Vale had finally finished skinning the skull by dawn, but he wasn't going to let the light creeping through the cavern entrance keep him from getting his rest. The brute ended up sleeping there until late that next night, the moon his only light and guidance for the trip to come. He decided to eat off of their intruder before leaving, better than risking any further injury by going on a hunt. He decided to use skin a piece of the cougar's pelt to carry some of this meat and the skull for the trip to come. He could only afford to take two hefty chunks in order to carry the skull as well. Vale would just have to eat small meals, enough to keep him energized and to keep his injuries healing properly. The man looked for the herbs the healer had left with them, they seemed to be running low. Hopefully, that meant his infection would be gone soon. Vale managed to swallow the bitter plants with ease this time, using the meat as a way to mask the herbs' horrible taste. Brute packed the rest into his makeshift satchel and carefully set the skull on top of everything else. Thankfully he'd gotten a nice piece of the beast's pelt, it allowed for everything to fit without risking any damage to the skull. The young man picked up the pelt by the edges and made sure his grip was strong before setting off.

Thankfully, Elias had given him some idea as to where this mysterious burning mountain in the East, so he wouldn't be wandering aimlessly. He traveled through the swamplands without even considering to stop for any kind of breaks, he managed to make it through by dawn. The Rio Grande came into his sight next, so he decided to stop for water. Vale practically drowned himself in it, wanting to be sure he was completely hydrated before he had another incident like before. Once he'd had his fill, he'd move on, crossing the Rio Grande and finding himself in the Soulless Forest. He'd travel through the forest with ease, not feeling a need to rest until the very end of his trek through the forest. Travelers' Pitfall was in his sights, but he needed to rest. It was now night again and he could feel his energy slowly failing. He slept through the night and woke up about midday. He hadn't had much coverage, but luckily, no creatures or other wolves had tried to bother him. He would devour another piece of meat along with some of the herbs before setting off again. He was beginning to feel more like himself now, less tired and weak. The hike through Travellers' Pitfall was a breeze, considering he was well rested and fed. Ahead he could see this burning mountain Elias had spoken of. Something about the place called to Vale, he felt right being near it.

The hike up the mountain would be a difficult one, but he had taken his herbs and eaten, so bring it on. It was night time when he started up the mountain, and he managed to finish his trek by morning. The beast was definitely exhausted at this point, he set the pelt down and ate the last of the herbs and meat he had before laying down to rest. He could explore this place later when he'd had his rest. All in all, he made the trip in three days, so he hadn't taken too long. He would probably still have to wait for Elias another day or two depending on where he went to meet with his family. So Vale spent the next two days exploring the mountain, killing small prey that was stupid enough to wander up. He wasn't well fed, considering the prey was scarce here. It seemed no one dared disturb whatever lay on top of this mountain. On the last day that he lay in wait for Elias, he heard something strange in his sleep. Almost like something clambering up the mountain, but what was stupid enough to do such a thing?

His eyes opened to find a pair of jackals, who were obviously looking for trouble. He didn't feel too threatened by their approach, as they were quite smaller than him. The male standing at about 19 inches and the female standing at 16 inches. Compared to his own height, he figured they would be no match for him. Vale was on his feet within moments, ready to attack. His spine aligned with his skull and talons gripping the rocky terrain beneath him, he snarled at the two, daring they come for him. It seemed the two were fearless though as they accepted his challenge. The female going for his right side and the male going to the left. Vale managed to bat the female away, sending her flying a few feet away, but this left his left side wide open for the male to attack. His jaws closed around Vale's front ankle, or what he could manage to fit in his muzzle. Still, the sharp teeth could do some damage as they were considerably close to his achilles heel, that necessary tendon in the back of his front leg. Vale could feel his blood boiling, his mind daring to open up to his demons again. Their voices low, but still taunting him, "Kill them, tear them up. We need this, please us. Don't be weak." They seemed to repeat that last sentence as it was one that definitely triggered him.

Just as he was about to let them take over, it seemed the female jackal gave his demons the go ahead. He heard a bark escape her as she clamped down on his right side, using her paws to hold onto him. In doing so, the bite and added pressure to the area ripped his wounds from the cougar right open. The man let out a chuckle as the savage in him came out to play once more. Ignoring the amount of blood coming from this now severe wound, he went to his defense. The male jackals hold was loosening, as it seemed his jaws must have been growing tired. Vale used this as an opportunity to shake him off, yanking his leg from the creature's hold. Before he could move away though, Vale was on him like white on rice, slamming a massive paw on his throat. Vale could feel the creature's windpipe crush beneath his weight. A guttural sound escaped him, it sounded like a laugh combined with a growl. He continued to ignore the pain or blood loss from the female's hold, she would lose that with his movement. Vale took the male by his jugular, the smaller creature's neck was almost small enough to completely fit in those volatile jaws of his. He snapped the creature's neck with ease before dropping him to the earth like the scum he was for disturbing him.

He could feel the female losing her grip, probably too distracted by her now deceased partner. Surely her plan was to let go and run away as fast as she could. Too bad Vale wouldn't let that happen. He turned his head to the right side, waiting for her to drop to the earth. He wanted some kind of chase, the man had gone much too easily. She did just as he'd suspected, and Vale was right on her tail. His eyes wide with excitement and a mixture of hot blood and saliva dripped from his jaws as he flew after her. She was his now, she'd made a wrong move in attacking him, especially opening up old wounds like that. Vale tackled her, using his paws to take her down by her rear. He could hear her cry out under the weight of his front half, but it was too late to whine now. He was beginning to see black in the corners of his vision, he'd lost too much blood. However, he wasn't going to stop now. No, he got in close to her face and laughed before ramming his head into her maw, forcing her to expose her vitals. He wanted this one to have a bloody ending, as she'd done to him by clawing through old wounds. He closed his jaws around her jugular, letting his teeth meet beneath her windpipe. With a swift movement, he ripped the windpipe from her throat and spit it in the opposite direction. He grinned in her face as the life rushed out of her body. Vale grabbed a hold of the female by her tail and dragged her back towards his original resting spot, leaving a trail of her blood and his own as it continued to pour from him.

He struggled to keep himself steady by the time he'd made it back to his spot. He threw her lifeless body next to her partners and collapsed beside them. He was just about to calm the voices, but they seemed to quiet themselves as Vale began fading. His vision completely blurred, black consuming the edges, and he felt cold. The female's clawing must have made the gashes in his side much worse, leaving him to bleed out. Vale could only hope that Elias would show up soon to fix him. At least he managed to keep this place Elias wanted so badly safe, free of predators. His breathing became more shallow and he could feel his lids closing. He was so close to losing consciousness, but before he slipped, he called his friend once more. "Elias..."

"Talk."

Elias wasn't a healer, but he'd suffered enough injuries recently that he'd picked up on a few tricks that healers would use whenever they seemed to patch him up. Of all their tactics, administering cobwebs seemed to save his life more often than not. He was sure their other herbs had magic behind them that worked beneath his skin, but cobwebs immediately stopped bleeding and his side never seemed to be given a chance to heal since the attack with the cougar.

With his newly carved knife placed between his lips, he'd entered the Soulless Forest on his way back to Mount Volkan. As he walked through the forest, he stopped at every low hang branch and bush to collect whatever spiderwebs he could and wrap them around his left forelimb. He was extra careful with this leg, as he'd learn to be from harvesting his twine for trap making, and didn't allow himself to brush it against anything he didn't have to as he traversed through the forest.

It was a bizarre feeling, walking alone to the burning mountain when he knew that after tonight, his previously directionless life would be filled with something greater than himself. It would be filled with the faces of his family, of his friends, and of those loyal to Ruina- he knew this life.. and yet it had been a part of him so long ago that he almost didn't know how to face it.

He'd been alone for nearly three years just getting to know himself, train himself, and work on controlling the powerful demons that cursed his blood. He was no longer their victim, he no longer tried to push them from his life, he had learned to run with them. That was something he was only newly confident about when assessing himself, and something that Vale had helped him discover about himself.

He was already planning on collecting cobwebs for the oath he planned on having Vale recite to him, but during his trip, he managed to come across more webs than he originally thought he would. He tore each one down until he thought he'd have enough for perhaps four or five of these oaths, and then he kept moving.

Ash lightly dusted the air around him as the soil between Redbud Nook and Mount Volkan changed to charred lands. The smell of ash and sulfur already lingered in the air all the way out here, yet its scent was something that took Elias home. He started running now toward the mountain, following the blackest of brimstone on the volcanic plateau. The warm feeling of the earth beneath his toes felt natural and thrilling, he was moving faster and faster now with growing ambition refueling his tired body.

Vale's dark figure against the brimstone caught him off-guard, the ashen wolf stopping in his tracks so sharply the moment he saw it.. his entire body fell forward slightly. Powerful forelimbs quickly spread out to either side of him and stopped Elias from falling any further. He pushed against the earth and turned around, his red dot stare falling immediately on Vale. His world stopped for a moment and the demon within him began to stir.

His maw split open, thick teeth whipping ropes of suddenly exposed saliva out from their curves as a fiercely ringing, thick and growling scream as his talons scraped across the rock floor beneath him. When he drew nearer to Vale, he looked for any signs of breathing- almost certain the man was already dead. The jackals beside him were looked upon with deeply seeded hate as he neared them and picked up one of the already mutilated bodies- a female missing a windpipe. He didn't doubt that Vale had gotten even, but if they had managed to take him down due to his already existing injuries- Elias wasn't sure if there was any coming back from the kind of anger he was experiencing right now.

Why hadn't he come back just a day sooner, or perhaps why didn't he ask Vale to come with him? Where the fuck was fate, and that feeling they had just a few days ago.. like everything was lining up? The man contained his growling but stood over the still body of Vale and swallowed hard. He had to focus so he could hear if his friend was breathing or not. He had to focus. The sound of his tongue audibly rolling behind his teeth as he sucked in the air and tried to keep his lips from quivering, from another growl ripping out of him. He focused on breathing for a moment before he lowered his skull to Vale's, ear hovering just in front of his nose.

A second went by and Elias could feel his soul sinking, his demons whispering... and then, Vale took a breath.

Elias lifted his skull immediately, not even really thinking about how many could hear this call- and what it might mean for him. They needed a healer, and he knew Zuriel and Daelos must be close. If not them, someone had to be in these mountains that could help. From the pits of his longs, he bellowed out a growling howl that spoke of urgency- of life, of death and of absolute rage.

OOC

tl;dr - Vale was already pretty injured from a cougar fight, but he was told to go to Mount Volkan and wait for Elias with a ram skull he was told to keep safe. He was almost in good health when he got into another fight with jackals, and now he has lost way too much blood and is fading out of life.

Elias found him and is immediately enraged, letting out a scream almost anyone around the mountains would be able to hear. He checks for signs of life and discovers that Vale is still breathing. He let out a howl, asking for anyone nearby to come.

So, this isn't a typical 'laid claim' thread but we didn't really get the pack in a typical way, either!

Zuriel and/or Daelos are expected to be in the area, and after they show up the main focus of this thread will be healing Vale. It's going to be pretty dramatic, there's going to be a rushed blood oath taking place, etc.

Go ahead and respond to this round with characters that you want to witness these events and potentially join Ruina, however the next few rounds after will be between only a few main characters as everyone else watches.

I will have another ooc note allowing everyone to know when to post again. I hope you guys like reading. <3

Zuriel carried the corners of a rough piece of deer skin between her teeth with some of her favorite and most used herbs stored inside. She and Daelos had taken turns carrying the bundle this far so that when they got to their new home they couldn't have to completely start from scratch with their collection of herbs. Elias had gone on ahead to get ready and Zuriel hadn't planned on rushing to get there, but a mix of excitement to get there and a nervousness about traveling alone pushed her on. She let Daelos set the pace and they would rest whenever she got tired. In all honestly Zuriel grew tired more quickly than Daelos did simply out of the fact that she was much younger, but Zuriel didn't let herself slow down. There would be plenty of time to rest when they got there, or at least she hoped so. The journey wasn't too rough, only long. It was interesting to see the landscape change as they got closer and closer to the volcano. She had only been there a couple of times before and even then it had only been to skirt around the edge in the outlying forests. Traveling through the range and the orchard had been easy. They decided to avoid the soulless forest altogether and instead edged around it to pass along the rio grande, past the traveler's pitfall, and through the redbud nook. These were all areas that Zuriel felt comfortable with and it made the trip much easier and faster. They finally got the point where the trees of the nook gave way to the rocky terrain of the volcano and Zuriel paused, placing the bundle of herbs on the ground for a moment. She looked to her daughter to ask if she wanted to rest here before they climbed up to find Elias, but the words died in her throat. A howl ripped through the air and sent a cold chill across her skin. Her head snapped in the direction of the sound and a heart beat later she realized that it was Elias. "Take the herbs, meet me up there as soon as you can," she said in a rush before she took off up the mountain with her heart pounding and her blood rushing in her ears. The tone of his howl sent worry and fear through her. The scent of blood hit her first, cutting through the smell of smoke and sulfur and leading her straight to the source. She relief she felt when she saw Elias standing there in tact and unharmed nearly knocked the breath out of her lungs, but that was short lived when she saw the man lying on the ground at Elias' feet. She had no idea who this man was, but that didn't matter. From the sound of Elias' howl it was clear that this man was important and that's all she needed to know. She skidded to a halt next to Elias, her eyes darting over the man's bloody form while she panted hard to recover from her sprint up the mountain. For a moment she thought there was no possible way he was still alive, but she went around to stand at the man's back and bent her neck down, pressing her cheek to the barrel of his chest right behind his foreleg even though she knew his blood would stain her cheek in the process. She sucked in a breath for a moment even though her lungs were burning so she could listen for his heartbeat. She could see the blood still flowing from his wound and she could hear a heartbeat. They were faint, but there. She lifted her head and frantically looked for her daughter, spotting her and calling out, "Daelos hurry! I need your help!" She looked back to Elias and happened to spot the large bundle of cobwebs wrapped around Elias' leg. She didn't know why he had collected them or how he even knew to do so, but she was thrilled to have them in this moment. "Quick, lets get that web on these wounds. We've got to stop this bleeding." It was an obvious statement, but in a way she felt like she needed to pull Elias in and get him to focus on the task at hand if he was going to be any help at all. She methodically began to pull apart pieces of the web and pack them into the wounds. She felt Daelos' presence next to her and she glanced back at her daughter, seeing her begin to pull herbs from the bundle they had brought. Zuriel had already fallen into that focused calm that seemed to always settle over her as she worked on a patient, but having her daughter there to assist her only eased her worries more. "We're gonna save him," she said, glancing up at Elias for a brief second before she took more web from his leg and got back to work. "Talk" "You" Think

Here's the thing-- he's not actually doing anything. Dimitri has gotten very good at the 'not dead, just floating' aesthetic. Tracking on a land that you didn't know well? That was a death sentence. The illusionist would learn every inch of the land beneath his feet, he would be able to track any beast who had ever walked it by scent. He would find everything with his own eyes, hos own nose. The wolfhound was going to do what he did best-- hunt. Before he could hunt, he would have to learn.

It was a call from the only other living soul that had made contact on these lands. The only living soul that was worth anything, as far as Dimitri could tell. The call that split the night, that drove his blood cold to the bone. His breath caught in his chest-- something was different. It was a life and death scream. The hair on the back of Dimitri's neck stood up, pulse beginning to pound. Something was... off. Elias was shrieking, and something had to be wrong.

Like a shot, the illusionist begins to run. He's thankful for the shape he's in-- a finely tuned machine, a monster at that. The mountain would not trouble him, as if he's been doing this all his life. Maybe that part is true. No mountain would send him back. Too much practice. Dimitri tackles it with reckless abandon, the demons bright and alive in his toxic green eyes. It's brilliant, and he's brilliant. There's something... alive. It's alive in his chest and in his heart, and that might not be right. Like a moth to flame, he's drawn to Elias's call.

He is not the first. Though fast, he can see two women already gathered around a fallen man. The scent of blood was strong in the area. Dimitri's mind was on like a switch, careful and practiced. Methodical, though more manic than the serene calm that read on the face of the strange woman. Elias, he too hung close by. He was the one that had shouted, after all. Dimitri's eyes seek those of the behemoth, one firm nod. The bodies of two mountain lions lay strewn about... more blood. Blood would draw more predators. "I'll keep watch. No further harm will come." His words are careful, stern. The women would do their job, and he would do his.

Miach was close behind his mother and sister, excited for the new pack's creation. He was ready to learn their culture, his family's history. The trip took a little longer than he'd expected, but Miach appreciated the scenery. He'd almost made it to the burning mountain when his father's call rang out. Something was wrong, this was no ordinary howl, it sounded pained. He couldn't see his mother or sister, but he knew they had to have made it. Perhaps something happened to one of them? Massive paws pushed off of the rocky terrain, as his long legs helped him get up the mountain faster. All he could see so far was a dog who seemed to be standing guard. He rushed up to the man who was shorter than himself and emitted a low growl. "Where's my family, are they okay? What did you do?" He wasn't trying to be a dick, he just needed to know where his family was. Miach managed to get an idea of what was going on by peering past the male. His family was surrounding a lifeless figure on the ground, his mother and sister obviously at work. So it wasn't any of them that were hurt, but what was this other figure's significance? Why had his father sounded so hurt when he called? He would move past the male to get a better look. He wasn't sure what to do, considering he had no talents that might be of use at this moment. He watched though as his mother carefully worked with the cobwebs to stop this man's bleeding. Titan wasn't sure if he should make his presence known or not, as his father seemed to be in a sort of shock. So, Miach sat back and watched it all unfold in front of him, feeling useless, as he didn't know how else to help his father's friend. Walk, "Talk" Think

Her mother never seemed to admit that she was tired, but Daelos could tell. Even when she really didn't feel like she needed to stop she would pretend so that she could get her mother to take a break as well. It wasn't a difficult journey by any means, but she also didn't want them to be exhausted by the time they got there. They passed the herbs back and forth so neither of them had to carry them the whole way and Daelos was happy with that. She was glad that she didn't have to walk there alone... It kept her from second guessing her decision and turning back around. Part of her wished that Miach and Kane had stayed with them for the trip too, but she understood them wanting to do their own thing. When they got closer Daelos was relieved since it meant they would be able to get settled in and she could start finding the best places near by to hunt for herbs to start rebuilding her collection. Her thoughts and plans were cut off by Elias' howl and she immediately looked to her mother worriedly. All she could do was nod to Zuriel's directions and watch her mother run off up the mountain. She quickly picked up the corners of the deer skin they had been using to carry the herbs in and started up the mountain as well. She was already running up the rocks faster than was probably safe, but her mother's urging pushed her on faster till she came to a skidding hault just behind Zuriel. It wasn't hard to see that the situation for this stranger was dire. She looked around for a brief moment and saw the corpses of the jackles around and put two and two together. She didn't know who this man was, but it seemed pretty important to Elias. Zuriel was already hard at work so Daelos began to do the same. She sat down the herbs and starting carefully pawing through them to separate them back out again. The ones that she knew they would need got put in a separate group along the edge of the small piece of deer skin. Dandelion root, horsetail, marshmallow, a bit of willow bark... She considered the small bit of wintergreen that she had and ended up leaving it off to the side so her mother could give her a second opinion on that one. She wasn't sure if they would still need the yarrow by the time her mother was done with the cobwebs, but she kept it handy just in case. "Talk" "You" Think

Ace had been nearby, waiting for the day that Elias would raise Ruina's flag. Today would be that day, it seemed. A hidden feeling of excitement that had once lay dormant began to rise, urging the titan forward. Step by step, he made his way to the mountain of fire, climbing the slopes with ease. The place smelled of fire and ash, and he wondered when was the last time it had erupted? Would Ruina be safe from the flames for as long as they stood? The thought of his comrades being eaten by fire sent a shiver down his spine, but he had faith in their beliefs that they would be fine. At last, the man made it to the top. And the excitement he held onto soon faded when he noticed the commotion. A dog seemed to be keeping an eye out on things, and behind him were Elias and a few others. Blood tinged the air, and Ace realized someone was injured. He was no healer, far from it in fact. So when he made his way to approach, he decided against it. There were a couple healers already, and there was nothing Ace would be able to do for the fallen male. What had happened to him? Crimson gaze looked on in silence, and finally decided he would keep his distance. Nobody would be dumb enough to attack a group of wolves, of that he was sure. But still, he would stand near the dog and keep watch over their surroundings, gaze occasionally finding the dying male. "Speak"

Vale began to stir as the voices around him got louder, at first he thought it was the demons in his mind, forcing him awake. The first figure that he caught a glimpse of was Elias, and the man forced a chuckle. "Its a wonder we keep finding ourselves in situations like these, isn't it, brother." He had never called Elias that before, but since their talk, it felt appropriate. Beast craned his neck to see a woman beside him, working away with the cobwebs. Surely, she knew what she was doing and the bleeding would stop soon but that didn't mean he wasn't still woozy now. Gaze drifted to see three more figures in the distance, seemingly guarding their little fortress, and then another female assisting the one with the cobwebs. So this was Elias' family? Vale smirked as he looked them all over again.

Vale winced as he attempted to straighten himself up a bit. He didn't want to look like some dead thing that these wolves were just picking at. It took some effort, but he managed to bring himself up, his hind legs now pulled under him instead of sprawled out. "Sorry.", he managed to the women assisting him. He wasn't trying to mess them up, the man wasn't quite ready to die. He looked over at the remains of the jackals and a grin spread across his maw. "Oh yeah, those two were waiting here to take this land before we could. I left them there for you. The skull is a little way that way," he struggled to nod in the direction of their project.

Vale tried to keep himself quiet from this point on, every time he opened his mouth, the pain seemed a little more obvious to him. Again, he let his injuries go too far, he could hear the voices stirring up in his mind, but the brute snapped to Elias immediately. His vision was blurry, but he was sure to find his friend's gaze and lock eyes with him. He wasn't going to let his demons control him, especially not now in front of Elias' family. He would hate to see Elias have to choose should something get violent. Lips pulled back as the woman working on him touched a tender area, revealing those yellowed fangs of his. The man was sure to relax his face quickly, he didn't want Elias to think there was any threat.

"Talk."

The intensity in his eyes did not seem to be fading away as Zuriel neared him, though as his ruby stare found her own they looked at her with an unspoken plea. Their eyes didn't linger on each other for long, she started to get to work and he lifted his left forepaw to expose the cobwebs he had collected for what was supposed to be ceremonial rituals. His world was spinning, but he wasn't losing himself just yet, he was far too concerned for Vale to lose focus.

He wondered where the rest of their children were now that Zuriel was here, and for a moment he wondered if she had traveled the whole way alone. That was another concern weighing in on his mind, but then Zuriel called for Daelos and Elias snapped to look in the direction of their daughter. Daelos seemed to be moving with haste, and Miach didn't seem to be too far behind her. Zuriel then looked at Elias again and reassured him that they were going to save him. If anyone could, he was confident in Zuriel.

The words of the wolfhound broke his attention, his neck twisting suddenly so he could watch the man as he stood a few yards away near the bodies of the jackals. He seemed to be standing guard, and Elias gave him a firm nod of appreciation before looking back to Vale. Vale had started to speak, and Elias' impish ears stood as tall as they could, not wavering or moving at all as they honed in on the stressed sound of Vale's voice.

The relief that washed over him was enough to bring a brief smile across Elias' lips, something that confused even him. Brother. Yes, they were- not by birth but soon by blood. His eyes scanned the ground between everyone as he searched for the dagger he had dropped in his initial rush to get to Vale's side, and then he noticed the tall beacon of white that silently graced them with his presence. Elias just stared at his brother for a moment, warmth overcoming him as he found comfort in the sight of his brother's arrival. He was too busy to stop and talk, but confidence was returning to him as the reliable Judge of Ruina was now set in stone once again.

He found the knife near Ace's feet and plucked it up quickly, then turned back around and brought himself up close to Vale. Vale was babbling about the jackals and the skull, and Elias looked at them briefly. He was beginning to feel more hopeful that Vale would pull through, but then the grimace that overcame his features just before Vale caught himself and tried to hide it made him concerned all over again. He rushed over to the skull and kicked it toward Vale, nearly skidding as he rushed back to Zuriel's side and finally anchored his weight down in a sit. Quickly, he brought up his left forelimb to the blade held tight in his teeth and made an incision along the veins below his ankle and above his toes. Blood droplets seemed to flirt with the idea of exposing themselves, but it wasn't until he lowered his paw into the bowl of the ram's skull and applied pressure did it really start to trickle. He then dropped the knife in between Vale's forelimbs and nosed it closer to the man's mouth.

"Vale, I want you to be the first soul brought into our family on this day of Ruina's rising." He spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, but his stern tone was meant only to hold Vale's attention. "Since they day I met you, you have inspired me. You will run with me eternally from this day forward, bound to myself and to Ruina by blood- not just in this life, but in every life under the strength of our demons. Pick up the blade, make your mark, and join me." His paw pressed into the bone of the skull a little harder as he pushed it closer to Vale's paws, making it easier for him to reach as the thick of his blood started to coat the bowl like the consistency of milk. Would Vale stay conscious long enough to complete it, the concern on Elias' face was quite easy to read as he was far too focused to hide it.

OOC

Going to do a couple posts with just Vale and Zuriel while we finish the oath. ♥

The bleeding was beginning to slow as she worked. She could see the clotting beginning to form with the aid of the cobwebs, but she wasn't entirely confident he was in the clear yet until his voice pulled her gaze away from his wounds for a moment. The relief on Elias' face was more than obvious and that was more than enough for her. She sighed quietly with relief as she looked back down at the man's wounds and smoothed the cobwebs over the edges. It was good enough for her to start pulling out some of the other herbs for the time being and she turned away for a moment to see Daelos' handiwork. She wished that they had their full stock of herbs at her disposal, but that just wasn't the case. She took the dandelion root and marshmallow that her daughter had separated out and began to chew them so that she could apply them to the wounds before she sealed them up. Placing the mixture back onto the piece of leather for the time being she turned back to look at the man, seeing that he had attempted to move and had managed to settle with his legs under him. She frowned and the only thing keeping her from reprimanding him and telling him to lay back down was his forced apology and the fact that Elias was hurrying toward him holding something. She ignored them for a moment while she checked the bite wounds to make sure nothing had come loose in his move. Luckily the cobwebs were quite sticky when wet so she only had to press one part near the edge back into place. Her ear flicked toward Elias' voice when he spoke and she glanced toward him out of the corner of her eye - her head snapping up when she realized he was bleeding from one of his forelegs. She had been so focused on her task that she had missed much of the activity leading up to this moment. Her ears flicked back and she had to force herself not to intervene once again. She felt a bit like a mother telling children to be careful and not hurt themselves during a rough game. It was obvious from Elias' words that it was much more than that, which was why she remained quiet, but part of her wanted to insist that making this man bleed any more than he already had was a terrible idea. She frowned and turned back to her herbs, taking a few of the wintergreen leaves from the pile and moved to stand next to the injured man's head for a moment. She sat the potent leaves to the side for a moment, instead reaching toward Elias to take a bit of the now largely depleted ball of cobwebs he had gathered between her teeth. She reclined back onto her haunches a couple of feet away, watching and waiting for them to finish so she could quickly patch up this new cut so the blood loss could be as minimal as possible. Her mind running too quickly to fully understand what was happening in this moment. She would have to process all of that later. For now she was only focused on her task as a healer. "Talk" "You" Think

Elias watched the man smile, and he couldn't help but return the expression. He really was glad to see Elias after laying in wait all that time. As the woman adjusted her handiwork, he managed to tolerate it, the pain not nearly as bad as it had been. Focusing on Elias' ruby gaze helped to keep the demons at bay. He knew he needed to be in total control for now. Elias had done nothing to protect the foolish beast from harm that he managed to bring upon himself. The least he could do was keep his shit together, especially considering this could very well be his last moments in this life.

Bright yellow orbs followed Elias as he moved to retrieve the skull they managed to obtain together. Crude brute couldn't help but smirk when admiring his handiwork up close and personal. He listened very carefully to Elias as he spoke, not able to look directly into his face, all he could focus on was the blood pooling up inside the skull. So Elias wanted Vale to become a part of his family, and this was the way to do it? Hell, the male didn't hesitate, not once considering the fact that he'd already lost so much blood. He reached for the sacrificial blade, taking a moment to admire Elias' own handiwork, before slicing into his forepaw. He pressed his own paw in the bowl with Elias' and locked eyes with him. He'd made his mark, now he felt it was necessary to confirm this oath aloud. "I will run with you eternally from this day forward, bound to you and to Ruina by blood- not just in this life, but in every life under the strength of our demons. I've made my mark, and I'm ready to join you and become apart of Ruina."

A grin crossed his maw as he felt his lids grew heavier. It was then that he took into consideration the serious blood loss and how this new injury might add to that. Vale wasn't ready for this bonding moment to be over just yet, but he felt it was necessary for him to stay alive and run with Elias for at least a while longer. Something was very different though, it wasn't just the wooziness, he felt truly connected to Elias. They had been through so much in the short time they'd spent together, and Vale had a strong feeling there was much more in store for the pair. Finally, he pulled his paw from the skull and pulled back to his side, allowing the healer plenty of room to do her work. In the meantime, "So, what part of your family is she?" He assumed the younger ones were his children, but this female seemed older. There was something about the way she looked at his friend. Something was going on between the two of them, and one way or another Elias was going to spill it to him. He didn't take Elias for the charming type, so he wanted all the gory details.

"Talk."

Zuriel came to grab the cobwebs at around his forelimb and for a moment, Elias froze. He watched her carefully, his red stare falling on her dual-tone blues before she pulled herself away and waited beside Vale. Elias could tell that she wasn't happy about what he was doing with her patient, but it was something he was going to have to put in the jaws of fate and in his faith in Zuriel as a healer. He closed his eyes for a moment as he refocused, thinking over his commitment to this ritual.

He had to. He didn't need to convince Vale anymore either, it seemed. The extra weight in the skull beside his paw made his attention lock on his friend once again. So he had done it? Elias was in the midst of feeling unsorted about that when Vale started to speak, his words luring the attentive posture of his ears as he flicked them to listen in. Vale's voice hit Elias on multiple tones and frequencies- as the sentiment spoke to not only him but to his demons and to the blood that came before him. He felt his words at the core of his being, though his eyes widened as he witnessed Vale pull his paw back out. "Welcome, brother, to my family- to Ruina. You now reside within our ranks under the responsibilities of Dommiel. You have already proved yourself a capable warrior to me three times now, please continue to train your body and hone your combatant skills. I want to see what you are truly made of, Vale. I'm sure you do too." He slanted his eyes some, musing a smirk on his lips.

Elias moved the skull away from the two of them and brought his own two front paws together as he sat, applying pressure to the wound just above his toe to keep it from bleeding. It was hardly bad at all, he told himself- though it had been enough to completely coat his toes and that skull. Vale seemed to be much better now that the cobwebs were mostly covering his wounds, and Elias was caught in the act of admiring Zuriel's work when Vale asked her about her role in the family.

The look on Elias' face couldn't have been more genuine as he furrowed the lighter dots of his 'brows and then pulled his head back slightly, "She is my mate and the mother of my children." Was that not obvious? He grinned in a teasing manner, his yellow-stained set of thick teeth tightly interlocked and on display as his inky lips curved toward his judging eyes. He thought it was obvious, but if Vale needed it spelled out for him he delivered his answer with no room for uncertainty. There might have been a time when Elias had a little confusion on how to describe Zuriel's relationship to him, but that was no more. Elias knew now with every ounce of his heart what she was to him and everything that she meant. Perhaps, to him, that is why it was so painstakingly obvious that they belonged to one another. He thought about this and as he did, the masks on his face seemed to quite noticeably change. His teasing grin melted into a neutral stare with distant eyes, he seemed off but he would have to pay attention to that after he took care of everything.

Dimitri.

Zuriel and Vale would likely be busy for awhile, and Elias himself couldn't stray too far just in case she needed his cobwebs, plus he was sort of bleeding everywhere but that wasn't the point. The point was! He had things to do, and people to greet. His eyes found his children first, and although there was so much he wanted to say to them he knew that he wanted to spend the majority of his time talking to them, so, for now, he skipped over them and looked to the borzoi man standing guard. He lifted his head naturally, without even thinking as he approached him in a regal yet respectful stance with his ears nice and tall, making for a beautifully unmarred silver crown. Blood stuck to the stone beneath him as he waltzed across it to get to Dimitri, each step of his left paw leaving behind a red painted print. His tail flagged and he finally lowered his head when he neared him at three feet. His chin tucked downward as he spoke to him, neck craning then to make their heads level. The titan matched him at eye level and crept in chillingly close, his ruby eyes wide and fully reading what was before them.

"Dimitri, you came." He grinned only very briefly before his lips sealed themselves shut once again. He thought, carefully, and then continued, "I appreciate you keeping watch- your bones are different, they are unique. I want you to bring your skills, wolf hound, into Ruina but I need to make sure you actually have them first." Despite the gentle tone of his voice, he was serious. "I will need to go through a lot with you. For now, you have a place within these mountains if you wish, as a Purgatorian of Ruina. You are my guest, but do not linger." He wanted to be clear, whether or not he actually believed Dimitri would. "If you want to stay permanently, know that it is just that- permanent, but once committed, Ruina will never let you down. We are fierce, and I will ensure that everyone is focused- and we will grow.. quickly. Seek me out tomorrow and I will tell you what must be done, but make sure you can handle stuff like this." He nodded his head back toward Vale, referring to what had been occurring when the young man arrived.

He watched Dimitri for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied- but just like the first time they'd encountered one another, he liked what he saw. It was different, he was different- than his father. His muzzle lowered just slightly as he gave him a dismissive nod. His shoulders rolled just briefly before he lifted himself and turned away, moving immediately in the direction of his brother.

Acere.

Acere's mirroring red stare was caught as Elias hunted for them with his own, the darker in tone also the lighter in build of the two. Elias let his athletic body nearly drift as his paws quickly devoured the distance between them within mere seconds, his toes gripping the stone, soil, and ash beneath them as he halted with near pinpoint precision right next to Ace, hip to hip and shoulder to shoulder. His tail had an instinctual sort of reaction to the nearness of his brother, thrashing with only mild objection from Elias as he tried to keep it from swaying, resulting in just the end of the broom of his tail adamantly sweeping while the rest held stiff. His hackles began lighting flames above his shoulders with how they raised, though this was likely due to his own awareness that Acere was slightly taller than him and it made him perhaps feel a slight need to overcompensate with the height of his fur.

Elias forced himself close to Acere, his right side of his neck leaning into the left side of Ace's as he sought him out so that he could whisper while looking into his eyes. "I heard our father yesterday. It was in the forest to the south, I want to tell you about it. Trust me, brother. This was meant to happen, and I am so glad you are here. I cleared a den up in the mountains, you can stay there for the night if you like--" as much as he wanted to offer a warm place to sleep to his brother, he had a lot of plans for Zuriel tonight. He froze for a moment, then flashed a glance over in her direction before continuing his speech. "Well, I'll be there but I will be with her, so I advise clearing your own den near by. You are staying, aren't you?" He already had his hopes beyond the point of no return that Ace had no doubts in his mind about the rise of their kingdom done right after all these years, but he still looked with a stare that seemed expectant of an answer. He would respect his brother's wishes if he wanted nothing to do with Ruina, after everything that they had been through, but still.. he hoped that maybe the old ways, the ways of their father, would call him back to his roots.

Ace hadn't been born of the previous Demon Mother, Elias' mother, and at times the Mother had outcasted him unintentionally due to her own uncontrollable jealousy, but it was actually Spirit that taught them most of what they needed to know. Ace's mother never had eyes on motherhood and breeding, but she was a skilled combatant and taught the boys alongside their father everything they needed to know about fighting and defending themselves. Ace was riddled with scars, many of them holding matching ones on Elias' own form just from how much shit they got in together as children. They were bothers, Elias always knew it- no one had to tell him. They were born on the same day, taught their lessons right beside each other and never left each other's side. When they were kids, they held a bond so strong it seemed they always knew what the other was thinking. This was something strong among all the Praetor siblings, but here Ace was after all that time- the only one of them still in his company. Would he stay? Elias hoped so. Looking at Ace was like looking at everything that Ruina was meant to be. Looking at Ace was like looking at himself, at their father, at the Apollyon, at their origins, everything. He needed him, so without allowing him to answer the man left- deciding he wasn't ready to hear it.

Miach and Daelos.

Leanly muscled limbs carried the stone titan over to his son and daughter, his wide stride conquering the space between them with equal haste to that that he showed his brother. They were both grown adults and yet they still held so much innocence to them both that he felt compelled to treat them almost as though they were still children. In his eyes, they weren't far off. They had so much training to do that Elias wasn't sure where to even begin. Daelos needed to be preened for Dagon, though she already held more than enough promise for the healing duties of that role. The only thing left to work on was her self-defense and hunting skills.

Miach was taller than Daelos by far, holding so much promise in his skeleton- but Kane was even taller and stockier and yet Elias still managed to swiftly take him down. They were around the same age as Vale, and it seemed to be a common theme among the younger males. They were inexperienced, but Vale had learned quickly since their very first spar, so would his children. "I'm very glad that you are both here on this day. I am disappointed to see that Kane is not with you..." His eyes focused on Miach, trying to read if he knew anything about where his brother might be. If not, he would scan the descending slope of the mountainside they stood upon hopefully. Nothing. He flicked an ear and continued on, sucking in a quick breath of air to hold in his frustration. "We have a lot to talk about, but for now- I've found what appears to be old dens left behind by a pack. Whoever they were, they've been gone long enough for moss to grow over their homes and for new 'residents' to take up occupancy. I've cleared them, and you'll find one for each of you.. and a spare for your brother, if you find your way up there. You will come across the citadel first, it has a grand entrance beside a pool of melting snow off of the higher peaks. To the right of that, you will find your private quarters." He looked over each of their beautiful faces for just a moment, the whole time he had been talking to them having been inadvertently admiring their resemblance to both of their parents and the rest of his family. Miach's colors were new, but his markings old.. and it was remarkably stunning. Daelos held such similar tones to his sisters and the mask of his aunt. She was by far of his own blood, as well.. and he could stare at them all day. "Stay close tonight, alright? It's our first night in the mountains, so keep your ears open and expect anything. I'm sure other predators have heard our arrival by now." That last part was spoken loud enough for the whole group to hear and he looked away from them in favor of his newly claimed mate.

Zuriel.

He found the sight of Zuriel and Vale and moved over to them, quietly thinking about where Kane might have gone now that he was in Boreas. Elias wanted to thank that due to his coloration, size and wounds- he wouldn't be going anywhere very far if he could help it. Not by day at least. Elias was already making plans on how to track him down as he moved over to Zuriel's side without thinking. He seated himself there and waited for her to finish her work, seemingly in a trance of thought. He only remained there for a moment as it seemed something came to his mind almost immediately. He leaned in close to Zuriel, lowering his snout to her ear regardless of whether or not she was still working and said, "Meet me in the mountains when you are done, Zuriel. Take these webs-" he waited for her to finish off the last thin layer around his ankle, his own foot already seemed to be partially naturally clotted and coming to an end on its bleeding. "I'll be waiting for you."

Vale.

He looked to Vale as he was sprawled out on the floor, his wounds fully tended to at this point. Elias gave him no time to rest it seemed, "Come with me, I need to speak with you." He gave him a look that said 'I'm dying' was not a valid excuse to say no. He stood up and put himself parallel to Vale's length, offering his weight if the man needed it to walk. He had a feeling the stubborn man wouldn't accept help, but just in case he had to do so without having a choice- Elias would be there to catch him if he missed a step.