her house sinks down to death and her course leads to the shades,
It was a most strange request, certainly one she had not expected from Ishtar but even more so, not one she had expected to have been given to her. In theory it made sense, however. If she were to aspire to and gain control of the position of the Grand Marquis, she would need to overcome much of herself to prove herself worthy - for Andras, she would, if not for herself and Elesor. The task was strange enough by itself but additionally, she had to take with her a younger wolf - just her luck that both those she had approached were interested in performing the task alongside her. Zaqar, of course, had gone - he was the final child of Baphomet, Ishtar's pride and joy. Saqr came as a surprise to her, having been black marked by not only her but many others for his imprinting on the Diveen wench. Lillith knew best it could not be helped but still, the stigmata remained - so long as he kept his genes to himself, though, he was safe in her eyes. Katsumi, like Hush, was not though.
She had fetched them the moment the sun had risen, leading them silently from Iromar and towards the pack known as Glorall. Not much was known of the sea side pack, only that it had fallen in and out of ruler-ship many times in the last few seasons. Who ruled the kingdom now was unknown to her but if Ishtar wished to seek some form of alliance then so be it - all she could do was hope she was not met by Angels or with attitudes that would require some degree of snuffing out. The reasoning behind the alliance was something she tried not to rationalize nor think of and instead, she merely read over and over her thoughts in an attempt to devise some kind of verbal plan. She doubted the two boys would use their words wrongly, but she could only hope they would do as they were taught to do and speak before she - it would be a shame to have to reprimand them in front of an Alpha, right? She was the Stygian, and she would speak only when it was appropriate for one of her ranking. For the most part, the initiation of the task rested on the shoulders of Zaqar and Saqr - they even moved to the pack in silence, the task briefing having been short and succinct.
By midday they arrived, the scent of salt rising fast in her nostrils - she snorted, unimpressed by the foreign scent as they emerged at the border line. And they say Iromar has a stench, she thought with a quiet laugh as she moved into the shades, attempting to avoid the sunlight as best as possible. To be so deep in colour meant summer was but a bane, the sun too hot and the winds too humid. Compared to the expanse of Glorall, Iromar was a sanctuary for them come the warmer months, the sun kept out for the most part. For that reason, she intended to have them wait beneath the tall trees, their black forms seeming to meld in with the shadows - she liked the dramatic effect.
With that, she came to a halt, motioning for the pair of boys to stand by her sides, watching out keenly for the eventual arrival of the Alpha or Alpha pair. She would not utter a cry, having expected the pack to have rigged patrol duties or better yet, one of her escorts using their voice to summon down the King. It was time for business and with such a potential for a promotion riding atop it, she was in no mood for games.
all who go to her cannot return and find again the paths of life |
