For ages, Fortune had lurked in Canis without a word. She was sure the old Bone King had forgotten her. Time sculpted the duiker from a base of childish naivety and gullibility to a silent and wise statue. She had watched the Bonebound fall apart, one by one. She'd observed the King's sadness consuming him. Yet, she waited. She felt as if she could not come into light. It had not been time yet. Fortune was waiting. What for, she did not know. A new era? A chance to seek her own redemption for being so absent? There was one thing that was certain about her, however.

Fortune was patient.

She always had been. As far as she knew, she was immortal. Her days were not numbered like mortal beings worlds away. Fortune had plenty of time. There was an infinite expanse of time to wait out. The day that she heard screeches and sorrowful wails echoing through the cavern she called home brought Fortune back to the present. Those sounds told her that it was time. Time for her to finally return to the light.

Slowly, she strode out from the shadows. Her pace was slow at first, but it quickened as she raced across the room into the Chambers. Oceanic eyes blinked once or twice as she slowed once more, approaching the source of the wails. The pale prince. The hybrid had always seemed so pure and innocent, as if nothing could make him cry, as if nothing could stop him. What was wron--her thoughts reeled as her gaze settled upon the scene before her.

Fortune's form seized up in that moment, legs unwilling to move anywhere but towards the fallen King, sprawled on his back with still-warm blood trickling from the remains of his windpipe. Unexpectedly, the man's stone seemed to be gone. Eyelids falling to hang loosely, the Duiker quietly sat at Carni's side, slowly nuzzling the hybrid. "My prince... no, King... do not cry. You're alright... He is... free." Was that the right way to describe death? Fleeting? Freeing? Silencing...?

@Carni

So lost in his misery, Carni didn't hear the old duiker approaching. He only noticed her once she'd pushed her nose into his fur and he startled, twitching with the fitful sobs that still played from his mouth.

He knew her face, but only in passing. She'd been a lurking pressence here since his birth. Fortune.

Taking in her appearance now, somber and concerned, he choked back another sob and pushed himself into her, wings dragging on the ground and body shaking with his hiccuping cries. At first, he only cried. Then he fell silent.

With a voice still sodden and raspy with strain, he whispered.

"Father's gone. I'm not ready. It's not fair. H-How did this happen? W-Why? Fortune, I'm-- I'm not r-ready for th-this!" His eyes were open again, wide with terror, because holy heck he was King now. Just like that. Prince to Ruler in less than the blink of an eye. He wasn't ready. He wasn't ready. He couldn't do this.

He had to, though.

Azazel had named him Heir for a reason. He had grown up thriving to be the best monarch he could be. A King to make his Kingdom proud, his Father proud.

The thought only made his chest tighter, breath quicker. He gasped for air and broke into another moan of dismay, burying his face into Fortune's shoulder again, because how could his four short cycles be enough? How could he do this? Azazel was never meant to die! Only retire! He'd not only lost his beloved Father, but now, he'd lost the only advisor he'd ever considered. Ever trusted.

What was he going to do!?

As soon as the ancient ungulate nuzzled the child (well, not necessarily. He was fully grown, but in comparison to her, he was still a cub) in an attempt to soothe him, every wall the bone-pale prince had built up crashed down. As the slightly taller, yet lighter, Gembound pressed into her, Fortune about fell over. She managed to somehow keep herself grounded and from collapsing, however.

She spared a little lick to his forehead, as she'd seen others do, and was promptly almost disgusted. As soon as Carni was alright, Fortune would see to it that he properly bathed himself. If he were to face what remained of The Bonebound, he had to look his best. Fortune continued to simply nuzzle the child as his sobbing continued for only a little longer. Slowly, he fell quiet, seemingly tired of crying.

Fortune's ears swiveled forth as choked words filled the air, sourced only by the new King himself. They quickly drooped, however, as she glanced off to the side, half-lidded eyes staring at scattered bones somewhere near Azazel's crown. Each word she thought of was carefully analyzed and placed together in her mind. The duiker allowed a small, soothing smile to creep onto her face, pulling her lips upwards.

"Carni, I believe that you are ready as you can be to become the new Bone King," she whispered quietly, nuzzling Carni's forehead again. "Do you really believe that your father was prepared to be a King at first? He was barely two cycles old when he created the Bonebound." The ancient watcher then gazed upwards at the now empty nest lying at the very peak of the Chambers. A sigh escaped her as Carni buried his face within her shoulder once more.

Slowly, she pushed her haunches to unfold and stood. "I've been watching for cycles... Time has taught me many things. I could guide you." Smiling, she bumped her head into Carni's own shoulder.

"You'll be a fantastic Bone King... I can see it in you."

@Carni