ORIGIN

Anubis came sprinting out of Canis, panting, slowing to a halt about halfway down this odd, quiet tunnel and turning, sitting down to rest and wait. He'd just come back from running as fast as his legs could carry him through Canis to where that old bone-reader lived. He remembered her from childhood, and from some cycles ago.

He'd informed her of this - he needed help with something, but he couldn't stay in Canis - he was on Mother's shit-list at the moment and the longer he stayed, the more he - and anyone around him - was in danger. So he asked to talk here instead, where he did not have to fear her infected lessers finding him. Whether she accepted or not, he hadn't known, as he'd said a hasty goodbye and ran right back out, anxiety nipping at his heels. But he thought that she might come. She had been nice to him, a guiding light. And, more importantly, she had magical light as well.

True, it was similar to his. Dim, fungal, but he had nobody else to turn to. He needed help and Bacchus couldn't provide that kind of assistance and he knew nobody else. If she could not help, she could know somebody that could. She was an old being, after all. Surely she knew others.

By the time Giggle had reached him, Anubis was starting to catch his breath a bit, although he still panted lightly from the hard sprint he had just come from. He blinked and nodded a (second) greeting at the hyena as she approached. "Sorry for the rush. I am fine, I'm just not currently safe in Canis, not while Mother is so present."

He remembered the last time he had dared to stick around for too long in Canis, the descending dragonbats that he had, somehow, managed to escape from. He shivered. "It would have put me - and you - in danger if we had discussed where she could find me. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about." His tail thumped once behind him, a faint excitement growing, that had seeded when he'd realized that he actually did know somebody that might be able to help him.

"Do you know of Cassiopeia? It's a distant cave, newly opened, apparently. I'm studying in, currently, but I've come into...a bit of a hitch. And I wanted to ask your help in overcoming it - you create lights, correct?"

Anubis chuckled. "Not much of a Mother at all. I had an unfortunate run-in with her, and now Canis is not safe for me. Not while she can find me." He didn't elaborate but simply moved on - that was not important right now and that problem would be cleared when Canis was cleansed - hopefully soon, he had noticed the dramatic decline in the amount of white mold covering everything.

He was a little disappointed, but he hadn't really expected much - they had similar magic and probably similar capabilities in light-making. He nodded, as if thoughtful, at the wisp. "Hm, its lovely, but I was thinking on a larger scale." He did not think he would be able to maintain many of these - not enough to light up the prison, at least.

"The cave - Cassiopeia, at least - is lit. But there is one section, a tunnel within the wall that leads to a labyrinth of corridors - is not. It was a prison once, I believe. And there is...something within it. Something large and not afraid of the dark. Going in again without a reliable light would be foolish, which is why I'm here. Do you know anyone that could help with this? I would not want to pull you away from your family and friends for this danger," he added on the end, as an offer of goodwill.

He saw the question coming and if a jackal could sheepishly grin, that's what he would be doing. "Well...curiosity. Knowledge. I'm interested in our caves' history. And such a grim place having once existed here...well, I'd personally want to know about it. And what if this entity becomes a threat? Better to nip it in the bud, or close it in if we must. Better the devil you know."

The magic suddenly sweeping through again was unexpected. It was the same one that had connected him, briefly, to Bacchus. Annoyance, again, was his first instinct. Why did it always have to be for someone else? Did he not deserve to make wishes for himself? Was this some kind of game or trick to try and divine the relationships between people, or mess them up?

Ah, well, perhaps Giggle would wish something good for him. And he knew this time, what it was about - he could turn this to his advantage.

I wish for her to be able to make lights in the dark, so she never need to fear it. It was a purely selfish wish, yet he had thought he'd twist it, to perhaps make it ever-so selfless. In his mind, it was a win-win. She could help him and also have a new ability at her disposal.