Cycles had passed in silence. The whole cave fell into a calm, steady, rhythm. Life went on.
Mother was still working, of course. She always had a new plan. But the current orders were simple: Fade into the background. Let the careless Gembound forget, and the enemy grow careless. Do not engage, only maintain Order's current holdings.
Of course, Alcina is happy to oblige. Gemini remains strong, but there is no harm in patrolling and reinforcing hive nodes.
She lowers her head. Reaching out with her tongue, she feels and smells, trying to find either the scent of meat or the sensation of movement amongst the fungus. Without the magic to nurture Mother's fungus, she has to feed it the old-fashioned way. Hopefully she can find something suitable.
The only sound is the distant waterfall. Nothing but Alcina herself stirs. How str-ACK!
Alcina reels back, claws clutching her upper jaw. She'd walked straight into one of the reflective walls, thinking it wasn't there. Glaring daggers at the crystals from behind her teeth, she huffs, stamping the ground with irritation. She can hear someone laughing at her misfortune along the link, too.
Oh, if only the laughter had stayed contained to the link alone. That would've been ideal for the subterfuge the Hive required in this lull between the devastating clashes of Order and Chaos. But offering such an impromptu moment of slapstick for the entire network's viewing pleasure had, of course, attracted the worst sort of attention, harmless though it was: a brother, after all, couldn't resist the chance to poke fun in the flesh, especially when he had his own patrol duties to attend to.
Never one to soften his bellows unless Mother herself slammed his jaws shut, Ace could be heard as soon as he swept into Gemini. Cackles and roars of amusement rang off the cavern walls as he zoomed past crystal pillars, weaving in and out of them with the occasional barrel roll for added flare. Angling upward, the Drone soared to the crest of a particularly towering example, and despite a carefree attitude that might've come across as reckless to strangers, he perched upon the very top with the most delicate tapping of limbs upon its glassy surface.
Great jaws parted into an infuriating smirk, and he leaned forward to call down to his landbound sibling. "Hey, sis, I know you look great, but you probably shouldn't kiss your reflection on the job. Don't want to be giving any Oil-slingers a free show, right?"
Who knew what sort of propaganda the Chaos scum peddled. Evidence that the glorious army of Order marched with two left feet (the horror!) could prove to be humiliation for the whole collective if the wrong eyes witnessed it.
@Alcina
Of course, the culprit was exactly who Alcina thought it was. And her irritation would be noticeable when she realizes the laughter echoes, both in the link and from down the cavern. "Hello, brother," she greets cordially. Sure, Ace can be absolutely insufferable sometimes, but he is still family.
Mother wouldn't have it any other way.
Shaking herself off, she moves to step around the offending crystal. "Of course. Since you decided to join me, would you be willing to help tend to Mother here?" she purrs. Considering she was here for maintenance, Ace coming meant he was practically volunteering himself to help. Alcina could put up with his shenanigans while they worked, at least.
@Ace
As always, ever the aerial annoyance he'd been born to be, irritation to Ace might as well have been the toxins oozing from his hide for how little he noticed it. The smirk he sported broke out into a broad toothy grin at the polite acknowledgment he received, and even better, the idea of him lending aid resulted in an arrogant toss of his mane. Hooked forelegs combed through crimson locks in a display both strategic and conceited.
Alcina had hit upon the ultimate weakness her sibling possessed: a momma's boy always came running when his beloved Mother needed him. And him, the perfect son, especially couldn't deny such a call. Although the task didn't involve his favorite pastime of bashing enemies' heads together, the very thought of being so useful swelled his heart full of pride. Front limbs clashed against each other as if in preparation for a brawl, conveying eagerness as much as the heightened staccato of his next crows.
"Willing?" He snapped out another bark of laughter. "Me? When I'm done, Mother'll have a feast! Bodies piled from one end of this rock pile to the other!"
So swift and brutal he'd be that the wildlife wouldn't know what hit them before they became chow for the white fungus. An absolute Ace guarantee.
@Alcina
On one claw, Alcina would definitely be rolling her eyes if she could. On the other claw, his smug grin proclaimed Ace's willingness to help just as loudly as his voice. If he hadn't been designed for war, he probably would have been just as good a fit helping advertise the Dontas factory.
"Good, we can't have family going hungry," she purrs back. Her voice, compared to Ace's boasting and exuberance, is deeper and calmer. The words posed as simple concern to those outside the Hive, but along the link followed the strategic reasoning. Burrow in deeper here. Keep our hold.
With an outstretched claw, she'd gesture onwards. "Shall we begin, brother? Your eyes are better than mine." As she did, her tongue peeked out of her jaws, tasting the air. There's prey nearby, she's sure... But where?
@Ace
Commitment to the endeavor already guaranteed through sheer ego, flattery couched in fact only sealed the deal further. The very mention of his superior eyesight led to Ace deliberately winking—not a single eye from his total of four, but for the sake of being the ultimate show-off, one after the other in pointless demonstration of how well he could independently control them.
He chuckled to himself, far too self-satisfied. "Yeah, let's."
Strength coiled within hind legs as he crouched down, all of it unleashed when he outstretched feathered wings to take to the air once more. The takeoff, contrary to his previously gentle perch, caused the pillar that'd once been beneath him to quake with the energy exerted upon it. Banking, the Drone swept above the immediate area. Determination gleamed in red eyes as they scanned for signs of vulnerable life amongst the crystal expanse.
Overhead lights shone off the myriad reflective surfaces arranged on the cavern floor. While a dazzling display, it served also as a barrier to what should've been an easy way to pick out potential victims. So many mirrors glaring back meant Gemini's formations provided especially helpful shelter for its Lessers against flying predators, a situation Ace realized with an inarticulate grumble. He'd have to adjust his approach if he wished to get the drop on any future morsels for Mother: swoop closer for a better look at telltale shadows or any crevices that creatures might be tucked inside of.
"Tricky bastards," he muttered. Well, they couldn't hide forever. Every critter had to move eventually, else they'd starve or thirst to death. Once they made a single twitch, it'd be over, and the patrol would have the beginnings of their grand meal.
@Alcina
She makes some sort of noise at Ace's rolling winks, something caught between exasperation and amusement. Alcina doesn't linger on it, though. A nod and she's moving on, just as Ace is.
She does not comment on her sibling's dazzling experience - any such quips can wait until the work is done. Instead, she takes inventory of it, noting where he goes and where he looks.
The scent she has is getting stronger, though. Muscles tense as she skulks along. This way, brother, she silently informs him. The area she leads to is surrounded by several alcoves and hidey-holes. Perfect places for lesser dens, and if her senses are correct, something is here.
Ready, Ace?
@Ace
A good thing Hive bonds weren't particularly susceptible to mental damage, else Ace's pride would've swelled the link between them to the point of bursting it. Ready, his sibling asked. Despite being a simple touching of base between hunting partners, the possibility he might not be almost evoked a scoff. He'd tucked his wings in and dived to hover above and a little ways behind Alcina as her sense of smell had led them to hidden prey. Now his head jerked this way and that, eyes narrowed to peer into the many gaps and hollows gathered before the pair.
I was designed ready, he reminded, laughter and the memory of him launching himself into the open air of Ursa set at the front of his thoughts.
A flash of movement. Maybe a creature had caught onto the presence of two gargantuan predators honing in on their location? Body quicker than his mind, Ace flung himself at the source, a roar declaring carnage erupting from his jaws—
They slammed shut once he collided face first with unyielding stone. What he'd witnessed had only been a reflection peeking out from an array of mirrors clustered in one of the numerous geode-like alcoves. The joke reserved for Alcina had boomeranged back to him in timely fashion. How very apt for him to be the new Drone caught touching snouts with himself, but, oh, how badly did his face ache now.
@Alcina