Maybe he was cursed. His whole family seemed to be plagued by something after all. His brother was constantly sick during his rule, his mother murdered by a usurper only to lead to his father’s chained death because of the imprint bond. Half his siblings were dead or gone it felt with only them remaining to take it all. Mugen took a deep ragged breath, his remaining nub of a tail giving a few annoyed twitches out behind him only to make him look more mangled than he really was. Well… he actually really was, not that right now he gave a shit with how he looked plunging head first into the wilderness like he was going off to die. Perhaps he was in a way, but not until he got his little shit back.

He followed his son’s scent with as much precision as he could, but even with the cold he was still panting and heaving as he went along because of the effort it took to get him over the snow and around the damn place. Why did HE have to get sick? It was like Asteraia was cursed for his family. Maybe that was why Tora had left, he could feel it was gonna kill him. Well, he would have to ask him about that after he beat his ass for leaving in the first place. He wasn’t in the mood to talk to strangers, but when was he ever? He ignored any scent that wasn’t his son’s any voice that would have called out to him would have fallen on deaf ears while he followed his singular purpose. Soon enough there was someone that was stupid enough to call out to him while Mugen had been forced to stop and catch his breath.

A low growl rumbled from the male in frustration, his head whipped around looking absolutely crazed and wild. Then the would be good-hearted stranger had the goddamn nerve to tell him what he already knew. ”No fucking shit. I’ll cough on you and give it to you so you can experience it first hand if you don’t fucking mind your own business.” Mugen said whipping his head back around and forcing himself to carry onwards. He didn't have time to sit there and pander to some nosey ass strangers small talk and what would likely end up being some stupid sermon like what his brother would give about how he should be in a den, sleeping and resting. Mugen KNEW that but his stupid son didn’t get the damn memo that his father was fighting from being put in a premature grave.

Leaving the stranger to do whatever the fuck it was he was doing, Mugen was serious when he said he would give it to the other guy, he didn’t see what he really looked like, or cared either. Perhaps his own fault for not detecting the danger, but he wasn’t exactly great at doing more than one task at a time, ever. He was set on his one and it didn’t matter if he had to go through hell or high water he would get that one task done THEN he could deal with whatever else came his way.