ORIGIN - Step 5: Offer Ransom

Backdated to take place a day or two after This thread

Deli

Everything was in place - the snail was in her little cave, Deli had the cloak, and they'd gotten their paws on a member of the Bonebound. Everything was going to work out.

The interaction with the vulture had put a little twist in their planning, so they'd waited a little while between that encounter and the last stage of their plan, to let things settle. But now they were ready, loitering by the entrance to Cetus. The only problem...they weren't really sure how this cloak worked.

They stood there, awkwardly. Was it some kind of...spell? Did they have to say something or think something? They figured they might as well try and focused themselves on the vulture, to take their appearance. And, apparently, that was the right answer. Because suddenly they found themselves as a perfect replica of Lemonface, save for that faint red glow. They blinked with surprise and immediately began to check themselves out, beak clacking in place of their wide smile. Feathers - wings - talons...oh, this was so cool!

They took a moment to check themselves out before gathering themselves up and standing up straight, smoothing down their feathers. They stalked forward, trying to get a serious look on their face as they wadded through the muk and mirk of Cetus. It might be easier to fly, but Deli had never actually flown before, and they weren't sure it would work with just a disguise. And if it did, there's no telling they'd be able to fly without knowing how. They didn't want to risk themselves looking foolish.

They cleared their throat as they got close and was a little surprised at the change of tone, but it didn't show on their face. They called out into the mist, "If you follow the snail, come out now! I am Lemonface of the Bonebound and I have urgent business with your group!"

Open to any of the Voidcrawlers!

What was once shadowed solidified into a mass of swirling void and sparkling stars, glowing eyes covering the creature's body as she slowly crept out from her napping place. More and more of her body was revealed, longer and longer, with massive wings and sharp talons, inches thick and sharp as razors.

She crept around, slinking through the trees, her eyes and the vents on her neck glowing in the dim.

"It was you," she said, her voice low and menacing, like a death toll, "You took our Voidmother."

Wings snapped out and a gust blew across the vulture, her wingspan dozens the size of the bird's, with claws tipping each finger, and a wicked talon curving from the grasping thumb at the second joint. A growl left her maw, filled with pearly white teeth and glowing blue gums, her fangs long and curved.

"It would take a moment of my time to snap you up like dinner," she sneered, "And then all I would have to do would be to follow your scent back to the wretched place you hold Voidmother. Speak, fool. I lose my patience."

She set her wing claws to the ground, supporting her thick chest as the air grew cold. Her breath turned to mist as ice suddenly shot up from the puddles around, spiking up all around them like cresting waves, thick and spiky and sharp. They blocked Deli from behind, arching up and over him like a beast mid-pounce.

Blue eyes narrowed. Carja wasn't kidding around.

Kitty slunk over from high in the trees after the commotion reached her ears, starting to creep down slowly with her eyes narrowed. Mostly just so that she could get a better look, but her eyes caught barely the eerie, reddish glow around the creature's body. She squinted. That... was useful, she guessed, for avoiding the dark -- even if it probably made stealth a bitch.

The Bonebound... she'd never heard those words before, but Lemonface was an awfully silly name. She glanced warily at Carja from where she was hidden in the trees -- didn't the Voidmother stand for non-violence? -- but didn't say anything. The Voidwing outranked her, and knew the Voidmother better anyway. She maintained her position in the lowest branches of a pine tree, watching 'Lemonface' and Carja silently.

TEMA, the Voidkin
There can be love in Chaos; just follow the Void
[Image: l87nhNk.gif]

Tema had been awake for some time already, wandering the territory and venturing out to where the kooru had last seen the Voidmother. It had only been a few days since her kidnapping, but it felt like much longer. The loss of their leader had clearly taken it's toll on everyone, leaving more questions than answers about what they should do next. Though Tema had yet to entertain the idea that their beloved snail was truly gone, the stranger's declaration was almost a relief. They had answers at last.

Tema approached the commotion slowly, unsure if she should be growling at the intruder in anger or trying to calm a suddenly violent Carja in an attempt to keep the stranger alive and talking. She certainly wanted this "Lemonface" to see the error of their ways... but alas, the strange bird might be the only one who had information about the Voidmother at this point.

"Carja!" Tema called, picking up her pace to step between the bird and the dragon. It was a pitiful attempt considering the once tiny Carja was now half a foot taller than the bear, not to mention her wingspan and length and... claws. When had she grown this big? Tema's eyes went wide (or as wide as they could considering their small size) as she really looked at her friend now, a a shadowed figure swirling with stars that disappeared into the mist if you looked past the features she kept blue. She was magnificent.. but she was also terrifying. She was the Voidwing.

Tema took a deep breath, letting her eyes fall from Carja's as she turned to meet Lemonface's gaze instead. "Where is she?" She asked with a growl she couldn't suppress, hoping the grumble from her throat would mask the waver of surprise that crept in after hearing the dragon speak without the typical lilt in her voice. Though she noted the mention of the Bonebound, whatever they were, Tema couldn't care less to mention it.

Though she would keep her attention towards the bird now, Tema hoped Carja would understand the blockade. Not that it would do much should she try to pass the bear, Tema trusted Carja not to take things too far.

OOC Notes:

Voidseer was quick to slip in-- well, as quick as a physically disabled snake could go. He had just recently come back from his little escape to the Altar and was lying, almost catatonic, in his den. Watching dust motes drift through the quiet air. That was when they heard it: an avian screech, speaking out about a snail. Their snail.

He was out as soon as possible. Scales flush with worry, too hurried to bother with the mud catching in his indigo scales. Voidmother was alive. Sunny was alive. But it seemed he was late to the call, for when the mists cleared Carja, Kitty and Tema were already on it. The black dragon leered over some scrappy vulture like death itself, making the air visibly icy with her presence. Kitty and Tema seemed surprised at this outburst, but Binh? Binh was rather neutral. Keeping back his own corrupted whispers was taking enough of a toll on the seer, and frankly he was too ~~cowardly~~ tired to deal with Carja right now.

But still, being a massive cobra came with it's benefits. Voidseer slithered right up, an iridescent coil slipping through the fog, and stared the "Lemonface" down with all three eyes. A glance was thrown at Carja, but he didn't otherwise acknowledge her. When Tema finished, he started: "Aaaansswer ussssss." A low growl built up in his throat-- not aggressive just yet, but a sure promise of the venom that mouth contained.

Deli

Deli, as Lemonface, watched neutrally as a number of creatures came forward. Each one that appeared, their eyes flicked to and quickly analyzed what they were looking at. A dragon, oh my, wasn't that fun! A small cat-bear looking thing, an actual bear, and a cobra. Oh, these were all excellent - watching them war against the Bonebound was going to be so much fun!

"No, it was not me that took her." And, to be fair, it wasn't a lie - Lemonface hadn't taken her at all. "I am merely a messenger." The dragon's threat didn't shake them - instead, they stared at her with an almost bored expression. "Yes, you could. But how would the Bonebound feel when their messenger doesn't return home? What happens when my scent trail leads you right into their midst instead of where your precious leader is being held? It would be smarter to listen to me first." Deli had to stop themselves from trembling - not from fear, but from excitement. This was the most fun they'd had in cycles!

They cleared their throat and looked over the gathered gembound. "Now, if you'll listen to me, I have a message from the Bone King. He knows about you - and what you're doing. Following this so-called "chaos" and worshipping this "Creator" or whatever. Sorry," they allowed some hesitance into their voice, "I'm not quite sure about all of it but..." they gathered themselves up, strengthening their voice again. "He knows about the danger of the chaos. The one in the tunnel is no god or mother - it is a trickster. You are all being played for fools. It twists your mind and makes you want to lose control, all so it can delight in the destruction and death you leave behind." And didn't Deli know - how many cycles had it been since they'd been in the tunnel? How many times did they feel themselves on the edge of sanity at the sight of the oil? The whispers that wouldn't leave their mind? And they'd seen the snail screaming - they knew that she, too, could barely contain it. "Whether the snail is on its side or not, we don't know, but..." Eyes fell on the dragon again, and moved to each in turn. "Yes, you are correct. We've taken her, your Voidmother. Do not worry, she is safe, but we will not give her back until you promise to renounce the name of chaos."

They fell silent, then, and took a step back, in case any of them felt like attacking. "He'll hear your answer in three days time - come to the Bonebound and give your answer. If it's the right one, the snail will be returned to you safely. If not..." Eyes narrowed, an unspoken threat. And alright, that was Deli's cue to leave. Their feathers shifted, ready to reflect light and turn them invisible, but they did a fantastic job, as anxious and excited as they were, and only made their feathers reflective, almost glowing in the dim light of Cetus. But they barely noticed, as they turned around to leave...only to find the column of ice in front of them. They blinked and turned to look back, a frown in their expression. "Please let me leave. I told you I'm only a messenger."

This could be a problem.

@Carja @Kitty @Tema @Voidseer

The bird's eyes flicked to her, just for a flash of a second, and panic coursed through her veins. She was meant to be hidden! Kitty immediately bled back into the trees, leaping up higher and holding herself on a branch over top of the group rather than near a tree trunk. She couldn't hear what was going on so well anymore, but she could still see -- the bird was conspicuous, especially with the obnoxious tattoo across the feathers. Honestly, the messenger of the Bone King was all she really had eyes for.

Meanwhile, buried in the foliage behind the Voidcrawlers, a flash of pale light against blue fur was visible in the shuffling and a mournful, skittish braying of Koo-roo! called through the clearing. Emboldened by the wall made by Carja and Tema, and trusting her sense of smell over her eyes, the kooru poked her nose out of the brush she was cowering in and made a sound that a predator of her species would recognize -- it was almost certainly a warning call. Voidstrider recognized the beast who had taken her Mother -- even if the shape was different now, she was sure they were the same. Unfortunately, she couldn't exactly say that.

@deli

Her tail wagged just a bit at the appearance of her friends, and she bumped her nose against Tema, purring a bit, "Hi... am I scary enough?"

Carja whipped her head around and snarled, "You are a fool if you think that we worship anyone but our Voidmother. We reject the corruption, and we don't hurt anyone! We know what it does. We know how to fight it, how to use it to our own advantage! We have already renounced the name!"

She darted forward and flung her wings out, narrowing her eyes at the bird, blocking escape from the front and the sky. She turned her head around all the way and rested it on her shoulders, peering at Tema and Binh.

"... Once they've left the cave, we'll follow. I'll track the scent and we can try to track them to this Bone King. Him and his followers are idiots if they think we'd ever fall prey to the whispers of madness. But we can't fight them, it would go against all we stand for."

Friendship, kindness, pacifism. Slime.

She exhaled and looked at the others, "I have an idea. If I can go to the Bone King and try to talk to him, to tell him that we're a peaceful group, perhaps this can be over faster and without bloodshed. You can come as backup."

All of this was said as quietly as possible so as to not alert Lemonface, trying hard to keep as quiet as she could.

She may be big and menacing, but who could resist her puppy eyes or squeaky voice? She was a marshmallow with claws.

TEMA, the Voidkin
There can be love in Chaos; just follow the Void
[Image: l87nhNk.gif]

Tema visibly relaxed at Carja's question, dropping her shoulders for a fraction of a second before Lemonface's voice called for her attention again. That small question was all she needed to wipe the confusion from her mind. She was Carja. She was still Carja, acting mean for show because she had something to protect. She was as much a guardian as Tema and Madhukar, the bear realized, mentally smiling at the thought.

Never again would she doubt Carja, or any other Voidcrawler for that matter.

She listened close as the bird spoke, not wanting to miss a word. She soon found herself regretting that decision, flexing her paw as the bird went on... and on. Before she knew it her claws had made little crevices in the mud below, one under each claw. Sure, the bird might just be a messenger, but the message itself was the problem.

"Coward." She found herself spitting out the word, the venom in her tone the only sign of aggression she allowed herself to show. Though it was addressed towards the kidnapper who sent a messenger in their stead, the fire in her eyes landed on the only substitute... Lemonface. Still, she gave no explanation for her words as Carja spoke, forcing the bear to steady her racing heart and focus again.

"Voidmother has never forced anything on us, unlike your supposed king." Tema added before Carja's wings blocked her view of the bird. She was thankful for it if she was being honest... The less she had to directly face the bird, the easier it was to remain a pacifist.

She nodded as Carja continued to speak, her own mind lagging a few steps behind the dragon's. Carja already had a plan. Kitty had one too, it seemed, considering their sudden disappearance. But back to the point, now that it had actually hit her. She was skeptical of what this "Bone King" would be like if they were willing to kidnap someone, but she was hopeful too.

Maybe, just maybe, it would all work out.

OOC Notes:

Binh watched the little bird coldly, all three of his silvery eyes alight with a harsh gleam. How dare this "Bone King" kidnap his Voidmother, the one that saved his life?! How dare this cowardly bird be so senseless to casually deliver the news? While Carja may have been acting, the Voidseer's emotions were genuine, even if they didn't show on his serpentine features. Good thing none of those whispers were with him, because otherwise he would've gobbled up this bird long before it opened his beak.

The seer said nothing. That is, until Lemonface accused the tunnel-creature and their Voidmother as being tricksters. Voidseer raised his head to the best of his ability, the cracked opal glinting in the light as he snarled. "Dooon't you daare." the cobra growled. Carja was already on it, though: explaining all about how they didn't actually worship the corruption, to which he felt a pang of guilt. He still hadn't told any of them about his little escapade to consult the Altar. But that was for a different time.

Binh's silvery gaze went to Carja as she spoke. His mood dropped a little at the "peaceful" part (perhaps that was just the darkness talking), but it was probably for the best they didn't start anything violent. Now wasn't the time to get into any fighting, not without their Voidmother. He nodded his head slightly, before slowly turning his gaze to the "messenger" again. Maybe it will all go fine.