ORIGIN - A White Flag and a Black Task

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Tahi-shei had been avoiding Pride since the encounter with the Collector (though not explicitly). Now he bore his crown, and had no interest in explaining himself, but he figured it would probably come up. Because it always did. However, Master Vargas had given him a task, and Pride was... not the first Gembound he thought to go to for help, but certainly a welcome ally. Perhaps, if Tahi-shei were especially lucky, he would even involve the Seven. Rumor had it that Pride had yielded openly to Masters in the past.

"Pride!" he called, knowing he was near to where the deer usually frequented (and perhaps might have noticed the fuzziness at the edges of his vision if he hadn't been more concerned with impressing Vargas). He had been planning his pitch for a while. James and Madhukar were easy, if he got a little manipulative -- Madhukar could be persuaded on the grounds of friendship or defense of her Voidmother, and James could be persuaded on the grounds of friendship or in defense of his children. Pride belonged to the Seven, so he protected the Caves in general. He was also a father, so perhaps such a pitch would work well.

Well. Only one way to find out.

When the deer appeared, he would dip his head and clear his throat. "I have a proposition for you, or perhaps a request. A fungal infection called Mother has surfaced, and Master Vargas has tasked me with gathering an army to help him destroy it. You are perhaps the most skilled practitioner of magic I have ever met," Aside from Astraea, obviously, "and I would greatly appreciate your aid, and maybe that of the Seven, if you are amenable." Tahi-shei, apparently, was in a straightforward sort of mood today.

@Pride

When Pride approached, it was with a brief bow of his own head, pale antler tines glinting in Orion's dim light.

"Tahi-shei. It is good to see you. What-" he began, but the other was already launching into a barrage of information, and a question. "-What is that on your head?" he asked, when the other deer had finished.

He stood a few yards off, slender white legs primly together beneath him, looking curiously at the crown. At once he guessed that perhaps it was the 'crown' that the Collector had offered, which meant, of course, that--if true--Tahi-shei had delivered the price. A dead body, undecayed, Pride remembered, worriedly.

Half his mind was already pondering the bit about Mother. It was dangerous stuff--he knew, he'd fought it before. ...Rather uselessly, in fact. He was running over, in his mind, who of the Seven might be available to combat it. Comet? James? Was Reign around, anywhere? -Would their magics be of use, even, against fungus? ...Hmm.

The other half of his mind was wondering where Tahi-shei had gotten a body, if he had at all.

@Tahi-shei

"Not Mother," he said, tone clipped but polite. He could see the gears turning in Pride's head and didn't want to answer his questions, but knew that this was perhaps the only other Gembound (except like, Madhukar and James and sort of Giggle) who knew the specifics of his deal. "... It was self defense," he managed, tone sad for a moment, and then he shook his head slightly. Tahi-shei cleared his throat and looked back to Pride.

"I plan to offer those who join me the opportunity to learn some magic to defend themselves -- a spell to detect fungus, especially in others, and a spell that will allow them to remove it from themselves or another in the early stages. They are considered the basics of Fungal magic, so I do not expect them to be exceptionally difficult for foreigners to the magic to learn. It will mostly be a matter of opening your mind to a new avenue, I imagine."

He cleared his throat. "Mother is a corruption of my magic; it has been used to control and harass and harm. I will not tolerate it, and I think that as a father and a protector of the caves, you shouldn't, either."

@pride

Pride blinked and shook his head briefly at Tahi-shei's initial response. "Ah, I hadn't--thought it to be Mother." Truth be told, it hadn't even occurred to him--unwise, perhaps. But he'd known about the 'crown,' so... "What happened?" he asked, his tone both concerned and hushed, brow a little furrowed.

He was a protector; unasked-for violence was abhorrent. More than that, anyone he'd known to have to kill--to defend themselves or others--had wound up traumatized. He was worried for Tahi-shei's state, especially given that the deer seemed to shunt the event aside in favor of being all business. But Pride understood; he knew the deer was very unlikely to be so pressed for time that he could not talk about something personal. No; he was pushing it away, and Pride, in asking, was showing concern. He wanted to know.

To know if Tahi-shei was all right; that much was in his tone. To know if whoever had attacked was someone he had known. To know... what was going on, really.

He did not yet even respond to the rest, yet, his first focus clearly the personal one.

@Tahi-shei

Tahi-shei wavered, and then sighed. His shoulders slumped a bit, knowing that he wouldn't get out of explaining things to Pride. He straightened himself out again and closed his eyes, focusing on the fungal growth all around them. Spores in the air. Mycelium in scrapes of soil. Mushrooms growing in cracks and crevices. Lichen feeding on stone. Life -- and he was privy to all of it.

"I was traveling with an acquaintance," he began, recalling Aran. "Through Canis, on my way to visit the Boneseer. Then, he was attacked by an alligator, unprovoked." Tahi drew a sharp breath in. "I was... paralyzed, more or less. Terrified. I didn't know how to help, and I didn't know how to stop it. Then, my acquaintance was returned to his chrysalis." He sneered and shook his head. "I returned, weeks later, after collecting myself. Collecting my thoughts. My acquaintance was left blinded by his chrysalis, more or less -- I tracked down the alligator and asked him why he had done such a thing. If it had been intentional. He told me that the world was kill or be killed, and that he was not sorry." Tahi-shei gave a vague shrug. "I... knew it was only a matter of time before he hurt someone else. In fact, he told me as much. I... killed him, and delivered his body to the Collector. His stone was given to my acquaintance, and it shattered when he tried to revive it."

He drew in a shaking breath and opened his eyes again, looking... tired. All over. "Now I have this crown. I can't take it off, and it lets me see all the fungus in a room without expending my magic."

@pride

An alligator? Pride's heart rate ticked up a notch. Tahi-shei hadn't killed their ally, Dragon, had he-? And that 'survival of the fittest' sounds precisely like him, the stag thought grimly. The alligator seemed brutish, but beneath it his actions, at least, put family and loyalty first, even the safety of others. "It wasn't Dragon, was it-? Large, scarred, dark--ahh, blackish?" he asked, hesitantly. But there was something else to address, here, and Pride winced some. He believed Tahi-shei's version of events out of implicit trust in the younger deer, had no reason to doubt him; but consequences were what they were, and he offered a quiet warning. "Be wary about being drawn into vengeance, Tahi-shei. If that creature was truly posing an immediate threat, then you did the right thing--but killing on a 'maybe' will haunt you. Try... talking, first. If you can convince someone-... Killing will haunt you. Deaths will follow you. If it had friends, they may find out who did it. But conscience alone, right and wrong--you cannot simply kill based on words," he added, a brief wince crossing his features.

Pride had killed, and aimed for death in others--the bones across the Throne were a testament to that. But it wasn't something that left one easily. He spoke from experience. Nightmares revisited him. Constant doubts--had he done the right thing?--plagued him. The worry that he was slipping too far, too easily, into violence dogged him every minute of every day. Nassir had tried to speak to him on it, but Nassir was dead, now; Pride's words, then, were those of gentle, sorrowful past knowledge, and not an empty lecture. There was a wistfulness in his tone, a haunted look in his pale eyes, that attested to this.

That wasn't to say violence wasn't sometimes warranted--and even the right answer. Fewer would have suffered if Blackberry had just died, sooner rather than later. He would have felt little regret at that. But he knew little of how much Tahi-shei had tried to avoid it--had the other deer tried to talk that one down? To show the reptile he'd killed a better way, first..? To befriend him? It didn't sound like he'd been under immediate attack, but... Pride would not, could not, judge.

As for Mother... "Regarding the fungus-... Is Vargas working with Astraea?" It was, perhaps, a strange first question on the topic, but the stag's expression had turned thoughtful.

After what had happened to Temperantia, he was far less likely to jump in without information. But perhaps Temperantia themselves would hold interest in this.

@Tahi-shei

He shook his head, looking a little nauseous. He looked away. "... Piebald. White all over." He closed his eyes tightly at Pride's assertions -- it was not something Tahi-shei himself hadn't considered, of course. A life had been taken. Of course Elias had friends, family, loved ones. Just like him. What if he'd had a James? Or a Comet? If he'd had mentors, mothers, dearest friends? He was already haunted. "I don't plan to do it again," he rasped, and took a moment to settle himself as his words doubtless sunk in for Pride.

Talk of business snapped him back to attention, and he breathed in deeply before straightening himself out. "I do not know," he admitted, clearing his throat again to level out his tone. "But I believe Master Vargas would be wise to ask him. I was selected for this task because of my skill with Fungal magic; Master Astraea is, of course, far more skilled than I am. Though I suppose he could always be busy." He considered that thought for a moment. Is it possible I was chosen to act in his place--? No, no. That's not possible. But I could certainly prove myself worthy of working under him, if I do well enough.

@pride

'Piebald. White all over.' A slight sigh of relief escaped through Pride's nostrils, at this. And another, along with a slow, sombre (and understanding) nod, at Tahi-shei's assurance that the kill had been a one-time thing.

Silver eyes drifted again to the disgusting crown, and Pride wondered at it. A brief, unwelcome memory came to him--Reseda's lifeless body, freshly-broken and still steaming, and the Collector appearing as if out of nowhere. His voice oily, his movements sleek, as he came to collect the golden collar fixed to the reptile's neck--as if he'd known. As if he'd been watching. Was he watching, even now-? Waiting for Tahi-shei to fall, to come and reclaim his little treasure?

Pride tried not to think about it.

He lightly cleared his throat, nodding again as if to acknowledge the topic truly moving on. "I must have words with Astraea, at some point. We--the Seven, that is--cannot work with him until then. He tricked one of our people" (and here the white stag's voice even cracked, a little) "into being severely harmed. They are... ranting, burnt. Maddened," he added, ears sagging and voice faltering, a little. There are too many things-... He looked up at Tahi-shei again, raising his head and trying to gather himself, some. "So Vargas is gathering others up to hunt down what remains of the fungus, I assume. I begin to wonder if it is even truly 'bad.' Temperantia spoke of it warmly, and is now... damaged. Full of hate, thanks to Astraea's treachery. I wonder if there are any heroes in this tale," Pride added grimly.

He shook his head. "I suppose that is left to us. I will speak to the others. Do you know what the plan is, exactly; or what it is that must be done?"

@Tahi-shei

Tahi-shei frowned. That didn't sound like Astraea. He glanced aside. "... Perhaps I will as well," he said, and cleared his throat before returning his attention to Pride. "If Temperantia was previously infected and now speaks highly of it, I know why -- it pollutes the mind. It is a warm and familial feeling, but it strips you of your individuality. It malnourishes you and turns you against those who love you -- if they are not willing to follow Mother, they are unclean." His face twisted up into a scowl. "I-- was infected by it, briefly, at the Raid. It drove me to infect my friends. To manipulate and trick. It was insidious, and a disgusting use of Fungal magic -- thankfully, it was purged from me."

He looked Pride in the eye. Perhaps I ought to find Temperantia. Maybe they would be a useful ally in this fight. Then, he recalled what Vargas had told him about their plans. "... Hm. I have been given one cycle to collect and train an army. I will be teaching all those who wish to learn a bit of Fungal magic in a few weeks's time -- a spell to remove the fungus, like Astraea does, and a spell to detect it in others. Then, I will bring them to Master Vargas -- for assessment, for training, and for further instruction. He has his own fighters, of course -- those skilled in physical combat, and those of his own group who are willing to fight. Nobody will be going in alone, as far as I am aware. We will be invading Mother's core, the center of the Hive, to destroy the infection in Origin Cave. This strikes me as an extended effort over the course of cycles rather than one coordinated attack; it is difficult to remove an infestation."

Tahi-shei's eyes were perhaps colder than Pride had ever seen them. He was calm and authoritative -- a general. A war prince. Deep within him, though, there was a nervous and desperate child, who just wanted to impress those in positions of authority. He was the same as he had always been, deep down. Maybe, just maybe, Pride would see in his eyes that skittish fawn he'd found battered and bruised along Orion's cliffs. Maybe he'd just see a general, coming to gather an army.

Maybe he would see something else altogether.

@pride

Pride's ears pricked forward, brow furrowing a little in some confusion as Tahi-shei began to tell him of Mother and its effects. "Ahh--no, I know. Hrm, it occurs to me that you do not know of my history with it--forgive me, I thought that was why you sought me out. No; I have fought it before. We had a battle, in Cetus--a large gathering of us brought to fight it, prior. That is how I met Temperantia--and they, like you, were cleansed of it since. Yet they spoke of it highly afterward, unlike you. I imagine they lived with it longer, but they seem unharmed by the experience, at least." Pride paused, thinking. "Not all took it so well. I know that at least one of them was immediately drawn into a violent rage upon being freed." Pride wasn't really paying attention to Tahi-shei's eyes; he saw nothing of a war prince or general or really anything else. His mind was on the topic at hand, mulling it over, debating.

Debating subverting himself to the Master's wishes. Debating trusting their word on this--on anything, now that he knew what they were like.

No-... No, he would not do that. Not again. But could he stand aside at a threat to the caves? Was it a threat, even..? Were these all lies from the Masters' tongues?

Pride exhaled, at length, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts, eyes focusing back on Tahi-shei. "I cannot serve one of them in good conscience. I will offer my aid, but not to be assessed or commanded. If Vargas can accept that, very well. If not, then he can do without my help. And if Astraea becomes involved, I cannot guarantee my decision--I will need to take that as it comes." Pride paused, eyeing Tahi-shei thoughtfully, the closest thing to a frown on his stag's face as he could physically manage. "If you wish, I will work with you to learn this magic, but understand that I cannot guarantee help. It depends on what happens. I do not want to... falsely represent myself as a sure ally, and waste your time. If that is acceptable to you, then by all means, teach; if it is not then I will let any Seven I run into know what you are looking for, and leave the personal decisions to them."

@Tahi-shei

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