Thanatos
Male || Gladiator || 36 Moons || Locations: Outside of Camp|| Mentions: Xerxes, Hades

As soon as Hades approached the limber tom, Thanatos had been drawn out of his thoughts, and nodded in response to the other tom's words. Yes, perhaps it made more sense that they were to patrol together; however, Thanatos was uncomfortable with the idea, to say the least. He had quickly picked up on the perception that he and the other toms had joined Athena's side merely to court the molly, and as that had not been his intention, he felt as though he would rather not be around others who had, perhaps, meant their actions to be seen that way. Of course, Athena was beautiful and intelligent, everything Thanatos might seek in a mate, but the title of Emperor was a very laced one, burdened as it was with responsibility and duties. Besides, he was definitely not a cat for politics, and that was also something that Emperor consisted of.

The marked cat barely realised he had slipped back into his own head again before he caught Hades sliding into a crouch, his muscles tensing under his pelt. Thanatos followed his lead swiftly, brushing his belly against the ground and drawing his limbs tightly under his body. Xerxes had joined them, offering words of advice, which Thanatos accepted with a quick nod of his head. Yes, yes, watch out for brambles, he understood that. The savoury scent of mouse was drifting past his nose now, and he inhaled it so as to focus on his prey's exact position. If it decided to show itself, he would allow Hades an attempt on its life first; after all, the other male was the first to pick up the scent. As he waited, he thought he imagined the rancid stench of dog yet again, but with a shake of his head, it was gone, and it was like he had merely imagined it.

Ker
Female || Sentry || 36 Moons || Locations: Outside Camp || Mentions: Hermes, Dionysus, Tyche

Something in the stern black she-cat softened as she looked down at Hermes, though she knew that she had ought to still be suspicious. A cat with such an affliction should not have survived so long on his own; he was young, and his involuntary movements should have alerted him to far worse predators than she. However, he had made it this far, and Ker's gaze flickered with a momentary kindness before she settled back onto her haunches. Chancing a quick glance at Tyche and Dionysus, she decided to question the tom slightly further until one of the others interceded.

"Are you alone?" She interrogated, attempting to insert a little bit of kindness into her voice as she spoke. Hermes seemed to be trustworthy, despite her initial misgivings, and his size meant he was not a threat to the three fully-grown cats that surrounded him. While the bulky she-cat waited for a response, she lifted her head slightly, attempting to feel a little bit of the sunlight that filtered through the tree leaves. She wondered whether her brother had awoken yet, and snorted with vaguely masked contempt- the lazy lump was likely still asleep, since Gladiators didn't have to wake until later. Ker felt a slight sense of pride in her heart at this, as she had always considered her rank as Sentry to be vastly superior to her brother's.

Boreas
Male || Youngblood || 6 Moons || Locations: Camp || Mentions: Open

Boreas was tucked away in his corner, his well-kept, multi-hued pelt practically glistening in the sunlight. His biggest pride was his sleek, shiny fur, and his whiskers twitched with indignation as he thought of the often dirt-laden training he went through. Of course, he knew of the whispers behind his back when he complained about such things, but he possessed such a complete lack of concern that he figured they were bound to stop eventually. He wondered rather idly when his training would start today, since he hadn't adhered to a very strict schedule thus far. His pale green eyes scoured the camp for someone to join and talk to, but he spotted mostly older cats, and with a dramatic sigh he rested his head on his paws.

He had to admit, though, the warmth of the sunlight felt amazing, and it was lulling him back to a slight stupor. Twitching his tail, the young cat again lifted his head, rising up from the ground and shaking out his pelt. He twisted his head to give his side a few brisk licks, and padded forward from his corner. He pricked his ears as he sulked in the shadows of the statues that littered their camp, hiding himself slightly. Despite his pompous, arrogant manner, Boreas had very little idea of how to actually engage in conversation with others. His only hope was that someone might approach him first.

"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men."

Hephaestus • Male • Mentor • 108 Moons • Atop a Statue-less Pedestal
Mentions: Boreas

The frailty of a summer breeze persuaded Hephaestus to lift his eyelids, his good eye floating sleepily around the old tom's surroundings. Grunting faintly, he rolled onto his back, pale belly and snow-dipped paws reaching towards the heavens. His back, flecked with gray hairs, grew warm as he lay on the sun-baked stone and the Mentor purred contentedly. The blue sky stretched for ages, fluffy white clouds drifting leisurely. Birds, namely hawks, floated on invisible currents, filling Hephaestus with an ounce of dread. Kittens and Youngbloods made fine snacks for birds of prey. But he had confidence in Iliad's ability to thwart swooping hawks. He had seen Gladiators, Hunters, and Sentries alike take down or otherwise deter birds, saving the lives of young cats. Speaking of, he thought, rolling onto his stomach again and raking his tongue across his paw, it was about time to begin training. On the agenda today: Combat. Simple moves, evading, and countering. The tuxedo tom stood, stretched one leg behind him, and leapt gracefully from the pedestal. He moved about Olympus, nodding to all he passed, and scanned the ruins for any sign of a Youngblood. Hephaestus halted as his yellow eye caught the gray fur of Boreas and moved into an even trot towards the cat. "Good morning, young Boreas," he greeted, fully aware of the cold response he might receive.

Boreas
Male || Youngblood || 6 Moons || Locations: Camp || Mentions: Hephaestus

Ashen-grey pelt rippling with distaste, Boreas directed his gaze to Hephaestus, a slight sneer curling his lip. "Good morning, Hephaestus," the young tom spoke, his voice stiff with disrespect. Despite the very significant age difference between the two, Boreas addressed the older as a lesser, far lower-ranked cat. His disregard for authority echoed in every syllable of his words, pale green eyes daring the older cat to challenge him. Boreas's cold demeanour did not end with others his age, and though he ought to show respect to the older cat, he simply could not find it within himself to do so. Regardless, he supposed he must keep up polite conversation, and the many-hued tom spoke again.

"How are you?" His tone was that of forced politeness, though privately he hoped that would not be detectable. While waiting for the predictably disinterested answer, Boreas closed his eyes and turned his face towards the sun. Feeling the rays soak into his pelt, the Youngblood settled himself on his haunches. This was perhaps the only time he ever visibly showed his content; though he pretended to disapprove of the sunlit camp, he actually quite enjoyed the warmth. Sometimes. Still, never one to let his carefully-planned facade go to waste, Boreas glanced back at the older tom with an expression quite akin to someone in mourning.

[ Hades ]
Male • 4 Years • Aegean Cat • Gladiator
Location: Around Camp • Mentions: {D} Thanatos, Xerxes, Achilles

A subtle flick of his tail was all Hades offered in acknowledgement to Xerxes’ approach, his focus on the hunt demanding all of his attention. The mouse showed itself, slowly at first, little more than a twitching nose and whiskers before creeping out of its hole in search of nourishment. Hades darted across the ground, but his black pelt alerted his prey to his approach. The mouse escaped him, only to fall into the path of Thanatos. A purr of approval thrummed in his throat briefly as he watched the other tom make the kill. They may not be hunters, but the more they could provide for the Clan the better.

“A most marvelous catch Thanatos,” he complimented, stepping closer to examine the dead mouse. Satisfied, his mismatched gaze shifted to the tall, spotted tom who had joined them. Hades already knew about the brambles. He explored the territory enough times under nightfall to know every inch of it, but he humored the hunter, dipping his head respectfully. “We thank you for the warning, I am sure you’ll prove an asset to this patrol.” Just as he finished speaking the wind changed, blowing toward them and bringing with it the scent of an unfamiliar male. A young one at that.

Sharing a glance with Xerxes and Thanatos, he moved to investigate, following the stranger’s scent to a set of bushes. Head tilting, he attempted to peer through the thick leafage and caught glimpses of a splotched pelt within. “You didn’t pick the best hiding place kit. Gather your courage and come greet us. We will do you no harm,” he assured gently, sitting back on his haunches as he waited for the young cat to slip between the branches and reveal himself.

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[ Hermes ]
Male • 2 Years • Balinese • Loner
Location: Outside Camp • Mentions: {D} Dionysus, Ker, Tyche

“I-I can assure you I don’t mean any harm,” Hermes responded quickly, nearly leaping into the air when Tyche appeared from behind him. How long had she been standing there!? Gazing between the three cats, he could see a change in their approach and recognized kindness in their own eyes. His prickling pelt smoothed and racing heartbeat began to slow into a calmer rhythm.

“I am alone. I have been on my own for awhile now. My mother disappeared when I was very young. I never knew her name, but I look much like her. Do I seem familiar at all?” He asked Tyche hopefully.

The mention of being brought back to camp had his ears perking, the fear seeming to melt from his features. “Yes! I’d love to meet your leader. I was hoping I could become a part of your Clan and return to the home my mother so loved,” he chirped enthusiastically, wispy tail shivering with excitement. “Mother said when she lived among you she served as a sort of guard. I’d like to do that for you as well. I might not know much yet, but I can learn!”

Erebus | Male | Gladiator | Edges of Camp | Mentions: Xerxes, Thanatos, Hades, Athena [ID]

Erebus let a kind smile touch his features, respecting the she-cat's wishes for privacy. He knew what it was like to go into bouts of deep thought, and despite his curiosity would not pry any more than he already had, especially with the growing crowd around them. It was with a hint of amusement that he realized that all who gathered here were toms, besides the Empress of course, and he tilted his head to study them, wondering what their intentions were. The snowy female above them was not daft enough to let an ambitious male steal her heart. If need be he was sure she could rule Iliad entirely alone, though the laws stated otherwise. It was understandable to him that they were in place for a reason, but he believed they were more inclined towards leaders with less than impressive political skill, which was something that Athena did not lack. Vaguely Erebus wondered if it was possible to change said rule... Although Athena was not yet Iliad's true leader, as a female she had to have an Emperor by her side to become one, perhaps once she found him he would be a kind enough tom to help her shape a new era, one that allowed she-cats to rule by themselves should they choose to. Focusing back on the conversation, he was just in time to hear Athena assign the Gladiators a patrol, most likely to get them all away from her so that she could think by herself.

"Of course Empress, I will see to it that the camp is safe." Erebus replied softly, offering her another bow before padding away. Hunting, while not his forte, was something that he could improve upon. Veering off from the rest, the large shadow-clad male headed into the forest near the edge of camp, taking a deep breath to scent for danger and prey. So far, everything seemed peaceful.