One goat pelt, stripped into five blindfolds. That is what he had been waiting on his goat hide to dry out for over the last few days and finally, it was ready. He set each of the blindfolds out in the courtyard just outside of the den in a circle, preparing them approximately two feet away from each other to give each of the pups enough space to get comfortable when they needed to remain still to have them put on. Just imagining them sitting there putting them on made Elias smirk to himself as he laid them out, he was excited to share this day with them, this day was important.

Summer had just started, though even toward the end of spring it was hard not to think that it'd already been summer for some time. The air and breeze up in the mountains was a beautiful experience that Elias was more than proud to know was his home this summer, but even for as much as he loved the Maw.. there was more to life outside of these mountains. That is what he wanted to show the Imps.

Yesterday he had worked on repurposing some of the vines and twine he'd built for his traps in The Rock Garden in order to build a raft at the shoreline closest to Alias Island. Building something big enough to hold up to five almost forty to seventy pound pups required many trees and branches, and a lot of work and determination from one wolf. The raft wasn't anything impressive, but it was secure and it would float.. at least, hopefully long enough to get all the pups to the island and back. The journey to the island was half the fun, though he planned on spending the next few nights camping there and making the island their own. A slight feeling of worry struck his gut with that thought, but he was confident that he could protect the Imps with the help of his pack if they needed to. Hopefully, this day would be perfect.

He threw his head back and called for the Imps, but also the pack. His tone was relaxed and neutral as he called for them, though not informative at all. Elias was being mysterious about all of this, though whatever he had in store seemed completely optional to attend.

First Round Due Aug 31st

Rounds will go much faster (2-3 days) after the first.
Everyone in the pack is invited except for the Lambs and Legion, who will be watching over them.
(feel free to post tho, Elias will just tell them to go back lol)

You will sometimes need to do dice rolls for games, so please be willing to do this if you join!
You can pick up pack points for this meeting, as well as the festival since the threads will be separated.

This is not a mandatory meeting, not even for the pups. This is for fun, the most important thing is timely responses so we can fit in more rounds so don't stress on post length and I am wishing you all strong muses to want to keep doing it! LOL! Let's have fuunnnn. This will be the journey they have up to Alias Island, which should take the entire first day.

She had been highly curious. What had her father been planning? Why did he keep that animal's pelt? She had tried to hide the fact she was curious of what her father had been doing. When he had it drying and was away from it she had come up to the pelt and checked it out, taking in the scent of the animal to try and figure out what it was and what purpose it would have. She had yet to see the blindfolds her father had made. She knew he was up to something and he was internally dying to know! She had some suspicion that he would be calling the pups together soon so she patiently waited on it, not getting involved with anything in case he called. When his call rang out she was quick to head in that direction knowing that soon she would find out what in the world he had been planing. The odd thing was his call was extended to the pack, but why? When she arrived her father was near their den and immediately her eyes caught the sight of the blindfolds and she moved over to sniff at one of them, catching the familiar scent of the goat. Her eyes looked up to him. "This is what you used the pelt for?" she was merely asking for confirmation and maybe he would explain more. "Actaea Talk", & 'Actaea Think"

Ever eager to heed his father’s call Tyranis raced down the mountains and found himself to be the second to arrive. The call had been for The Apollyon’s young children but the young male was dedicated to his father’s pack and chose to attend. Disappointment twisted within him, already aware that his son would not be joining him. The boy was becoming too passive for his tastes and it was slowly beginning to grate on his nerves. He had told him stories of the lackadaisical pack he had been born in an how he had wished a pack like Ruina had taken him on when he was the boy’s age, but anything the man said seemed to go in one ear and out the other. He dipped his head in greeting as he arrived and sat before his father, alert and awaiting  a command or to be addressed. He looked briefly over the strips of leather at his father’s paws and momentarily cocked his head with unmasked interest. What did Elias  have planned exactly? speaking Thinking You

Having heard her father's seemingly docile call, Domina slipped out from the den and entered the courtyard with a sway to her walk. The forms of her father and sister were noticed, but the dark figure of some new male was intriguing. Who was this? Domina curled a lip in distaste at the stranger's eagerness to please her father. She was skeptical of this stranger's motives, but that would be for her father to address if he felt need to. With a roll of her eyes, she redirected her gaze to her father and examined the area before him.

It was then that she spied the several shreds of goat leather laid out in a circle. It was no doubt in her mind that these were intended for her and her siblings. Five strips for the five pups, right? Her golden gaze fell upon her sister Actaea, watching as she leaned down to inspect one of the pieces. Lanky legs carried her body over to her family with an uppity attitude as she motioned to park herself at a leather shred nearest to Elias. Once positioned closest to her father, she would dare to flash a low-lidded, coy smirk towards the dark stranger.

The day was warm, but not overly unpleasant. Drakan's winter coat had been fully shed, while his shiny steel-gray and rich black coloration was as stunning as ever in the sun's rays. Thick limbs carried him as he descended from the high grounds above the dens where he frequently kept watch over the Apollyon's pups. Drakan rolled his broad shoulders as he strolled into the courtyard, his crown tipping downwards at Elias in a silent greeting. "Apollyon." His voice boomed as his gaze shifted from the alpha and to the pups that had already joined the gathering, taking especial notice to Actaea's small form. The royal pups were growing so fast. Amusement crept across his black jowls in the form of a smile as he fell into line next to Tyranis. Drakan would cock his head slightly to the male, acknowledging him with a nod.


"Speech." Thoughts.

Dominus was big for his age, though he still held the mind of a toddler it seemed at times. Honestly, it was a dangerous combination but it didn't stop him from exploring. Nothing could stop him, or so he felt... though he hid the one thing that could truly stop him. He quickly learned he did not like to upset his family, he loved them and learning how to be just like their father trumped being rebellious by not listening to his father's demands when he made them. Dominus knew he was not allowed to leave the mountains, and that was just fine.

He was lingering nearby when Elias called for them, having felt in his gut just as Actaea had that something was up. He had seen the pelt, too.. hardly anything escaping the watchful gaze of the curious blue hues when brought near the citadel. His rapidly growing body left him almost always craving another meal, no matter how often they were brought.. it never sated him for long. Therefor, he was always watching and hopeful one of the adults hauled in something huge.

When he arrived to the courtyard outside their den, he barely noticed the goatskin strips that Actaea seemed to be studying, his focus more on the family that had gathered. His eyes found his twin by instinct near immediately despite the fact that it was their father that called them here, noticing her smirk as she smirked at Tyranis. His own eyes found Tyranis' face as well and Dominus smiled, remembering him from their crafting session. He was pretty sure he disappointed him and ruined his chances of holding his snake, so Dominus was amused by the sort of interest his twin seemed to be taking in their uncle.

While she inspected Tyranis, Dominus noticed the familiar face of the earless and tailless Drakan. So much of their body language was picked up from the ears and tail that when Drakan's presence was first noticed around the den, Dominus thought he was creepy. Dominus didn't know if he could trust him because there were no signs to trust, but as he grew older he realized that Drakan was protecting them, watching over them. Dominus hadn't spoken to him yet, and part of him was still a little creeped out.. but he felt safer when the brute was around. Dominus stared at him for a moment, wondering if today would be the day the two would finally speak. When he realized he was staring, he quickly refocused and continued on to look to his twin again.

Dominus sat nearest to Domina and finally realized what they were gathered around, the blindfolds. He looked directly downward at it, not understanding at all what this could be used for. From his first crafting lesson, he was beginning to understand the concept of tools but it still hurt his growing brain to think about. It seemed that a strip of goat hide could potentially be used for so many things, yet it's fragilty made it seem almost completely useless to him at the same time. Just. Really, what the heck?

He looked over to Actaea, seeing her studying with a cool look on her face. She seemed so sure of herself all the time when she was learning and it made him slightly jealous. He'd always seen her as smarter than himself, though it was simply something about the way she held herself and the way she spoke. If anyone would figure out what these were to be used for before their father told them, it was Actaea...

He shrugged and looked away from both his sister and the hide, finally finding the tall sight of his father. With his blue eyes wide, he watched him with a face of unintentional excitement. He couldn't help it, he was genuinely interested in what they were about to spend their day doing. He liked gaining the chance to learn what their father taught them, to impress him. It was instinct, and he could tell his father really liked it when Dominus understood him too.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recently initiated into this pack of warriors, the young wolf with a chip on his shoulder would begin to forge the path he let himself be led to. Tyranis, who had decided to adopt him as his own, had promised him the strength and knowledge to one day take revenge on his mother's death. With little else in life to live for, he was willing to throw himself into whatever it took with all of his heart. He had seen no sign nor whisper of his mother’s ghost since coming here, and had refused to let his mind fall back into the blanketed despair that had been his constant companion since her death. It was a lot of changes to take on at once, and he faced them all with stoic silence. Speaking was still unfamiliar to him, and he did so only when he must. His time chasing his mother's ghost had changed him as much as her death had, and he had learnt how precious words where with her silence. When his leader called for the imps and the pack, the boy would leave his silent vigil on the rocky terrain he had camped on for most of the morning, and make his way across the territory. He was not yet familiar with this land, but it was easy to follow the rolling howl across Fenrir’s Maw, and into the spot their leader had chosen. He came in silence, and found the man that had become his father, there already. He took a seat beside Tyranis, giving the man a respectful dip of his head, before turning all of his attention to Elias, prepared to wait with endless patience to hear the reason they where called. "Speech"

Miach was still uncertain about how to feel around Ruina, but he showed up none-the-less. After his talk with his father, it occurred to him that his eagerness to impress him never once died. He had given up for awhile, after seeing all the other children Elias had accumulated. It was hard knowing that you had to compete with so many other wolves for recognition, especially when he didn't consider himself properly trained in anything worthwhile. With a sigh, he tried his best to push his insecurities aside with relaxed body language, he entered the courtyard to see the rest of the group huddled around what appeared to be five strips of hide. He was curious, but said nothing as he took a seat and waited to see why it was they were all called here. His ear flicked as he looked around to the others, familiar faces from passing through the pack lands.. but he didn't know any of them quite yet. He tried his best not to look at the imps, feeling rather.. jealous still. He left a nervous smile on his lips, however-- just in case they decided to look his way, he didn't want them to know how uncomfortable he really was. Not that it was hard for anyone with skills in perception to notice despite his efforts.

Elias waited for whoever wished to answer the call for quite some time, likely due to the two missing Imps of his own that failed to come out to the courtyard. He tried not to let it get to him, as he remembered in his own litter that some of his brothers just didn't have the energy to participate in everything. Ictus was a big culprit of that, having usually skipped on their festivals in favor of spending time with... her.

As soon as his thoughts started to get negative, he stood up with his tail flagged and hackles slightly prickled. He would be strong today, for their sake. This would be the most amount of time he'd spent together with any of his children and it honestly scared him. Once they got to the island, he wouldn't be able to just run away from them if he started to lose himself... but it'd been so long since he'd lost himself that he felt confident in his ability to get through this.

He smiled to Actaea as she asked what the blindfolds were, waiting patiently to answer her as the others started to inspect the items as well. Tyranis and the twins came and Elias couldn't help but smile as he watched them all interact. Drakan addressed him and Elias offered him a respectful nod, and then finally their newest and smallest Imp showed an incredible amount of courage by attending as well. Elias watched Astraios with a calmness about him, admiring the youth's will to live and not waste away in his sorrow. Elias hoped to help him find excitement for his life within Ruina and the new family he would find within it.

"Alright, let's get started." Despite the earliness to the day, his voice held no signs of sleep or tiredness. He had been awake for some time, and it was clear by how well he seemed to hold himself and how clear and crisp his voice rumbled out of his throat.

"Today we begin celebrating Impar Vita. In the tongue of Apollyon, this means 'Child's Life.' We celebrate the future of Ruina today, and hopefully build the connection between Imps and the pack, as well as the demons that empower them. From the moment an Imp is born in Ruina, or brought in, our ancestors take an incredible interest in our Imps. Imps are our future, and Ruina's demons offer all of their ancient strength to them to help them sharpen the powerful blades that are their minds. Today, we will hopefully have more insight into what strengths each of you have been granted.. but do not focus too much on this. I can tell you that all of your strengths will come to surface in time, and usually shine when you least expect it." He moved over to Actaea, as she seemed most interested in the blindfolds and asked about them first.

"Actaea, yes. This is what I used the pelt for. I've crafted each of you a strip of goat hide to cover your eyes. Today, for the first time, we are going to be traveling outside of Ruina territory." He waited, watching their faces to gauge for any fear or excitement.

"We will travel first to the ocean, but the journey will not be easy. There will be obstacles in our way and new land to experience that you will not be used to... and to top it all off, you will not have your eyes available to you to traverse these lands. With the use of your other senses and an incredible amount of trust in your guide, you will learn how to overcome unfamiliar land even without your eyes. We have four Imps, and four adults. Fate is on our side today, as this could not be more perfect...." He looked around briefly, his words trailing off as he was obviously starting to lose himself in thought. Who was closest to who?

"I will lead Actaea, Tyranis will lead Astraios, Drakan will lead Dominus, and Miach will lead Domina. Guides, please help the Imps with their blindfolds and ensure that they are secure. Imps, when you are ready.. bite into the tail of your guide and we'll start by getting out of these mountains, finally!" He chuckled, some small mischevious part of him eager to see how well Domina and Dominus took advantage of being told to bite someone. He had a feeling that they'd be more likely to chomp down too hard out of all the children. Suddenly, he was starting to feel a bit bad for Drakan and Miach.. but aaah! This was part of the fun!

With an incredible sense of excitement, he lifted the blindfold off the ground and grinned to Actaea. He moved to sit in front of her, and with the strip hanging out of his mouth, instructed her from there.

"Sit down, Actaea. Get really secure, then use one paw to lean on my leg while you sit as tall as you can! Then, with your other front paw, you will hold this blindfold in place when I press it against your eyes. Understand?" He waited for her compliance, if she offered it, and would follow through with his intentions. Once she had a good hold on it, his thick neck would crane down around her.. thick yet short fur along the bottom likely tickling her nose and ears while he secured the blindfold in place. Once he was done, he would turn around and playfully tap his tail against her muzzle for her to grab hold of. As soon as all the blindfolds were on the Imps and each of them had grabbed ahold of their tails, he would begin to set off.

"If you get scared, tell your guide. None of you will get left behind. You can trust us, and I promise you this will be worth it. Just wait until you see the ocean." He grinned again, unable to stop himself today!

Second Round Due Sep 10th

We can go sooner if everyone posts before then!

Posting order will now be slightly different to help the bonding experience and ensure we all have something to respond to. Imps should respond first, then their guides.

So for this exercise, it is a show of how well the guides can lead their youths to the ocean. Sort of like a trust fall mixed with navigation training! Aha.

I would like each of the imps to roll a die to see how hard of an obstacle they face while on this journey.



For Dominus, I've rolled a 9 which means this will be a pretty difficult obstacle. Whether or not they get hurt is up to you, but it's important to remember that kids hurt themselves quite easily! That being said, nothing too serious.. since their guides are right here to help. Guides will respond with how well they aid each pup through their struggles. Hope everyone is excited!

Edit; I realize there will be a bit of assuming done in rp here and I hope everyone is okay with that. It'll be hard to avoid it, but pups should be safe to assume that their guides helped them put on blindfolds. If you are not okay with this, please chat about it on discord with your pup!

The tall red guy walked in, and Dominus couldn't help but recognize that red. He envied Ignis' pelt for being so unique out of all of them, and he noticed his father's admiration to it.. now there was another, albeit not quite as red. He tried his best not to let himself get bitter, but his fragile and developing brain struggled as he simply glared in the direction of his older brother. He'd never met him before, had no idea this was his brother, but that knowledge might have only made him even more jealous.

Luckily, their dad was able to pull his attention away from the other wolves quite quickly. Elias spoke about demons and how much attention they gave to Imps, and Dominus felt a cool chill along his spine that made him wiggle with excitement. His tail never ceased to stop wiggling after that, especially once the Apollyon admitted they would be leaving pack territory. Finally!

His massive front paws lifted from the ground as he threw himself up toward the sky and let out an excited yip. It was all too soon, however, as his father also admitted that they would be blindfolded.. aw.. fuck.. this was going to be hard.

He got paired up with Drakan and his blue eyes immediately found the brute, small and pointy puppy teeth on display as he excitedly watched him. Dominus was eager, it was as if his father read his thoughts. He was interested in this guy, because even as creepy as he appeared to be at first.. it only seemed to make Dominus even more curious about him! While his father worked with Actaea, Dominus excitedly waited for Drakan to make his way to him. Dominus closed his eyes and was overall very compliant, happy to get started on this little journey.

Once blindfolded, his world changed quite considerably. He could hear his family moving around him but could not see where exactly they were. He took a moment to take a few steps and ended up bumping into Domina, releasing a small growl out of the initial shock. He steadied himself and waddled back closer to Drakan. His father must have forgotten that Drakan did not have a tail, as there was nothing for the little lad to chomp. Cheekily, he raised a paw to lift the blindfold just slightly so he could look up to Drak with a wink.

"Don't worry, I got this. I'm right behind you!" He jumped up again, massive puppy paws slapping down against the dirt when he landed to show off his determination. He lowered the blindfold again and rushed behind Drak, bumping into his back legs before falling down with a thud. Aaa, he was so excited.

As they began to move, Dominus had a very difficult time getting used to how walking felt when he had no eyes to guide him. He tottled this way and that, had to press his paw about fifty times before every oddly shaped rock (which was all of them). Before they even left the mountains, it appeared that he managed to hit his first hardship on this journey. During their descent, and without a tail to help grip and stop himself from falling, he managed to press his weight into a loose rock on the mountainside. His weight slipped faster than he could react, a surprised howl escaping him as he began to tumble down the mountainside. He fell a good thirty feet, his nails scratching into the dirt and sending loose rocks flying out around him. He was scared, very scared, and every little bump seemed to cause more and more pain but finally the rolling stopped.

'Don't take off your blindfold, Dominus!' He heard his father call out to him, just as he was lifting his paws to remove it. He grunted, but complied, falling down on the earth again with defeat. Everything hurt, there were scrapes all along his legs and chest and he was sure he was bleeding, he could smell it.. but he waited for his guide. Drakan always watched over them... he would come get him.. right?

Domina watched over the others as they slowly filed in to the meeting. The sight of a new face carrying a vibrant red coat sparked her interest, however. Her rich eyes settled in on the strange pup's form, a curl tickling at the sides of her lips as she smiled ever so gently in Astra's direction. Perhaps she would learn more of this new addition later in the day? Domina could only hope so.

The booming of her father's voice from above caused her attention to redirect to him. She couldn't resist giving her tail a joyful wag, stirring up some dust from the terrain behind where she sat. Everything she was hearing coming from her father was absolutely delightful! A festival dedicated to all of the imps? This was sure to be fun, she thought to herself. Her father paired her up with big brother Miach, which she didn't mind- he was blood after all. Even the broad figured male that was frequently stationed outside the pup den would have been acceptable, but she wasn't so sure about the other male.

Domina's body wriggled about as her big brother tied the leather blindfold across her eyes, making it quite the challenge and hassle for Miach. "Did you get to do this festival when you were younger too, big brother?" Once the strip of leather was secured, Domina nosed about into Miach's side and legs before finding his tail. Without hesitation she sunk those sharp puppy teeth in, perhaps a bit too roughly, but the excitement was overwhelming!

Once they set off, she made sure to keep close to her guide's hindquarters. Perhaps a bit too close, she would soon discover as Miach's hind leg came back and booped her directly on the snoot. The result of the boop was a loud sneeze. All of her inner nostril fluids finding their way directly into her older sibling's tail. Oops~ Hopefully the snot wouldn't be too bad to clean up afterwards.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The purpose of the meeting unfolded not long after his arrival, and his eyes moved in obligation towards the hides that had been cured prior to the day. He supposed he should be feeling something about this point, excitement perhaps, even trepidation towards the unknown. Instead, he simply fell into line on the imperatives set by his leader. If he felt something, it was perhaps the hope that had blossomed ever since Ty had found him. Would this help him gain strength and knowledge to one day take on his nemesis? He could only hope. He held rock-steady still, holding his faithful silence, as Ty bent to tie the blindfold about his head. He had assumed, after spending so much time in his dream-quality wonderings that he would be accustomed to the sensation of not knowing where he was going. It was nothing like he had expected it would. He saw blackness, eyes opened or closed. He kept them closed for the sake of simplicity, holding his body absolutely still when he felt the desire to sway. Bile rose in his mouth as he was reminded of another black night, the worst he had ever experienced and perhaps ever will. There was no rain, no storm, no words of a maniacal murderer as he spoke in honeyed tones that dripped evil intent. No sound of his mother’s voice, crying out for him to run. He swallowed the bile away, his stillness held another moment longer. He could hear the steady sound of Ty’s breathing, and he reached out to that sound with a need he did not realise he could still possess. Ty, who had promised him safety and a home. He listened to that sound in the darkness, until he could unravel his muscles and bones and move once more without fear of falling, or failing. Attuned now to that simple sound, he nosed forward until he could feel as well. The plush sensation of a tail was there when he reached out for it, and he grasped it gently in his mouth. Blind faith, was that the test of today? If he believed in anything anymore, it was Ty and his promise. The sensation of walking without sight left him feeling like he was rolling. The world swam around him, with nothing for him to mentally, sightfully, hold onto. Stones found their way into his pads, but he was numbed to physical pain. Hunger, heat, cold and pain had only strengthened his visions of his mother. He was no stranger to many of the hardships of the world, more than any young pup should understand. The sharper stones that cut his skin, left bloody prints among his tracks. He ignored it all, concentrating only on moving one step after another, the sound of Ty’s breathing fulling his world. A whisper in, a whoosh out, his own breathing timed exactly to that of his guide. They began to descend, the change in angle making the journey more difficult. His breathing began to harsh-out and he lost his timing to Ty’s. his breath began to quicken, the panic returning, rising inside of himself. He could not freeze this time, not here and now. It would be too obvious, show his weakness, his inabilities. He kept walking, one foot in front of the other, he tripped, caught himself, his heart hurting inside his chest, rapid in its beatings. Running through a dark forest was a far cry from today. Branches lashing out against his coat, rain pelting him from above, stinging his eyes, confusing his nose. No, he couldn’t lose himself to the vision. This was different, not the same. Where was the sound of Ty’s breath? There, it was there. He latched onto it, his harsh breathing slowing to match with his guides, he wasn’t quite insync yet, the fear and memories only a beat away. He had to push through it, he was better than this, he was more than the sum of his pain. He caught the timing, breath in, breath out, he was matched to Ty’s once more. His body shook, he needed another moment to still the tremors. They were still descending, he didn’t know how much time had passed. Not much, he didn’t think his pain had stretched out for long. "Speech"

ooc: Permission from Sin for a bit of powerplay about helping Actaea recover.

She was thinking that for some reason they would be wearing these things, but she did think they would be over their eyes. She was thinking a tail band, or bracelet to make them stand out in the pack as the pups of the Apollyon. Briefly her eyes wandered around the group until they landed on another pup. She had never seen this pup, yet it was with one of the half-siblings. She coolly looked at the pup, wondering and hoping that he wouldn't get one of these pieces. They had to be meant for her and her litter mates. She also noticed another brother that she had yet to meet, hues of red and black. He had red eyes like her father had and she was unsure of who he was. He had to be related to them so how. Pulling her gaze away she looked back to her father as he began to explain what they had been called for. The gathering had been smaller then she thought the pack was, she knew there was a lot more wolves within the pack then this. She was surprised to hear the strips were blindfolds and to be placed over each pups eyes. This had to be a test of trust and to help them learn to compensate without sight. She listened as her father paired them up and was more then excited to be paired with him. She did her best to hide it and to remain calm. Once he was finished he approached her and her father gave instructions to her. She couldn't help but smile, her eyes bright showing her happiness to be paired with him. There was no one better, no one she wanted to be paired with more. She sat herself down and used one leg to lean against her father and she stretched herself as tall as she could. She held as still as she could as he brought the blindfold towards her face. Once pressed to her eyes she used her other paw to hold it in place. He then leaned forward and down the fur tickling her ears and her nose making her twitch. It was only for a brief time as he tied it on securely then moved back allowing her to sit herself down again. Her smile turned into a smirk as he tapped her muzzle with his tail, as if tempting her to take a massive chomp out of it. Though she didn't, she took a firm hold in her mouth, but not enough that she would bite into the skin and bone hidden deep under the plush fur. Though she was a bit naughty as she gave one or two firm tugs on his tail with a little growl. Her ears perked as he spoke again, closing her eyes under the blindfold to better her other senses. She trusted her father more then anyone in the world and was looking forward to this, hoping that this would strengthen their bond as a father and daughter. When he began to lead she fallowed, trying to fallow the motions of his tail as he moved. Knowing that if he would go down a rock or a slope that his tail should be used as a rutter for balance. Things were okay aside from several small rocks that she had managed to smack her little toes against as they moved, but it was something she could quickly heal from. As they hit the descend she instinctively put more weight towards her back end, digging her claws in the earth to try and keep herself from slipping.. Although those stupid little rocks would make things difficult once more. She began to trip over them and would either roll into the back of her father's leg or if she rolled down beside him he would gently stop her with his muzzle, help her up and get her going once again. She had tripped several times, bumped into several rocks, and would probably bruise from it, but not once did her faith in her father's care for her faltered and each time he would help her. "Actaea Talk", & 'Actaea Think"

They were late, he knew. He had tried to wrap up their lessons as quickly as possible when he heard Elias howl, but evidently, it couldn't have been wrapped up fast enough. On top of that, they were on the furthest side from where his brother had called the imps together, and Ace felt bad. He hadn't meant to take so long in getting there, and knowing what this meeting was for, he knew that Elias had already started. He barked at Ignis to hurry up, practically forcing the boy to pick up the pace despite the training they'd just had. He also knew that Ignis would be pretty sore after this whole thing, but there was no time to rest as he herded the young pup towards the maw. Knowing they were already late and most likely going to arrive behind the others, Ace took it upon himself to inform Ignis about Impar Vita. Ignis, for the most part, seemed pretty excited. When they reached the bottom of the maw, he growled with a bit of frustration. Ignis would definitely be too exhausted to climb up to their site after running across the volcanic territory. Ace looked at him as they stopped for just a minute of rest, and although Ignis appeared to act like he was fine, Ace could see the rapid rise and fall of his chest as he seemed to try and catch his breath. "This is the first and last time i'm doing this." He murmured to himself. Kneeling down, he ordered Ignis to climb on his back and hold tight. With Ignis secure, he quickly shot up the mountainside with long and careful strides. At times, he felt Ignis' weight bounce against his back, but Ace was confident the boy would hold on for dear life else he go tumbling down the slopes. It took a while, but eventually, they made it. And once Ace came to a stop, he felt Ignis' weight slide off his side and onto the ground. The scents of the others were still somewhat strong, so he figured maybe there was still time to catch up to them. "Sit up so I can put this on you, we must make haste to catch up with the others." He picked up a leather strip and carefully secured it around his nephew's eyes and examined him for a moment. This would be an exciting trip for the pups, and he only hoped that they would learn a great deal. Turning around, he nearly shoved his tail into Ignis' mouth and the moment the boy had a good grip, Ace began to lead him back down the slope and followed the scent trails left behind by the others. In their haste to catch up, Ignis hadn't said much of anything. Which Ace didn't mind, and he certainly wasn't complaining about it. He knew the boy was tired after their early as hell training, but Ace would push the kid to his limits similar to how he had been at his age. Eventually, Ace saw the others ahead of him and he picked up the pace a bit. He nodded to those present before practically sliding up next to Elias and he slowed almost abruptly which caused Ignis to walk into his back legs. "Morning brother, sorry we're late." He pulled his tail up to help Ignis back to his feet. Now that they were all caught up, he didn't have to practically drag the pup behind him. "Speak"

Everything seemed to pass by him in a blur as they went from training to rushing across one territory and into the next. His uncle was in a hurry to get to his father, and on the way, his uncle had told him about Impar Vita and Ignis' excitement grew! His siblings were most likely there, so Ignis moved as fast as his already tiring body would allow. When they reached the base of the maw, he climbed on his uncle's back as instructed and he gripped his uncle's shoulders as tightly as possible. He was thrilled as they climbed, the boy wondered if his siblings would be jealous that he got a ride all the way up to the top! With tongue flopping out and the wind brushing through his fur, he held on for dear life to keep from tumbling back down the way he came. When his uncle came to an abrupt stop upon reaching the top, Ignis' head flew forward and his nose smacked the back of his uncle's thick neck pretty hard. His eyes watered, and before he knew it, he could feel the warmth of blood trickled through his nostrils. He slid off his uncle's back and looked down, tongue swiping out a little to taste the blood that trickled down his chin. Ears perked as Ace told him to sit up so he could put something on him, and before Ignis had gotten so much as a glimpse of the leather strips, his uncle was already tying it around his eyes. He grabbed onto his uncle's tail and then the descent to catch up with the others began. Ignis stumbled as he hastily followed after his uncle, his nose still dripped blood and it was somewhat hard for him to breath through that and his uncle's tail, but he didn't want to complain. His siblings would surely make fun of him, and he didn't want to seem weak in front of anyone either! As they walked, his paws tripped over small rocks but he would recover his footing after each stumble. It was hard for him not to be able to see or smell nothing but his own blood mixed with his uncle's scent, and he wasn't exactly sure what this part of the test was for. He thought maybe it was for the surprise waiting for them at the bottom, but he wasn't too sure. After some time, he felt his uncle's tail pulling him forward as they quickened their pace. Before he knew it, he was doing a little more than a power walk for a good minute or two before once again, his uncle came to a fast stop and Ignis found himself barreling into Ace's hind legs. His uncle, however, had promptly lifted Ignis with his tail, and his ears twitched when he heard him address his father. His nose and ears twitched as he heard the paw steps around him from both the adults and his siblings. He turned his head slightly to see if he could smell where his siblings were at, but the blood from his nose was starting to dry and it caked around his nostrils. Finding it a bit hard to breathe, he let go of his uncle's tail for a few moments to try and catch his breath, and of course...it was a mistake on his part. Ignis had veered away in the few short seconds he had let go, and when he had tried to lean forward to find his uncle's tail, he couldn't find it. His paw would find purchase on a rock for no more than a brief moment before it slipped away. That along with his leaning forward had sent the boy falling forward way too quickly! He found himself tumbling head over tail and scrambling to find a way to stop. He yelped with surprise as he couldn't tell which way was which! It felt like he had been cartwheeling for a long time, but in reality, it was only several heartbeats before he collided with something large. He flopped onto the ground and tried to catch his breath, ears twitching slightly as he heard his uncle speak. "Do not let go anymore, you hear? There's a reason we do it this way. Are you alright?" Ignis' breathing was hard, but he nodded and slowly rose on shaky paws. His nose had started to bleed again, and he could feel bruises and small cuts on his battered body, but still, he refused to complain. Once he got a hold of Ace's tail again, he continued with flattened ears and embarrassment radiating through him. Thank the heavens that his siblings couldn't see...he was sure they would have never let it go. "Speak"