A mountain river flows into a large, stunning lake. The waters reflect silver in the day and under moonlight. A plain of gentle hills and forests surround the lake. Herds of elk are native here.
Eon would give a nod as he listened to Malachi speak. He had not heard the story where his father had been brought to life, though he had been there after Enya had awoken from death. The old memory came creeping into his mind like a long-forgotten life. That was so long ago; he hadn’t even known of Tsillah then. He now realized that was undoubtedly the goddess's doing. Still, he was unsure if the Monarch would appreciate him telling such a vulnerable story to a stranger, so he chose his following words carefully. “I, too, have seen a wolf who had died brought back to life.” He spoke without hinting at who that wolf might be. Though he hadn’t been there when she rose from the dead, he had come along shortly after and helped her regain her strength. He had no reason to doubt her words.Still, he assumed the lion would want more info on their goddess than that.
“The depth of Tsillah goes beyond that of physical death, however. She brings death to our weaknesses and life to our strengths. She does this by testing us, bringing us challenges we must overcome to become our best selves.” He spoke, thinking back on his own life. His old self was indeed dead, buried somewhere in history. Somewhere along the road, he had been reborn, transformed into a new, better, stronger wolf without actually having to physically die. That was the true power of Tsillah.
“I have hesitated to devote myself to gods in the past.” Eon would admit, hoping his own story might help persuade the lion. “Why would I want to be a slave to a being I could not even see nor prove the existence of?” he continued. “Tsillah is not like that; she values our free will. She offers us challenges so that we may know ourselves better. So that we may be our strongest selves.” Eon would shuffle his paws, adjusting himself to lie amongst the tree branches and keep the conversation more casual. That wasn’t to say he wouldn’t be ready to defend himself should the blue lion, for some reason, choose to start trouble.
“Duskorna values strength, perseverance, deep bonds of kinship, and freedoms,” He spoke. “We encourage our members to be their strongest and best selves so we may prevent akrasia or the weakening of the force that runs through all life.” He paused momentarily, realizing he hadn’t even gotten the lion's name. How stupid he had been, giving away his kingdom's information without even learning the stranger's name. “What do they call you, anyway?” he’d ask, better late than never.
His head would turn to listen to the teenaged wolf's anecdote. His father has been brought back to life, twice? It was hard to believe. But then he figured, as he heard the flying wolf affirm the notion, that it wasn't as farfetched as initially seemed. He had literally been brought here to Argaia in a beam of light, and given powers one could only dream of. Of course, revival of the death wouldn't be a stretch to say. He figured Enya might be an important figure, but just to be sure, he'd ask the wolf at ground level, "Who is Enya?"
He is quiet and attentive as Purple Wolf says more, and though at first dissuaded by the idea of a God offering challenges, if it meant he had a chance at immortality, then perhaps... Of course, hearing the value of freedom is also a green flag for him, but it's always in a pack's best interest to sound as appealing as possible. He was a merchant, he would know.
He wasn't even aware that there was this so called Akrasia event even happening. The blue lion has many questions, but they're pushed aside for the moment when the purple wolf asks for his name. It causes him to smile - he's glad they asked! "My name is Matthias Kingsley. Know it, love it, remember it," he'd say in a somewhat grandiose way, one paw rising to his chest as he introduces himself, "I was teleported here from a beam of light, meaning everything I've worked for is gone. But it doesn't matter- at the end of the day, I will always be your go-to man for all sorts of goodies: herbs, potions, strange wares and rare ingredients. Yes, you heard me - I am a merchant!" he'd lower his arm now, "I'll even sell various dinnerware and storage - bowls, bottles, satchels, you know the drill. But it takes time to collect these items. My stall isn't open yet, but you keep a lookout for it and come prepared for some trading, yeah?" he'd look to both wolves for their response. Now, with his sales pitch out of the way, "Could you tell me more about akrasia? I wasn't aware this place was going through trouble," he needed to know how much it would affect him.
Malaich lays at the base of Eon's tree. Silent. Waiting. Watching each move the horned creature met. At the mention on Enya Malachi smiles, but it didn't last.
Instead of speaking the younger wolf stayed free of the conversation at hand and listened. Watching the hoof covered tiger try and adjust in his perch. Maybe it was safe, but Malachi thought it looked painful.
"You know having an artisian around here would bring you a reason to travel- for trade..good income..and the apack- if you like our alignments could help." He was slow when he spoke and looked to the winnged wolf above jim, praying he wasn't overstepping any type of reach.
---
Sort post,
Malachi is amazed with Mat's talents and would love to learn/do things for him
Feel free to lightly power play my guy if required!
"My name is Matthias Kingsley. Know it, love it, remember it," Eon watched curiously as Matthias Kingsley adjusted himself to an odd position on his branch. "I was teleported here from a beam of light, meaning everything I've worked for is gone. But it doesn't matter- at the end of the day, I will always be your go-to man for all sorts of goodies: herbs, potions, strange wares and rare ingredients. Yes, you heard me - I am a merchant!" He’d raise an eyebrow. From how the lion spoke, Eon could tell that he was a sort of artist just like he was, but the conversation quickly turned to a different matter - the akrasia.
He would have answered the question until he heard the younger wolf speak. "You know having an artisian around here would bring you a reason to travel- for trade..good income..and the apack- if you like our alignments could help." Eon couldn’t help but scoff, though he kept it quiet. “We have a plenty good artisan around here already.” The more he thought about it, the more he felt this lion was trying to show off.
“You’re going to have to do better than sales pitching if you think you’re going to make it far around here.” he couldn’t help the sudden attitude that came over him now. If this lion had just recently teleported here from a beam of light, perhaps it would serve him well to be warned of how dangerous this world really was. “Just the past season, I’ve encountered not one but two monstrous beasts. One was a giant frog, the other a giant centipede that attacked out of nowhere. I theorize there are many more monsters where those came from, too, hidden all over this world.”
He’d speak in a serious tone now. “Duskorna is strong; we face these challenges head-on, for as long as we remain strong, so too does the world.” he paused for a moment before continuing. “I’m sure you’ve noticed a sense of magic that flows through those who live here. This magic comes from the will of the gods - it flows through all life, from the smallest of flowers to those huge beasts I told you about. Without it, life would cease to exist. The weakening of this will is what causes the akrasia. I’ve seen it happen - lands destroyed before my very eyes. To prevent this, we must keep our wills strong. For when we are weak, the collective will weakens as well.”
Malachi vould only sit and listen as Eon spoke to the tiger. His words made the canine feel small and stupid. Maybe he was- maybe he had a lot to learn. "Sorry I wasn't aware we had other artisans in our pack." Malachi murmured to the winged canine. It wasn't like they had any sort of meeting yet- not one that he was aware of anyways.
Malachi would remain quiet and calm until Eon finished speaking. "If you two don't mind, I'll be taking my leave. I have a few things to do around Duskorna." He mused walking away from his perch and the pair of winged creatures. Looking back, "Maybe we will see more of this merchant!" Malachi sure didn't mind it- but for now he takes a leave to go to the bluffs- perhaps he would make a den there and relax.
--
- attemptimg exiting Malachi, he doesn't have much else to say or do! --
The hint of an attitude from the winged wolf was not lost on the lion. Though he listened to the winged wolf claim the lack of need for more artisans, the younger wolf's response only sowed more seeds of doubt that the statement was actually true. Of course, the Duskorna members could pretend all they want that they were full of pride and strength, with no need for a stranger's assistance, but Matthias knew the truth: they need him and his services more than they let on.
He wouldn't call out their bluff, of course. No one likes being embarrassed in front of others, and if he wanted customers, he had to be on good terms with them. So instead, he would say, "It doesn't hurt to browse the wares at least, no?" that characteristic grin remains bright, "Just keep a lookout for when my stall opens. Perhaps I'll have something your pack needs," words spoken to the both of them.
With that said, he would listen to the warning of the dangers of this world, of a will that flows through all of the land, how its weakening causes akrasia. He filed the informationg away as something worth looking into. He would nod in understanding, "Thank you for explaining," the younger wolf began to make his leave, and Matthias would give a chipper wave of his paw in farewell. With that, he would turn back to face the winged wolf and outstretch his wings, preparing to take flight. But before he does, "I noticed there was another group living to the west. How are they like? Anything I should be worried about?"
Eon was a bit taken aback when the young wolf dismissed himself. He hadn't meant to let his pride get the best of him, yet perhaps he had. Well, it wasn't worth dwelling on past mistakes, even if they were just two minutes ago. Oh well, at least he seemed to have gotten the lion's attention while talking about the dangers this world possessed. His ears perked in frustration as he heard the lion's next words. "Verdantis," he said, in a disgusted tone. "They're known as verdantis, and they are indeed something to worry about."
He paused momentarily, pondering his following words before speaking them: "They pretend their god is a kind one, but in reality, they are the reason the akrasia remains a threat." Visions flashed in his mind again, the god of light, the chains on his heels. It had to be Ohr, right? The enemy of Tsillah? But... why?
He wanted to warn Mattias that Ohr and his kingdom were dangerous, but he didn't have any solid evidence to back that up—just an odd feeling, puzzle pieces of a missing memory he couldn't quite put into words. What worried him the most, however, was that he wasn't entirely sure it was Ohr. What if it was some other god?
"Just... stay away from them." He concluded, his voice quieter and more somber now. "Stay away from them if you know what's good for you."
