The grasses had been in the process of hibernating for awhile now, storing as much energy as they could in their roots and taking away resources from their blades. Still they weren’t dead, not yet anyway, other than in a linear stretch. This twenty foot long trail had been beaten down. The dirt was compacted hard and not a plant dared trespass. Upon this stretch of dead land a wolf paced. It was hard to pick out his form in the dark night. The moon was a thin sliver that gave little light to the land below it. Even the red and orange leaves appeared black tonight, so the wolves form was more heard than saw. His deep lungs took in great big breaths, his padfalls thudded against the ground, and every so often a growl would escape him. Phenex had been at it for over thirty minutes now. Just before then he had been thrust into the real world after a night-vision proved to be too turbulent and rejected him. Flamed had surrounded him, chased him, overcame him. It had consumed his flesh. The smell of burning hair still stuck in his nose. He had woken with a gasp, his lungs still smarting from the smoke. Then off to his usual pacing spot since getting here, a scant few days ago, back and fourth, over and over again. ”What do you want?” he muttered, teeth flashing as he snarled at imaginary figures. Phenex’s tail raised as he continued his stereotypic behavior, pacing over and over again, beating the ground with his paws, ”What do you want?!” They didn’t answer. They never did. Phenex could only imagine the Gods laughing at him in their realm. His hackles rose higher and another deep snarl pressed out of his jaws, taking offense at their jeering. He would continue to pace until the sky lightened, breaking his mind of its steel trap and clearing out his nose of burn.

She watched the scene unfold before her with curious gold eyes, taking in the sight of this familiar face. It had been some time since she'd seen him and yet there was no doubt who it was. All of her family was quite distinct in appearance. There was simply no mistaking them for anyone else. She was sure of who it was, but what she was not sure of was what he was doing. She watched the dark paws tread along a well-worn path, back and forth, back and forth. Soon Razi would come to the conclusion that this was a lucky man indeed. His odd behavior intrigued her. She couldn't say she thought that their other relatives would have the same reaction, however. When it seemed he was finished with his... Whatever that was, Razi let herself slip out of the undergrowth, slinking across the open space between herself and her sibling. "Hello, brother." she greeted, coming to stand close to the man. Studying him with a probing gaze and half raised brow, Razi mulled over what to say next and settled on a neutral, "How has time treated you while we've been apart? Have you met up with the others at all yet?" Walk, "Talk" Think

Eventually he slowed. The racing his heart mellowed out to a more normal pace and his harsh breaths evened out. He even allowed his brown maw to part and his tongue to lull out in a mild pant. His muscles were hot from the continuous movement but he took comfort in it. It wasn’t like the night sky was bestowing any warmth on the ground, so the hot muscles felt almost good. It was only after Phenex’s footfalls had come to a stop did he hear the rustle of leaves. His hackles rose again and a flash of pink and white could be seen as he turned to snarl — only to stop immediately as the form came into focus. It was only Razi, his same-age half-sister. He hadn’t seen her in - well, it had to be close to a year, by now. He was struck dumb at how beautiful she was, even more so than he remembered. Her orange markings striking against the cool background. They seemed to glow even on this dark, dim night. Phenex looked her over as much as she inspected him and he found himself pleased - she was as beautiful and graceful as a Demigod should be. She had a fluidly about her that his stocky, powerful frame would never have. ”Razi, dear sister,” he nodded in hello, his voice resonating deep in his chest. A flash of hot fear licked at him at her question - had she seen him? How much had she seen? Did she know the demons that haunted him? Phenex was no fool - he was to keep the Gods who tormented him at bay on his own. Should the family find out… he would surely be euthanized. ”I have only found Pyralis, far North from here. She was — well, it appeared she was playing on a frozen lake.” It was obvious from his tone that he was simultaneously disbelieving and unapproving. Demigods do not play. Their father had taught them all how to act, how to behave. Even if, for some, the burden of the family values weighed heavily upon their shoulders. They were expected to keep upright or never get up again. ”There are rumors that Amon has been busy,” Phenex started again, breaking his eyes away from her and looking at the dark sky, ”Do you know of his whereabouts? Of his plans?” Phenex would be there to help. This is what they do, what they’ve been trained to do. This is why they were created by their father; to continue the Holy line and conquer the mortal realm. Amon had spearheaded the efforts of the spawn and, if rumor was correct, had created more spawn to assist in their Holy Endeavors.

Regarding her sibling with interest, she further debated her next course of action. She could easily say something of the odd... behavior. Yet, it seemed a curious healers mind kept her from pressing the issue. Whatever made her brother act so odd, she'd prefer to observe lest she lose the opportunity to by accidentally alerting the others. Who knew, maybe she could stuff him with a concoction of herbs and see if it fixed him... Oh, the possibilities. A soft smile graced her lips at his greeting, hiding the inner bubbling thoughts that swirled through her mind. A lucky man, indeed. "I see," she cooed with surprise coloring her tone. Razi'd never been one for all that many playful antic herself. Especially once she found herself determined to master healing and learn all the herbs she could, there was no time to be bounding around like a fool. But then, Pyralis had quite the unique way about her... Leave it to her sister to be off doing something and turn it into leaping about on a frozen lake. Tilting her dark head to one side Razi contemplated further and determined there was likely some purpose to the behavior, but whatever it might have been was beyond her. But then, she'd never been accused of being all that much fun so naturally Razi couldn't understand. Of course there were rumors, word always did seem to travel fast, though she was always last to hear. She'd chalk that up to being too busy off in remote corners looking for herbs and those that knew them well to increase her knowledge. There was a price to pay for her determination, but, she'd gladly pay it even if it meant she was always behind on the latest gossip. "As it just so happens, I ran into Anamalech recently and she informed me that Amon and company are taking up residence on the southern continent of this land. Though others can be found here still, taking a look around, getting acquainted with the locals," she purred, with a dark gleam in her eye. Surely everyone was up to no good, something they were ironically quite good at. However, plans she was less sure of, admitting "I am afraid I don't know a great deal about what he has in store, though. I'm sure he will fill us stragglers in on any details." Glancing at the sturdy-built sibling of hers, she'd add as an afterthought, "Tell me, what have you been up to? Anything interesting going on in your life that I've missed since we last saw one another?" Walk, "Talk" Think

There was something about Razi that relaxed him. Her voice was a gentle breeze, soothing over the heat that threatened to suffocate his mind. It wasn’t a feather-light tone of a bitch in heat but a low thrum that he felt in his liver. The fur on his shoulders relaxed best they could at her words and he found himself leaning towards her. Phenex didn’t know Razi well, though they were the same age and came from the same father. Their father had kept the two bitches he impregnated separate from each other and so the pups rarely spent time with one another. Once they were weaned and their mothers killed the pups were introduced and yet still remained separate. When Father would train them he would keep them on opposite sides of the field, flitting from one group to the other. When it was time for the pups to spar against each other he would pit the two litters together, but their jaw strength during that time hadn’t been enough to cause any real damage. It was such a curious thing, to be so physically close to a half-sibling and yet so distant. They were not allowed to be curious about each other. Phenex would later suspect that the two litters were a test of some sort, each a safety net for the other. If one litter ended up being a dud then at least he had produced with a genetically different bitch that same season. Backups for backups. Razi confirmed what Pyralis had said - that Amon was within this southern land, getting the lay of the landscape and testing the locals. Phenex knew how charming Amon could be and wondered idly how his meeting with the established wolves were going. Phenex wouldn’t be surprised if Amon’s silver tongue and infectious conviction had already lead other wolves to their deaths. It was all a part of the process. If a wolf died at their paws it was because it was their destiny to do so. They had lived with the sole purpose to perish under the Abraxas legacy, even if they didn’t know or accept it. Phenex thought that it was too bad she did not already know of Amon’s plans but wasn't entirely surprised. Perhaps their older brother was keeping his plans intentionally close to his heart. Phenex knew Amon had plans, he had dreamed of them. The young male didn’t know the contents of the plans, only that Amon was weaving his web like a patient spider. ”I tried to stay around father for longer but he demanded I leave,” he stated, shrugging one shoulder. Father had always demanded his young leave, so this was not surprising. ”Father is growing old. He will not accomplished what he promised us. Amon, however…” Phenex had had dreams of Amon and their father. The patriarch of the family was slowly burning away, his body blackening and turning to ash. He was always consumed from the tail forward until only his gaping maw was left. From between the blackened teeth Amon would rise, made of the ashes that had once been their father. Born from the death of an immortal turned mortal, Amon held power that had not yet been realized. ”I hear you have taken to healing, sister,” he continued, turning the conversation towards her. ”This will be a boon in the upcoming war, will it not?”

Honestly, she'd never thought to be curious about her siblings. Call it her unwavering focus, but it had never occurred to her to turn away from her own goals and objectives to wonder about those surrounding her. Phenex was quite the mystery, between her never seeking answers and the separation between the litters. No wonder she hadn't any clue before today about this odd behavior of his. Grunting quietly to herself she made mental notes to learn at least a little something about each of these relatives of hers. It might help to actually be familiar with the different personalities should she ever have to tend to the wounds of these wolves, which she surely would. If nothing else she could be sure the Abraxas clan would get into nothing but trouble when it came to interacting with those round them. No surprise there, their father was quite the focused man. Make more gods to carry forward their mission, send them on their way, and start on the next batch. At least that was how Razi always saw it. Sure then man was efficient, and he'd succeeded in ensuring that there would be many in their line to carry on the legacy and push forward the mission of the Abraxas inherent in their blood, yet it seemed to fall short of her own expectations. "Of course he did," she chuckled, stepping closer to Phenex so she could whisper conspiratorially without fear of being overheard should there be prying eyes and listening ears she failed to notice in the bushes, "We all know that much, the man is too focused on one part of the objective, he fails to see the big picture, he does not play the long game as he should." words she wouldn't dare to speak in the man's presence. Razi was like the rest - she had a healthy dose of fear of their sire that had been cultivated since their first day in this world. Stepping away and taking a seat with her dark tail curled neatly around her paws Razi would nod with a bit of a proud smile. Her healing was a great source of pride. Every time she learned the use of a new herb she felt great accomplishment, a feeling she chased with everything she had. After all, the fighters were useless if there was no one capable of treating their wounds, so it was a useful skill. "I have, it is an art that that is well worth the time spent learning, pays for itself in it's usefulness." Grinning, she added, "Oh yes, the reckless warriors among us will need all the healers they can get with the way they act, war with mortals will only make healers among us all the more necessary." Walk, "Talk" Think

Phenex stilled as Razi stepped forward. Her breath was hot in his ears and he absorbed her words. Yes, Phenex found himself agreeing with her. Their father, while grand, had lost sight of the entire. He had gotten waylaid by tiny details, tangled in them. Phenex wasn’t sure he agreed that their life’s work was a game, per say, but he understood what she meant. Their journey to consume the mortal realm and use it as a stepping stone to higher places was massive, to be sure, but with so many Abraxas banding together they were sure to accomplish it. As Razi stepped away Phenex felt the cool air replace her. He shook his pelt minutely to set the hair back where it belonged and swung his head around to watch her sit. She was a brave one, to speak so brazenly of their father. Their father was a God banished from the heavens, and was righteously mad. He was a force to be reckoned with, even if he was wearing blinders. Reckless warriors - they were all a little reckless, Phenex thought, it was part of their makeup. Being demigods they were harder to kill, only a few of their vast numbers had fallen since their Father had begun his journey. This lent them bravery that they used to survive, a recklessness that Razi mentioned. ”The mortals will fall, cut down by our teeth,” Phenex asserted, flashing his own pearly whites in demonstration. He paused, considering his sister for a moment before asking, ”Healing is helping the body put itself back together. What have you learned of the opposite?” Did she know of herbs that would assist them in their goal? Plants that would destroy the body, break down cell walls and bleed them dry? Phenex was not so proud that he wouldn’t use methods other than his teeth to win. Anything that got their family to their destiny was worth it.

Razi eyed him for a moment with a serious side-long gaze. "Surely we will crush them like rubble beneath our paws, I have no doubt of this, though the hows and the when remain a bit hazy," she began carefully, voice so cool one might think it was a breath of winter passing through the summer heat, "Just... don't any of you fighters go and make my life unnecessarily more difficult." She'd leave it at that, still certain that there would be at least a handful of minor injuries - probably more than a few unnecessary ones - the healers among them would have to treat. Ah well, such was life when everyone around you is just a bit too quick to put caution to the wind. There were a few among them when they'd all been younger that were a bit brash in Razi's opinion. There was a great deal of value in having patience and strategy when one was pursuing lofty goals. Her attempted warning out of the way, the dark woman brightened a bit at his question. Oh, how she loved a good opportunity to discuss the things she worked so hard to learn about. "Where to start?" Breaking into the slightest sliver or a wicked smile, gold eyes aglow, she let her head tilt to the right a few degrees while she picked a few favorites to begin with. Her gaze was unfocused as she seemed to retreat to her mind slightly, speaking almost as if she were reciting something to herself, "Well, I can tell you about a few of the lovely poisons I've learned about. Let's see, there's Oleander, a lovely plant that grows delightful bright pink blooms, and will cause tremors, seizures, drowsiness and death if ingested. The sap alone can irritate the skin if it gets on you. An angel's trumpet while beautiful and blessed with such a nice name is likely to cause delirium and hallucinations before it kill you if you eat too much of that one. Castor beans are quite deadly though grown adults might have to ingest more than small or young wolves before it will kill them outright. You have to chew that one though, unbroken seeds are relatively safe to handle." Getting a bit more animated as she continued, it was clear the woman enjoyed sharing what she knew, "My favorite one, though has to be the Rosary Pea. It takes a very small amount of the poison, less than what is in one seed, to kill anyone foolish enough to eat it." Coming fully back to earth she focused back on Phenex, glad for the opportunity to actually speak about things she liked to talk about. Not everyone wanted to get into discussions about such things with her. There were only a few in the family that took to healing, and even then not all of them sat around with Razi chatting. Walk, "Talk" Think

The hows and when were hazy, Phenex agreed. His dreams had been dominated by little beyond their destiny but he had yet to unravel what the strange sights meant. Fire usually dominated them; sometimes it burned him to the core and other times he could walk right through it. Giant maws full to the brim of teeth gulped up worlds, the eyes set deep in the flesh-free skull burned as hot as the fires they set. Since arriving into the valley where Amon plotted their rule the dreams had become more frequent and far more realistic. Sometimes Phenex ached for days after particularly gruesome ones. Once he got her talking of her craft it was obvious to him that she was passionate in it. Only a few of the plants she listed he could picture - he was never much of a horticulturalist. He knew some berries and fruits and had learned a few edible roots but otherwise very little else. Phenex was smart enough to know not to ingest anything he wasn’t absolutely sure was safe. Now, Phenex realized as he listened to his sister, his caution was completely warranted. He had enough problems without ingesting something that could make them ten times worse. ”That is a long list,” he told her with a dip of his head, a sign of respect for her skill, ”One that I am sure is only a sample of what you know. How many of these plants can be stored and used at a later time?” Plants didn’t last all year, so being able to build up a stash of them to use at their discretion would be beneficial. Maybe they could make multiple caches of them throughout this land so that they would never be far, should the need arise.

The way she puffed up with pride under the attention was probably all the evidence one needed to see she was of Abraxas blood. There was a prideful streak that seemed to run through most of them. Not unexpected, it would be foolish to think growing up hearing tales of the grandeur of their bloodline would not make one have a bit more of an ego than those who weren't fortunate enough to grow up in such a family. She enjoyed the respect she received, one might even say craved it. To work hard and have her effort acknowledged was incredibly satisfying. Considering the question a moment, she let her mind whir back through previous discoveries and lessons, pondering how well things might keep. "Well," she began slowly, letting the word hang in the air a moment as she considered the possibilities. Wouldn't want to give a wrong answer here. "Oleander will kill you even if it's dried, so I suppose one could save some that way, though I wouldn't put it in your mouth even to carry it. An interesting puzzle, that'd be. The seeds would all keep as long as they remained somewhere dry I'd imagine. Though I certainly wouldn't want to be the poor soul who decided to test their potency after prolonged storage, lest they still work as well as normal." she chuckled at the thought of someone being stupid enough to test the potency of old poisons. Better safe than dead. "There are probably plenty more that would be easy to store, though I can't seem to bring them up off the top of my head. Ah well, something to think about I suppose." Dropping into a bow she let her front legs stretch, enjoying the feeling. Gold eyes fluttered closed, resting while she took a moment to consider what she would do after this little chat. There was a ways to go before reaching where Amon was, so she should probably go do a little exploring to see where the best areas to find useful herbs were. It would be good to prepared in case there were any droughts in Auster that killed the plant life there. Straightening, Razi looked back at Phenex. He was an interesting creature. Unique among their kin in ways that were both obvious and hard to put a paw on. He had power and presence, but in a way that was slightly different from the others. Perhaps he was more tempered in a way. He didn't openly radiate strength the way that Amon did. Probably a good thing in delicate situations. "Enough talk of my interests, tell me what it is you busy yourself with these days, brother." To learn of plants, and to learn of those around her were activities Razi greatly enjoyed. Gathering information, no matter the purpose, was highly satisfying. Walk, "Talk" Think