ORIGIN

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Dread neither noticed, nor cared about, the lack of Gembound at this supposed party. It was probably starting later--and anyway, he'd never been to one, with little idea of what to expect.

Instead he honed in at once on the dead deer lumped nearby, and--dropping to the ground just past envy with a rocking-back of wings and body--quickly began to wing-walk his way over to it. Thumps of hind limbs and swishing of tail, along with the rattling of his own spines, were all that broke the silence as he rushed to it, eyes locked on it, nostrils flaring at the scent of meat and blood. A moment later, as he lifted it in his jaws, the sounds of cracking bones and squelching flesh joined it. He turned and looked to Envy, bright-eyed, then spread his wings once more--and with a few wingbeats and a clumsy scraping of claws, he landed atop the back of the throne. There he pinned his meal with his hind talons, wings wrapped around the side of the stone. It wasn't quite clear where the gemstones had gone; he still had them clutched between his feet and the deer, hidden from view.

Dread looked back down to the weasel with the crown.

"I will stay until you tell me to go, then, but how long, and is this place good? Do you want me to circle? To hunt? Who am I to kill?"

He seemed amiable enough, his voice at least not a bellow, now that he had meat at hand. He no longer seemed anywhere near so aggressive--yet still eager to chase and to kill, should Envy arrange it.

@Envy

Envy watched, catlike eyes following dread as he made his way over to Dread's kill with only a little bit of revulsion showing. They shuddered despite themselves at the sound of squelching flesh and flinched slightly as the dragon landed atop their throne- as though they wanted to protest. But as they opened their mouth, they seemed to reconsider. How cool would it look to see their king guarded by such a magnificent beast? It didn't cross the weasel's mind that their royal presence would be more than slightly overshadowed. They tapped a hind paw for a moment as they thought, their quills settling and making them look clearly more at ease as they considered.

They huffed, quills twitching, and tail spike scratching softly against the stony ground. They straightened up. Their paws began to smooth the fur on their chest with grandeur, as though they were making the last preparations to their own appearance before the party. "Keep your eye out for a goose, in particular. Big bird, much much bigger than me. Black head, white cheeks, brown body. Very overly-spiky looking. It has associates. A moose, a black wolf and some kids who look like both. Stay here if you like. Kill the goose on sight if it comes, and the moose and maybe the wolf, they're the worst. But ask the white deer first if any of the others come. He's... made friends with one of them." Envy lifted their lip slightly. Envy thought about anyone else they could use the dragon to intimidate, or otherwise get rid of.

But other than that, there really weren't that many. They already had the black wolf covered, and smirked a self-indulgent smile at the thought of what Dezba would do if she turned up and Envy had to save her from their own bodyguard. They imagined the look on her face. Flabbergasted. They couldn't resist a weaselly grin and a tiny chuckle as excitement flooded them.

Speech. Thought.

Dread peered down at Envy, listening. Half his mind wanted to tear into the deer and feed, but he paid attention dutifully nonetheless.

At the mention of a black wolf, he lifted his head a little, as if startled. Then a laugh escaped him, a sound that surprised him--he didn't make it often, if at all. It rumbled, echoing.

"We share enemies, maybe! A black wolf attacked my ally. The eagle, Glory, in our cave! We burnt it," he added, matter-of-factly, "but Glory told me to let it go. It makes you see things," he added, recalling the wolf's use of some magic that had made the world scream and bleed.

Indifferent, the dragon turned his attention now to the prey beneath him. Fangs sheared through hide and flesh, talons pinning the meat in place as he ripped great chunks free, tilting his head back to swallow them down whole. In mere moments, the entire cave deer had been consumed, and the dragon settled to keep his watch.

"I will watch for them, and if they come I will eat them," he assured Envy. His wings folded about him and he lay atop the throne, his black hide seeming almost to melt into its stone. When he lay perfectly still, he was difficult to notice unless one looked for him--or happened to stare upward.

Ember eyes flicked outward, searching the cave dutifully--and unceasingly.

@Envy

Envy flinched momentarily as the dragon laughed, but when they realized what it was, they quickly relaxed. They listened warily to the dragon’s explanation, curiosity drawing them over to their throne... and when the dragon had explained, they let out a shrill laugh as well- albeit not as genuine. So the dragon knew who they meant! They dupposed that would make things a little easier. ”Why did he do that?” they asked a moment later, tail flicking.

They blinked as Dread said that the wolf made you see things- and they were curious. ”Like light magic?” Surely pride would want to know this- they didn’t remember much from the battle with the Bloodberries, but they didn’t think they’d used light magic. They realized then that they should perhaps tell pride about their new-and-improved throne defense. Excitement coursed through them, an enthralled shudder set their quills on end. They couldn’t wait to see his face.

They looked up at the sound of tearing flesh and shuddered with revulsion as the dragon began to eat. The weasel turned their face away, the sixkly-sweet scent of blood making them feel awfully sick. The weasel shuddered, quills on end, looking frantically around-anywhere but the bloodied mess that used to be a deer.

Finally, they swallowed as the great creature spoke again, gulping back the sickened feeling. They decided to change the subject, ”Good! Er, though. First though, someone needs to meet you. My kingdom needs to know you’re on our side.” they looked around for the white deer and, when they didn’t see him, they cleared their throat, sucked in their breath and finally tilted back their head. The weasel raised their shrill voice to the heavens. ”PRIDE!!!”

@pride

Pride came trotting only a bare moment later, his ears forward--and halted sharply at the scent of blood, his nostrils flaring and eyes widening. One hoof raised into the air, and as he spotted, at last, the dragon atop the throne, he lowered it again.

Why had Envy called him here..? Was the dragon a threat? A quick glance between the dragon and the weasel showed him that there was no fear between them, no hostility--but why the hell did Envy call him to see a deer being torn apart by such a beast? A threat? A--

Pride shook his head, eyes still wide with indignation and some thread of anger, snorting. Was this one of the Lessers he'd looked after in Eridanus, cared for, learned the habits of..? Why bring him here, for this?!

Beyond that, the dragon was... huge, massive. Black-spined and long-fanged, tearing at flesh and bone with absolutely no regard for his arrival. He was inconsequential to it--he felt that at once--and after studying it for a moment, he felt himself go cold. Nothing but a mindless predator--a beast. What the hell did Envy bring me here for..?

A glance, then, toward his King. Stiffly, he spoke, tense and ready to bolt should the dragon turn on him.

"...The gem wall to tunnel 'n' has now been erected, King Envy. I will guard it, unless you had... other plans."

He stole a glance up at the dragon, then looked back to the weasel, waiting in stiff and frozen silence.

Dread couldn't quite remember why Glory had ordered him to release the black wolf, but that didn't matter; such concepts as nobility and mercy were mostly beyond him. He kept eating until the weasel asked the second question--and even then kept tearing at the last remaining scraps of hide and bone.

When the white stag arrived, he didn't even notice, at first; not until it spoke, and then--at last, and after another gulp of meat--he looked down at it. Muscled neck arched back, scales glinting in the light, and he watched it curiously. Friend, then? One of those not to be eaten? Or--if not friend, ally, at least. He looked to Envy, ember eyes glinting.

"No, not light. Magic in the mind. It made the world change. It was like fear in my head! But not real fear," he added. He was not particularly good with his words, not creative; his explanation was hardly poetic or even accurate.

He neither realized this, nor cared; he went back to his meal with relish, glancing up only occasionally between shreds of ripping hide, blood coating his jaws as he ate.

@Envy

Envy looked around, and when Pride appeared, the weasel scampered towards him. They were pleased by the deer’s words but his stiffnes clearly didn’t escape them. They looked to Pride, then back over their shoulder at the dragon and realized that he was still eating.

...Oh.

Envy blinked, seemingly momentarily stunned with a look of realization on their face, but then quickly began to pull their way up onto the deer’s back without too much hesitation. Soon they were once again perched on his head, crouched proudly, and feeling the comforting warmth of his wiry fur.

”Pride! You’re here!” they trilled, joyously, and yet perhaps a little sheepishly. ”Whilst you were gone, I went and found this guy! He’s gonna be guarding the throne room during the party! ...I gave him the deer Reign brought!”

They looked towards the dragon, looking for his agreement. As he described the wolf’s magic, Envy wished they knew more. They couldn’t help craving that kind of power. ”I see...”

@Pride

He saw the instant Envy's realization hit, and waited. But the weasel immediately went on to other things. Not even an apology, he thought bitterly--and then, grudgingly, at least there's an explanation, if nothing else. For a moment he was preparing to embark on a cold, stiff, angry grudge--but he bit that down. He was meant to be Envy's advisor, to help them be a proper King--he had no right to be angry at what he perceived to be misjudgements. And so, gathering himself into his most polite and quiet tone--it wouldn't do, after all, to seem like he was correcting the King in any way in front of a stranger--he spoke quite softly.

"May I suggest, King Envy--though of course it is quite wise to placate such a creature with a meal--not to do so in front of another of a similar species? Should it happen with others, they may be... less than forgiving," he offered, doing his best to be straightforward, honest, and actually helpful. This was advice that might stand Envy in good stead, later, and Pride felt better at once for being tactfully honest, rather than bitterly, resentfully silent. Of course, he knew that Envy might take it as criticism--but he had to say it, nonetheless. "Or if you must, an apology--out of politeness, at least--to those you must... show such things."

His gaze lifted, then, to the dragon. "I went and found this guy," Envy had said, and Pride found himself a little bemused. "Went and found?" How, precisely, does one simply run off and find a fully-grown dragon..?

Again, however, he phrased himself more carefully than that. "Found..? He is a dragon, yes? He is certainly impressive, but where in the caves did you merely find him?"

The dragon, it seemed, could speak--it was speaking, in fact, none-too-gracefully about magic. It sounded, if anything, well--rather stupid, in Pride's mind. That didn't lower his estimation of the creature overmuch, though; he was not one to gloat over others, not for any reason, and so his tone was polite enough as he called out--masking as best he could the disgust at its chosen meal. "Hello, dragon. My name is Pride. I trust you have a name, as well? And I trust, too, that I will not be seen as a menu item. I would prefer not to be hunted," he added smoothly. Thus far, those few predators he'd met--Amras and Rift among them--hadn't turned out to be interested in killing speaking Gembound. But this dragon didn't seem particularly bright, and the stag wasn't altogether sure that it might make the same distinction. Best to be certain. "We certainly do appreciate your guardianship. You are very large, and--ahh, very impressive. Do you know magic?" he added. Magic was his primary interest, and it would be good to know what it was that the creature could do.

Dread glanced up from his meal, tongue flicking out to lick away some of the blood as he listened. Ember eyes fixed on the stag. He didn't understand half of what it was saying, and was immediately, faintly irritated at its overly-florid speech. He got the gist of it, though, and answered bluntly.

"I am Dread! I won't eat you unless you steal my things!" he answered. And then, as he was asked if he could perform magic, he inhaled deeply--smoke pluming out from his nostrils. He started to open his jaws, but he could already feel that it wasn't answering--the magicka was doing nothing. He answered again with words, then, before tearing back into what few scraps were left of his meal.

"Magic--yes. Fire. And other things. Bananas, but that will not help against your goose-enemy."

Dread paused, mid-bite, the blood-dripping hide stretched midair as ideas ran through his mind.

Images of beating a goose to death with a banana. Images of shoving a banana into its mouth. Of throwing bananas at it until it died.

...No, it wouldn't be very practical, he decided; but it might be hilarious. With a mental shrug, he went back to feeding--unconcerned with Pride's presence, or his manners.

@Envy

Envy felt their quills prickling with embarrassment with a seething feeling like pins and needles. They let out a soft rattle, and tried to stay regal and kingly despite the tangible awkwardness. "I... you were there when Reign brought it here. Weren't you?" they protested. They felt indignance growing inside of them, tail flicking. "Besides, I... thought he'd finished." they glanced up at Dread.

The weasel was relieved when Pride changed the subject, asking where they had 'found' the massive creature. "He was flying around Orion! I heard him and followed him, and tried to convince him to join my kingdom!" They glanced at Dread, wondering how to make the feat sound more impressive without displeasing the dragon looming over them both. The large creature was, to Envy, titanic; they barely reached its ankles, and could probably wrap themselves around a single claw. "In the end, we decided on a trade instead. I gave him some jewels and food, and he guards us during the party! He's gonna look out for the goose and its... Family."

The weasel listened as Pride and Dread made their introductions, and introduced themselves to one another- something that Dread had neglected to do earlier. Envy grunted softly. Why was Pride so much better at getting stuff like that? Wistfully, they bet that if Pride was there, Dread would already be a part of their kingdom.

The dragon discussed its magic- fire, of course, and... bananas. Envy had that too! And they, too, were amused by the thought of killing the goose with bananas. They snorted softly with laughter. Promptly though, they returned to the matter at hand. Fire. They knew some fire magic, too! not very much, though. "I can do fire, too...!"

Speech. Thought.

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