ORIGIN

When Oliver glided down, it was with a weary shuffle of his taloned feet and a shaky sigh. He was fatigued; there were no two ways about it. He'd travelled to Cetus and back as fast as he could, had tramped through the marsh to speak with ominous strangers-... Mentally and physically, he was pretty exhausted.

But there was more yet to do.

"-Guys?" he called, hesitant to go shouting names, in case Astraea were somehow lurking around the next corner; "It's Oliver. Are you there?" He was calling at the top of his voice, now, yet this was still somehow worried, a polite shout, as if he were afraid to intrude despite the severity of the situation.

"I need help. It's serious."

@Rift @Mercurius

Mercurius had finally spent the past few days taking a darn break - his cracked paws could find relief as they laid somewhat-submerged in the ebbing river. The waters weren't particularly cool, except in comparison to the heat of Monoceros. It was a pleasant sensation.

But, of course, when Oliver called... the pale beast came running, no matter how much his sore bones and muscles protested. Moonstone already working to send a pulse of magic to the crow-dog (and failing to,) Mercurius rumbled, "are you okay, Oliver?" Giving a once-over, the lion tossed his head towards the river, "oh, but get a drink, first."

He lifted his head for a moment, craning his neck to see if Rift were anywhere close to nearby as Oliver - maybe - took his drink. "What is it?"

Rift was busy tending to the garden that Mercurius had started, already growing attached to the quite modest array of plants that were growing along the riverbend. Although in the short time that the kingdom had been lurking there, it had gone from some grass and a couple of trees to a small haven of growing herbs, budding flowers, and small ferns. It didn’t compare to his garden back home (no...back in Eridanus. This was his home now) but it was a start.

Oliver’s call, however, distracted him. He looked up from the plant he was tending to and rose, carefully stepping through the garden before racing as fast as he could towards where the wolf-dog was waiting. He came up to them just behind Mercurius, panting, eyes flashing with worry. ”Oliver? What’s wrong? Did you find Reji?”

Huckleberry had found himself a good spot, high up on the walls. A ledge that jutted out that he would sit on top of and watch the world below. His brown fur blended well with the sandy colors of Monoceros, adding a natural camouflage, and he could guard the Kingdom’s new home with a watchful eye. Every day that he spent in solitude up there, silently guarding, watching over his family, it seemed he grew more confident with himself. He wasn’t much of a gardener, but he could do this. He could watch for them.

So it was natural that he would see Oliver coming from a ways away. He couldn’t hear his call - he was too far up, but when the white of Mercurius and the bright green of Rift joined him, he realized that he should be down there too - it was probably important.

He stood at the same time as Shiny, who jumped onto his shoulders and grabbed fast to his feathery mane, and leaped from the ledge, flaring his wings to ride the winds down to where the Kingdom was meeting. He circled above them for a moment before touching down silently, blinking inquisitively at Oliver. He didn’t say anything - yet - only listened.

@Oliver

Oliver blinked at the offer of water, and almost despite himself leaned down and lapped at it. It wasn't that he was that thirsty--but he was, and he hadn't realized it. He was really just too polite to say no. For a brief moment his tongue dipped, doglike, into the river's surface and then, more like a crow, he tossed his head back to swallow it down.

When he looked up, Rift was padding rapidly closer, looking concerned, and a twist of barely-noticeable tan-against-tan speck of movement alerted him to Huckleberry's descending approach.

"I'll just-... wait for-" and here he nodded out toward Huckleberry, fidgeting as he waited for him to land. Then he hesitantly began. "I found Reji. She's in Cetus?"--and somehow, his hesitant nature made this a question--"and she's in hiding. She's with some other Gembound, and some are really big, tough ones. And there's something that kinda stinks around them but I don't know what it is and they have an underground little den I didn't see into but it might be fungus-stuff? I don't want Astraea to kill them all," he added worriedly, "and I don't even know if it's fungus like he said or not. One of them said they just wanna survive and he's out to get them. But I figured it'd be best to warn the Children of Rot, and find someone who can sense mushrooms, get them to check. I can't," he went on.

The more Oliver spoke, the more worried he seemed to become--as if afraid he'd done the wrong thing, afraid they'd be angry at him--so that by the end, instead of brisk and attentive as he'd begun, he was damn near cringing along the ground. His voice had fallen to a quiet murmur. "-But they said if they do check them and they have to try and do something about it, they need a lot of help there 'cause the guards are big. Like, really big. Bears and a... A big thing..." Oliver trailed off, hesitating. "I told them you weren't fighters but that I'd ask, 'cause it's probably better to do it ourselves than. Let Astraea kill them all. But if it's true the fungus is dangerous we can't just leave them to die to it. He said 'husks...'"

Oliver's blue eyes found the ground, and fastened to it like a lifeline, and he waited as though awaiting judgment.

@Mercurius

The others arrived quickly - good, then they were staying in close proximity of one another. Astraea hadn't picked them off; although, Mercurius wasn't particularly concerned about those matters. It'd been some time and the Kingdom was established. They were hidden and they had protection and surveillance in the form of Dread. Pride came along to Monoceros every once in a while, and so did their sons. Location didn't matter so much as the home you made out of it.

Oliver, once everyone was settled in, moved right into his discoveries. Their assigned target was skulking about in the mud with others, but for what reason... he didn't know. Some stench and guards were around Reji, protecting her - or something else, entirely. The steward of the Seven might be the more conniving and planning of the two, but Mercurius could do his own thinking. His mind flickered back to what Pride had even said about Astraea, cruel as his methods might be, it might not be his wont to lie when the well-being of most Gembound was at stake. There was just one incident they could bring up as evidence, but perhaps the pale stag was onto something.

Perhaps, they should place a little trust in him.

Moonset eyes moved to each face present as Mercurius rumbled in thought. "Checking for mushrooms might be wise," he advised gently, "but that is beyond my capabilities. I can't protect the Children in the way they might need to be, either." The pale beast bowed his head, gaze averting as he flicked his ears forwards, clearly in thought for a moment. "Before we came here, I... spoke with Pride. He is aware of our predicament, and what Astraea said about the fungus," Mercurius began, then looked towards the king, "Rift, you remember Khloros, right?"

And for the rest of the class: "he was once a disease-bringer that aimed to destroy the Spire and 'end the cycles.' The stag forced him into it, and - somehow - Khloros was made anew - but that isn't exactly my point." His tail flicked to the side, "Destroying the Spire would have killed us all. Astraea did what he did - and always does - to protect us, in a roundabout way. We only have one case of it, but Astraea may be... trusted, here."

The thought of it was strange enough, like a betrayal to all Gemboundkind. "Perhaps, none of what he said was a lie. Maybe - this fungus would really reduce them to 'husks.'" Mercurius huffed a mirthless laugh, "after all, it is quite an elaborate lie to just... make up."

Rolling with the momentum he had, the self-sacrificing beast called to the rest, "I think... the Bonebound have those attuned to mushrooms and decay. They ought know, anyways. Whatever else we find, I'll take to Astraea, myself. Oliver, you deserve to rest." Mercurius's voice faltered, belatedly noting that he'd taken over the entire dialogue with his possibly inane ramblings, and he finished quickly, "Huckleberry, they need you to protect them. And Rift, you are their King. Don't allow me to trample all over that."

With that, the old coot finally shut up.

@Rift

Oliver

Mercy

Rift (Original)

Huckleberry

Oliver

Mercy