Open Secrets [Nocturne]

[Deleted]

Nico



Did he honestly have no clue about so many of his relatives polluting the land? There was something to be said about being special and of a lineage that was somewhat known. Now he was facing the little monsters of his father’s loins being even further spread. Yes, that was not something he was particularly counting on, not in the long run. His body was swaying from one side to the other as he sauntered his way through the field, headlong throwing himself toward the hills. They had looked elsewhere, so this was the one soothe that would enter Nico’s mind.

Ah, it was almost too amusing to believe, they had been looking all over for the residence of this Reece fellow Xanthus had gotten into a tumbleweed with. Unfortunately, the wolf had not left enough tracks in the snow for it to be efficiently tracked, and the male had all but disappeared. It was a thought that amused Nico, but he was delighted at the prospect of a hunt anyway. A game too easy was no game at all.

So it took a while before he would start slowing himself down. He was a little worse for wear, but the search had been endless. It was a requirement to locate the blasted female who existed as cousin of his. The mere thought was worrisome, Nicostratos was not a family type. His brother was his bond and his word, but beyond that no one else had a proper righteous attitude for living. They were little thorns under his paws, and gosh, Nico hated thorns!

The laughter was always under his breath though, he was thoroughly amused with the fact that he had been sent out on a hunt. Not to kill and not to maim, but to assess. It was no surprise in his mind that he would be tormented, and his paws were striding himself forward with an embrace that could not be denied. Head cocked to the side, and his tongue flicked out over his lips with a show of pleasure. It was so cold, it was beyond freezing. Almost to the point where he was not surprised that there was tracks everywhere. Everyone would have to be up and walking as not to freeze to the ground.

It was why his mind was rolling with the thoughts that they were. Namiko of the Black Coast was owned by Kerberos, his apparent half brother. To think that the female might not have been as crazy as he had first assumed. She was still a lunatic, that was clearly evident in the way things had been spoken up about. But his tail swished lightly behind him with the memory that was following on his heels. He would have to venture out before the winter ended.

It was something to be sized up over the fact that the worried cousin was so close to the Black Coast. The hills were the last spot to be viewed at, taxing on his mind. Perhaps the pair were already in allegiance, it was something that made him want to offer a grin. Silly losers, if that was the case. There would be death in the lands, he could already feel it under his paws.

The snapping sticks were strange in the open land, but as he snapped them with his paws, he paused to look down. It was a sin, he wagered it was a beautiful to hear that on the sound of one of his kin; it had never occurred to him that he could kill his own family. But perhaps it was a bridge he would have to cross.

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It was freezing, each breath leaving a stationary little cloud hanging in the air. She loped onwards, her pace slow and steady and utterly relentless. It didn't matter than she was tired and that she had been travelling for three solid days. Before that, she'd hunted mercilessly, bringing down two deer for the pack for feed on whilst she was gone. The meat would keep well enough with these sub-zero temperatures, and it wasn't as though she was the only huntress about. She'd slipped away without a word, the restlessness in her heart growing suddenly unbearable. There had been a moment of blessed silence from Zarek's poisonous words when Reece had turned his back on her weeks ago. But lately, he'd been taunting her again, injecting his venom into her bloodstream that made her reckless and snappy. No, she was not fit for company in the slightest, no matter how much she tried to curb the instincts that weren't her own.  She'd given in now, letting her ancestor direct whichever way she was running. She didn't know what she was looking for, only that the sooner she found it, the sooner she might be rid of her personal nightmare. She'd avoided all signs of life on her travels, slinking through whichever shadows presented themselves. She had always been good at stealth, and she'd not lost her touch over the past months either. Moving with graceful silence had been something she'd aspired to even as a young pup, and she'd fulfilled that aspiration fairly swiftly in life. She wouldn't be alive now if she hadn't. The snow beneath her paws was so compacted, it was almost like a sheet of ice, without the slipperiness. Her paws left no print upon it, and she was grateful for it. The less others knew of her whereabouts, the better.  She passed across the open landscape in the few hours of light that the winter days afforded. Small bushes were scattered here and there, brown and naked against the sharp whiteness of the snow. She was passing by a slightly denser tangle of twigs when a sharp snapping sound had her jolt to a silent halt. Her ears were erect, silver eyes staring through the little windows in the bush at something solidly dark grey. Wolf. Her heart quickened, Zarek's hunger for this companion forcing her body around the bush and straight into the path of the stranger. She peered at him, wrapping her features into a mask of cautious curiosity. Who was this creature who had the darkness in her heart crying out? Part of it was certainly that this must be a wolf with...darker impulses. It was the same pull as the one she had felt to Reece. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, forcing away the stabbing pain in her tattered heart. "Good day" she greeted the male, not at all intimidated by his size. If he was big, then he was going to be slow....and she had always held the opinion that agility won against brute strength.  "Speech"

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[Deleted]

Nico



In a thousand years, he never would have thought that luck would creep along the treeline in the distance and bring him what he was looking for. On the account that he was looking, there was a knowing look in his eyes that could not be denied. Mouth curved up and the laughter was ringing in his throat, and his tail lashed at the air. It was a pleasure to see the dark creature coming out of the shadows for him.

Father, the soft sound tickled his mind and his thought grew almost into a voice. I owe you. There was a need to make an established connection with his kin. The assessment that Xanthus had warned needed to be conducted would be evidently tedious. The recognition was a blank one, and at the same time it was almost as if the wind had taken the form of paws and gestured him forward. His head dipped in a show of greeting, knowing she would speak first.

How forces compelled them, and his eyes shined. The orange-red fire was brighter than normal, starved with the notion that was playing in his head. No, he needed to be very careful. This was an attempt to be made that had to go with very gentle steps. His head tipped to the side and the mouth opened carefully, trying to think of what would be the best thing to say.

"Madame," His words were light with a show of humor, "Frigid day for a little black ghost to be wandering about, isn't it?" It was not out of harshness he spoke, but just mild curiosity. No, he would not let the issue linger too long. There was a need to let her know, pound the shock value into her features and see how she crawled out of the issue. The mere notion had him wanting to dance on the cold ground, but instead...

Nico remained positively still, and his body bowed lightly. "I am Nicostratos." The introduction was required, it was proper. It was so less suspicious once a name was offered. But he was not the dangerous sort, he was well versed in his options. He could attack her now and she would never see it coming, but what good would that do?

No wonder the old fool Xanthus met wants to take you. Absent assessment was tinged on his mind, and he offered a bit more of a grin. Oh, what a secret that was!

[Deleted]

She didn't know him, but she had the nasty feeling she ought to. There was no other explanation for why her paws had carried her out into this godforsaken frozen wasteland...to meet this wolf. He spoke softly, with an elegance that belied the brutish look to his figure. She let her posture remain relaxed, though her every fibre was prepared to launch a counter-attack if things went awry. She was so highly strung at the moment, she wasn't sure what would set her off. Something small and perfectly petty, as far as she was concerned. Oh, how she hated Zarek and what his ghost did to her. She stiffened slightly at his words, her gaze sharpening at what seemed too well-calculated to be merely a coincidence. She made so sure that she didn't look as empty as she felt...and the first person she ran into called her ghost? No, fate was about to spring something monumental upon her and she was not looking forwards to it one bit. Still, true to her style, she forced her lips into a faint grin. She wasn't going to take whatever came at her lying down and whimpering! "The chill of this wasteland is but a reflection of those who walk upon it" she answered back, tilting her head ever so slightly to one side. "Whilst I make no presumptions on your behalf, I can assure you it will take far more gelid conditions to prevent my travels." It helped that she had northern blood in her, her black coat thick and fluffy to insulate her against the cold. No, she was quite snug and warm, save for the tip of her nose. But she wasn't going to complain about that - the cracked skin there was a small pain in comparison to the burdens she already carried. She sighed softly at the offering of a name, knowing that etiquette would require her to do so in response. "Nocturne" she replied simply, giving no more information than was necessary. After Reece's reaction she wasn't nearly ready to part with more personal history than was necessary. She gave the male an assessing glance, though her mind was more preoccupied with pushing Zarek's gleeful crowing back into the darkness of her heart and locking him up. It was a futile effort, to be sure, but she wasn't about to stop trying. "I'm surprised to find you out here" she offered directly, not one to mince her words. "With neither pack nor prey to call your attentions, why are you here?" "Speech"

[Deleted]

Nico

Pleasure was not to be denied on the fact that she seemed to feel the same pull. What an oddity it was to come up against someone who looked almost a bit wild at the touch. Her words were well cultivated, shut down. Why, he supposed it did sound a little on the touch of the female known as Shai. Some little spittle of arrogance that was never to be deserved. His tail swished, and he bowed his head.

"Oh, I did not expect you to ask such a question." His words were almost thoughtful as he waited for her to pose what he counted on. It came much sooner than he ever would have assumed. Perhaps there was a reason she had taken up with a crazy wolf absurd enough to challenge his brother. Xanthus had been more amused than anything, thus the male was not very capable. Why would he be hanging around someone like a cousin of his?

Mouth turned at the corner and he moved forward just a step or two carefully. The sounds were ringing in his ears as he weighed his options, his laughter was ringing through his ears. Paws were pushed into the ground and they massaged greedily, thinking on the options that were coming through.

"What I am doing out here is very simple." His explanation seemed grand, he had spent such a time in the quiet that his narrowing of his eyes seemed inconsequential. He was content with the world, and he rolled to sit down. Yes, let him freeze to his spot for a little while, there was no need to think he would be rushing anytime soon.

"I was looking for you, cousin."

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She waited for him to answer, a single flick of her tail indicating her impatience. If this was what Zarek wanted her to meet, then she'd met him. As far as she was concerned, she could turn right back around and head back home....and hope for normality. He was drawing pleasure from this and she forced herself to be still. As long as she wasn't enjoying this, then he had no right to do so either. When the answer finally came, it knocked the breath clean out of her lungs. She scrambled to hide the shock on her features, silver eyes darting left and right as she worked through the implications of things. Cousin. Somehow, she didn't think this had anything to do with her father's side of the family. No, this was no doubt linked to the lineage of her mother...which led them straight to the heart of the matter Zarek, "I should have guessed" she growled after a moment, watching him sit down. "The blasted scoundrel won't give me a damned moment of peace!" She glared at the ground by Nico's paws, a deep scowl lining her features. "What is your connection to him?" The question was harsh on her tongue, but she didn't care. This wasn't about sweet-talking herself into being someone's temporary companion. This was something akin to a business meeting. He looked about her age, for all that he towered above her. Really, he looked quite unsightly as far as she was concerned. No class underneath all the muscle and brawn. Oh, he could talk prettily enough, but that didn't change the fact that his very appearance set others on edge. As she waited for the reply that would condemn her to this meeting, she wrestled Zarek more firmly into his cage. His cries of delight were deafening, and she hated that he derived so much pleasure from her own frustrated anger. Anything she did or touched was tainted by him, and it infuriated her more each day. How dare he take the right to inhabit her heart and destroy everything that crossed her path? If she was his kin - his preferred kin - then why should he make her life so unbearably difficult? "Speech"

[Deleted]

Nico

What reaction he was looking for, it was hard to say. With his head cocked to the side, the thoughts were rolling through his mind. The negative reaction was one of shock value, but it just had Nicostratos laughing. Oh, what venom for her own kin! It always shocked him to his core, but it expressed itself only passively. What right did she have to bitch about who she was? He was proud of his heritage even though it was dirty, and not the path he would dare to follow. If she was too weak for that, well, it meant it was time for elimination.

It was why he forced himself to breathe through his nose, not taking the chance on letting himself go enough to pounce. It was a temptation, and he could feel the drool starting. The need to go after and take the throat of the female. It would be nice to have her in his jaws, just to prove who was the better. He suspected he already knew the answer, so he kept docile. Harmless. Yes, it was a pretty little illusion.

"I am the last born." His blunt words said in a dry drawl, although he could not guarantee that such was the truth. Not anymore. As far as he knew, there had been no other in the area carrying young, and he had been near his father's final resting space at the time where Zarek let the next world take him. "My twin and I are Zarek's sons. A result of the force breeding of a she-wolf named Catatonia." His words were blunt and to the point, shrugging his shoulders, careless to the situation.

It was not time to explain that there was a third. There was such a need to assess what was already standing in front of his face. "You are a descendent of Shai's breeding." His words were soft, disgusted. "I can tell by the slope of your back." His words were biased, a little horrified at the notion. Not that the female before him looked anything like Shai, but it was a proof of breeding. His mother had been the same cloaked gold.

Claws massaged the ground carefully, and the air rushed out of his lungs. Was she going to take it well? Was she going to go off on a bender like something that could not be explained? Was she not sane? It was a thousand questions on top of another. Xanthus present would have been so much better.

[Deleted]

She listened to him impassively, a faint scowl wrinkling her features. Last born. Well, didn't he think he was all high and mighty for that! She hid her displeasure, though, watching the male from expressionless grey eyes. She didn't twitch at the mention of how his mother had birthed them - she hadn't expected Zarek to do anything else. Also, which female in her right mind would willingly let such a beast some within three yards of her? No, as far as she was concerned, all Zarek's offspring were the product of forced breeding. Yet one more reason for her not to want anything to do with his lineage. "I would hardly have expected anything else from your esteemed sire" she commented, the inflection to her vocals making her position on the matter quite clear. If some male had the temerity of even entertaining the idea of filling her with pups she didn't want...well, then she would embrace the entire darkness of her heart and tainted soul to eradicate said creature. She was surprised that he would have known her lineage, though her features showed none of the emotion. She had too much experience in veiling her thoughts and feelings to be at a loss now. The corner her lip curled upwards in a disdainful smirk. "That I am" she agreed, almost a little bored. Now that the truth was coming to light, it didn't seem special at all. "Shai was my great-grandmother. I am related through my mother's line." Her smirk widened at the thought, and she couldn't help but voice what was on her mind. "It has never ceased to amuse me that the survivors of Zarek's preferred lineage have never been male." She barked a short, cold laugh. Oh, it served him right, that arrogant madman! She took a couple of steps closer to the male, watching him carefully. It wouldn't do to miss some crucial little manner - not now when the beast in her heart had quieted down a little. "So, Nicostratus" she breathed, leaning in close. "Are you going to follow daddy's pawprints? Or are you man enough to tread the threshold of light and dark?" There was a challenge to her gaze, silver eyes staring relentlessly at the male. Oh, he probably thought himself all big and strong - quite capable of snapping her tender little neck at the moment's whim. The thought made her grin privately, her heart pumping just a little faster at the thought of threat. No, her cousin or uncle or what-ever the correct term for her relative was, would be in for a bit of a surprise. She wasn't accustomed to losing a fight, and she didn't really plan on doing so now. "Speech"

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Nico

The disgust still lingered in his eyes even after her lineage was confirmed. It was enough to cause her mouth to turn up in a show of displeasure. His tail swished from one side to the the other, and a bark of laughter pulled out of his mouth. "Preferred lineage? Where did you get that in your head?" Disapproving tones laced the air, "Your great-grandmother might have been the chosen female for my Father's life... but there was nothing good about her lineage."

His nose flared, and the rough purr pulled out of his mouth. "Evidently you've never had one of Draco's relatives cross your path. They knew all about Shai and her filthy male-breeding brother." Arrogance shined in his eyes, and the mockery was something that could not be denied. His head stretched out toward her, and his nose raised as it flared and drank her in.

"You're disgusting in your breeding, really. Fleur would be your grandmother." Words tumbled out of his mouth, laughter chuckling out of his mouth even more. "Don't you know her brother was in love with her?" His shoulders rolled, his droll look was shining on his features. As he took a careful step back, he turned to half circle around her. "It's not a surprise if her mate wasn't actually the bearer of her pups - heavens knows incest wouldn't be a surprise from Shai's lineage."

Yes, Nicostratos had be in contact with many of the wolves of old. Their descendants. While he had not the pleasure of anyone from Draco - simply because it was rumored the male never settled even on his death bed - there had been others of the family. Those who had all been graced by the breeding of the Tamari line. Yes, there was confidence in his voice that could not be denied.

"I'm not much better, but at least I have no incest in my lines." His words were deadpan, and he shrugged dismissively on the topic. No need to hash up his own mother, who had simply been weak. "I still managed to take well after my father too..." His words faded off, looking at her dead on. There was no reason for him to ignore the female and her question though. There was a reason she had asked it, and he was ready to inquire what the reasoning behind it was.

"I have no intention of following in Zarek's footsteps. My twin Xanthus and I would have ripped each other apart long ago if that had been our intent." He inclined his head faintly at the mention of his brother, the faint smile on his features. "But I know someone who does carry that intimate desire."

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She rolled her eyes at his dramatic statement. Of course her lineage had been preferred - precisely for the reason that Shai had been the one to bear the pups. "We were preferred for the simple reason that Shai was the one to birth us, and her breeding was far more impeccable than anyone else that crossed Zarek's field of vision." Her voice was quite matter-of-fact, her features still set into slightly disdainful lines. Her relative certainly hadn't done much to impress her so far. "It was not Shai's lineage that was poor; her spirit was simply not compatible with Zarek's aspirations." Frankly, Nocturne thought her great-grandmother had all the right in the world to think that. "Fleur's perfectly effeminate and docile ways show quite clearly that lack of breeding was never an issue." Really, one just had to look at his ungainly bulk and blocky appearance to know that. At the words that tumbled from his words, it took a moment for her to work out the utter fiction that he was uttering. It seemed quite plain that her relative hardly had two brain cells to rub together. That, or he was perfectly content to regurgitate whatever someone had spoon-fed him without cross-referencing his source. She laughed at his ludicrous assumption, derision dancing within her eyes. "Oh Nico, if only you knew how stupid you just sounded..." she shook her head in mock sympathy. "Of course, you probably don't know any better than to accept blindly what daddy dearest told you. " She set her rump to the ground, before continuing her tale. This was going to be a longer conversation if she was anyone to judge. "Zarek never knew a thing about Shai's brother; it was her only weak spot and so she kept that story to herself." She paused, running her tongue lazily across her lips and looking all the world like the Queen of Sheba. "You, my dear boy, are blurting nothing but the uninformed assumptions of a crazed lover. As much as you wish to detest my lineage, it is we who know both sides of the story. We are the only enlightened spawn of Zarek's." She supposed she could just as well have said 'I' instead of 'we'. She didn't think grand-daddy Sirius had told many others of Shai's stories, passed on to him shortly before the extent of Zarek's tortures freed her from her suffering. She'd asked him to take care of whom he trusted her life with...and she was fairly sure Sirius had done so. Her grandfather had been an honest, well-bred male after all. Not like the scoundrel her father was! The words in incest were equally ludicrous, and she looked at the bigger wolf with pity. "Do you really think Fleur's mate wouldn't have noticed if Nero put his grubby paws on Fleur?" She didn't hide the mocking note to her vocals. Idiocy was a crime worth punishing, as far as she was concerned. "As much as you wish to think otherwise and tarnish my superior lineage, there is no incest in my lines." She let him stalk around her, one ear lazily following his progress. She really wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of putting her on edge. Why, they were relatives! Of course they would play nice... She merely snorted delicately at the pride he took in taking after his father. No wonder Shai had tried to run when she'd first met Zarek! Nocturne was more than glad to say she had never met the beast, but he must surely have been quite the unpleasant sight to behold. She was more interested in the answer Nico gave to her question, and she felt a sudden weight fall off her shoulders at the words. That was one thing less she needed to worry about. He and Xanthus might do their fair share of killing - the bloodlust and sliver of crazy was simply in their genes - but they weren't about to murder the innocent on a whim. The Zarek in her heart grumbled angrily at the admission, and she gave him a mental smirk of triumph. Take that, you crazy fool! Your offspring don't even want to be like you! Guess you did something wrong with your parenting, whelp. She swung sharply about at Nico's final sentence, all thoughts of making an attempt to be sisterly flying from her mind. "Another one?" A dangerous fire kindled in her heart at the mention of one willing to ruin the world. "Who?" The growl was low, the fierceness in her gaze demanding an answer. Oh, she was going to sort that idiot out herself before Zarek got his filthy paws even dirtier. Perhaps, if she managed to clean up the mess that Zarek had started, Reece would manage to forgive her! A snide part of her commented that she didn't need Reece's absolution - he was the fool for turning his back on her in the first place. As it was, his lack of presence still hurt dearly. "Speech"

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Nico

Pity hung in his eyes as she argued with him, calling him foolish and denying his claims. Of course she would be as twisted, as absurd in the head as Shai had been. It was the spoiled breeding that was a taint, and it brought him to wonder. Oh, Zarek had spoken to him once, parroting the words Draco himself had explained about Shai. What was wrong with her, why she was not a good candidate beyond the means. She was suitable, only. Staring at the female, the best thing he could say was, "Shai was a bitch, too, just like you. I bet father would have liked to beat you happily if he had been around you to play with before his death."

It was Zarek's heart and obsession that had caused him to pick her. Anyone with a little bit more of a decent mind would have opened their eyes and realized what kind of filth they would be bringing into the world. Why, he was looking to it right now and his mouth curved up in a show of amusement. It was a reasoning, he supposed, he might understand one day.

"Perhaps you should have asked your grandmother Fleur," Was all he left it at, dryness on his tongue. There was a reason there was no little Nero-based pups running around. The male might have been a mutant, a disappointment in the end, but he had still been Zarek's son. If it hadn't been for his own odd obsessions, there would have been dual lineages of Zarek's descendants running around. Still, he would leave it at that for the time being, a faint smile on his face.

Her meltdown over his announcement was what won him over. He decided then and there that he liked the piece of trash he had dug up, and he would offer a decent report to his twin. She was infuriated as he was with the fact that the other wolf existed. His tail swished lightly as she raged at the notion, and his shoulders shrugged. "Some fella in the Black Coast calls himself King and worships Father."

"His name is Kerberos; he is bigger than myself, smart as Xanthus and likely as blunt-tongued as you." His words were light, his amusement shining in his eyes, "Completely unredeemable, and has to likely die." His announcement was matter of fact as he continued along with his words, so casual in their delivery. As if he were passing along something about the weather, all while his own blood boiled a bit.

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It was quite apparent that they were going to disagree on the matter. Her lips twisted upwards in a dry smirk, sardonic words slipping easily off her tongue. "Considering I'm female, it hardly surprises me that you call me a bitch." There was a playfulness to her vocals, his barb shattering on her armour of self-esteem. She really didn't need some jumped-up relative to compliment her for her happiness to be secured. "And whilst I may well share Shai's more stubborn streak, I am neither as broken-hearted nor as foolish as her. " She paused, her own upbringing racing through her mind. "I am well aware of the battles I cannot win, Nico. Life is only worth living if you can free yourself from the shackles that bind you....whether you attain the goal by trickery and illusion or brute force and murder is quite irrelevant." She paused the flow of her words, unwilling to go further into the subject. If her dear relative had a hunger to know more, then perhaps she would feel magnanimous enough to enlighten him. She left him with the crazed notion of incest. Perhaps there was a grain of truth in whatever he spoke - but she was more than certain that her mother had been of Sirius' descent. She'd had his aristocratic looks and the silver eyes that she had inherited. Mayhap there were other cousins of hers that she had never bothered to listen out for...and even now, she didn't care. Provided they weren't out to throw the world into darkness and chaos, their existence was irrelevant to her. Nico answered her question speedily, and she noted idly how easy it was to get her way. She'd never really known why...either it was a skill that came naturally to her, or she was surrounded by creatures who were docile (and clever) enough not to keep her waiting. Kerberos. The name sounded pompous on her tongue, and she felt a definite tremor in her heart at the mention. Oh, Zarek was more than happy about that. In fact, given the way he blasted straight out into her mind, he was ecstatic. "So that's who you wanted me to meet" she hissed lowly, so overwhelmed with the fierceness of Zarek's escape that she forgot about her companion again. "Nico was a happy coincidence for you, but Kerberos is the one you've had your eye on, isn't it!" Her ancestor simply laughed at her, his booming voice ringing in her mind. Her claws raked the ground and she battled against the presence that was beginning to cloud her senses. Kill the traitor who doesn't wish to spread the dark glory that is my legacy he whispered, his oily fingers unclasping the self-same evil bloodlust that had murdered her ex-mate. There was a wildness to her gaze, locked as it was on her enemy and ally. "He wants to kill you, you know" she gasped, nearly trembling with the exertion it took to keep control of her mind. "Zarek is most displeased that you don't wish to carry on his corrupt and evil legacy." It was quite clear that Kerberos was Zarek's favourite, and so she agreed most readily to Nico's astute observation. "Certainly he shall be killed. Zarek causes me enough grief, without his crazed spawn trying to douse the world in darkness." "Speech"

[Deleted]

Nico

Kerberos was a dangerous subject to be approaching. As if saying his name might invite him in, but it was a necessary evil. It was a stand that needed to be taken in order to see where she would fall at the end. But unfortunately, Nico was too taken with the words of the insane. It was enough to make him groan, the pain filled sound actually laced the air like he had just been stabbed in the eye. It was a sound of suffering, too be sure.

"Oh bloody hell, you're a loon too are you?" His words were short with her this time around, his eyes staring at the female. "Father is dead, he only lives within us." His paws stomped on the ground gingerly. There was actually a loss in his voice, a hurt that could not be denied. He missed his family, he missed his Father that could have been so much more to him. His ears pulled back, but her words had been dismissed.

His sadness was forced aside, and he looked at her pointedly. "Whatever you choose to manifest as an excuse for your bloodlines making you evil, I don't care." Wise words were short on his tongue, "I lose it too, Nocturne." His honesty was point blank, attempting to be a sympathetic little monster. No, no. He had no sympathy for her, not like had been offered to the other female - Namiko.

"Kerberos has a pack." His words were one of warning, soft on the air. "He is a monster, to be sure. He apparently slaughtered someone begging for mercy for entering his land." It was just a story, nothing that could be set in stone. Regardless it would be fuel to the fire, it would be enough to make things happen a little faster. His smile was slight, and his head bowed slightly.

"Kerberos may not be able to be defeated." The warning was on the air, not something he had discussed with his brother. While it would have been a good idea, Nico was not prepared to admit he had some concerns. A large wolf with a small pack of bloodthirsty creatures going after Kerberos's throat was one thing. A wolf flanked with a pack of savages was another.

"It is... a problem we have been exploring."

[Deleted]

The shortness to his tone and callous assumptions on what she battled with was enough to have her raging. How dare he make light of something that ruined her life so completely!! "I do not choose to have anything to do with him" she snarled, the tips of her teeth easily visible against the blackness of her coat. "The bloodlust I can handle; the moments of insanity happen to the best of us." She paused, her breathing ragged with the two battles she was fighting. One to get Zarek out of her mind and heart, and the other to refrain from beating the arrogant, know-it-all wolf before her. "If he would just stop talking and meddling with my life, things would be dandy!" She stomped the ground angrily, pushing the wolf's ghost slowly but surely back into the confines she had crafted for him. The effort left her flanks quivering as shallow breaths drew frigid air into her lungs. She hissed at the news Nico so kindly laid bare. A pack. Of all the blasted idiotic things to let Kerberos develop! "That is a very depressing snippet of information" she agreed, her voice soft and quiet as her mind ran over the implications. How were the loyalties divided in the pack? Would anyone be prepared to aid them from the inside? How many were part of this pack to begin with. And, equally important, did Nico and Xanthus actually have anyone at their backs? She took a moment to focus her running mind, setting her rump primly against the frozen snow. "This pack of his. How big is it? How many of his members can he count on to save his unworthy neck?" She spoke slowly, lest Nico miss out something crucial. He didn't seem the brightest star in the sky, after all. "Also, do you and Xanthus have anyone following you? Or is this going to be a ditch effort between the three of us and an unknown entity?" Getting the full facts would be useful. She was more than willing to get her paws dirty and spill her relative's blood - Zarek had made sure that she had no qualms when it came to killing those who got in her way. But she was no mindless risk-taker. Why do something sloppily and rashly with a very real chance of damage to herself, when things could be done much more efficiently with a little bit of thinking and planning. "Speech"

[Deleted]

Nico

Bad news was something he was excellent at giving out when the time called for it. He found himself staring at the crazy female, absently reminding himself that he needed to keep his wits about him. Evidently something had gone wrong in some of the breeding around here, because most of the females were prone and proven crazies. It was not something that should have been bred into, and his head was shaking with the quiet reminder.

His own mother, for what it had been worth, was sane. She was not loving, she was never attached. But at the end of the day she had been sound of mind even shortly after she had been taken by Zarek. His shoulders rolled carefully with the words he uttered, but the disgust on her face mirrored his own when they focused on the issue of Kerberos.

"I'm not confident in his numbers, however, I have scented multiple males." His head tipped to the side, "And apparently other females who would be no use in a fight. He keeps them beaten bloody and horrified of their own shadows." The smile faintly played on his face as he pictured Namiko, his thoughts playing around with what she would do if Kerberos was destroyed. The crazy little lady couldn't go running free back into the paws of another captor, now could she?

Head inclined with the words that came out of her mouth, questioning where he stood. "That task is better left up to Xanthus, he is feeling out those who might sway allegiance in these lands for a worthy cause." Careful words were not about to make a commitment, not when he knew there was a risk involved. For at the time, they had nothing. Nothing but their own determination.

"Although," Casual words dropped on the air, "There is one other male who seems to have his heart with the right intentions and may join us." He was careful not to mention the name, he simply offered the information. Xanthus's senses were usually on the mark, so he would keep his hopes to himself.