Heat lashed out at the frosted cold above. A war that winter could not win due to the high temperatures festering just below the earth's core. It roared in a fiery pit below. Daring any who wished to jump into its hot embrace. To be swallowed whole in a slow, agonizing death. Cifarelli chuckled to himself. Paws moving carefully along the warm path nestled just between the frost and heat. Forever the daredevil. Doing whatever brought excitement to his life. Only, he did not come here alone. For inside of those massive jaws of his rested three rabbits. Their lives easily taken from them the moment they dared crossed his path. He could not help himself. The ton of torture he put those white coated creatures through. Chasing them into their burials. Awaiting for them to think they were safe. Just to repeat the notion again. The Saxe male looked down at the boiling pot of lava. Any further and he knew the dangerous liquid would scold him for life. Such pain one could not endure; yet, to bring a living species here. To watch them scream out for help. Their bloodcurdling sounds of impending doom brought a sickening sweet smile to his face. Cifa sat for a moment. Peering over the edge; before, dropping the three carcasses. "This would be more fun. Had you been alive." Raising brows in full disappointment. He tossed them in. One. By. One. Their bodies each slowly descending into the ocean of orange, red and black. Coughing a few times as the taste of sulfur filled his lungs. Not by much, thankfully, due to him staying a fair distance. He knew if he couldn't to stay any closer, however, that would change. And, he found himself shifting his weight to leave Hell's River with a promise to feed it something... very much alive. "Speaks"

Moving through the caverns, Rhazien followed the scent of his beloved nephew, intent on finding the boy to see what he was up to. Since their departure from Saffron, he had accompanied Apollyon’s children, serving as a guide and mentor as they transitioned into adulthood. He could still hear his brother’s words ringing inside his mind - could taste the blood-oath he had made with him. The scar on his left shoulder served as a reminder of this oath, and it was one he never intended to break.

Keep them safe. Guide them to superiority… and besiege those who are a threat. If only his brother could see them now.

”This would be more fun. Had you been alive.” He heard Cifarelli’s voice resonating from a pathway to his right, which Rhazien sauntered towards until the boy came into view. The sizzling and popping of lava echoed off the walls, and indicated that something had been thrown into the pit. As Cifarelli shifted to leave, Rhazien stepped into view. “Bored, boy?” He questioned, flashing him his famous, deviously sly smirk. “"You know, it would be more… hm, what’s the word….” He pondered for a moment, to add a theatrical effect. “…satisfying, if you shoved something alive in there.” His tongue slipped past his jaws, sliding across his fangs as the thought of a hunt made his mouth water. “The scent of a coyote is lingering in the caverns…” He turned slightly, motioning for Cifarelli to come to his side. “..along with the scent of milk.” He didn’t need to give an explanation, he knew the boy was intelligent enough to put the pieces together.

There was a mother coyote somewhere in the caverns, and she had pups young enough to feed off her. Under different circumstances, this place may have served as a safe haven for the mother. But unfortunately for her, two blood-loving atrocities had stepped into her sanctuary. “Shall we go find her?” The invitation was given, and now all the boy had to do was accept.

"Speech"

His bored transpired into wanting to feed his new favorite sea more appetizing meals. The crackling pop heard from below meeting his ears with a silent call. One he would soon become too familiar with over time. Cifarelli smirked with every step he took. Nose hovering just above the grounds to scent out something more living. Breath huffed out behind each inhale. Sides relaxing after every exhale. His uncle's musk was not one he wished to find. The towering figure of Rhazien grew closer. His words captured by erect ears and a crooked smile slid over Cifa's face. "Is that even a question to ask?" The youngest Saxe nephew stretched out. Loosening up muscles he knew would soon be overly worked. Foxes were not easy creatures to capture. Much like rabbits, they knew how to be quick. Last minute maneuvers shifted in their movements. "We've only been here so long and I have grown a liking to this place." Eyes flickering behind him. The molted hot spews still sizzling with excitement. "Have you found my brother?" Cifarelli wanted to talk to Sephiran. Him being the sole leader to take place of their late father. All decisions went through the purple male and he wanted this to be his. "Speaks"

As Cifarelli shifted before him, Rhazen kept his gaze on the boy, noting his mannerisms in case his mood suddenly shifted. He knew he was unpredictable at times, hot-headed and impulsive. And although he didn’t suspect Cifarelli would turn on him, he couldn’t disregard the possibility. It was part of his nature after all. Rhazien had dealt with Apollyon’s brood their entire lives and knew how to handle outbursts. Which was why he was enticing the boy with different means of satiating his bloodlust.

”Is that even a question to ask?” Rhazien’s smirk grew wider, revealing more of his fangs. Once the boy sauntered over to him, he would motion towards one of the passageways. His nostrils quivered, inhaling the scent of the coyote deep within the cavern. And, once Cifarelli was ready, they would descend into its depths.

”We’ve only been here so long and I have grown a liking to this place.” A hum rumbled inside of Rhazien, as he pondered the thought of building a home base in this place. “If you like it here, we can make it our common grounds?” He offered, before adding a preliminary. "That’s if your sisters all agree, of course.” He flashed him another smirk, imagining what that encounter may be like. They disputed things on their own now that they were adults, and Rhazien enjoyed watching it.


When he asked if Rhazien found Sephiran, his smirk faded off. “Not yet.” He admitted as they came around a bend in the passage, which opened up into another cavern. Lava was weeping from breaks in the walls, pooling onto the floor which created fractured cracks at their paws. He suddenly stopped, the sound of pups whimpering catching his attention. His ears tipped forward, honing on the sound, which was emanating from a smaller grotto in the sub-terrain. “There.” He motioned its his muzzle towards it, wanting Cifarelli to take the lead. “She’s all yours.” He stepped to the side, wanting the boy to rip the coyote out of its hiding place.  

"Speech"

Of course, Seriphan could not be found at the moment. The slippery purple beast forever moved like a serpent on the hunt. Cifarelli rolled his eyes as his uncle spoke. Mention of his sister's snapping his gaze to the colossal male. He hadn't yet found them either. But, he surely hoped they did not return to his presence with word of any male having placed their paws on them. No matter what others thought of the Saxe plague, he surely cared for his siblings. Being the second to oldest. When Seriphan was not around, he took on the role of being a big brother. Rhazien brought them back to the gaping mouth of his fire ocean. The lava cast a curtain of bright reds, oranges, and yellows, just on the other side as they continued back down the path he'd just left. There was no further motivation he needed. A paw reached into the hole first. If there was indeed a coyote family inside, one of them would..... he snatched his arm back. Sharp teeth biting at his toes the moment they intruded the borrow. "Little fucker." Cifa seethed at audacity. Next, his head filled the hole without hesitation. His own set wrapped easily around the mother's neck. Dragging her out as she struggled to be set free. Unphased at the least, he quickly snapped the area where the neck met the spine. "Odd. Where's the fa...." A high-pitched sound answered his question. Turning to look at the approaching father whose mouth was bloody from a hare that now lay on the sooted ground. Cifarelli laughed. Without taking his attention off the male Coyote, he reached a paw in and slow dragged a pup out. Took it into his mouth and lay on paw on top of the other half. A sickening sweet sound was heard as he tugged and ripped the cub into two. If the coyote wanted to play. Oh. They would play. "Speaks"

Cifarelli didn’t need much prompting. He went to work on extracting the mother from the den, grabbing her by the scruff to yank her out into the open. For now, Rhazien stood back and observed - prideful in the fact that the younger Saxe knew where the spinal cord met the skull. A single crunch and he severed the cords, killing the mother with ease.

Rhazien hadn’t thought much about a father. But of course, as karma would have it, the male coyote showed up just in time to see his mate being decimated. It growled in protest, as Cifarelli grabbed a pup and crunched it within his jaws. The coyote snarled, attempting to lunge at Cifarelli. Rhazien released a throaty laugh, lunging forward to grab it by the scruff before it could reach the boy. If Cifarelli wanted it to watch, Rhazien would make sure its attention was unwavering.

He pinned it down by the shoulders, anchoring it in place with its weight. It snapped wildly at the air, sending empty threats at the boy. “Perhaps he needs to see more dismembering?” Rhazien encouraged Cifarelli, wanting him to satiate his blood lust.

It was also fun to watch the boy enjoy himself so much.

"Speech"

Oh! How hilarious did the coyote really think he could take on a monster like Cifarelli. The large beast of wolf stood fairly over him by so many inches and the guts it took to lung forward in thinking that those little jaws could do anything made him burst into a fit of laughter. Dropping the half of the pup from his clutches. "You really thought..." As he spoke, another pup was dragged from the den. This one slightly bigger than the last. But it didn't make any difference. It would die the same as the last. Using one paw to hold it down, he used a single claw to trail a ring around its throat. Pressure being applied to further deepen the wound and slowly end the pup's life. "...you could take me on? How funny." With Rhazien holding the father down, Cifa continued to torment the two others. One being easily decapitated. While the other's body parts were ripped from it piece by piece. The entire ordeal made him happy both internally and externally. The demented smile of evil permanent on his face. He wanted the male coyote to see his family. What a masterpiece they were. Getting to work, he placed everything that he'd taken from them and began to put them in various locations near each other. A chuckle escaping his throat. Such joy surging through his veins. It took no time before he had formed the perfect canine centipede of every single one of their body parts. "Perhaps next time, you will mind your own business. Don't you think, Uncle?" "Speaks"

Taunting while he tortured, Cifarelli made sure to instill terror in the father coyote, all the way up until its last moments. Rhazien continued to hold it down, shifting his weight into its shoulders as it squirmed in protest beneath him. "Nice and slow now- make them really feel it." Encouraging him to continue was all Rhazien needed to do. He had to admit, he was impressed by the boy's creativity- creating an artwork if you will, with the dismembered parts of the pups. Rhazien cocked his head to the side, admiring the sculpture and all its glory. It reminded him of a bug he had seen. One with a large head, which the boy used a pup's to represent… and a long body, which Cifarelli used an array of parts to construct…. And plenty of legs, which Cifarelli had an abundance of, seeing he had amputated them all from the tiny bodies. So sick and twisted!

One last taunt, and Cifarelli was ready to commit his final act- slaughtering the father. “He may not have any business to mind, Cifarelli-” The smirk on his face was unwavering, as he loosened the pressure at his paws and stepped back to let the coyote up. "-not when you're done with him." It immediately lunged for Cifarelli, in which Rhazien wouldn’t intervene. He had no doubt the boy could finish the kill on his own.  

"Speech"

Cifarelli shifted without even barely moving an inch. Jaws wide when the coyote came hurling himself t’wards the Saxe male. Teeth sinking into its face, before slamming it into the wall nearest him. A yelp came out in pain. Wobbly limbs trying to keep the small frame up; but, failed miserably. "Awe. I’ll let you try again. Come on. Do it. I dare you." He didn’t want to end the father’s life too quickly. What fun would that be? If he wanted a fight, then a fight he’d get. Shoulders rolled back as a snarl fell from black curled lips. Revealing the blooded fangs beneath. Tail rose to stretch out behind him. Nails digging into the sooted stone beneath. This would indeed be fun. A fight instead of an easy death. What joy he felt as adrenaline rushed through his veins. Preparing for the time of his life. The coyote finally managed to stand. It’s high pitched voice a warning and a threat to the large wolf who’d mutilated his entire family. There was no going back now. He watched as his opponent prepared for the oncoming attack. Kicking back on paws, he launched forward aiming to bite into one of the front legs. What he didn’t anticipate was how easily Cifarelli clamped down onto his spine the moment his teeth made contact with the limb. "Speaks"

Unwavering in his stance, Rhazien stood back and watched his nephew engage with the male coyote. Choosing to fight instead of immediately killing it was a twist in events, one the Saxe brute hadn’t been expecting but it was entertaining nonetheless. As the battle progressed, taunts filled the cavern, intertwining with snarls that emanated from Cifarelli and the coyote. It was a symphony Rhazien greatly enjoyed, and he knew Sephiran would be throwing himself right in the middle of the chaos, once they reunited with him. It was all so exciting.

He didn’t interrupt until he witnessed Cifarelli’s tactic. Allowing the coyote to bite him, which left a vital portion of his body open for assault. “Ahh, well done.” He gave praise, inky lips pulled back into a delighted sneer.  

"Speech"

He became tired of this. Playing with the Coyote as if it had any chance of really winning. The teeth sinking into his foreleg became quite annoying and before he knew it Cifarelli shifted his head. Mouth no longer held onto the spine. Instead, he took hold of the canine’s skull. Such joys he would have in what was to come next. The sound of flesh tearing apart filled the silence. Yowling noises of pain piercing through it like sharp ice. He cared not of it as he continued on with his plan. Taking on a better grip to finish the job. It took nothing once the final attachment snapped. The coyote’s body dropping effortlessly whilst Cifa held the head like a happy puppy. "Looks like I got myself a new toy." He knew sooner or later that it would decay and fester. But, he cared not at this very second because it was still fresh and new. "Would you like to play catch?" Tail wagged when a chuckle fell from his lips. Oh! What joy these new lands would bring. "Speaks"

Watching from the sidelines, Rhazien indulged in the sweet symphony and anguish and death. Intertwine that with the soft bubbling of magma, the crunching of bone, the last exaggerated breath before life ended…  and bingo! You had an amazing little symphony. It was enough to make any crazed man feel something; carnal lust, blood lust, homicidal lust. Whatever it may be, it was enthralling, especially for the Saxe.

After some time, Cifarelli completed his final act. Watching as he dropped the body and held the skull like a toy, Rhazien flashed him a single eyebrow raise. What was he planning?

Oh. He couldn’t hide the smile that spread across his face- the boy wanted to play catch! What a lovely form of bonding… playing catch with a ball, making small talk, having fun. Only, they were playing with the skull of someone they just killed. What a proud father moment this would be! Laughing a throaty chuckle, Rhazien stepped forward to indulge. “Of course.” He said, motioning for the boy to throw him the head.  

"Speech"