THE HAND OF GOD! // Returning

[Romulus]

ROMULUS MALUS - KINGPIN - COTC

With the help of Belladonna and a few others, Romulus Malus had worked on some physical therapy. Eventually, he found himself further and further out of Plexus' guru sanctuary and into the wilderness of the Coalition of the Condemned. That was with and without permission. Even so, he was not up to speed. His insistence, sadly, had gotten the best of him. The lion found himself catching his breath as pain shot up his neck and blood seeped through bandages every now and then, only setting him back.

He kept trying though. His family was gone. His friends were decimated... and, yet, it appeared he could do nothing. Something had to be done. He had faith in the animals that surrounded him, but he put all the pressure on himself and was starting to crumble willingly to keep them afloat.

Thus, he left. The sanctuary that held him was getting claustrophobic. The herbs around him were beginning to pile up. The belongings that had been moved from his home and into the space surrounded him. He needed time away. With a grunt, the so-far wordless leader pushed himself to his feet. His weak legs, decimated by weeks of unconscious neglect, wobbled and shook as he started to stand. The kingpin, clearly struggling, had no one around to assist. Nor did he want in. With stubborn determination, he managed to get to all fours.

Paws wavered forward. One, two, three four... like they practiced. Straightforward and even... like they had been before. Romulus travelled forward slowly and with concise movements. By now, it seemed like a relearned talent. Even so, he found himself losing himself the further he travelled.

With his head down, he did not realize what lied ahead of him. Instead, he kept trudging along till a peculiar sight caused him to sharply halt. Burnt tracks laid in front of his periwinkle eyes. In panic, he looked up from his position and out into the horizon. The paw steps extended out to the village. He swallowed. Was their threat finally upon them? or was something else happening? Romulus did not know, but he had to find out.

Uncoordinated and in a rush, the lion stumbled forward towards the village. In the distance, an unfamiliar silhouette became visible. His heart pounded as he followed with wary steps, the thought of an enemy being before them crossing back into his mind. It had to be. The destruction of their territory and the flames that raged behind them signaled no friendly intentions.

As Romulus rounded out to the front through the bushes, a demanding roar rushed out from the stranger. They asked for... 'Plexus?' The kingpin did not know Byriath stood before him, given he had no power to indicate auras, nor did he know why the 'stranger' asked for the guru's attention.  He stepped forward to face the newfound beast with slitted eyes locked onto them. A growl echoed out from his bandaged throat.

"No."