Traveling away from the plains, Rhazien made his way towards the northern section of this new region. He wasn’t on the hunt for anything in particular- he only wanted to navigate some of the neighboring territories, to see if there was anything interesting out there. So far, he hadn’t been impressed- though, he did wonder if the massive, foreboding mountain range in the distance was occupied. Wouldn’t be a bad place for their group to settle down in.

Passing by the entrance to the crypt, it didn’t take much for him to be drawn inside. What a fascinating structure. He didn’t travel too far inside, before the smell of a lion became thick in the stale air, beckoning him forward. The thought of a battle sent shockwaves of thrill rolling down his spine- pelt bristling out of reflex, as he quickened his pace.

"Rhazien Saxe"

His options for supervision had been rather limited, per his father. The viking king realized the boy was rather determined to unleash himself as a nuisance, so for the time being, he wasn't allowed to take anyone who was easily slipped away from. Somehow, that list didn't include Kuroki... listen it wasn't like he was going far! Björn⁢ had simply left the rougher of his two practice axes down here when they'd come down to clear more of the grossness from the Crypt. Getting the place good and livable, all the shit that came along with expanding. It was a little detour on his way back to Oki after he'd begged the man to take him hunting, really no biggie. Björn⁢ swears. The scent of the lion had washed over the boy as he was on his way out, having picked up his axe from where it lay after the previous day's adventure. At the sound of paws on the rough stone, Björn⁢ is acutely aware that he's not alone with the lion. A manic giggle in the boy's throat, echoing in the musty darkness. "Hej mister, come play with the kitty cat too." A little sparkle, a little glimmer in the low light as he moves-- it catches in his pale eyes, in the blade of his axe. Little boy, blessed by the trickster gods. Little harbinger, stalking the predator cat through the shadows. BJÖRN Ragnarök awaits.

Sauntering deeper into the crypt, Rhazien used his senses to guide him through the corridors- noting the rotting carcasses and piles of bones from animals who’d ventured here and gotten lost. He could hear the clicking of nails against the stone ground, and could smell the pungent musk of feline piss which made his snout crinkle. What he found off, was that he could hear something walking. But, felines tended to slink around on silent paws, because their claws were retractable. Perhaps, he wasn’t alone?

Suddenly, a voice called out from the catacombs- beaconing him forward, inviting him to come and play. It was followed with a manic, child-like giggle- one that reminded him of his dear nephew Sephiran. He couldn’t help but laugh himself- the guttural sound echoing off the walls, seeping deeper into the passageways. Picking up his pace, he loped through the darkness, following the scent of the lion until he ran into the boy first. The glimmer of steel caught his eye- shimmering in the low light, as an axe was held between the jaws of a young pup. Staring down at the boy, a thought crossed his mind- how in the hell did he keep running into kids?

There wasn’t time for introductions, just yet. The lion they sought suddenly appeared, slinking forward and yowling at them, as if they would become its prey. Snarling back and baring his serrated fangs, Rhazien issued a challenge- waiting for the feline to strike, and hoping the boy wouldn’t get in the way and become the lion's next meal.  
"Rhazien Saxe"

A little shine. A little giggle. A little glimmer. With a skip in his step and light in his eyes, Björn⁢ can't help himself. No, only the gods could help this one (and maybe his mother.) There is no fear that the cat was hunting him-- no. He doesn't need to fear it. He doesn't need to sweat it. The boy only needs to watch the way the cat cuts through the darkness and mimic, with keener eyes and brighter wits. Being focused as he is on the whole stalking and slinking business, Björn⁢ doesn't realize just how close the man is until he's been tripped over. Stumbled over. An oof coming from the boy's chest, but he stumbles and rights himself. The cat is still his primary concern, he'd worry about the strange man in the Crypt... after. Yeah. The growling, the hackles raised, Björn⁢ sees it all. His heart pounding in his chest, there's no time to wait on the cat. It's the boy that springs to action, darting into the shadows and then out again to chop into the lion's ankle with his borrowed axe. Another manic little giggle echoing off the rough stone walls of the Crypt, Björn⁢ is in his glory. BJÖRN Ragnarök awaits.

As the boy shot forward, fearlessly wielding his axe and swinging it at the lion, Rhazien had only one word to describe his actions- naivety. One swipe of those claws and the lion could gouge out the kids eyes- or worse, slice open his flesh deep enough to reach a vital vessel. Pups had thinner fur, and even thinner skin than adults. And, it made Rhazien wonder, if this boy had ever been hurt before. Or perhaps, he was just fucking crazy. Regardless of the answer, Rhazien was intrigued. Not peeling his gaze away, as the boy tried to chop off the lion's ankle.

Of course, the feline tried to spin around and attack the kid. Rhazien lunged forward with a snarl, grabbing the cat by the cheek, which kept it from being able to grab Björn. Shaking his head, Rhazien started to jerk the cat around. Taking a smack to his shoulder, as claws raked down his flesh, causing blood to trickle onto the stone floor. But he wouldn't let go. That kid better chop this thing's head off.  


"Rhazien Saxe"

They saw all manner of marvelous things on the mountain. Predators that were bigger and more fantastical than even the ones in the stories. Things that he could fight and things he could bite, things that would fight him right back. Badly hurt, not quite, but Björn has seen raiders coming back bloody and victorious. He’s taken the great, giant mitts of bears to his shoulder and face. The boy is mostly just fucking crazy, honestly. The lion is fast to round on him, but the man that joined him is faster. He holds the predator by the cheek, and Björn knows an opening when he sees one. With an excited little shout, the boy warrior sends his axe down on the back of the beast’s neck. While a full beheading was harder than he’d imagined it, Björn buried his axe in the back of the cat’s skull. While the thing was still alive, it certainly didn’t look too hot. BJÖRN Ragnarök awaits.

Following his lead, the boy understood what was expected of him- use that damn axe to chop this things head off. The flash of metal caught in Rhazien’s peripheral vision, followed by a pained yowl from the lion, and then, the splattering of blood onto the crypt floor. Given he was holding the beast by the cheek, some of it sprayed across his face, hot and sticky, dusting his features in a macabre mist of red. Laughter bubbled from him- resonating from deep in his belly, as he was overjoyed by the boy's brutality. So much, he almost wanted to steal him for himself.

He felt the lion starting to sway, and Rhazien released his hold and backpedaled, eyes roving across the beast to see the damage that had been dealt. The axe was buried in the back of its head- deep enough to penetrate the skull, brain matter starting to swell out around the metal of the axe. Stumbling forward, the lion tried to swipe at them- but its movements were uncoordinated and futile. Moments passed, and it finally tumbled onto into a mangled heap of fur. Twitching and groaning, eyes rolling into the back of its skull, before it became still.

Panting and catching his breath, Rhazien licked some of the sinew off his whiskers. Head turning to the boy, eyes analyzing him more closely now. “You're quite violent for your age, boy.”  There wasn’t a trace of perturbation in his tone- in fact, there was an ominous flicker of excitement. One that made it clear that whatever bloodlust this boy had raging inside him, was enthralling to Rhazien. "It's... commendable." Lips peeled back into a smirk, obsidian-plated fangs shimmering in the low light.  

"Rhazien Saxe"