Redsand Canyon Empistosýni

If you have the time ;w; <3

The journey from the vale to the canyon was longer than Arsenio had hoped it would be. He had spoken with @Tamar to let her know that he would not be away for more than a few days. He had explained to her that he needed to speak to Germanicus so that he might update the Imperator on their progress with Epoch. The time spent away from his wife was far more difficult than he would have imagined.

Stepping into Mereo, Arsenio found a familiar sense of comfort return to his frame. He trotted into the red rock, scouring the walls for signs of cougars or soldiers. For a moment, he paused to drink at the trickling water that flowed down from the stone. Testing the fragrance of the air, Arsenio pressed inward until he had found @Germanicus’ scent. A soft call was made to the Imperator.

for u, always <3

the eagle was rather disheveled when arsenio's call sounded.

he had little time to arrange himself and so simply did not. instead he fell into step with his redstone brother. a breath of relief resounded in his chest. "how fares the vale?"

he hoped for good news.

The grey-muzzled Imperator appeared, rough-edged and worn. Arsenio eyed him with a smile, curious about what his days had brought upon him. He believed that he would have time to inquire when he had provided a report on their progress.

It is good to see you, Roman. You look as though you have aged, and yet I have not been gone long enough for such things. A teasing remark. There was humor on the mercenary’s tongue when he spoke to the other man. Arsenio could not help but wonder if there was something wrong, something that had pulled the man away from his canyonland.

The vale is beautiful. We have found everything that we should need. It will make a strong outpost to Mereo, when we have formed. A small nod. In more… somber news, Khalys has died. I found her fallen from the rocks on a nearby mountain. It was a difficult thing to see.

the news was pleasant enough save for the new knowledge of khalys. he grunted under his breath, tossing arsenio's remark a wry look.

"was she buried, or had she fallen from too great a height? either way, i believe we should honour her with a song and a marker for where she last stood."

the man sighed. "i have been to akashingo. queen satsu is dead. poisoned."

Mmm… a stranger helped me to move her to a better resting place. Her body is beneath the trees, in the shade of the mountain. A solemn nod of his head followed the statement. Germanicus wished to honor the women. Arsenio could not agree more. He bowed his head in understanding to the other man’s statement. It would be good to send her away with their voices, their blessing, and to hope that her spirit found that of her mate’s.

Germanicus had news, as well. He said that the lady Satsu had died in Akashingo. He then stated that she had been poisoned. Arsenio’s expression did not shift, but he felt a bitterness rise in the back of his throat like bile. Satsu had been good, better than Ramesses, and it was a shame to know that she had been murdered in her home.

Ah, we are bearers of bad news today, hm? It is a shame that it was not the Pharaoh. His glacial blue gaze shifted coldly toward the Roman. Arsenio thought of his conversation with Qiao, and the plan that he had shared with her.

he bumped his shoulder against that of arsenio. "you are a good man for that. our own cannot be forgotten." khalys' death felt odd to hear after he had dealt with a direct murder. he was unsure of how to reconcile the thoughts.

arsenio spoke upon his hatred for the pharaoh. germanicus accepted this with a knowing look. the greek's eyes were closed. "she leaves behind three children," he said softly. three children who would be corrupted by akashingo.

Arsenio did not know that his actions made him a good man, but he did not wish to combat the Imperator’s remark. Khalys had been intended to move to the vale, to become one of Epoch. It was a dreadful shame that she had not lived to see that day. It was painful to know that she had only experienced love once, and that she had followed that love into the afterlife.

They will not have a good life under the Pharaoh. They will become like him, or pawns of him.

The redstone wolf frowned.

Perhaps lady Satsu was the fortunate one. Arsenio was not certain that he believed this. He knew that she had been kinder than Ramesses. She had shown the promise of a good heart. Her love to Akashingo’s ruler aside, Arsenio had never thought that Satsu was the enemy. Now he would never know.

What is to be done with the children?

arsenio was harsh but germanicus felt much in the same way.

"a coyote suckles them. they will be reared by servants."

germanicus looked upon the stalwart redstone face. "before winter he intends to take another queen. i have left glaukos there for his tour of duty. perhaps his presence might deter ramesses against further rashness."

The redstone man found himself sickened by the idea that Ramesses would take another wife.

He wastes no time. Distaste hung on his words. Arsenio found himself secretly hoping that the Pharaoh’s next children would be a shame to his blood, deformed in some way that would make them unappealing to him. When he realized that his wishes were made on children that had not been born, he was forced to curb his anger internally.

Glaukos would remain in Akashingo to serve a tour at the Pharaoh's side. Arsenio did not have thoughts on this matter. He had spent little to no time with the surly soldier. 

What does this mean for Mereo? For us…

"it means nothing. ramesses will once more be preoccupied. epoch will rise." he rolled his shoulders. "the birth of more royal children mean no threat unless there is force, and there is not force inside akashingo."

he looked steadily upon arsenio for a silent moment of communication.

"at any rate, i expect you to be rather distracted yourself," he said straightfacedly. "i certainly was."

Distracted, yes…

Arsenio thought of Tamar and their plans. Epoch would rise. It would be strong. Mereo had proven itself to be something spectacular beneath the Imperator’s rule. The vale would follow in its path and would create a place for learning, a place that would create talented futures for any who stayed. It seemed like a fitting place to raise a family.

You will come see Epoch when it has formed? I will show you the land. Though, you will surely not best me in a race there, Roman. I have learned the trails well in my time away.

This time he smiled. Arsenio’s time in Akashingo had passed. He did not need to worry about the Pharaoh or his plans.

germanicus laughed, grateful for the easier shift in their conversation. "we will see! i have been practicing, greek. i will show you how to run around the mountains."

he bumped arsenio with masculine roughness. "i would like all of mereo to come and visit when the children are old enough to travel. but i at least will escort kallik and aquene with their family if they arrive before that."

Arsenio laughed, throwing his head back. The Roman believed that he had the upper hand, that he could show the redstone man how to race the mountain. It was good to laugh with the Imperator again. Their talk of serious matters was weighted, and it had left the mercenary with an indescribable feeling in the pit of his stomach.

When Germanicus spoke of those who would visit Epoch, Arsenio nodded his head. It would not be long before Kallik would be able to join his family in the vale. It would be a peaceful place to raise children.

How are they growing? I do not think it will be long before Kallik and Aquene can move to our new home. Their pups must be strong. Arsenio thought highly of them both. Their children would be members of their foundation. They would grow to be as strong as the mountain at their back.

"like weeds. the children each day grow more and more underfoot. i did not think this would be the future of mereo. now i cannot think it could be anything else."

between mereo and epoch, an army was already raised.

"the saints' location must be examined, eventually," he sighed, turning his mind to business. "i have half a mind to seek them out before winter."

I would have never seen you as a family man, Germanikos. But here you stand.

Arsenio chuckled warmly. The Roman had changed a great deal in the time away from Akashingo. His once stone-sour face had become warmer. The Greek believed that he was more forgiving, though he would never have speculated that aloud.

At the mention of the Saints, Arsenio drew his ears to a point and frowned. It always came back to business – at least he was consistent.

I have heard little about the Saints. Are you certain it is wise? Knowing that he had children on the way, knowing that Tamar would be waiting for him to return home, Arsenio was not sure if he was willing to take such a gamble.

"i did not picture myself this way either," he said crisply.

his words turned back to the business at hand. but the eagle felt he had told a falsehood.

once upon a time these thoughts had come to him: a hearth. a home. and a pairing which had been taught to him as unnatural, yet it was the one most practiced in the military.

"it is our duty. why else was mereo formed?" arsenio and kallik, two of the sunspire's finest fighters, would not be obligated to go. this amused the man.

It was their duty, he said. Why else had Mereo been formed?

Arsenio sucked in a breath of air and turned his head to the side. He had believed their original formation goal to be something of a lie. The mercenary believed that telling Ramesses their plan was to eliminate the Saints and their numbers from the area was sound enough that it had allowed Mereo to form without any outcry from the spoiled king.

They were strong in numbers, were they not? The Saints had not been heard from or seen in those parts in many months.

If it is a call to battle that you seek, I will fight beside you. The redstone wolf frowned thoughtfully.

But there is more to consider now that Mereo is strong and the Saints do not appear to be a threat in these parts.

What did the Roman think of that?

"they are not in these parts. but that they exist at all may prove to be a problem. suppose they are only growing their numbers distantly and intend to return in an attempt to reclaim the canyon?"

he sighed.

"perhaps they will return not at all. either way, arsenio, it is the pending status of the matter which puts me on great edge."

the roman was grateful for the epoch wolf's loyalty.

Whatever you believe is best.

Arsenio shrugged as if to say that it did not matter to him, either way. He had fought in plenty of wars before. He had chased out bandits and outlaws from the hearts of other territories to favor his buyer. The why had lost its importance to him a long time ago. His only concern was for his wife and for their future family. The mercenary did not wish to be chasing fiends into the far reaches of the world just because they existed. It seemed a piss poor reason to risk everything that had been built.

I will only go so far. My duty is now to Epoch, to increasing the strength in Mereo and in the vale. My heart is with Tamar and the family that we will have in the days to come. I will not chase the Saints into the sun with you, Germanikos. I must let you know, up front. There is a limit to how far I will go.

The redstone figure cast the other man a curious expression. He still did not understand why the Roman might leave all that he had made behind to chase some group of misfits. There had not been word on the Saints or their terror in a long time.

Mereo’s goal or not. It would not be the first time you shifted the plans of your pack to adjust for a better future. Arsenio smirked. Mereo had once been a branch of Akashingo, and Germanicus had sought to sever those ties. How different would it be to abandon the chase on the Saints?

the imperator nodded.

"i would be a poor leader and a poor friend if i expected more of you than what you have already given, arsenio." he said this solemnly for it was deeply meant and deeply felt.

an army seemed foolish in the moment.

or perhaps not the army. 

perhaps the standing nature of it.

"the soldiers must see action. i have considered reaching beyond the sunspire to other packs. maybe a contract for sparring might be struck elsewhere."

arsenio was correct. mereo must change again. and it would, in a way he did not expect.

Arsenio believed what the Roman said and considered his tone to be genuine, honest. They may not have agreed on certain things, but Germanicus had a way of presenting himself in an honorable light. He was a soldier just as much as the men who followed him. Arsenio had never been a good soldier. He was a fighter of opportunity. If the pay was good enough, his fangs could be sold to anyone. There was nothing that tied him to their cause except for the exchange at the end. There were times that he wondered if he had misstepped in his friendship with the Roman, if their arrangement would have been improved by his former mindset.

You know, an exchange with other packs would be a good idea. It would not grant them the taste of real battle, though. If you are training soldiers, no amount of practice or spars will prepare them for the heat of a war.

Why did he say this?

The Saints are a fine target, if you are seeking one. But what happens when they have been stopped? What happens when there are no wars for your men to fight? What would Mereo’s purpose be then?

"we have had several joiners, mostly young wolves. the need for battle training continues. we have made a good home of the canyon but it is time to march."

he squared his shoulders. "i am pleased to see that epoch will be founded so well. i am certain there are things even i will be able to learn in your halls of education."

The Roman answered in a way that only he could – with dignity and by avoiding the directness of Arsenio’s question. The mercenary did not bother pushing for more. He didn’t doubt that the man’s soldiers would have work. There were many packs and groupings of wolves in the Teekon area. There would be work, surely.

The two men continued to chat about the futures of their packs. They discussed their families briefly, not delving too deep in the emotional scale. When they parted ways, Arsenio felt relieved. The future of Epoch would be bright with Mereo standing so strong. Together, the two settlements would have great power.