OOC: This is for anyone interested in joining the Empire. Come talk to Mally!

With purpose Malleus padded into the heart of the Boneyard. His father's absence had given him a chance to prove himself. He intended to take what Amon had entrusted him with and give it back with interest; when the day came for Amon to reclaim his crown, the elder Abraxas would find the pack in better shape than he'd left it. His father's legacy wouldn't rust in his absence. No, Malleus had every intention of continuing the conquest. Malleus paused to take in his surroundings. The last time he'd been here was Ashiel's challenge. The place was unchanged; the ground littered with bones and bloodstains. It was a place that wasn't for the faint of heart and that was precisely why he'd chosen it. If the Abraxas were going to continue their conquest they needed to focus on one of two things: breeding an army or recruiting mortals. For the former it was probably better to let the individuals choose – and that took time. The latter simply required that he, as their leader, be proactive. Today marked the first of many such proactive days. If he could pad the ranks with worthy mortals he could advance the Abraxas agenda much faster. As an added bonus, perhaps his relatives would choose mates from among the accepted plebeians. Two birds, one stone. Letting out a long, low howl Malleus called to him those who sought to make a name for themselves. He specified the courageous and the honor-bound; those worthy of the attention of the gods.

He had crossed the land bridge for the first time, and now that he had left celestial in the dust he could go where he pleased. He had never really traveled much beyond pack lands, and he kicked himself for not having done it sooner. Auster was much different then the western lands of Boreas, way more interesting then the plains or the foggy old moor. No, here everything was open and full of things he'd never seen.

And the boneyard was one such place.

He had been to the battlefield before, but this place felt more...imposing. Like the spirits of those who had died her still roamed the earth, their bones left to crumble in the dust. He had stopped to investigate a bleached skeleton when a booming call drew his attention. Curious, he took just a moment to consider it...and it was only a moment that he needed to follow.

It didn't take long for him to find a large male, one the size of Celestial's alpha, except this guy was much more imposing. This guy looked like he ate other wolves for breakfast, and when the young boy gave a long look over, he noted that this man wasn't crippled like Regulus.

Crimson gaze sought the males own, a flash of curiosity within. "I gotta say, you look like one bad ass warrior or something. And you're not crippled." He half muttered the last part, though he didn't care much if this guy heard or not. He eyed the stranger, unsure on how to really...approach. let alone start a conversation. Even when he was in Celestial, he might as well have been a loner left to his own devices. Nobody there ever bothered to check on him or talk to him.

With the wind in his favor, Malleus smelled the yearling long before he saw him. He was excited about the prospect of recruiting a young mortal. Youthfulness meant malleability. If the individual was promising the Abraxas could mold him into a useful weapon. Under their tutelage he could reach his full potential. At first glance Malleus wasn't disappointed. The youth was large for a mortal; well built and seemingly sure of himself as he approached a much larger stranger with ease. That boded well. He couldn't help but smile at the youth's words. A bad ass warrior, eh? Flattery just might work in this boy's favor. He wasn't sure what the youth meant about being crippled, but he felt like the muttered words weren't really for him so for now he decided to ignore them. "And you," he rumbled, "look like a man fed up with mediocrity." The statement was vague enough to apply to any situation which was why Malleus had said it. If the youth was disgruntled or in the throes of teenage rebellion, perhaps his words would strike a cord. "Am I right in assuming that's why you answered my call? That you want to be a part of something greater than yourself?" He eyed the boy coldly, almost dismissively as a thought struck him, and said, "Don't disappoint me and tell me you were "just curious.""

Crimson gaze steadily watched the man before him, heart pounding with building excitement. Deep inside, he had always been hungry for something. What that hunger was he didn't know. He never got the chance to find out in the pack he left behind. Not for lack of trying, but the fact that the pack seemed to always make him chase things for nothing. He tried. And they had failed him. As the dark males words rang in his ears, he could feel the excitement growing more until he felt like he might burst. All Azazel wanted was the chance to grow beyond his limitations, to be better than the rest. But Celestial was not that. They were weak.

"Yes, I do. I am fed up with weak creatures. Fed up with those who think themselves better when they are nothing." He growled. His eyes never left the man he spoke to. He was hungry, and this male seemed to feed him. [b]"I won't lie, I was curious. And maybe my curiosity was well worth it. You look pretty strong. And I bet you're way stronger then the crippled old man that leads Celestial. They were weak, so I left. And now, here I am. Looking for something better. Wanting to be better." He tilted his head slightly to the side, "Have I found someone to help me do that?" He hoped so. He didn't want to be wrong. He didn't want to be disappointed. He didn't want this excitement and hope to die.

Although he hid it well, Malleus was intrigued by the boy's comment about Celestial's alpha being old and crippled. While had had no use for that information now, he'd certainly file it away in case it became useful one day. In response to the boy's question, Malleus nodded firmly. "The Abraxas Empire accepts nothing but the best from its people. We cull the weak from our ranks." He swept a critical eye over the yearling, clearly trying to suss out his worth. Casually he moved to stride around Azazel. "You might have come from a weak people, but you have potential. If you join the Empire, we will make you great." "My name is Malleus Abraxas. If you are prepared to dedicate your life to something greater, to become the best you can be, say the word and I will make it so." He would take the youth under his wing or pair him with a better teacher. Either way, if the youth worked hard, he would become something his old packmates would fear.

He was practically shaking with excitement barely contained. All he wanted growing up was the chance to prove he could be the best. And here it seemed that opportunity would fall in his lap. The Abraxas empire...he had never heard of them, if he was honest. But it was at a time like this he wished he had been born into their ranks. His own name, well...Agatsuma was nothing to be proud of. He soaked in the man's words like a sponge. The weak had no room in this world. And all he had seen so far were weak creatures. Celestial was weak. And if they were weak, then he guessed that everyone else was too (then again celestial and those who lived there were the only wolves he ever knew). But this Malleus guy, if he had to judge, did not seem that way at all. "My name is Azazel A--" His mouth clicked shut. Why in the hell would he say his surname? To be honest, it held no special meaning or significance to him. His mother abandoned him. His siblings abandoned him. His pack abandoned him. And he didn't know who his father was. In essence, he was just Azazel. "Just Azazel."

Crimson gaze watched Malleus as the he walked around him. And the boy stood tall for his inspection. Of course, he most likely wouldn't reach the dark males height, but he was still large for his age. "I want to be the best. I want to be strong. The weak have no place here." He said with absoluteness. Hell, if this man told him to kill someone, Azazel probably wouldn't even question it.

Malleus nodded in approval at Azazel's words. The weak were to be dealt with like cattle; subjugated and shepherded by their superiors. The Abraxas had been given that task when their God had been thrown from grace. A few select mortals could rise above the lowly status they were given at birth, but not many. It was too soon to tell if Azazel was one of them, but he was taking a step in the right direction. He studied Azazel again. His expression was thoughtful as he considered his next move. The yearling was hooked, that much was clear, but Malleus had to make sure that the Empire was getting a good deal. "You can be all those things if you come with me. I won't lie to you. This is not an easy path and it is not without risk. If you join the Empire you will receive the rank of commoner until you prove your worth to me." He fixed Azazel with a hard stare. "Do that and you will reap the rewards. Fail me..." Malleus shook his head pityingly. "Remember. The weak have no place here." If he failed Malleus may very well remove him from the mortal plane. Couldn't have a flunked out mortal wandering around with a head full of Abraxas secrets, now could he?