the beginning [Rainer]

[Augustus [RP]]

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.

[Rainer.]

R A I N E R 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. ♫ i don't break hearts ♫ ♪ i destroy zem ♪ Accent Thing.

[Augustus [RP]]

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.

[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. ♫ i don't break hearts ♫ ♪ i destroy zem ♪ Accent Thing ♕