ORIGIN

Kin-Kin watched in startled fascination as Xireidi, after a long and uncertain silence, charged headfirst into her crystalline ramp. She just barely managed to suppress a snort, and clenched her teeth tightly to keep herself from bursting out into peals of laughter. Her golden glow wavered. She made a faint choking sound as she tried to speak. "...You alright there?" she managed, staring at Xireidi with a mixture of amusement and confusion. what had the wolf even been trying to do? "Maybe you should go back to bed."

She stared at the other wolf for a moment longer before turning back towards the dog.

"You mean my cape?" she asked, raising a paw to tug at the fabric with her claws. "Mhmmm... See, I can't get this off of me, and I don't think it'd be easy to bag up the orb with it attached... but that does give me another idea." The she-wolf twinkled in pride and strode over to the orb, once again trying to tap into her earth magic. She could make a carrier especially suited to carry it perhaps, like the sword on her foreleg.

"Sure, you do that. I'll make something for the orb."

Once again, Kin-Kin pushed her glow into the ground at her paws, a crackle and creak resonating forth. The earth reformed into a shallow crater beneath the orb- milky crystal unveiling itself and taking shape. A crystalline tendril reformed itself into a hold- a little jagged and uncomfortable looking- but undoubtedly less than the orb would be. The orb was sitting now in a makeshift basket composed roughly of crystal, which would be easy enough to pick up and carry.

She glanced at the dog and then at Xireidi, looking for his approval.

---

When I speak.

When I think.

Black gave a soft huff, eyeing the orb.

An idea had occurred to him, and abruptly, he stepped forward again. Without any warning as to his intentions, he shoved his nose against the painful stone--his wrinkled face smooshing against it and enhancing his already overly-thoughtful stare.

The brief vision that ripped through his mind was utterly incomprehensible, and the pain that came with it in a flash of angry color sent him reeling back, staggering. He didn't have time to warn the others, to cry out or even to tell them there was something strange about the stone--instead he collapsed back and down, limp and unconscious, to the stone.

His magicka flickered down, like a dimming fire, as the spell broke, and he lay there breathing heavily, unresponsive for now.

________________

Kin-Kin chuckled once more at Xireidi's antics. "I can see that." she said, with a flick of her tail. Then she watched as Xireidi began to tug at the object she'd created, her ears perking. She shook her head and moved to stand beside the other red wolf, getting ready to help in the other wolf's endeavour.

First though, she turned to look at Black. "You gonna he-... What are you doing?" That didn't seem like a good idea. The dog was getting awfully close to the orb. Now he was touching the orb. Kin-Kin wanted to trust the dog's judgement, but she had no idea what he was trying to do. "That doesn't seem-"

She cut herself off abruptly as Black slumped face-first into the orb. "-Aw shoot! A stunned look crossed her face, and she abandoned her post next to Xireidi. Even if she didn't try to be the hero, there'd be no glory in just leaving this oaf where he'd fallen. She had to wake him up. She pawed at the dog's unconscious form, peering at him to try and work out what he'd been trying to do.

---

When I speak.

When I think.

Black grumbled and rolled upright, slowly; he had fallen back and away, onto the stone, not onto the orb itself, though at first it might have seemed that way. Undoubtedly it was better for him not to awaken to such pain.

He pushed himself up but slowly, confused, looking around with thickly-wrinkled face as the memory of where he was and what he'd been doing slowly trickled back.

He then looked to the orb.

"It bites," he observed sombrely. "Move it, in your cage; I will keep watch and guard." There was no point in all three canines trying to push and roll and get in one anothers' way. He would walk alongside, and protect them as they worked.

"Perhaps we should find another who might know what to do with this. The stag, or the phoenix." He considered. "Or the cat, with many eyes."

________________

Kin-Kin breathed out a relieved huff as the black dog once again roused, apparently unscathed. As he spoke to her though, she tipped her head, unsure of how to respond. Her pride stung at the perceived command, and she bristled minutely with embarrassment beneath her cape. "Right. Got it." She said, and returned quickly to Xireidi's side, where she continued to haul the heavy burden, hard and cold beneath her fangs.

With the two of them pulling, it wouldn't be too hard to get the object to somewhere safe fairly sharp, although it might result in an aching jaw or a broken tooth if one tried too hard.

Her ears twitched towards Black as the dog continued to speak. Her tail twitched in thought and she continued pulling until she'd thought of a good reply. "Mmph," she muttered, running her tongue over her fangs. She didn't recall meeting any of those Gembounds before, but she knew who they were referring to, for the most part. She'd heard of the stag, at least, on a couple of occasions. She knew that he was old. Very old. "Might be a fair idea. Seen any sign of 'em recently?"

She paused before returning her jaws to the crystal hold.

---

When I speak.

When I think.

Black pondered, as he tended to do, rather ponderously as they walked.

Where had he last seen Astraea and the rest? He couldn't properly remember; they seemed to come and go with his half-forgotten thoughts.

But Senka, Senka he remembered.

"I cannot recall the rest, but the cat with many eyes resides within the broken shelves of Orion. Perhaps she can be of aid. But she is not so benevolent as the rest," he warned. He knew that Senka had her own fears, her own goals, her own drives. To pester her for aid might well backfire.

"I will guard the stone," he added simply. There was no other way; he did not intend to depart, and leave the stone unguarded, that much was for certain. He was, himself, a guardian--and nothing was more important at the moment than safeguarding this orb that had been in the hands of the Betrayer.

________________

Kin-Kin's ears twitched, listening first to Black, and then to Xireidi. She let go of the 'handle' to speak, although she placed her muzzle underneath it to prevent the orb rolling out and allow Xireidi to keep pushing.

"The kings were asleep for so long, they might not know anything about it. But they might. If I recall correctly, they were in search of the stag, though... not that that helps us much... though I don't like the sound of that eye-cat..." Kin-Kin turned towards Black, regarding him for a moment. "Sure, you do that," she agreed with a nod.

She glanced towards Xireidi. "Is it much further?" she asked, and then returned to pulling.

---

When I speak.

When I think.