Absinth stood at the entrance of the den, her silhouette a dark figure against the light outside. The time had come. Weeks had slipped by, and now, her emerald eyes, sharp and calculating, lingered briefly on her pups – trueborn and adopted alike – before she gave the signal. Her voice, firm and mischievous yet tinged with a cold affection, called them to her.

“Listen here, my loves,” She ordered, her tone brooking no defiance. Her charcoal tail flicked behind her in a rare sign of approval as the pups gathered. “Be smart about what you do from now on. Remember, the world beyond is not kind,” Absinth began, her gaze piercing each of her children, ensuring they grasped the weight of her words. “Neither should you be.”

“The Syndicate territory is vast and safe from outsiders, but if you ever wish to explore beyond those borders, you must bring one of the ravens with you.” She gestured upward to the tamed ravens soaring overhead, then to the sleek black birds perched on her antlers, their beady eyes vigilant. “They will guide you and watch over you. Or, you can ask your father or me to accompany you.”

Absinth paused, letting her words sink in. She then leaned down, nuzzling each pup with a fleeting tenderness that betrayed her otherwise hard exterior. “Now, go and play. Discover. Fight. Be confident, strong, and always aware of your surroundings. I will be watching.” With that, her ravens took flight, circling above to keep a watchful eye on the young ones. Thus, the monochromatic fae released them, fully, into the world.

She stepped out with them, and though some had already ventured beyond the den, it was their younger siblings' first taste of the outside world. She settled herself, curious to see how they would interpret and act on her words.



wormwood

It started out like any other day. But then, they were offered freedom. Beyond the den, beyond the claimed lands, but only if chaperoned by either a raven or a parent. It was a fair deal he assumed, tilting his head as their mother spoke before them, replaying this information over in his head as he internally vibrated with excitement.

Their mother nudged each of them lovingly, however Dracun wasted no time once receiving his affection and bounded out of the den, absolutely eager to explore and play and most of all fight. He was itching for something more than wrestling with his siblings, actually hunting something down and even getting to kill it. For now, however, he'd settle for really getting to chew on one of his siblings. Once outside the den, he turned and lowered his chest to the ground with a smirk, inviting any of his siblings to spar.

"Speech!"


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As soon as her mother used that tone Xina was instantly offended. She didn't know what it was, it certainly wasn't the words she used, she just felt her fur stand up ready to fight. As soon as their mother let them out and Dracun made the first leap, she saw his pose and his invitation for a fight. She was never one to pass up that particular challenge and launched herself over another sibling to reach him outside.

She didn't even wait to bow at him, she just started to go for his hind leg, trip him up, and get him on the ground to pin him.

With his wool coat pulled tightly up to his neck, Zagan followed his siblings out into a world of newfound freedom. Absinth was allowing them to leave the borders, but only with a chaperone- whether that be a raven, Absinth, or Aresenn, was up to them. But it was freedom, nonetheless. And Zagan was ready to indulge, as he was curious of the world outside of The Syndicate.

Absinth nuzzled each of them, and when it was Zagan’s turn, he stiffened in the face of her affection. A simple reflex. He bounded out of the den, rushing after Dracun and Xina, who were starring to spar with each other. Refusing to be left behind, and craving a little violence play time, Zagan leaped at Xina, trying to grab her tail while she was preoccupied with Dracun.

"Speech"

Picking their head up from their paws, Abyss watches their mother with an unwavering eye, absorbing her announcement and replaying it in their young mind. They were allowed to leave the pack lands now. Truly, Abyss didn’t feel a need to leave The Syndicate- perhaps that would change as they got older. Why would they leave now? The Syndicate’s territory was vast, just as mother said. There were plenty of training opportunities and a ton of siblings and cousins alike to play with. Why leave?

Still, they were granted permission to explore beyond the borders, if they wished it. They just needed to take a raven, or ask their mother or father to accompany them. Simple enough. Nodding, Abyss expresses their compliance with her instructions, pulling themselves to their paws to follow their siblings outside the den.

Emerging from the den, Abyss isn’t surprised to see three of their siblings starting to spar. They decide to stay on the sidelines, observing with a stoic expression and deciphering who they believe will be the winner of the brawl.

"Abyssinica"