The stag was too closely-focused on his magic now to pay much mind to either feline. It wasn't that it was a do-or-die moment; it was more that maintaining the mist long enough to then focus on the boiling of it took intense concentration. Pride steeled himself, carefully peeling his mind from the one spell to the other, concentrating on both at once.

The proof that it was working came not in an increase of temperature, at first--he was careful not to boil himself, after all, or his allies--but in the quiet, gruesome popping of hundreds of tiny carapaces. Even Pride, no stranger to violence, grimaced. And this isn't their fault, he thought, again. It was a grim thought; for their fault or not, they were dying by the dozens all around him. And at his hand--or, hoof, rather--to boot.

Soon the mist had converted wholly to hissing steam, steam that rose up around them and faded. In its wake were swathes of dead green millipedes, but looking around, Pride noted grimly that they were hardly making a dent.

"I think perhaps it's best if we guard the tunnels in and out for a day or two, instead. Warn those coming in what they might be dealing with. We have... what, four tunnels coming out of Orion?" A quick headcount, and a frown. "Five? -We can't cover them all. I could cover two, with Mischief, but--that's my familiar," he added, toward Reign.

Pride glanced around, and sighed. "That being said, I doubt anyone could miss that noise." The constant sussurration of a million tiny feet continued. "We could at least warn the other groups?" he suggested, looking to the cats.

Pride glanced grimly at Reign.

"Everyone is, for the most part, asleep or... gone. I do not know, with all of them. A moment," he added, in afterthought.

A clattering of hooves took him back to Livius' chrysalis (and never let it be said that Pride was not, at least, a loyal friend) and there he focused again upon his magic. A flare of magic, and his own stone--or rather, the same type, one he knew to be hard and strong (if brittle) shot up around the chrysalis, and over it. He'd remove it later; Livius could, if they somehow woke now, clamber out anyway.

"I cannot leave King Livius' chrysalis for too long," he said, turning back to the others with a worried expression on his face (and never mind the crunching under-hoof as he returned to them). "-But that diamond should keep any of these worms busy for awhile, if they swarm the stone. Reign: I am trusting you now, as I wrongly trusted Zothra, to do just as you say: to make the rounds, to warn the other groups of this as quickly as you can. We angered Nemean, by not killing this Rezik; and now Orion is not safe, and its gemstone-eating swarm may spill over into other caves. Warn them, would you? Nassir can, as you say," and here he turned to Nassir, nodding appreciation, "watch the tunnels to Pisces and Monoceros, meanwhile, and I will watch the eastern ones as best I can. Come back and relieve us as soon as the others are warned, so we can rest--we'll need to switch watches on Livius's stone..."

The stag sounded distressed, grim, but at least he was still thinking clearly. He awaited some confirmation from the others--and, assuming he got it:

"Good luck--and swift travels, Reign. We'll catch up once you're back, yes?"

And then he turned, clattering off toward the tunnels to the east.