There had been trouble brewing in his sister's pack. The cobalt titan had been smart to stay out of the way for the time being, knowing that it would be rather stupid on his part to poke his sister while she was going through some tough spots. He hung around often enough, lingering just within range in case she needed anything, but so far she hadn't come to him for help. He wasn't entirely sure what had his sister so fired up out no where, but he was sure that it was something that hit close to home. He could remember the days where his albino father was a threat and Sibelle had always been there with Taurig, ready to tear into the pink bastard the moment she got. She never did get the chance as far as he knew, so he was sure that she still had some pent of rage from those days brewing beneath the surface. Whatever she was going through was surely stirring those buried feelings and he could only hope she knew how to work it out without killing anyone. Feeling useless had become something of a normalcy for the giant, so if he wasn't lounging around in his sister's territory, he was often wandering outside the borders to explore. It had been quite some time since he had been in alacritis and he figured it was a good as any activity for him to go out for strolls, reacquaint himself with the lands. He wasn't particular on where he wanted to go, just letting his worn-out ebony paws lead him where they may. He certainly never expected them to take him where they did that day. An almost forgotten scent would tease the man's nostrils as he lingered around what he assumed to be a border from the scent marks, his mind working on over-drive as it struggled to place the scent. It was male and it had that tinge that he recognized as his own scent...His mind's eye would play flashbacks from the times after he'd been blinded, one occasion sticking out to him. A tiny boy's voice would echo through his mind...Valentine... he would murmur quietly, the pieces clicking together. One of his eldest children, his eldest son to be exact, controlled this territory...wasn't that a surprise. Massive frame would come to a stand still at his son's borders, blind eyes looking towards where he assumed the pack land to be. How long had it been since he'd seen his first son? "Burn Baby Burn"

The whispered name, carried on a chilly, fall breeze, sent a dagger of ice right through the brute's heart. He froze in place with one forepaw raised as memories assaulted him. "No." The disbelieving thought echoed through his mind. No, he had to be dead. Since leaving the island, Valentine had spun a lie to ease the pain in his heart. He lied and he swore until he believed it; his father was dead. How else could he have disappeared? The father Valen knew would never abandon his family, never walk out on them. No, he loved them too much. And yet... The ice around his heart melted into rage. The glaucous brute spun on his heels and raced back the way he'd come, freezing once more as he graced the top of a hill. Below him on the outside looking in, was his elderly doppelganger. The titan's hackles rose, his lips curling in disdain. He seethed and spit a single venomous word out from between harsh fangs. "You!" Valentine stalked closer, his slinking, purposeful stride panther-like and threatening. Reaching Taurig, the slate brute ceased his approach when he could no longer bring himself to step closer. Warring emotions fought for control, the thirst for revenge pummeling the desire to forgive. His voice deep and ominous, wildly different than the last time the pair had spoken, left him in a query. "How dare you show your face here?" "Talk" "You" Think

The titan stood in place for several long moments, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that his eldest son had a pack. He remembered spending time with his eldest son back on the island. He remembered their first meeting, when he discovered that Valentine was his son from Cataleya. Sadly by the time he'd met his son, the giant had lost his vision to the pale king, so he never did know just what his son looked like, but he could only assume that he was handsome as any boy he would ever have. They were faint memories, having gone fuzzy with the length of time that he'd spent away from the boy, but to think that his son was now ruling a pack? How did that come to happen? How long had he been in power? He could only hope that his son wouldn't suffer a terrible fate at the paws of his grandsire. Did Isardis even know Valentine was at the head of a pack? He sincerely hoped not. If the ice king knew that one of Taurig's offspring was ruling a pack, who knew what he'd try to do. Alas he would never know. Deciding he'd spent enough time away from Sibelle's pack, the brute turned to head back in the direction he came before a voice stopped him cold in his tracks. You! A chill ran down his spine, ice filling his veins. Valentine was here. He would turn back in the direction of his son's voice, milky eyes turning towards the direction of the charging paw steps. How dare you show your face here? The voice of a fully grown reached Taurig's ear, sounding much like his own as he questioned his reason for being here. You're not the only one who calls this land home. He answered truthfully, careful to avoid addressing Valentine as his son. If Maija had moved on during his absence, who was to say that his son hadn't renounced the blind warrior as his father? "Burn Baby Burn"

Valentine's ears slammed back as his father spoke, his deep voice peeling back the seasons since they'd last been together. He felt like a child again, so small and insignificant in front of the giant, admirable brute. His father. Bitterness stifled the memories and the slate titan forced them out of sight. Out of sight, out of mind, right? He would not be so easily pacified. "Are you losing your wits, old man?" He hissed, seething over Taurig's statement. What the hell did that mean? He wasn't the only one who called his land home? This was Imperium a banner of his own creation flown over the land of his choosing. Only he got to say who lived here and who didn't. "Is that why you wandered off; too stupid to find your way home?" He wanted his father to hurt, to suffer the same emotional wounds he'd felt as a child, so he pressed on, speaking words that held no truth, "If that's the case, maybe we were better off without you." "Talk" "You" Think

Are you losing your wits, old man? The hissing words that slipped from his son's jaws didn't surprise him. Surely Valentine had to hate him, didn't he? After all he'd practically abandoned his son as a pup and left him to figure life out on his own. It was only natural for his eldest son to harbor some kind of resentment towards him. Is that why you wandered off; too stupid to find your way home? If that's the case, maybe we were better off without you. He could hear the intentions behind his son's words, the want for the cobalt titan to hurt. And he did. It pained him to his very core to hear such words of malice come from his own flesh and blood, but he didn't hold it against Valentine. His son was entitled to his feelings, just like Maija was. Flashbacks of his unexpected reunion with his ex-wife flashed through his mind. This reunion with his son nearly mirrored the one with Maija, but instead of allowing Valentine to know just how much his words were hurting the scarred warrior, Taurig kept his emotions buried deep behind a cool mask. No one had to know how much he hurt, much less that he had any feelings to speak of anymore. It appears that my absence has served you well if you've managed to forge a pack for yourself. Despite not outwardly saying, the titan was more than proud of his son for having been able to stake his claim. It was almost as if he were following in his father's pawsteps, although he hoped that Valentine would have more success with actually keeping his pack. "Burn Baby Burn"

If his words caused damage the emotional wounds didn't break the chilly surface. Instead his father's face remained smooth and passive, offering a resistance that only served to heighten Valentine's ill intentions. The brute wished to strike him, to force the blind man to the ground, to his knees, and make him beg for forgiveness. A battle raged inside; a war between good and evil playing out in his very soul. Taurig's suffering could be sweet and satisfying, irreparably blackening his heart, or forgiveness could set them both free. The boy, the child longed for revenge just as strongly as he ached for reconciliation. His father's next words drew a derisive snort from him. "Served me well? That's like saying your blindness has made you a more capable person." What all had he missed out on because his father hadn't been there to teach him? How much potential had he outgrown? No, he hadn't been "served well" by his father's absence; he'd merely adapted, just as his father had adapted to the loss of his sight. Was he better because of it? Certainly not. "Talk" "You" Think