Ankyra Sound i have travel'd a long way, merely to look on you, to touch you

Private for @Spyridon and @Caiaphas. Feel free to powerplay the NPC, Abraxas!

When she and her party had broken free of the tangled wood and saw the wide blue of her Mother Sea, Minthe had nearly wept for joy. It was still far to the shore, but at least they could see it; there was renewed hope in their journey, and though all were weary, they pressed on with an inspired fervor. She knew enough from the directions of her High Priestess that she must journey toward the sprawling mountains, and so Minthe led them with a confidance she had not felt in weeks.

She would not allow them to rest until they were upon the sands of the Sound.

When they arrived, a half moon hung in the tapestry of night, and stars twinkled as light rain fell upon them from a sparse painting of clouds. Minthe desired nothing more than to race down from the cliffside to dance along the swollen tide; but this sacred place was claimed, and even Nereides obeyed the territorial instinct that ruled wolfkind.

Minthe turned to the consorts, and with a dark growl she told Abraxas, "Πηγαίνετε, για σας δεν είναι ευπρόσδεκτοι εδώ." It was only Spyridon that was the gift, and Abraxas had his own test to complete; if the Queen were to see him and Minthe did not offer him to her, it would be a grave insult.

AS SALTWINTER IS THROWN INTO UPHEAVAL !

along the brine a breeze wafted, and that breeze supplanted a scent caiaphas could not ignore. two were unrecognized -- but one was not. spyridon. caiaphas felt a shakiness to her limbs she had not felt in a long time -- a trepidation filled her heart as she swung towards the borders at a swift trot. her ears pressed forward and she assumed a fluid gallop until she was upon a wolf she did not recognize. she slowed to a curious halt, her feral gaze resting on minthe. the agouti was travel-worn, but caiaphas was more interested in her companion -- she swung her head low in a quiet call for the familiar consort.

Their journey had not been without its hiccups, but they had finally made it back to the mother sea. As they neared the shore, Spyro's heart beat more quickly in his chest. He could not be sure if this excitement was due to this place specifically or the sea in general, though he did not question it further. Abraxas was ordered away, as was the plan, and Spyro nodded a silent goodbye. He had been nothing extraordinary, though he had been a decent pupil. His purpose had been served now that Minthe had been safely escorted to the sea.

The younger consort had disappeared inland only moments before Caiaphas arrived, and Spyro's heart skipped a beat at the sight of her. He had thought that maybe she had perished in the winter, but it seemed she had survived. "Siren Queen," he greeted quietly (in Greek, as always).

Phone post, but all of her dialogue is in Greek.

It was not long before they were greeted by the wild Queen of the Sound, and Minthe's posture shifted easily to one of deference. She would never bow before a male, but sisters - even those distant and unfamiliar - were different, and a Queen was second only to the Protomedeia of Themiscrya Coast. A mouthpiece of the Sea. She was prepared to throw herself at the woman's feet, but was interrupted by the siren's call to Spyridon, and the consort's own greeting.

Minthe was overcome with confusion by this exchange, and while she believed herself in no position to question the Queen's behavior, it was her place to correct the grave mistakes of the consort. Her teeth bared, turning upon the male that had been her gift to give, "Not your place, spawn," she warned in lilting Greek, accented by a low growl.

Her belly was nearly touching the ground when she returned to face the wild queen; shame was evident in every hair of the youth's posture. "My Queen," Minthe whispered in reverence, "He was to be a gift to you, but I shall kill him for insolence if you require it. I know not what has gotten into him; he was known in Themiscrya as a model Epivitoras."

assume she is speaking in horribly non-native greek

it had been so long since she had seen spyridon that it was him she approached first. her barracuda-length muzzle sought his own, trailing along his cheek as her tail rose in excited beats. her own hackles rose as minthe corrected spyridon for his error, but she kept her tongue, for it had been she who had committed the social faux pas in greeting a male before a female. she gazed at the strange female, who was hardly higher than her pasterns at this point. caiaphas realized then how unfaithful she had been to the nereides -- sinfully she wondered if she had ever truly been worth the title aktaie had given her. had minthe known how wayward caiaphas had been since the sisters left perhaps she would not have regarded caiaphas with such humble deportment. "he was my epivitoras here as well -- no better wolf ever existed." her voice was shaky at first -- it was evident it had been some time since caiaphas had spoken the higher tongue. she regarded spyridon gently before turning her fierce gaze to minthe. "what honor is it that brings themiscrya to ankyra?"

Spyro shrunk back at Minthe's scolding. It had simply been so long since he had seen a Siren Queen, and he had failed to follow protocol in his excitement to reconnect with her. He was not to be killed—not today—and he was grateful for their forgiveness in his mistake. His ears perked up when Caiaphas continued to speak, though he made no move toward her. Now his only duty was to stay here until they decided what he would do next.

Just noting that we're re-dating this thread to present day. @Caiaphas WE'S BACK. :)

From the corner of her gaze, Minthe watched in silence as the thin woman drew her angled snout along the consort's muzzle. She assumed that the Queen was now investigating her prize, considering the option of slaying him for his crime; the yearling could not fathom anything else, and felt a quiet shame for her initial confusion. It was not her place to question the Sea's voice, not even within the privacy of her mind. Minthe remained there, low, until Caiaphas spoke once more.

"I am to be raised to Adept, for reaching you," she explained. "And will continue along the path of Amazon, with your guidance."

caiaphas was relieved to see that despite the rustiness of her speech, she was somewhat comprehensible. she watched spyridon as he shrank from minthe's chastisement, though she made no move to comfort him. it had been so long -- and she had not been faithful to the creed.

she didn't feel guilty at all for this -- not anymore. like any sociopath she felt her path had been justified, and would sway again if the fates suited or tempted her. the yearling spoke and caiaphas envied the fluency of her tongue, the nimble gracefulness in which the words poured from her mouth in perfect formation. "we will have you then, though you will find all nereides have abandoned the coven save for me." caiaphas, deviant as she was, had at least told the truth here. "there are no faithful left, and those with me now are not bound by the creed."

Spyridon made no attempt to move from where he was. His ears swiveled from one sister to the other as they spoke, and there was no surprise when Caiaphas explained what had happened. Ankyra Sound had become nothing compared to what it once was. To hear that it was so different brought a flutter of panic to his heart. He knew only one way to live, and anything else would be so... foreign. But it was not his place to decide, and the decision was deferred to Minthe.

Startled by the Queen's proclamation, Minthe swung her head to look at the consort— she was still young, after all, and this was not what she had expected to find at the end of this journey. Spyridon was suddenly the only thing familiar, the only wolf that could possibly relate to the inner turmoil that had erupted within her breast. But she quickly realized her misstep in glancing at the male, and her sea-green eyes steeled over as she returned her gaze upon the reedy woman's shoulder.

It troubled her that the Queen's followers were not devout, though she had no reason to believe that Caiaphas was not; and after a quiet moment, she responded. To her credit, the youth's voice was steady, but when she was done here she would beseech the Sea in private, panicked prayer. "It is good that I am here, then," she told the Queen, "for I will aid you in guiding the others to obey the Sea's Will."

They perhaps conversed a small amount more, before Minthe and Spyridon were ushered into the safety of the Sound-- and oh, would they see how things had changed.