Thin ebony stilits carried her around the rock garden, the place she had grown up and been raised. A sad sight slipped from her lips. Seraphim was gone, murdered. Ares was gone, having disappeared once again. She felt trapped. Trapped within a pack where she knew no one. Tattered ears pinned against her skulll, a lingering cough heaving her bodice. She had been sick, so sick. She had tucked herself away in a den away from the pack, hoping to wait out the illness, and she had, barely. But when she had returned to the world, she found Ares gone, his scent stale from their den. She spent days convined in the dark hole, grieving. This was the last time. It was far to hard to keep putting herself through this. Crown shook, shaking away the memories. Fall had come, and was nearly gone. The weather cooled, bringing the faintest of snow fall. Winter. She would two years old. It also meant she would be in her first heat. But it was the farthest thing from her mind. Ebon bodice weaved in and out of the rocks, not really paying attention to her surroundings. Perhaps she would meet someone from the pack? She could only hope, she was terriibly lonely. Despite her illness, she had lost very little weight, and she had cleaned herself up, returning her coat to its natural shine. Two toned eyes where bright, though filled with sorrow. She needed to do something. Anything. She needed a change. Talk like this

soz, couldn't resist!

Perhaps it was the lack of excitement and thrill of danger that had the porcelain knight possessed by the urge to pursue trouble, but perhaps it was simply desperation to rekindle the bond between her wayward brother and herself that had her tracking the scent of her greatest enemy. Devya was her brother?s whore, after all, and although the majority of her encounters with the sable brat had resulted in bloodshed or venomous sentiments, the paladin was determined to locate the woman if it meant that Ares was nearby. It was emotionally draining to be at war with her sibling when all she had ever wanted to do was shower him in her devotion and thieve the world and all of its riches, only to gift it to him upon a silver platter. He was of her blood, and although he had been so misguided in his youth, it was still a firm belief of hers that she owed him everything the earth had to offer, just as she owed the remainder of her broken family. It was the need to heal the relationship between she and Ares that had her trekking across the entirety of the land, only to end up at the threshold of an unfamiliar pack?s domain where Devya?s scent lingered. A snort brushed past her leathery nostrils as she realized that the sable brat had taken up residence in their father?s former haven, and although it was evident to the babe that a pack had lain claim to the rocky expanse between her mother and father?s death and now, she would not hesitate to disregard the borders. Defenses would slide into place as she blindly pursued Devya?s path, simultaneously and instinctively tuning into her surroundings for the approach of any that had detected her unwelcomed presence; she was on dangerous turf and understood perfectly well that her actions were unwise, yet cared little. Her brother meant more to her than the possibility of being attacked ever would, and even this possibility was enough to persuade the battle-oriented prodigy onward. Mismatched gaze would devour the sight of her brother?s whore with greed, her pupils raking every inch of the woman?s physique with fervor?she was lanky and weak, just as she had been during their first encounter. Neither a wry smirk nor a grimace would present itself across her porcelain countenance despite the multitude of emotions coursing through her interior, and only silence would consume her very being as she halted in her tracks and scrutinized the brat for a long moment. ?Where?s my brother?? she inquired after a prolonged period of wordless examination, her tone uncertain as the memories of her youth came back to haunt her?memories of her mother, memories of her father, and memories of Ares.

When she had been hoping for company, she had not expected her familiar stench to fill dark nostrils. Hackles bristled as two toned eyes searched for the pale wench that was bound to make an appearance. She had not seen nor heard from Artemis in so long part of her hoped the girl was dead or at least gone forever. But of course not. Her arrogance had not changed when the girl dared to show her face within pack lands, well instead the borders. Eyes narrowed, scrutinizing every inch of her porcelain bodice, just as she was doing. A question rolled off her lips, invading tattered audits in the most unpleasant of ways. The only surprise was the lack of a sneer or grimace on her pale features. "And why would I tell you?" She took her time giving Ares sister an answer. There was no rhyme or reason to her unannounced and unwelcome visit. And the dark woman was not about to give up any information without knowing the reasoning. "What are you doing here?" It was a loaded question. Why was she back? Why had she crossed the border? And most importantly, why did she care? The pale wench had already denounced any relation to Ares after her attempt to force claim him. Dark limbs would move so that she faced the woman head on, keeping about seven feet in between them. Her movement allowed her to square limbs to evenly distribute her weight. There was not a single hair on her body that trusted Artemis. Talk like this

Amusement filtered onto her scarred countenance in the form of a lopsided and halfhearted smirk as she observed the sable brat?s response to her abrupt appearance, satisfied in her own ability to extract such a negative reaction from one who had always been so collected in the past. It was evident to the paladin that time had not quite healed the scars she had inflicted upon Devya?s mind; resentment still lingered in the air between them, and Artemis was neither willing to make amends nor did she desire to, for loathing another was far too much fun in the eyes of the chaotic fiend. Whether or not her brother?s whore felt likewise in regard to their relationship, she cared not?either way, Devya was bound to her through hatred and jealousy and Artemis had no intentions of ever releasing her. The brat was hers to torment through all of eternity, and all for a bit of fun. ??Til death do us part, no? Irritation crept into her veins as Devya deliberately elongated the pause before her response, but her practiced fa?ade would never betray the negative emotion swarming upon her interior, even as the babe refused to supply her with a proper answer. Rather than portray her annoyance towards the defiance of the brat poised before her, the prodigy simply shrugged, mismatched eyes glazing over in further mischief. ?I don?t know?why wouldn?t you? You know I can?t hurt him, no matter how much of a traitor he is. You, on the other hand?? she suggested smoothly, knowing well that Devya had likely not forgotten every encounter they shared and how her threats had never been empty. She had promised the babe that their next battle would end with her plucking the eyes clean from Devya?s skull, and she had every intention of following through upon this vow should the brat rub her the wrong way. However, a fight was not what she sought?not today. But keeping Devya on edge was too amusing to the former tyrant, so she would not see reason in enlightening the wench upon the fact that she was safe?so long as she kept her tongue in check. It was then that the brat would question her intentions, seemingly wary of her presence?as she ought to be. ?Clearly, if I asked for Ares, I?m here to find him,? she retorted with a sigh of feigned exasperation, as if to question the wits of the woman before her. Slowly but surely, a sheepish grin chiseled the smooth features of her porcelain visage, a nervous giggle soon writhing through her frayed lips to accompany the expression?but it was all just an act and she knew that Devya would realize it. ?But if you want complete honesty, I?m a little bored, too.? ?Oops. Her attention would divert from terrorizing the woman before her to her main focus of this encounter: locating her troubled sibling. Mismatched gaze would scan their surroundings in search of his pallid form, expecting him to emerge from behind a boulder to reprimand her for her callous antics, but the more she inhaled the air around them, the clearer it became that his scent was no longer prominent even upon his whore. Discomfort settled into the pit of her stomach as worry overtook her, thoughts of Ares? perceived death flooding her mind. He would not leave Devya willingly, would he? Impossible. ?You don?t know where he is, do you?? she inquired slowly, but her vocals were so monotonous that it sounded more like a statement than a question. Gaze hardened upon her enemy, briefly forgetting that the girl was just that?an enemy.

Irritation bubbled in her chest, but the girl knew better than to show her emotions to the pale ghost. Words would pick away at her patience, threats falling from pale lips. But it was routine, just a dull mundane thing that occurred every time she ran into the girl. The threat against her safety fell on deaf ears, but she knew well enough that her enemy would not hesitate to attack. "Surely you aren't so foolish. After all you do stand on pack lands." Crown tipped to the side in feigned concerned. Things could never be easy. Feigned exasperation followed impatient words. However, the girl decided to mix up her routine with a giggle. Another subtle thread fall from the pale babes lips. She was bored. A look of bored fell over dark features as the girl suited for up a verbal battle. She had learned more than enough from her run ins with the girl. "Must you always threaten me?" Her tone suggested the Artemis really needed to mix up her routine a bit. Something else would capture the babes attention, diverting her gaze. When she finally did return her attention to the dark woman. She would admit that her adversary was quick. She knew the Ares was gone. But was it wise to admit such a thing? "He's not here" She would only imply that Ares was not within the pack territory. The information she gave was minimal. Artemis did not need to know that she had been sick, nor did she need to know that Ares had vanished completely. The woman resisted the urge to shift her weight, she kept her weight evenly distributed amongst squared limbs, two toned eyes trained on her enemy. She didn't trust the hardening of her purple gaze. Talk like this

#SuckishLateNightPosts

She could have scoffed in the face of her adversary for believing she truly cared about whether or not she treaded dangerous waters by intruding upon claimed turf, but she would play the part of the merciful tyrant (if only momentarily) and spare her the humiliation. Instead, she would offer her brother?s whore the faint and disdainful clicking of her tongue against the roof of her mouth, accompanied by an incredulous shake of her skull as her wry grin dominated the premises of her porcelain visage. Surely the dark temptress was not foolish enough to have convinced herself that her pack affiliation would save her from the wrath of the maleficent hellion; and yet, Devya?s blatant stupidity had reared its head numerous times prior, so Artemis would not consider the idea farfetched in the slightest. ?If I was so concerned for my own safety, I would not be here, Devya,? she retorted smoothly, rolling her shoulders briefly as if to shrug off the very thought of fear--a concept she had discarded so early in her youth. Only ignorance and arrogance were left to control her very being as a result, and control they did. The brat?s inquiry would fall upon deaf ears as her focus fell upon her initial task, nostrils continuously and spastically flaring as she attempted to pinpoint the familiar scent of her sibling without much success. Whether or not the paladin wished to admit to the fact that the unknown whereabouts of her wayward brother worried her, it was quite evident in her actions?skull rotating and ears swiveling atop her crown in fruitless attempts to catch a sign of Ares while she impatiently awaited the babe?s response. Once she had derived a vague answer from the sable brat, her motions would cease altogether (aside from the heaving of her broad chest cavity as her breathing quickened), the ghost of a frown tugging at her frayed lips as she processed Devya?s response. ?Obviously not!? she snapped, irritation finally seeping from her silver pores as concern continued to swell in her breast, brows furrowing slightly as her gaze interlocked upon the brat?s own. ?Do you even know where he is?? she seethed, body pivoting away from the woman as her attention yet again left her adversary in favor of attempting to discover a trace of her sibling that he might have unintentionally left behind.

She paid little mind to the clucking noise and the shaking over her pale skull. She honestly just wanted this meeting to be over as soon as possible. When she spoke, the mere sound of her voice was irritating. The pale girl didn't care that she was on pack lands, that there was the possibility of attack. Sometimes she wondered if Artemis ever really thought about her actions. It pleased her see that the girl was growing irritated. Gems would watch as her pale adversary moved away, almost desperate to find a trace of Ares. Though none would ever be found. She remained silent until the girl would once again snap at her, demanding an answer to her question. An exaggerated sigh would roll from dark lips. "If you must know, he went south, claiming he needed some time alone, but other than that, I don't know." The lie rolled easily off her lips, for all she knew it would be true, but then again it wouldn't hurt to send the wench on a chase for her brother. Wherever he was, she was certain that he was fine, though she missed him desperately. She would stare at the pale ghost easily, not giving away a single clue. Though inside her jumped with glee, but only if Artemis took the bait. A brow would lift, waiting to see if her enemy found the information to be satisfactory. Tail swayed behind her, her expression slowly becoming bored. This was not the way she planned on spending her day, anything else would have been better than dealing with Artemis. Talk like this

short, but i just wanted to actually wrap this up.

At long last, the sable brat would offer her the information she had been vying for since she arrived, and although it was a false answer, it would be presented in a manner that would not earn her suspicion. Therefore, the ghoulish paladin would simply shrug her shoulders back in their sockets, composure sluggishly returning to her pale form as she filed Devya?s response within her scheming mind and allowed her attention to waver back to the girl, brows slightly furrowed in a contemplative fashion as she pondered over the many possibilities as to why her sibling sought solitude. Briefly, the thought of their mother?s slaughter crossed her mind, though even she truthfully doubted her wayward brother felt remorse for his heinous actions against the woman who birthed him; perhaps there was only trouble in paradise? One could only hope. ?Right, then,? she began slowly?awkwardly as she continued to pivot away from her adversary to face the southern region where she proposed Ares resided thanks to Devya?s deceitful claims. ?If you find him before I do?tell him I stopped by.? And with that, the wraith was off to begin a wild goose chase for her lost kin, indifferent to the fact that the brat would likely fail to heed her command. ? ? ? -- exeunt artemis