ORIGIN

Her brow raised inquisitively upon hearing Viktor's description of Cetus' wonders and really, it would have been well and good if it hadn't sounded quite so dreary. She shot a hesitant gaze to her surroundings knowing that there would be nothing seen in the perpetual fog that blanketed the room. "Screaming... Roots?" Delphine asked for clarifications sake because surely no trees were capable of speech or even sounds of that caliber. "Humming... From the waters?" She wondered if he knew how baffling everything sounded when it passed his lips. "Not so safe..." The regret permeated through her bones as she hesitantly followed after the cat, questioning her decision to have him act as her escort.

"Who's Clover and where are we going now?" Came the inquiry in the hopes that it would help subside her concerns as they traipsed through Cetus. She could understand how Dark could call this place a home as he was unable to see the terrors that lived here but for those who had still the gift of sight, Delphine could not help but to question what they thought was the beauty here. At the very least, Eridanus brimmed with life and vibrancy, Orion some form of esoteric wonder, even Monoceros was a tumult more grand than this but here in Cetus, she felt only the edges of an impending limbo, a purgatory not to be had.

Delphine had questioned the screaming roots, though now that Vicktor thought about it; he didn't give an explanation. "Well Clover doesn't LIKE them that much, so I've only been there once on my own...Ssssshhhh dont tell her! But I think it's easy to find, if you fly I mean. Cause the tree looks so much larger than the rest! OH! And they dont really scream, but they look like....writhing bodies, the roots I mean! The way they grew twisting all over. And their root faces are why I said screaming roots. Cause its what 'they' look like...I mean I like it! Its interesting and pretty different from the rest of Cetus! And its so quiet over there! I think cause nobody likes the place...makes me sad" Vicktor personally loved that tree, even only being there one time! He never told Clover though, she had said not to go to...The Divine?...saying something how the tree was 'scary'...so he assumed that this certain tree, the one that fascinated him was what she disliked. Being as it was so different in a darker way.

He hopped over a puddle or two, gracefully landing; not even flinging mud in the process he kept a decent pace. He was growing well into his legs now, sure footed and comfortable in his growing body. Delphine questioned the humming water. The place located at the heart of Cetus. Vicktor mused around, trying to find a way to explain it. After he had only been to where the water started to go a little bit above his paws. "Yeah the water is at The Heart of Cetus. I've never been to the middle, I only went as far out to cover my paws! But the bugs...I think they are bugs anyway, make all this noise! And all together it sounds like a very loud HUM." Vicktor attempted to 'mimic' the sounds of the hum, but he quickly gave up and assured Delphine the real sound well it sounds much better!


'Not so safe...Who's Clover and where are we going now?' She inquired the young jaguar, he was still more than happy to oblige! "Yeah Clover says Cetus isn't the safest place for young gembounds...especially some of the areas here...She told me to stay away from 'The Groves'...which has thick dark water! Maybe darker then my fur? But Clover said that impossible!" Laughter bubbled out of him as he began to turn left, changing their direction.

"Clover is my beautiful doe! She glows and so ethereal! AND the fog never bothers us because its afraid of her light! But...she got kidnapped...and I have to wait for her...she told me not to look back and to stay safe...but Ive wondered Cetus and I thought you were her originally...which is why I jumped out at you..." He began to trail off, depression and anxiety eating their way back into his being. He had almost forgotten about her situation...or maybe it was because he was busy?...he gained some comfort knowing though, that this is what she would have done, if she had met Delphine.

"But she would be happy I'm helping you! Staying safe and away from that red stag..." Anger began to bubble beneath the cub's joyful exterior. Quickly switching topics he continued to inform his...companion, still not quite sure what she was...not a deer...maybe...a horse? Yes, horse seemed to fit well. "I am actually taking you to The Heart of Cetus first! So when we go to the tree, it will be easy for you to hopefully continue your way? I just know that this place is in the center. I have a good feeling about it! But we wont be going to far into it!"

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"That... That sounds... Interesting." Delphine responded though it was anything but. If the feline had not asserted how it saddened him that no one in particular cared for Cetus, she would have been more forthright in her own observations of the place. "Does the humming not reach this... Tree of many roots?" She inquired, genuinely curious. It was hard to miss the immediate humming that drifted all around the misted room that it seemed implausible that there should be peace anywhere with such a prolific presence all around.

The equine followed in the Gembound's steps easily enough as she herself hopped over the puddles though she was less inclined to grace where her hooves splashed along the damp floors. It could not be helped and she would not ponder on the inevitable. Her ears perked when he spoke and she listened raptly to his description of the purgatory they wandered. "The water, huh? Was it black like the puddles are? Did anything happen when you stepped in? Is it really the bugs that make so much humming noise? I knew there were a lot here but surely not enough for this." Delphine was tactless in the way she barraged him with questions, demanding answers that she could only hope he knew though she had hardly intended to make it seem as if she were attempting to prove him wrong, only that logic was the only way she could make sense of things.

She turned left with him, not doubting for a moment that the knew exactly where it was he intended to go. "The Groves? Is that where that tree of many faces is? I can't imagine being hatched here, it must be terrifying. You wouldn't be able to see a thing..." Came her earnest reply as she pondered on what her life would have been like if she'd been born in Cetus rather than Polaris.

Suddenly their conversation took a turn for the worst and when her gaze sought those of the panther, there was only concern etched to the young mare's features. "Your friend was kidnapped...? By whom? Why won't she allow you to search for her? I can't imagine if any of my friends were kidnapped; perhaps, I can help you find her? After all, she did not tell me to stay and maybe with an extra pair of eyes out there, we'll be able to find your Clover!" Delphine offered, her desire to protect even strangers spilling forth in her words, sincere as they could be. If the cat could not leave Cetus, then perhaps she could aid his search. Though a part of her imagined that it took a lot of resilience to sit still where she would have already broken her promise to remain.

"Red stag..." She burned this stranger to memory as the subject was dropped and her attention was jerked to their changing environment. "Oh yes, I am most curious about this Heart of Cetus. You won't leave me there, will you?" It was a very real fear that she should be abandoned in this strange place and she did not bother to hide some such sentiments.

Delphine had begun to barrage the young jaguar with questions. One after another, ravenous for knowledge. He nodded along to her words, attempting to remember them hoping he had the answers she sought. "Well Cetus is a pretty unique place I think...though it can be hard to 'see' all the wonders! So much fog!" He trailed off laughing slightly.

"The water is like a swamp. Like the rest of Cetus...though Ive noticed the puddles don't clear up...even when the dirt settles. So I would imagine in the center where not many gembounds are it would be the same?...and I'm not sure about the bugs. I see so many there! Flying and buzzing around!" He could feel them approaching The Heart; the fog was growing thinner now. But beside that fact it still took some concentration to see a few feet ahead of their path. Vicktor didn't mind, he had grown up here after all. Adapting and learning how to survive in a way, following specific protocols Clover advised to him at a young age.


"Oh no that tree is somewhere far away from The Groves...and growing up here is fun! I mean I hatched and Clover find me almost right after! She says I'm fearless! Which I don't think is a bad thing!" He grew up flirting with the dark of Cetus, running through the thick fog always coming back to the light that lead him around. Her ethereal light fought off the fog and the darkness. Kept them both safe and warm. But after following Clover for awhile he would always end up wandering off. This was a well known fact, he would always grow too curious and wander just ahead of her. Maybe even lag behind a few feet or so, just to stand in something to alluring. Part of him craved the darkness that made him practically invisible. But he could never love it more than the light of which Clover raised him in.

Delphine continued her questions, especially those about 'why' he couldn't go and save her. She was so nice as to even offer help! Finding a loophole in Clover's words. He flashed a smile. "Thank you Delphine for offering...but I have to listen...and...that stag I'm afraid of what he might do to you if you even tried...something isn't right about him...and I cant bring myself to think what he would do to her too if we attempted a rescue..." Much to the young jaguar's enjoyment the subject was changed!

"Oh no I wouldn't leave you! I want to make sure you are somewhere safe if we part ways! Somewhere that you feel comfortable! Maybe somewhere that lead to another room so you can continue your journey! I understand that Cetus isn't the 'ideal' place to venture alone especially with how eerie it is to you and others! " He wouldn't leave her alone, Clover would give him such a tongue lashing if he did. It would be considered rude, especially since Delphine had shown her discomfort with Cetus even with a guide!

Along the way they would notice an increase in insects. The overwhelming collection of sounds turning into a hum. Abruptly Vicktor came to a stop, looking over his shoulder to smile at Delphine. They had arrived at The Heart! Taking a few steps further he kicked up some water infront of him. "This is it! See!"


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It was positively euphoric how Delphine took in the sights, learning all she could from this young jaguar. Splashing around in the water a few times before Delphine deciding the environment was getting a little too eerie for her liking. Their adventure continued onward after the horse gained what knowledge she desired from each peculiar area of 'tourism'. Pounce thoroughly took the time to explain all he knew to her, even if it was just a small amount. Hours seemed to have passed, quite rapidly even and they both were growing tired thus signally their time to depart. Somehow the young cub had led them to the entrance of a neighboring tunnel, saying his goodbyes and watching Delphine trot off to explore the unknown once again.

[exit]


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