DREAM IN MY SOUL
AND I WON'T LET IT GO

Ever since that day --- when the only remnants of the Bonebound (that he knew of) came --- Eythan had been warier, more careful in his actions. One might call it paranoia, but he refused to give his actions such a moniker. It was caution, he promised himself, rationalizing why he moved his hideout for the ninetieth time that week. All because he knew he would be found out, that they would come for him. He had offered too much information in hindsight. Giggle would go looking in Canis's mud and find that damned skeleton and do her bone-reading bullshit and they'd tell her absolutely everything. It was, perhaps, the fault of not knowing her too well that he was so paranoid. Despite living right near her den for the majority of his life, Eythan was still unfamiliar with the full extent of her magical abilities.

To say she scared him was an understatement.

He swooped down, primaries curving ever so slightly in the force, keen eyes searching through the dimness of the lights (which, by the way, he hadn't bothered to check out the generator situation). His stomach growled petulantly, begging for a meal. However, for someone who hadn't had any source of nourishment in about a week or two, Eythan was doing quite well. That is, until he caught the gleam of one red eye in the darkness, iridescent feathers capturing the Spire's light. The stench of carrion and rot filled his senses and he recoiled. She was here, ready to kill him and find out what he had done---!

Fuck, he murmured softly to himself, ducking behind a stalactite. His claws locking into little cracks, he pivoted to look down. Tail flicking and hitching up behind his back, Eythan managed to maneuver himself to face toward the cave floor. Wings loose and ready to catch wind, he dropped dead toward the floor. He hoped to snare the hallowed caller on the way down, talons spread toward it. If he could, perhaps, silence Omen, he could escape to live another day.

DREAM IN MY SOUL
AND I WON'T LET IT GO

Claws quickly and eagerly shredded through feather and flesh and bone --- a feeling becoming sickeningly familiar to him --- and he snapped his wings out. The hallowed caller faded from view, crashing down towards the earth. With a soft thwoomp! of feathers combing through the air, he hovered for a moment. Pushing himself upward into the air, Eythan perched atop a rock once again, straining his eyes through the dark. The bio-luminescent plants dotted around the cave gave some insight into what direction he was actually facing, but not to any sort of cave exit.

The Spire was to his right, pulsating vividly, outlining him in its vivid blue glow. He was most certainly visible from below, but unable to find Giggle. That rot-stench was overwhelming him. Eythan could hardly think as he looked around wildly. A spark of magicka flitted through his skull, igniting his horns and eyes. Darkness, miraculously, swelled around him, pouring from every bit of his being. He had intended to summon a great gust, but perhaps stealth would be a better alternative, despite the glaring bright eyes peering from his shadows.

With the billow of wings and smoke, Eythan took off dead ahead, claws stretched out in front of him, searching for some wall to follow to an exit.

DREAM IN MY SOUL
AND I WON'T LET IT GO

Shadows trailing behind him gave to light, the tell-tale gleam of his eyes being his downfall. The snap of teeth far below him was enough to tell him that, indeed, he had been found. Suddenly, his entire axis of balance shifted violently. Eythan struggled to right himself, but down he went, overcompensating for a slight shift to the right and spiralling out of control. N-oo! He keened as he went down, trying to discern up from down. Sticking his limbs out abruptly and flaring his wings, Eythan felt his limbs crumple uneasily beneath him with a sickening pop!. He jumped to his feet, stumbling and wincing as he did so. Automatically, his feathers flared out, trying to correct himself.

"YOU KILLED AZAZEL," echoed a voice behind him, prompting him to whirl around, absolutely shaking. He wanted so badly to say something but words escaped him, the weight of everything he had done smashing down onto his shoulders. "N-no! I told you! Carni did! The damn bastard did it and fuckin' wore him and tried to take over the Bonebound!" It would be futile, however, as his voice wavered and Eythan backed up. His wings were held tense, drooping down in preparation to take off at a moment's notice. Totally not suspicious at all. His ears flickered back and he edged along the wall, calling upon magic again. His whole body was off, for lack of a better word. "Giggle, p-please. I didn't do it. I didn't---I wouldn't. I'm sorry about Omen. Is she okay? I thought it was just---a hallowed caller. In Polaris." A feeble wind began to blow around himself, barely enough to serve the purpose he wanted. Damn his lack of practice.

DREAM IN MY SOUL
AND I WON'T LET IT GO

There's other callers, Eythan called out, bracing himself. The frantic, rage-bound hyena came at him, jaws bared and ready to strike. By some miracle --- even in his state of disturbed balance --- he managed to flap his wings and get some lift, jumping out of her furious warpath. The hybrid landed quite roughly again, but at least it was a better fate than being at the mercy of those jaws.

His eyes narrowed, tears struggling to rise and choke out his voice. Every single thought was blurring together and he whined, please stop it. I can't think! I didn't do it! Spreading out his talons, he tried to balance some more. I didn't. Carni did! Eythan's voice hitched, wavering between pitches. He dissolved into a haggard sob, looking down abruptly and feeling the world spin around him. A spot of red grew in his vision, shrinking as it fell. Just before he fell with it, his stone glowed with a flash of magicka. The breeze from before shifted towards him, swirling lightly, barely. His beak collided with the stone, and he shrieked brokenly, n-no! not again! His wings opened, limbs flailing slightly as he saw it all over again, all from his late father's view.

YOU GOTTA FACE UP, YOU GOTTA GET YOURS
YOU NEVER KNOW THE TOP TILL YOU GET TOO LOW

Eythan managed to open his eyes --- not quite remembering when he had screwed them shut so tightly --- to see the hyena stalking toward him, magicka buzzing in the air as fungi took to her body. The bones? He whispered, barely audible over the gust. He still felt as if he was falling, the wind buffeting at his cheeks and stinging his eyes. Tears unbidden slipped down his face and he smiled bitterly. Ha. The bones. Eythan shut his eyes again, shaking his head, arching his head up towards the roof of the caves. His father, vanishing far below, blipped out of existence. Balance slowly, but surely, came back to him.

He should've hid the bones better. I shouldn't have trusted him with that. A dark look fell over Eythan's gaze, shadowing his eyes as his head dropped back towards Giggle, still approaching. The gryphon clambered to his feet, tch!ing as he did so. His hackles rose and talons flexed. I didn't kill anyone else but --- it was an accident. It was one last shot at reason, one last shot at trying to fight for his life now that he was grounded.