Kin-Kin padded into Polaris, deeper and deeper, as she searched for a trace of scent. She'd never met the stag before- she'd seen him, briefly, but she had no way of knowing what he smelled like. For all she knew she could have smelled him a thousand times over without even an inkling that she'd found the trace. Still, she padded on, simply scouting- following all the trails she knew until eventually she ended up somewhere near the eyes.

Here she stopped to rest, dropping her nose to lap at the crystal-clear water, sending ripples out across the formerly pristine surface of one of the pools. Her light shone bright, refracting on the rippling surface- and for a moment she met her own eyes, unchanged for so many cycles. When her thirst was finally quenched, she couldn't help but admire her reflection for a moment before backing away from the pool, licking the remaining moisture from her whiskers.

She'd wandered all the paths she knew here, although she'd never come here often, and still knew that she was no closer to an answer. The stag could be anywhere- and it was impossible to see very far odd the beaten track. it was part of the reason why she'd dallied and debated on coming here for so long- taking short trips and finding nothing. But the time had come for her to leave her comfort zone.

Having finished her short break, Kin-Kin looked around and considered where to start.


" speech "

As she heard an unfamiliar voice, Kin-Kin's ears turned first before her gaze quickly followed. For a moment she brightened in a momentary hope that her search would be over, but that hope was dashed as her gaze settled on the bird. Trying not to show her disappointment, Kin-Kin didn't sit down but turned towards the other Gembound.

"Kin-Kin- Demigod and master of light," she introduced briskly. But perhaps another Gembound- an adult, no less, could be useful- especially a creature with wings. Perhaps they could help her search. The she-wolf's glow brightened. "Nice to meetcha. You wouldn't happen to have seen a stag around here, wouldja? Normal brown, I think. Red stone on its head?"

She thought for a moment. "As far as I know, he was last seen 'round here."

" speech "

In a moment, Kin-Kin's hope of an easy victory was snuffed out. She sighed softly, but nodded at the bird's offer of help. "Yeah, sounds good... you have wings, so perhaps if you-" She paused, cutting herself off as there was another rustle in the undergrowth. She turned, and as she caught sight of the stag emerging from the undergrowth, the relief on her face was tangible.

Not seeming to notice the bird's failed attempt to alight on her back, Kin-Kin approached the stag so that she stood opposite him, and settled back on her haunches. "Just the gem I've been wanting to see. Yo!" she greeted, semi-formally, as she curled her tail about her haunch. "So I've, uh... I've come to ask about something. Something important."

Her ears twitched towards the raven, and she wondered briefly if she ought to chase the bird away. After all, she'd come to speak with the stag. But Kin-Kin would be careful; and if the elder turned out to be untrustworthy with her information, Kin-Kin considered that a pair of wings to carry a warning to Polaris would be useful. She didn't yet trust the bird either, though, but at the very least it had offered to help. She released her breath.

"Have ya ever seen a purple orb?"


" speech "

Kin-Kin's ears twitched. She took a moment to consider- how wise would it be to give all the details? But she supposed if she was to get a reliable answer, she'd need to give enough. Still, as another Gembound appeared from the treetops, her ears twitching wordlessly towards them, Kin-Kin became aware that they were gathering a bit of an audience. She felt the hackles along her back rise slightly, safely hidden beneath her cloak.

Finally she let out a breath.

"It's a large orb, round. Like... a gem, but not. But... touching it causes terrible pain," the wolf said simply, and without emotion. She had to know. Were there there were more orbs out there like it? What was it for? Had it belonged to a Gembound once? There had to be a reason for its existence. If anyone would know where it had come from, it would be the stag. Kin-Kin watched the deer's face closely for any change of expression, knowing that the orb was safely hidden away.


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