The trio picked their way through the bones of Canis, for whatever reason or another that it was there. Wandering, journeying, looking for excitement, they all had their own idea for why they walked seemingly aimlessly.

Buckley wanted to find more friends and talk to more people. He had enjoyed the light companionship they'd found in the dungeons. Ishani wanted to see more of the caves, the wonders and horrors, and find more experience for all three. Gore...well, Gore wanted to find enemies to battle. It'd been training hard with the swordstaff and, now that they were well and full grown, and the muscles in its neck were hardy and powerful, it could swing it around with fair ease, although it still sometimes clipped a bit of Buckley's beautiful mane.

It held the staff now, quiet (it had the additional benefit of shutting it up for a while) as its burning eyes regarded the bone-strewn cavern. It realized Buckley was faltering in his steps and pulled back a bit on its own legs, looking down with annoyance.

"What is it, Buckley?" Ishani curved around the side of the body to see why they'd stopped. The lion was staring at the ground, at a broken skull sitting among the bones and rocks. "Uh. Is this a DEAD THING?" Gore snarled and leaned his head over, setting the swordstaff down so it rested against their body. "YES. Did you not REALIZE? This whole cave is filled with bones. Those are DEAD THINGS." It bared its teeth. "How I wish to know how they died! Perhaps a great battle or a culling, ah, to participate in the bloodsports would have been glorious!"

"Hm," Buckley mumbled, but he looked quite unhappy. He quickly rolled a shoulder to let Gore know he was ready to move and the goat quickly picked up the staff again and the Triage began to wander through again, although now Buckley was much more careful to not step on too many bones or skulls or anything that wasn't rock. Ishani kept an eye out in his stead, wondering what kind of creatures would deem this a fit place to live. And why it existed in the first place...

"Buckley is speaking!" "GORE IS SPEAKING!!!" "Ishani is speaking..."

@Anteros

Anteros couldn't count the days as they passed from where they slumbered nor did they feel inclined to. Instead they drifted in and out of sleep, on occasion being woken by the distant sound of some lumbering beast, yet none beside Helion had ever come close enough for them for Anteros to get a glimpse at them. They assumed such a creature would look like either Helion or it, it wasn't like it'd seen any evidence to the contrary.

After their rough introduction, Anteros had grown to rather like their nook. It wasn't especially spacious and they weren't sure once fully grown they'd be able to fit inside of it still. But at the moment it was a reprieve from the horrible lights outside, on occasion it'd dim, but Anteros could never discern when it would turn on again.

They were curled up against the farthest wall of their nook, eyes having already slid closed when they heard it- one- two? No! Three voices! Anteros sprung up, slamming their head against the caves roof in the process. They hesitated at the caves entrance, trepidation gripping their heart even as it thudded with excitement. Was this..safe? What if Helion saw them- what if-

What if Anteros was stuck in here forever? As much as they liked to sleep. It wanted to see the caves beyond this place, at least get something more comfortable to snuggle up with.

Using one pair of arms, they started to shuffle out of the crevice, folding in their wings. A deep, excited rumbling emanated from their chest, though it sounded more like a growl than a purr. Thick, oily spittle dripping from their maw as it's claws latched onto a pile of nearby bones, using it to further slither out.

There was the problem of the light limiting their sight, but Anteros was hesitant to use their magic to try and assist them. It hated the thought of having to be dependent on it for every little thing.

@triage

They were just in the process of passing relatively close to the cave where Anteros was currently clambering its way out. Buckley was at first distracted, still trying not to step on or break any of the bones they stepped through. Ishani smelled it first, a rotten taste on the air and turned at the first sound of claws against stone. She hissed, and Gore reacted, snapping its head to the side, which caused the blunt-end of the swordstaff to slam into Buckley's head.

"OW!" He buckled to the side ears ringing from the blow, and glanced back at Gore. "What was-"

"Buckley!" Ishani hissed, glaring at the thing emerging from the cave. Gore was already stomping the ground a bit as he prepared a charge, but Buckley didn't move, suddenly frightened by this thing. Oil dripped from its body, it snarled and growled and its claws scratched tracks in the stones it fought to free itself from. Buckley tried to step back, but Gore stood in their way. Flight was out - fight was next and Buckley was not a fighter.

So, instead, he reached forward to attune himself to the mind of this creature. To try and get a hint of its intentions before this got messy.

He felt its excitement. Not malicious but an innocent thing. Light. Anxiety as well as his own heart began to speed up. Was it nervous about something?

"Hey, calm down, Gore," he mumbled. "It's okay." The goat, however, gripped the staff tighter and narrowed its eyes. A hoof pawed at the ground. It was ready to go. Ishani seemed to be in the same place, without the insight Buckley had gleaned, poised and ready to strike.

So Buckley kept his feet solidly on the ground. Anchored and intending on keeping the body from moving further towards it until they'd cleared things up. "Hey, are you okay? Do you...need help?"

"Buckley is speaking!" "GORE IS SPEAKING!!!" "Ishani is speaking..."

@Anteros

Anteros' claws drove shallow gouges into the stone as they continued to try and slither their way out. Eyes squinted to brace against the harsh light, it could just make out an approaching figure. Yet, there had been three voices, so where were the other two? From the little they could make out, the creature looked nothing like it or Helion.

Strands of oily drool continued to drip from its lips, yet their eyes held no malice. Only a simple, almost childish curiosity. Even with the corruption eating at its mind, telling Anteros' to maul the intruders, whispering into their ear all the grisly fates they could torment them with.

Did it need help? Even Anteros' wasn't really sure, what did it even mean to help? "Don't know." The creature gurgled, continuing to struggle. It's voice was raspy and worn from disuse. "Can..you take me somewhere else? Somewhere better to sleep?"

Buckley stared, confused. Somewhere...better to sleep? Did it not like the cave that it was coming from? Was that not its home? He glanced back at the other two and was relieved to see that Ishani was leaving her strike pose, although she was still tense. Gore, of course, was still huffing and puffing and ready to charge. He didn't both with it at that moment.

Wondering if this was some kind of trick or trap, Buckley again flicked his magic open and felt for the beating of hearts. He felt his own, he felt Gore's and Ishani's and he felt the creature's. Nobody else's, save for small rodents and critters some distance away.

"Um. Sure. I know a few comfy places to sleep. They're not, uh, here though." He looked around at the rest of Canis. "It's a bit rocky here." The creature also seemed to be having trouble getting out - the crevice, after all, was pretty dang small. They certainly wouldn't fit through it. "Um are you having trouble? Here, I can help you." And, without even really thinking about it, Buckley stepped forward, but quickly stopped with a startled flinch when the swordstaff slammed on the ground in front of him.

Gore's eyes burned with rage. It couldn't speak with the weapon gripped in its jaws, but it snorted loudly and growled. Ishani hissed. "I don't think that's a good idea, Buckley," she whispered, curling around towards his ear. "Look at it. The oil, the claws. There is something wrong about it." Buckley looked unsure and confused as he looked between his body-mates and the poor creature trying to free itself from the cave.

"Buckley is speaking!" "GORE IS SPEAKING!!!" "Ishani is speaking..."

@Anteros

Ears swiveling to follow the three voices as they discussed between themselves, the creature let out a bitter huff at Ishani's observation, ceasing their struggle momentarily. "I am..troubled, yes." what was wrong with it? Their temple throbbed, muscles ached, black bile seeped from their mouth and eyes. "I think I'm sick." that's right, being sick meant that there would be an end to this, eventually. "Very tired, not comfortable, like you said."

Anteros recalled a detail that'd slipped past them in their excitement. "I hear three voices, but only one set of footsteps." It's ears swiveled, trying to catch any more of the strangers movements.

All this excitement was making them tired, but they had to stay awake just a little longer. Just in case these creatures weren't as friendly as they seemed.

As they were addressed again, Ishani turned this time, eyes narrowed. She looked the creature up and down, observing it properly, the thin proportions, the odd cape-like wings, the black bile and the fairly feral look to it all set off danger alarms in her head. "We are not a healer. If you require one, you should seek one out."

Buckley frowned and glanced at the snake, thinking that was a little rude. The creature was still excited to see them, wasn't it? He batted the sword staff aside and took a proper step forward - only one, because Gore wasn't walking with him. "We can help you find one. What do you think is wrong?"

And...oh, right. Yes, that. He started and looked back at the rest of his body. "Yes, there are three, but we share a body. I am Buckley, that is Gore," He gave a flick of his head in the direction of the goat-head that was currently staring daggers at the creature, mouth silenced by the pole of the swordstaff. "And the snake is" "Ishani." She quickly cut through his introduction, tongue flickering. "We are Triage. Do not get us sick too."

"Buckley is speaking!" "GORE IS SPEAKING!!!" "Ishani is speaking..."

@Anteros

"Maybe if I wasn't stuck, I could." It pointed out with poorly concealed frustration, it was finding that voice to to be the most irritating of the trio. Though, at least one of them seemed to be showing proper concern for it. "I'm tired, but when I sleep, I have awful dreams." Anteros explained to the best of their ability. "Black..stuff, leaks from my eyes and my mouth, sometimes it tells me to hurt people, I think, or find people to hurt."

And even if there was someone out there who could help them, Anteros was certain their..creator would be displeased. "I don't know if I can leave, they'll be mad."

@triage