Any time Artorias could take to spend with his family was time well spent in his opinion. The Hallows was thankfully in a long stretch of peace and had no guests nor patients that required tending to, so much of the pack's daily life was menial tasks and the everyday humdrum. This had the benefit of not needing the Aegis' attention 24/7, and as such Art took advantage of the lull in activity to get some father-son time in with his second eldest boy. After breakfast that morning, Artorias had instructed Kea to prepare to spend the day on the other side of Auster. He wanted to take his son over to the remnants of Fenmyre, partially to patrol and ensure the island was still safe and free from any dangerous predators, but also to educate Ciaran on a little bit of pack history. At their birthday celebration, Kea had expressed his desire to be Commander or a High Councilor, and as such he would need to know the ins and outs of the Hallows' history and pack relations. Taking only his sword with him, Artorias led the way across the southern continent. It took most of the morning to traverse the width of the landmass with the two arriving on the east coast just after noon. The shore was quiet and desolate, only a few seafaring birds and crustaceans making their presence known on the beach. Art saw the ferry system Chimera had built once upon a time still sitting on the beach, spanning across the channel to the island off the coast. It seemed mostly intact, if a little mossy and weather-worn. "Hop on," Art said with a gesture to the ferry to Kea. Once they had both boarded, the Aegis began to work the pulley system to send the raft across the strait. As they got closer and closer to the island, Art began to tell the story of the island to his son. "This island used to be under the governorship of a wolf named Chimera. He was the alpha of a pack, Fenmyre, and a friend and ally to us. This was long before you were born. The island has been vacant ever since." "Artorias"

It had been a little while since Kea had gone on an adventure with his dad. As he grew, and his own responsibilities grew, he was keeping closer to home more often than not. But when his dad had told him to prepare for a journey to the other side of Auster - he had dropped everything he was doing in a heartbeat. Excitement stirring him on. He took a moment to check over Windrunner, just to ensure the blade was gleaming at its best. Who knew what they might run into out there?

He followed his dad through the lands of Auster until they reached a strange pulley system by the ocean. He had never been out this way before, and he watched with interest, hoping in as his father directed him to. “What happened to him, Dad?” He asked curiously as Art spoke to him of the past.


"Ciaran Carpathius"

Artorias continued to pull the ferry across the channel, a little over halfway to the island now. He could see the golden-white shore of the isle getting closer and closer with every tug. How long had it been since he'd last set foot on the island? Two years? More? He couldn't recall exactly. Ciaran asked what had happened to Chimera and Fenmyre, and the Aegis' expression grew dim. It took a moment before he answered his son's question. "Chimera became sick during a horrific event that befell the world a long time ago. It was a period of endless darkness, known to us as the Long Night. Many wolves got sick during it—some died from their afflictions. Those that survived recovered, others did not. Chimera was one of those wolves." Artorias pulled the ferry's chains a few times in silence before he continued his story. "Chimera's condition worsened, so he and his family left the island to find a cure for him. That was the last I saw of any of them." A frown pulled at Art's lips as he looked over at the island. "I don't know whether they still live or not..." A few more pulls and the ferry bumped into the dock on the island. Artorias moored the ferry to the dock, tying the chain to keep it from drifting back, then hopped off onto the saltwater-soaked jetty. Gods, nothing had changed... He gazed around at the ivy-covered bungalows and cabanas, the derelict old resort buildings. Everything was so quiet and still... It felt wrong knowing this had once been the home of his friend. "Come." Artorias led the way down the dock and onto the old paths that cut through the island. They weren't looking for anything specific; just general exploration and surveying. "Keep your eyes open. There's no telling what might have taken this place as its home since Fenmyre's fall." "Artorias"

Kea nodded his head slowly. It had been before his time, but he’d heard a little about it. Especially during Samhain, wolves around him had gotten a little chatty about the past. He didn’t know much, but he knew it had been bad. He hadn’t realised it had knocked out whole packs. He wondered what other long reaching damage had been done by it?

“I’m sorry about your friend, Dad” He said as the sandy shore started to become clearer. He was excited to explore the island, but the news of what this place meant to his father did subdue him a little.

He hopped out of the boat and looked about himself with wide eyes. The building looked tall, and strange. “What was this place before Fenmyre?” He asked, or had it always belonged to that pack?


"Ciaran Carpathius"

Ciaran's apology earned him a soft smile and nod from his sire. Empathy was a trait the Carpathians found fundamental in their upbringing, and to see that quality had been fostered in his pups made Artorias a very proud father. He didn't respond, but there was enough response in his unspoken words to express himself. The Long Night had been long ago, its damage dealt and done. Artorias himself had suffered, and should anyone see the dire wolf cry, they would know. He had not wept around his children, so none had seen the glowing tears his eyes now produced in the aftermath of the plague, nor was it something he advertised about himself. The Long Night had been horrific for all involved and he just prayed his children would never have to experience such a world in their lifetimes. Walking through the compound of old buildings and overgrown foliage, Kea asked what this place had once been. "To be honest, I'm not really sure, son," Art said earnestly, his eyes also following the skeletons of buildings they passed. "To my knowledge, no pack had ever settled here before Fenmyre—at least none that our records recall. But these ruins have always been here ad they're not unique. There's many places around Auster and Boreas with structures just like them. No one knows who made them, or how, or why." It was a mystery for the ages, and speculation abounded about them. Perhaps answers would never be found, and they were simply whatever the wolves made of them. "You take the lead, Kea. I'll be right beside you." He wanted his son to take point and investigate whatever his heart desired. This would be good training for a boy who wanted to eventually lead their fighting forces. "Artorias"

That even his father didn’t know really emphasised what a mystery this place was. He wondered who had built these strange, and very old buildings. (While not wondering the same about the Castle - the Castle was a constant in his life, it had always been there, it simply was .) “How many structures have you seen?” He asked, curious how much exploring of them his dad had done.

“Alright” Kea said, shooting his dad a grin as he picked a direction. He decided that waking the parameter first would be a good idea. It would help them catch scents and see what had been moving around before they went into the buildings. It would also give him a chance to see how much there was to explore. So, with that decided he started to move around the island. "I'm going to explore the outside first, and then check out the buildings" He said, to keep his dad on the same page.


"Ciaran Carpathius"

Artorias breathed out a slow sigh as he considered Ciaran’s question of how many of these ruins he had seen. The Aegis had been a great many places across Auster and Boreas in his years, seen many sights and phenomena. "You know, I haven’t ever counted before," he answered his son honestly, still mentally tallying up all the strange ruins he had visited. "I’ve seen a ring of mystical stones in the south of Auster and this island, of course. I’ve seen a giant metal vessel frozen in the far north and more ruins high atop Boreas’ tallest peak. There’s always more of us to see in this world than we have time to see." Art gave his son an encouraging smile; he had deliberately said "us" to include Kea in his adventures too. The father and son could see all the rest of their world together if the younger wolf wished it. Kea, excited to take point for them, set their course around the perimeter and exterior paths of the island first. A wise and cautious decision; Art gave his boy an approving nod. "By your lead, Knight Ciaran," he said with a proud grin as he attempted to give his son some good natured paternal embarrassment. Moving around the edges of the buildings and compound, the Aegis would continue to sniff and sample the scents in the air, keeping his senses alert in case any predators had decided to take up residence on the island since Fenmyre’s absence. "Tell me what you see, what you hear, what you can draw from your surroundings." This was a bit of a test of his child’s abilities to see what his adolescent son had learned. "Artorias"

He listened with great curiosity as his dad spoke of other unnatural structures he had come across. It helped Kea see how big the world was. How full of strange wonders he hadn’t encountered before. There was so much to see, to explore. But it was also hard to step away from home long enough to investigate them. He loved travelling, but he was worried he would be away when his family needed him.

His fathers approval meant the world to him, he tried to conceal his cheek to cheek grin as he turned and trotted to do as he had said. Walk the perimeter of the island. “There’s some game trails, which means there must be fresh water somewhere. There's at least one big cat that calls the island home by the scents” he would add, wondering if there was something in particular his father was looking for. “Some of these buildings look a little unsteady, but they must have been that way for a long time?”


"Ciaran Carpathius"

Artorias gave Ciaran all the time he needed to study and assess his surroundings, the sire following his child's gaze around as he also took in all the information he could glean. As they wandered around the island's perimeter following a well-worn path between the trees and the shore, he listened while Kea reported all of his findings. Game trails meant prey animals were thriving here, and that there was freshwater somewhere on the island. Unsurprising, seeing as how a pack had thrived here for some time. The report of a big cat being somewhere on the island did raise some concern from the Aegis, but he made no comment about it just yet. When his son mentioned the stability of the buildings, Art nodded his head in quiet consideration. "None of them have collapsed, which is good. Chimera wouldn't have let his family live in any he felt were unsafe, so I'd say we should be fine as long as we remain cautious." Plus this could be a good chance to teach his son the importance of careful footing and noble reflexes when exploring. Leading the way down the paths and deeper into the shady foliage of the trees, Artorias sniffed at the air, sampling the scents around them. The stench of feline was coming from one of the larger central buildings in the compound. The big cat had likely taken up residence in the former Klein estate. They would need to be sure to dispatch it before they left today. "Let's continue on this way for now," Artorias said, gesturing for Ciaran to follow him along another perimeter path. "We can circle back around to explore the buildings more in a bit." Artorias led Kea around to the back side of the island, this section much quieter and more inland away from the shore. Passing by a small cluster of small sheds surrounded by fencing, Artorias glanced inside—and immediately felt his blood turn cold in his veins. "Fucking hell..." The gristly sight before his eyes had the father cursing in front of his child without even realizing it. At least a dozen corpses of wolves laid scattered across the fenced in yard, long-since decomposed and picked clean by scavengers until only the skeletons remained. Artorias' heart stopped, his expression dropping and eyes widening at the awful sight. What the hell happened here?! "Artorias"

Kea nodded, taking Art’s words as truth. He knew Chimera and what this wolf would or wouldn’t do. He continued his assessment of their surroundings, moving when Art did as they made their way around the outer perimeter. “Sure” He agreed easily as his dad took the lead. He was happy to circle around, and get a better appreciation for the buildings before entering any of them.

When his father glanced into a shed, Kea did a double take. His fathers posture changed, and words that were unusual for his dad escaped him. Curious, he took a step back, and glanced into the shed as well. Inside was the most horrific thing he had seen yet in his young life.

Horror seeped into Keas bones as he took in the sight before him. Awful pieces clicking into place as he stood there. He assessed what he knew so far - this pack had fallen, because its Alpha had contracted an awful disease. Art hadn’t heard from his friend or any wolves from his pack since then. Now, in front of them, were decomposing bodies. No, oh no. "Dad, I'm so sorry…" he whispered, settling on the conclusion before him. That these bodies where Chimera and his pack.


"Ciaran Carpathius"

So stunned had Artorias been by the sight of the mass grave that Ciaran's voice started him back into reality when his son spoke. Dammit, he really didn't want Ciaran to have to see this, but it was far too late for that now. Kea's words of sympathy confused his sire at first, but when Art realized why Kea was saying them, he just pursed his lips and shook his head. "This isn't them," he explained simply to his som, looking over the bodies once more. "Chimera was our size, and none of these bodies are close to dire wolf height. His queens were small things too, some smaller than these poor souls." No, these were not the remains of Fenmyre. But Artorias did know whose remains they were... at least somewhat vaguely. Seeing what Chimera had done to his slaves angered the Aegis. He had tried to turn a blind eye to Fenmyre's practices, deeming their business to be their own, but knowing now that Chimera had chosen to execute his slaves before his departure instead of releasing them or selling them off offended the Carpathian man to his very core.

"Let's keep moving," Artorias said rather curtly, nudging Ciaran's shoulder with his own to usher him away from the gruesome spectacle. Neither of them needed to see any more of this. When they were a good distance away from the slaughter, he would explain to his son. "Fenmyre was in the practice of owning slaves. Chimera would use them for his own gratification. I didn't think he'd murder them all when the pack fell apart though..." The topic of slave ownership was a hot issue around the world. Some packs practiced it regularly; others condemned it. The Hallows had never been in the belief of owning another wolf, though he knew at least a couple of their allies were. That was their business, and what they did behind closed doors was for them alone. This discovery did make Artorias question if perhaps the Armada and Ashen were guilty of purges of their own though...

"Artorias Carpathius"