Tahi-shei had been on his way from something of a date with James when he'd been distracted by a strange sight indeed from down the hill -- a hulking black creature, perhaps the largest he'd ever seen -- no, wait, I know her! was crouched in the grass and staring at something. He followed her gaze to the hard-to-make-out, colorful shapes a distance away. He wondered what her intention was -- she was too far away to pounce on one, and they weren't big enough on their own to make a meal for her.

He watched in equal parts muted horror and gruesome intrigue when the rabbits crumpled like tin foil and were snapped up by the Sleepless Chaos. That was a cool party trick -- he'd have to keep it in mind, especially because now, her head was whirling on him. Black frills spiked up around his body in preparation for an attack, but instead, she seemed to be more interested in talking. He flicked an ear -- he could handle that.

The stag moved a bit closer, just enough so that she could hear him without having to shout -- she was tall, so he wanted to be able to look her in the face without too much issue. He wasn't quite sure where the eyes were, though. "I am Tahi-shei Deimos, the Fungal Prince," he said first, a brief waver in his voice quickly silenced. He gave a sort of bow in the incline of his head. "As for what, I am many things. A stag, a scholar, a master of the Fungal element. Not comparable to the Master, of course... but, then, I do not think anyone could be." A touch of humor and the appropriate amount of reverence were in his tone. He looked the creature over for a moment, and tilted his head slightly to the side.

"And you are?"

Tahi-shei watched Draconua approach him, and he held steady. He did his best to ignore her swallowing the Lesser and to ignore the way his pulse was thundering in his ears. Every cell of his body screamed to flee but he did not -- he met whatever he assumed was the predator's gaze, and he held his ground. He was terrified, but he was not a coward, and more importantly he didn't really want to be chased. So despite the sour tang of fear in the air, he held steady, and sized her up in turn.

She was massive. Dangerous. Heavily armored and capable of mass destruction. In a twisted way, beautiful. Sleepless Chaos was an excellent title for her; he wondered briefly if she was a Master, but noted that Vargas had not mentioned someone called the Sleepless Chaos. And he did not wish to challenge her. She reared back, spitting and disgusted, when she mentioned the Hive -- Tahi-shei's blood ran cold, and his eyes narrowed slightly at the mention.

Was this a test? Was the Leviathan keeping tabs on him? Draconua was not a spy for the Hive, she was disgusted by it, she held no fungus within her -- still, he echoed her disgust. He had not even spoken the word and it felt bitter on his tongue. Then she was whirling on him, and she was lethally calm, her words like the tip of a sword pressing against his throat. He straightened himself out and flicked his ear in mild annoyance -- he did not like being questioned, but he supposed he needed to practice this little speech.

"I will direct the Master's armies towards it," he said cooly. "I will cleanse those who can be cleansed." Adrenaline spiked through him, and he almost challenged her. Almost. "I have skill with ranged magic," he said instead. "I can redirect an opponent. Weaken them. Keep them away from me." He shrugged lightly. "I could kill something, if given enough time." Nausea tore through him, but he hid it well. "But I am not a creature made to stand on the front lines of war. I am a strategist and a general standing behind the army." He looked up at Draconua, his eyes alight with fire. "I am too much of an asset to be captured by the Hive," he said, spitting the name as if it were something foul.

He held his ground, but he did flinch -- after a moment, he took a step back, not a mess of panic but instead a calculated action so that he could see her more clearly. He felt the tension hang in the air as she considered him, considered his words, and he watched

Tahi-shei’s ears raised in surprise. Without exactly having his permission, the words came — “Watch where you tread, Draconua. You’re insulting Masters.”

He hesitated, as if realizing who — what — he’d just smarted off to, and then decided it was better to follow through. “This current outbreak is not the first that has clawed its way through these caves. There was a first, cycles ago.” He shook his head. “Order, vile Order, took and destroyed. It corrupted and it stole and Master Astraea cleansed all those who had been afflicted with it, because it was not their fault.” He expected her to argue, so he kept going.

“I am unsure of your experience with the corruption, Sleepless Chaos. But I am intimate with it — and so is the Master that you serve. Vile Order was unleashed on us at a Raid to open Ursa and the other Caves beyond it; many Gembound who had bravely risen to fight were infected, and many of them were purged. But the infection was persuasive, and it was not something that could be fought — simply held at bay for a moment.” He raised his nose. “I was infected. As was your Master, and many others who did not wish to be. I saw a creature tear at his own skin with his desperation to be rid of it. And we were purged, thanks to the efforts of Master Astraea, a Gembound called Esther, and my partner James.”

He let that sink in for a moment before he continued. “A few of these Harbingers escaped,” he said, spitting the word. “I hope that they can be purged, as I was. As your Master and many of his spawn were. This is why I lead my army, Draconua — but do not call me a coward or a fool. I tread in the trails of Masters and I am willing to return Gembound to stone or remove them altogether if it means keeping those I care about safe from the crystalline stagnation of the Hive.”

He eyed her. “You are not responsible for who has manipulated you. This is a lessen I have learned through hardship and difficulty -- I was able to recognize when the Hive lied to me. But not everyone has had the experience I have. Mercy is not weakness, Draconua -- it is always worthwhile to have others in your debt."

Tahi-shei narrowed his eyes even though he couldn't properly see her. "Forgive me," he said, audibly irritated but still trying to be smart about this. "I simply assumed based on your apparent lack of knowle--" he said, cut off immediately by a sudden shock of cold.

Cold. Cold all over, cold consuming, cold cold cold-- so cold that it burned and he couldn't help but gasp. It licked up his body violently, like real fire, and the smoke made his eyes and mouth burn. It was like Hell on Earth, and the ice-cold violence did not help matters. It was like flint striking rock, a cold fury, urging him towards violence.

So he complied.

"STOP THAT!" he snapped as his nauseatingly horrible spores were breathed out over her. This one would cause a headache alongside the horrible sensation. "I might not be able to pierce you with claws and teeth, Draconua, but if you attack me, I will hurt you." He had a followup, even now. "I am a servant of your Master. Do not test me here unless you are willing to face the consequences." Perhaps, however, she would hear the slight quiver of pain tinging his voice.

Tahi-shei knew, objectively, that it was just magic. He'd seen others use it -- magic from the Wild Hunt. He himself had a version of it. But she still looked monstrous, and if he'd had a face, it would have paled. His stomach churned, his ears pinning against his will. All of his fur was standing up, but he knew that as long as he behaved, he wouldn't be hurt.

She was antagonizing him. His eyes narrowed, but he held his tongue. No matter how much he wanted to snap back, she was right -- Draconua could kill him with one well-aimed smack, and he'd be powerless to do anything about it. Each of her teeth were probably as long as his face. There was no snark to be had, here -- Draconua was no master, but still, he knew better than to test her.

"Then I'll see you then, Draconua," he said, his voice somewhat raspy from the smoke and the yelling. He dipped his head, and then, calmly, turned his back (not that he couldn't still see her; the magic of the Crown permitted that, even if she was directly behind him) and went on his way towards Tunnel F.