mary, did you know? - Printable Version

There was much they learned from their father about the Kings and despite uncertainty Sword held his head high with confidence that they'd be able to do this. All around Orion, they'd trekked- and it was fitting to reach to the Throne for their eventual summoning.

If only they knew their lamb father's name. Then, the irony would only be stronger, but for now he was simply enamored by the showcase of bones atop the stone. And what a weird stone it was! Sword paces around it while Crown stared at the gem-encased skeleton, Sword much more interested in the shards of gem scattered here and there accented by the odd structure they had to climb.

The bleat drew his attention to his brother, and Crown had already begun to find his way on top of the rock. Oh! Right, the Kings. Shaking out his feathers, Sword stepped around to look up to his brother scaling the scene. He was called for again, and- what did he want? Oh. The Throne looked rather lopsided in this ritual, and Sword's head tilted as he moved to scramble up beside his brother.

What now? The glow was fading- not a good sign in Sword's heart- and he opened his mouth cautiously. "Um-" His voice was soft and he ruffled his mane. "What- do we say..?" He shuffled from hoof to hoof, but before receiving an answer, he lifted his neck to bleat out a question. "Hey- Kings? Kings of Orion? Are you there?"

Too bad he didn't have some loud magic to spam out here. At least he had his already loud as it was voice.

At first, there was silence: only dust, and bones. And then came distant voices, drifting from a gap in Orion's far wall. The pair would need to go closer to make out the words, but if and when they did, they would hear a heated conversation taking place. The glimmer of violet-blue light at times flashed along the entrances of this little cavern, and a few stray Batcat creatures roosted fitfully above its mouth.

To enter the cave itself, the two will need to pass beneath the Batcats undetected, or risk attack.

Meanwhile, the voices are clear enough to be heard, once close:

"It doesn't bear interfering with-" "There are times when interference is necessary. If nothing is done, they will-" "So we ask others to help the hunt! I do not see a problem."

The first voice was careful, measured; the second gentle and the third, brash.

"Is that the interference you would provide, Alnitak?" said the second, disapproving. "And what would you do?" The voice held a sneer. "Need I challenge again-?" "Perhaps... there is another way."

A flutter of hundreds of wings--and down went the batcat swarm, a tangled mass of flailing black wings. Screeches, then, as they fought over the banana--a banana swiftly torn apart by claws and teeth. After a moment, two glowing, glittering batcats erupted from the rest, spiralling away with angry cries as the rest pursued them--and the pack swept away along the ceiling.

There was a moment free to enter...

There was... hesitation, in all three of the birds within the single being. It looked like one creature, surely--an ethereal phoenix-like creature, streaked with the stars of galaxies, with violet and ribbons of light--but three voices came from its throat, in turn.

"We are," it confirmed, gently. It bobbed up and down in place, a light floating, as if thinking. "Wings--they only ever come for their rewards! Ha!" And then, a third voice; "Please... remember what we agreed upon." There was a loud, and annoyed, sigh--from the second voice, it seemed--and then the third again began to speak. "Something will be coming, soon. A hunt... And we are divided on what to do."

Alnitak interjected, glee in this voice. "A grand hunt! A chase, a kill." "No... The creature should be helped." Alnilam's response was gentle, but firm.

"And I think we should not interfere in what must be. Please--it will be soon. In the next few cycles, by your count. Bring your allies; bring others of your kind. We will... give you wings, perhaps, if you come to us, if you do as we ask. Soon," Mintaka said again, pleadingly.

"Thank you," the Three Kings offered, after a moment, the voice combined, as if Mintaka now spoke at the forefront of them all.

The banana-gift was inspected. Recognized, even, and the Kings let out a soft coo. The banana was snapped up in a heartbeat--vanished, even; had it been eaten? Or merely... consumed? Did the Kings even need to eat-? It wasn't clear, though a moment later, their galactic form did begin to shimmer a sparkling gold.

"Perfect," Alnilam offered, to a scoff from Alnitak. "And I am Alnilam." "I am Mintaka." "I am ALNITAK," crowed the final voice, proudly.