Changes [Valeria]

[Pharaoh]

Darkness had fallen on the Kamari. Not only had night fallen, but so had catastrophe. Not necessarily on the Kamari itself, but on the wolves that had recently taken up the land as home. Descai was no more, Vorilye was dying. Far too much had changed, far too quickly. To say that the young prince was overwhelmed would be an understatement. Tonight found him alone for once, as he typically moved with his enormous feline companion at his side. He needed the time away from his life, away from all of the strangeness of the situation they had all been thrown into. Valyn had lost their home to the monsters of Kairos, just as Descai had lost the Acerbus not too long ago to the same pack. The terrors of Kairos would not last forever. No, they would come to a burning, disastrous end if he had anything to say about it.

The weak and defeated females of Valyn had arrived only a short while ago, and their timing could not have been any more perfect. With his father slowly dying, and he and his brothers being far too young to lead the pack successfully, Valeria was a godsend. Although she had lost her pack's territory, she was still a leader, and an experienced one at that. Pharaoh had only heard brief stories of Valyn's hierarchy and values, but he could not help feel at least some relief at her homecoming. They were siblings, yes, but not as closely related as he and his immediate brothers. Now that he was full grown, he was larger than the black and gold female, but not by much. An inch at most, maybe. They had both been blessed with strength and power by their father, and yet, this was the first time they had ever met.

She was older, of course, and far more experienced, but she was still family. But what did Pharaoh really know about family? His father had been deteriorating for a while now, his mother had always been sick, and he had lost half of his siblings before he had truly gotten to know them. The only consistent part of his life seemed to be Thirteen, the impressive tigress that followed him around nearly everywhere. They were almost inseparable, but with all of the changes as of late, she had decided to remain scarce until everyone had at least somewhat settled. After all, losing their pack land and returning to the Kamari to merge with Descai was a big enough change for everyone. They did not need to know that part of their pack was feline on top of it all. The time would come to introduce her to everyone else, but right now, it was just better this way.

He needed time to think, to breathe in the new scent of his expanding family, and to adjust to all of the changes that had happened too fast. They were all a unique collection of individuals, but they were almost all related in one way or another. Would they thrive or fall from here? He frowned at the thought, shaking his head slowly and moving forward through the trees. Crumbled buildings and the debris of forest fires still laid strewn out across the ground here and there, but the path he walked had been traveled frequently enough that he did not bother to pay much attention to where his paws fell. So much had changed, it seemed the land he walked on was changed by it all as well. Would the world ever stop spinning for even a moment so he could catch his breath and find his footing?

Words: 610
Tags: Valeria
Muse: medium
Notes: n/a

[Valeria]

The Seraphim was not certain that everyone would take their new arrangement well, but it was going surprisingly smoother than Valeria first anticipated. It was only by sheer luck that Vorilye was looking for an out, and she was providing him one in the form of her leadership. The circumstances certainly were not ideal, but that did not mean that she would not honor her promises. Valeria did not have the attachment to their pack lands that her father did, but she had every intention to take Acerbus, as well as Kal'dyne, back from Kairos. The increase in their numbers would benefit both packs, and under Val's leadership, she was certain they could move forward and create a brighter future for everyone involved.

The only downside was the sheer number of males in Descai, but at least the ones that remained were her brothers. They were little threat to her position, mostly because they were no older than her own sons. It was surprising to the alphess that her father managed to sire two litters after his last litter with Atriell. While he might not have cared much for any wolves that were not her own mother, she always had a soft spot for Saphira and Ariella. They were there when she was still younger and with the pack, yet now the pair were sparse, if around at all. What she did have was a mass of brothers; they would grow into strong fighters and provide protection for the pack, if the alphess had any say in it.

The one that interested her the most was the blue-eyed white male, Pharaoh. He was certainly the apple of their father's eye, not much different than how Vorilye had once looked at Ryker. Valeria had not been a fool in her youth. She always knew that her father preferred Ryker over the rest of his pups. Whether it was because he had a soft spot for his eldest son or because he was the most capable in age to lead the pack, she never knew. But she was remarkably less threatened by this younger male. While he might have rivaled her in size, he seemed remarkably passive about their take over. Perhaps he recognized that this would be the best situation for everyone involved. She may not be familiar with the newest generation of her half-siblings, but that did not mean she did not trust her father to raise them with the same sense of loyalty to family that they had grown accustomed to over the years.

But the alphess found herself trailing after the younger male as he left their dens. Val was curious to speak with him and get his true opinions on what was happening. Sure, his opinion was not going to change the matter, but she believed that if anyone would have influence over the others in the pack apart from Vorilye, Pharaoh would be the next best bet. It was clear their father was grooming him as the next alpha, and her arrival was putting a wrench in those plans.


"Crazy day, huh?" she offered quietly to the younger male, unsure how exactly to broach the subject at hand. This was a sibling she did not even know existed, let alone had a relationship with. It was shocking to find out that her father had finally caved and claimed the crazy of the pack, but even she could not deny that they produced some beautiful offspriing. Pharaoh was striking, and Valeria could see much of their father reflected in his demeanor. He would grow to be a leader some day, but today was not going to be that day.


Tags: Pharaoh

[Pharaoh]

It did not take long for the male to realize that someone had followed him from the den site. His pace continued as before, however, for the scent that followed his own was familiar. Well, at least somewhat familiar. Valeria had brought her pack, Valyn and merged with Descai, successfully snatching leadership out of his reach and forcing him into an even lower rank than what he would have ever expected. He knew that Valyn valued females much more than males within their pack, therefore he doubted that he would have much - or any - say in the future of his father's pack. Vor would not be around much longer, and then whatever happened to them was now up to Valeria and her feminist values. It was troublesome, and though Pharaoh had been particularly welcoming and passive about the whole ordeal, he was only thinking of the future of the pack.

Yes, things would not be easy for the males, living under the leadership and shadow of a female dominated society, but they would survive. They had no hope of surviving on their own. Vor was the only wolf of experience within their ranks, and with his death, there was no one bold enough of old enough to take on the leadership of Descai successfully. Perhaps Pharaoh or one of his brothers could take it on temporarily, but with their youth and inexperience, they would do more harm than good to their father's legacy. He might have been ambitious, but the white and gold male was not stupid. "Crazy day, huh?" Finally, the female's voice cut through the silence in the air and made the large male slow his pace to allow her to join him. He would not stop for her, nor would he openly submit at the moment, for Vor was still alive and he had yet to pledge any allegiance to his older sister. He would look out for his family, and he would respect his sister just like he would any of his other siblings, but she had yet to prove worthy of his submission and obedience.

"Crazy is an understatement, Sister." He said, using the term as an attempt to feel closer to her than he truly did. "How are the other members of Valyn fairing? We can offer any medical attention necessary. Or at least the best we can do." He said, finally slowing down enough to look back at the darker female with his bright blue eyes. "And how are you? It seems that you put up a hell of a fight for Kal'dyne." He added, his tail wagging slightly out of habit as he kept his balance while moving forward and watching her over his shoulder. They were nearly the same size, but it was not her gender or her size that was keeping the male from completely trusting her. He had only just met her, and had she not been family, he likely would have ganged up on her like Galathe wanted and drove her from Descai's territory. But she was family, and if there was one thing that Vor had taught him in their short time together, that family was one of the most important things in the world. And as he had said earlier, it did not stop because someone left. Valeria had left Descai, but she had never ceased to be family.

Words: 563
Tags: Valeria
Muse: medium
Notes: n/a

[Valeria]

There was little response from Valeria's younger brother, which she could not fault him. Here she was, the alphess of another pack, waltzing in at a time that the pack was unstable and snatching up power. Truly, the members of Descai could see her in the same light as Kairos, but her goals were different. All she wanted was to ensure the survival of her family, whether it be her Valyn sisters or her brothers and sister in Descai. There was nothing that she could do about the fact that she had lost, and she wore the scars that the younger male left on her. One of these days, they would reclaim their home; that much was clear.

"They are okay, from what I can tell. There are many of my ranks that I believe did not make it out alive," she breathed out, her frustration nearly palpable. She continued to blame herself for the missing bodies; Athena and Emerald were suspiciously absent, along with many of the younger generation. She had hopes that they were safe, but with the attitudes of the Kairos swarm, she could not help but believe that many of them were dead, or worse, prisoners of Kairos. "I failed them... I may have fought for my lands, but I could not protect my sisters." The disdain of her displacement was hovering over the alphess. She could not express her failure to her sisters; she could not dare to expose her vulnerability and have them question her ability to lead. But Pharaoh was different. Not only was he blood, but he had taken the initiative to stand up for her when he had no ulterior motive. Perhaps the persistence of their pack was a goal, but they had no reason to believe she would do what she said. She could be no different than Goliath and his brood.

"I am not trying to replace Father, Pharaoh. But we all need a fresh start, and I do not think we can do that separate," she finally threw out what he was sure he must be thinking. They were the intruders, and yet she was the one who wound up in power. Logically, she forfeited her birthright to Descai when she left, much like Galathe accused her. They were outsiders, and there would be many things to adjust to over the next few weeks. "But keep in mind, you don't just need me. I need you as well. Clearly our more extreme methods were not making us any stronger. I can't continue to overlook what is right in front of me." She needed to have their support, and Valeria firmly believed Pharaoh would be the one who could help bridge that gap. He was one of them, and if she could help close the separation between the two packs, they would be stronger together.

"We may be strangers, but we are still blood. I will make the changes necessary for you, but I need your support as well."


Word Count: 503 words
Tags: Pharaoh
Notes: Meep Val. XD

[Pharaoh]

His instinct, just like his half-brother's, told him not to trust her. But deep down, he knew that she was family. There was no turning his back on family, and had they wished to take over Descai and destroy everything they held dear, the females of Valyn would have done so already. Descai was weak and decaying, and with Vor's death, it would crumble into nothing. Pharaoh might have been young, but he was not a fool. Or at least not a complete fool. There were far too many things for him to learn before he could run a pack on his own. He knew he had been right to stand up for his older sister, but he still could not bring himself to fully trust her. "I am not trying to replace Father, Pharaoh. But we all need a fresh start, and I do not think we can do that separate." She was not wrong, and he even nodded slowly to show his approval of the statement. "I know you are right, sister. You are family, and yet I cannot know that you are trustworthy. Galathe is not wrong in saying that you abandoned Descai. How do I know that you will not do the same again, or worse?" He said, surprising himself with the calm and mature words that poured from his mouth.

He had stopped walking altogether now, and though he did not turn away from her, he did sit down and shake his head slowly. "But keep in mind, you don't just need me. I need you as well. Clearly our more extreme methods were not making us any stronger. I can't continue to overlook what is right in front of me." They needed each other, he knew that. Only an idiot would not see that both Valyn and Descai would be stronger and better united. But change was not only difficult, it was also terrifying. Trusting a sister that had left their family so long ago would not be a decision that the white male would make lightly. "We may be strangers, but we are still blood. I will make the changes necessary for you, but I need your support as well." His blue eyes searched her face for the honesty that he wished to see reflected in her eyes as she spoke. It was there, but he still could not tell if it was real or fake. He would need to keep himself close to her, get to know his sister and figure out if her intentions really were true and honest.

"I will support you, Valeria, if your intentions are true. Descai is my family, and I will see Valyn as my sisters as well as long as you have both our packs best interests at heart. I will not stand by and see my brothers treated as slaves and looked down upon." He said, his eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke the last words of his small speech. He was serious, too. The changes she spoke of would have to happen, and he would not see his brothers treated poorly or lowly by anyone regardless of their gender or rank. Descai and Valyn would become a family, but they would need to become a family that he could trust, not one he disdained. "Do we have a deal, sister?" He asked, tilting his head slightly and perking his white ears towards her. He knew she would need his support, and he wanted to give it to her, but he had to make sure that his family would not suffer for it.

Valeria

[Valeria]

The scrutiny around here was brutal.

Where one second it seemed that Pharaoh might be on her side, the next he was questioning her loyalty to the family. Valeria was not certain whether she should be offended or respect her younger brother for his concern for the pack. While the full control of the pack may have changed hands, their father was no less involved in the workings of the pack. At least, that would be the case until his passing; at that time, the position would be up for grabs. Valeria could not assume that the members of Descai would continue to remain loyal if only the Valyn females remained in control. It was ideal to integrate the packs while Vorilye was still around so to avoid the back lash later. 

"What your brother has said is only half the truth, Pharaoh," the large femme sighed heavily. It was as if the odds were stacked against her at every turn. But until the truth was out in the open, they would not be able to move forward. "Before your birth, this pack was far larger. There were many outside our bloodline that resided within Acerbus and Kamari. My mother, Sarin, was among the pack members, along with Saphira's mother, Atriell, and many others with whom are father laid. I do not know how much you have heard of our eldest brother, Ryker, for he was far before your time and was gone long before your birth." She paused; Valeria was more than happy to drag her older brother through the mud, but she had to be tactful in how she presented the information lest she look like a spiteful brat lashing out. "The pack was stable and Father was looking to relinquish control at that point. But... things went wrong. Father passed control of the pack to Ryker. He was reckless and willful; he was the opposite of Father in many ways that I would not even be able to begin to explain. But the main thing he was was unprepared." The femme growled quietly under her breath, remembering the anger and betrayal she felt the day that Father announced Ryker would take control of the pack.

"I stayed for a while under the leadership of our brother. But... things went sideways. The beta was murdered... left for dead within our borders. Father was distraught. And then Saphira's mother went missing." Valeria knew that the Descai wolves thought that she had abandoned them, yet their father had done something not much different all those years ago. How could she be faulted for something because she chose not to return, whereas their father opted to show back up after everything had already fallen apart? "Father left. He was just gone, wandering away in search of Atriell. We were left alone with Ryker, and he was no alpha. He was short tempered and overcompensated at every turn. But along with that, he angered Goliath." The she wolf cringed at the thought of the large male. While she did not regret her children, she certainly regretted that he had any part in their creation.


"Goliath held much anger toward Ryker. Pharaoh, he is the reason that Descai no longer held Acerbus. Kairos may well have left things alone, yet they trampled our homelands because of the decisions of our brother. I was still young, and I stood no chance against an older male. I left, and Zofia came with me. The pack was falling apart, and I was not going to stand by and allow myself to go down with them." Valeria closed her eyes, the pain of the decision rushing back to her. Valyn had been the reaction to the hurt and betrayal of her pack falling apart, a sanctuary for those who were deemed inferior. "Everyone hears Valyn and thinks that we hate males... It is less of a hatred, and more of a distrust. I was overlooked for Ryker. The pack should have transitioned to the more competent leader, not the one who just happened to be born sooner than the rest. No matter what happens, I still love my family. But I could not make a life under Ryker, and it seems the future of Descai could not remain under Ryker either."
 
The Seraphim finally offered her younger brother a half-grin, hoping to diffuse some of the tension she was sure her tale would bring. It was painful recounting the history of their pack, but Valeria could not be certain how much her younger brother truly knew. Vorilye was the only one other than Saphira who was around during that time, and Saphira was young at best. And then Father had left them alone; they were in no place to fend for themselves, and Ryker was not the leader that they needed either. Descai had fallen apart, and now Valeria was back to try to prevent history from repeating itself. But this time, she was equipped with the skills necessary to prevent such an occurrence. "I have no intentions of you or your brothers being treated as slaves. Make no mistake, I do not know you or your brothers any better than you know me. While you may feel distrustful of me, be certain that I have my reservations about this arrangement as well."

Pausing, the femme grunted softly, irritated at how much she had to explain to all of the newest charges of Valyn. They might still have seen themselves as a separate entity, but in Val's mind they had been absorbed into the ranks of her pack. "You and your brothers will be treated fairly, but I expect the same respect for my sisters as well. Things are changing, and I have no intentions to scorn those who have lived here their entire lives. But make no mistake; I will trust those who are loyal to our pack, and I will protect my family."

Word Count: 992 words
Tags: Pharaoh
Notes: Holy mother of Valeria post.

[Pharaoh]

The whole situation was a difficult one. However, regardless of how irritated and reserved the young male was, he remained still and silent throughout Valeria's speech. When she finally finished, he knew more about his pack's history and her abandonment made sense. In fact, it was not abandonment. She had left for her own good, and he did not hold it against her. But the distrust towards males because of the failures of her brother was uncalled for. Sure, he understood it, but he still did not see any sense in it. Sure, Ryker was not a good example of a good leader, but not all males were like him. How could she possibly lump in the whole gender because of him and their father? He frowned, ears pinning backwards slightly as she finally said that she did not trust him or his brothers and had her reservations about the alliance. "I don't see how an alliance can work if you do not even trust us. It is a two way street, sister. I understand that you have the future of both Descai and Valyn at heart, but I fear that it truly is only Valyn that you are looking out for." He said, taking a slow, deep breath as he watched the female before him.

"I will protect both my family and your pack with my life, regardless of your opinions on my gender. I trust my brothers to do the same. It would do you well to let a bit of trust into your daily life as well. Your experience and years have no doubt taught you what is necessary to lead a pack. Our father is too weak and our brothers and I too young. Our fate is in your hands, sister. I pray that you do indeed know what you are doing. You have my support, for I only wish for our packs to grow strong once more and take back our homes." He said, swallowing slowly and sighing once more. They were both being thrown into a difficult position and he hoped that with his support, the rest of his brothers would fall into step behind Valeria without complaint. His father trusted him, Val seemed to know that she needed his support, but he would like to see the trust in her eyes as well. Nothing would happen overnight, though, and he knew enough to not think she would put her faith in him overnight. "I do not expect you to trust me right away, Valeria. Just know that you can. Descai and our family are important to me, and now Valyn is part of that family." He said, stretching out his legs and standing in front of her.

There really was nothing else for him to say. The decision was ultimately up to her, but he would not stand by and watch his brothers or family be mistreated. There was no doubt in his mind that Valeria was capable of trusting males and treating them fairly, but he was not sure what her plans were for their future. Sure, there had been a promise to take back the Acerbus as well as Valyn's former territory, but what would happen in the mean time. Hell, what would happen after they re-claimed their lands? Would they split back up into two separate packs? Would they remain one pack? He was sure they would all be called Valyn for the time being, but would Descai ever return? He frowned, wishing that he could look into the future and see the answers to all of his questions. But, of course, it simply was not possible. He would have to trust his half-sister and work to build a better future for all of them.

Valeria

[Valeria]

Where Val might have thought her explanation would breed some familiarity between them, it seemed that that was not truly so. Surely he must have realized that Valeria was in as much of a predicament here as they were? A frown brushed her golden lips as she sighed heavily, not even certain if her attempt to clear up the situation would do any good. "It is less that I cannot trust you. I do not doubt that you are capable of being trusted. I am just not familiar enough with you and your brothers. Trust will come with time, as will a future for our pack, I hope." The alphess before the younger male now was far different than the Valeria who had led Valyn over the past year. But Pharaoh did not know the younger Val, nor did it seem that he would care to. She had been reckless in her own right, and it had led to the destruction of their home.

"Pharaoh, you have my word that things are going to be different, as does our father. I do not know how we could possibly go forward with the way I had led before," the Seraphim admitted. If her discussion with their father had showed her anything, it was that her previous disdain had all been in vain. She had made a mistake, and that was difficult for her to admit. "But if what Father and I discussed is all true, then this is a whole new era for Valyn." It was true that she intended to keep her pack's name, but she had no intentions of allowing their family history to fade away. They were one of the longest standing packs on the continent, and the wolves from Kairos were not going to be able to destroy that. They were stronger together.

"Pharaoh, we will be different. We will be stronger and better than we ever were apart. Maybe it took us a while to get here, but our pack is going to survive this." There was little else she could say to reassure him. They would have to learn and grow together, and perhaps with time they would all realize that change was not always for the worse. Valyn, and Descai in its own right, would be greater than ever before.

Valeria was certain.


Word Count: 390 words
Tags: Pharaoh
Notes: This was awful... I'm sorry x.x

[Pharaoh]

He knew she wanted the best for both of their packs. But even as the thought went through his head, he shook it slightly and sighed softly. They were no longer two separate packs. Whether his brothers and sisters liked it or not, they were one pack now. They were Valyn, and they would grow from a place where they could find common ground. But where would that be? "Pharaoh, we will be different. We will be stronger and better than we ever were apart. Maybe it took us a while to get here, but our pack is going to survive this." He nodded slightly, taking a step closer to his half sister and staring right into her yellow eyes with his bright blue ones. "There's no way this can work without everyone's support. I can try to talk with Galathe, Saphira, and my brothers. Though Descai has been falling apart for quite some time." He said, knowing that if he did not act soon, their half of the pack could easily turn their backs and leave altogether.

But he also knew that Valeria would need to talk to them. She would need to get to know each and every member of Descai just like Pharaoh wanted to get to know each member of Valyn. But they were all Valyn now. They were family, and there would be no end to their ties, even if they were to split into two separate packs someday. The 'meeting' they had only a short time ago had been a tense one, but the whole situation had been thrown at them without any warning. They had no time to adjust and no time to prepare to meet their second half. They would make things work, they had to. But they would have to do it together. The young white male was not a leader yet, he was far too young. But he would not allow his family to fall apart. Especially because it had grown so quickly. He had sisters in Valyn, he had brothers and sisters in Descai. Now they were all Valyn and together.

"Where do we go from here, Sister?" He asked, tilting his head and stopping a couple feet away from her. Changes would need to be made to Descai, structural and behavioral. Same with Valyn. But where did she plan on going from here? They had become so disorganized in Descai, they would need more structure and more of a plan to make all of this work. He was willing to help her, but she was the one that had experience in leading. Perhaps she could teach him. Vor had been a good teacher, but he had been sick. He was old and he would likely not be around much longer. For now he hoped to look to his half-sister for guidance, but he would not simply follow her without question. Just as she needed to get to know him, he needed to get to know her.

Valeria

[Valeria]

Though the conversation with her father might not have gone the way she intended, Valeria certainly felt as if she was making some progress. Where Pharaoh had been the voice of reason at their gathering, he seemed to also carry that over now. He was hesitant to trust their intentions, but at least he seemed willing to give them all a chance. This would make a difference, particularly if he were willing to stand beside her and present a united front for the benefit of the pack. While Val was not certain he would be willing to do that now, she had a suspicion that Pharaoh would become her greatest ally in this battle.

"I plan to seek out Galathe... I hope that his ire toward us can be smoothed out. I am sure you know him better than I do, but he does need to realize that speaking out of turn, especially toward our father, was not called for," she mused gently. She held no resentment toward the male, and instead she was a bit surprised at his confidence in speaking out against them. It was far more like their father than she might have expected, but he had been quite rash in his behavior, particularly when their father had been willing to listen. "It may be time for us to explain what family truly means." She almost laughed at the thought.

The Seraphim found herself nodding in agreement with the male's offer to speak to his siblings. "I hope to speak with Saphira, and your brothers at some point. This will never work if we do not know each other, and we are going to need a stable foundation for us to build on. I think that all of us together can be that strength." It was so foreign to place any responsibility upon others, where she had primarily led alone before. Although she loved her sister, Zofia often lingered behind and defaulted to her rather than speaking up and offering differing opinions. This was a new beginning for them all.

Perhaps Valyn did not need to be as harsh to succeed. Maybe a little bit of flexibility, particularly toward her brothers and sisters, would make this a better pack for them all. While she had no desire to replicate how the pack operated in Kal'dyne, she knew that smothering the Descai wolves with new leadership and rules all at once would only serve to drive them further away. She would have to institute some changes, of course, but that did not mean she was blind to the benefit her brothers and sisters offered to the pack.


Word Count: 441 words
Tags: Pharaoh
Notes: Blaaaaah cold hands.