Wilder was starting to regain her confidence, just piece by piece, and even giggled alongside Aquarian's laugh, completely missing the tone of his voice.
Her body stiffened and a visible shiver went down her spine, but she didn't start hissing.
Black sat back, bewildered, turning to peer at Wilder. That was her question? He wasn't sure what she was asking--his mind ran through all the blue things he knew, which wasn't many. And in his mind, the Spire wasn't "blue." It was teal, turquoise, blue-green--but not blue.
Or well, kinda bluish-greening-gray, to his canine eyes.
But what did she mean? And why ask this of Aquarian?
Puzzled, he looked from Wilder, up to Aquarian, then back. How was he meant to know of something that had happened to her, far away, while the serpent had still been resting beneath the lake?
"I DO NOT HOLD KNOWLEDGE OF EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO YOU. I LIVE IN A LAKE." He wasn't sure just what they thought he was but it certainly wasn't "interested in the mundane goings-on of the Gembound lives."
@Wilder
Aquarian's loud voice was making her nervous again and her stiff form began twitching a bit. She didn't want to say it in case something happened but...obviously he didn't understand. She didn't really understand what she was asking. But he said that he knew many things so he probably knew something about this too!
Black stared at Wilder, puzzled. Hadn't she said the name of it, earlier--or hadn't he? Why was she incapable, now?
With a soft woof of confusion, his brow deeply furrowed, he looked up to Aquarian.
"She speaks of the Spire," he explained patiently. He was beginning to wonder (in a distant, vague manner) whether this had been a good idea. Aquarian was the serious sort, and Black had thought that Wilder would ask questions that the serpent might feel were worth his time. This one seemed oddly personal, and Black peered at her, confused.
How would Aquarian know what the Spire wanted of her..? He was not the Spire. But perhaps he knew more than Black had thought. He was, after all, one of the eldest of them. Maybe he knew something of its origins, its nature, that they did not?
Curious now, he peered back to Aquarian, a soft "hmph?" escaping him.
"IT IS BLACK," Aquarian screeched. "YOU SPEAK OF THE SPIRE. LIKE DRAWS LIKE! MAGIC TOO CLOSE IS CONSUMED--YOU ARE MAGIC. IT WILL NOT MAKE YOU 'WEIRD.' DO NOT GO NEAR IT!" This seemed simple enough, to him. "DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS?" Reluctantly patient, he waited, water still dripping from his scales.
@Wilder
Just hearing the word made Wilder a little dizzy but she tried to fight through it. Too important, this was too important.
She shook her head a little more violently this time, her tail twitching behind her impatiently.
It was getting too difficult to focus. The buzzing was starting again in the back of her head and her vision was shifting in and out of focus just thinking about all of this so she tried to think about other questions she might ask. But what questions did she have? So many, but none great enough to ask of Aquarian. So she settled on the same thing she had asked of Black some time ago.
Black listened quizzically. There was definitely something wrong with Wilder, though he could not tell quite what it was.
He could also see that Aquarian seemed to be growing less and less patient; he worried, in truth, for Wilder's safety. Perhaps even for his own. That being said, as much as he screeched, the serpent had always seemed wise or, at least, reasonable.
Hopefully that state would continue.
Quietly, he lowered himself to his haunches, listening and watching with his own silent patience.
A story?
"ONCE, THERE WAS A SMALL GEMBOUND THAT CAME TO THE WATER'S EDGE." He settled in, his length sinuously coiling down as if he were about to tell a long, involved tale. "I ATE IT. THEN I SLEPT." He stared intently at Wilder, before adding--"THE END."
With a surge of his coiled muscles he sprang back and away, his immense bulk powering off into the lake and leaving behind it a surging tide of water--one liable to wash over the dog and the cat.
Aquarian likely didn't notice, or perhaps, didn't care. He vanished beneath the black surface, his enormous length slipping out of sight in the crash of water.
exit Aquarian
@Wilder
Wilder smiled up at him as Aquarian stared at her and she leaned forward excitedly as he began his tale. But it was a short lived excitement as he ended it short and he lunged back into the water. She didn't grasp the meaning of his story and just frowned with disappointment that he'd stolen a perfectly good tale from her.
But, a moment after he'd disappeared, her face split into a great grin. She'd met the huge beast from Black's story! He had been massive, huge, and wonderful! Despite the fact that he didn't seem to like her very much, Wilder couldn't help but love him back.
She turned to Black, her whole body almost vibrating with happiness.