After a short walk the two of them were back in the center of the temple, Grak Tharakar Vos was standing by a small alcove in the back of the room. The cloth walls here began to fade as the sunlight couldn't reach completely to this room. She lit some candles whose wax had melted and dripped along the wooden shelf they sat on. As Vos turned to see her niece Lyra and Zarath standing at the entrance to the room a small smirk played across her face as she noticed both of their fur was still slightly wet. She moved over to her seat and spoke as she sat down.
"I see you two have both spent some time in the Vrak'Thura (lake of sacred waters)." Vos adjusted her gown smoothing out any creases from where she sat down, quickly noting Lyra's reaction.
"O…of course, I took advantage of the lake auntie Vos I don't get to visit the temple that often anymore since I started helping mom and dad with the inn." Lyra couldn't look her aunt in the eye as she spoke and all Zarath did was pretend he wasn't listening.
"Oh, relax child I am only teasing." Vos let out a soft laugh covering her mouth as she did.
"It is a good thing you bathed in the waters anyway, as what I wish to discuss with you two is something related to something you both are seeking." Vos's tail came up and laid across her lap as she began to brush the fur of her tail. Both Zarath and Lyra looked at each other and then back to Vos not sure what she was talking about or what she meant.
"Zarath you and your friend Tharon will be traveling south beyond the borders of or lands to the human kingdom of Eldoria to seek the Wardens, the town known as Frontier is your destination correct." Vos turned her head to Zarath awaiting his response.
"Yes… That is the plan so far it is still a two-week journey south from what my grandfather told me before we left our tribe." Zarath scratched the back of his head, the ears atop his head twitching slightly as he did.
"And Lyra you have been asking your mother and father for the right of Kur narh thurak." Vos turned her head to her niece Lyra who ducked her head down, Lyra's ears flattened, and her tail tucked between her legs. Zarath was shocked and turned to Lyra.
"Why would you ask for self-exile?" Zarath was confused, Lyra's family owned a very well run and prosperous inn the Barking Dog, and her aunt was the head of the temple of Vrak'Thura, in all the settlement of Vaerthruin, Lyra was basically akin to human royalty amongst the wolfkin people.
"It's not as bad as it sounds Zarath, I want to travel and see the world like my father Raan'Tor, did before he met my mother and settled down, but since my mother Kaela was once the Grak Krellar (Chief warrior) of the temple and my aunt is the Grak Tharakar, I am next in line to take over after my aunt passes or steps down, so in order to leave the settlement I must request the right to leave or self-exile as you just heard." Lyra kept her head down the water still dripping from her small muzzle-like nose.
"But wouldn't that mean you could never return?" Zarath had heard of the right to self-exile but no one in his tribe really knew what it meant as a nomadic tribe they rarely had to seek permission to leave, there where even times people would just wonder off and never come back.
"Oh, no I can return as I please and I would not lose my chance at taking over for my aunt, it's basically just saying hey I want to leave for a little while and will be back whenever." Lyra's ears perked up as she explained it all the nervousness from a second ago seemed to vanish.
"Well, Lyra I am willing to approve your request on one condition." Vos pointed to Zarath her stare piercing as she did.
"Zarath, I want you to take my niece with you and your friend I am asking you to be her Raxvashk (Paladin.)" Vos lowered her hand as she gauged Zarath's reaction.
"I am not a member of this temple I can't be Lyra's Raxvashk." Zarath was completely caught off guard by Vos's request.
"You are a Grak'Shark of the Iron Claw tribe as well as a Krellar, you have also received the right of purification at this temple there is no one or no reason you can not take the oath of a Raxvashk and protect my niece as you travel." Vos smiled, knowing full well that she just destroyed any argument that Zarath could try to make all at once.
"Alright then, how does one become a Raxvashk?" Zarath clicked his tongue as he responded. Vos slowly stood from her seat and approached both Lyra and Zarath.
"Kneel Zarath son of Kaar and Lura, grandson of Hrol Dhran, you have passed the rite of Jura'Rahl and been named a full Krellar of the Iron Claw tribe, you have also been purified in the sacred waters of this temple and thus I as Grak Tharakar of this temple appoint you the station of Raxvashk now speak the name of the patron god you chose to follow." Vos placed a hand on each of Zarath's shoulders as she spoke the candlelight seeming to fade from the room and all sounds said for the breathing and heartbeat of Vos, Zarath and Lyra.
"Fenraya." The goddess of the dead's name left his lips without a single thought, he was already bound to her more than any Grak'Shark or Raxvashk sworn to her ever could be as the adopted child of the goddess.
"A fitting chose given your nature and life, as a Raxvashk to the goddess Fenraya you will receive no blessing, and swear an oath that your blade shall never be drawn to harm the innocent and as a Raxvashk of the goddess of death any you slay must receive her rites to pass into the eternal plains even those who are not among our kin, do you swear this oath before the goddess."
"I swear to this oath." Zarath again spoke without a word of hesitation, his mind seemed to react as if this was the path he was always destined to take.
"And as a Raxvashk of this temple I appoint you the charge of protecting the next Grak Tharakar of Vrak'Thura." Vos lifted her hands from Zarath's shoulders and up towards the sky.
"With my honor and my life no harm shall befall her." Zarath voice was clear and loud, making the fur on Lyra body stand on end, he had just sworn an oath to the goddess of the dead to protect her.
"Lyra my dear niece I have already sent word to your mother and father, so they will be ready when you arrive at the Barking Dog. With Zarath as your Raxvashk you will be free to travel with him south and see more of the world as you have always wished." Vos took Lyra into a deep hug smiling to herself as she wished her niece a save journey and a farewell to them until they met again one day. As Lyra and Zarath walked from the temple and down the forested path back to the temple gates, Lyra couldn't help but wonder how did Zarath know what to say and why did he so willingly agreed to be her Raxvashk.
"Hey um Zarath about what just happened back there?" Lyra's tail wagged nervously and her ears atop her head twitching for his response.
"Well, it just kind of works out for both of us I guess, you get to travel and wellbeing Raxvashk just means I get access to the temple without dealing with all the stuff me and Tharon did the last couple of days." Zarath scratched his ear as he answered, trying to be nonchalant about the whole thing.
"Oh, so that was really the only reason." Lyra's tail dropped a little as they walked. Her spirit was a little crushed.
"Well plus despite that fact you can be a bit annoying it won't hurt to have more help on the road, but just because I am sworn to protect you, please tell me you at least know how to fight." Zarath stopped and turned to look at Lyra as he asked the question.
"Yes, I know how to fight, did you forget who my parents are, mom taught me the basics of using my claws and fangs, and dad showed me how to use daggers and a bow. So, I actual don't need you to protect me." Lyra raised her voice as she answered, her muzzled face scrunching into a pout as she eyed Zarath.
"Ok well, just in the event anything happens just stay close, alright I don't need to explain to your parents at some point that something happened to you." Zarath continued down the path to the temple gates.
"Ok." Lyra's response was quick and filled with obvious cheer at Zarath's remark.
By the time Lyra and Zarath had reached the giant hollowed out tree that made up the Barking Dog inn. The sun had already begun to set, and being in a settlement where most of the buildings where the very trees of the forest the canopy above filtered out most of the light casting a low glow throughout the wooded city, a few wolfkin walked along the natural dirt paths that made up the roads lighting standing torches to illuminate the paths for people. From the carved-out windows of the Barking Dog murmuring could be heard with quite laughter, the light of the central hearth slightly visible through the windows.
"That's weird my parents usual lock up when the torch bearers start lighting the pathways." Lyra approached the heavy wooden doors that lead into the inn. As she opened them as she and Zarath entered they were met with a sudden cheer.
"Surprise!!" Lyras older brother Toren standing in front of her parents his reddish-gray fur an obvious blend of his wolfkin mother Kaela and his Fennce father Raan'Tor, off to the side was Tharon holding a large tankard of some dark amber like liquid, Hura sitting on the floor howling as all the other people cheered as Zarath and Lyra stepped further into the Barking Dog, the walls that were decorated with the carved wooden tapestries now had streamers hanging from them some small paper lanterns hung from the ceiling.
"Va'tar(father), Va'mir(mother) what is going on, what is all of this." It was rare for Lyra to use the Sariik language of her father's people when she spoke, but she couldn't help herself as she was so caught off guard by all the familiar faces in the tavern.
"Well, your mother and I thought it would be nice to have a going away party, since you will be leaving us." Raan'Tor sniffled his muzzled face scrunching up as he tried to hole in his tears the whiskers on his fox-like snout twitching with each sniffle.
"Oh, stop it you old softie you're going to embarrass the poor girl." Kaela stepped forward from behind her son Toren and hugged her daughter Lyra in a tight embrace. She looked up at Zarath giving him a discerning eye.
"You listen well boy you take good care of my girl, or I will have to come out of retirement as the temples Grak Krellar, do you understand me." Kaela bared her fangs and let out a low growl to show Zarath she meant what she said.