ORIGIN

The other heads were perfectly happy to leave the poisonous berries be, or rather, they were disappointed (Adhara, mainly) but acknowledged Aurelle's wisdom on the topic. It was only as they turned away that Furud--greedy and calculating--lunged for them.

There was a brief tussle, the body essentially fighting itself, as one head did his ABSOLUTE BEST to wreck the bush and scarf down as many bad berries as he could, eating like a crocodile and swallowing branches whole, while the other heads swore, shouted, and fought for control. Wolfhound staggered a moment later, and in the ensuing silence--broken only by Furud crunching down the last few twigs he'd managed to snag--Sirius cleared his throat and spoke with an embarrassed tone.

"...Our apologies. He gets... Hungry."

Mirzim looked to Aurelle with a harassed, weary gaze. Not that the elf could see it, necessarily, but it was clear in her tone as well. "I think this will be the third time he gives us food poisoning. Hopefully it's only that..?"

"Don't eat everything. We're finding food for Aurelle, and if-"

"SHE CAN HAVE THE GOOD STUFF. I WANT THIS."

The other heads sighed, more or less as one, and after a moment Wolfhound started walking again. "Sorry, Aurelle. You were saying--Cepheus? A 'palace?'" Adhara turned to Aurelle with the very distinctly quizzical expression and tone of one who had exactly no idea what a palace was.

Their eyes gleamed a little longer as the other heads examined the darkness, but for the time being, they spotted nothing else worth mentioning.

Aurelle's gift of magic was accepted by the hulking hydra-beast, who stood stock-still as she worked. Three of the heads had gazes of weary gratitude, but Furud's became one of absolute awe. "You can eat bad food and fix it with magic?" he half-whispered. It indicated two things: first that he'd been fully aware that the food was, in fact, 'bad' and ate it anyway. And second, that he was now thinking that Aurelle was some kind of super-powered stomach creature, who could eat whatever she wanted and just wave her hand and magic away all ill-effects.

And he wanted that.

To his side, Sirius visibly grimaced.

"Thank you, Aurelle," Adhara offered, and Mirzim looked pointedly at Furud, who would've shrugged in confusion if he had his own set of shoulders. He wasn't big on using, or even understanding, polite phrases.

"Eggbert? What an interesting name." This from Mirzim, then, who was now looking back to Aurelle with amusement. Hopefully it wouldn't come across as mocking. But a name that began with Egg? "I admit I'm rather picturing an egg with legs. I hope that isn't rude," she added. She looked around as she finished speaking; Wolfhound took a step or two off to one side as a little flickering ball of phosphorescent light appeared. This drifted off, this way and that, and after a moment Wolfhound nodded toward it. "I think those are fruits?" Sirius half-suggested. They were a bit far off, but he made for them, to show Aurelle where they were.