Like an apparition, she padded through the dark. Her long legs made for graceful strides as like a ghost, she came. Eridanus was a cavern she often frequented, making for much more interesting scenery than the gloomy halls of Orion or the mountains of bones of Canis. Unlike much of the caves, Eridanus was ever-changing, and she liked to let the cycles pass her by as plants unfurled their leaves and withered in an endless cycle.

...oh?

As she neared the entrance of Eridanus, Fate was greeted by a familiar sight. She perked her large ears as she caught sight of an owl, grasping onto a stray branch of a tree that oozed out of Eridanus' entrance as though it were trying to escape the roots which bound it to the earth.

Fate approached, with a grin that was familiarly knowing, and bowed her head in greeting. Her body language oozed carefree grace, and she appeared oblivious to the aura of tension lingering around the bird. The more likely story was that she was aware of it, but chose to ignore it. "My feathery friend!" Fate crooned as she drew near. "It's been a while, Talion."


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Fate seemed unnerred, pausing, with a flick of her tail and twist of her large ears. Behind the smokey-quartz mask, her true expression was unreadable, but that parting of her maw to reveal a glimmer of fang appeared to be amused. "My my, aren't we prickly today," she sang, moving closer until she stood beneath the branch upon which Talion perched. She looked up towards him, craning her neck slightly, and lightly tilting her head. "Whatever could be the matter?" She spoke lighthearted, as though she knew full well, her tail swishing lightly.

Sche closed her jaws to listen to the bird's words, spouting bitter accusations. As though she'd rehearsed them a thousand times, the words came easily. "My dear, I promised that you were destined for greatness, not that you'd be handed it on a silver platter," she soothed. "Greatness takes time, and a lot of effort besides. I don't know when such a thing will come about. Your time could come next cycle, or it could take a thousand. But, with a spirit like yours, it's inevitable." The maned wolf exuded an aura of relaxation. She was at ease here, and, although it was impossible to tell, didn't even seem to look Talion's way. But she did. out of the corner of her eye she glanced his way, and her gaze lingered on the puffed-up bird.

"Of course, it could be that the very act of knowing has bred laziness, and changed your destiny. If that's the case, I apologize. Really." Her voice, though, was singsong and unapologetic, as though such a thing was inevitable in the end.

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"My my, it would appear I've struck a nerve," Fate mused, turning her muzzle away as though merely pondering to herself. "I think you know full well what, Talion. And if you don't, well... what are you still doing here? You have a destiny to pursue. I've heard there's a... wild goose for you to chase, if you're interested. I'm sure killing it would be very much appreciated." In fact, Fate had heard rumours of a growing presence in the caves, one full of vengeance and anger. A goose, conveniently.

But at a glance, her genuine offer would seem like a useless metaphor. No matter. Talion could do whatever he wanted. She was eager to see where fate lead him.

Her gaze snapped back towards him as he began his melodramatic charade, one that sent a grin crawling over her face. "Is that so?" she drawled, noticeably intrigued. Her tail flicked eagerly from side to side. "Why, I'd love to see that. To be the one to possess a fate beyond any powers of speculation, each day something happening that I could never have foreseen. Why, Talion, my dear... that feeling is what I live for. I want to see the day when a cave rat becomes king, with the cave's deepest denizens its subservient servants... We need the unpredictable to be predictable. When those around me run in pre-set patterns, and when I begin to see those patterns, I'll be able to choose my fate myself regardless of whether I see it coming. Or, maybe I won't. It's all a matter of probability. "


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Fate watched, clearly amused, as Talion's resolve gave way to confusion and then, finally, to the anger that she knew so well. Still, even Fate couldn't help but flinch as the owl's claws grazed the air a hair's breadth from her face. Sensitive, radar-like ears flattened as the owl's scream raked them like shards of glass. And then, he was gone, with a parting yell that seemed redundant, to her.

"Of course not," she murmured soothingly, to the empty air. "Somehow 'control', doesn't strike me as the main issue here." And with that, a solemn chuckle reverberating in her throat, the maned wolf padded after, quickly disappearing into the folds of Eridanus' ferns and glistening undergrowth.

-exit fate-

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