[Quest] Spy vs Spy - Bonebound

The first to seek out was Aure, of the Bonebound.

Astraea didn't know much of them, but he knew enough. Canis was perfect for his needs.

Flanking him to his left was the Collector, and Astraea could practically hear him grinning, greasy and leering, beneath his cowl. On his right was Rezik, like a smaller, blue mirror of himself, and the only creature the Master had ever seen manage to combine both haughty arrogance and fawning servitude.

Disgusting.

Astraea paused, drawing himself up, looking over the fields of endless bones. These, at least, brought a brief and twitching smile to his face. He lifted his head, and called out, his voice carrying through the cave. "Auré, of the Bonebound! Come, and gather your people here."

Wilder heard the call as well, but unlike Giggle, she was much less informed on the going-ons of the caves. The time she spent with the Bonebound, she usually stayed a little ways away, in the place she hid in after the incident with Aure had scared her enough to stay away. And she split the time between this place and with Bauble at her home in Polaris, wondering where Regalia could be and waiting anxiously for the third stone to hatch...but it had yet to move.

She was in the right place now, at least, still around from the Bonebound's meeting. She lifted her head and bounded towards the source of Aure's call and had to stop herself from rushing ahead at the sight of the three creatures before them. Still, her face split into a grin (born of ignorance and, for sure, stupidity) when she saw both the Collector and Rezik standing next to a deer she didn't know. "Aure, hey, Aure! That's Rezik! The blue one with the funny antlers. He's really really old! I woke him up," she puffed out proudly, as if that was a great, proud accomplishment. Perhaps she truly didn't understand the magnitude of what Rezik had done in ages long past, nor the irony of not only harboring the stone of the one he'd murdered, but having given life to it (although King N'chard's stone hadn't hatched just yet).

It'd been a hot second since Aure assembled the troops for something with such urgency. Eythan's first thoughts were oh shit, this is how we go. A call for caution could only mean untimely death with one misstep. From his nest high up in the Chambers, the gryphon swooped low and quick on broad wings. Using his weight to propel himself through the air, he made quick time.

The first thing he saw, of course, was the Collector, still probably named Algol of all things. What a silly name, go put the dunce cap on you used cars salesman. Crimson eyes narrowed, ears flickering back, but he otherwise kept his claws to himself in light of inspecting the strange faces next to the tall dark lord. Either weren't familiar to him, and that set him even further on edge.

Eythan alighted quietly - with only a click of his talons to announce his presence behind Aure.

Astraea waited in dour silence. Their leader had arrived, and he studied him, wondering if he were large enough, strong enough, for the task he had for them.

And--'Be cautious!' Hrmph.

The stag snorted softly. "Caution, yes," he agreed, his voice somehow calm and acidic both. "We must all show one another respect, and be careful not to offend." Ruby eyes stared, for a beat. When the rest had gathered--and the smoldering of the ram's hooves didn't go unnoticed; Astraea eyed him with puzzlement--he looked them over. "This is all of you-?" For a moment, he glanced to Rezik, wondering if this was even worth going through with. He then looked to the Bonebound, and sighed through his nostrils.

"I have a task for you. Gather more force, if you can--you will need them. This," and here he turned, stepping aside and looking to Rezik, "is, as the cat has pointed out, Rezik. Rezik located a deadly threat within the caves: an ancient evil that has arisen, and has in the past subjugated uncounted creatures to its will. They serve its foreign will until they are nothing but empty husks, slavishly defending their foul nest. You must keep him safe in case of retaliation, whilst I ensure that there are not other nests that must be rooted out. Perhaps one, or two cycles," he added. "And be wary of those trying to draw you in to a hive-mind, or near to a smell of rot." The stag paused, eyeing Aure again. "If you succeed, you will be rewarded. Algol, you will reward them suitably, won't you? With something other than your usual trinkets," he added, well aware of the Collector's tricks, and of his purpose.

The Collector scoffed. "My 'trinkets' are treasure beyond measure. Aha-... that rhymed," and he giggled, claws tapping eagerly together.

"And if you fail..." Astraea paused, looking over them one by one. "It is very important that Rezik survives. If you fail, you will be submitting two of your members to the next Trial. Two of your choice; but I will still be... displeased," he added. "Still. Protecting an innocent victim, when others would prefer to see his death--hardly a distasteful task." Astraea eyed Rezik over. Completely distasteful, he thought, with disgust, but did not say.

The stag looked back to the Bonebound. "I will see you again in two cycles. Rezik; go with them, and do as they say, within reason."

Rezik dipped his head, staring briefly at Wilder, not--for whatever reason--greeting her. He seemed almost cold as he paced past her and in toward the other Bonebound. His voice came clipped, cool, and haughty, as if he were displeased--even disgusted--to be amongst such filthy rabble. "I am at your disposal, I'm sure."

When Rezik paced forward, Wilder grinned widely at him, opening her mouth to greet him, sure that he would greet her back, but he ignored her, pacing cooly past, with a strange face like he was stepping through vermin. She paused for a moment, wondering why he was doing that. Wasn't he her friend?

She'd brought him back, woken him up after what was surely a very very long slumber. How long was he in his chrysalis, waiting to wake up once again? If she hadn't come along, perhaps he would never have woken up. He'd been grateful, then, to have woken up, but he'd just...left her. And now he seemed to not care at all. He hadn't given her a smile, a nod of his head, even the tiniest of greetings, and it utterly broke her heart.

He smile disappeared from her face in an instant to be replaced by concerned confusion and dejection. She looked down at the ground as Astraea was speaking, catching words like "keep him safe" and "members to the next Trial" and that was enough to get the gist of it. Fear clenched her heart when she realized what the stag was saying. Two to the next Trial if Rezik dies...

Panic was about to consume her for a moment when Aure's wing draped over her shoulder. At first, she thought it was to comfort, but when she looked over, the serious expression on her face was...oddly calming and brought her back into the moment. She took a shaky breath and opened a link between their minds. It was weak, but it was there and she began to show Aure what she'd seen of Rezik.

And as the memories surfaced and she remembered as if it had happened moments ago, horror returned. She was, at last, actually thinking about something and it was really paying off. She showed Aure the memories she'd seen at the Eyes, of King N'chard's last moments, betrayed by Rezik, killed for defying the Masters. How N'chard asked for advice from his friend and Rezik returned it by drowning him in the Eyes."I thought that Rezik was just trying to protect his people, because N'chard wanted to run away and live free. It was probably impossible and Rezik just wanted them to survive. But seeing him now working with the Masters, I'm not sure what his motives are. Maybe I just wanted to believe he was good too..." She showed him a brief moment of Ancilla's last, horribly painful moments, Rezik's voice echoing in the background, almost a sneer. "He was foolish. They do not tolerate such talk." The brief snippets of time of slavery and servitude, ending with Rezik laid to rest in the mud, and, finally, the few moments she interacted with the real Rezik, Yoosung standing beside her. He was polite, refined, and calling her "Mistress" and Yoosung "Master". "He seemed okay, then, but he's so much different now." The link suddenly cut before she could say anymore and a headache was starting to develop. She made a small sound of displeasure but tried to compose herself as the world spun beneath her.

She blinked a few times, trying to clear her vision, whispering softly to Aure, "Sorry, I can't keep it up much longer right now."