had banished her own sister and took her name, the real blessed child in their litter. Would he admonish or scold her?

The thought brought her right back to her childhood. Back in the before time, when they lived in the ravine and ruled the western lands. A time that was foggy at best after so much had happened since then. The child-like awe and respect of her father hadn’t really left despite the trials that she had faced since then. Losing him, essentially losing her mother, and one by one watching her siblings slip away or be forced out. She watched her family change and shift to the product she beheld today. Ashen was something Venom was deeply proud of, and there was a part of her that still yearned for that fatherly approval. Their god totally forgotten, Venom sought her father’s approval of her life, not the religion that he had commanded her to follow. Maybe this whole thing was to prove that making her own way had been the better choice, when she would forever have the gut feeling of having failed the life’s mission she was given by her sire.

Before she could talk herself out of the act, the Empress began to hum. Again, she had little to no idea what she was doing, but the sentiment was similar to words she had once heard. A language she had once been able to recite. She closed her eyes, but instead of inducing a forced sleep she summoned the image of Archon in her mind. Every detail that she could remember from life, the tone of his fur and eyes, the curve of his cheekbone and the rigid lines of his ears. All before reopening her sunset gaze, and staring between the two places that so strongly held Archon’s presence. The place where he died, and the place he coveted.

She took a deep breath, resigning herself to this task to call her father from the beyond. "Archon!” She called out into the empty fields, her voice echoed over the flat grounds. "Father!” Again Venom called out. "Hear my cry.” She uttered softly while struggling to keep her mind clear and her emotions under control.

"Venom"

Viper wasn't attached to the world anymore, it seemed that the others had accepted and moved on and that's just what she wanted. It was a little far to say she wanted to be forgotten but she was at peace to not be a burden on Chimera or Cerberus, or even herself. She was free here, and so were they.

Though something pulled her out from that seemingly golden eternity in after life, a place she couldn't quite remember now that her spirit was back here in boreas. A strange place for her to be pulled indeed. She wondered if it was her son that composed the energy to gather her here, but as her ghostly form floated almost down from the heavens and forward, she was met with someone less but still all familiar. "Venom." She spoke in tones much different than her life here on the earth, she was much more intellectual and respective than she had been before. "We didn't know each other very well. And I know I'm not the one you asked for. I'm sorry."

"Viper"

She waited, she waited for what seemed like an eternity before anything at all happened. Even with the magic, as the Empress stood there she felt her own foolishness creep in. To think she could summon her father here… Venom held her breath for another moment as hope dwindled, before she saw a shimmering apparition before her. As the form became discernable, for a brief second she believed that this was Archon appearing before her, but her hopes were dashed as the woman's small frame and distinctive markings became more visible. This was not Archon Abraxas, but she had summoned a soul from beyond.

Viper.

Chimera’s first love. Venom was almost certain that she had perished during the long night, but all of her memories from that time were foggy at best. Then, she spoke, and all of the fur on Venom’s body stood on end. It was the most unnatural feeling she had ever had. It caused her to freeze as the ghostly woman greeted her, and apologized, she wasn’t the one that had been called for. Archon and Abraxas had abandoned her.

"No,” Venom managed to utter as her legs trembled not only from awe, but from the revelation. "I wouldn’t burden your eternal peace with a transgression like that.” She told the ghost softly.

"Venom"

There was a part of Viper that hurt for Venom even though Viper wasn't much the caring type. Her being with Chimera as they were was really by sheer chance. Friends weren't easy for her to make, or keep. She had been selfish in her ways of life in the end. She never regretted it though. It was in her soul to know what she wanted and not back down from it. She was just happy what family she had on that last day could forgive her.

Still floating on air before Venom, Viper took a moment before responding, almost as if she could see into Venom's own soul. She couldn't, but she was analyzing her in a way. "I know I had never been very open. But I know how you feel." Something about this moment didn't even feel real to her as a ghost, and she wondered if Venom felt the same. But if Venom's driven emotion brought her here than she supposed she was here for a reason. Even if completely unrelated to Venom. "My father abandoned me when I was young, my mother couldn't move on. So I became Viper." She wasn't sure if Venom was even interested, but it just seemed right to give her that insight. "I never made it easy to know but I had a lot of resentment towards them, and towards others too. Knowing Cerberus is living the best life he can because of his family is what will give me peace. I hope you can find your own before it's too late."

"Viper"

Venom’s sunset gaze watched the apparition before her, Viper’s translucent form shimmering slightly but revealing the introspection of the wolf from beyond. Like some unseen force was holding her own jaws closed Venom held her breath as she awaited the next words from the woman before her. She didn’t expect the next words that came from her lips as she explained how much she understood the Empress.

Continued silence fell from Venom as Viper continued, her voice almost like it was sounding directly in her head instead of being some kind of spoken word. Viper sounded like she was speaking her peace, like this moment she was forgiving herself and showing she accepted whatever world the afterlife was for her. There was no regret in her voice, she did as her heart dictated and was resting easy in eternity.

Viper hoped Venom could find the same before hinting at her own demise.

Venom was young enough the end was mostly an afterthought, but as she knew well by now, time was not a guarantee. Anything could happen. "I do too.” She replied in a whisper, still frozen in place as her eyes remained on the image of Viper.

"Venom"

Viper couldn't know for sure what might have been troubling Venom, but she believed in due time it would all find it's balance and she would come to terms. Viper felt bad for her, having an understanding of the feelings she showed in the moments before and the moments after she appeared before her. She couldn't do much else but give her a hopefully look from her floating height above her. She knew it wasn't easy, Viper never had the easiest life. She knew not everyone else had sunshine and rainbows either. She was brought more wisdom from how she lived when she came into the afterlife and she wished she could have been different while she was alive. She didn't regret how she felt, but she did wish she could have been different for Chimera.

In the end she left Venom with the turn of her head, giving her that time and space to herself to reflect on her emotions and thoughts. It was all Venom could do and find the comfort and support of her family later on. She had it hard to, but it was better to work through what harsh events were given to her to help her in the long run. That's what Viper thought at least. She'd fade off into the distance, maybe even looking for Cerberus before she fully returned back above.

"Viper"