Athena had been named heir. The whispers came in the night.. or was it the day? She didn't remember. There was a rumbling in her chest, a growl resonating within the chambers of her lungs. It slipped forth and into the cool winter air - evaporating in a puff of fog from her ebony lips. She cursed him under her breath, rocking onto her haunches and bringing a paw to her face. Feverishly she would wipe her right eye, then her left, then her right again. There was a sensation there, a dulling of her vision and a burning - itching. She feared growing ill like Isardis, she feared losing herself - losing them. They would forget her if she were gone as long as he. Try as she might, she would never be as memorable as he. She would never come close. There was a howl, if for no other reason than to call him forth and berate him. She had half a mind to just leave. She doubted he still wanted her here anyway. She breathed slowly, feeling the heat rise in her tear ducts. Sendoa had never been partial to tears. Limbs stretched forth, bringing her bodice into a lying position - wondering if he'd even bother to come. The burning continued, intensifying, and finally she would succumb to it. She would let herself cry. The tears came, salty and acidic. First there was just one, then a few, then more - until she was drowning in sorrow. Streams of crimson bore down her face and onto her muzzle. One salty tear reached her lips, and instinctively she would flick it away with her tongue. A metallic taste tantalized her taste buds. Blood. She craned her vision downward, to the droplets that had fallen from her muzzle. They were crimson and thick - they were tears of blood. Panic filled her, and another howl went out from grieving lips. This one for anyone nearby. She remained rooted to the ground, sides heaving with quickened breath, eyes welling with crimson tears. ?speak,?

Though Lysis Armada was slowly becoming a woman, a yearling at last, she was still very much a child in many ways. The scope of her world was small, and hardly reached beyond the confines of Glaciem. Her world was her brothers and her sisters, her father, her aunts and her uncles -- and little else mattered. Even adventuring with Kyarst and Drashiel gave her little insight to the outside world, to the vastness and horror that existed beyond their home. In that regard, she was still painfully naive, and content to stay out of politics, particularly when it did not concern her. And though she did not know Sendoa well, her call was familiar to her, and it would not be ignored. Her voice was panicked and unwell, and the babe couldn't help but fear the worst. Her father had been sick for so long, and all that signified his presence were faint whispers of him, as though he was hardly more than a ghost. Slowly and timidly she would head toward the call, wondering what might be wrong to elicit such an awful cry. Her pace quickened, nimble paws carrying the slender girl toward the scene. "Miss Sendoa?" she called out timidly, her voice sweet and airy, though laced with concern. Further inspection found that the black-furred woman's face was caked in blood, and her eyes brimmed with the viscous liquid. Eyes widened in horror and confusion, a rare expression from the sweet child, who suddenly was not sure whether to flee entirely or try to assist her. "What happened? Are you sick?"

She had no clue what could be happening to her. It was something she'd never experienced before. Was this a result of the intense grief and sorrow she felt, or was this more sinister? Had she been poisoned, was she ill, would she die? Questions swarmed in her head like angry hornets as she lay there wondering if anyone would care enough to come to her aide. Honestly, if they did, she had no clue what to ask of them. A white figure emerged, swimming due to her clouded vision. It was bright, angelic - almost, and for a moment Sendoa thought she was dead. A growl brimmed deep in her throat, but as the angel spoke she knew it to be Lysis. The Queen wasn't dead yet. She could not see clearly enough to notice the fear on Lysis' face, which was probably for the best. ?Lysis - I.. I don't know - don't.. don't come too close okay?? She was pleased to have someone there, but Lysis would not have been her first choice. The child probably knew less about serious illnesses than Sendoa - and Sendoa knew next to nothing. The Queen struggled to calm her breaths, and began to shake her head violently - as if that might remove the blood from wherever it was pooling. ?I don't know, I don't know, I don't know...? She struggled to her paws. ?I can't, Lysis, I can't!? She practically roared the phrase, body filled with panic and absolute fear. She felt hot, sticky, as if she were on fire. Her body began to shake uncontrollably. She shuddered with fear and fever, eyes still welling with crimson tears. ?We have to find someone, we have to fix this. I can't die. I can't die!? She roared again, insistently - determinedly. She would not die without him. She would not die like this. She would not let the cruel, cold world take her in such a way. ?speak,?

ooc; anyone is welcome <3

Etern answered the call instantly, though his limb was still apparent from his recent fight with Liberty. Muscles contracting he watched Lysis for a moment before turning to Sendoa, once he saw the tears of blood fear slightly rose inside of him. His eyes widened, more emotion than he would usually show but for the fact it was his sister that was hurt made him more protective. His lips curled back in a growl, Vereux was like this too. It seemed like a sickness was going around and it was not good. He stepped near Lysis, as he raised his body defensively. "Lysis, fetch Eris, NOW!" he demanded, though it may have come out much more harsh than he intended it to. His emerald eyes turned to Sendoa as he stayed within reach but did not touch her, risk getting himself sick. "Calm down Sendoa, you aren't going to die, Eris will fix this." he said in a stern calm voice. The tone fixed in trying to calm her, so she didn't hurt herself. While avoiding his feelings of utter worry for the pack and herself. "Others are sick as well, we will fix this Sendoa I assure you, you will NOT die." he snapped and then calmed himself. He sat down watching his sister carefully. Speech,

A distraught cry would catch the charcoal overseers attention, audits perking atop her skull as she waited to see if it would happen again. Within a few moments another distressed cry would call out, only this time it was all too clear who was pleading for help- Sendoa. Although the overseer did not particularly favor Sendoa she was the appointed queen, and so the nymph would be fast to her feet to answer. Ramses would follow quickly after her, his amethyst eyes scanning their surrounding for any potential threats as they traveled through the thick snow. Neither of them knew why the queen was crying in such a way, and so the duo would approach with caution. Blood would mix with the scent of other pack members, causing her pelt to bristle, and Ramses ears to fold. She would quicken her pace, and as the small group came into view her lips would lift slightly above her fangs. Lysis and Etern were gathered around the queen, whom had blood seeping from her eyes and streaming down her cheeks. She would catch herself before her jaw would drop in awe, as the overseer had never seen anything like this before. Was this an illness, or had the queen been attacked? She would approach Etern slowly, catching his last sentence about others being sick and Sendoa not dying. "Etern... What is going on." She would attempt to come beside him and whisper the question in his direction, just loud enough for he alone to hear. She would note that Etern was keeping his distance from his sister, and so she would keep her distance from the queen as well, Ramses lurking right behind her.

"Speech"

She was beyond panic. She was in a place panic was afraid to go. Tears of blood continued to seep from her year ducts, her body heat continued to rise. In all of this, Lysis would remain close by - most likely as perplexed as the ailing Queen. Sendoa knew this was the end. It had to be. Why else would such a plague be upon her? A figure loomed nearby, familiar - and suddenly threatening. Instantaneously she growled, her head whipping toward him, eyes open wide but yet unseeing. Nostrils flared as she bellowed at him. "You are lying! I am going to die and you are going to stand and watch. That's what you all want! You did this to me!" She breathed hard and fast, the heat burning inside her weakening her frame. She wavered on her paws as she tried to lunge toward him. Her legs buckled as she landed a foot short of him, and she crumpled to the earth in a pile of blue robes and crimson tears. Consciousness swiftly separated itself from her being, and her limbs move of their own accord. Her neck twisted and curled and her jaws opened stiffly to let loose a horrific cry. The seizure controlled her for a moment more before she lay still once again. ?speak,?

Sendoa would screech angrily at them, accusing them of treason before lunging at her brother abruptly, only to crash earthward a foot short of duo with an agonizing wail. The babe would packpeddle two steps, creating more space between the queen and herself should she decide to strike again. She had never seen Sendoa be this aggressive toward another pack member. 'what is this.. is it rabies?' She would think silently to herself, trying to put the pieces together and figure out what could be plaguing the ailing queen. Suddenly Sendoa would fall silent as her body seemed to lose control of itself, her neck and head twisting in ways unimaginable as an aggressive seizure shook her entire body. Azure eyes would grow wide in shock as she helplessly watched the queen's body toss and turn in the snow. She had never witnessed a wolf seizure before and had absolutely no idea what was happening to her queen. "Liberty! Call your healer, she is having a seizure!" Ramses's voice would bellow from behind her, the agile feline rushing forward as he placed himself between the thrashing body and his mistress. Liberty would toss her head back, a cry seeping from her lips as she pleaded Eris to come aide their queen. She did not know what a seizure was, but she could tell by the concern in Ramses voice that her queen was in some serious trouble.

"Her Speech" "His Speech"
'thoughts'

Kyung was ill, with what she didn't know. She was scared to leave him for too long- afraid the illness would take him. She hadn't a clue what was going on, but had done her best to seclude the illness, or so she thought. A cry echoed through the pine, and she stiffened outside her den. Liberty She mentally noted, and she turned towards the sound, before she sped off- she debated for a moment- to grab herbs or not? It could simply be a small injury. She argued against her mind, before sprinting off in the direction of the sound. A cluster of scents lurked around the source. Sendoa, Etern, Lysis, and Liberty. What had happened?! She skidded to a halt, only to see Sendoa lying on the ground. What the hell? Then the scent hit her like a ton of bricks, it was the illness- the same one Kyung had come down with. It was contagious. "Everyone stay back. She's contagious." Eris spoke, her voice stern. She needn't say anything really, everyone had to have that much sense at the least. Carefully, she would move to her queen's side, nosing her, taking in the sickness. As she nosed, the unconscious form of her queen, she mentally listed herbs in her head. Meadowsweet helped with the flu, but this wasn't the flu. Perhaps it would help cure some of the symptoms? Some of the more extreme herbs- she'd have to travel for, or send a runner for and she nearly wouldn't dare to leave her patients. For now she had to work with what she had, luckily, she'd traveled some during the fall to get some herbs for potential sickness that often came with winter. The bleeding eyes worried her, gods only knew what she could do for that. Sendoa was hot with fever, and Eris knew she had to get her back to her den, and away from the pack. However, she couldn't carry her alone. "Who got here first? Was she unconscious? What happened?" She would have to risk exposing at least one of the wolves here, in order to carry the Queen into a shelter, she couldn't treat her effectively out here. First, she had to figure out exactly, how she ended up unconscious. This wasn't part of the illness that she had so far witnessed. Kyung was awake when she got to him. A question lingered in her mind, Who else had been exposed? Speech...

Lysis was not typically a child who was afraid of much, but as she stared at Sendoa with wide eyes, she suddenly knew what true fear felt like. She didn't know much about healing, but knew that something was very wrong here. Despite Sendoa's dark fur, the blood that caked her face was hard to ignore, and her eyes were brimming with the dark liquid. The Queen told her not to come too close, and she nodded silently. The woman gave her no instructions -- only wailed on in panic, and Lysis took a few wary steps backwards. It seemed Sendoa's call had been heard by others, which she was grateful for. She had no idea what to do, and her stiff posture and wide gaze gave that away. Etern drew up alongside her, instructing her to fetch Eris, but the woman soon arrived of her own accord. The illness seemed just as mental as it did physical ... she flinched as Sendoa made to pounce, shifting away uncomfortably as she fell and convulsed on the ground. Though she was glued to the spot, she knew she needed to answer Eris's questions. "I found her here," she began, her tones still maintaining their sweetness, despite the fear that had crept in. "She was talking to me, but didn't make much sense. She told me not to come too close, but that was all she knew..."

Drashiel had been sleeping fitfully, uncertain how to feel about the earlier events of that week. He felt both proud of himself and at the same time disgusted. He'd lost his virginity and he'd taken a life but he knew it was time for him to stop acting like a pup. He was an adult now and these things were a part of adult life. He would be a strong man some day and he would earn his fathers respect and he would do it from within Glaciem itself, at least til the pack was back on it's feet. Even so? he'd have to visit Roman again soon. He still sorely missed her.


Screams caught Drashiel's attention and he emerged from his den to find a gathering of wolves, including his sister. He quickly raced over to Lysis in time to hear Eris order them back and for Lysis to tell her story. Dam? he looked at the body of the fallen queen and gently leaned his body toward Lysis in a gesture of comfort. "We're not gonna have to kill her are we?" Was that what they were supposed to do in a plague? Kill the sick then shuffle off to quarantine? Was there even a chance she'd survive?


"Speech"
'thoughts'

She had blacked out at some point during her seizure, but her auditory senses remained. She heard the panic in their voices, the uncertainty, the fear. Eris came, serving to calm Sendoa if only slightly. The healer would know what to do. She had to. There came an order to stay back, and one to answer whatever questions they could. Who had been there first, that had been Lysis. Ah yes, the girl's sweet voice came just then, followed quickly by another - one that Sendoa's ailing mind could not identify. A snarl ripped from her lips - which she now thankfully had control of once more. Feebly she would lift her head, stiffly turning it to face the boy speaker. Jaws clicked shut as her emerald eyes peeled open to glare at him. ?Kill me and I'll rip your heart out with my final breath.? Such sinister words had left her tongue before she could control them - not that she would have wanted to in her current state. Her vision blurred and her head snapped audibly on the opposite direction, the bones and vertebrae in her neck creating a popping noise. ?Someone do something!? she cried in rasped and ailing tones. By some miracle, and certainly not by her own doing, her eyes fell upon Eris. ?Why is it so damned hot? Isn't it... isn't it winter?? Then it struck her. ?Fever, Eris. I'm burning with fever. I'm going to die if you fools don't do something!? ?speak,?

Ortzi was dumbfounded, he stumbled backwards when his sister snapped at him. His heart jumped for a moment and he was tempted to turn into the defensive monster he often was. After gaining his footing a deep growl grew in his throat, as she threatened he would watch and do nothing. "Sendoa! How dare you accuse me of such a thing. You are my sister, you are my queen, you are important to every single member of the pack here. WE WILL NOT, I repeat NOT LET YOU DIE FOR GODS SAKE!" He snapped at her, she fell into a seizure and Etern stepped backwards. His paws stumbled as he made sure not to touch her as he had been instructed until Eris then arrived. "Lysis and I were the first to arrive." He told Eris more calmly. He had to keep calm. His green eyebrows twitched slightly with the tongue Sendoa used towards them. His body stiffened as he looked to Eris. "Someone will need to carry her to your den Eris, I will do it. And no one can stop me." Etern bumped his body slightly against Eris in a sign of trying to comfort her. Knowing she would be facing this alone would be scary. And he had slightly come to like her even if she didn't know him at all. He settled his body near Sendoa. "Sendoa, I promise on my life that we will heal you. I'm going to carry you to Eris' den okay." Ortzi spoke softly. As he settled his sister's body on his back before standing slowly, looking to Eris to lead the way and hoping Sendoa would do anything stupid while he carried her. Speech,