ORIGIN

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Oliver moved steadily, but slowly--a few rocking, rabbitlike hops on wing-arms, and then a pause. With each pause he turned, glancing with obvious concern back at the little black leopard that followed him. Through Pisces he wound, along the stones and past the various pools dotting the stone.

"We're almost there," he offered softly, with a gentle smile and a rearward flick of feather-tuft ears. A quiet shuffle and the black dog-bird had turned away again, leading the way ever-closer to the roar of the waterfall.

It was, when they reached it, somewhat too loud for Oliver to maintain his soft tones with any hope of being heard. He half-crouched at the lagoon's edge, peering upward for a moment, eyes pressed into a squint against the cold spray of the falls. Here he shifted in place, some, and then turned, the pale blue eyes widening into ever-youthful innocence once more as he looked back to Nassir. His voice quavered a little as he tried to call out over the roar. "He should be in here. I think. Unless he's moved. I just-... hope he can help us."

With that, Oliver shuffled a little closer to the water's edge, peering earnestly downward.

He wasn't sure how all of this worked; he knew that he and a white wolf had been here, trying to fix the water some time ago, and knew from at least two sources that within the waters dwelt the ice-phoenix Tenzin. Or, supposedly he did.

Taking a breath, trembling a little out of fear of what the phoenix might do if angered--and out of fear that nothing at all might happen, and leave Nassir in his suffering state--Oliver began to speak. He called out, and down, his voice carrying but hesitant, that twinge of fear audible in it.

"Hi? Um. Phoenix? Everyone says you're in here," he began, which--in retrospect wasn't quite true; it had been only a couple of Gembound but no point panicking don't panic don't panic now--"-...and uh. Nassir here--he's my friend," the bird-dog continued, despite having met the leopard precisely once, ever, in his life. "He's sick--I think maybe Nemean did it?--he said fairies made him sick and they were buzzing and stuff so I--think so but. He's throwing up goo and he says he's dying and-... I don't know what else to do and I was hoping--could you help?"

His voice, at this last, broke with plaintive pleading, laced with the tremble of hope.

@Nassir

He was a proud man, holding his sense of identity in high esteem. But even he'd admit that he was appreciative of the crow-dog's slow, patient pace. Each glance back to him was met with a nod from the leopard. Walking made him feel better, despite the rocking sense of nausea rolling through his being. It was an emotional thing. A sense of accomplishment that he managed to take another step without keeling over and vomiting. There were a few moments where bile rose in his mouth, but he swallowed it down. "Okay," he murmured in response, rather eager to reach the roaring waterfall. It was so close.

And then it was there, in all its glory, cascading to the earth and spattering across rocks and the impossibly deep pool down below.

Nassir shifted his ears forward, trying fruitlessly to watch Oliver's lips as they moved to form words, before realizing that canine anatomy was a little different from his own. Regardless, that focus yearned a little bit of success. The melanistic leopard nodded quietly and gestured vaguely for the hybrid to continue. "I—I hope so, too," he whispered softly, just barely audible over the crashing waters. It was an innocent little hope, but earnest. He unwittingly prayed to the Spire as the creature shimmied toward the water's edge and began to speak down into the rippling depths. A soft, unaware smile turned the corners of Nassir's lips up as he was referred to as a friend — genuinely. It was a genuine reference.

The black panther shimmied to the water's edge as well, crouching first and then eagerly flopping onto his stomach. Despite the iciness of the water, he allowed his paws to be dipped delicately into them. And he would wait, however long it took. However long Oliver allowed.

@Oliver

Indeed, he was at the bottom of the lagoon, in its dark and hidden depths. An ice cocoon had formed around him in his dormancy but he could hear the will of the children, could see them as they moved about and on with their lives; but Tenzin did not serve this place any longer. Still, he was trapped. Still, he would assist the children as was his duty to them.

A request from the edge of the lagoon trickled down to him. His icy egg cracked and fell to his feet, wings stretching in the vastness of the depths—but he remembered, too, that he could not rise quickly. Last time had been... less than ideal. With a gentle but single downward press of his wings, he rose through the water as if gliding. A brief but easy wave welled out of the lagoon's surface, washing over Pisces in a shallow flood of icy water.

And he emerged slowly, his talons bracing him against the inner wall of the lagoon so that only half of his body was exposed. He observed the flooding and was more pleased by the shallow aftermath than the destruction he had wrought before (oops). Still, it was inevitable. His wings reached up and out, bracing against the wet stone with powerful force, encircling his visitors.

Nemean, the winged dog had said. Throwing up goo?

He searched for them at the lagoon's edge. He could help. So was his duty to the children.

"Your friend?" he echoed, peeking down to them, oblivious to any disturbance they may have had by the water overflowing just moments ago. Their issue sounded strange indeed. The Quartz seemed old as far as the children went. Had it truly been corrupted? Tenzin let the water feed back to him as it receded into the lagoon. He could not sense Nemean's foul traces within it, and was left to wonder what may truly be affecting the feline.

"Hello," he greeted them both, his mind lost in the thought of ailments. Was the goo perhaps blood? In any case, if the child had accepted that it was dying—or at least knew of this—then he was not sure he could help much. But they could try something. Tenzin would. His mind raced.

"What color is this goo?" the phoenix asked, his eyes wandering Pisces as he thought.

@Oliver @Nassir

Oliver's eyes widened as Tenzin emerged. He'd known it was a big ice bird--but he'd had no idea how big. He also didn't expect the wash of water, however gentle it was, and shivered as the shallow, ice-cold tide rushed quietly past.

He cowered down a bit, too--he was a respectful, even submissive Gembound and both his fear and his flood of gratitude for Tenzin's almost immediate appearance and kindly offers of aid had him almost prostrate to the rock. His tufted ears flattened against his skull, his head to the floor, and only after a moment did his pale blue eyes roll adoringly up to watch Tenzin--wide and awed.

He didn't answer the question--instead glancing toward Nassir--but he did murmur a very quiet "Thank you," to Tenzin himself. His hope rose higher, and for a moment he thought that maybe, just maybe, they could actually help the poor leopard by his side.

Only as an afterthought, nearly-forgotten, did he remember to set down the icky goop he'd collected from when Nassir threw up, earlier. He pushed it gently toward the leopard, letting him deal with further explanations.

{Table code credit to Madison, altered a bit!}

@Nassir

Nothing, nothing could have prepared Nassir for the surge of water as the phoenix rose delicately from the water. With an involuntary shriek and the flattening of his ear, the black panther sloppily rose to his feet and stumbled backward. It was a fruitless effort, as he ended up shimmying onto his side and soaking himself in icy water. Golden eyes managed to squint up into the dimming light and found an enormous being perched over them. Tenzin was ginormous, wings encircling himself and Oliver easily.

"H-hello," he managed briefly, before staring up in reverent, euphoric awe. Despite his spinning head, Nassir rocked off of his haunches and stumbled forward. Bile swarmed up his throat in the process, but he miserably swallowed it down. Hearing his companion's quiet acceptance, the leopard nodded himself. Turning down and to the right, he stared at the pile of goo and back to the phoenix. "I-it's blue." Captain obvious, here. Shaking his head slowly --- so that he didn't agitate his nausea ---the leopard strode forward.

"I---," the leopard interrupted himself with a bout of hesitation, "I fell. I t-think Nemean was p-playing against me and--- I fell." Just to avoid reliving it, he refused to blink, to close his eyes, keeping them steady on the icy bird before him. "And I-I think she took me to s-some," and his voice dropped low, "to some realm. With m-more like her. And they ripped me apart and apart and apart."

His mouth shut abruptly, unwilling to spill anymore lest tears began to.

He listened, observing the goo placed before him and listened still. Tenzin did not know of a realm in which there were other sprites like Nemean, and it made him sick to think of such a thing. "How awful," he commented quietly, studying the goo from afar. But if it were truly Nemean behind such a thing, he could not imagine a worse fate for the Gembound to be tethered to.

"Let me see," he said softly, closing his eyes to look within—into the Quartz that was the source of life, of magic. What ails this creature? he asked.

Indeed, there was Nemean's influence, hidden and tucked deep within the roots of this Gembound.

His eyes fluttered opened in shock, and he shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"Can you swim? Would you come into the pool with me? Perhaps my waters may see clearer," he suggested. "You may brace against me, but I am sorry; it will be cold."

@Nassir @Oliver

Oliver's heart dropped as the beautiful ice-bird shook his head. All his hope in that instant fell away into grief, worry--if Tenzin couldn't help, then who could..? "I'm sorry," was all he had said, but--... But now he was speaking further.

There was still hope.

The hybrid's heart leapt again, surging with it, with desperate wishes. He looked to Nassir, and spoke very softly, drawing closer.

"I'll try to help," he murmured simply. He concentrated for a moment, trying to warm the air right around the black feline--to give him a boost of heat before he had to leap into the icy depths of Tenzin's home. And he could, of course, offer warmth (he hoped) once Nassir emerged.

Assuming that he did.

{Table code credit to Madison, altered a bit!}

@Nassir

Yeah, it was awful. Nassir was trembling now, and not from the cold, but from the raw sensation of viscera tumbling from him over and over threatening to return full-force. He distantly heard the icy phoenix speak to itself, beckoning forth some sixth sense. The black leopard didn't quite catch this, instead arcing the tip of his tail closer to Tenzin, so that he could somehow see into it better. Seeing those pale eyes open in shock nearly broke him.

"N—no," his ears flattened against his skull and tears now spilled over his cheeks, if minute at this point. Nassir looked desperately toward his companion, as if he would know any more than this ancient, "wh—"

Tenzin continued to speak and the comforting presence near him drew closer. Nassir was tempted to lean into it, but he held back due to some unknown fear. Instead, he sniffed and nodded uncertainly. "I c-can swim." He took a lilting step forward, relishing in the momentary burst of warmth enveloping him. A shudder ran up his leg and his spine as his paw sunk deeper into icy water. His ebony-black flanks twitched involuntarily as he submerged himself up to his elbows.

Sucking in a huge breath, he threw himself forward.

Nausea lurched through him at the motion, and he nearly forgot to paddle.

His head briefly went beneath the surface, and he made to gag on his own vomit. As his jaws cracked even a little to release it, water filled his mouth and his lungs. Frantically, he paddled, bringing himself to the surface. As soon as air hit the top of his legs, he opened his mouth as far as it would go and choked and coughed, sputtering up a watery mass of blue goo and bile into the waters. He wasn't aware he was crying until he searched for Tenzin, world blurring around him. He had overestimated himself, overexerted himself, he couldn't swim—!

He waited as they decided and felt pride to know how kind the children were to each other at times. Of course, there were certainly dark times, but these moments warmed his heart. As Nassir entered the water, Tenzin held his breath for the first few moments until it became clear that the Gembound could not swim. Without mentioning the issue, he dug his talons deeper into the rock and pulled a wing into the water, sweeping it carefully and slowly below Nassir to create a platform of ice. The phoenix kept its wing under the water, to support both Nassir and the ice platform.

With Nassir now within the waters of the lagoon, Tenzin closed his eyes and focused on the Quartz the he could sense. Slowly, as he read the situation, it became clear to him that Nassir's body was poisoned but functional, and so the Gembound had not entered a state of reformation. It was a terrible thing, Tenzin thought. He could do nothing to cure poisons such as this, natural and fair.

But he could help Nassir reform, if that option was viable for the child.

"It is not a simple thing," he said at last, his voice quiet and caring as he looked down toward the leopard. "There is a poison within your blood, but it cannot be drawn out—it is a part of you now, and does not kill you, but certainly damages you." Tenzin hesitated. He did not know how to suggest such a thing to one of the born children.

He could not find a way to sugarcoat it. "Unfortunately, your options may be to live as you are, or force yourself into a state of reformation," the phoenix said slowly. "During reformation, you will be healed, but I cannot predict how your Quartz and the magic that dwells within you will choose to do so."

@Oliver @Nassir

Oliver watched with the helpless fear of watching another struggle. He could not really help Nassir--he was smaller than the leopard by a fair amount--and his own ability to swim was... well, limited. His wings tended to make him flounder a little.

When Tenzin helped him stand, then, Oliver felt a flood of gratitude and relief strong enough to nearly bring him to tears. He let out a shaky breath that he hadn't realized he was holding, and hunkered down on the shore. He knew how damn cold Nassir must be; this water was frigid, as was he, and he did his best to bring his magicka to bear on what little of the leopard remained unsubmerged. He tried to keep him warm (though unbeknownst to him, the spell failed to kindle any heat), watching and listening with deep concern, but still-lingering hope.

Tufted ears pricked toward Tenzin, as he listened--did he mean a chrysalis? He knew that some Gembound went into their stones to heal, but he didn't know too much of the details. He feared that Nassir might forget everything, like a newly-hatched. Then again, what was the alternative--living in pain?

It wasn't his decision to make, and so he offered only quiet encouragement, and thanks.

"If you want to-... do that, I can find you again. When you're done--healing. I can keep an eye on you if you're--in a stone..? And thank you," he offered Tenzin quietly.

{Table code credit to Madison, altered a bit!}

@Nassir

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Oliver

Nassir

Game Master CJ

Oliver

Nassir

Game Master CJ

Oliver

Nassir

Game Master CJ

Oliver