The House That Built Me (Goliath)

[Aaricia]

Aaricia's journey back to her home was a long and painful one. A journey that normally took a few days, took Aaricia closer to a week. She had to stop frequently and rest her sore body. Everything had taken more energy than usual. Even walking was a struggle sometimes. But, she had made it. She had persevered through the pain and the struggles and now she was standing outside the cave that she had called her home. She gazed inside the black entrance, still being able to hear the sound of water dripping inside. The sight of the cave brought back nostalgic memories for the snowy fae. She remembered sleeping here next to her family and other loved ones. She remembered playing just outside of the entrance. As much pain as this place brought, it also brought good memories that Aaricia had been missing. Perhaps returning here wasn't a bad idea after all. She had made the decision to come back here long ago while she was still down south in the desert. However, doubt had crowded her mind until she had met Rain. Her conversation with the ebony female had given Aaricia more purpose in coming home. She needed to talk to Goliath. She needed him to understand what had happened and how dangerous Xion could be. She was a powerful female that Aaricia wanted to see dead after what she had done to her. Xion may have thought she was dealing with a wallflower but she was sadly mistaken.

Aaricia had smelt the strong scent of her brother all around the island. It was clear that he had laid claim here. Aaricia had been looking for him for a while after she had swam over but was now taking a break. She wanted to take in the scenery again and to relax after her long journey. It felt good to be home. It was peaceful here. Though she had picked up the scent of another female or two roaming around. Aaricia had guessed that Goliath had picked them up on the way but was also a little concerned that he may be trying to replace her. Maybe he had thought that she wouldn't return. Maybe they had sought her brother out and convinced him to allow them to stay. Regardless, it wasn't really her business. She didn't get to decide who entered and who was denied.

Speaking of such a thing, she was starting to regret coming this far into the island. The first time they had met, Goliath hadn't recognized her. What was to say that he wouldn't make the same mistake again? She thought about going back to the beaches and waiting there but something told her that she shouldn't have to. This was her home as well. She was born here and her brother was the alpha. She should be able to go wherever she wanted to. She also thought that she should call for her brother to let him know that she was here. "I'm here, Brother. I want to see you."She wanted to keep her message short and to the point. Though not normally a paranoid wolf, she hadn't met any of the others that were roaming around.

She stayed at the caves and waited.

[Deleted]

Goliath had barely slept in the week that it took for Aaricia to venture to Ina’mos. He was restless, from early in the morning until late into the night, pacing querulously along the beaches as though his persistence might force his sister’s shape to emerge from the waters. His impatience was not born from agitation, but from eagerness – there was no doubt in his mind that Aaricia would return to him, for his greatness was a thing that no mere femme could wean herself from, but Goliath was a brute of limited and brittle patience. He hung from a thread that dangled precariously between insanity and undying devotion for his sister, and until the blessed moment that he saw her again, there would be no calmness from him. The waves, much akin to his temperament, remained volatile and rampant.

That day finally came, however, for Aaricia’s lush scent had finally swept their home, and with it came an air of peace for the belligerent alpha, who had all but ran rings across the beaches until his massive tracks seemed to be engraved permanently into the sand. Her message sung out faintly, signifying her desire to see him, but his thunderous paws were already bolting towards the source of her scent long before her plea arrived at his ears.

It didn’t take him more than a minute to ascertain where she would be; it made sense that she would go there first, to the place that they were born. A smile did not surface on his face, despite the bright sentiment lifting his spirit – instead, his eyes were sharpened by readiness and his face was deadpan, veiling the edginess that still riled in him for having to wait so long for her. When he finally saw her, Aaricia’s pale shape a fragile seraph in the distance, his expression clouded with something dark and suspicious. Something wasn’t right; it was apparent to him almost immediately. As he drew closer to her, the heavy thumping of his gait became slow and quiet, and his face became graver than cold stone.

His cerulean eyes met with hers briefly, softening, but they disconnected from her gaze to roam her body. She seemed hunched in tenderness, her posture neither proud nor relaxed. The scent of blood clung to her despite the fact that it had been washed from her pelt during her journey to the island; the insidious stench could not hide from him, and didn’t escape his detection even when his snout burrowed into the fur of her stomach. His broad head lowered to her petite frame, pressing against her in various places as though divining the reason behind her apparent tenderness. Was she in pain? Where did it hurt? He spoke the questions without opening his mouth.

A steady breath left him, and reflexively, his lips twisted downwards to expose his teeth. Anger filled him, grating into every dark corner and manic crevice inside of him. Harm had come to her – no, he had allowed harm to come to her, and his rage was an amalgamation of his frustration at himself as well as the murderous need to tear open whatever had caused this, no matter who they were or how many there was. An army could not stand against him, let alone the damned cretin that dared hurt someone as chaste as his sister.

Unable to rein his temper, his head swung away from her, nostrils flaring and teeth snapping shut in unrestrained fury, before finally managing to bite out three hushed, seething words.

“Who. Did. This.”

TAGGED: Aaricia

[Aaricia]

Goliath had reached her surprisingly quickly. Aaricia knew that her brother was fast but she had expected him to take a bit longer than he did. It was like he already knew where she would be.

She smiled at her brother but he did not return the silent greeting. His expression was icy cold and more serious than death. For a moment, Aaricia had thought that he was angry with her. That she had taken too long and that his patience for her had run out. But as his expression softened and his nose searched her body, she realized that he was only concerned for her safety. She had forgotten what it was like to have someone be worried over her. She could only guess that he had smelled the blood still lingering in her coat. Some of it was hers and some of it was Xion's. Though the bruising had all but faded, her body was still tender. She flinched and cringed when Goliath's head pressed against her body. Though had she come back sooner and had her body been the way it was a few days ago, even the softness of her brother's touch might have put her in tears. She had felt pain before from hunting but she couldn't remember the last time she had been in a real fight with someone else. Though, most wolves she came across weren't psychopaths like Xion.

A breath left Goliath's body, signalling that his "exam" was over. She could tell that her brother was less than happy but with someone so unstable as her brother, it was hard to tell whom he was angry at. By his own twisted logic, he could be angry with her for allowing herself to come to harm.

He turn his head away from her. Clearly, his anger was building. His mind must have been racing. Her brother asked her who had done this to her in a hushed and deathly tone. Aarcia's body relaxed slightly as his thoughts had been revealed to her.

"I met a black she-wolf in the desert named Xion. She attacked me." Aaricia knew her brother wasn't looking for a long drawn out story of everything that had happened. She knew that he didn't need that. All he was looking for was a name. Aaricia may not have been with her brother or seen him in a long while but she still knew him well. She knew that knowing the she-wolf's name wouldn't calm her brother any. He was a wolf of action. She knew he would do exactly what she had planned. Xion would soon be dead and the island would be safe. Rain and all the others she's attacked and probably killed would have their justice. Xion was a strong female but no one could beat her brother.

[Deleted]

Noticing his sister’s anxiety at his enforced inspection, Goliath allowed his tail to lower slightly as a sign of aloof consideration, though this was the only show of impassivity that he could muster. He often overlooked the simple fact that his beastly size conveyed a daunting intimidation whether or not it was out of intention, and regardless of whom his ire was meant for. Despite empathising with Aaricia, he was still furious, and this was made garishly apparent by his still rigid posture and ominous glare aimed at her injured frame. Another short growl reverberated from his closed mouth. Whatever beast had forced itself upon her would rue the day they found themselves born into this miserable world.

I met a black she-wolf in the desert named Xion. She attacked me.

His nostrils flared in a soundless expression of anger, but his countenance quickly fell from maddened to dubious. The desert? Why had his sister ventured to the very south of Anikira, when their home on Ina’mos couldn’t have been any farther? The suspicion etched grimly upon his face was now directed at the dainty creature at his side.

“That is quite a detour, sister – would I be wrong in assuming that you had no intention of returning to me?” His tone was bitter, but emboldened by this sudden revelation, he voiced his suspicions immediately and without reservation, not caring to be gentle or to tentatively coax an excuse from her. “Yet here you stand, beaten and conceding, hoping that your big brother will deal a gruesome punishment for those who have done you wrong.”

His scowl lingered, and his head lifted indignantly, turning his face away from her to conceal the wretched dejection upon his face. It saddened deeply him that his sister had needed to venture so far to escape him, yet it saddened him even more than she had been wounded in the process. Did she truly fear him so? Had he not proved to her that she would be safe at his side, and nowhere else? He scowled in frustration, his ebony claws sinking into the pliant soil where he stood, stoic and silent as he deliberated his next words. It did not matter now – she had already proven to herself that she needed him, because she had returned; albeit with her tail tucked and after a great deal of time, but she had returned nonetheless. Irrespective of her motive for doing so, she would never escape again. Hell would freeze over before his grip on her would release.

“Regardless of why you ventured so far to flee from me, or what ulterior motive you have for returning, there is no battle too great or small that I wouldn’t fight for you. You are mine, you are my blood - and the world must know that no one will harm my family without suffering a grave price.”

There it was – a deadly conviction in his voice that was so raw and uncompromising, there was no doubt in his mind that his words couldn’t be anything but law. Some could say that his vengeance was a force of nature – unforeseen and entirely inescapable – and they would be wise to believe that this was no embellishment.

TAGGED: Aaricia

[Aaricia]

Goliath's face turned from angry to hesitant and doubtful. Aaricia couldn't put a paw on what what making Goliath's expression change. Aaricia's eyebrows furrowed and she cocked her head slightly to the left as she tried to figure out what was the matter.

“That is quite a detour, sister – would I be wrong in assuming that you had no intention of returning to me?”

Goliath was concerned about her reasoning for traveling so far away from Ina'mos. Though she understood his concern, she didn't appreciate his accusatory tones. His voice was bitter and there was nothing that hid his intentions of getting an explanation out of her. It was like he thought he knew her intentions.

"You would be, brother," Aaricia answered his question in an offended tone. "I wanted a long journey to help me organize my thoughts. You told me you wanted my decision to come here to be my own and that's what I intended. I chose to come back here and back to you. Doesn't that mean more to you than had I chased out here blindly without a second thought? Leaving myself to wonder if I had made the right one? I went to the desert to solidify a decision I had already made."

“Yet here you stand, beaten and conceding, hoping that your big brother will deal a gruesome punishment for those who have done you wrong.”

"I'm offended that you think so low of me, Goliath. I made a conscious decision to come back before any of this happened," Aaricia referring to the injuries that she'd sustained. "I was coming back regardless. What happened only slowed me down." Did he really believe that she only came back here for her own personal gain? Aaricia was angry, an emotion of hers Goliath didn't have much experience with. Anger was a rarity for the white female. She only remembered feeling the emotion a handful of times. She knew by challenging him so, that she was taking a risk. However, if she truly was safe by his side, he wouldn't hurt her. Safety meant more than just protection. It meant the freedom to express her feelings and emotions. It meant being able to tell her brother when he was wrong and not fear bodily harm. She knew this would be the ultimate test of how safe she really was with Goliath. Perhaps she'd even earn an ounce of his respect.

"Regardless of why you ventured so far to flee from me, or what ulterior motive you have for returning, there is no battle too great or small that I wouldn’t fight for you. You are mine, you are my blood - and the world must know that no one will harm my family without suffering a grave price.”

Aaricia's expression softened. "And you are mine, we are blood. I'd do anything for you and I know you'd do the same for me which is why I wanted your help. Xion is a threat to everyone she comes across. She's dangerous. I don't even want to try and fathom how many innocent lives she's taken. You are the only one I know who is strong enough to defeat her. I ask for your help not for my own gain but because it's the right thing to do." She needed Goliath to understand that she didn't want to manipulate him. She didn't want him to believe that she was only using him and that her only reason for coming back was to see that Xion met her demise for that was simply not the case. Yes, she wanted Xion dead but her motives were pure. She wanted to remove the menace from this earth so she could no longer harm innocent wolves. She wanted this for Rain and every other wolf she had injured or killed and for herself. She knew Xion would be after her, searching for her. She knew her sleep would be limited until she saw Xion's limp, deceased body for she knew the black she-devil would only stop hunting when her soul left this plane.

[Deleted]

His sister defended herself, as he had expected, but his mind had already closed off from reason, and beyond the conclusion that he had already reached, there was no plea or excuse that could have persuaded his mind to change. The white she-wolf was clearly offended by his accusation, and her passionate rebuttal only served to validate his claim, though it made little difference to his response. He had no anger for his sister – only guilt, and a sense of blame in which he needed to rectify immediately. He was no wolf of bluffs or pretences; he would retaliate in the only way he knew how, and reap justice for them both no matter who had be torn limb from limb in the process.

His eyes were clouded and deadpan, but more from distraction than disinterest. He pictured the worthless creature in his mind – a black-pelted bitch with a cruel merciless stare – and his anger seemed to quell, honing in exchange for a heightened focus of her brutal reckoning. She would suffer, not because he wished it so, but because she deserved no less. Such was his obligation, he believed wholeheartedly; to bring salvation to every sinner that lived as filth beneath the common wolf. Xion would be his first outlaw, and a testament to his status as a just and fair punisher. He would not decide who was good and evil, as inherent natures were often misleading and distorted. No… his justice would be universal for all.

You are the only one I know who is strong enough to defeat her. I ask for your help not for my own gain but because it's the right thing to do.

Yes, he was strong, but he was so much more than that. He was mighty - he was indestructible. His attention returned to his sister as she softly spoke, and his head lowered to touch his snout against her small muzzle, his coarse whiskers brushing against hers, signifying his abated anger. “You were right to ask this of me. I will find her – I will hunt her down, I swear to you, and I will make sure she’ll never harm us again.”

In truth, he cared very little for whether this malicious femme brought suffering to others – his concern remained solely for his pack, and his only family. His vengeance would be harsh but necessary to redeem whatever damages that Xion had wreaked. Though his founding of their pack had been short-lived, and his time spent on Ina’mos fleeting, he was prepared to leave immediately to scour the South with naught but a name and the scent of her blood to guide him to his victim.

“I must go now, sister. I will not ask you to stay on Ina’mos – as your alpha, I command it. Your paws will not dare leave this island,” he gazed at her resolutely, his eyes entirely serious. In his absence, he would not be there to protect her – her only safeguard would be the island itself, a barrier from the rest of Anikira that promised asylum to any that dwelled upon it. His beta, Titan, would defend the territory in his stead, and this was the only piece of assurance that Goliath could hold on to.

“A new female, Kiva, has joined us. As she will be your hunting partner, I expect you to show her the standard that Kairos demands of its hunters.”

With a gruff exhale, eager for the task ahead, Goliath’s tongue emerged from his lips and swept against her cheek, bidding her a temporary farewell. He turned without looking at her, his stoic nature sparing no room for heartfelt departures or long-winded valedictions. He had only a single, burning desire pressing him on – to find the fool that had unknowing scorned the lineage of a God, and to leave his brutal mark, so that no matter where he went or where he stood, others would tremble at the name Kairos.

(OOC) Feel free to respond if you want, there will be room for her to say something before he walks off. ^^

TAGGED: Aaricia