ORIGIN

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Vargas listened.

And the more Desert spoke, the more Vargas stared. Incredulity slowly bloomed in him, even doubt. He wants things to go back to how they were-? He was even taking steps to make it happen? -Or suggesting such, at least? Every other Champion had eagerly grasped the hiatus, the chance to do something other than repeatedly run for their lives, now that the Masters were distracted with other things, and Desert-... wanted to go back to it?

A wave of revulsion--faint, but clear dislike--rose in Vargas's chest. He couldn't have said why, either. But somehow, as he looked at Desert Rose, he for a moment felt like harming him.

Vargas took a breath, and forced his mind toward the proposition--such as it was. Well, in fairness, he hadn't updated Desert Rose about what he'd been up to--and neither, true to his promises, had Garnet. Best to bring them all up to speed, first, then.

"Hrmph. The Masters have been... resting, yes, for long enough for things to certainly fall out of the usual order. I do not know how much you know. First, I will say that the Spire has changed hands--I doubt you even know what that means... Or what that is. Ahh. Previously, you were all deliberately designed. Created, and tested through the Trials. These new beasts are random spawn--much weaker in form and in magic than your generations." His words were bluntly honest, uncaring for any subtlety or secrecy. "They will take much more rigorous testing, and Master Astraea is certain that the pass rate will be far lower. I have been canvassing the caves learning about them. My job," he went on, eyeing Desert Rose quite closely, "has always been to judge you all. What you are good for. How you will excel. Where you will falter. Your strengths, your weaknesses, how you are useful--or not--for the Masters and our nest. You, for example, have always struck me as one that could make a prime messenger, though in hostile times you'd need to learn to hide that bright orange coat of yours. Unless it's a similarly-colored area," Vargas added, shrugging. "And you worked well with a partner when you trusted them. Often without the need for much communication, even. Whereas Garnet has always had the makings of a prime scout and survivor, even in hostile territory--which is why Garnet now serves as my Eye. And Garnet always worked best alone," and here, Vargas let out a short, harsh laugh. Five-Seven-Nine had always been a saboteur, and lied and betrayed among the best of them.

Recent events had certainly proven that.

"There is rebellious feeling, yes. My intention is to make an example of any that speak out too greatly. The cat-creature Palefur suggests appealing to their gratitude and earning respect, which sounds like a fool's errand, but something to bear in mind. But since you have come to me with this, I will share you the future map I have in mind, along with this knowledge. First, the plan is to find the rebellious and make examples; second, to ensure that everyone in the Caves knows that they will need to be trialled properly and routinely. We may have to make allowances for their fragility. Third, we need to know how resilient to the cold these creatures are, now that we've tested them in heat, so I am planning a winter trial." Ahh, winter trial. Words that could spark fear into any old Champion's heart.

When Hydra was magically overwhelmed, as if by a switch, with ice and snow; when the superheated dunes became instead frigid swathes of shifting snow bright enough to blind. When the Crucible became a series of treacherous, avalanche-ridden rock shelves slick with ice. And the Dead Marsh, well, the same as it was, really, but cold, and with that deadly-thin crust of frozen muck that invited the foolish to step poorly, and end up dead.

It was, for many, even worse than the heat--depending on their build and constitution, of course.

"This will likely be... in a cycle or two, I imagine," Vargas went on. "So let me get this clear--you wish to gather up those already amenable to this sort of thing, yes? And live within the Hydra tunnel? Should the rest of the caves need a purge, then yes, that would be wise, but until then you may wander--so long as you answer summons, of course. So perhaps checking in, periodically, hrm? But yes, do this. Do this, and spread the word of the old ways. It will make my job far easier--and perhaps lessen casualties," he added, thoughtfully. "Garnet has earned the right to skip trials, but you must still take part, unless you prove yourself invaluable as you are-?" He cocked his head, and three eyes on one side of it, to peer slyly at Desert Rose. "Perhaps if you recruit enough of them, and keep them well in line. Tell them-..."

Vargas considered. What could he offer to smooth this transition? What did he have the right to offer, that they did not already have, in this era? It's more about what will be taken away, isn't it?

"Tell them that joining willingly will be easier and less fatal than being forced. Tell them that they will have a chance to earn rewards, and special privileges, once things return to the old ways. And tell the Masters, should they question you, that you act with my blessing." Vargas paused, thinking, and then looked--squinting--at the two.

"I had one other thing in mind, as well. Tell me: how many trials have each of you survived?"

@Garnet Five-Seven-Nine

The garnet settled into its place, leathery wings finally tucking properly into its flanks. Seeing as the two champions had determined that the fox-dragon would be the primary leader (Desert Rose was a fair deal larger than it, though not by much, and had previously been quite the tactician - would he find that skill, again?) It, knowing that it was small and more suited to fleeing and hiding, left the speaking to him. So far, he seemed to be doing well. Getting to the meat of his point was the best method Garnet could imagine - the Overseer had no time for circumlocution. It was a simple point, too: receiving a 'blessing' to gather the Champions and any willing Youngers for future trial testing and induction into business as usual.

Overseer Vargas seemed on-board, at least, bringing the Desert Rose up to speed and in the understanding that resting Masters (and a strange new Spire, not that Garnet had ever seen what the old one looked like) had led to this change in the status quo. Then, he brought about the all-important plan, step one of which had already been in action. When Palefur had been mentioned about making an impression, Garnet hadn't thought that kindness was what the Cat meant. Apparently, in the moment, Vargas hadn't either. At least Imp hadn't been made a public example (it quietly hoped.)

Satellite-dish ears flickered back at the mention of a winter trial, a chill already crawling up its spine. The memory of cracked and cold-blistered pawpads and a terrible cold stilled it for a moment. Ah, it had momentarily forgotten about those - the antithesis to everything that made Hydra. Ah, well, the cave was still a barren desert, but perhaps even more unforgiving than the sweltering heat and dunes and misery. Garnet was aware that it had a right to skip trials, yet spared a worried glance in the way of Desert. The creature was clearly more suited for the heat and sands, essentially engineered for surviving in a wave of either.

Getting things clear, the hybrid nodded, "Tunnel P is secluded by Hydra and Canis - it would be a suitable and accessible place to host those of us that wish for the old ways. I may settle there, to assist Desert Rose with management of these Gembound - Younger and Champion." Grinding its beak and flicking its long tail, it added for either party present, "and I would like to try Hemlocke for a name."

Ah, enough of it speaking for Desert; it glanced towards its brother-in-arms before taking a moment to trawl through the (thankfully) foggy, vague memory of its past trials - ah, there was clearly the one immediately after its birth, some five thousand years ago. A number of them moved with few errors, and others found it relying on the assistance of its fellow Champions. One, of course, saw it with a missing limb dragging itself to the end on will alone (it had been overwhelmed by the relief a chrysalis provided, then.) A few more and - "seventeen trials, I believe."

@Desert Rose Thirty-Five

Ah- That- The stillness that had been brought over Vargas as Desert explained himself drove a stake into his throat, poisoning his mind with fears of stepping out of place. Had he done wrong? Were the old ways in the past-? But, no; each worry was soon shoved deep down as the conversation continued, the dragon pulling his attention forward once more.

It was true he didn't know much. Not anymore, at least. A lot of information shot straight through him all at once to remedy this, yet it took a mental change from presentation to note-taking to properly mentally record everything he could. First things: the Spire changing hands, whatever that meant, sounded bad- dangerous, even, if it was spitting out these weaker forms. But there were still some about resembling those like himself and others- he didn't have the time to question it before Vargas was moving on. It was certain that many of these spat out beings would fail, yes; though, with the past trial, they could be more than lucky? Hm. If even a master doesn't have trust in them, however...

He paid attention to his assessment with a keyed interest, his head cocking ever so slightly. Yes- a nod was offered for the idea of being messenger. Isn't that what he had just done, in any case? But, at the mention of his coat, he gave a quick glance down and- yeah. He was a bit bright. At least he was bright with partners- he could agree on that front, especially when it came to him and his brother.

Shaking his head minutely, Desert peered over towards Garnet as their own receipts were printed out- he could certainly attune them to the words being spoken. A worthy Eye, yes. Though- if Desert was working under Vargas, now, what would that make him? The Wings? The Voice? He wouldn't want a Hydra champion speaking for him, that was sure.

Desert returned to watching Vargas's dangerous mouth as he provided his own voice to the two of them. He had yet to experience any Gembound speaking out too greatly, however examples may very well be in order if need be. Brief thought was given to the awkwardness of a name such as Palefur which morphed into a faint pity at the presented solution. Talking could work, but lies could be conveyed so easily through them. In any case, it seemed this road map was certainly under way, Desert's eyes finding interest in the dirt below them as he listened to the plan. Second part could be burdened by Desert and Garnet, certainly. That would leave the first and third to Vargas; as much as he regretted having to leave so much up to the Overseer, Desert simply couldn't be one to make examples out of others, nor could he create trials himself. He was only meant to run them- and running a winter one set pain through the teeth in his jaw as he grit them so hard.

Winter. Great. Yes- the winter Hydra was still a desert, in terms of phrasing, but it wasn't something Desert was particularly designed for. No- he was made for the heat, the dry, the sands- just the idea of all that snow sent a very obvious shiver up his spine. He had to move his mind along before he got hooked up in all this, though, and he was quick to nod to the idea of the winter trial despite his setbacks.

"Yes, Overseer," he was quick to respond to the questions, a low nod performed almost like a bow. Though, with Garnet afforded rights- that must be the conclusion of being his Eye. Hm- as much as Desert truly wanted a return to the norm, such afforded rights would sit nicely on his mind. No matter. He couldn't afford to wallow in that right now. Nostrils flaring, Desert took in a breath and nodded a final time at the orders given. Vargas's blessing was certainly rare in of itself, and yet to receive it... Ah, how he wish he knew hwere his brother was, just to see how he would react.

Final question. Desert glanced to Garnet- Hemlocke, as they spoke, nodding along with the words. "Seventeen or eighteen-" He was quick to provide the number, though in truth he had forgotten most of what entailed of each. He could clearly remember the splitting pain of entering his chrysalis for about that many times, yes; otherwise, it wasn't too clear on his end, either.

@Vargas

Vargas felt a little incredulous, even swinging his head to stare down blankly at Garnet, as the little beast dared inform him of the location of the tunnel. As IF he didn't know! Empty words with the echo of importance-? he wondered, -or merely mis-speaking? He shook the thought away, and forced himself to listen.

"Mm, yes. Manage away but be clear that the management is in your hands, that you are not my proxy in that. What you do, you do with my allowance but not the backing of my authority. That will come with my presence, and I will check in often. Two points on that front," he added briskly, surprisingly well-organized and coherent for a towering monster; "first, see that they are trained as well as tested. I will come by myself and test them, and I offer training, sparring, whatever is needed to get them up to speed. Remember, a good pass-rate is good for the nest. It means that we are strong. We must weed out the weak, yes, but that does not mean we cannot ensure the strong have the best start possible for survival. Second! If either of you are threatened or otherwise put in danger, come for me and I will solve it." And then, as an afterthought: "Hemlocke, then; Hemlocke's fine."

He looked the two of them over. "Hrm. Seventeen-... What I am considering, is this. We have little starting material to work with, and what we do have is... questionable. As a reward for those who willingly partake, who join you in the tunnels and run the trials of their own accord, I will say that after five, they are exempt. For the time being, after five trials they will be allowed to retire, aside from specific personal trials I may have to--but never mind that; they will be encouraged to create further-"...What are these called, again? -"Gembound? For future testing. After five successful trials, I think they will have proven at least their right to try to improve the next lineage, yes?"

A brief pause, and it wasn't really asking for agreement, more... stating his mind. Stating facts. After that instant he seemed to remember that the two were even there, glancing over them. "Is that all-? If there is nothing else, I will leave you to it."

@Garnet Five-Seven-Nine

Garnet, ah, no, Hemlocke - not focusing at all on its companion's mental checklist of notes and understanding, nodded respectfully towards the Overseer. Management could be allowed in its set of duties and schedule, though it always knew it would be called upon to serve as Vargas's extra set of eyes (but smaller and on wings, of course.) The blessing was received, and his allowance was offered. "Of course, Overseer," it chirped with another bow, and glance towards Desert. If either of them could help it, any action by them wouldn't backfire and fly into the purple behemoth's face. The Overseer was a busy creature, and it would be a waste of time to muck about and cause problems when they could be assisting him in his duties.

Perhaps, they could work with these odd new creatures - these cuckoo birds in the nest. Their camouflage was, at least, a little more suited to the drab surroundings of the caves. What they lacked in physical prowess and size, they sometimes seemed to make up for in magical influence. Garnet ground its beak. The range of magic could be helpful in Hydra and elsewhere in the Caves. Ah, and these new ones could somewhat emulate creation. It'd be an imprecise science - hybridization - but possibly successful. After all, breeding two successful creatures could create an even better one. That would please the Overseer.

Fresh Youngers, too, could be easier to mold into the old ways. With little in the way of physical strength and intimidation (and no guaranteed constant presence from Vargas) they may not easily convince the more headstrong of the Gembound.

Hemlocke failed to see just how terrible that thought was.

Ruby-red eyes blinking once, twice, it shook its head. "I don't believe I have anything to add - ah, is there anything else I must do, Overseer?" While this collection was an important task to complete, the champion's duties as his Eye came first.

@Desert Thirty-Five

At Vargas's explicit permission to begin their plan, Desert dipped his head low in deference to his overseer. Ah- thank the caves that went over well. Training was certainly the plan- the thought of Vargas himself coming in and assisting, though... perhaps they'd have more failures before they'd even stepped foot into the sands. Best to get the weak out early. Plus, having Vargas close was certainly a blessing, with his bulk easily ranking much higher than the more scout-based creatures before him.

Five would be exempt- ah, but not him, of course; he'd be required to run before he showed his own worth. Five would mean engineered breeding, though... If that extended to them two, perhaps they could provide an expanded, more experienced pool from these Youngers to draw from. That was a thought-line for another time; they had to provide a good pass rate for their nest, and the current survivors were the main thought--

Wait, nest? Hiding his curiosity, Desert's eyes narrowed in the slightest as he mulled over the implications. There were others of these caves? They certainly had their own Hydra, then? How was their pass rate in comparison?

However, Vargas was waiting. "That's all from me," he spoke after Hemlocke, a brief glance offered towards the smaller alien. He couldn't resist his mind from already running through the processes, weeding out various ideas of planned breeding between Gembounds. There weren't many that he knew of- Doctor, perhaps, would offer an intriguing area of expertise that may be inherited, along with that wingspan-

But, he was getting off track. Best save this all for another time. Nodding, Desert reeled back ever so slightly to allow an answer for Garnet- Hemlocke's question, watching Vargas.

@Vargas

Vargas grunted. There was little more to say--but it was clear that, for a moment, he was deep in thought.

"Good," he said, at last. "Do not let this get in the way of other duties I assign you. You are still to be my eyes and warn me of changes in the caves," he told Hemlocke, with a stern (probably-?) stare. "And I may ask both of you to come along with me to Pisces, once I know what I will do with that dragon. They are powerful creatures--designed purely for destruction. Were it a killing, that would be simple. I could slip and and destroy her without her ever being aware. But to confront her directly, I may want to instead bring an example. Which means I may bind that Imp, and have you two wait in the wings until a good moment to reveal it--the consequences of rebellion on full display. So be ready for that, should I call on you."

Vargas glanced around, making as if to leave--picking himself up, stalking a few yards off--then glanced down at the pair again.

"Good work. Continue."

And then--with another impossibly-long bound, and a clattering of claws scattering bones across the rock--Vargas left them.

exit Vargas
@Garnet Five-Seven-Nine

Hemlocke nodded, already assured that it would remain as the Overseer's eyes and continue to report. This would simply be something else to add to its itinerary. Preparations for the future come to past. It wouldn't be one to micromanage these Young survivals, the possible champions to-be; Desert could do that as much as he pleased. If times called for it, the champion fully intended to leave for perhaps weeks at a time. Observing. Watching from afar. Gathering information that can't be gathered from the other side of the caves.

Though, a little moral holdup would get a rise out of the champion sometime - if it were to be waiting in the wings with Imp (at least he was alive) then it would have to inevitably speak with it. If it knew he was blinded as the worst of his punishment, it might've been a little less concerned, but the sense of smell would remain. "Of course, Overseer," Hemlocke parroted itself, despite this. It was a good little servant and wouldn't let fleeting friendships get in the way. The trials never allowed for that, and while it was exempt from them, the alien couldn't help but feel that all of life was just a big one. Rather than fighting for physical survival, they needed to keep a hold of their mental state and morality.

But, agency was never its thing. The very concept of it was minimally used to accomplish the tasks and goals set for it. Establishing this group was just a new objective. Hemlocke turned to its companion, ears pricking up once Vargas had left. "I - at least - will be going to look for a location. Training grounds and a settlement, perhaps," it stated, nodded once, and took off on leathery wings towards Tunnel P.

;exit Hemlocke
@Desert Rose Thirty-Five

"Of course," Desert spoke alongside Hemlocke, nodding his head along with them. Making an example- now that would be interesting.

Wait, wasn't he a dragon? He wasn't made for destruction- ah, pass on the semantics, if they were what he was implying he may very well need the two of them as backup. Imp- he'd have to ask Hemlocke about that.

As Vargas made to move, Desert gave one final bow and stood himself, wings raising out to his sides and pulling his body away. "Thank you, my overseer." 'Just don't let that compliment get to your head, Desert,' he added on to the end.

As Hemlocke spoke once more, Desert craned his head over, an ear flicking in interest up towards them. "Go ahead. I'll join you in a few; I'm going to hunt." He'd need some time to think too, but should he really be the one to mention he needed that? In any case, he was hungry, so hunting was the next logical step. He'd just have to find the best hunting grounds in this grim cave if they wanted to live near it.

A nod was performed back to Hemlock before Desert took off on his own wings, powerfully surging into the air before soaring off further into the cave.

Exit Desert Rose

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