His mother was nearby, and his muscles trembled as she came close. He bent to receive her nose- touching back and humming into her fur. "I've been okay," he chuffed out. He was- althought, both Raheerah and now this had been giving him... fears.
His head flicked up when a dog- three- dogs? came close. "That's me." He blinked when one said his name, confusion muddling his expression. He was- Bonebound, yes, but official with the Children.
Two families kind of made this hard.
"Kerberos." He dipped his head in greeting, trying not to curl into his proverbial shell. "It's good to meet- er, all of you." Were they separate beings? Or... One? But- this wasn't who he was here for.
As his mother's eyes roamed over him, he glanced away in guilt. He had to say this. Had to warn them, to get help- "The... The Children are in danger." He gulped hard, stepping over his own feet. "We- there's a fungus problem going on in Cetus. Someone from the Eridanus Kingdom came by and told us that there's this stuff growing that controls people's minds. There's a bunch of Gembounds there- big," he glanced up to Kerberos. Maybe not that big, but.. Still, a lot. "I haven't talked to them myself, and they might just be a group of 'em, but apparently they want other people under their fungus too. Oliver said that they'd just work themselves until they die to feed the... Fungus? I don't know what type it is."
An ear flicked as he looked to Giggle. "I mean, I don't want to make assumptions, but Dragon wants me to get someone to check with fungus magic. Mine's not strong enough- not yet." He paused, shuffling again. "... He also thinks there should be backup. Just in case they really are malicious. I mean, if- if they didn't want to infect us, I'd leave them to their own devices, but."
He was getting worked up, running over himself. Shaking his head, he tried to calm down his nerves, his muscles tightening. "I don't know. I just- I.. I'm scared. I don't know if it's true, but I want to check, and I wanna make sure the Children are safe."
@Giggle
Serek's head dipped as he was introduced to Kerberos. Singular, then. He gave the canine a brief look over and he tried to give a smile, before shaking his head and getting on with his speech.
Shit was right. The more words he spoke, the more he felt wrong, on edge, and tense, toes curling into the rocky ground below. The bones would know- of course. "If- if you can, Mother," he whined out when she confirmed on looking for it. "I don't know how bad it is. I- I don't even know if they're bad, but-"
He jumped at the call, eyes wide. Aure would know- Aure had to know- Serek's eyes shut tight as he felt himself spiralling. Calm down. Deep breaths. It worked, somehow, and he looked back to Giggle with a sigh, glancing to Omen fluttering into the air.
If it weren't for the grim situation, he'd laugh at the bird's words. Instead, he only watched Giggle step away, hesitating to follow, one foot in the air as he stopped in motion.
Was he overreacting? Were they all? What if this fungus was really dangerous, though, and they did nothing about it? Oh, how his mind spun with doubts and worries and fears. Aure pulled him out of them and his head wheeled around at the call, eyes widening. That was quick. "Brother," he sighed in return. It was good to be once again a part of the family, but he had no time to celebrate.
Aure was looking around. For his mother, perhaps? "Giggle is reading the bones; there's... Something dangerous in Cetus. The Children aren't safe- none of us are if it keeps getting worse, apparently." His body turned to face the wyvern. "I don't know how bad it is. Which is- probably good that she's reading them, then. They'll- know what do to." His nails were scraping little marks into the dust, now.
"But- there's some kind of fungus. Dragon wants the Bonebound to help, to- to get it out. If it's there. If that happens there's probably gonna be a fight and I don't want to put anyone in danger but we need help and-" He huffed, words running into one another. He was driving himself down a hole again. Shaking his head with ears flopping to either side, he lowered his head and looked up at Aure. "It's not my call, but- Dragon's asking for the Bonebound, anyone, to help against this. If it ends up bad. If it doesn't, that's- that's fine, but if it does we'll be stuck in there if it's just us. It's- a family of Gembounds, and they're... Defensive. Like, they say they wanna live, but if it's true they're just hurting themselves and looking to hurt others too, without even knowing it."
Perhaps it was good timing that he came after the Opal's discovery, then. The aquatic creature was an unknown to him, but the lines to be drawn were obvious.
@Giggle
As much as his words tumbled out of him, Serek knew he had to stop eventually. Come to a drifting close, let Aure say his piece, but- No. His still sputtered on as his half-brother approached. The indication of recognition came through a slowing of his words, reducing them to vague mutterings of one gripped by anxiety, only to be frozen in their tracks by a warm touch.
He was leaned into Aure's mix of fur and feather, taking in a deep breath to calm himself when Giggle approached. He had to look presentable, This- he couldn't be compromised like this. Breaking himself free, he shook out his coat and looked to his mother, ears dialed back in anticipation of the worst.
He didn't expect the vague praise given to the possible danger. Aure had spoken, and Serek tensed at the mention of the masters, squinting down to the clay and bones below. "Maybe it's... It's an alliance, good for themselves, them in it, and not for anyone else. I- Godly beings are not always so divine in meaning." His head swung down in deference. "But- I don't mean to.. Reinterpret the bones. Sssorry if I overstepped," Dark eyes glanced to Giggle's in minor pleading, in that he didn't speak out of turn, his senses keyed into how he stood and wavered in his voice.
A weight lifted when Aure confirmed the Bonebounds' help. Serek couldn't resist letting out a minor "thank you," as a sigh. "We would. I would."
They were still his family, as much as the Children were, too.
His toes dug into the rock at the idea of waiting. How long did they have? They'd had the group of them in their cave for over two cycles now; they should be able to wait. Nobody knew the intentions of the others, after all.
"That's fine," he concluded after a moment of deliberation. "Is there still room in the den, Mother?" He looked to her before turning back to Aure. "Thank you- for... For doing this. For hearing me out." Of course he'd be heard out, but some inner part of him needed to drive home the fact in his brain that he wasn't in control here.
But, he was family, he chided to himself silently. He would do the same for them in a heartbeat, after all.
@Giggle