Mud, mist, and rot - Printable Version

Dragon considered, as he listened. The little one was speaking a great deal, and some might have been annoyed by it, but he paid attention with the ageless patience of a reptile.

The black dog, he knew; Aquarian, of course, rarely answered. He started to open his mouth to say as much, then slowly closed it as Wilder went on. He did not know many of the names she listed, nor the Gembound that she described, but he knew of Canis. The mention of a tiger that hung corpses made him wonder. Prey? Decoration? If it were as savage as "corpse decoration" would suggest, it would have likely eaten Wilder.

...Though, he himself was comfortable with her presence here, and hadn't he once decorated the Divine with entrails? Never mind, he thought to himself.

"Hmm. That is a great deal of good information. I will trade you fairly." He thought, for a moment, and then he began. "There are two pools of silver water in the cave of many plants. Do not swim in them. There are nightmares and cold beneath, and it will consume you. Here in this cave--and in many others--you may be tempted to hunt in dark crevices, for your rats. Be very careful, for the cave spiders hunt there with snares of web, and many are far larger than you. There are large rats that mimic sound; they can trick you into fleeing if you believe their noise--but always be careful that it isn't a trick." He paused, thinking. That was three helpful pieces of survival information. He considered, and then went on. "The ice phoenix Tenzin and the stag with the mushroom-antlers have fought alongside us before, though it does not make them our friends. Our allies, temporarily, against the dragon. " And he had already warned her of Nemean. "At times, the lights in the caves go out. It is good in those times to know magic to create light. Usually it is a problem with the round thing that turns in Polaris, near the Spire. You can seek it there."

There. That seemed fair.

Dragon thought, again, mulling everything over in silence. The idea of someone gathering "family" in Canis interested him, moreso with Wilder already claiming she'd join them, as well. He realized almost at once that she was likely young, and may forget the Children as soon as she'd wandered out of the cave; she was too young, certainly, to be depended upon as a stolid member. Still, she might be of use to them.

"I have a task, little one, that I would ask to set you. If you are willing, would you speak to this Aure, and tell him that I--father of the Children of Rot--would speak to him?" He'd have asked of the Bloodberries, too--it would do well for a leader to meet with others--but she had already described them as savage and he had no desire to send her into danger.

Perhaps he could pay them a visit himself, at some point; for now, the Canis "family" held his interest.

The alligator tilted his head to peer up at the wisp, temporarily distracted. He then looked back to Wilder, rumbling with thought.

He did not warn her to avoid the Bloodberries--he'd only just now heard of them, for the first time, and Wilder knew more of them than he. If she described them as savage, but chose to go to them regardless, that was wholly her decision. He did not think it either foolish or wise; he did not know enough about them to form an opinion.

Well, aside from their name being rather foolish; but then, he hardly knew all of the caves' plants. Perhaps there were red berries, somewhere, called "bloodberries," and these had named themselves after them.

"The light is good, for when the darkness goes out," Dragon said at last, his deep tone as close to "approving" as it ever got. "As a Child, you may rest here if you wish. Take from the pile if you hunger; but do not linger there or Aquarian may swallow you by accident. When you go, pass on my message, and you will have my thanks."

He couldn't think of much more to say, or do, though he did add--after a brief and thoughtful pause--"Do you have any questions?"

The alligator rumbled thoughtfully, and then turned, shuffling himself to face into the swamp.

"I will try to find out."

His jaws cracked open, and a plume of flame roared high into the air, illuminating the mist in many directions. "ARE ANY OF THE CHILDREN PRESENT," he bellowed. "THERE IS ONE WHO WOULD MEET WITH YOU."

He then pausd, listening into the mists--wondering if anyone would even answer.

The Children were rarely sociable; they were often off, and doing their own things. Were any even close enough to hear..?

Dragon rumbled in surprised pleasure as a couple of the Children crept out of the dark. He pushed aside the grass and a few other calamitean reeds as they spoke, listening.

"I wished to introduce you," he offered, before immediately adding--"It is good to see you both."

Wilder had introduced herself, and so he added on information without again giving her name. "The little one bears knowledge, and travels perhaps where we do not. She speaks of other groups within the caves: in Canis, some called the Bonebound, led by one named Aure. And elsewhere, she speaks of savage ones called... Bloodberries," he went on, still bemused by the name. Perhaps Wilder had misheard it..? "I have asked her to ask this Aure to arrange a meeting. It would be good to know them. Serek, you are from Canis, are you not? Do you know of them, at all?"

Dragon was curious, curious about these others--what their goals might be, what they might intend to do. He'd swear he knew the name "Bonebound" from long ago, but he couldn't say how, or when. It held no emotion with it, in any case, so perhaps he had merely heard it in passing.

"How are you both faring?" he added, glancing to them.