ORIGIN - Guess Who's Back (Back Again)

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set during the events of Death Blow. I'd meant to put this up sooner and forgot...

Whn his howling had subsided, and his consciousness swam back awake, the Black Dog woke. The first thing his muddled mind remembered was the chrysalises beside him. The second thing he became aware of was the pain throbbing along his side. The burns hurt.

He rolled into the mud, coating himself. It occurred to him that if his new magic allowed him to mend others by taking on their wounds, that he might be able to share his own damage with another--a Lesser, perhaps, that he was about to eat anyway.

But the whispers of Dawa in his mind returned, and he felt at once that it would be a travesty. What she had given him was almost holy; it was sacred, and he would not use it for harm. If it even could be used that way. There was something else, too... I need to warn others, he realized, his groggy mind snapping fully awake. In an instant he was on his feet.

There was no knowing where Raheerah might go next. There was no knowing where he was, even now.

The Black Dog bayed, bellowing as loud as he could. "RAHEERAH HAS RETURNED," he howled; and then, with all the repetitive creativity of a town crier, repeated--"RAHEERAH HAS RETURNED!"

He added magic into it, a flow of it to draw attention. He sank all of Cetus into an unnatural pitch-blackness, and then brought the light back; he repeated this twice more as he stumbled toward the Heart. He hoped that others, too far out of hearing--at least those awake--might notice it, and come to investigate.

Black hoped to warn the Children of Rot, if no one else; but he prayed--to Dawa, perhaps--that others might hear his warning, too.

Serek was ever so thankful when the howling stopped. Finally, maybe he could have some peace and sleep. Alone. Like he had for a while. Just the way he liked it.

He did have a fine sleep, he'd argue, until something worse than the howling startled him out of it. What was it NOW? Gritting his teeth, the hybrid nudged his head and perked his ears up, straining to hear the words.

Raheerah. Okay, shit, he was awake now. The mere mention of the name set his stomach to do flips as he pulled his body off of the barely comfortable ground of his 'den'. Den was generous, though- it shared its roof with the cave's, and it was pretty much just a flat and relatively dry piece of grass Serek plopped his ass on after a long day of doing jack shit.

The light play didn't help, and the hybrid let out a groan at that. He was already awake, for caves' sakes. But, then again, if this was Raheerah, if the stories were true…

Serek swallowed his stubbornness and set his legs into motion. He had to find the source of the voice and see if this was just some dumbass child doing a prank.

It wasn't. It took him a moment to discern the black against the dark mists of Cetus, but Serek saw as he crashed through the underbrush in his haste. This wasn't a child. Not with that size. In fact, a vague memory tugged at his mind, but that was overpowered by the creeping sense of dread at Raheerah's return.

"This better not be a joke," came the deep growl from Serek, his red coat standing out from the muck it lived in. As aggressive as he sounded, though, behind his cautious face was a pair of fearful eyes and a frantically beating heart.

If Raheerah was back, if everything he heard was true, all those cycles ago...

They were doomed.

@Black

A voice. Black turned, one blind eye and one blue eye searching the swamp for its owner. He spotted it, after a moment--lanky, reddish, horned.

"It is no joke," Black replied, peering (and, vaguely, wondering how Raheerah's return could possibly be humorous). "Those who live here must be warned. Black wings in flame, over the Spire and beyond--two are dead. Are you of the Children of Rot?"

He stared, an urgency about his posture and voice that made it clear that either he was telling the truth, or a very, very good actor.

@Serek

Serek stood tall, hoping his quivering wasn't perceptible by this canine. When he spoke again, though, it was getting harder and harder the longer he stared. No- Raheerah couldn't be back. That- That was impossible. He was gone. He should stay gone.

The hybrid swallowed dryly before stepping forward, his head lowered and breathes heavy. Alright. Don't panic. The stories were just that, right? Stories. Certainly he wasn't going to raze down the entirety of the caves and melt them all-

"I know where they are," he responded curtly, his voice lower than he meant it to be. Two were dead already. How many more would follow? Would Cetus's humidity stand a chance against a dragon's flame? "That way. There's food for Aquarian there. The Children tend to it." He forced himself to point his head towards where he knew was the offering pile. He hadn't been there in so long- what would they think? He'd already ran off on them once before.

No. This, this was more important than pride or embarrassment. Death in black scales was coming for them. They needed to be ready.

"Dragon'll probably be there. He needs to know about this." Maybe he was stating the obvious. He didn't know- his mind was solely focused on the news delivered. "I'll show you the way." Panic drove into his feet, and he shifted his weight uncomfortably, already stepping towards the pile.

@Black

The pile. Of course. Black remembered this. He hastened to keep up with Serek, his paws splashing in the mud, sending him into stumbles now and again. But he kept his head up and his eyes forward.

To the hybrid's words, Black could only dip his head in agreement.

"He must. They all must. They must hide," he added sombrely. "Perhaps others will fight back. But the last time we fought, we knew that he was there. We prepared an assault. Now, he is simply killing-.." Black fell silent abruptly.

The memory of black jaws tipping upward, the limp and lifeless bodies of the lamb--and the bird tangled in its wool--replayed in his mind. "There will be more, if more are caught unawares. They must know. Whether they fight or flee, they must know."

He was silent a beat, before adding: "He is angry about something." Black had not fully understood. Who had failed, and why--he didn't grasp it. Perhaps it didn't matter. But it wasn't mindless rage--not this time.

"Can you call upon them?" Black asked, turning to peer at Serek, his wrinkles giving him a worried expression--though his tone held nothing.

@Serek

The moment he saw that Black would follow, he was off. He had his own fair share of crashing through. Even as a herbivore, he was built for flat areas and not this muck. No matter how old he'd be, he'd never get used to this.

They'd arrived in short order, true to his word. The food was, well, as rotten as he expected it to be at the bottom, but it did seem a bit smaller than it would be if it weren't being fed off of. Aquarian must have made an appearance recently.

"Shit." Serek swore under his breath as he turned to Black, his tail held high and quivering as the canine spoke. His red eyes wandered down to the muck, then to the pile, then finally to Black. "We- he wasn't doing this last time, right? This- he's- This is different. As- as much as a giant, death dragon could be different." He barely suppressed a shudder in his shoulders. "But- yeah, I'll call them."

Shit, well. No avoiding it. It had been a while, after all- he was due for a check-in. Taking in a deep breath and pulling up his head, the hybrid called out into the mists surrounding them. "Children of Rot! It's urgent!" Hopefully the Children would recognize his voice- if the ones he knew was still around. Unbeknownst to him, their priority was a certain blue fox a ways away in the Groves.

"Can you do any more light show spells? I don't- I can't make my voice any louder." He didn't know what the dog knew, but anything would help. Really, this call wasn't any different from his.

He couldn't keep calling him 'the dog' though. "Sorry- shit, what's your name?" Maybe this wasn't important, but while they waited for any response, he might as well get the full information. "I'm Serek." His own was added as an afterthought. "It's- been a while since I spoke to them. They- at least Dragon should come by. Or we can try and talk to them when they come to offer food." His head shrunk into his shoulders, like he was a turtle retreating into his shell. "I don't know what else I can do." As miserable as he looked, the words came out at a growl, frustration clear across his face.

@Black

Black rumbled agreement about the dragon being "different," but he did not quite understand it all himself. Serek's question of "what's your name," at least, was an easier thing to tackle. Still not... as simple as for some, but he could answer it, at least. "I am the Black Dog. Some have called me Void. Many call me Black. Many called me Death," he added, thoughtful. For a moment, the dog appeared to be lost in memory, his brow wrinkling up. "Many also called me a tree, and a tiger, and a horse. I think the Spire harmed him."

With that... "explanation" out of the way, he looked back to Serek. A light show--no; but he could do darkness. He had done it already, and with any luck some of the Children might be heading to the Pile--their meeting-place, he knew--to find out what was going on. But it couldn't hurt to add to it. Meanwhile, though, something in the hyena-beest's tone struck an empathetic chord in the hound. He wasn't normally the feeling type, full of emotion and understanding, but this he recognized. This grief, worry. This helplessness.

He drew himself up--mentally, at least; it was hard to draw oneself up half-sunk in malodorous muck--and did his best to offer words of... reason? Comfort, maybe.

And as he spoke, he concentrated on his magicka, too. His intent was great big black shadowy arrows flickering through the mist, pointing to their location, but at best he managed faint streaks that seemed to writhe toward the pile like snakes before vanishing. Ahh, well; they were noticeable, at least, if not as intense as he had intended.

But Serek...

With all the wisdom of one who had learned this same hard lesson exactly two hours prior, the black dog spoke. "We cannot always save them. But our task is to try."

@Serek

He was in the water, for once, rather than on land, when the room went briefly dark. He bobbed to the surface, his form barely-visible in the black and beneath the mist, and stared upward. What was that..?

Well, nothing else happened, and so he drifted idly toward the offering pile, or at least where he thought it was, beyond the fog. And then, moments later, black worms seemed to writhe in the fog, angling for the offerings.

On the shore, he could see two figures--not large, or not that large; one black, one dull brown-red. The alligator grunted and called upon his magicka, submerging, a brief flicker of mischief taking him.

He slipped up beneath the surface, leaving not even a ripple, and then--when he judged himself quite close to shore--he released the magic. Ethereal horns twisted back from his head; great black-red wings, swathed in shadow, erupted from his back. He burst with a spray of swamp-water into the sky, and swept (in an awkward, vertical manner, seeming as though he might fall from the air) to hover above the two.

"WHAT ARE THESE SKY-WORMS?" he demanded, bellowing, and then peered more closely at the two. "Ahhh, Serek. And dog; I know you." He lowered himself into the muck, then; no point in impressing his own family. Still, a nice dramatic entrance (or what Dragon imagined had been one) was always good for keeping others impressed. "What is going on?"

The buzzing pearl had been abandoned the moment it ceased its observations - it no longer held a curious appeal, and would remain desolate at the bottom of Pisces's main lagoon in favor of greater endeavors: a grand hunt.

Phlegethon, by nature, was more suited to being an ambush predator. Its vast size and powerful tail didn't make for efficient, enduring stamina as far as a persistent chase was involved. Short bursts of speed fueled by pure momentum were its primary skills, and little more. The only 'little more' that could be tacked on was its dark coloration, perfectly aligning with the muck and mire of Cetus's waters. That exact thing was moot in Pisces, where the waters were icy and clear. Fish could see it coming with ease, and scatter out of harm's way.

It was, by nature, also persistent.

By the end of the day cycle, the creature was hosting quite a throat- and mouthful of rather large Lesser fish. A treasure trove, if you will, which it towed easily through underwater tunnels and cave networks to its home waters. Without opening its mouth once to see, it drifted towards the offering pile. There was a distant sound of voices near it - Rot-Children, Phlegethon assumed. They could bear witness to its haul.

The slime-beast burst from the water with half the drama Aquarian might have, and promptly retched up about thirty fairly decent-sized Lesser fish, some already half-decomposed and coated in its slime. These, it left on the Rot-Pile. The others, apparently not Gembound, it took back into its mouth and swallowed - to deliver to the Hiding Ones later.

Almost lazily, it opened its mouth, peering at the other creatures present. Dragon had already asked what was going on - but there was an unfamiliar face. Phlegethon inhaled, a bellowing noise, more in greeting towards its Father than anything. "Serek," it added with a nod, then fixed its gaze on Black-Dog, "I do not like your sky-worms."

It seemed 'what's your name' wasn't really as simple as he'd expected. The Black Dog sounded more like a title, than anything, but it seemed like the best bet. But many calling him Death..? That didn't seem like the Dog to be called.

Serek lifted his head. There was something there, then- at least to the hybrid, who'd wholly misunderstood many to be the literal word of it. Still, in any case, he watched as the Black Dog pulled on his own magic, the shadows playing across them as though they were light. He squinted at them- he'd never seen magic like this, as far as he was aware? It seemed nearly alive, and the feeling of them squirming under his skin infected his mind, throwing an upset look on his face.

He sighed at Black's words. They rung true, really- and this is what they were doing right? Trying? He made to respond before the water nearby sprang to life. A startled shock of energy ran through Serek, who nearly bolted in place but kept his ground through what surely was a test of will for him.

He calmed when he realized it was just Dragon. Well- not really just- he was another person he hadn't seen in so long, a mentor he'd been longing to reconnect with, perhaps. It was good he was here. They were joined, too, by a third party- Another child? Serek needed to catch up desperately at this point. Perhaps he could resume adding onto the pile, just as this one did-

Okay, if it was doing that, maybe he wouldn't have to. Not with that haul. He made a face at the black slime that slicked out of its mouth, unease setting in quickly. This creature- it was alien in design, something that drew shivers along Serek's spine. They weren't dismissed so they must be okay.

No time for formalities. At his name, he dipped his head before glancing to Black. "They were for good reason," he began ominously. He took in a sigh that was shakier than he'd have liked it to be, before looking between the giant red eye before him and his mentor's face.

"Raheerah has returned."

The words were said with a heavy set of dread, a sense of power and reverance with despair lacing through it all. "I- I remember the stories. The ones you and Mother told me. Th- He's- This isn't.. This isn't good." His tail tucked in below him and he quivered like a lost child. "I- We need to do- Something," His breath was hot on his lips, and he swallowed down the emotions bubbling to surface before looking to the Black Dog.

He'd need to describe more. Serek- he didn't witness it. He wasn't there when Raheerah was around the first time. He wasn't sure if he wanted to be around for the second in this moment.

@Black

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