Quote:The heat today was almost unbearable to him, and he sought the river to get away from the humidity. He walked toward the river with long strides and when he finally reached it he immediately slumped into the water and sighed. He made sure he could reach the bottom and began dipping his head into the cooler water and move it up and down a few times to really get the cool into his fur. He took a little swim in circles and then reached the river bottom again and stood still for a while.

Alteron had proven to be quiet for him, he hadn’t really met anyone yet, he was very alone and couldn’t phantom why he rarely saw other wolves. He splashed at the water up into his face and enjoyed the water, but all by himself. He looked out across the small river and wrinkled his nose slightly and eyed a large rock out there in the water. He decided to swim to it and climbed it but quickly went into the water again. It was too hot! He used his paws and tail to splash water onto it and then he climbed it again, just to lay down.

He dipped his red tail into the water and moved his paws back and forth into the water as if he was playing with it. Tarun was simple in his train of thoughts and lately he couldn’t help but wonder if he had been bad? Had he done badly or done wrong to be so lonely? He just didn’t care much for lonesome time like this he was a wolf driven by authority and orders from others, he made few decisions on his own beside hunting and sleeping, so the time that had passed with him being in charge of himself was very uncomfortable to him.

A man driven by needs might have found it easier to live like this, but Tarun was not drive by his needs, not even the most basic ones. Instead he was driven by worth, power of others and motivated by how the social ladder engineered above him. It was the power of those above him that drove him to do well, and sometimes that came in the form of good and evil, but he couldn’t exactly tell which one. He only knew of the purpose of others and if they did evil, so he became evil himself without the intention to. 

Quote:There was a war coming, word of it had been shared by others.  The air around Alteron was tense, and he could feel it, but did not partake in the feeling.  This is what the boy had craved since leaving the womb, since he'd set foot onto the earth of Alteron, his first breath he was sworn to defend and keep Alteron.  That was what his father and mother had wanted wasn't it?  Why the two most- for the lack of words brutish- of Alteron had been thrown together for spawning nothing but loyalty to the empire?  

While Abraxas disliked the fact he was a pawn for someone to use at will, he did enjoy the aspect of being used to gain power and influence.  That was something some of his siblings could not attest to, especially Anzu.  The girl may have some bark, but there was no bite behind that pretty face.  Not that Abraxas could see, but his brother- Namaah- they shared something, he wasn't sure what, but it was deep and resonating in both.  

It would seem though, that not everyone was keen on preparing themselves for the war, for slaying enemies, and furthering the success of the empire- no- it would seem some would rather play in the water.  Water that was so dear to all in the most dry of seasons.  Eyes narrowed at the unsuspecting male, immediately disgusted that this wolf was not trying to make a thing of himself- perhaps it was a stray slave that had lost its way.  Abraxas would be a dear lad and lead him back to his quarters.  

"You!"  Abraxas called to the boy on the rock, his voice demanding respect and dripped with venom.  Abraxas clearly was underweight between himself and this stranger, but he had enough venom in his blood to infect this larger wolf and bend him to his will if need be. 

"What are you doing?"  He asked, hissing the question between pointed teeth, throwing words around as if he held rank- but then again, who was here to say he didn't?  Why not play the game.  Why not, not, be the pawn for once.

Why not?

"Come here-"

And let the games begin.

Quote:"You!" Tarun jumped up on all four paws in a startled manner and looked around to find the source of his surprise. He found it on the other side of the river and he tilt his head curiously at him. It was a youngster, not grown, not a child and Tarun wasn’t sure what opinion to have on that. He was used to dealing with one or the other, so this was new to him. "What are you doing?" That was an odd question, didn’t he sense the heat that was beaming down on them? He tilt his head again almost as the dot of the questionmark.

”Cooling off from the heat.” He liked these simple questions, they were easy to understand and answer, why the youngster asked was probably more complicated though. But Tarun wasn’t rude, he answered even though some might argue it was none of his business, thoughts like that didn’t occur to him. Someone asked and an answer they would get, provided Tarun knew how to answer the question.

"Come here-" Tarun stood silently for a while, watching on his rock and not moving a muscle. Why he almost asked. Why should he? A youngster like him was probably not important, right? He probably didn’t have a rank just like Tarun. Tarun waved his tail slightly, wondering and considering his options. At first he almost turned around to lay with his back against the youngster but a thought occurred to him. What if he was the youngster of someone important, and that was why he was ordering him over? He didn’t like the sound of that and so he descended into the water and swam across to him.

As he rose out of the water and let it drip off him he stood a few feet away from the youngster and shook his fur. Tarun was not a fan of being disrupted in this heat, but he didn’t like being the cause of trouble to someone in power. ”Who are you?” Who are you to call me over, boy? Someone important’s boy? He better be or this was just a waste of time really. Maybe the boy wanted to play? Tarun didn’t like playing too much but he would consider it if the boy asked nicely.