He had been away for quite some time... perhaps too long. Ever since he fled the rather uncomfortable and unhealthy conditions of his own home, Eythan had grown, and quite a lot. Now, he was a powerful man, one standing above the height of his late father—or rather, the one who had died and unwillingly given him his stone. The Karkata shook this thought from his mind. Not many things bothered him, but that idea that his stone wasn't unique... that it wasn't his own, well, bothered him. It was sort of an accident that he had discovered this. The flashbacks he'd have as a child when encountering specific places where... traumatic experiences had occurred gave almost microscopic clues, for they were so blurred and faint. They were still there. The stories his sister-aunt-moms had told him explained everything and threw all of the clues together.

Eythan had had time to himself, then. He had even more now. Time to let everything fester. To let him think everything over. But now... now, the hybrid knew what he needed to do. You couldn't let a wrong stay a wrong. Perhaps he could try to right it. Amaria hadn't let him anywhere near Azazel after the whole "incident" occurred. For good reason, too. Mama Ama had told him that the lammergeier had no right to be his father. At the time, Eythan hadn't understood.

Now, he did.

Stepping into a room he hadn't set foot in for cycles was a bit odd. It was an odd feeling. It didn't feel good, nor did it feel bad. Canis was a lot more foreboding than he remembered it being. Maybe it was the time and thought he was giving this. Maybe it was the fact that it seemed like he was now frozen to the spot, his limbs unwilling to move. Eythan considered backing out, like he had so many times before. The amalgam wasn't sure if he was prepared to face his so-called father again. A deep sigh swelled his chest and emptied it. Another left it feeling hollow, empty.

Narrowing his eyes, he ventured further into Canis, approaching the Chambers. The massive maze of seemingly endless paths didn't seem so massive. They felt almost suffocating, constricting. Glancing up, he noticed a small glow. Two small glows. Two familiar glows. One was flickering and uncertain, where the other was constant and strong. They had been there in his childhood (when he was small enough to still fit in the nest and sleep alongside his father and brother). They were soothing. Eythan had always been particularly enthralled with the glowing amethyst stone and often slept with it. Azazel hardly ever looked at it, and would only comment a short, "yes it is," when the boy would proclaim how pretty it was. More story had to have been behind it. He never pressed further, though.

Flapping his wings, he approached the glowing lights. Eythan tried to keep each beat quiet as not to startle the lammergeier into waking up and attacking him. He doubted he'd even want to see him. The damned bird probably hadn't even spared a single thought to Eythan if he hated him so much and thought his entire existence was just a big mistake. Perching upon the rocky ledge, he peered into the nest and found it empty (as in, void of living beings trying to get a good night's rest). Swishing his tail, the hybrid sat down and waited in silence.

As usual, every day that went by was slow. Every night was spent being haunted by horrific nightmares and monsters seeking for him to just give up. Taunting him and baiting him closer and closer to death. Azazel played with the thought of giving in and letting death's spindly fingers take him, but all of the memories and good experiences he had kept him going. They were what gave him hope that perhaps, by some miracle, things would get better.

If he were to be honest with himself, though...

... it was unlikely.

The man who was but a shell of the former Bone King simply glided around his home, trying to keep away the nightmares and keep himself from falling asleep. Azazel knew he would have to eventually, but it made him feel better to think that he tried. His eyes were barely open by the time he did decide to go back to his nest and rest for the night. If he had been any more tired, he would've missed his son sitting right next to his nest and just gone right to sleep.

For a moment, he was in sheer disbelief. He hadn't seen Eythan in cycles. Not properly, anyways. There had only been fleeting glimpses and visions of him in Azazel's worst nightmares. He about fell out of the sky as he froze, but quickly caught himself and began hovering. "Eythan... you're back. It's been ages! I'm—," he began, but would soon be cut off by the amalgam.

Finally, after what had seemed like cycles, the lammergeier showed up, looking tired and worn. It took a moment for the man to recognize him, and that was apparently all Eythan needed. As words began to flow from his beak, the hybrid cut him off with a harsh, "don't even act like you missed me."

His tail lashed as he stood and bared his fangs. His claws came unsheathed and his ears pinned themselves back. "When you snapped at me, you didn't even try to apologize for it. You left me behind." Emotion surged in his chest, a swirling vortex of everything coming up at once. His throat was tight and constricted, but he continued anyways. He had to tell him. He had to let him know. He had to bring forth all of that guilt that Azazel felt and make him apologize for it. To make Azazel be his father again, and to make him try harder this time.

They said that words were more powerful than a sword, and that was most certainly true. Every word Eythan interrupted with his own cut deep. Azazel perched on the side of the nest, feathers rising almost defensively as he witnessed his son growing angrier and angrier with every word spat out. "Eythan, I-I... I'm sorry! I tried to forgive myself for it, I tried to apologize to you for it, but everything was telling me that I'd told you the truth. When you ran from me, I thought you didn't want me anymore, that you didn't want me around." Glancing down, Azazel was about chin-deep in his own guilt and sarrow. "I wanted to be there for you, son. I really did. There's just... there's so many things you don't know about. So many things that drove me away."

Quietly, he added, "I regret being the one to bring you back."

The hybrid watched every word cut into Azazel, watched every slash of the blade digging closer and closer to his bones. But as soon as he stopped talking, the lammergeier denied everything he was accused of. Lowering his ears, he gazed at his own unsheathed claws, digging them into the stone with a quiet shrieking noise. "All I wanted as a cub was a father—someone I could go to and be sure that he'd support me. A man who'd always be there for me." Eythan parted his beak to bare his sharp fangs at Azazel. "But you... you were the opposite of that. You made me feel like I was never home! Like... this wasn't where I was supposed to be. It hurt that I couldn't approach you. That I couldn't be with you... but Amaria was right about you."

Shaking his head and blinking away nonexistent tears, he growled, "you never had any right to me, nor any right to my brother. Not after how you failed to be around and failed to be a good role model." Soon, his throat became choked up and genuine tears rose up to glaze over his eyes. "There's something else, isn't there? I've heard stories about a benevolent and loving Bone King. Ashtoreth has repeated all of the loving words you've said to her to me. What is it that makes me so different from her? Is it because my stone isn't my own? Because it belonged to someone else? Someone you lost?"

Every word worsened the last, and Azazel just hung his head in defeat, falling silent. Everything he'd say was a lie... just because he was unwilling to admit the truth. Unwilling to realizs that he was hurting everyone he loved... that everyone was falling one by one. It was all because of him. He knew it had to be. "I wasn't there for you because I thought that if I was, I'd hurt you. There's so many that have fallen by me... because I was there for them. I don't know if I'm even worth anything anymore." Finally, the Bone King's shell gazed up at Eythan, hoping to make eye contact.

There were lies. They had to be! Why wouldn't he just tell him the truth?! Why wouldn't he just spit it out. The damn bird had ignored his last questions entirely. Eythan bared his teeth, growling lowly to Azazel, "you hurt me by not being around. You hurt Carni! How was he supposed to be the Bone King without proper guidance?" He wasn't aware of his hackles rising, of his right paw rising. "I wish you'd tell me what was wrong about Carni and I and what we could do to fix it." It was only when his claws glinted in the light that he became aware of what he was about to do. But it was too late. "I wish you'd quit with the lies and be honest, just this once!" He screeched.

There was a sickening shrriiiip! as his claws rended flesh and blood. As soon as they left Azazel's windpipe, he sheathed his claws and flattened his ears as the lammergeier fell.

He'd seen it coming.

It was almost in slow motion.

But he didn't fight it.

Azazel knew his days were numbered.

He knew time would be running out for him.

As sharp blades sliced across his next, he only gave a breathy sigh as all of his limbs went slack and the momentum of the hit sent him over the edge. Closing his eyes, he reminisced.

Of the good times.

Emerging from his chrysalis. Meeting Krakarak and Bevy.

Cracking his first bone.

Beau. Saudade. Mau.

Creating the Bonebound.

Alliances with Maji Walezi and meeting Carcino for the first time.

Bringing light to the Caves.

Fisher.

His first group of children; Ashtoreth, Liora, Tahlia.

Singing with Ashtoreth.

Battling Raheerah alongside many Gembound.

Giggle. Kerberos.

Ash's return home.

Götterdämmerung.

The Karkatas joining the Bonebound.

...

...

... Carni and Eythan.

The last good memory he'd have was seeing Eythan again. Maybe his little cub would find peace in this closure. Maybe he could move on.

He hoped Carni would be alright. No, no hoping. He knew he would be. There was no darkness in the world for Carni. Only light. Nothing would stop him.

Kerberos and Ashtoreth and everyone else would be alright. Time moved on without him. It always had. Time never stood still for anyone.

Everyone would be alright. He'd done alright. He'd fulfilled his purpose. Maybe someday he'd be back. Maybe the Caves would call him. For now, though... he was satisfied.

The man who was never satisfied was finally satisfied. He didn't need to wait any longer.

A small smile spread across his face for the first time in cycles as he collided with the earth with a solid CRACK!. Everything in him went slack, and his eyes dulled over with the familiar glaze of death. His stone glowed and shimmered, detaching itself from his body and rolling off a small distance. Even as it moved away from its former host, it was lively and full of energy, gently pulsating magicka.

The Bone King was silent. For his duty was done... for his time was over.

It was time for the new Bone King to rise.

Eythan was quick to dive down and he tried to grab Azazel before he fell all the rest of the way... but he seemed to be falling so fast. Everything in him snapped as he heard the sickening crack of bones breaking and felt all of the magicka the lammergeier had stored in him escaping into the air. Flattening his ears and screwing his eyes against the tears that threatened to fall down his cheeks, he shook his head. "I-I... I didn't mean to do that. I didn't! You have to b—" oh... what was he doing? There was no way he could be alive.

No way that he was coming back. Unless...

The hybrid grasped for the jasper stone rolling about almost erractically and took to the air, flying away as fast as he could, trying to ignore the tears now rolling down his cheeks and the blood on his paws... his father's blood on his paws.

He could never go home after this. Never. With that, he disappeared, leaving the deceased Bone King lie without his stone.

[ exit Eythan ]

@Carni

If the Prince had known of the conflict, he might've put a stop to it. He would've prevented such an unfortunate situation from transpiring, because both troubled parties would've listened. Eythan would've listened, and reason would've solved the problem. If Carni had known of this ahead of time, he could've fixed it.

He didn't, though.

He'd been off practicing his magic, because that's what good boys did, to become stronger. To make their Father, the Bone King, proud. To better protect their troubled brother from harm. To some day use this practiced skill to defend an empire.

To lead it. Someday.

The Prince returned home from Orion to the sound of yelling. Raised voice- Eythan's, he noted- carried easily through the cave and he followed the sound. There was Carni picked up the pace. He arrived upon the gruesome scene just as a spotted tail slipped out of sight towards the exit.

Carni was too shocked to persue him.

He stood, stiff and cold, over the broken body of their King.

There came a high-pitched sound, and it took the boy a moment to realize it was coming from himself. A keening cry that broke into a yowling wail as the reality set in. Azazel was dead.

His father was dead.

The first cry of the new Bone King was anguished and afraid.

---

The Bonebound has a new King!
There will be a follow-up thread to this that will be considered an official meeting. Anyone still a member or looking to join the group should reply to that thread once posted.