T h i s is where (Aradis' 12 lives)

[MooniiKinz]

The early morning sun seemed to beat down in the dirt as she padded along with slow and steady steps, the sun at her back warming her thoughts. Not only was today the day the alpha was to receive her nine lives, but also the day where she would try and put a stop to upcoming bloodshed.

Aradis had left the camp in careful look, just in case things took an unexpected turn around while she was away. That couldn't happen, and she would make sure there wouldn't.

As she came into sight of the Eternal Tree, she looked over her shoulder to make sure Annelise was following, as the alphess tried to keep a steady pace.

She looked back to the tree, looking over it's roots and crevices, a tangled mess it looked like. The perfect refuge lay hidden under the mess, and the most sacred place to every wolf.

[Sivoncé™]

Annelise followed her alphess down the slope that lead to the Twilight Clearing. She couldn't help but look upon it with a significant amount of awe. It's been so long... It had been so long since she's seen much of anything, really. If her pups didn't require constant attention and she wasn't paranoid to wander alone, Annelise may have taken a walk all over the Siverian terra just to reacquiant herself with her home. But now, an important task lay ahead.

She dipped her head to Aradis and nodded to the den beneath the mighty tree. "When you enter the den, just lie down and close your eyes like you're sleeping. The rest will happen for you. I will wait outside and keep watch, as is tradition."

[MooniiKinz]

Aradis nodded slowly as she stood half way in the tunnel, blinking to adjust her eyes to the light. As she grew into the basic outline of everything, she let herself slip in, leaving the sunlight behind.

In what seemed like only seconds after she entered the den, she found herself in a whole new world. The starry sky was littered with stars, the grass soft underpaw, and a creek flowing right next to where the alphess lay. She breathed in the sweet scent, closing her eyes for only a second to feel the bliss of the summer air.

As she looked around, she noticed where she was, her old home. But how? She shouldn't be in her home, especially if it was still standing in the real world, so how was she laying where she always played as a young pup?

"Beautiful my young one. Isn't it?" Aradis whipped her head around to see a star dotted brown figure, her blue eyes sparkling. "Mom..." Aradis hardly breathed the words out as she stood, bounding over to her in a single leap. As she came to a stop, she dug her nose in the females fur, a mock tear dripping down her cheek.

[Sivoncé™]

A small crowd was beginning to cluster around the mother and daughter pair. Starlit, wise, and knowing eyes studied the alphess with silent approval. At the forefront, in the first ring of onlookers, a she-wolf of sterlings silver and winter-kissed blue watched Aradis with stormy gray eyes. Siveria dipped her head slightly to the new alphess.
Welcome to the club, she seemed to say.
"Aradis," The winter goddess woofed softly, "it is time for you to become a true leader, and a true leader must run with twelve lives. The ceremony is harsh, but necessary to prove you are formidable enough for the position of alpha. Should you accept, the ceremony will commence." Siveria waited in silence for Aradis' answer.

[MooniiKinz]

Aradis took her muzzle out of her mothers fur, and with a face filled with mixed emotions, she looked like a young pup. Her ears perked up as she listened to the femmora speak, listening carefully to her words. "I accept." I'm gonna do something a lot worse after this is over.. She looked back to her mother, smiling. She knew her mother was proud of her, and she had no reason to doubt that thought, for the pride beaming from the light brown wolf gave off every signal.

[Sivoncé™]

With her acceptence, the ancient rite began. The other wolves were still there in a silhouetted form, but they were cast into twilight shadows as Siveria rose to her paws. The mighty alphess stood in front of Aradis with a keen look in her eyes.
"With this life, I give you wisdom. Long ago, I stood where you do now and had to make many of the same decisions. Sometimes I chose wrong, but with this life, I ask you to way all of your options carefully. Should you make mistakes, as inevitably every wolf will, I ask you to learn from them and apply this knowledge to future experiences. Lead your pack with the forethought of one who is learned in the ways of the world." With that, the Siverian namesake leaned forward, touched the nose of the new alphess, and drew back quickly into the misted shadows. Her life would feel like immense pressure, broken with a strike of lightning as wise decision-making came into play.

The second wolf to step forward held a far different aura that Siveria had. If one analyzed closely, they would detect the faintest stroke of Siverian on the silver-white she-wolf's pelt. She was a wolf of Twilight now, but a past life was playing in her crystal blue eyes as she approached Aradis. "Hello, Aradis. I am Mist, an alphess from the Sheerans -- though, in my time, we were called White Mist. I come to bring you a life of cooperation. Whether it be within your own pack or in cases that involve outsiders, be the peacemaker in a tangle of opposing ideas and bring about compromise. Though you must always keep what is best for your pack in mind, it is key to understand the ripple affect your actions may have on how others see you and act towards you in the future." Mist bent forward and brushed her noes to Aradis'. This life would be riddled with trials and tremors of attempting to bring peace to warring factions. At the end, there would be a soothing peace. Mist drew away into the blue shadows.

The next wolf to appear was far younger than the others, and far less prestigious. She padded over with a simple gait. The white warrior looked up at Aradis in earnest. "I am Freya, warrior of the Siverians. I was taken captive by Blood Mist and died fighting them when I refused to bend to their wishes. This was my final battle, but I managed to take down a Blood Mist with me. With your next life, I give you perseverance, so that you will do whatever it takes to follow your heart, beliefs, and do what is right for your pack." Freya touched noses with the alpha, sending all of the fire of her final fight into Aradis. She backed away, and let a fourth wolf take her place.

The fourth wolf was a gray male rippled with muscle. His amber eyes met Aradis', and he smiled slightly. "Hello, Aradis. I am Salizar. I come from the lands by the Mirror Lake, and a pack called Grey Mist that was long before your time. In my day, I was a proxy -- third in command. I come to present you with the life of loyalty. Like a mother protects her pups, you must protect your packs with all the ferociousness that belongs in your body. Let no one harmed your brethren, and lead in a way that is best for your people as a whole." Salizar brushed noses with Aradis, sending lighting through her at the touch, and backed away.

[MooniiKinz]

Aradis nodded to Siveria as she stepped forward, smiling at the old alphess. She listened with closed eyes as the femmora spoke, then, all at once her eyes opened, widening as her legs struggled to hold her up under her. A whine escaped deep in her chest, it felt like a thousand wolves leaped on top of her.

Then all at once it was gone, like a rivers flow, how it carried fallen leaves away. And another wolf, by the name of Mist. She lifted her gaze from her paws, looking at the silver female. She didn't listen closely, but took in every word she spoke with the curiosity of a pup. Aradis didn't feel like collapsing like she had before, but still shook, fighting to stay on her own paws.

As if time rushed forward, a third wolf, fairy younger than the others. Aradis let her ears fall back slightly as she heard her story. As Freya touched noses for a second with her, Aradis felt her sides stinging, as if she was in the middle of battle. Like the others, it soon faded, and she was standing there, unharmed and safe in the twilight clearing. Three down, nine to go. Oh god!

Aradis tore her gaze from the stars as Salizar padded over, his voice hiding a gentle feel according to her ears. As he spoke, Aradis shuffled her paws slightly, bracing herself for whatever would happen. After what seemed like milaseconds, she bit her lip to keep from yowling out, unable to know what had happened.

As Aradis stumbled she bumped into her mother, who blocked the fall. "It's ok honey.." She whispered, moving to stand infront of her daughter. She touched her nose to Aradis' head, whispering the words. "With this life I give you courage, never give up in the hardest of situations, even if it means bad. Stand up for what is right, no matter the cost." She pulled away from her daughter, letting the bravery of her last battle run through her daughter, who stumbled, feeling the cost of battle once more.

Aradis extended her neck as he mother padded away, nodding towards a large, dark chestnut male, his pelt faded and littered with stars. It was Bandit, Aradis' dad, a smile on his muzzle as he padded forward. "Dad.." Aradis managed to say something without breathing it out.

"With this life I give you justice, use it to bring culprits to a stand still." He nuzzled his daughters neck fur, padding back to stand next to Rain.

Aradis' eyes widened as she felt snaps at her rump, and she actually looked to make sure she wasn't being attacked. At the second she did that, she felt a sharp pain to her next, and she had to dig her nose in the grass underpaw to keep from yowling out.

She lifted her head to see a light brown female standing in front of her, a smile filled with sisterly love plastered to her muzzle. "Cochiti.." She nuzzled her younger sister, having the nuzzle returned as the sisters stood in the middle of the clearing, reunited after so many long years. "With this life I give you tireless energy, use it to stay on top of things." As she drew away, Aradis fell to her knees, quickly recovering from the pin, as she felt her strength vanish for a second, then return with a burning fire.

As Cochiti stood on the edge of the clearing, another wolf stepped out, much younger and smaller than Aradis, but holding the wisdom of the oldest of wolves in her eyes. With a jolt, Aradis realized it was Pima, her sister that died in her first month of life. The deep brown female had to stand on her hind paws to touch her nose to Aradis' a faint smile on her muzzle. "With this life I give you mentoring, use it to teach the young what you know." She drew away, as Aradis felt her legs tremble, like the pup did when she grew ill.

Another figure stepped out, muzzle grey with age and many scars on her ears and shoulders. "Nakota!" Aradis trotted forward to nuzzle the alpha, who touched her nose to her shoulder. "With this life I give you, compassion, care for those weaker than you, and don't let yourself be led astray."

Aradis closed her eyes, as the pressure of a wolf weighed on her shoulders. She imagined a crack, just like the old female's back had broke, leaving her dead, so many years ago.

As Nakota faded into the twilight, a silver female, with slight brown tints stepped out. Ponca, Aradis' best friend. "Ponca!" Aradis' voice was filled with grief, her friend had died after she ran away.

"Aradis, you don't know how heartbroken I was when you left, Lakota took my life out of cold blood, but not after I took her down with me." She paused, smiling at the chestnut female in front of her. "With this life I give you Nobility. Use it to lead with undying compassion." Aradis trembled as she felt the taste of blood in her mouth, and a death bite to her neck. This is how her friend's life had ended.

Ponca drew away, nodding the go for it to another wolf, who's pelt was a dark mahogany. "Hello Aradis, my name is Merrow. I was just a pup when you left, I never knew you. Lakota also took my life, for she didn't want an overgrown pack. It was only five years after I was born, so at least I saw the world." She padded closer, laying her chin on Aradis' head. "I give you certainty, use it to make sure of what you decide." Aradis almost yowled as she felt like she was thrown over a cliff, hitting rock hard water at her head.

At last, a golden male stepped out, his green eyes shining with love as he stepped out. "Tao!" Aradis rushed forward, touching her nose to his, looking into her old mate's eyes.

"With this life I give you faith, use it to steer in the direction we point you to." As he drew away, Aradis felt herself bumped into, as feeling her mates final battle.

((Got lazy here xD))