azzaroHis father had trained him well and he knew Drakhavo would've wanted him to take over and rise from the rank of Ezok to the rank of Khal the day he died. To lead the Khalas on hunts for Bison, on raids, to plunder and pillage, to steal and fight, for the their Khalas to keep its reputation as a fearsome and formidable pack. But Drakhavo had not risen to the rank of Khal when he had just reached the age of one, the age of an adult. He had proven his skill and efficiency in battle again and again, earned the Khalas's trust, then defeated the old Khal and took over. Azzaro had been young, and though he had proven himself a formidable opponent in battle, he still had the rank of Ezok when Drakhavo died, he hadn't even gotten the rank of Lajak yet. His father was a Ko when he fought for the rank of Khal. Azzaro had been an apprentice, an initiate, an Ezok. The wolves of their Khalas knew of his, and his reckless brother's ability in battle, but they knew not of his leadership abilities and so the Ko of the pack branched off, taking a good amount of wolves with them when they did, leaving almost nothing behind for the two brothers. The bloodfangs of Drakhavo remained to bid them farewell as they too, left, to join Drakhavo in death.

azzaroAzzaro had been expecting some wolves to leave but he hadn't expected for all the wolves to take off and leaving only a few slaves with them. Bitterly analyzing the situation, the darker brother of the two suggested they leave their beloved fatherland behind and find another home somewhere else, another Khalas, perhaps maybe to even start their own when they conquered a new land. Though their departure was because of death, the two brothers left in hopes for a better future, for new lands to conquer and raid. The slaves followed them loyally though they soon died from lack of food, for the two brothers had to be fed first and Azzaro wanted to keep moving. He thought with a certain kind of dark amusement that Raezho was sure to be in heaven now, after all this journey was probably only adventure for his little brother's reckless soul. He wondered if Raezho even cared for their father at all, the dead Khal had been a good father to them, gentle but strict and he made sure his sons were of Dotharan standard, fiercesome and formidable warriors, matching their father in combat. He had loved them dearly.

azzaroShaking miserable thoughts away from his head, Azzaro focused on the more positive part of the journey but he was beginning to wonder if this journey was in vain. They had seen world wonders, roaring crashing waves, forests, lakes, valleys, mountain fortresses but they still had not come to see what they truly needed. Widespread plains inhabited by Bison, the inspiration of their beliefs and the main source of their food. Perhaps they should never have left their fatherland, he hadn't seen anything for them here, and the dark furred Dotharan feared he had led he and his brother to their deaths.

azzaroStill, he continued walking but was only met with disappointment when the forest opened up into a valley with a river running through it, with neither plains nor Bison inhabiting the land. They walked down towards the creek where Azzaro sniffed the air and the ground, but finding only traces of small prey and the usual deer and elk. A dark scowl decorated the Ezok's usually stoic features for a moment and released a deep guttural growl of annoyance, spitting irritably into the rushing water. "Yth geou pok tenpiswo ihk naeck vur gethrisj shafaer earenk." Azzaro spoke to his wayward brother, his face back to its stoic mask as he sank onto his haunches by the creek's edge.

azzaroThe dark furred warrior glanced up to look at his brother, meeting Raezho's ivory gaze, much like his own and their father's and offered the light furred Dotharan a half hearted smirk. "Sjek wux iaco, moxt isthasy." A small frown followed, and the Ezok spoke again, "Mobi seems ekess qe ehis ihk udoka tenpiswo. si l'gra si tepoha led udoka ekess hesi marfedelom."

indentFor months the days had gone quietly, no one had interfered with the Khalas' business so far, and although it meant there was nothing to worry about yet, the golden Khal felt uneasy, it was too quiet. Little did Rakharo know that not only he was being followed by an avengeful mercenary, but he would soon stumble upon another Khalas, even smaller than him yet with the same intentions he'd had for leaving the homeland.

indentThe settlement Rakharo had chosen to spend a single night had unexpectedly turned into a temporary base to re-gain strength, and already three nights had passed since the journey had stopped. The prey was abundant in the area and Rakharo couldn't let the opportunity go without making as much of it as possible. He wasn't stupid. Bison was the ideal source of, not only food, but life, and it might have not been as abuundant in the new lands, but that wasn't the only thing that could feed a khalas. They had hunted deer and moose, together, as a pack, and they had been so successful that even the new slave had had plenty to fill her belly twice nights in a row. But their spirits all were still empty.

indentBison weren't only prey. Bison were the Dotharan's every day inspirational source, the strength in the world, and Rakharo prayed every day to the gods for open skies and a large herd to sustain his new Khalas. The gods wouldn't give it to him so easily, but they would sure guide him through the mountains, for as far as they might go, to a land  just as, or even more promising than Rhaesh Dahaan itself.

indentBut for now Rakharo was tranquil to know that what remained of his Khalas wasn't going to starve to death as the weaker had, and he was determined to keep going forward. He was just about to wake his company up to walk west when he heard voices at the top of the hill, and a scent he would never mistake. Wolves were stalking him and his Khalas, and the Khal didn't take that kind of bitches kindly. Alone and imposing, invigorated by a feast they'd had the last night, the golden warrior strode up to the top, stance authoritarian and sharp glare. He made sure they knew he was coming, and he approached from the front with his tail high and puffed chest. Any wolf would tremble to behold the Khal in his best state, and although he wasn't at the moment, he was still a mighty figure to fear.

indentWith defiance, the strangers stood up to the Authoritarian Khal. How stupid of them, it was Khal Rakharo they were confronting, not just any common hound. Rakharo had been triunfant in innumerable battles, and many skulls had crached beneath his mighty paws. These two were nothing but pups beside him.

indent"Ekess ukris ekess ve persvek nomeno idol..." The golden Khal paused for a second to stare right through four ivory eyes. "Wux rigluin ekess qe toladaf kiri sgos... Usv kiri pothoc." he took a couple steps closer, ignoring the Ezok's threat, "Zyak.. Svabolen ir re wux?" he growled, deep enough to chill one's bones. He wouldn't take up anyone's shit, not when they were the ones following his Khalas. The boys didn't seem like a threat now that he'd seen them personally, and he was tranquil to talk to them in the way he wanted. In case they decided to attack he would probably outmatch them, and if things got nasty he still had backup. Lavakho was the only other wolf Rakharo knew that would make a good challenge to him. And Zhavvi, although young, was a fierce fighter, trained by Rakharo himself. It would have been intelligent to think twice before making a move against the golden Khal.

azzaroRaezho spoke insolently, snarling at him, saying that two days were too long and he needed to eat to keep his strength up. The older brother of the two had enough of the golden pup warrior's childish and immature behavior and keeping his stoic mask on, he spoke in a silky yet lethally dangerous tone. "Ssejinw!" Azzaro did not need a whining wolf to add to his list of problems, he seriously had enough already.  "Wux geou ti renthisj ekess ve nomeno idol. Tir ti wux jinthil svabol Drakhavo huena yenta?" The dark furred wolf gazed into his brother's eyes, a glint of icy fury evident in them for the briefest of seconds. "Vi khalas maulkic ulnaus. Vi khalas soneic ulnaus. Vi khalas protects ir voga. Vi isthasy protects jacida isthasy. Vi myvish protects jacioniv myvish. Vi opsola protects jacida deevdru. Vi dask protects jacioniv hianag. Vi odassa protects asta vrak. Vi vrak protects asta odassa. Vi svihelen protects ir voga." 

azzaroAzzaro turned his gaze to the river once more before looking at his little brother and speaking the last words softly, the silky manner he once spoke in, vanished, replaced by an unemotional one. "Opsola ornla qe jirank mrith wux." Then he leaned in closer and whispered into Raezho's ear,  "Yth re isthasyi. Ti irlymi. Yth re svihelen. Jinthil."

azzaroThe darker brother listened to the blonde wolf as he spoke, making a comment about their age difference joke once more before apologizing for his behavior which was received from the Ezok with a brief nod and a grunt. Though a gentler and kinder smile passed the wolf's features when Raezho spoke in a mature manner, saying he was glad he was here too instead of smirking at him and making a sassy and very annoying comment which would've made the older wolf smack him, not gently either. He supposed it was mostly out of fear for losing his pretty blonde face. 

azzaroThe stranger spoke, saying to talk to him this way was either very brave or very unintelligent. He took a few steps forward and asked them which were they, Azzaro twitched his tail, telling his brother not to move yet and hopefully his previous words of their father would make him listen to the leader's command. If not, Raezho would have hell to go through later.  "Sgos ui wer kaldaka svaust gethrisjic ahead ios majakir siofmea ekess wer risk." The Dotharan spoke, keeping his stoic mask firmly in place.  "Nurothokentinw ui drelniqtokvi stupidi, sugercoated." Azzaro cocked his head slightly, almost in a birdlike manner. "Wer weyotipre rionib sveargith vur pothoc shilta qe zi narrow."  

azzaroHe shifted his weight, a smile almost on his face. Almost. "Si suppose si geou anyui batobot visidark mrith nomeno sentence," Azzaro rumbled. "Yth re ti faessiri." He had inherited his wit and adventureness from his mother, much like his own brother, and his strategic brain and leadership from his father. They were a perfect match.  "Yth tepoha anyuia. Jaka, svaust re wux?"                                   

indentNot even Drojharko himself had been as self confident as to speak in such a way to Khal Rakharo. The golden wolf wasn't a easy one to handle, and cleverness wasn't a trait that he held in high regard. He hated clever comebacks, and he considered them an insolence. Although he wasn't a stupid wolf, Rakharo's strength were his muscles and speed, not his brains, and his temperament wasn't something to play around with.

indentHe was the Khal, and that's all that mattered to him.

indentThe young and very Bold Azzaro had been too imprudent as to defy the golden Khal with his words, and it wasn't going to be taken lightly. Rakharo's lips curled back and a warning growl grew loud in his chest. "Sjek wux re faessiri ui di thric halkiv ekess ve. Wux vur dout girlfirend re shadowing sia Khalas, vur coi sultanic jaka. Vux geou anyui ekess sia visidarkic. Khal Rakharo tiric ti anyui ekess vi Rakhi" the Khal snarled, taking yet another step further. "Sjek wux re ti mrith sia Khalas wux re vin irlym. Svabol tir wux tuor de udoka?" he demanded, his voice as deep as the sound of a thousand bison hooves running towards you, and as severe as only Drojharko's had ever been.

indentPride is a way of thinking. It is a way of life. But too much pride in just one person isn't good. Azzaro was proud, too much for Rakharo to care, and if it wasn't because his brother had a little bit more sense than him maybe Rakharo would have chased them away a while ago. He was proud himself.

indent"Ao... Wux tepoha itrewica vi zi mlasup ehaism mobi... Ti ir mot shafaer coi..." the Khal said to answer the Rakh's question. Scars were marks of battle, of masculinity, and whoever didn't have scars on him was either a girl or a puss under Rakharo's standards. However, they were two more possible recruits for his Khalas. Numbers he needed. And they were the only Dotharan he'd seen in months.

indentAzzaro spoke. Claiming to be only travelers from Raesh Dahaan just like himself, and it made him wonder... They all had more in common than Rakharo thought. All of them had fleed Rhaesh Dahaan, and he didn't think Azzaro and Raezho would have left if they were comfortable there. They certainly must have had a similar reason to leave the homeland, and Rakharo hoped it was a good one.

indent"Si tir ti tepoha tikil di rhoa sjerit. Vur wer teikic re still karif de tenpiswo. Shar sia Khalas ui oontanx versvesh vur yth geou ehtah vi z'ar shanin qumado persvek svabolen ekess waph. Yth tiliw klae jiil throdenilt bensvelk kaldakai ekess letoclo mrith wer maulkic." He paused for a second and looked up and down at them, studying them. He believed in their story, and was actualy glad that he wasn't the only one to leave the homeland. "Wux jiil vorq hefoc wux tiliw klae vi bensvelk achthend... Wiilirk ve. Majak dout waphic ekess ve vur wux geou agantal tepoha vi goawy persvek sia Khalas." he stopped again for a second, and stared with severity into both brother's white eyes. "Yenta thric vur sia Khalas geou tepoha vi bensvelk gribkoan ekik di wux." he said, not being 100% serious about it. Just 95%.

The two of them had that in common. Their wit. And so far none of them seemed unuseful at all. Raezho expressed his knowledge on plants and healing which picked Rakharo's interest even further. They needed a healer, someone to aid them in times of war and even pulling out babies from their mothers when the time came. No Khalas was complete without a Koalak. Raezho would find a place for him in Rakharo's new empire.

As for Azzaro, the golden Khal had seen a fire in his eyes that burned beyond being a mere follower. That fire had burned once in his own Bloodriders when they were still loyal to him, and he admired that on a wolf. He too, would easily find a good place within the lines of Rakharo's mighty army.

They had both pledged their life to a new Khal, both of them with sincerity, and Rakharo bowed in respect to his new subordinates. His Khalas grew stronger, his family larger. It hadn't been a complete waste of time walking all thw way from Rhaesh Dahaan to this new place. They would be fine.

"Honor to you both. I expect you to be loyal and faithful, but mostly, I will see to it that you two earn your place in my Khalas. This isn't a free offer... You," he turned to Azzaro, "will see my brother, and you will train with him. I don't care how good you are, you will do as I say... And you," he turned then to Raezho, "will carry on with your studies of plants. There are plants in this place I never saw in Rhaesh Dahaan, I expect you to have a lot to research. We need a good healer in our Khalas." he said, and turned around to go back with the rest of the group. He would introduce them to the Khalas and test them on their knowledge so that he knew what place they would take. The Dotharan had a strict hierarchy that no one could escape.