these lands were strange and new. any other young man might be filled with wanderlust, an urge to explore all the nooks and crannies for himself. but rameses... does not. he is tired, weary; he is missing parts of himself in the form of his sister. he will not truly be satisfied until all three of them were reunited, their fractured family finally made whole. truly still an angsty teen, he chooses to focus on his missing sister rather than his newly-resurrected father - if only because the angst fills his chest better than happiness ever could.

the caverns are cold and quiet; they keep out the elements well enough, but could never fully keep out the chill. he ignores it as he goes, traveling deep in the tunnels until he stumbles upon a lake. the room here is large, lit up nicely by cracks in the ceiling that let the moonlight stream in. it is still and quiet and... pretty. a little sigh heaves deep from his chest as he settles at the bank, letting his paws dangle forward - toes barely just brushing the surface. his reflection blinks back at him until he touches the water enough to disrupt it. instead, his orange gaze slides to the cavern around him - waiting for his eyes to adjust to the light levels here to really get a look at it.

""

Always an interesting place.

Hecuba moves silently across the sand as she drifts through one of her new favorite haunts, admiring the architecture she hadn’t noticed before. Although she doesn’t have a reason for exploring further than she already had, Hecuba is eager to do so. She wishes to memorize the layout of the entire valley backwards and forwards, learn it so well that she can find her path even if blindness were to strike. So far she has only just managed to get a solid grasp on the tunnels, and now she moves her attention onto the place with the massive hole in the ceiling. The stalactites seem so unwelcoming as she moves beneath him, only sparing them a single suspicious glance before she presses on.

There were only a few faces nowadays that could catch her off guard. Her daughters, to start, would certainly have been a welcome sight. Manes would have been a surprise. The trio of Drakon’s children would also be a surprise, but she isn’t sure whether or not it would be a pleasant one. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have much time to consider when she stumbles across Drakon’s heir. “Rameses,” she says with a look of shock, completely surprised to see him for some reason or another. “You’ve gotten so big.” He has grown leaps and bound since the last time she’s seen him, and although he is likely to flee at the sight of her, she makes no movement to block him in or pressure him to do anything else.

@Rameses

it was peaceful here; if it wasn't so far underground, rameses might even like it. he's not sure how to feel about the caverns though, preferring the freedom that open spaces provided. it wouldn't hurt him to stay here for a bit longer though. might as well enjoy it, after it took him so long to find. he's pulled from these bitter thoughts by the sound of approaching steps - and that is fine. he knows better than to assume any area is completely private; he has no claim on these tunnels, and idly his gaze shifts to look at the approaching form.

and - it is a familiar one.

she is a surprise - although maybe she shouldn't be. finding her in the middle of these caverns, however, was surely a stroke of luck. bad or good, he wasn't sure. she says his name and comments on his appearance, and he simply tilts his head to the side in acknowledgement. "thank you, @Hecuba." unlike his sisters, he did not hate his father's wife - nor did he hate her daughters. it's a shame that he was left to be the most well-behaved of the eldest trio, but here he was. as an heir, if only in name alone, he was expected to be well-mannered - and unlike his sisters, rameses wanted to be.

a shame, then, that it had all gone so badly back in the valley.

idly his gaze shifts to the shadows, hoping that kira is not lurking in his footsteps for once. while he wasn't exactly looking forward to an afternoon of step-mom/step-son bonding, he absolutely did not want kira to crash this hangout. fortunately for both of them, the shadows remain shadows. easily he looks back to the grey woman, pausing before speaking. "i'm not sure if you know - but drakon is alive. he's here, too." the specifics were still fuzzy to him, but certainly she does not need them; knowing he is alive should be enough.

""

If there is one child she wishes to befriend, it is the pale boy in front of her. Hecuba has never been given the opportunity to speak with him alone, as Kira seems to cling to him like a shadow. It makes sense considering she has already lost so much; using Rameses as a beacon of stability is logical. There is no sight of his sidekick this time around, and she wonders quietly if he is speaking to her so politely because of it. Would his temper shift if Kira crept into sight? Is it shameful to be speaking with her? The intruder, the usurper, the one who took the place of queen in the wake of their mother. Hecuba has never even met Drakon's previous wife, but she understands being an easy target for hate. She just hopes they will come to tolerate her one day.

Her ear twitches as Rameses reveals the news her husband is still alive. Hecuba grins softly, nodding her head. "Yes, we traveled here together. Hanneth revived him after he passed, but when I turned to look for the lot of you, you'd gone. I'm so sorry you had to see that, regardless of whether or not he is alive now." Her grin falls into a frown at the memory of it. It had been hard enough for her to watch, she can't imagine being one of his cubs. "Hydra and Cassandra.. didn't make the trip." The pain is obvious on her face, but she hardly expects him to notice. It is a rather blunt way of saying his half sisters are dead, though she isn't sure whether or not he'll care. Probably not, and she will pretend it doesn't sting when the time comes. Her girls. Her sweet babies, ripped from the world -- from her far too soon.

"Are you well? Your sisters?"

@Rameses