Mayfal went down.
Why?
Well, Mayfal heard one time that Kaimana went there. Kaimana needed something and that's where she went. But...Kaimana didn't come back with anything. She could have, but she didn't. She didn't want to pay the price.
But Mayfal needed something. They thought they'd always needed it but never had it. So Mayfal snuck out of Pegasus and went down to Canis, ready to get a quote.
They weren't wise enough yet to realize they were already powerful without it. They were still hot-headed and prejudiced. They hadn't learned to accept themself yet and feel powerful in that self-acceptance.
They walked into Canis, mostly unfazed by the clattering of bones or the pools around their paws. As they reached the point where the top of the cave grazed the tips of their ears, they slowed to a stop.
They were determined to meet him. And then, hopefully, to see him.
"Collector!" It was a timid demand for his presence. Mayfal would not be happy to be disobeyed.
The way this one moved, he suspected there was little reason for visible theatrics. Of course, he couldn't be certain, and it never hurt to keep in practice; and so when the Collector appeared, it was with a flash of light and a flourishing of black cloak.
"Here, as it happens," he crooned, his voice smoothly silky. This was not one that he knew, but his tone held that purring warmth as he went on. "And who might you be..?"
@mayfal
In Mayfal's darkness, they heard a fwub fwub fwub and then a voice. This was it. Here was the Collector. Here was their chance. For a small room, the acoustics were still enough to disorient the fox. And nothing else had changed besides the quietness. Everything was still cold and smelled like the old bones Mayfal was standing on. They would have to take a stab in the dark at the Collector's position. This was why they were here anyway.
They turned toward the entrance of Canis and declared to it, "I am Mayfal."
Okay, this one was... unique.
It was staring (blind? he thought) off at nothing, and said only its name, offering nothing else. He fought briefly with his impatience. His voice showed nothing of his irritation, still smooth and silky-pleasant as he spoke. "A pleasure to meet you, Mayfal, and an honor, I am sure. Now, to what do I owe the pleasure..?"
@Mayfal
Mayfal didn't like the way this Collector spoke. Mayfal had never tasted sugary treats, but somehow they could taste his sickly sweet voice. It didn't feel right. In fact, it felt uncomfortable to have to hear him so clearly. It would be best to keep this interaction short.
"I was born without the ability to see. I want that right." It was said in a little bit of a rush. Partly because of the discomfort, but also because Mayfal had been wanting this for so long already. They were tired of not seeing what others saw. Mayfal wanted to Comet's white fur and not have to grab her tail anymore when exploring. Mayfal wanted to explore! And hunt without so much fear of failing. There were so many things they could do if they could just SEE. They had no more patience.
"I want to see."
'I want that right.'
...Ahh, should he correct her? Inform her that no sense was a right; that her life itself was but a fleeting gift, something that should never have been given? A grin crossed his features, beneath his hood. No: he would leave that unsaid. Let her wallow in her ignorance, for now. He had games to play.
"Alas, I cannot restore your very eyes... but something to take their place, perhaps. But I do not give away my gifts for free, I'm afraid. I am a trader: a merchant. So tell me, little one: what can you offer me in return for this power..?" He made no suggestions of his own, as yet; let him hear what she had to say, first.
@Mayfal
Something to take the place of eyes. As it so happened, Mayfal did not even know what eyes were. They assumed that that was what allowed regular sight. They could have almost the same thing. That was good enough. Was it?
It had to be. Mayfal knew that there were really no other options. But they had no offerings. Maybe this was why Kaimana came back empty handed. But she has lots of things, unlike Mayfal.
Mayfal had skills. Hunting, catching fish if they were lucky. They could hear and smell rather accurately in certain situations. But none of these could possibly equate to gaining the ability to see.
All Mayfal could really offer was the truth:
"I have no physical possessions. I have skills like most other creatures. Hunting, fishing, smelling, hearing." Then Mayfal remembered the most important thing they had, what maintained the life inside of them.
"And I have fire! Would any of this be helpful to you?"
Helpful? Helping a shady stranger was more something Comet would do. Oh, they couldn't wait to SEE her!
Every idea he had crashed hard as "ah, but this one's blind" rendered it impractical.
At length, he gave up.
"Ahh, yes; fire!" he settled on, enthusiasm in his tone. "There is something you might do for me, then. There is a cave, just beyond the newly-opened place of snow: it is called Pegasus. Meadows, forests, that sort of thing. But without periodic burning, the leaf litter thickens, the forest grows dull and lifeless. I would task you to go there and burn as much of it as you can--leave a little, of course, for its regrowth, but burn down the majority. This will enrich the soil, you see, and get rid of detritus," (and never mind all the Gembound who lived there, now). "In return, I have an item that will bond you to a creature, and you will be able to see through their eyes. Will this do?" he asked, his tone a crooning one.
@Mayfal
Pegasus. Pegasus was their home. The image of their home going up in flames was sickening. And the thought of it all being because of them, Mayfal could taste bile. But then the Collector said something that gave Mayfal so many questions.
"A bond? To what creature? Do I get to choose which creature? Will it be only one creature ever? Or can I change which creature I'm seeing from? Will it be all the time? Can I stop it if I choose to? You know, what you're offering is very vague. I offered a very concrete thing. What you said doesn't make a lot of sense without further explanation."
Mayfal could have kept going, but they remembered what they would have to do and their sentence trailed off.
A demanding little thing, wasn't it..?
"Ahh, my apologies," the Collector sweetly crooned. He swept into a low bow (with a deliberately audible rustle, though who knew if she would know the gesture), as if to acknowledge his failure in offering all the details. "I would need to examine the item again, mind you, but I do believe I remember enough of it to give a fuller picture. That is my mistake... Yes, you might choose the creature. But it, of course, must be a Lesser; it must have a stone to bond with you. You could, perhaps, abandon it and choose another if you decide to; but you will be truly bonded in the meantime, sharing emotions, simple thoughts--not in any words, mind you. Lessers are basic creatures, incapable of words. That bond cannot be turned off, no; that is the nature of its magic."
And then, he waited, hands steepled; the fox's questions were answered.
It was funny, how the questions asked were rarely the right ones, but that was part of the fun, wasn't it-?
@Mayfal