(AW, except Gabriel. Gabriel is NOT WELCOMED. D8)



sharksEven from a distance, he didn't like the way things smelled.



sharksMaybe it was just his imagination, but there seemed to be an overbearing unpleasantness hanging in the air. Old blood, old hatred, old prejudices, old conflict, old fights. He didn't know how he had missed it before, but those sorts of sentiments had always been there. Even as a child, no one around him had seemed particularly happy or at peace. Maybe it was why his mother and sister had left. But maybe they had been the root of the problem that had only been perpetuated by his brother. Part of him wished he had never come to notice these things, but he couldn't really imagine any more what it might have been like if he hadn't seen what he'd saw that night. It was so strange that it had only been a few months ago. Everything he'd ever known had gone up in flames, but that didn't compare to the trust that had been burnt up also. Maybe it had been his rite to passage. His birthday was in a few short weeks; he wasn't a child anymore.



sharksArkham stopped as soon as saw the skulls dotting the border. It was almost nostalgic in a disgusting sort of way. Gabriel's scent was as strong as ever, and he faced the territory with an empty expression -- most of his face was covered with sand-colored scarf anyway. The cloth was wrapped around his muzzle and the top of his head, allowing just enough opening for his red eyes to peek through and for his very large ears to stand upright unhindered; a similarly colored cloak was draped across his back. Peppermint and spearmint leaves hung, tied in clusters, from around his neck, half hidden by the scarf. Their collective scents overpowered the coyote's own personal scent, and thus, his identity was effectively hidden. He wasn't sure how necessary the measures were, but he liked the smell of mint, in any case. It helped fight away the unpleasantries associated with where he was now.



sharksUnshifted, he sat back on his haunches and stared down the nearest skull. It was still early in the morning, and there was nothing to do but wait. He was afraid if he called, someone would recognize his voice. He had grown older, but howls changed much less than a spoken voice.

now I'm here to stay / love can be so boring / what was it you wanted / could it be I'm haunted?

Hiiii. 8D Whatever timeline works for you, lol. :3



sharksHaving grown up with hordes of older siblings and other distant relatives around him, the coyote had never really been accustomed to being around those younger than himself. He had not personally been present when Faolin gave birth, but certainly he had glimpsed his niece and nephew around the beach. In his youthful apathy, their wild and playful childishness left him rather unsure of what to do, and he had been much more content to sit on the sidelines while someone else played with them. Still, he supposed he had been fond of them; in any case, it had given him some vague sense of pride that he had been an uncle and no longer a member of the youngest litter in Inferni. He was glad to see Talitha then, and it seemed like too short a time ago that he was her age. It was strange how the relative age made him feel so much older than he actually was.



sharksNo one important, Arkham answered simply. It was harder than he thought it would be, lying to his family, but until he found out more, he wasn't quite ready to announce that he was still alive. But you have to call me something, you can call me Kharma. He smiled, though he knew she couldn't see it. Oh, an acronym, had deceptively clever; would its meaning come to fruitation? No one could know. I won't waste your time though. I just want to know if Rachias is still here? And Faolin?



sharksHe knew his sister was alive. No bodies had been among the smoldering cinders of the house and no one had been left on the beach. Inferni had made a clean getaway because they undoubtedly had the first notice. The mint-scented canine just wasn't sure if she was still with their family, or if she had decided to go find their father again. He had more confidence that Faolin was still around, if only because Gabriel's scent was still strong on the borders (after all, who was capable of taking his place? Hybrid? Perish the thought). Though there was something ever ominous about the borders, Arkham could not yet know of any war. He didn't know that no one was really safe here. And he refrained from asking about Andrezej -- his brother had been gone before the fire, and he couldn't imagine any reason for him to come back. If he was alive, then he would be wandering elsewhere. Besides, to ask for two siblings and disclude himself would be far too obvious.

sharksGone? he echoed, somewhat surprised, Where did they go? And why? Though war shouldn't have been a new concept, Arkham had a hard time thinking of any immediate conclusion as to why Gabriel would let his mate and children out of his sight. He knew he trusted Fatin, but still -- what was so wrong here that they had to be sent away? Or had they left for another reason? Something was wrong. He flicked an ear, suddenly somewhat anxious, and took a step back as she took a step forward. Rachias is my friend, he told her, I met her before the fire. Lies, all lies, but they were necessary for the while. The same with Faolin. I just wanted to know if they were all right.

As a child, Arkham had always known that the Lykoi name held power and influence. It had taken some time for him to realize that not all of its connotations were positive. It had taken his mother's sudden disappearance for him to realize that maybe the madness everyone loved to talk about so much may just be valid. He had seen it in his brothers, all three of them spanning three different leaders. Andrezej, his only full-blooded brother, had tried to kill him -- probably more than once, though it had been difficult to tell when they'd been young. Samael had always been a distant and creepy fellow, and Arkham had never taken to him. And then there was Gabriel. It had felt like some kind of betrayal. The only sign he had had other than his sister that his family wasn't as crazy as everyone else said they were. It still frustrated him thinking about it, but that was what he'd come to find, right? Answers.



He winced at his own name, and he was sure the frown showed in his eyes. It hurt more than he thought it would knowing that his sister was out in the ruins of their home looking for his body -- something that she obviously wouldn't find. He hated to think about all of the needless hurt he was making her go through by still hiding, even now. Oh, was all he could say, softly and a little resigned. Talitha spoke of war, and he felt like he should have known. A war... he echoed. You don't know much about what's going on, huh? He needed to find out more. Though he couldn't trust Gabriel for the while, he still didn't want to think that his brother had been the one to start anything. Perhaps he was still too naive. Do you know where I could find out more?

S'all good. Talitha tells him it was Asphyxia and Arkham will be on his merry way? :3



sharksThe only reason Arkham had assumed his niece would know little of the situation was because she had admitted that she had only recently returned from wherever it was that Gabriel had ordered them to go. Still, it seemed like she had quite a bit to tell and the coyote listened intently. Her...grandmother? ...Kaena? Arkham had long ago accepted that his mother would never return, but it had been Gabriel that had assured him of such, so what if? But he did not know how to confront information like that; she had abandoned them, just like his father had, to some extent. He had not seen her since he was only a few months old and had long learned to function without her. But it did not have to be Kaena. Arkham did not know who Faolin's parents were, did not know whether they were alive or where they had lived, and whether they were here now.



sharksYour grandmother? he echoed curiously, hiding his shock surprisingly well. Whether it had been Kaena or Faolin's mother though, Arkham was not sure how "accidentally" deaths could happen. At the same time, the death of a mother and a living child seemed like far too harsh a punishment for the loss of an unborn litter. Who had it been? Anyone he knew? I'm sure your father's got better things to do than humor the curiosity of a stranger, he said, smiling back at her knowing that she could not see it. Thanks for all your help though.

sharksRight. Not Kaena after all, though once again Arkham wasn't really sure what he felt about that. Relief? Disappointment? The reaffirmation that she was still gone seemed to say that Gabriel had been right all along though. Or it was a coincidence. He noted that both Hybrid and Samael were still around -- certainly good people for war, but not for keeping peace. The coyote shrugged as well, It's all right. I think I'm going to scout around the area and see what else is going on around here too. He laughed a little; Talitha's attitude was incredibly endearing, but the uncle could not help but feel it would get her in trouble, especially in these troubling times. If he had been anyone else, if he had less innocent intentions, the girl's kindness would have very easily been turned against her.



sharksI will probably be back sometime, he added decidedly, You take care of yourself, kid. Sounds things aren't that safe around here if children are being killed. With that, Arkham turned, cloak billowing slightly as he did so. Thanks again, and then he headed back towards the forests.