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Empires come and go we live forever...

Serafina... That was her name...

But who was she...

How... How was She...

We stand alone...

The naked giants standing before her reached high into the sky, fingers tickling towards the few clouds that slowly drifted by in the oranges, reds, purples, and pinks that were painted above her.

Once these tree's were a bright crimson, blocking out the heavens and covering them from it's burning rays. Once upon a time this place was teaming with life, tigers and wolves alike lived in harmony...

Opening jade eyes she felt her head between her front paws, she looked around with a couple slow blinks, a tail was attached as was her four paws...

A statue Sera lay still under the cold dawn, the snow creeping a chill through her bones, and she decided she needed to rise...

Standing slowly on four long limbs the girl wondered where everyone was and how they were...

Vestal virgins dance, we steal the fire...

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It felt like it was taking forever to a boy; but he was regaining his strength ─ his weight would take longer. But with his energy returning, and still being but a pup he was eager to explore this new world and - of course play in the snow. Mischievously did he flee from Cirilla's den, a flutter of giddy excitement chasing him as big paws pounced into the snow and pranced off into Ichorwood. Reckless abandon carried the boy across the territory, chasing every small critter that would catch his attention with his curled tail in a flurry of excitement atop his back.

He was chasing a squirrel when she stopped his play, movement of what he thought was under the snow initially from his distance and short legs brought the boy into a play bow ready to pounce whatever other small creature lived below. His butt wiggled, tail rolling over his back as his tongue was pinched out of the side of his maw in utmost concentration.

But then ─ another dog got up, and the pup bounced backwards suddenly. ❝ Woah! ❞ he beamed with a laugh, ❝ Where did you come from?? ❞ he tilted his head, looking between the striped girl and the snow pile she (according to him) emerged from.

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❝ speech ❞
ooc; notes

When the world had a tendency to steal you, and precious little loved ones from you, it had a lasting effect - sometimes, not a great one. Every time Cirilla would leave the den to find that Benkei was gone from the den, her anxiety would spike, and all she could think of was oh no, not again and she’d drop what she was doing and go on a hunt for him - similar to a dog who’d given birth and lost her puppies, because, really, what was the difference?

But hearing the barks of laughter was like a beckon locator, and Cirilla bounced on over towards them with a sigh of sweet relief, taking in his citrus herbal scent and with flared nostrils as she looked over at - oh, she knew that face, and she knew it well.

Serafina.

Would she take to the news as well as her sister had?

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Benkei Cirilla

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She wasn't alone long, when she heard a voice come from behind the drift she lay in and Sera perked her head up and smiled warmly at the boy who asked her where she had come from. Smiling warmly at the boy she shook herself free from snow debris and wagged a striped white tipped tail at him.

Well from snows of course! Serafina giggled with a close of her eyes at the smiling motion she put on. Where did you come from? The girl playfully asked him.

Sera didn't notice the dog off in the distance staring at them, didn't know the significance of who she was, didn't know that she was connected to her in ways more than just this intense feeling of eyes upon her back,