ORIGIN

Actually, this had to be his first time venturing into Eridanus but he wanted to get to know every inch of Origin caves. This was actually his last destination on where he needed to be, and he trotted through the undergrowth with moderate confidence about how this was going to go down. Scout out the area, establish its usefulness in his intentions and see it from there. Inhaling deeply, he had a pretty good feeling about all of this, this place seemed innocent enough and the site of the large mushroom cap in the middle didn't cause him to raise his eyebrow as, well he'd seen weirder things in their little home caverns.

Wandering into the centre, he rubbed his body up against the mushroom, almost drawn to it as his pelt was covered in the itchy flakes of spores on most occasions. Hallucination was one of his favourite play things and to see one of the giant fungi made him feel warm and fuzzy inside. The nougat of his being was cruel and twisted, he saw only pleasure in the suffering of others but he could delight in the small things such has rubbing his body on a giant fucking mushroom in the middle of this weird forest. Louie twitched his nose and wished to make a base "camp" here. It might be a while until he was fully satisfied with his survey and he was rather enjoying this secluded area.

Unable to sleep, as that would mean letting his guard down, and sleeping with one eye open meant just sleeping with his eyes open, he settled onto his stomach and waited for the life of Eridanus to show themselves to him rather than the fox having to seek them out for himself. That dragon was a world away, but Maji Walezi was so close he could almost taste the fear as their only source of drinking water was taken away from them.

He'd spent days with Baratheon and Diot, simply basking in their presence - along with the new warmth of the bond, strong and alive, connecting him to the dragon as surely as if his brother was there, by his side. At the moment, however, Booker was on his own. The numbat had headed out in the early morning, hoping to visit with the Sisters and the All Mother, mind only half on his travels. The other half was rather firmly set on "worry mode," as it often was; as much as Baratheon tried to get his younger brother to relax, the tiny Gembound was a worry wart by nature, and so Booker trotted on, thinking of every terrible situation that could happen in his absence.

Those situations did not, however, include a gigantic fox sitting in the shade of the Monarch's cap, looking for all the world as if it belonged there. Booker stumbled to a halt, breath picking up as he tried to backtrack into the ferns that surrounded the cat's camp, hoping one of them was nearby. To do what, he wasn't sure - help? Then again, they'd probably fled, considering the predator was easily twice their size. Swallowing dryly, Booker focused, reaching inward until he felt the pull of the bond. Uh, B-Bara? There's a... thing, at the camp, under the Monarch. It doesn't look very friendly, he warned. Keep Diot away from here.

The warning, however, was for his brother's benefit - Booker had long since learned to be brave, even in situations like this, especially when his friends might be in danger. Still seeing no sign of the kittens, the numbat stepped out of the relative obscurity provided by the forest's plant life, ears pinned back and tail raised high, footsteps soft and hesitant. "H-hello? What are you doin' here?" Not the kindest of greetings, to be sure, but the tiny Gembound, limp on display, had learned something else: bravery and caution could, and should, go hand in hand.

In his "relaxation" he didn't have anything to worry about but a quiet voice reached his ears and they flicked sideways before he raised himself upright. A small fuzzy looking creature, with some stripes and a... piece of glass over his eye? Was slowly approaching him and Louie wasn't entirely sure if he was directing that question at him or what. A quick glance around did indeed show they were the only two in this area and so it had been for him. How cute.

"Do you own this mushroom rat beast?" Of course not, there were no other groups around here and he could sure as hell be here if he damn well pleased. Recognizing the gemstone that was within his eye socket, his scowl pulled closer and his lips pressed into a hard line. There was no way it was done out of mocking, but Louie couldn't help but feel mocked as he subconsciously turned his head to the side hiding away all the mangled skin that made up the left side of his face. Kicking a pebble out towards the numbat, he smirked, "How about yo-." But that sent of Maji Walezi on his pelt was undeniable, it was faint, but it was there. It did make him wonder how close his connections were with the waterfall group, but it certainly upped his interest from mild boredom to intent curiosity.

Beginning to take steps towards Booker in order to close the gap, he kept his head low and his lip curled, "You're one of those waterfall fuckers aren't you? I bet you're here to eradicate me on orders of those hyped up family, tree hugging assholes." A random string of what he thought of as insults as he couldn't stand the idea of having a "family" that they did. A lone agent was all he was and all he ever would be, in his mind that was, "You think you can take me you pathetic rat beast?" Not entirely sure if it would work, his confidence waned slightly but he wanted to knock this piece of shit out...

...But it didn't work, instead his gem merely fizzled and he snarled, furious and once more humiliated. "You fucking asswipe!" Lunging at Booker, he hoped to grab hold of some part of the numbat's body, potentially pinning him if he was damn lucky.

Booker huffed at the first question, mumbling out a soft, "W-well, no, I don't, but, well, y'see, there's these cats, n' they kinda. Worship the All Mother?" The words had sped up and grown in pitch the longer the fox's eye remained pinned on him, and the numbat squeaked in fright as a rock was pitched his way, barely dodging it with his lame leg weighing him down. "Hey!" The yelp was bordering on angry - or as angry as the tiny Gembound could get, anyway.

The anger fled in an instant when the predator rose, stalking forward, replaced by a swamp of fear, cold and itchy down his spine. Booker's fur puffed up as he tried to move backwards, but the stranger's stride was much longer, and the numbat couldn't do more than watch as he grew closer and closer, fur beginning to look rather red. The fox's words didn't make any sense, rambling and angry, flashes of teeth accompanying them, and Booker simply shook, sending flashes of panic through the bond as another warning. Stay away, stay away!

A snarl was all the warning he got as the fox's rant ended, and Booker froze as the beast leapt towards him, wounded leg locking up. Still, he managed to turn around half-way before the predator was upon him, a heavy, clawed paw slamming down onto his lower back, pinning the numbat's legs. The tiny Gembound let out a screech at the flare of pain the blow brought, having fairly crushed his already punctured leg, and in a panic, Booker turned in the grip, reaching up to bite down on whatever bit of the fox's paw he could, trying to stay in the present.

The fog threatened to pull him under, clouding the bond, and the longer he stayed pinned, the further Booker fell under, the familiar scent of smoke filling his lungs. Slowly but surely, the fox was beginning to take on aspects of the past, and the taste of burning moss trickled across his tongue, waiting for him to give in completely to the panic attack.

Whoever those dumb cats were with their All Mother nonsense, they did not own this place and Louie would be damned sure they knew it. Once he was done dealing with this numbat piece of crap. That fear that was on Booker's features was pleasant, it made him feel good and he had to stop himself from giggling. Slamming him with his weight, he now had him securely pinned and he breathed a slight sigh of relief. Lashing his tail and leaned down to whisper in Booker's ear, the smol man giving off weird vibes as his panic was setting in "There's a good boy." That was until the little vermin decided to whip around and bite his paw.

A little too late in pulling his paw, he shook away the droplets of blood that came from those needle sharp teeth. Straddling his back end, he hissed, "Bastard." Although most of his initial rage had seeped away in all the excitement of actually having him on the ground. Though blind in one eye, he still had it. Louie wasn't entire sure what he was supposed to do now. Demand answers? Beat him into a bloody pulp to teach him a lesson for even attempting to tell him what to do? With a snort, he placed his injured paw on the back of Booker's neck, trying to push his face into the dirt.

"You will tell me everything you know about everyone within Origin cave. If you so much as skip a detail I will proceed to cut out your tongue." That was an empty threat, as he was planning to do it after he was done anyway.

"Baratheon Speech"


He had been napping in Orion after having caught a meal. The dragon had let his guard down because it seemed that Eridanus was rather safe. The only ones who lived their were his small family, the cats, and the wolf. A few passersby went through but none of them were hostile. So, he had grown nonchalant and risked sleeping away from Booker. However, he came wide awake when his dreams were invaded by the nervous thoughts of Booker.

His pink eyes opened wide and ears pinned as he saw the image of the fox from Booker's eye. When those first words, threatening, came out of the fox's mouth Baratheon was already on his feet and running to Eridanus. No one spoke to Booker that way. Not without getting their jaws broken.

As the dragon first ran and then flew when he saw Louie lunge at Booker he let out a warning roar. It would no doubt be heard from a great distance away. It was filled with rage and anger, he was the loudest he'd ever called before. Baratheon was coming and there would be hell to pay.

His wing arms burned as he pushed them harder than he ever had before. He burst into Eridanus and using the fading vision of Booker he easily located the pair. He flew forward, leaping and jumping to clear small trees and bushes alike. He was going at a breakneck speed and when he finally cleared the last bit of foliage which put him in the clearing with the Monarch his own eyes took in the site of the fox pinning his brother to the ground. An all new rage set in and bits of red colored his vision. With his rage he could feel the Bloodlust starting to take hold of him. However, there was a certain clarity as well. For now, he would be able to control it so long as he wasn't completely enveloped.

The dragon hovered in the air for a moment before letting out a roar of shear anger. "Get your fucking dirty claws off my RIDER!" With that he opened his mouth and prepared to blast the fox with his breath ability. He wanted that asshole away from Booker so that he could do a real attack.

There wasn't even a chance to get an answer out of Booker before he heard something crashing through the foliage. Whatever it was it was large and he raised his head from staring at the flattened rodent as his ears pulled back against his skull. First there was no sign of disturbance on the fringes of the clearing, before the huge form of the fluffy dragon Baratheon came looming into sight. Bursting through the trees, Louie's fur prickled and he found his throat tightening.

Above them, he found himself pressing his body into the numbat's, his tail laying over the bushy bottle brush of Booker's own. Snarling himself, he braced himself as the words escaped the muzzled maw of the beast before he felt the blast of dispel. Not about to let his prize go, he wrapped his front leg around the throat of Booker as he found himself pushed backwards. Though neither of them weighed anything, his intentional forcing of his weight downwards allowed them to merely tumble backwards.

Battered, he groaned but wouldn't let go of the numbat, he was clutching him as one would a stuffed animal but he was by no means doing it for comfort. "Look what the cat dragged in," though he was afraid, he had never seen a creature like this before, his cockiness easily overplayed his common sense. Once again, he let his impulses get the better of him. Perhaps he would be a lot more afraid if he had been able to make the connection of Raheerah and Bara being of the same species. But as it was, their notable differences made it hard for him to realize this.

"Your rider?" Looking down at the boy beneath his feet, he looked back at up at the fluffy one and gave him a good look through his good eye. "Must be a pretty powerful gembound to have power over one such as yourself. Wonder what would happen if I snuffed it out?" Gargling in the back of his throat, he willed his virus to his lips, careful not accidentally ingest any of it and risk infection himself.

You will tell me everything you know about everyone within Origin cave. If you so much as skip a detail I will proceed to cut out your tongue. Booker's breath came in short bursts, pupil shrinking to a pinpoint, staring down into the dirt and the muck, wheezes muffled against the ground. His monocle was surely somewhere on the ground, lost in the scuffle, depriving him of most sight in his remaining eye. Now, functionally blind to the world, the numbat clenched his eyelids shut, trying to focus on the bond, hot anger pouring out of it like lava from Baratheon's side.

The air was split with a terrible roar, stilling everything else in the forest, even making Booker flinch, the sound echoing through the trees. Then came the sound of beating wings, and then the thump of a body hitting the floor of Eridanus, crashing through the underbrush with the enraged precision only a true predator could accomplish. Then, his brother's voice, clear and true, louder now than the unsteady snarling of the fox that had pinned him, even if the words were lost to the tiny Gembound in his panicked state.

Then, a new sound - almost the absence of sound, and then a whine, and with that, both he and his captor went flying, tumbling along the hallowed ground where the Monarch stood like ragdolls. Clutched in the creature's paws, Booker struggled, trying to blink away the dark invading his vision, most likely a side-effect of just how much he'd been tossed about lately - after all, one's head could only take so many blows. Distantly, he heard the fox begin to ramble again, and then, something much, much worse: the smell of rot, of death, brought to the creature's very lips, as if the poison brewed inside of his body. Khloros, Booker thought, numbly, trying to look past the inevitable and towards Baratheon.

He smells like Khloros, he tried to send across, mind-voice soft and slow, almost dreamlike with its lack of energy. He couldn't breathe much, anymore, tinny inhales tasting of copper. Don't get... any closer. Can't lose you too. Another breath, deeper, and Booker hacked, turning to glare up at Louie, anger filling him more than ever before - worse than what he'd felt at himself for his own inability to protect Khloros and Delphine, worse than anything, even worse than his nightmares. This was a real, true villain, one who wanted to harm his family for... what? For fun? Another cough, this one deliberately aimed at the fox's face, and a grim sneer. "T-try it. Baratheon's s-stronger than you'll ever be."

"Baratheon Speech"

He had intended only to knock the fox away from Booker but the canine had other plans. He clutched onto the numbat and both went tumbling backwards while Baratheon landed on the ground. He needed to separate the two so that he could deal out punishment. The dragon's maw wrinkled in a snarl that showed every one of his needle-like fangs as she slinked closer. He stopped when he was only a couple of feet away. Wings were raised, head lifted so that he could glower down his muzzle at the evil fox. "You shut your damn mouth or I'll do it for you!" He snarled in response to those insulting words.

He wanted to use his claws to try and pin the fox down but he could feel the information being fed to him through Booker. It worried him. Not quite the information but how it was delivered. Booker sounded like he was on his last legs. Don't worry, little brother, you won't lose me. I'm not afraid of this fox nor of what he can do. Neither should you be. Just... Just hang in there please. He couldn't lose his brother. That was the one thing in the world that would break him.

However, he needed to get them away from each other... Baratheon crouched, eyes narrowing as he tried to focus. The mist threatened to take over when he felt the righteous anger from Booker. It empowered him, made him feel even stronger as he stared the vulpine down. "You try anything, fox-face, maybe I'll rip your tongue out and feed it to you. Right after I tear each of your legs off and eat'em in front of you!" He let out a roar, right in the fox's face. "I suggest you put him down before you make this even worse on yourself, foxy boy." His words were growling and low, a promise of what was to happen.

That feeling of the slick mucus in his throat, now covering his tongue and coating his fangs made him grin. Goop dripped from his maw, it landed on both sides of Booker's head. Where it landed it proceeded to bubble before merely sinking into the ground. Perfect. It appeared Baratheon wanted to talk, and damn he would definitely begin talking. Approaching the pair, he felt no fear as he knew what would come next. His spell had worked, he had the upper hand and when he was roared at, he commented, letting it slip between his teeth as his lips moved, "Someone needs breath mints."

With that, he bent down and coughed onto the numbat. It was by no means a glob, it splattered outwards as hhis body convulsed forwards and he could feel it potentially infecting him as well. Focused on the "task" at hand he made sure not to breathe too deeply or swallow until he was confident most of it was gone. Tongue running over his teeth, he leaned down to Booker's face and licked up the side of it, his tongue rasping over the gemstone that suck out of his eye socket. Shivering with pleasure, he was definitely getting a kick out of this as he looked up daringly at Baratheon.

Again, he angled his head so his one eye was looking straight at the beast. Believing most was gone, he withdrew a breath again and spoke. "Your friend may have a couple of hours, day at the most. Unless you listen to what I say I refuse to keep him alive. He wasn't much use to me before so it's not like I owe him anything. But you most certainly owe me something now." Giddy with the power he now had over two gembounds, he giggled and wanted nothing more than to skip around the pink dragon. Check mate good sir.