Mercurius was harrowed, least to say: the gemstone wall, still yet glimmering with the words of an ancient, rotting language, loomed over Polaris. Following the conclusion of the Olympics and announcement of winners, he had hurried away from even Faelan, staring at his own paws. The gryphon's words had truly stuck with him. Had the strange creature stuck around, he would have held an important conversation with him. This darkness was corruptive, a sticky eldritch energy that could only spread. But... from where? Why? Why had he, one only devoted to the light, been cursed with this? It was Her. It had to be.

Moonset eyes glanced into the river, glowing lights refracted on the crystals at its bed. Slowly, he knelt down and sipped from it, sharp and clean water cutting away any sense of paranoia as he relished in it. Sighing heavily into the river's flow, he picked his head back up, licking at his jowls and briefly running a paw over his whiskers, mopping up water with its side. Running his tongue over his paw, he set it back down. Absently, his eyes wandered to the wall, glowing words calling to himself. The scratchy tone of them sent spindly talons to clasp about his heart, choking it. Hoping to snuff out his light. One less light in the caves. Magicka bubbled above the din of static rising in his head. Mercurius felt his breath hitch. Darkness crept in on the corners of his vision, called forth by the sight of words he should not bear witness to.

His paw slipped, incidentally, into the freezing waters of the Crystal River. Stirring him from his reverie, dazed and stumbling. A sharp woof escaped him as he scrabbled against the slick surface, barely escaping the threat of tumbling right in. He wasn't the most proficient swimmer, yet found himself with his rear raised in the air, back uncomfortably arched as he braced himself against the cold rocks. His paws had already gone numb. At least it was something to keep his mind off of the ancients.

Now, if only he could figure out a way to edge his way back up and get back on solid ground.

@Vaessa

vaessa kindness is not weakness

Vaessa had been taking a nap and dreaming of formless colours and mystery figures, when a loud noise woke her from slumber. She wasn't mad to be woken up - she'd gotten enough sleep to feel refreshed and it was only supposed to be a power-nap anyway.
But behind the stone, where she'd laid down to rest, she couldn't see the source of the noise. Stretching to banish the remaining tiredness from her limbs, Vaessa peered around the stone.

She saw a large creature (it seemed to her that everyone was much larger than her, she had yet to see someone even vaguely as small as her) at the edge of the river, standing half in the water and half on the riverbank. It looked awkward and uncomfortable.
"Help?" Vaessa offered the creature as she trotted towards them, nevermind that she probably couldn't possibly help the much larger Gembound in any way. But building rapport with them couldn't be a bad idea, could it? So far, all of Vaessa's attempts at making friends had worked and she liked the idea of helping.

The small puppy looked at the Gembound and stood at the riverbank's edge - though not too close, lest she fall in and be stuck down there too. Vaessa was pretty sure that she wasn't strong enough to pull the other up by the tail, so she didn't try. It might even hurt them!

We are not always what we seem,

and hardly ever what we dream.

@Mercurius