ORIGIN

Pride had come to look for Charity, and for Envy. They were often at or around the throne. He found, instead, a fresh trail of liquid--and a short sniff told him it was chrysalis liquid.

...Interesting. But whose? He followed the scent back up, but it stopped at a shattered stone near the base of the throne--one he'd never noticed. Curious, he turned and followed it the other way. It smelled vaguely canine--predatory--and so he paused, sending out his magicka ahead. It took a moment longer than he liked to form up the second form; the spell had almost seemed harder now that he was no longer a fawn. Conjuring up a full white stag with all its armor and details was difficult, but after a moment of struggle with it, he managed.

This second white Pride split from the first, lowering its head to follow the trail. After a moment it found what it sought: a white form huddled in one of the huts. His double shimmered, then faded as he released it. He knew, at least, that it wasn't someone he knew--not an ambush, at least, just a stranger taking shelter. Still, it was a predator and fresh out of a stone, so likely hungry.

He paused some distance away, then--a dozen yards or so from the ruined entrance--and he called out.

"Hello? May I ask who has taken refuge in there? I am Pride, of the Seven," he said (he'd started using that because honestly, it sounded so much better and more mysterious and regal than "Sinful Seven"). "I mean you no harm."

...Unless, of course, it was a Bloodberry. Then he might mean them a little harm.

Pride observed; the wolf seemed wet, likely cold. Probably why she'd been huddling in there. "Don't look behind you," he instructed, and for a moment studied the area within the hut behind her. He chose a rock, focused on it, and then turned his head away, letting out his magicka in a destructive burst.

He was quite cautious; he knew how dangerous the spell could be, and really, it was rather reckless to use it merely for warmth. But a moment later the stone did burst into white-hot plasma, boiling warmth into the small space behind the wolf, and he nodded to it. "Heat--do not look directly at it."

Now, as to the rest.

"You speak of Blackberry. Yes; she is our enemy, and an enemy of most of the caves. She gathers children, manipulates and torments them into her soldiers. We have fought her before," Pride continued, half-glancing back over his shoulder. He remembered their battles well. He hoped that Blackberry was dead, wherever she was. "And yes," he added after a moment, looking back to Kera. "The full name of the group is 'the Sinful Seven.' I did not name it," he continued dourly. "In truth, it is a few Gembound who attempt to protect one another, and Orion, to some extent. It is led by Envy, who we call our King. I am here because they remain here." If he'd known Kera well enough, he'd have explained what a foolish joke it was--a few scattered Gembound initially brought together quite half-assedly by Reseda, only to blindly wander off after their own goals. There was nothing "sinful" about them, nor did they number, to his knowledge, precisely seven. They didn't train or the like together, nor did they actually patrol, or... anything useful, really. And he'd been too busy raising children to really rectify that.

Perhaps it is about time that I do.

"Regardless, it is good to hear that you are a protector, and... anti-goose. May I ask how you turned the lights on?" he asked, tilting his head. His voice held curiosity, and though he was distinctly aloof, he was polite and held himself well. He did not seem arrogant in his indifference, nor haughty, merely... apart.

Pride listened in silence, his ears pricking forward with growing interest. So that was Blackberry's history--and the reason for her madness, perhaps. Though he had a feeling that she'd have always ended up insane, regardless of the "reasons." "She is mad; she values violence, strength. She attacked me when I was a fawn, taunting and the like. I sent her packing with broken bones but I believe she took to manipulating the freshly-hatched. She has many victims of this," he added grimly. "One is a wolf, like you, though black in coat. I would not go back to her tunnel for now. There are a good number of them--though I will add that I fought them, with others, in Eridanus a cycle or two ago. Several of them were put into their chrysalises."

"I do not keep myself to only Orion. I spend much time in Eridanus--and I've spent plenty of time in Polaris, yes. Do not get too close to the Spire--what do you mean by the thing underwater?"

For a moment, Pride was baffled. Why was Kera (bringer of light) talking about Polaris' generator? Then it clicked--she was talking about the lights, answering his question. He blinked silvery eyes, and nodded, branching tines sweeping the air.

He considered. "I had no idea of the source of the lights. That is good to know, thank you," he added. And it was. Should they go out in future, now he had some knowledge of it.

"And you--are you all right?" He glanced back at the trail of fluid that had led him here, and then to Kera. "You've left a... trail; I thought you were a hatchling. Had someone attacked you--forced you into your stone?" He wasn't familiar with Gembound merely hibernating, no; he only knew of a chrysalis as the result of severe damage. Looking her over, though, she seemed all right.

The stag watched, unaware of Kera's suspicions. When she spoke--seeming, for a moment, a little vulnerable--he nodded again. "I will be honest; I did not know that we could do so at will. That, too, is news to me. I do not know if I am young or old, in the grand span of things--nor do I know which you are?--but I think there is much of the caves that is unknown to me, though I try my best to learn."

He nodded to Kera, as if indicating her. "I simply followed the trail because I feared that one newly-hatched--or just out of a chrysalis--would be vulnerable. As we live here, I did wish to ensure that no one is attacked needlessly, or the like. But regardless; welcome back to the caves, Kera. I can tell you what I know of what has happened. Had the snow yet hit, when you retreated into your stone? Had you heard--hrm, of Naskital, or of the fight in Eridanus? Or perhaps, better yet--what events do you last remember?"

The stag was not familiar with everything that happened in the caves, but he was aware enough of the most prominent bits. Perhaps if she had some timeline to go by, he could help her match up various occasions and they could figure out how long she'd been asleep.

It occurred to him that perhaps Gembound couldn't go into their chrysalises whenever they wanted--she'd mentioned being tired? Perhaps, he thought, she had been diseased--sick--and had not realized it. But as the stone seemed to heal those who fell into it, she would show no sign of it now--so there was no way to confirm his suspicion.

Still, it was something to remember--for future thought.