[Augustus]

He'd spent so much time in the neutrals, lately. Learning, hunting, exploring. There was so much land here. So much life.

For so long, all he had known was death and sand. It was a part of him still, and it always would be--blood, sand, pain. Heartbreak.

No one would love him now that he was a monster. That was fine by him; monsters didn't need love. Ares and Lyssa had seen his grief and blessed him with a rage that burned, steadily larger, in the core of who he was. No one would ever take what was his again. He was more, now. Not whole--he would never be whole--but a purpose sat heavily upon his shoulders and guided him.

Augustus had little time for affairs of the heart. Many of the inhabitants were pairing up, mating off, birthing litters of anklebiters for a new generation to succeed. He watched them from afar, the happy little families, all so... boring. So complacent.

Lilac sky eyes turned and met those of a wolf, black and white and brilliant red, in the middle distance. He recognized the look of him--that of a fighter, someone who'd fought tooth and claw for everything he had. His eyes narrowed even as respect grew, quietly, inside him.

This wolf was not like the others, either. He was shaped differently--a subspecies, perhaps.

Augustus stood from his comfortable spot in the sun at the top of a rolling grassy hill, and made his way towards the male, his posture not altogether friendly, but not outwardly hostile.

"Χαλάζι," He murmured, internally sighing as the familiar word rolled off his tongue. That kingdom was gone, he reminded himself; he'd been the one to burn it to the ground. "Hello," He said instead, stopping short of the wolf. You have the air of a gladiator." Perhaps even a King-- "I'm Augustus. Where do you hail from?"

Not everyone would be as willing to tell such things as Augustus was--he would proudly boast the destruction of his previous pride, if it could be called that--and he wouldn't be offended if the man didn't want to speak of it. Loose lips sink ships, as they say.

speech ♚ thoughts

[Rainer]

His pack safely camped nearby, the heavyset hound moved on his own within distance for a howl if necessary but not nearly close enough for them to hear him or smell him. He didn't suspect that he would need to call for backup, but it was safe to always keep it in mind, especially before they were to claim land for themselves. It was a good call, as he spotted a brightly coloured form in the distance. He observed the stranger for a long moment before approaching, coming to a stop within a respectable distance. It was about this point when golden eyes met a brilliant pair of eyes that met blue with the purple of lilacs. The handsome lion was moving now, coming up from a relaxed position to stalk towards him. Rainer watched cautiously, observing the slightly shabby surface of a self-shorn mane on the stranger's body.

The mane drew his eyes towards the rest of the body - the sleek muscles that were so prevalent in large felines, the way the feline shoulders pitched up with every step in such a way wolves rarely do. Rainer felt himself keenly wishing to know more about this stranger, even as he was cautious.

     "Χαλάζι,"

The foreign word rolled into his ears softly and Rainer blinked, amused slightly. He, too, had been raised in a land with a different language from these Straits, though his more formal greetings were too close to the standard greeting here to be of use. The stranger's voice was so very deep and delightfully gravelly, Rainer felt a shiver run up his spine so that he had to force his skin taut as to force his hackles from raising. Before he could think of another way to greet the cat, the other was speaking again.

     "Hello, You have the air of a gladiator. I'm Augustus. Where do you hail from?"

His lips slipped into a smirk that was simply his version of a smile. It was not the pure innocence of another, younger wolf, but it was not the savage gleam of a wolf who wished this feline harm. No, he didn't think he owed this one harm. Hallo - as do you, comrade. He couldn't help but let his eyes trace the features of the stranger's face before quickly returning to his eyes, Hail, Augustus. I am Rainer, of Bacchus. He gave a slight tilt of his head, fluffy elflike ears shifting in a way that would be described as adorable were he a pup. Vhere do you hail from? It is not often that vee see felines - especially of such power. A compliment that he couldn't help but make, but if it was not taken in that way could easily be seen as a simple observation of comparable strength.

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[Augustus]

If Augustus noticed the shiver that raced along the man's body, he didn't comment on it. His lips might've curled a bit slightly in response, though.

"Hallo - as do you, comrade."

Augustus couldn't help but stare at the man's brilliant golden eyes--he'd first been drawn by the bright red of his chest, but it was nothing compared to the sparkling suns he used to see. He was reminded quite suddenly of someone from his past--yellow eyes and a monochrome pelt--but he pushed those thoughts away as readily as they came. He had no time for that, now.

"Hail, Augustus. I am Rainer, of Bacchus."

Augustus nodded in greeting, his lips still curled into a rueful sort of smile. "Bacchus?" He inquired, taking a seat before him, his curly black hair-tipped tail settling over his paws. "I have not heard of such a place in my travels." There was no reason to lie; he wanted to know more about the mysterious man, anyway.

"Vhere do you hail from? It is not often that vee see felines - especially of such power."

His chest didn't quite puff out with pride--he knew he was a sight, but vanity wasn't high on his list of priorities--still, it was easily recognizable that he took the compliment for what it was. "I am from a kingdom that has since been burned," He gestured to the distance, to the snaggled tops of the mountains visible there. "Beyond the jagged wall of those teeth; a desolate place with little water and less foliage."

He took a moment to survey their surroundings, a snort of amusement leaving him. "Nothing like this place." He took notice of Rainer's accent, and wondered yet again what Bacchus was. Where it was. No wolves he'd met so far sounded like him, and none compared in appearance, either.

"Have you been in these lands long?" He would save any prying questions until after he knew him a bit more intimately--he didn't want to seem too eager. Small talk, however, was not a great strong suit of his, as he tended to save his words for when he had something of importance to say, but... Well. An exception could be made once in a while.

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[Rainer]

The lion's eyes hooked into his own and Rainer couldn't help but return the stare, enraptured for the longest moment, til he responded and the lion nodded, the silent eyelock breaking. Augustus didn't stop smiling, so Bacchus returned it with his own dimpled smile.

   "Bacchus? I have not heard of such a place in my travels."

One king sat, so the other followed. His own tail was a bit too short to fully wrap around his paws, like the lion's could so easily, but its curly fur nestled all the same against his wrist. Our ancestral lands are far north, beyond zee mountains of zee Fringe. Zoon, ve vill return zere - ve vere scattered years ago und now regroup. He would not go into the details of that fall of their ancient empire - not yet. They would soon grow in power and majesty and take the throne that was due to them, that crown of the valley.

   "I am from a kingdom that has since been burned, Beyond the jagged wall of those teeth; a desolate place with little water and less foliage."

A kingdom burned? Similar, indeed. He gave a nod of acknowledgement even as his eyes followed the indication. It made sense, now, that the lion kept his mane trimmed. Had he lived within the mountains of Bacchus, he would have wished for his mane back. But in a place of no water and foliage - a desert, most likely - he would be at home with his short, smooth fur. Vhere do you call home now? He didn't mean to pry, but he had given his own pack's name whereas the handsome stranger had not.

   "Nothing like this place."

A joke! He chuckled, pleased that the feline had a sense of humor. It was easy to find strangers who held no humor within their bones - Rainer couldn't stand them. Aye, my birthplace vas far, far colder zan zis. He wondered if the weather had changed back home at all in the past five years, then he wondered further what the land looked like after all this time. Had the invaders completely wrecked his beautiful homeland? He remembered they had been razing the dens that had been built when he fled with the others. Furthermore, he was certain some youth had been captured or killed, he didn't see any as he fled.

   "Have you been in these lands long?"

He gave a small smile at that, before speaking, For... five winters I have roamed, never stayed long anyplace. his golden eyes met lilac sky once more, Und you? He, too, was interested to learn more about this stranger, though he also did not want to overstep or appear too eager.

There would be plenty of time for eagerness later.

♕

[Augustus]

"Our ancestral lands are far north, beyond zee mountains of zee Fringe. Zoon, ve vill return zere - ve vere scattered years ago und now regroup."

A fallen Empire that was determined to rise once more. They were so alike, Rainer and he. Augustus, too, had come from beyond the same mountains that Rainer had traversed to get here, and somehow the stars had aligned in such a way that they would meet in the middle. Augustus was not a man who believed in fate, but if he was--well, this meeting couldn't have been coincidental. Maybe the Gods had sent him this. A meeting with another like him, two forming countries; perhaps they could build on one another. New nations needed allies, and the strongest of bonds were tested with time. It certainly helped that Rainer was a sight, too.

"Vhere do you call home now?"

"These very Straits," He answered, honest. "We have a claim on land in a forested area to the North, but we will be heading South towards the desert within a fortnight." You can never run from the fire for too long; it follows. Perhaps the fire comes from your very own feet, burning a path of oblivion as you run. Augustus embraced the flames. He'd done so since he was a child; he was loathe to find out who he was without that heat. "I have heard of a stronghold there. Whispers are of it being a--" He licked his lips, trying to think of the word. "Fallacy. Mirage," He landed on after a moment. "Red sands and rocky outcroppings. A fortress."

"Aye, my birthplace vas far, far colder zan zis."

Augustus snorted, a soft rumbling chuckle escaping him. He'd never known cold a day in his life. He wondered what it was like. The seasonably warm autumn the Straits had fallen into was enough to make his bones feel like ice; the cold of the desert was nothing compared to the cold of a northern snowstorm. "Is that so?" He asked, intrigued. He'd heard of snow in passing, but he'd never stopped long enough to take it in or give it any real thought. He'd never seen it in person.

"For... five winters I have roamed, never stayed long anyplace."

He nodded, a bit more solemn to hear so. There were many a strong pack in the Straits--he wondered why Rainer had decided not to join any of them. Surely they would've taken him. Augustus would've.

"Und you?"

"Not nearly as long," He confessed, glancing towards the setting sun, bleeding red across the horizon in vibrant streaks as he thought back to how long this entire affair had lasted. "A handful of seasons." He decided. Maybe an entire lifetime. "Settling anywhere is.... difficult, when you are accustomed to a certain way of life, no?"

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[Rainer]

Two kings met in a foreign land, their similarities just as apparent as their differences. The meeting so far delighted the newblood king. He enjoyed meeting strangers and learning about them and in this instance, their conversation seemed to just flow. While of course they had no in-depth discussions about morality or the like, this was something new that Rainer would reach for.

    "These very Straits, We have a claim on land in a forested area to the North, but we will be heading South towards the desert within a fortnight."

Ah, so another pack on the move - if they were to be called a pack? Are you all lion or is your... pride? varied in species? A bit of an odd question but one that Rainer felt himself automatically asking. How different it was when wolves spoke of packs, it was never the assumption that the pack would consist of creatures that were not wolf. At least, that was his experience - a lone wolf speaking of family usually meant family by blood and Rainer had not yet learned of, nor tested, the hypothesis of hybridization past similar species.

Though the pulse he felt in his throat indicated that that may very well change.

His mind went on to the rest of the statement. Traveling south towards the desert. Interesti-

    "I have heard of a stronghold there. Whispers are of it being a-- Fallacy. Mirage, Red sands and rocky outcroppings. A fortress."

A stronghold? The way Augustus described the probable land turned the bacchus dire's imagination up a dial. A fortress, wow. He smirked, one deepset dimple showing as he did so. Mysterious, delicious. Have you scouted it? He'd admit that they had yet to fully scout the land they would retake, but he hoped that as they moved slowly through the wilds, they would pick up enough of a following to be able to take over easily and without too much danger.

    "Is that so?"

The heavily furred male chuckled, giving a slight nod. Far, far north, beyond zee Fringe - we lived in a valley of eternal vinter, vith a cave of hot springs. It has been many years but I remember it like it vas yesterday. He looked to the sky, noticing the reds as they lay, painted across the sky and pooling among the clouds. Zhere vas a frozen lake that trembled always, breaking and reforming by days rather zan by seasons. It glowed from vithin, like a slumbering beast. Vee return soon, to claim our birthright.

    "Not nearly as long, A handful of seasons. Settling anywhere is.... difficult, when you are accustomed to a certain way of life, no?"

Rainer nodded slowly, agreeing wholeheartedly with the sentiment. No land measured to my home, so no land was my home, he considered his words carefully now before speaking, Zhat is vhy I am rebuilding it. Would Augustus pick up on the key word there? He was sure that he would, the lion had intelligence behind those eyes, but one could never be too sure.

♕

[Augustus]

This was nice. Augustus didn't often like things that could be categorized as nice--beautiful, yes. Decadent, absolutely. Nice? Not so much. But this meeting was one he'd enjoyed so far; the company was good. This wolf shared with him the struggles of leading a people, and there were not many who could understand that. Adrift in a sea of shifting sands, a world that didn't belong to either of them but maybe it would, someday.

"Are you all lion or is your... pride? varied in species?"

"We are varied," Sort of. "Or, will shall be. For now my companions are all feline, but we will grow. I have seen so many different kinds of wolves, and so few variations of my own species," Something he intended to fix, at some point. He wanted to uncover the secrets of the so-called Fringe dires; where did their fury, which he'd seen save them from even certain death, come from? Where did hellions get their strange genetic markers--horns, fanciful tails, elongated ears. Why were the same things not seen in his own species? Of all the lions he'd met, they'd all been the same. Some, like him, with no manes, some with manes that ran all the way along the length of their bodies, back and stomach. All lions, all the same. No varied tails, no strange ears, no horns, no fury.

He had his own version of the Fringe's fury, but that was different. That was a gift bestowed to him by his Gods, not something wrought of careful breeding.

"We will remedy that soon."

"Mysterious, delicious. Have you scouted it?"

"The desert, yes. We have to prepare for the crossing though. The land is treacherous; the storms are frequent. It will not be an easy journey." And oh, he was looking forward to it. Could Rainer see the fire that burned in his pastel eyes? It was an easy thing to miss; lost amongst his bright, jagged pelt. Rainer seemed the sharp sort; he probably had.

"Far, far north, beyond zee Fringe - we lived in a valley of eternal vinter, vith a cave of hot springs. It has been many years but I remember it like it vas yesterday."

He listened intently as Rainer spoke about his homeland; ears pointed forward, eyes slightly dilated. Not only did he like the way the man's voice sounded, but he liked the way he looked when he talked about the home he would soon reclaim. He was intrigued, too, by the thought of an eternal winter. He'd never seen snow. It had iced over a grand total of one time in the desolate valley Augustus had been raised in, and that had thawed within a day's time.

"Zhere vas a frozen lake that trembled always, breaking and reforming by days rather zan by seasons. It glowed from vithin, like a slumbering beast. Vee return soon, to claim our birthright."

"That sounds incredible." He told him honestly. It did; wondrous. Augustus could nearly imagine it, if he thought back to the way the ice had looked hanging from sandstone walls that single time.

"--Zhat is vhy I am rebuilding it."

Augustus was pulled from his thoughts by this statement. Had they ever established that they both led their respective kingdoms? Augustus had assumed, from the way he held his head high and without fear, but no, they hadn't.

"It will be a glorious empire, I'm sure." He offered, carefully. Was this a diplomatic situation now, instead of two strangers trading stories in a neutral land? Had it ever been that in the first place? "Perhaps our empires can be allies, when the time comes." Not a question, but a suggestion. Bonds strengthened with time, and bonds made while a kingdom was at it's weakest were often the strongest formed.

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[Rainer]

    "We are varied, Or, will shall be. For now my companions are all feline, but we will grow. I have seen so many different kinds of wolves, and so few variations of my own species,"

Rainer blinked slowly, nodding at the information. Varied, or shall be - just like how Rainer wanted his kind. Sure, he was mostly interested in continuing the bloodline of Old Bacchus, but there had been faults in that line that he wished to breed out selectively. For instance, the disease that had wracked most of them - likely due to a weakness in some gene caused by the inbreeding down his family tree. He knew he was inbred, as was any other Bacchus wolf - but they would get over that. He couldn't undo the isolation of his ancestors. It is interesting zhat zhere are so few lion kinds, he mused, Perhaps it is because zhere are other large felines? Lions, leopards, tigers, cheetahs, lynxes. But, yes zhere is wolf, coyote, and dog - different types of each, and more abundant in this land than feline. He hadn't had much interaction with the clan known as Stoneclaw (or the various names it had claimed over the years with its predecessors) so he was running off of personal knowledge. I vonder vhy. It was a genuine pondering.

He had perhaps gone more into thought on this topic than Augustus had expected, but sometimes Rainer let his thoughts get ahead of himself.

    "The desert, yes. We have to prepare for the crossing though. The land is treacherous; the storms are frequent. It will not be an easy journey."

Rainer had indeed seen the fire in those eyes, a fire that was matched in his own. He could practically smell the excitement and determination held in that powerful body, and frankly it gave him thrills. He nodded, appreciating that they would both have to deal with adversity before finding their true homes and claiming them - perhaps by force. No, but it never is. Easy is not vhat makes a strong nation.

    "That sounds incredible."

When he spoke of Bacchus, he noticed the enraptured expression on the lion's face, in his eyes. It only served to encourage him to speak more of his land, of his ancestral homeland that he would soon reclaim. He was well pleased, eyes lit up from memory as well as from excitement that he could finally share his plans and dreams with someone. When he made mention of the fact that he was in charge, Augustus seemed to break from the fantasy and consider what had been said.

Something seemed... different. More careful, more... restricted. He almost regretted mentioning what he did, but he knew what had been said could not be unsaid - and after all, if he remained relaxed though respectful, as he had before -

    "It will be a glorious empire, I'm sure. Perhaps our empires can be allies, when the time comes."

Rainer smiled, those same dimples deepening in his cheeks. Yes, yours also vill be great and powerful. An alliance vould be more than acceptable. He felt no need to leave, though was unsure of where next to take the conversation. Tell me about your empire? Ah, I don't zhink I caught the name. His brows raised hopefully, genuinely curious and wishing to hear more about the unnamed empire - a mystery he wished ever so much to unveil.

♕