Better late than never, Esther decides as they stroll into canis with a loose gait. Esther doesn't recognize anyone right away except for Scion, but they can certainly say they've never spoken with the hybrid before. Scion had mentioned Canis being nearly completely cleansed of Mother. A good thing for sure, they can't say the same thing for some of the other caves.
What Esther does notice, is a strange woman. They don't recall having ever met her, but Scion seems to know her enough. They choose to leave the two of them be, instead to focus on the job at hand. There's enough gembound for small talk to filter around, but Esther chooses to ignore the other gembound around for now.
They conjure up a small flame, setting a patch of white fungus ablaze for a moment. As it melts away, Esther can only feel satisfaction.
There was a slight, quick birdlike tilt of the Valkhand's head as she regarded Ruby-Beta-- no, Scion. She was equal parts pleased that it was afraid of her, mad that it was stammering through a sentence because of her, and disappointed that none of Vargas's other minions had deigned it worth the time to come along. Her eyes scanned across to the bat-like newcomer briefly before settling back on Scion.
There was work to do, of course-- she could feel the Chaos still raging through her veins, but as she turned away from Scion and to the next cluster of pale spores, she couldn't find the will to form it into anything useful. She turned her attention to what everyone else was doing instead-- some raking, some burning.
At least everyone seemed to be destroying, but a stray thought found its way into Aethril's head-- just where did that Ruby find these things?
Relief flooded its limbs as she simply offered congratulations and moved on.
With a renewed gusto, it fell upon some of the fungus nearby to tear it up, feeling its stomach roll at the sticky feeling of some of the fungus bursting and getting all over its paws. It would have to safely wash it out later. But for now...
It turned, eyeing the black flames Esther had conjured, and started kicking the fungus into the cold blaze, feeding the small fire for a little while as it continued to tear the white shit free from bones and rock until the area of Canis it had attacked was significantly cleaner then it had been about 10 minutes before.
Opening his maw, he let another wave of heat escape him, focusing on the fungus that was left. They had worn it down pretty well, and it seemed only just a little more was left, but his fire just wasn't quite enough.
I take my whiskey neat•
He licked his lips, feeling the heat within his mouth start to get pretty uncomfortable, but he was determined to get this shit done. And so, once again ignoring the world around him, he focused completely on what he was doing, opening his jaws and feeling his breath heat up again.
What he wasn't expecting though, was the heat from his breath to come out hotter than it ever had before. Making him even take a step back for a moment, his eyes widening as he blinked. Closing his mouth, he lapped at his lips, looking around in a bit of a shock, unsure what the hell he just did, but it had been enough to break through the chaos they were destroying and that was enough for him.
I take my whiskey neat•
At first, it seemed... anti-climactic. There was white: now there was not. All that was left was Canis's typical dusty brown.
But the silence that followed seemed to deepen, to thicken. It was oppressive, a pressure on the ears, almost a throbbing: a strange shiver as the magic of Canis shifted.
It felt like something carefully arranged and orderly had been scattered, thrown in all directions. Like a cold fire had been lit around them, the hiss of Chaos seeping in. Those who lived there had likely long ago grown used to it, like a smell you simply stop noticing, after awhile: but now, at last, it was gone.
That power that had bolstered Order magic, that had so oppressed those who bore Corrupted, slipped away.
The Infestation was gone.
And somewhere far away, the Hive felt Mother's fury.
Canis is no longer Infested. The effects of Order no longer strengthen Order spells and suppress Corrupted magic. The fungus is nowhere to be found.
While Hive characters are welcome to spread Order in the cave once more, it will not return to Infested status without a significant effort.
@Nikolai @Scion @Esther @Aethril @Asterius
And like that, the work was finished. Silence bore down and pressed in, breaking that feeling of being watched. At first Asterius would freeze, assessing the sensations.
They'd cast their gaze far, and reach out, to meet it halfway. They'd sense faintly, the way Order's control had shattered. The few scattered clumps left deep in cracks and crevices were not enough to carry the oppression present moments ago. Certainly not when the Chaos innate to these caves seeped back in.
It stood and turned once its area of Canis was cleansed and turned to the others, eyes widening as it realized...it was done. The last of the fungus was being cleared away and, as it watched, it felt that energy in the air, the influence of Order that had choked this cave for countless cycles, was finally receding.
And who was to thank for it? Obviously, Scion. Maybe it hadn't done all the work, but it sure as hell would claim all the glory. Or as much glory as it could.
It nodded to each of the gembound, making its way through them, giving its thanks, and asking their names, so that they might one day be recognized and rewarded by the Chaos Forge. Remembering their faces as best it could, and noting their abilities. All to return to Master Vargas.
A quick word with Aethril - a thanks for her presence and a promise to bring word to Master Vargas - and it was heading off again towards Draco.
Hopefully it would get a nice, hearty reward for this!
*exit, unless stopped or unless anything further happens
Surely, they wouldn't be as stupid as to infect Canis again so soon after it was destroyed, but...
She barely heard Scion when it came to her and mentioned something about thanks, and bringing word to Vargas. When she looked at it, it was clear she was looking straight through it: her mind was cast elsewhere, calculating, thinking.
Dontacael knows they'll cleanse anything that gets infected. They're being too predictable.
Would that be enough?
Aethril didn't know, but she cast Canis and the other Gembound a glance before she turned and began to make her way back to Cepheus, too.
;;exit aethril, @Scion for visibility
She'd be hesitant to linger, to speak to Scion. They had no need of honors, especially not from the seat of Chaos. So like an apparition, they'd vanish as quick as they came. Silver fur vanished amongst the bones, strutting off with decided purpose. He had duties elsewhere.
Maybe it would even make some of those gathered wonder, if Asterius was
Exit Asterius