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The gods wept as a lord of a great house was being put to rest. High Lord Leon Aldian Orbay had died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 75. Now in the capital city of the Paldos his procession made it was through the beautiful white stoned city. Up the four-ringed city his procession was flanked by his loyal subjects whom he has served for over 50 years. They were El'ine, furry folk as was he. They wept and threw flowers at the feet of the horses that pulled his ornate silver and golden casket up to the family tomb behind the palace. Behind the ornate casket riding black steeds in ornamental armour were his children for which he had many. His eldest and heir Leo Leonal Orbay, a white furred blue spotted Lion leopard hybrid. He was a large El'ine standing at six feet four inches and his icy blue eyes held stoic in the face that he knew that he was now soon to be the head of the family. Behind him was his younger half-brother, a mouse El'ine named Trevor Foxlin Orbay, he had brown fur and natural pink hair shaped into a mohawk. He had soft blue eyes that were full of tears at the passing of his father. Behind them dressed in obsidian armour was a Dravosi, a dragon kin, Adryx Nickolas Orbay. He had emerald scales and magnificent leathery wings with soft aqua blue eyes. He looked forward trying to maintain a stoic visage as he clutched a jade medallion that hung from his neck. Behind the three half siblings was Adryx's younger brother, a young brown otter El'ine named Jax Ethan Orbay. He looked forward trying to remain stoic like his older siblings but slightly fidgeted from the silver ornamental armour he wore. As the procession turned up the winding silvery paved road they were met by the Leon's other children and they followed behind their half siblings. The first sibling to join was a phox, a Kitsune phoenix hybrid, El'ine named Zenion Infinitium Orbay. He was dressed in black robes riding a white horse. He had shimmering blue feathered wings coming from his back and little tuffs of feathers coming from his ears. He looked forward with his thoughtful pink eyes and bowed his head to his father's casket out of love and respect. Behind him came another brother, a spidoat, a stoat spider hybrid El'ine named Silvian Elbar Spidaria Orbay. He had cream coloured fur and wore long black ceremonial robes. Tears slowly fell from his glowing emerald eyes as his bright emerald wings hung low as he followed his siblings up to the final ring. Soon the massive iron gates closed behind the procession as the family was greeted by the last of the siblings waiting at the steps of the palace. Gia Elvian Orbay, a fox wolf hybrid with light tan fur and soft blue eyes was standing in his white armour with a dagger on his side watching the procession come into view, standing below him on another step was his half siblings, two sisters Artemis Nya Orbay and Kami Lavia Orbay, both deer and wolf hybrids. Artemis had a long ebony dress with a death veil over her head covering her horns and brown her and brown fur. She looked up with her piercing amber eyes and whispers to her younger sister Kami. Kami flicked her sky blue furred ear nods and pats the back of the youngest and last born child of their father, Axel Thudaris Orbay, a young tiger with blue and purple eyes in his small silver armour. He looks up and nods and the four of them walk up to the carriage watching their siblings dismount their horses. All of them embrace each other consoling those that need it more. The royal guards of Paldos came up in a clatter with their bright blue and gold armour lifted the casket out of the carriage and carried it toward the Tombs of the Orbay. The children followed them toward a grey stoned door etched into the mountain base. Lit by torches they descended deep into the mountain until they reached a massive mausoleum with the ancestors of all Orbay's that have ever lived. The royal guards carry their High Lord toward his newly chiselled out resting place where on his casket his name was chiselled into the wood facing the outside. All the siblings bowed their heads in respect as an elderly lynx came into the mausoleum and came over to the casket and begins to speak in a language not known to either child administering the rights of the dead. At that moment, they turned a left the mausoleum of their forbearers and went into the palace to get away from all the pomp and circumstance. Inside the palace, it was a maze of carpeted hallways and multiple doors leading into a menagerie of rooms. But the heirs of the late lord knew this place like the back of their hands. They had quickly made their way through the maze of hallways lit by oil lamps of varying colours. They finally got to the family section of the palace, tucked away from all other royal business that would have hounded them if they stayed there. Leo had opened the door to the family room which was a rather sizable room full of old children's toys scattered over the floor. The room had two brown suede sofas and a small table with a glass door which opened to a sizable balcony. The family entered the room and sat down and began to relax. Kami walked over and opened the glass doors letting the breeze come into the room. Jax was still fidgeting with his armour grumbling to himself. Adryx chuckled softly and said.

"You can take it off now." Jax smiled widely and quickly took off the breastplate and chausses leaving only his brown silk pants on and he sighed contently putting his webbed hands behind his head and leaned back. The rest of the family laughs softly knowing Jax can't stand wearing shirts. One by one the siblings in armour slowly took it off leaving their silk shits and pants. Silvian flexed his emerald wings and turned to his older half-brother Leo and said.

"Well brother, you're now the head of the family. I know it's probably too early to talk about it but, it should be addressed. If you need any help or your advisors are not giving you the consul you seek, you can call out to us, send us a falcon we'll gladly provide any assistance." Leo nodded to his brother's statement, Silvian even when they were kids was very studious and administrative. Gia and Trevor and Zenion spoke up as well agreeing with Silvian statement. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and laughed.

"Thank you, guys, it's going to be rough the first few months and I'll gladly take any help I can." Even though Leo was the first born he was leading troops in the Emperors armies and had not spent much time in Palden ruling the land as much as their father would have wanted. The fact that he was now the head of one of the Great Houses in all of Valden and the de-facto ruler of all of Palden made him shiver in his fur. Axel sneakily jumped on his older brother's back and began nibbling his ear playfully. Axel was the youngest sibling only ten years old and already ruling a city by himself. Everyone began to laugh seeing their tiny brother bring down Leo. "Grrrr rrrrr you'll be fine! Stop being a scaredy cat!" Leo growled playfully and began to lightly wrestle his younger sibling has the family relaxed cheering on Axel who was a slippery tiger avoiding Leo's big paws grasping for him. As the play fight was going on Trevor, the second eldest got up hearing the light rapping on the door. He slowly opened the door and he his smiled faded away to a more serious look upon seeing his father's old royal Bariter, Kildus Novolin, an elderly grey furred fox with wizened eyes. He wore worn hazel robes that drug along the ground as he ambled around the palace. He held up a leather messenger tube and said slowly in a hoarse.

"A message from the Capital my lord Trevor. It came via hawk an hour ago." Trevor took the tube out of the old Bariter's paw and he bowed. "I'll give it to my brother immediately, thank you Kildus." The old Bariter bowed cordially and turned and slowly made his way back into the maze of the hallways and rooms. Trevor shut the door behind him turned back to the scene of rough housing which had grown from just Axel and Leo, to now Jax and Adryx wrestling about as Gia and Silvian egged them on as the girls were sitting outside on the balcony as Zenion was keeping score of pins on a small note book he always carried around. He shook his head at his crazy family and cleared his throat loudly. The wrestling quickly subsided and the girls turned hearing the sudden change of tone. Leo slowly lifted Axel off his chest and placed him down as everyone quickly gathered around Trevor to hear the news. Trevor took off the cap of the tube and the beige coloured scroll slide out. He opened it and began to read.

"At first, I wish to express my sympathies to all of the Orbay family at your recent loss. High Lord Leon Orbay was a good man and a great leader of his people and I wish to extend my support to the new High Lord of Palden, Leo Orbay. As in tradition, you know you must make the journey to Seraphus so that we may crown you properly and cement your position as new High Lord. With all this in mind remember to submit your tithe to the Empire and hold true to the vows that were set down to by our forbearers within the sight of the gods. Signed Emperor Licius Argen, Emperor of Valden, Highest of the Lords, Master of the El'ine, The Sun King, and the Dragons Bane."

With that Trevor rolled up the scroll and handed it to Leo who sighed heavily taking it.

"He certainly likes flexing his muscles doesn't he." Jax said with a huff. Silvian rolled his eyes in annoyance and stated.

"More like he's weak and he needs to keep his titles close to his person so he feels special."

"Whatever we may think." Kami speaks up. "He still is the Emperor and we must pay our respects and the tithe set upon his as our ancestors have done." Zenion shook his head and in his soft yet stern voice said.

"We don't need to get into an argument because it will not get us anywhere, this is a day of mourning and we don't need to be squabbling, that's not what dad would have wanted or our mothers." Silvian and Jax sighed to themselves trying to calm down as everyone eases up and sits back down now all in the room. Gia sat on the end of the couch stated.

"We're all gonna be here for a few days, let's just help Leo the best we can and then send him on his way to the Seraphus. It should only take you a 3 weeks to get there and with any luck, hopefully only 3 weeks to get back." Leo nodded and looked out the window seeing the grey skies begin to open up again with a heavy rain as if the gods were crying again.

"Hopefully, I'll be home in time for the Festivals and I can see you guys off back home." Leo said. Artemis rubbed his back and replied.

"Don't worry so much, after all, You're an Orbay and our family motto is what?"

He laughed and answered. "Alone, we are a single light in the dark, together we are the heaven's light, no evil can stand against an Orbay just as an Orbay can't stand alone. United we are the Orbay, the Shield and the Lance of the gods." She smiles and pokes his pink nose.

"And don't forget it this time."