The sky above was dark and foreboding as Askan padded along the cobbled stone, his gaze set skywards as a flash of lightning streaked across the horizon. He squinted as he waited, counting the seconds under his breath till a crash of thunder ripped through the air and sent instinctual shiver down his spine. He breathed deep and taste of ozone settled on his tongue as he turned his attention back to his surroundings. The storm was close, perhaps within a few miles, but there wasn't a need to scramble for shelter quite yet. If at all.

Though he couldn't quite put his paw on it there was something different about Auster, something subtle and lingering that made it just feel off. Like the rules of Boreas didn't apply here. Not knowing was really starting to get on Askan's nerves, he felt as though the land was mocking him for his ignorance. On more than one occasion he'd been tempted to turn around and stomp back across the Bifrost, there was nothing for him here so what was the point in staying? This land was as empty as heaven, he hadn't even come across a single soul since he'd arrived in these parts and he was beginning to wonder if he'd somehow missed the memo.

But there he was, glaring at some old stones as if they held all the answers. Maybe for all he knew they did.

It was her third day in Auster, in the lands of her grandmother's stories in general. She had proven that the place existed, the fact that she had come in on the shimmering shore had made her journey's end a perfect one. It was here she would set up her dynasty, here that her empire would rise and she would take in all of the darkest creatures that the lands had to offer. Her safe haven. The castle she had been staying in was beginning to bore her, only so many times can one stare at ruined tapestries wondering what the symbols on them meant. It was no fun ruling over ghosts and pretending her family was there. She was young yet, and no one expected her to build her kingdom in a day.

Demise set out to the southeast, having seen the overgrown monstrosity that was a garden. It had been cultivated a bit, the dark goddess supposed it was by the previous residents of the area. She could still smell the faint hint of pack wolves, the very thought of other packs made her territorial and grumpy, but at least they had moved on. Perhaps the property had gone bad, or the prey had gone scarce. Something had to have driven the old occupants away from such a rich territory. As the giantess came into the garden, rabbits and birds took flight in their respective ways, the rabbits back to their burrows and the birds to their nests. Small prey was here, she heard what sounded like retreating hooves so at least some sizeable prey was around. It wasn't long before another came into view, looking as though he had struck out and was at an end with what to do.

It was then she decided to approach the stranger, as he sat there staring at rocks. “I am not sure staring is the best way to drill holes in rocks." Her humor was good today, mood high after finding the lands of her childhood bedtime stories. The girl had idolized her grandmother, Naamah, and was happy that she proved the now-deceased woman had been right. Her siblings would have to pay what they owed her now. She had been careful in her approach, attempting a jump scare as if she had materialized out of thin air. Her gaze was intense but non-threatening, only curiosity burned there in her eyes. She had only just arrived a couple of days prior, but there was a noticeable lack in available company, so Demise was keen on a conversation.

“Speech" | Walk | “Thoughts."

code by bird, img by cloudynight

Askan was alone and then he was not. His ears flicked at the sound of approaching paws and the clicking of claws against ancient stone. He turned, hackles prickly and raised as his piercing gaze he took in the sight of the dark stranger. Had she been the first dire wolf he'd met he might have been impressed, perhaps even a little intimidated by her size, but by now Askan was slowly starting to accept it as the norm. His pride still stung a little, knowing that in comparison he seemed so small, but there wasn't really anything he could do it about it. Aside from chewing their legs down to size, but that wasn't exactly feasible, now was it? Instead the Selwyn looked beyond her size and was thoroughly unimpressed by what he saw. His eyes worked just fine, he could logically understand and know that someone was good looking but it just never sank in. It meant nothing to him, resounded like a fart in a cave.

Her words were just as sharp and witty as those eyes. Askan harrumphed, his hackles deflating some as he waved away her quip with a slash of his tail. He wasn't the sort of man who made jokes or jests and he didn't intend to change anytime soon. Particularly not when someone announced themselves by mocking him, that was sure way of getting things off to a poor start. His glare remained-or resting bitch face, the two were hard to differentiate- as he shifted a little, moving his weight between paws as he turned to face her properly. Spiteful words lingered on the tip of his tongue, like blood sliding from his maw after a fresh kill.

"And what's it to you?" He rumbled, clearly not keen at the prospect having her nose stuck into his business. He snorted derisively. "But for the record, I was just thinking." He shot her another look, implying that he'd like to do so in peace.

She could see she had irritated the male with her mocking words, and the thought utterly delighted her. The diety was not the type of female to be intimidated by a bad mood or side-long look. Demise found the fact that she could rouse any emotion out of the male as entertaining as any pup-hood game, and would continue to prod and poke until it either escalated or fizzled out and got boring. There was a look in her eye that said she completely understood his unspoken message after his rebuttal of her greeting, but that she would continue her presence in spite of his wishes. With a wide grin, the monstrous woman responded "Thinking about what?" It was meant to prod, to get under his skin as she could tell her simple presence was enough to annoy and her asking questions would certainly antagonize further.

She spoke once again, not truly giving him time to respond, and possibly cutting him off mid-sentence if he had offered an answer to her inquiry. "Do you know about this place? It seems devoid of random strangers to run into, you are only the second one I have seen. I just want to know my home better." Her tones implied she wished to lay claim to these lands one day. Nothing had been better than the castle and the shimmering surf of the ocean, but this place had been cultivated at one point. There were herbs everywhere, ones she could identify only because she was interested in everything. While she wasn't a healer by profession, she knew enough to fix herself should she need to. She could also instruct others, but Demise fell short when it came to Auster. Boreas as a whole was a mystery to her, Naamah had not been in the best mental health when she had been telling her stories. Descriptions of the lands were not known to her, only the names. Once she knew where she was, she would know if she was in the right place.

Until then, Demise would continue to annoy this male. If only for entertainment. The lands were quiet, and the male offered something fun to do. What else was there?

“Speech" | Walk | “Thoughts."

code by bird, img by cloudynight