Azalea Adravendi walked between the twin mountain peaks in the valley that made it feel much like being in the middle of one's cleavage. The north was full of redwoods so it was not odd at all to her that she should find some here. There were other pine tree species too, though none were as dazzling nor seemed to reach so high. The landscape was wonderful and bird song filled the air. If this land had been closer to the caves she would have taken it for her pack. It was a change moving out of the Red Forest but the gorge was familiar to her, having been there briefly when she first went to seek refuge in Regium, then Tortuga. The pack had faced many changes, the latest being the change of name she had decided upon, Ethereal. She had liked the name Regium but the pack hadn't seemed to accept it and she needed to really show that the pack was now her own. Azalea found herself sitting at the foot of a large redwood, leaning into it slightly as she looked up the side of the mountain before her, dazzled by the beautiful flowers that had bloomed. This was what Roman had spoken of when she said that the north was beautiful in the summer.

He was bored. The chunky wolf was sprawled on his back, duo-toned eyes gazing up at the sky between the leaves, sunlight dappling his earthen-toned coat. The male groaned, rolling over onto his tummy, placing his head between his paws. He was miserable. "Si, is it possible to die from boredom?" The fact that Nikko was actually speaking with the voice in his head was a testament to how lonely he was feeling. Teumesios was usually brushed off, ignored. He generally had to fight to get Nikko's attention - which he only wanted when he was trying to take control of Nikko's body. Don't be stupid, Kit. The fox demon that Nikko believed inhabited him growled, irritated by such a stupid question. Nikko, however, was unfazed. He stood and stretched, his strong limbs reaching out. The hefty male shook out his naturally-spiked coat, though the fur immediately went back to standing at odd ends. It was a curse, he suspected. Deciding to ignore Si again, considering he wasn't much of a playmate anyway, with the whole evil demon thing, Nikko set off at an easy trot, his eyes looking about with little interest. Strange as it was, the young man never really cared much about nature. Or rather, it wasn't that he didn't care, but he never worried himself over it or went out of his way to observe the smaller creatures. Nikko didn't really much of a curious personality. Only things that really interested him got his attention, and frankly, trees didn't interest him. "So bored..." He grumbled with a sigh, glaring at one of the trees as if it, solely, was responsible for his lack of entertainment. When the tree mere gazed back, vacant, Nikko turned away. And that was when his duo-toned eyes landed on another. The male halted, ears standing straight up. He remained that way for a beat, before his muzzle twisted into a wide, puplike grin. The male hurried over to the other, not bothering to hide his pawsteps or cover up the racket he made as he trotted to the other, a female, his nose told him. "Hi! I'm Nikko!" Acts. "Nikko Speaks." "Si Speaks." Nikko Thinks. Si Thinks.

Azalea was pulled away from her solitary thoughts, her ears pulling back against her skull and her head whipping around over her left shoulder to see who or what was approaching her so loudly. The movement was too fast, pulling the delicate scabs. She pinched her left eye shut against the needle sharp prick of pain as she moved to stand. "Hi! I'm Nikko!" The stranger would said boisterously and Azalea had to take a step back. She blinked at him with wide-doe eyes, the ones she had gotten from her mother. The male was slightly taller than her with a tawny coat of varying shades. He had some swirl type symbol on one shoulder and his eyes were two toned. The russet headed she-wolf smiled back at him, a bit put off by his overly excited greeting. She wasn't used to meeting strangers, adult strangers, who were so friendly. "Hello, I am Azalea." She let her ears move forward again. "Are you a pack wolf?" She asked, sniffing the air between them. He didn't smell like a pack, at least not one she knew of. "I am the Empress of Ethereal, one of the packs in this region."

The very opposite of observant, Nikko did not notice the way the pale female flinch. Or perhaps, some part of him noticed, but only the darkest part of himself took note of it, as Si spoke up, his low voice echoing inside Nikko's mind. She's injured. She'd be easy to take down, Nikko. Teumesios loved chaos, loved to fight and kill, destroy lives. The owner of the earthen-toned body repressed the urge to outwardly roll his eyes. How would that look to his new friend? Instead, his eyes still on the redheaded female, he decided to ignore the fox demon, sending another wide grin as the fae spoke, unperturbed by her shock. "Wow, Azalea is a weird name. Oh, but, er, it's pretty!" He chuckled a little sheepishly, hoping that she wouldn't take offense to Nikko calling her name 'weird.' "I think weird is awesome." He added with a decisive nod. Azalea continued her speech with a question, as well as giving her own title. The male shook his head. "Nope, all alone for now." He shrugged slightly, his words only slightly more curt than was usual. After all, in all technicality, it was a lie. He wasn't alone. Inside his mind, he was never allowed peace. Kit, how cruel. You should tell her about me. In fact, you should introduce us. Si's words were taunting, and he let out a low, amused chuckle. The male's right ear flicked, folding back against his skull, his brows creasing just the slightest to show a hint of worry before he quickly removed the emotion from his features. Again, he chose to ignore the fox demon, his mind squashing the beast down, blocking out the dark laughter. "I don't think I've heard about Ethereal. What's it like?" The boy spoke as if nothing had happened, as if some piece of him had not itched with the desire to hurt her. To be fair, though, Nikko didn't connect Teumesios to himself. Si was a demon, even if no one believed him. Acts. "Nikko Speaks." "Si Speaks." Nikko Thinks. Si Thinks.

"Wow, Azalea is a weird name. Oh, but, er, it's pretty!" Azalea gave him an odd look, not entirely how to take his words or the awkward chuckle that followed. "I think weird is awesome," He would follow up and this made Azalea feel a bit better. She shrugged though, letting go his dismay. "If I told you my mother was a skilled healer would that make it less 'weird.?'" She would ask. "Nope, all alone for now." He would remark to her question about a pack. She gave him a once over and nodded. There were many loners, at least she had known many over the years. "I don't think I've heard about Ethereal. What's it like?" Azalea had entirely missed the tick in his behavior, having glanced away for a moment, finding it rude to just stare. Azalea sat down again, smiling a bit now. "Ethereal is... a pack for skilled individuals who wish to rise above those who bring them down. Until recently I believed I could never become what, no, who I wanted to be and then it all opened up for me and I realized its been possible all along. We should all fight out demons, physical and mental, to become to best we can be." She spoke passionately, completely oblivious to the "demons" lurking in the unsuspecting male.

If she was at all upset, Nikko couldn't tell. Of course, he never had been very good at guessing others' feelings upon first meeting them. Either way, she certainly didn't sound upset when she responded. The male was, undoubtedly confused. But he refused to show it. After all, the way she spoke made it sound as if he should know why her mother being a healer would matter, or make the name Azalea any less weird. Unfortunately, Nikko had never bothered to learn the names of herbs or flowers, so her connection was lost on him. Still, he didn't want to appear stupid to someone he just met. "Uh... Yeah! Now it makes perfect sense!" The male even nodded his head enthusiastically, silently hoping that the redheaded she-wolf believed his words. Idiot of idiots. Again, Teumesios voiced his thoughts, his voice rumbling in the depths of Nikko's mind. Fuck off. He only barely suppressed the urge to growl aloud, but reminded himself that he was in the company of another, and most wolves did not growl at voices in their heads. Si was quiet for a while after that, through the entire speech of the Ethereal Empress. Nikko was thoroughly engrossed in her talk of her pack, and it showed clearly in the very way he stood. Russet ears pricked as far forward as they could go, jaw slack, hanging open about an inch as he listened. His entire body was leaning forward, as if her very words were sunlight and he was little more than a desperate, dying flower, reaching for life. In a sense, he was. She spoke of breaking past one's own limitations, of reaching the heights one never thought possible. Of eradicating demons. Was it possible? Slowly, Nikko closed his jaw, leaning back a bit. He could hear nothing but silence coming from his own personal demon, as if the fox was just waiting for the wolf to make a wrong move. Of course, even Nikko was smart enough to know that joining a pack would never be enough to rid himself of his demon. He doubted anything truly would kill Teumesios. He swallowed the lump that suddenly formed his throat, giving the pale-coated fae a forced grin. "Wow! That sounds so fucking cool! So, what was your dream? To be a leader?" His head cocked to the side, eyes watching the Empress. Si's continued silence was beginning to unnerve the male, but he refused to allow that to show, his eyes never leaving the red face before him. Acts. "Nikko Speaks." "Si Speaks." Nikko Thinks. Si Thinks.

"Uh... Yeah! Now it makes perfect sense!" Azalea completely missed the fact that he hesitated. She would grin winningly as he nodded along. She puffed out her chest a bit, having always been fond of her name. Azaleas were beautiful flowers but also toxic, she had to wonder if it was not fated that her mother should choose that name. After all, she could have just as easily been a "Lily" or, god forbid, "Daisy." His interest in her talk of Ethereal also made her happy, watching him closely and wondering if this vagabond would even turn pack wolf. It had to be her first thought right now, as long as she had a kingdom to build. When she finally finished speaking she wondered if she should put out a paw to push Nikko back into a firmly rooted position. "Wow! That sounds so fucking cool! So, what was your dream? To be a leader?" She smiled but had to shake her head against his words. "I've never really thought about it... I was born to royalty but had always preferred to be off doing other things. My status has changed a lot, hell I've even been enslaved before, but I wouldn't say that I've ever been so overly ambitious as to desire my current position. Life doesn't often go as we plan, so I suppose I have always lived day to day. Often my choices displeased my family, not that I care what they think anymore." In short, Azalea was tired of being someone's lap dog. "What about you, Nikko? What are your desires? Your dreams?" Now she was just curious, her body loosening up some as she relaxed a little. Speech,

The female, thankfully, believed his act. Nikko smiled cockily to himself, proud to have been so convincing. He'd often been called a terrible liar. Clearly, he was getting better. Aren't you supposed to be a hero? Teimesios snickered, amusement - and, strangely, disgust - coloring his words. What of it, stupid fox? The male was struggling to keep his emotions off his face, but he was careful to split his attention between Azalea and Si. Heroes don't lie. His deep baritone voice was taunting. But Nikko didn't have the time to respond, as Azalea soon required a response from him. Her question effected him instantly, though he tried not to show it on his face. Physically, he grew stiffer, and his eyes automatically looked away from her. He quickly put on an overly thoughtful face, hoping that it would appear to Azalea he was thinking about her question. Truthfully, he was thinking about it, just perhaps in a different manner than she may have thought. Nikko... Si's voice was again taunting. She wishes to meet me. Come now, we musn't disappoint. His words ended in a low, angry growl. Immediately, Nikko was able to feel the determined push as Si attempted to more firmly take control of the wolf's body. Nikko shut his eyes tightly, ears pinning back against his head. He would not let Si out. He knew exactly what the demon would attempt. His silvery blue eye opened to look at Azalea, before roughly shaking his head, attempting to shake the hold that Si was beginning to have. The male thought of the redhead, of what would surely, in his mind, happen. Si would kill her. He could feel the familiar blackness that he'd come to associate Si's consciousness with attempted to envelope his brain, block his sight, plug his ears. He let out a growl, too focused on keeping hold over his body to care if she heard, or if she saw his face pinched in effort. He was a hero, even if no one recognized it - even if there was nothing really there fighting to gain control of his body. Teumesios was as real to him as the sun, the wind, the grass under his paws. He'd known the voice in his head for as long as he could remember. Back off! This is my fucking body, fucking creep! I won't let you take it! The fox demon was surprised by the amount of force behind the words, the meaning behind them. His influence over Nikko's mind slipped, and the wolf was able to force the dark presence back enough to breathe. The fox settled quietly, though not for a lack of strength. He was curious. Nikko's mental power had gotten stronger. Nikko, meanwhile, took several deep breaths, his body instantly relaxing. He realized, after a moment, that Azalea had been witness to the events, though he doubted she knew exactly what she was witnessing. He took a breath and forced a smile on his muzzle. "I don't really desire anything." He spoke as if there hadn't been a lengthy pause, as though he hadn't just struggled to keep his own sanity. "I just... I want wars and shit like that to be over. Senseless killing, hatred everywhere... Revenge." He glanced away from her again, sadness coloring his eyes and tone at just the simple word. Revenge. Nikko let out an uncharacteristically heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping, as if he carried the weight of the world on his broad shoulders. Sometimes, he felt like he did. "And I have many demons, but I try not to focus on them too much." He allowed her a small, sad smile, before shaking his head, then his body, ridding himself of tension and sadness. He gave Azalea a brighter grin. "No more sad shit, though. Let's talk about something exciting!" His body stretched into a playful bow, tail wagging with such fury that his entire body wiggled like that of a pup. He wasn't exactly inviting the female to play, but he was eager to change the subject. He was a hero, and he would protect her, and everyone else he came in contact with, from the darkness that lurked in his mind. And then, he would protect everyone from the darkness that lurked in the shadows. A hero will lie to save someone. His thoughts were in response to Si's taunting statement. The fox gave no reply, but Nikko felt the black presence stir. Acts. "Nikko Speaks." "Si Speaks." Nikko Thinks. Si Thinks.

Nikko sat up straighter, his posture becoming rigid as his eyes glanced away. Azalea instantly grew a little uneasy but maintained herself perfectly aside from watching him a little more closely. He appeared to be thoughtful, after a while his eyes would lift to her own and flicker nervously away again. He shook his head violently, growling shortly after. Azalea had pulled her ears back now, sitting up straight. Her hackles were slowly becoming alert. Suddenly he seemed to snap out of it, smiling and speaking again. "I don't really desire anything." It was a rather blase answer after her own and given that little outbreak of whatever, he had to be pretty distracting to get her mind off that. "I just... I want wars and shit like that to be over. Senseless killing, hatred everywhere... Revenge." She narrowed her eyes at him, smirking a bit. There were certain things she lived for and without all the bad, she would lead a notably less exciting life. She didn't want all that to stop, she wanted it to continue on. Azalea was about ready to leave, to get away from his special brand of crazy, and then his shoulders slumped with a loud expression of breath and she found herself settling back in. "And I have many demons, but I try not to focus on them too much." He smiled at her in a depressed manner before play bowing and requesting a change of subject. Azalea stood up now, her eyes flitting over him. "You're pretty erratic, you know." It was a statement, spoken in a rather short tone that suggested something was seriously wrong with him. She took a step back, wanting to leave now, she didn't trust him not to get weird again.

Through his own mental battle, the earthen-toned brute had not paid much attention to the feelings or confusion that Azalea might be going through. He certainly had a pretty good idea - after all, even Nikko understood that it was unusual for anyone to go from happy, to growling, to happy in the matter of a single conversation. But as he watched her now, it was clear to him. Her voice struck his heart, which clenched painfully at the tone in her words. He watched her take a step back, and felt himself panicking, though this time, he paid extra attention to his face, keeping his facial features light, only the slightest squinting of his eyes. He cocked his head at the redheaded female. "Am I?" He let out a soft chuckle, letting his hind end lower to the ground so that he was now lying before the pale she-wolf. He wracked his brain for something to say, something to keep her from leaving him alone. Teumesios was silent, though Nikko was able to feel the fox's presence. If she left him, he would only have Si to talk to. But he wasn't a very intelligent creature, and convincing words often failed him. He tried to recall their conversation beforehand, remembering that she had spoken a lot about her pack. He felt hope rise in his chest as he looked at Azalea with a small grin, as if he hadn't realized that she wished to leave. "Hey, so, tell me more about... Er, what was it called? Ethereal? Yeah! Tell me more about Ethereal!" His voice came out in an excited rush, duo-toned eyes bright. If you won't allow me to eat her, at least let the poor girl leave. She's clearly terrified of you, Nikko. The demon's voice came out taunting, as usual. The wolf struggled to keep the sadness from his eyes, struggled to ignore the words that threatened to choke him. "It's your fault. Just... Just shut up and leave me alone." His words held no venom, lacked his usual cursing, harsh words. Aw, Nikko, are you sad? Are you lonely? A pause. Nikko refused to give his demon the satisfaction of an answer. Do you miss your parents, Kit? In his mind's eye, he could envision the red fox's lips curling into the cruel smirk that came with his words. Pain, guilt, and angry seized his heart momentarily, but the wolf forced himself to ignore it. Si was only trying to get a rise out of him. Nikko refused to give him that satisfaction, keeping his grin firmly in place as he watched Azalea. Acts. "Nikko Speaks." "Si Speaks." Nikko Thinks. Si Thinks.