Renozuri drifted through Vermeda Brook, his spectral form gliding effortlessly over the territory as if he had walked this path a thousand times before. The brook’s quiet murmur guided him, its flow winding through the lush grasses like an old, familiar song. He hadn’t set paw here in life, yet the way seemed carved into his very soul, leading him forward with a pull that defied reason.

He searched aimlessly for @Arcania ♔, his daughter — drawn by the weight of words unspoken, words that hung heavy in the still air. Cassius' inheritance loomed like a dark cloud over their bloodline, its implications far-reaching and deep. Renozuri had come to break the silence, to speak the truths that lingered in the shadows. The time for quiet had passed. He wanted to find her, to unravel the secrets that bound them all before they could unravel him.

And destroy his bloodline with their needless distrust.

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There was something... odd about the Brook. She didn't know what, couldn't put a paw on it, but there was certainly something going on. It had her laying at the entrance to her den, sprawled across the opening while her youngest sons were inside, guarding them from the world that she wasn't interested in exposing them to just yet. Though it couldn't be prevented. One day they would want to explore the outside, and be given free reign of the pride, as was their right.

But still.

A soft sigh left her, the tip of her tail flicking in the air and thumping against the ground in frustration, only for the breath to catch in her throat as she saw a familiar form through the trees. One she had seen so infrequently but knew by heart, and not just because she could see him in herself whenever she looked into the water.

She rose, trailing after his spectral frame, returned to them even after death. Her mind turned with the possibilities. There was so much to be said, so many things to be asked. Presuming he would tolerate the questioning, of course. She was not so foolish as to think she had any high regard in his eyes. That was reserved for his sons, not his daughters.

But still.

Finally she uttered a soft chuff, prowling up to him, joining the demon on the riverbank.Father, she said simply, all that really needed to be said. A word that spoke volumes.

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Finally, he finds her. Or she finds him. A quiet call signals her location and the haunting image of him turns, focusing solely on @Aracania as she approaches.

Ears sweep back, his sightless pale eyes narrow. Since his death, she had become a mother twice over. It was a pity she had never carried his spawn, as it was likely she would've produced strong children.

Jaws part as he speaks, though it is more an eerie sound than any solid form of speech, "Arcania...I was looking for you." He rumbles, his shoulders shifting back as his translucent form settles like a cloud atop the earth. "We have much to speak about, you and I." The devil muses. However dead, however ghostly - Renozuri was still her father. He had never been a particularly affectionate or doting father, nor had he constantly hovered over her. Despite the method of her conception, Arcania had always followed him. Always been loyal.

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She came closer still as he turned to her, sitting before him. Confusion marred her features, wanting to ask how it was possible that he was here, but she felt it safe to assume that he didn't know either, nor that he could have arrived any earlier or else he would have done so, surely. Her father wasn't the sort to leave the family to run itself without his guidance and firm paw if there was anything he could do about it.

His words distracted her from the question, particularly his admission that he'd been looking for her. It pleased her that she ranked so highly in his esteem, though perhaps shortly she'd realize that wasn't actually the case.

Of course, what did you have to tell me, father? she asked, dutiful as ever.

@Renozuri

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What did he have to tell her? No, it was obvious that those he had left behind had many a question. His jaws part to speak, but he remains silent for a time. Reading her, to the best of his ability - her aura. Tongue slithers out to slide along his lips slowly, his sightless eyes narrowing. It was evident that Arcania's loyalties still lie with him, but did they overpower her allegiance to Icefang? "Did you have any questions for me? Now is the time to ask them." He hums, his voice a haunting echo on the air.

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She had so many questions, always. Some of them reasonable, some the whispers of a cub seeking approval from a parental figure. Those she would never let see the light of day, refusing to seem weak or needing approval, and also unwilling to accept the consequences of the potential answers. But there was one very big question, one that had plagued her since the day he had taken his place as heir officially.

Can Cassius be trusted? she asked simply. Again, she refused to admit that he worried her, that she didn't trust him around her youngest sons, feeling they were in need of protection. She would do her best to keep them out of his reach, she would, and yet there was only so much she could do. Because she guessed that Renozuri would confirm that he was, hoped that Cassius had fairly won the fight between them to take the mantle of patriarch, little as she wanted to follow him. Where did it place her, in the family rankings if she was to? Oldest daughter of the former patriarch, perhaps only remaining living daughter, meant nothing. Too bad it hadn't been Velasco to take the mantle.

Speaking of...

Why not Velasco? she asked in quick follow up, voicing the question that probably shouldn't have been asked. But she wasn't questioning his choice of heir, presuming he had indeed chosen, she was just inquiring into the thought process, not shirking the final result. Not aloud anyway.

@Renozuri

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Renozuri was expecting a question of Cassius to come first. And his daughter did not disappoint. Perhaps she worried for his sake. To know that he had not been murdered in cold blood. "Worry not, Arcania. Cassius can be trusted, I guide him. I told him to kill me if he wanted it, my position. Deaths grip was coming for me, I wished to leave the mortal realm on my own terms. Not sniveling in old age." He explained calmly, his features impassive.

The devil inches closer, stopping to settle beside her. That sightless gaze of his casting upward, toward the moonlight. Why not Velasco? The question wasn't expected, but not entirely unwelcome. He thinks for a time, the silence around them growing loud as the haunting wind chilled the air. It hadn't been that he did not consider Velasco, but in all his years - how many children had the boy produced? Cassius was young, and has thus far, proved to be a good choice.

"The X'uekai need someone who can carry on the line, who can dominate any who challenge them. Cassius proved has proved he is capable of both. If Velasco wishes for the title, he can take it." Perhaps Renozuri held a higher standard for his son. Killing someone who was already dying was easier than defeating someone young and healthy for the title of Patriarch. It would be up to Velasco to show the drive and ambition.

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Her head dipped in a nod of acceptance at his words, though she knew he couldn't see it. As you say, father, she said, acting for all the world as though she accepted his words at face value. And for the most part, she did. She had no doubt that he wasn't lying to her about his facing Cassius in battle and the younger man winning. What she did doubt was that Cassius could be trusted. She didn't trust the younger man any further than she could throw him, which was... not far at all. He was a big boy.

Her father joined her, with her shifting slightly so that he was properly beside her, and for just a moment it was as things should always have been. It was nice to get the opportunity, even after his death.

When @Renozuri did answer her second question, she knew that her assumption that Cassius had been in the right place at the right time was correct. She also doubted that Velasco would rise up and attempt to steal the crown from Cassius, much as she might want him to. She wasn't going to try whispering in his ear, though. She suspected even her abilities wouldn't be sufficient for the task, and that was the last thing she wanted getting back to the new patriarch. I suspect one of Cassius' own sons will make the attempt first, she said simply. There were so many of them that it was inevitable.

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