whispers in the dark [agoge]

[Deleted]

A large wolf laid down in the entrance of the Cavern of Govyn as the silence of the night began to fade into the dawn of the day. Distant drops of water fell down, doing those echoes Beleth came to feel so familiar with. The constant drips and splashing became some sort of a soothing sound for the pale brute, but not today. There was something troubling the silent giant. His eyelids were closed, but his eyes moved to all directions, and his heart was beating quickly for some strange reason. Feeling nervous was so... odd for Beleth, and it was surely a feeling he was not accustomed to. It was out of his comfort zone, and he had no idea how to handle the nerves he was feeling.

An atmosphere of anticipation was now present in the pack lands, and today it was more tangible than ever for Beleth. The Agoge was a new experience for the spawn of the Emperor and Matriarch, and the weight of the whole expectation was already placed on the sibling's shoulders, and Beleth had no idea what to do with such a heavy burden of responsibility. For the first time in his short life, he felt helpless and vulnerable, and he hated how it felt--it was as if something demonic was ripping shards of his mind, consuming him even more and more. Opening his eyes, he proceeded to say his goodbyes to Mother Datura before leaving. Almost all of his siblings had already left, including Lilith, but the foreign concept of fear was the only thing that kept him locked in Ina'mos to this day.

But not anymore.

Facing his mother as he told her about his departure, her stoic façade only mimicked his own. But, there was something in her eyes--Beleth had no idea he could read what others were thinking, but he knew that what he had seen was pride. Her eyes sparkled, even if her face was numb of any emotion. But he knew that she was proud of his sons and daughter. That glistening of her eyes in the moment of his announcement was just enough to carry that weight slightly, and to face the day. Or so he thought.

After what seemed an eternity, the silent giant made his way through Ina'mos until he arrived to the shores, spotting Vor'asa in the distance. The swim was a long one, but not so long that it would seem impossible. Seafoam eyes scanned the beach before turning his head to see the beautiful shores he had learned to call home. Taking a deep breath to let out some frustration, he began to walk into the crystalline, salty waters--the cold water and sand tickling his feet as he advanced forward. 

The swim was rather unpleasant--his eyes would get water in them, and he occasionally found himself dodging a few jellyfish in his path. His long legs and their strength were the only thing that kept him moving, even if he felt tired due to not being used to such rudimentary practice. Minutes passed by, and they seemed eternal to Beleth. The exhaustion from swimming was nothing for him, however--he wanted to do this for them, for his family and his pack, for their pride and honor, so he didn't care. He tried to shut down his nerves, and that uneasy feeling he was having as he swam.

The shore became more and more visible after what seemed an eternity. His legs kept moving him forward as out of nowhere he began to touch sand. He had made it to Vor'asa safely. A sense of pride took over him as Beleth swam more until he was able to walk and shake his fur. However, he began gasping for air before collapsing on the sandy beach as exhaustion gripped his mind. He took a few minutes to catch his breath and rest as he observed the unfamiliar surroundings.

He could see on the distance a strange, rusty formation he had never seen before, but he had heard of previously. It was called a boat, apparently, and it was sitting ominously on the beach. But, he just ignored it and continued observing his surroundings. He was in a beautiful cove, but it was much more arid than his tropical home back at Ina'mos. His heart was beating in anticipation as his eyes moved around, starting to feel uneasy and nervous again as he tried to shut down the voices that screamed at him to go back.

Isaiah / open to anyone in the Agoge!

[Isaiah]

Isaiah watched the shoreline often. It was almost as if his packmates naturally travelled in sets of two, a brother or a friend always meeting the washed-up wolf on the shoreline shortly after he arrived. It seemed for all who arrived, there was a specific wolf waiting for them. One after another, it seemed that each wolf had someone waiting—and so Isaiah would not interfere, and would not steal their joy from them.

The youth that arrived on the shore usually looked ragged, as the most recent castaway did, but almost all of them shook out their coats and wore looks of excitement, of pride, and of unadulterated joy. A few of them howled their arrival, some burst through the sand, others goaded eachother on in well-meant taunts. Despite their harrowing journeys, they had all seemed to come out on the shores of Vor’asa with bellowing determination.

But the wolf that climbed the rocky shores into the sands that day, as the sun threatened to dip its hat and descend into the water, seemed to be alone. No one rushed out from the surrounding brush to greet the adolescent pup, and he stood in stoic reverie. Rising from his shaded spot beneath the ruddy palms, Isaiah shook his honey-kissed coat of sand and began walking slowly towards the boy.

He was Beleth, one of Goliath’s own brood. They had never spoken, as his time on Ina’mos had been fairly brief, but he was confident that his nephew would know of him. He inched towards him gracefully, long legs flicking his paws in front of him like a dance. His approach was forgiving and quiet, and as he grew closer, he noticed the anxiety flitting behind Beleth’s electric blue irises.

Isaiah had always been the picture of calm, never truly breaking from his collected cool that he came to be known for. He was the defensive fighter, the quiet beacon of strength alongside his boisterous brothers. Even his caramel hues and soft jade eyes spoke of calm, his eyelids rarely exposing his entire pupil. And so it was decided—he would be the one to greet his hulking kin.

“Beleth,” he greeted him smoothly, an easy smile fluttering across his maw. Isaiah came as a picture of stability, and willed the quiet, stoic wolf to speak. He would not press him—his nephew would greet him when he was ready, of that he was sure.

tags: @beleth
words: 412
muse: good...
notes: ...but crappy post. xD

[Deleted]

Beleth's eyes quickly darted towards a source of movement as he turned his body sharply around. Once turned, he saw the standing figure of his Uncle Isaiah in front of him. Beleth's anxiety lowered a little bit as he tipped his head softly as a greeting. He had never spoken to this particular Uncle, so he had no idea about who he was--but so far, his soft voice made him seem much more welcoming. Beleth stood still as the hairs behind his back rested back into their usual position. Allowing himself to relax, the pale wolf observed his uncle before greeting him.

"Isaiah," he spoke, his tone mimicking the one of his uncle, even if anxiety was still dripping from every word he spoke. He tried to hide the conflicting emotions he had behind a mask of pride and confidence, but he just could not understand what was going on with his mind and body. They were reacting differently, like polar opposites, as if his body had a mind of its own. "...I don't know what to do now." His voice shut down after the statement as a hard lump formed in his throat. He had never been put in this position, of feeling so vulnerable, and of feeling so out of his comfort zone.

He began to think about his siblings, back at Ina'mos. He began to think about the caverns, about the lessons Mother Datura had taught him, and a bunch of feelings began to wash over him. He couldn't admit it out loud, but he missed them already. He always felt... safe with them. Now, here, he was exposed. He was no longer in the safety of the cavern, or admiring the beauty of the waterfalls. He was now alone, in an unknown world, of which he did not have any control or knowledge. And he wanted to explode, but his silence was becoming his own doom, instead of his safe haven.

"I miss them." 

Beleth sighed, and for the first time in his short life, signs of tears began to appear in his eyes, but quickly disappeared when Beleth made a deep sigh. He had to be strong for the honor of Kairos, but most importantly, for himself.

Isaiah / meh post