[Feizin]

She had left the den of her siblings for some time now, slept in the open or by the tars, not interested in mingling too much with her siblings, yet crazed enough to seek out the tars. She watches them often, watches the bobbles and the way they rise and burst, only blinking for seconds to not miss it. She doesn't know whatever or not she likes it yet, too pure to really know of the ugly side of beauty. Still too young for this world and one could wonder - what would the girl have become if she hadn't been born and raised here?

She lived for her religion, the culture and this land, she was a patriot to her gods, devote and fair - as fair as the white god ever would be, as devoted as the red and strong willed like the yellow. She was them all. For now.

She hadn't picked an alignment which wasn't so unusual for her age, she had not yet discovered much of red and yellow, they were too unknown for her to pick one side of it all, too many options and gods to pray to. She loved to pray to each one for now and she would continue to do so until her devotion was set in stone for an alignment. She hoped to have one by the time of her rite of passage.

She left the tar pits and wandered toward big empty fields and found herself a quiet area by rocks, here she sat and started reciting the quirks of each color. Strong for the yellow, virtue for the red and swift of white. She had learned much about white, she had seen imperfection in its stars, but not in the goddess, only in the god in making. Was it really imperfection in perfection? Was it not simply a test for them to live through? She liked to think so and closed her eyes and rubbed her front leg that had once been broken by the white seour. It had healed nicely thanks for Darken, and she thanked the gods for the day Darken had found her and saved her life.

Maybe that was why it was so hard for her to pick her devotion, each god had bestowed a little miracle on her, the yellow would soon follow suit, her gods had come to her in her times of need and she felt blessed. She opened her eyes and began stretching and then running. She ran to keep herself in shape since she didn't get to spar that much with her siblings so this way she kept herself nicely fit.

She ran until she reached the maze and here she stopped. She loomed and glee at it, hating it for containing heathens and loving it for protecting them against these heathens.

The ugly side of beauty was in everything around her.

[Achilles]

He too had been near the pits but hard to notice unless one knew what to look for. He'd known the lands for so very long he knew where to be if you wanted to be left alone. While he was busy being alone, he noticed someone that was also alone, someone much younger. It interested him why the youth of the Valley liked to linger near the pits, as if the pleas of the many dead within them called to the young hearts and begged them to join their ranks. He'd found so many children hanging around these pits he began to wonder if maybe they heard something he didn't.

Than again he was there too so...

He watched her leave and let it go, he didn't know the child and right now he was busy being alone.

A while later he happened upon her once more, running, training. He watched her from a distance while she did laps, keeping herself in shape beyond the normal need wolves had. She reminded him of Keres, Corvus, himself. When she finally began to run in a certain direction he followed, knowing that only one thing was in the direction she was going. He was normally not one to bother treading near the maze but he'd found himself near it a lot lately too, like the pits. The symbolism did not escape him, if anything it worried him. He found her still, close to the edge where the young ought not be, for their own safety. 

He quietly walked up behind her and moved along her side. He too stared at the trees, feeling a familiar itch on his chest where a scar was nearly faded but never forgotten. "sometimes if you listen carefully enough you can hear the cries of the poor fools lost in those trees." He glanced down at the smaller wolf. "What brings you so close to this place child?"

[Feizin]

"sometimes if you listen carefully enough you can hear the cries of the poor fools lost in those trees."

She did notice him coming but didn't move out of the way, instead she turned to look up at the much taller male and watched him as he told of her the maze's secrets, turned her eyes to the dark trees and for a moment she almost spoke. Almost said how they deserved it, how they were unworthy of entering if they could not find their way, but she felt like it was out of spirit of their ways. In priesthood they would likely say how lost souls were meant to be helped and she only partially agreed to it. SOME souls could probably be saved, but not all and not all deserved that glory. This was typical Fei, carefully thinking before she spoke. "Some souls don't deserve saving."

Childish? No. Considered, thought out. Never had Fei been like a child, never had anyone faulted her for the way she acted or spoke carefully like some adults couldn't. "What brings you so close to this place child?" She looked back up at him as he looked at her and her serious red eyes were determined, strong and not easy to bend. Raised by the gods and gods-to-be she was everything this place wanted of a child, devote, true to the religion and not easily swayed. Would she ever leave? No. No chance.

"Wondering.. Wondering about the heathens. The gods. Why we save heathens." She looked away from him and into the trees again and then spoke clearer and more direct "I am thinking of joining priesthood. But also wondering if it's right for me. I don't think I am red, I serve all our rosas, no color has taken my entire devotion yet and I am not sure it should. I want to spread the word of Oukoku-kai, but I wonder... Do we need to save heathens?" Or is it just a lost cause. She looked him over, wondering if she had seen him before. "You look familiar... Who are you? I am Feizin. I belong to miss Gigantea."

I have no parent.

[Achilles]

He hummed softly to the child's words, she had a point but it felt like a practiced response that didn't have complete confidence to back it. He thought about it and felt it was right that his soul was saved, that he was allowed in even if he had completed the task that was the condition of his entry into the Valley. He wouldn't offer a response yet, on the subject of those unfortunate souls born beyond their borders. He wanted to listen first, hear the kid out and see what she'd come to learn on her own before sharing with her. 

He watched her with a lazy stare, her eyes and her colors reminding him of someone he'd known. Someone he'd fought...

"No single Rosa should take your entire devotion or there would be no balance and no point." He shifted, his tail curling over his paws. "Devotion to the three is our way of life but your attitude, your values and your goals help shape which Rose you relate to more." He tilted his chin towards himself. "I am a fighter, i value loyalty and strength, my abilities favor protecting our people out in the open." He tilted his head, "The Yellow path fits me best." He motioned at the child and grinned, "You are still growing, your mind sharpening, you might think Red's path isn't right for you now but once you are an adult, you may find that was exactly it for you...or maybe your intuition is right on the nose." They wouldn't know until she could make that informed decision for herself. It had been simpler for him, it wasn't until he beheld Foetida in all her glory that he knew what he'd been missing in his life was her guidance. 

At the mention of Priests he smirked, "My mate is a Priestess." He rolled his shoulders, dipping his head a little lower to whisper to her. "And she follows The White's path." In the beginning they'd had some haughty discussions about their respective deities, their virtues and their vices when it came to being devote to them but they never really tried to convince the other outright that the other was wrong. They respected one another's beliefs and it made them a stronger pair for it. He sat up, a smug look on his face. "Most would say our unity is impossible but it's been firm and rewarding in many ways." you didn't see many yellow and whites getting along let alone loving one another. 

He sniffed thoughtfully, her scent lingering in his senses. "As for heathens, you are right, not all deserve to be saved, most aren't." He tilted his head, "You purge them all though and the people of the Valley will never fulfill the greater purpose of sharing the Rosa's grace with the world." He motioned at the Maze. "I was a Heathen, I came here and was tested, I proved myself and was given the chance to serve our Rosa." He smiled happily, "Foetida saved my life, just like one of them will one day save you." Because you aren't saved, not yet child. 

He listened to the child's words and they drew his attention back to her. He blinked at her and hummed softly when she explained she belonged to The White. "It is a pleasure to meet you Feizin and I used to know all the children of the Valley, I'm sorry we've only just met." He had loved kids... "I am Achilles, Foetida's Seour." He stared at her, frowning softly before leaning down and sniffing at the top of her head, deeply, like something was there but he couldn't place it. He moved away from her and snorted, the pungent scent of Gigantea engulfing her but he knew the feint musk of the child's father well. "I believe I fought him for breeding rights many season's ago, I'm glad he was allowed to sire children." He honestly missed the Son of Enix, even if the boy hated Foetida with a savage passion. 

He stood up, like he was getting ready to leave, unless the child stopped him.

[Feizin]

"No single Rosa should take your entire devotion or there would be no balance and no point." So she was right - no color would take her entire devotion by heart. She felt calmer, safer now, knowing she didn't need to chose anymore, she could be either one, she could pray to each other. They were all gods, it made no difference which color they had, as long as she stayed true to them. It was reassuring for her to know this.

"Devotion to the three is our way of life but your attitude, your values and your goals help shape which Rose you relate to more." She nodded softly, meaning to assure him she understood. She always meant to learn from other adults and this time was no different, even if she didn't know who exactly he was, but he seemed knowledgeable in the subject and so she took his words in, sinking them in and thought on it for a while. It was good she didn't have to chose and she wondered if she ever truly would feel a close relation to just one of them. They were all right for her.

"I am a fighter, i value loyalty and strength, my abilities favor protecting our people out in the open. The Yellow path fits me best. You are still growing, your mind sharpening, you might think Red's path isn't right for you now but once you are an adult, you may find that was exactly it for you...or maybe your intuition is right on the nose." It had been a while since anyone had referred to Feizin as "young" or almost implied that she was inexperienced somehow. She felt slightly hurt but decided to not show it or tell it. It didn't matter, the man hardly knew her, he couldn't know anything about her at this point.

"My mate is a Priestess. And she follows The White's path." Interesting... She had thought of taking the path of priesthood on herself, despite not being a yearling yet, but she wasn't content on not starting out, taking a stepping stone for her career, if the chance would come she would take it and she would try her hardest to be accepted as a young priestess. Though truthfully it wasn't a suitable rank for her, but it was the best place to start out for her considering the path she wanted to take. "I would like to meet her some day." It seemed like they shared many things..

"Most would say our unity is impossible but it's been firm and rewarding in many ways." She looked confused at him "Why impossible? No unity is impossible is it? Even white and red can be a beautiful union." That was her combination after all.

"As for heathens, you are right, not all deserve to be saved, most aren't. You purge them all though and the people of the Valley will never fulfill the greater purpose of sharing the Rosa's grace with the world." She listened again, didn't offer any word but her mind was still working on it. Not all deserves saving The gods would have to guide her..

"I was a Heathen, I came here and was tested, I proved myself and was given the chance to serve our Rosa. Foetida saved my life, just like one of them will one day save you." She shifted ever so lightly and looked him up and down. Him? A heathen? For a moment she almost doubted this entire conversation - doubted he knew anything if he was worth anything. The recalled that those heathens that were saved, they were worth keeping around. Truly tested and thoroughly made virtue of the gods. She relaxed and stayed in her position, wondering what this yellow man could offer.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Feizin and I used to know all the children of the Valley, I'm sorry we've only just met." "That's alright. I don't believe I know you either." "I am Achilles, Foetida's Seour." She froze lightly and looked wide-eyed at him. The yellow seour?! She opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by him sniffing at the top of her head. She kept still, thinking that it was very odd behavior for a seour, but accepted it. God-to-be.

"I believe I fought him for breeding rights many season's ago, I'm glad he was allowed to sire children."

She froze completely.

Gaze turned ice cold, hard as rock. She looked at him with a stern expression.

"I have no father." No father, no mother.

NO PARENTS

"The man you refer to is a traitor to Oukoku-kai." HE LEFT! HE LEFT US BEHIND HE NEVER LOVED US, HE NEVER MEANT ANYTHING TO ME.

Traitors deserved no mercy.

[Achilles]

She was nodding to him, he was glad she understood, it was important to understand in this home of theirs. If you didn't understand, you likely ended up missing pieces or missing your throat. Showing interest in meeting his mate caught Achilles' attention. He narrowed his eyes at her but a smile touched his features. "I'll arrange it then, she would enjoy your company, of that i have little doubt." Sphinx was very much the social butterfly, meeting new wolves was basically her past time when they were not busy sparing by the lake or talking away the day away from their duties. "Sphinx will find you when she's not busy with the salves or her priestly tasks." It might be a day or two but he had faith their meeting would come swiftly, if they hadn't already met at one point or another. 

Such was his beautiful Butterfly, ever social.

He chuckled softly at her question, nodding ever so slightly, "Perhaps not impossible but how many Yellow and White pairs do you know?" He Wagged his tail and smiled happily at her purposed pairing, for there were many of that combination, this he knew. "Yes, Red melds well with both rather nicely, such is the relationship between the Rosa Three." He tilted his head from side to side thinking of the words. "Gigantea has never had the most stable relationship with Foetida, Chinensis has always been an important element to their continued peace." To date, the only White's Achilles has met that didn't make his hackles rise were his beloved Sphinx and the former Rosa Enix. He had been caught unawares by her once but their talk was not a bad one. 

He was still cautious around her though, just less concerned. 

Short story, the followers tended not to mesh well either, too many conflicting view points.

They way her body language changed, the obvious intake of his facade when she learned that he'd once been a heathen, did not go unnoticed. Achilles was not offended though, most gave him that look but normally it was after learning he was once a heathen and now Foetida's Seour. He hadn't mentioned that yet though. It always amused him, when one of the people didn't know him, more so when they didn't know him after learning his name. It wasn't entirely important though. But when he did share, that look always made his skin tingle. The look on her face was priceless and he would have laughed but instead, he was far more curious about her scent. Girl didn't move, good for her, it made it harder when you had to fight someone to get to know them. It wasn't entirely odd, for him to sniff her, smells told so much more than words ever could, they didn't lie and they shared everything they could.

Oh but she didn't like his words, her sudden change of demeanor earning her a very toothy grin. "Is that right?" He might have gone the immature route and argued that everyone had parents but this seemed to really strike one of her nerves. He stood up on all fours, easily towering over the not quite fully growl child before him. His ears turned back on his skull and his voice low, "Did you know him?" Achilles turned his head, eyeing her with a feral blue orb, waiting for something to spew from her maw that might be a challenge. "I knew him, he and my beloved were Gigantea's most devote. He was taken from us by filthy Heathen scum." Achilles took a step towards her, if she didn't move he'd step around her and circle her, if not he'd continue to press her retreat towards the Maze. "He was so beloved that Gigantea, against his better judgement, took leave to find him but the vessel was lost to us and so made way for Gigantea to whom you belong." The Yellow Seour stopped and lifted his head, glaring down at her. "He is a traitor, but without that traitor, you wouldn't exist now would you?" 

His ears flicked, as if an offending sound had attacked them, "That being said, you come from vile and traitorous blood, does that make you such?" He lifted his chin, waiting for an answer he'd expect, a defiant one against the sentiment he touched upon. "No?" He would nod, "I hope not Feizin, I would hate to learn Gigantea was disappointed by that man's blood again." He smirked suddenly, shedding the possibility of maliciousness in the air about him. "Once, I knew him to be as devoted and fearsome as me." He turned his head to gaze off into the maze, sorrow touching his features. "They beat, corrupted and poisoned him child, the heathens...the Red Dragon." He turned his gaze to her once more, "It's influence reaches far, do well to guard your heart mind and soul, lest you fall victim like the poor wretch that is now hated by the place that gave him life."

[Feizin]

As he spoke of the many combination of colors and how well red blended with each color she had to agree. Red was the diplomatic color of the valley and it had been their purpose for a long time, so indeed yellow and white was a rare combination, but she did not think it impossible. Every color were meant to belong together were they not? "Indeed it is rare, but that is the beauty of or devotion. Each color has its place next to the other." She noticed his tail wagging and felt almost childish for it that she did not use body language like that, but then moved away from it. They weren't alike after all.

But the conversation took a turn for the worse.

She did in no way like it or how it turned out, and as he began circling her she did not move, she was not so easily pushed toward the maze and her gaze did not follow him, it was empty and looking ahead at nothing front of her. She tried to tune it all out, but she heard it all and she hated it. She did not want to question the god-to-be, not a second time, she knew she was wrong to do so and that they were holy people in the eye of the people, it was no different for her. They were holy and sacred. Upon questioning her loyalty she snapped her head to look in his direction now, her eyes hard, determined and cold as ever.

"Never." Never could she betray this land, never could she look away from her gods. Too devote, too clean.

At the mention of the red dragon she felt a chill down her spine. She feared it, but not once did she fear that it would come across herself, she never thought it possible for her to ever become touched or affected by the red dragon - the red dragon was for the weak. "You want me to feel sorry for a traitor?" She didn't understand this, for the yellow seour to speak as if it was a great tragedy to lose a traitor of the land, how? There was a genuine question in her voice, something she didn't understand needed to understand to become wiser.

She hated the subject of her parents and soon wanted to speak of something else, gracefully trying to move around it she brought other things up. "Were you in the war?" No one had told her anything of it, and she was dying to hear of it.

---

SO much speaking haha! I'm not gonna be referring to all of it so I hope it still makes sense.

[Achilles]

He enjoyed the talk of romances and of course the thought of his beautiful beloved brought warmth to every corner of his body. Sphinx was his sun, their children the stars the lit the sky that was their Valley home with hope and excitement. It was all brought together by the graciousness of their Rosa, the living Divinity in their haven. He'd have sung a tune about it had he been alone but alas, he would not sing in front of the child before him. He agreed with her though, "Indeed." Each color did have it's place beside the others, it was their way of life and what kept things from falling to pieces. 

They nearly had once.

The talk changed course, like all talks do, for better or for worse. 

She tried to ignore him, he knew by the stiffness of her posture and how she dared not look at him while he said the things he did. It was almost tempting to beat the words into her but Achilles was not normally a creature of impulse, he had a stronger will than that. Maybe he did still like children...maybe. She exclaimed her devotion, he felt it in her voice and saw it in her eyes when she finally met his own. "Good," He nodded, pleased with her fearful but heartfelt response. "Remember that word, Never." He'd hold her too that word, should the time ever come.

At the mention of the Beast  he saw the fear in her body, the way her fur would likely stand on end, an involuntary response to such a primal fear. She might not display certain forms of body language but sometimes the body spoke without the wolf realizing it. "No," He'd shake his head pointedly, "Not the traitor, the memory of the Citizen he once was." He growled softly, not at her but the idea of the loss. "The stolen are not worthy of pity but you must understand the power of the Beast and what it can do to us without the Rosa's Grace to shield us." He nodded to the maze, talking of the heathens beyond it, "They are fools but they are not weak of body, only mind and soul." He stared down at her, ears back and a scowl upon his muzzle. "They are dangerous, influenced by that monster and they out number us in droves." He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, they included his former pack mates from long before the Valley, they included his own blood. "If you can learn to understand them, how they think and how they are deceived, you'll be better equipped to combat them and the Red Dragon itself." 

It would not be easy, it would never be easy. "You can better defend yourself." It would take time and dedication but she seemed to have the heart for the task before her.

"I'm certain you'll rise to the occasion."

With that topic finished, she asked of the war. He felt a pang of guilt but squashed it like an annoying bug. He squashed it hard, "No." His eyes narrowed slightly but he kept an even and calm tone, "I longed to accompany the war party and our Rosa into battle but before they departed, Foetida bid me to stay and protect the Valley." With all three of Them off to cull the Heathens beyond the maze, someone had to stay behind, someone had to keep the people safe incase something happened, incase the Red Dragon fell upon the defenseless Citizens of the Valley. "My son's followed the Rosa though, my three boys." They were all adults but they would always be his pups.