ORIGIN

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Astraea stalked over the stone, sometimes stepping delicately over the bones and sometimes kicking them out of his way. He was searching for the Bonebound, and for Rezik; the Collector paced along behind him.

"Bonebound?" he called out--looking this way and that, searching for them. "Aure, was it? Are you here?" A brief check, eyes closed, told him their direction; and he paced that way, calling out again. "Where is Rezik?" he asked, as he approached.

@Aure @Aries @Giggle @Kerberos (and any other Bonebound)

δεξιά . κέντρο . αριστερά

Kerberos has been put on high alert since his family told him what had happened-- he had been goofing off, too far off, to help when the attack had come. Now he could pace two steps without all five eyes darting off in every direction. The massive white hound prowled around the bones, striped red and orange tail waving like a flaming banner behind him.

The smell of strangers alerted him, ears pricking and his trio of heads swinging toward the voice that called out. Bonebound. Immediately, the cerberus raced across the fields of bones, kicking up femurs and rib bones under heavy foot as he flew to intercept Astraea and the Collector.

"Hello!" He woofed, sliding to a stop and sending up a spray of smaller skeletons under his paws. His orange tipped, right-most snout raised and let out a loud, carrying howl-- a signal for the rest of the Bonebound throughout Canis to hear, and hopefully come. "The rest of the Bonebound is coming," the middle head informed politely, and he lowered his haunches to sit, and then lowered his each of heads deferentially.

His moral compass did not know what to make of politics. He was a much more simple creature, one that had learned by teaching that murder was wrong, and otherwise obeyed his instincts. His fur itched at the two strangers, the rumors he had heard of their visitors buzzing like flies at his ears. All he knew was that right now, it was better if he stalled until someone with better diplomacy explained the situation.

i'm ready to start
the conquest of spaces

Aure'd recited things time and time again, rehearsing responses and looking warily in the direction of Tunnel K. His ears swivelled back and forth like radar dishes as he considered and rehashed things.

Numerous… problems had been presented since Opal came along and things seemed to pile on. First and foremost was Rezik's current state: still in a chrysalis, "still alive," Eythan had tried to assure him, a few days ago. The young King tried to hold onto his optimism, and nodded in agreement. Next was a fact the gryphon had failed to notify the rest of the Bonebound of: he let Rezik goad him a fair amount and encouraged the deer to inform the Masters. Hopefully he wouldn't show up to the summons.

The Bone King came quietly, brushing against Kerberos's massive foreleg in greeting and stepping forwards with a slight dip of his head at Astraea, "I'm here."

Eythan arrived shortly after him, clearly hesitating as he landed just behind Kerberos and stood silently in place.

Aure stifled a miserable little shake of his head (because, of course the hybrid would show up) as he began, getting right into the meat of it: "Rezik is… currently in a chrysalis. There was a failed attempt at killing him — that we stopped — and we have the Gembound, but he didn't do it of his own will, we don't think."

Astraea was silent for a long moment, watching Aure--thinking. At length, he appeared almost to read the hybrid's mind.

"Is Eythan still alive?" he asked, and then shifted to another hoof. "Explain what you mean. Who attempted this--and why?"

He was still deciding what to do with them--and in particular, Eythan, wherever that one was--but first, a little more information would be useful.

@Aure

How'd he know— interjected his train of thought, grinding to a halt, —oh, right.

Aure flicked his ears, nodding towards the space behind Kerberos's bulk, and continued, "yes. He chased Opal Two—Three? a bunch of numbers—down." The gryphon padded out slowly, chest swelling with fake confidence and definitely fronting for the slight terror in his bird-brain.

"We had him cornered and found some strange sort of fungus in him," Aure continued, brows raising in mild curiosity (because who better to ask about fungus than the master of it all?) "it was white and stringy. We burned it, but — Opal said something about it… her? using him along with some others in Cetus." The wyvern shuffled his wings. "He's the only one that's come after Rezik."

He was late to the call. Not that he was Bonebound, but this was his family. While he tried to look confident, his ears were nearly permanently pinned back in unease about the whole situation.

He'd caught the tail end of Aure's explanation. The hybrid nodded to his half-brother, his own pelt shuddering as Astraea's appearance intensified. He had nothing to say- not yet- but... Astraea would know about the fungus in Cetus, right?

Would he be able to help?

He wasn't about to interrupt the conversation, though, only slowly coming closer to watch and listen. If Giggle were nearby, he'd speak low, under his breath. "Maybe he knows something about that other fungus?" After all, he did have mushrooms growing out of his horns.

@Giggle

Giggle came in close behind, dark eyes narrowing at the sight of the stag. She caught only the tail end of the conversation, and huffed.

"You said you share my magic. There was some sort of fungus throughout his body. Apparently there might be a whole nest of them in Cetus. We were asked for help in checking it out by the Children of Rot. Which I think we're going to offer," she added, though she glanced Aure's way for confirmation.

It was a mess, really, if it were true, but if she could get a good vantage point, she knew it might be possible to cleanse them all without ever being seen. Alternatively, if the Bonebound could defend her long enough, she could peel away the fungus even while they fought.

rain stock: D Sharon Pruitt wiki commons; hyena Benjamin Hollis on flickr

Astraea stiffened, and Aure did too - fearing that he said something wrong.

The stag spoke urgently, requesting information about Opal, and the wyvern had made to answer (after a bout of indecision, of course) when Giggle piped up from the back. Aure nodded lightly, "we were waiting for you to come." His head dipped a little, "we didn't want to - seem like we were running away or anything." Fair explanation, right?

"He's with us in - that garden over there," he indicated as such, "I can lead you there but - he really wasn't himself when he attacked Rezik, another one of your - champions said so. It's not his fault." Champions was said in a slightly higher, questioning tone, than the rest, and Aure started in that direction; he was, of course, hesitant. The eel didn't deserve to die.

No one did, not really. That was one thing he remembered Black taught him all those cycles ago.

The stag's ruby eyes narrowed.

"Show me. I will hear what he has to say. And while he and I speak, you gather what forces you have. You may have failed me with Rezik, but you can make it up by proving yourself at war. No, you have no choice. Not if you wish to survive," and the seriousness of Astraea's glance suggested that it wasn't him that required surviving against.

@Aure @Kerberos @Serek

Game Master Dark

Kerberos

Auré

Game Master Dark

Auré

Game Master Dark

Serek

Giggle

Auré

Game Master Dark