Glorious [Agoge]

[Deleted]

She knew the time had come, at long last.

In a dream, He came to her, but Lilith knew she was not sleeping. Weeks of self-deprivation gnawed on her mind, exacerbating the madness hiding there. The vision appeared before her, materializing as if He was flesh and blood. Mismatched eyes had widened in awe – He was bigger than anyone that had ever lived, with fur darker than a night without stars. His eyes were as red as blood, and His mouth foamed as he stared down upon the she-wolf. She was not frightened, for she knew who it was: Fenrir had come to her, had appeared before her because she was chosen. His mouth didn’t move, he said nothing, but Lilith was convinced, this was not merely the product of hallucinations. He stood before her, and she could feel His raw power, intoxicating and magnificent. When he disappeared seconds later, she could still feel Him there. Was it a sign that she was cursed, or blessed? She was the product of divinity – she had never doubted it before, but now she knew.

Weeks had passed since she saw another of her kind. She did not know who remained in Vor’asa, who had completed the Agoge, who struggled, or that some had abandoned their cause completely. Lilith had worked so hard, all for the glory of her pack and for herself, while the anger festered in her heart and mind. Lilith had lost track of how many weeks had been lost, or how long she had been away from Ina’mos, but one thing was certain: She was not the same Lilith that had departed the island months ago. She was a massive beast, as large as her largest brothers, and more determined than most. She wanted to see more. The world beyond was a temptation, full of promise for Lilith – All those wolves taking up space needlessly, weak creatures waiting to be crushed.

Her entire life had been leading to this moment. She had fought for it from the beginning, when her mother explained that only the boys were allowed to go to the Agoge, and Lilith had refused to accept it. Just because she was not male did not mean she was incapable of matching her brothers blow for blow. She had always been just as large as the boys. From a young age, she was determined to prove them wrong, to overcome the unfairness of her gender. Even as an adult, she wondered why the gods were cruel enough to give her the wrong sex. Males were regarded differently in the world she existed. Her father and brothers could claim any female, but Lilith was not the same. Still, she was scarcely female – only her moniker and the lack of notable parts distinguished her from the brutes. In size, attitude, and in her own mind, she was the same as her brothers: a son of Goliath, bred to fight.

She had been stalking the great birds for days, carefully tucking her enormous body in the shadows beneath the cliffs where the golden eagles made their nest. Hearing the voices of the giant eagles, she prepared herself. Some of her time in the Agoge had been spent practicing with Typhon, or learning lessons from her uncle Sabaoth, but mostly, Lilith had found ways to challenge herself – brutal and merciless, she would not go easy on herself. It wasn’t meant to be a simple task…

And she would show them all. She emerged from the shadows, climbing the hillside with surprising grace for someone of her size. She was more than sinew and strength, and her mind had grown increasingly sharp during her training. As quietly as she could manage, the brutish fae crept closer to the nest. Presently, only one eagle protected the nest, apparently unaware of the wolf’s impending presence. She crept closer still before she stopped to stand at her full height, and a growl rumbled in her throat, just loud enough to alert the bird to her presence. Outraged, the would-be parent immediately rose into the air, it’s giant wingspan impressive, but Lilith was not afraid. Her head lowered as she rushed forward, and in a flash of golden feathers, the eagle was upon her. Its sharp talons easily broke her skin above her shoulder blade, but she ignored the pain, rearing her head back as her jaws parted to clamp down upon the eagle’s leg. A deafening screech pierced the peaceful afternoon as the eagle cried out in suffering. With one firm bite, the digit was crushed in her teeth, and the eagle, stunned, fell to the ground. Before the other parent could return, Lilith hurried to the nest, where two enormous eggs rest comfortably. Gently, the she-wolf gathered the first egg in her maw. She left the scene swiftly, careful to balance the egg on her tongue so that it would not be shattered prematurely.

A steady trickle of crimson dripped from her shoulder, splashing the dark pebbles on the beach. The wound was the prize of a battle well fought, and victorious. With one final look at Vor’asa, Lilith waded into the ocean. The salt of the sea washed the blood from her, the open wound stinging as a scorpion attacks its prey. The pain made her eyes well, but it was a minor inconvenience to make the trek back to Ina’mos.

The swim was a welcome relief from the ceaseless, stifling heat she had endured that summer. Adrenaline still coursing through her veins, the trek was not as difficult as she had remembered. She wondered… Who would meet her there? Would her father be present on Ina’mos, or had his duties taken him elsewhere once again. All the muscles tightened in her face as she lumbered onto the shore. If her father was not there, then Lilith was certain of who would be there to heed her call – someone who had always been around, for as long as Lilith could recall, always protecting the vulnerable members of Kairos. Lilith had grown to tower over the she-wolf called Xena, but still, she had respect for the first and only female warrior Kairos possessed.

The she-wolf cast an enormous shadow in the late afternoon. She set the egg down in the sand, wasting no time before she offered a long, loud howl to announce her arrival. Lilith had returned.

words: 1080

tag: @xena1 @zenith Sabaoth

ooc: Xena will help out, but Goliath and Sabaoth
(and anyone from Kairos) are welcome to come watch!

[Deleted]

HOVER
[attr="class","plbase"]

[attr="class","pltxt"]The howl of a grown wolf greeted Datura from where she was perched, drawing her attention away from the absent thoughts that occupied the matriarch’s mind between the breeding seasons. It was strange, having nothing much to do. For months, the chaos had been inescapable on Ina’mos, but Datura had embraced it, and while it was thoroughly exhausting and occasionally infuriating, she relished the time she had spent with her own pups. Now, it seemed so quiet, with only a handful of little ones compared to the dozens that had romped around its protected shores. The rest were all closer to a year old and less dependent on their mothers, while others had departed for the Agoge months ago. Each day, Datura waited to see who would return triumphant, with high hopes that her offspring would not disappoint. She knew today was promising, and rising to her paws, the she-wolf began her short trek to the origin of the call.

Her youngest child had always been very different from the rest of the little girls. For one, she was never little, born blessed with her father’s abnormal size and an equally massive ego. Datura hadn’t willfully allowed her daughter to disobey the expectations set by the pack. Girls were not meant to be the warriors. But Lilith could never be dissuaded, her mind made up from almost the instant she could voice her opinion. If her brothers were to be fighters, then she would, too, and she would do her best to beat them. If her brothers were going to the Agoge, then Lilith would never be left behind. In fact, she had been the first to leave, so anxious to claim her rightful place within the pack that truly, she had no right to take. Exceptions had been made before, however, and no one could deny that Lilith was capable of keeping pace with the brutes.

And Datura was very proud, a feeling so keen that it was nearly overwhelming to conceive – all of her hard work, giving birth and rearing her little hell-raisers, all for this: strong offspring that would make their father proud. Her daughter could accomplish as much as the sons, and without the added benefit of the privilege of being a male. No one could argue that the two genders were held to different standards within Kairos. It was the very basis of their ideals: the boys were expected to perform their masculine duties adeptly, while the females had their anticipated duty that came once a year, when the snow began to fall in the high mountains of Anikira.

Lilith was destined to be different. The very thought of someone trying to claim the enormous wolf now standing on the shore was absurdity. It was shocking to see her again – if she was not yet fully grown now, than Datura could not fathom how large Lilith would become, for she was now easily as tall as her sire. Lilith had distinctive eyes, one the cold blue shade of her father’s, and the other matching Datura’s own honey-hued orbs. Her eyes, however, were nearly the only thing that looked the same. She wasn’t a chubby, pestering child anymore. Instead, she was stocky and muscular, a build to match the males of their lineage. Lilith was bleeding from her shoulder as she waited on the sand for her elders to arrive. Datura had no part to play in the ceremony except that of an observer.  It was naïve to believe that every pup born to Kairos would ultimately remain there, duty-bound and proud to call it their home, but Datura was certain that above all else, Lilith was loyal to the pack and to her kin. A wide smile appeared on her muzzle as she watched from a distance, lowering her lithe form to lay on the sand.



words: 653
tags: @zenith - @xena1 - Sabaoth
ooc: I’ll post with Datura again if someone acknowledges her there, otherwise, she’ll be lurking in the background.

[newclass=.pltxt]position: relative; z-index: 200; opacity: 0; transition: all 1.1s ease; -webkit-transition: all 1.5s ease; -moz-transition: all 1.1s ease;[/newclass][newclass=.plbase:hover .pltxt]opacity: 0.8;[/newclass][newclass=.pltxt::-webkit-scrollbar]width: 8px;[/newclass][newclass=.pltxt::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]background: #ffffff;[/newclass]

[Deleted]

The days had all gone by painfully slow the past several months. Not only had her pregnancy been irritating and much too long, she had been cursed with offspring to follow her about everywhere and drive her closer and closer to the end of her rope each and every day. At least she had gotten rid of one of them, yet she had been plagued with a replacement, a weaker, smaller version of Severus that had come from a different female. At least Banshee was her own, the product of her lineage and that of the Ultoris alpha. The other one was a tiny version of Severus and his mate, a much smaller female that Xena had never met. She had not been interested in the male at the time, nor was she now, but she had to wonder why an alpha would choose such a weak pairing for his lineage. But today, the pups were far from both her mind and her body. Banshee was off getting herself into trouble - at least that was what Xena assumed - and she had no idea where the stranger's pup had wandered off to.

Today was more important than her charges, especially since they should be old enough to take care of themselves for at least a day on their own. The morning had found her heading in the direction of the Vor'asa, but she was not destined to enter the waters in search of the opposite shore. No, today she would watch the return of the young members of Kairos, the new warriors and the failures that were brave enough to show their faces once more. But before she reached the waters, a powerful and somewhat familiar call rang through the air. She had been charged with not only the protection of many of the pups of Kairos, but also the pups of Datura, one of her few friends and trusted allies in the pack. Lilith, a young and ambitious female that the warrior had learned to tolerate, had been inexperienced and untrained when she had left for the Agoge. But the call that sounded was not that of a pup, nor an immature adolescent that Xena easily recognized. No, as the tall warrior approached, the enormous female that stood before her was the future of Kairos. But even as her mind process the thought, she knew it was incorrect. Lilith was not just the future, but the present.

The young female, now much larger than her, had successfully achieved her goal and had returned with an egg, which she had placed carefully on the sand while her mother laid nearby watching. Datura had no part to play in today's ceremony, but Xena knew that she had earned the right to accept the offering that Lilith had brought. Although she acknowledged the other mother's presence with a small nod, Xean moved forward in silence, head held high and ears perked with interest as her eyes fell upon the egg that Lilith had presented. "Welcome home, Lilith." She said, surprising herself with the fact that she felt the smallest touch of warmth as she spoke the younger wolf's name. Not only had Lilith succeeded, but she would willingly present her egg to the only female warrior of Kairos. It was fitting, really, and Xena could not help but feel a soft spot and a building respect for the honor that the young wolf had given her. When Lilith had been a pup, so intent on becoming a warrior and breaking her gender's stereotype, Xena had been the sole female warrior of Kairos. At first, Lilith's ambition had been a threat to her own hard work and sovereignty. But today, as the young wolf presented her egg on the sand before her, she proved to be an ally and a pack mate as opposed to the enemy and threat she could have potentially become.

It took her only a matter of moments to reach the larger female, and without another word, she lowered her head towards the egg that had been laid carefully in the sand. Her jaw then parted slowly, teeth opening and then closing gently on the shell, applying just enough pressure to crack the pale barrier between the outside world and the young wolf's destiny within. Then, with a swift movement, Xena opened the egg, taking a small step back to observe the contents. Within the prize that Lilith had returned with, laid a fully formed chick, a tiny unborn creature that was not moving. Not only had the young female proved herself worthy at the Agoge, but it was now clear that she had much more in store for her future. "You have returned with a fully formed, unmoving chick. You are fortunate, unanimously favored by the gods and there is a life of greatness and power in store for you." Xena could hear the pack's leader in the back of her head, reciting the words and the potential outcomes of the Agoge's egg presentation. The older wolf slowly sat, tail resting lightly beside her as she watched the larger female intently. Lilith would become a Gladiator of Kairos, with a bright and promising future ahead of her. Now, all that was left was for the older warrior to watch the young wolf consume the egg's contents and take the first step into the rest of her life.

TAG: @lilith, @datura, @zenith, Sabaoth
WORDS: 898
NOTES: ALL MY XENA GRAPHICS ARE BROKEN D=

[Sabaoth]

The call rang out, loud and long, drawing Sabaoth’s attention effortlessly. He heard it even in the caverns where he lay with Roka, watching as their young scrabbled and scuffled, their yelps echoing in the darkness until the howl briefly silenced them. It was unmistakable concerning who it belonged to: Lilith, returned at last from the Agoge, calling for those who would witness her triumph. With the softest grunt of effort, Sabaoth hefted his weight and stood, leaning down to brush his muzzle against Roka’s before he moved, sweeping past his young with a promise to return aimed in their direction. He’d had a few days of peace to spend as he would, and most of his time had involved spending time with Roka and his young. Now, however, he was reminded that the Agoge was not yet over for everyone. The young warriors would trickle in with the tide, carrying their eggs gently in their oversized muzzles, awaiting their fates.

Sabaoth’s large form weaved through the trees as he trotted in the direction that the call had sounded from: the shores, where he assumed Lilith had recently washed up upon the sand. And indeed he spotted her there in the distance as the ground beneath his paws turned to sand, her hulking form unmistakable in its massive size. There was another who had just come to a halt before Lilith, a bit smaller but decidedly female, and after a brief moment Sabaoth recognized her as Xena, Kairos’ Praetorian. He had not interacted with Xena much at all, but he was not surprised that Lilith had chosen her to present her egg too.

So intent was he on studying the larger femmes that he did not see Lilith’s mother nestled in the coolness of the sand, and only very narrowly did Sabaoth avoid stumbling over her. He neatly sidestepped at the last moment, coming to a brief halt and inclining his head to the diminutive she-wolf. ”My apologies, Datura. You blend in quite seamlessly with the sand,” he rumbled, a gnarled smile flitting briefly across his muzzle. Truly the Matriarch’s colors were far too rich to blend with the pale sand, but Sabaoth supposed that jesting with her was better than shuffling away after almost stepping on her like a bumbling fool. A moment later, however, the smile disappeared from his maw, and his tone turned serious as he murmured, ”I imagine that you are very proud.”

No longer wishing to delay or interfere with the sacred act about to occur, the General slowly lowered his weight to the ground beside Datura, sitting on his haunches a proper distance away from the femme. They were close enough to hear the words that Xena spoke, but not so close as to interfere with the breaking of the egg. Pale eyes were rapt upon Lilith’s egg as Xena cracked the pale shell at last, and the body of the chick was revealed: fully form, but still. Blessed indeed.

Without realizing it, a smile had curled at Sabaoth’s lips once more as he watched Lilith, waiting for her to consume the carcass, and for some kind of reaction. It was a glorious fate indeed, one that Sabaoth was glad to see bestowed upon Lilith. His niece had returned from the Agoge unquestionably triumphant.

TAG: @datura + @lilith + @xena1
WORDS: 550

[Deleted]

Her wait was short lived - the first female warrior of Kairos appeared faithfully. It seemed as if Xena had always been close by when Lilith was littler. Now, Xena was significantly shorter than Lilith, though the younger femme knew better than to point out the obvious size difference now separating the two. Xena welcomed her home – a kind gesture, though Lilith could hardly keep still, the excitement and the pain from the gash on her shoulder mingling to create a manic state as the adolescent stared down at the egg. Watching with anticipation, the severity of the situation was not lost on Lilith: it was the most important and momentous time of her life. This meant everything – all the hard work, the scars and the promise of glory, all of it leading to this vey instant.

Without further ceremony or comment, Xena broke the egg, revealing a small chick, still as a stone within the protective shell that had encased the growing life. The would-be bird was already dead, its still-forming bones and large, onyx eyes unseeing. Xena recited the significance of the outcome: "You have returned with a fully formed, unmoving chick. You are fortunate, unanimously favored by the gods and there is a life of greatness and power in store for you."

No one suggested which gods favored her, but Lilith knew instinctively – hers was a god of darkness and terror, one who gave no life, only snatched it away. It was precisely the outcome she had hoped for, and she wasted no time in devouring the slimy little being, its promising life was snuffed out before it had the chance to grow into a monstrosouly large eagle. Instead, it was a tiny snack to Lilith. ”Thank you, Xena.” She did not boast the way she had when she was still a pup, though from her expression, it was clear the mixed breed femme was pleased with herself. Now, a destiny of sniveling brats was not something that Lilith desired, and now, with the completion of the Agoge, it was certain that she would never be required to breed. Now, she would be a warrior, perhaps even a General someday like her noble uncle Sabaoth, who she admired greatly.

Perhaps, if she continued to push herself beyond her limits, to excel at everything she was asked to do, she could even be an alpha wolf. She was big enough to be an alpha, anyway. She would be shocked to see that she was even larger than her sire now. Only Ty and Samson truly matched Lilith for size and weight. Briefly, she wondered if Typhon had beaten her back to the shores of Ina’mos, but she didn’t see her competitive brother there. She didn't see their father, either. Her heart sank, but she shook her head, admonishing herself internally. She was no longer a stupid, emotional little pup. She wouldn’t let anyone ruin her fateful day.

Where would she go next? She could travel to Acerbus, just over the waters in the east, a place her mother had told her about when she was still a pup. Lilith had never gone to the conquered lands, but the thought of it was exciting. Or perhaps she would return to Vor’asa, where the brutish female had spent the last several months of her life for training, to become a warrior worthy of her pack and its fearsome reputation. Training had become her sole obsession, her entire existence consumed by the searing summer heat, the aching muscles and crimson blood splashed upon the golden sand dunes. Now victorious, it was time to look ahead to a future blessed by a god of infinite power – one just as brutal as Lilith was destined to become.


words: 635
tags: @datura + @xena1 + Sabaoth + @zenith

[Deleted]

HOVER
[attr="class","plbase"]

[attr="class","pltxt"]From where she had settled, Datura was joined by another wolf, as large as Lilith’s absent father – her uncle, come to watch, as well. The Matriarch greeted Sabaoth with a gentle nod and a proud smile. ”My apologies, Datura. You blend in quite seamlessly with the sand.” So engrossed in the scene unfolding before her, Datura had not detected the sounds of the two-toned male approaching – though he was certainly massive enough for her to hear his impending arrival sooner than she did. She was not startled by his presence, however. She was, after all, the aunt to his sons and daughter, who seemed to grow with every passing sunset. Her happy expression widened across her muzzle, nodding as the brute commented, ”I imagine that you are very proud.”

”Yes. I have waited for this almost as long as Lilith has. She never would take no for an answer. She knew better for herself.” Datura’s attempt to dissuade Lilith had been ignored, for Lilith was one who couldn’t be denied. She was strong, capable, and as stubborn as any wolf could be. Datura watched her child still, though Lilith hardly acknowledged her mother. Lilith could undoubtedly see the she-wolf’s flame-licked pelt, see the smiling expression upon her muzzle. Datura held considerable respect for the General. He was a fine father, in spite of his hulking size, ever present in the lives of his young pups. ”You were there to guide them. I will be forever grateful for the role you have played in their lives, each of them.” There could be no better uncle than Sabaoth to help train her sons – and, of course, Lilith too.

With a hushed chuckle, Datura commented under her breath, ”I can’t imagine her with pups someday, anyway.” Lilith would never be like her regal dam, who was elegant in her own fierce way, the portrait of dignity. Lilith knew little about her mother’s past, as Datura had never shared her sordid history with another, with the exception of Zohartze. The matriarch’s offspring did not know that her own beginnings had been meager, days of shame and the desperation to survive. They had no inkling of the fact that before Goliath, Datura had been nothing at all. But Goliath had changed her life, just as Datura had altered his. She had given him six pups, and he had given her power over the feminine realm of the pack, over the mothers and their offspring, the future of Kairos. And it was a role she took very seriously. Whatever path her brutish daughter followed, no matter how unconventional, Datura was immensely proud of Lilith and the blessed future awaiting her.



words: 466
tags: @zenith - @xena1 - Sabaoth

[newclass=.pltxt]position: relative; z-index: 200; opacity: 0; transition: all 1.1s ease; -webkit-transition: all 1.5s ease; -moz-transition: all 1.1s ease;[/newclass][newclass=.plbase:hover .pltxt]opacity: 0.8;[/newclass][newclass=.pltxt::-webkit-scrollbar]width: 8px;[/newclass][newclass=.pltxt::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]background: #ffffff;[/newclass]