Curved body shows on the cove, her eyes sharp as she gloats over all those who are gathered for the pride challenge. She'd come in the midst of the battle, near the tail end of the fight for such a place full of sand. Tawny eyes shift against the masses, notating familiar faces and those unknown. Among them she sees @Fallon, offering the woman a sneer as she moved between bodies. Many of those present she assumed to be ambassadors of different prides. Where Violarum and his family had drifted off to she was uncertain, but seeing the gilded lion's wife among the crowd promised they had not left Amaryllis. Shadows crowded her mind, thoughts of murderous intentions as she glared once more upon the gray woman before melding into the crowd, pushing the thought of enemies from her mind. Instead she shifted through the bodies to stand near @Alaric.

Gaze remained on the locked opponents, taking in @Gauthier's fierce movements against the other lion he fought against. Heavily striped haunches clashed against other striped haunches, though it was the lighter cinnamon male that she held a keen interest in. Tail flicked against her thighs, body jolted by the fervor of battle; it excited her, seeing such titans against one another.

When all was said and done it was @Gauthier that came out champion. Unlike the time Violarum had fought, had lost, she would not greet the victor with any affections when at the time of the gilded lion's challenge she had gone to lick wounds. No, instead she watched as a silent bystander, though she turned to glance upon the silvered king of the pride she resided in. A true king rises today. Whomever had ruled the cove before was no match for Gauthier, the haunting vision of a mad king on the throne. A desire to join him among the cove beats within her chest, though she knows she is shackled to the mire until Alaric releases her. He is my champion. You would do well to seek an alliance. More of a request than a suggestion, there will be Hell to pay if the mire does not see the cove as a friend, from her end at the least.

ART ♣ CODE

The fight rages and he grows more concerned. There seems to be nearly no sign of the prior members, and he begins to think that perhaps the sea had claimed them all. Nature's viciousness was often unstoppable, and while he hated to think of them all swept away he knew that there was nothing he could do about it. He would look for them, but he held little hope that they had escaped if they did not turn up here...

And then @Hadiya's nose found his shoulder and he felt relief. "No," he answers, as he lowers his own head to sniff at the girl, confirming that she is seemingly unharmed, "but I will help you look. You will be safe with me." He would have wanted Sahir to do the same if it had ever come to it, and so he naturally assumes a protectiveness for the girl.

None others appear as the fight rages, at least none that he was looking for, and he sighs when it is over. Gauthier stands victorious, and that, he thinks, is a good thing for him. "The man who has won is Gauthier. I believe he will be a good King," this he tells Hadiya, filling in what the girl cannot see, adding to what she can hear.

@Gunnhildr speaks up, then, giving suggestions that feel very much like orders. "Sahir was a true King, as well." Defending the ally that had fallen, the man he had trusted enough to arrange a betrothal with.

"Your champion?" Narrowed eyes, not sure what he thought of that word or the implications. "He is an... acquaintance of mine. I am certain we will meet soon." A glance to the newly crowned King, making no immediate move to leave. At least not until Hadiya was sorted.

"If you'd like to come to the Mire for now I can help you find your way to wherever you need, Hadiya. Or aid in the search for your family." He would not force her to join if she did not wish it, but he would not leave her completely abandoned either.

coding and art by dusk

He remained standing throughout the duration of the fight. Words would be spoken around them, but nothing that would be of much interest to him at the current moment. Yellow eyes would watch the two tear into each other until finally one would become the evident winner. He’d watch with mild interest as the victor spoke, speaking of what Caladan would be underneath his rule. It all sounded good, up until the blood part. Was this a lion who saw everything to be solved with bloodshed? Arkyn couldn’t deny how that did sound a bit alluring, but once @Morrigan spoke would he let out a low growl. He wouldn’t be able to align himself with those that may harm his family, even if his relationship with his mother had been ruined; he wouldn’t want to see his aunt or nieces and nephews in harms way.

I will, would be his reply to her suggesting he should visit Illyria soon, making a mental note of one day going there to visit. Before he would turn would he hear another speak the victor’s name, now placing the name Gauthier with the face. With a huff would the Brynmawr take his own leave, first starting off as a leisure walk until he began to once more speed up into a quick jog, taking himself nowhere in particular but wanting to continue to exercise and keep himself in shape as much as possible.

exit Arkyn.

XV     the devil ⛧

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The boy had been so distracted by the fighting that it took hi awhile to finally spot his brother mulling around in the crowd. "Hype! Here!" He called out, again trying out the weird dream voice, and raised up onto his back paws so that the could wave his front paws in the air to direct his brother to his rock perch. He hadn't seen his father or Io or mother either. And he didn't really know the other Cove members to begin to try to pick them out.

"Who that?" He dropped the dream voice in favor of figuring out whom the other cub wandering around with his brother might be. "Where Io?" As the brothers it was their responsibility to look out for their sister.

@Hyperion

He had not succeeded today, but it seemed his opponent wasn't one to gloat like he had expected him to. Seraphiel nodded in acceptance and return of his words. Still, he wouldn't be staying, and so he turned to leave. He didn't notice Bronx since the man was hiding, but he did notice his daughter chatting with another cub. He supposed he ought to be displeased she had disobeyed him, but honestly he hadn't expected her to stay where he'd left her once he called for the challenge anyway. At least no one had bothered her, seemingly.

The boy she was talking to smelled vaguely of the Cove, so Seraphiel presumed he had been part of the pride before the storm had washed it out. Well, it was good that she was making new friends then.

"Come, when you're done chatting with your friend," he said to @Solanum. "We will go to the Brook." He would wait for her, but he wouldn't let her linger long either, as others were departing and he didn't expect the new sovereign to be willing to let them hang out on his territory for long.

-exit seraphiel-

The cessation of growls and snarls made Hyperion turn towards the fighting lions to find that they fought... no more. @Seraphiel seemed a bit more worse for wear, and the other was standing tall. Both of them were strangers to Hyperion, but Solanum had told him that the bigger one was her father - so he was a little less of a stranger. At least he knew he had a connection. Soon, Seraphiel came over, beckoning @Solanum to come with him.

It was then that he heard a small voice call his name and searching the crowd, he found his brother @Mneme waving at him from a distance. Perhaps he knew where their father was? Hyperion turned to Solanum, "Thanks for helping me look. Looks like your dad says it's time to go... I'll look for my dad with my brother. Bye Solanum..." He offered her a smile and a flick of his small tail before he turned to Mneme.

"Her name's Solanum. And that guy," he said, pointing his nose towards Seraphiel, "is her dad." He paused, looking around again as Mneme asked for Io. He hadn't seen her here; he hoped she was with their dad. "I didn't see Io. Do you know where dad is?"

CODE / ART

The change in the Cove's leadership was unfortunate, as Recluse had rather liked the former king. He had been an understanding enough ruler, even to the point of being both curious and accommodating where others knew only fear for the unnatural Black bloodline. It might prove difficult to find another like him, the new one's speech did not inspire much confidence in Recluse, even if he might delight in having one of Recluse's particular talents.

Traversing the familiar terrain, the plum lion would seek his children, a long trek ahead of them. He had intended to bring them to the springs to meet the family when he felt them big enough to travel that far. It was still a little too soon, but it might be good for them to get to know Amaryllis along the way.

One of his sons seemed to have garnered a small following, a pair of young female cubs watching him. One had a curious coat that reminded him of his brother, Poltergeist. Same pinks and blues, but where his were vibrant, hers were more delicate pastels.

Moving passed the young cub, he would reach both of his sons, looking around frantically for their sister and for him. "@Hyperion, @Mneme, it is time we moved on from this place. It is early yet, but I will take you north to our family home." He informed them, ready to lead them from this place. "Your sister isn't here, but I have found the direction her tracks lead. Let us collect her and be on our way." He instructed.

image by moogle/code by saph

As if on cue, his father @Recluse showed up, calling him and @Mneme to him. Hyperion wasted no time closing the distance between them, grateful to have found him. All these lions here were scary... and the one that won the Cove had a scary scar. He didn't like him. "Father," Hyperion panted, looking up at Recluse, not daring to call him something informal like "dad". "I'm so glad we found you." But it was much the other way around.

Father mentioned finding Io's tracks, and Hyperion felt a weight lifted from his shoulders. So, hopefully she left the area before the fighting started and she wasn't hurt. Hopefully. Father also mentioned they were leaving. Hyperion's eyes left his dad's and fell upon another cub behind him looking this way, and then they flicked back towards @Solanum, if she still remained. He had made new friends, and they were leaving so soon?

When he turned back to his dad once more, his eyes lingered on the pastel-pelted cub (@Bordeaux) behind his dad for a moment. He hadn't the chance to meet her, but he liked how she looked. He offered a smile to her as Recluse turned, ready to lead them away. When his father finally did start walking, Hyperion would be close on his heels. He was super ready to get out of here. /exit

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The black and mauve chimera watched with bright yellow eyes as Hyperion said goodbye, she waved a bit, smiling at his brother before she said her good byes and followed her father, her eyes looked back at @Hyperion, and she could just overhear his father saying they were leaving for up North, her little face fell, leaving? She had just found a new friend in the odd colored male, and he was being ushered away, her bottom lip trembled, "Will there be other cubs at the Brook? Now that she had made some friends, she wanted more, though she would seek out her newest friend whenever she could later in life.

With one look back, her eyes aimed their selves towards @Gauthier , and she huffed in his direction. Her father was the one true ruler in her eyes, no matter where they went, @Seraphiel was a king in the little ones eyes.

/Exits with Seraphiel

The disaster that had befallen the Cove drove her out of the area for quite a few days. Cliffs collapsed and waves raged, and if it were up to her, she wanted no part in that. She decided to come back to the Cove the same day it was being challenged for, and much to her ignorance, she had missed the whole fight.

She had arrived just in time to hear the winner's speech, however, even if she heard it from the distance and wasn't exactly standing (or walking) in a proximity where the new leader could see her. But Valaine liked his speech and liked his attitude a little more than she liked Sahir's, and so the lioness would then decide to rejoin the Cove pride. Perhaps she could get this man on the side of the Rike, since he liked to take so much for himself. /exit via fade

I'm a mess, but I will always be better than you

code x art