She had a lot of cycles to think about it. A lot of cycles of things just...getting worse. The world lay unexplored as she wasted away in her tiny little hole. But who could blame her? She was sick, weak, barely able to move. Her spells weren't working anymore. Not at all. And it wasn't in a way where the spells she cast had no effect...she simply could not use magic. Her body was too weak, her gem, too strong. And she had given up, apparently.

But today, there was a surge of energy in her. A surge of need. Behind the headeaches, which had grown much, much worse, behind the constant fevers and chills, the nosebleeds, the weakness, the failing eyestight, yes, behind all that, there was something else. A realization perhaps. A revalation. She had always known she was walking towards death. But now...death was here, just around the corner and the real truth slammed into her hard - she was dying.

It had been something she had been thinking for so long but now it was a certainty. Now she really had that thought, said it to herself, truly realized it for the first time. And the spirit that had been hidden behind fear, hopelessness, depression...it was all back now. Her thirst to see and to experience. She didn't know how long she had left, now. She didn't know if it was enough time. But she would be damned if she would waste it sitting her ass in this tiny tunnel for any longer.

Upon coming to this revelation, she knew what she had to do. She uncurled herself and stood her ground for a moment before wobbling as fast as her weak little legs could carry her. Every step was more unstable then the last, every moment was more difficult then the one before, but it didn't slow her down now. She needed this now.

She got as close to the Throne as she could without having to climb any of the steps and stood for a second, panting with the effort, her head ringing and a small trickle of blood leaking from her nose, although she didn't pay it any heed. She waited until the spots disappeared from her vision before gathering as much voice as she could and shouted in her tiny squeaking voice, "ENVY!!"

@Envy

Envy had been healing. Since the unfortunate attack had occurred, their wounds had scabbed over and bones had begun to mend. Countless broken and quills had begun to regrow in a chaotic mess of tines. But still, their fur was fluffed out around the marks the binturong's teeth had left and their undulating lope was lopsided with a pronounced limp. Focus on the act of healing meant less even less of a focus on keeping themselves nourished; and so all their bones stuck out.

They were a mess, but they tried their best not to show it.

They'd been hiding from just about everyone in their Kingdom, even Charity, to an extent. Their daughter didn't seem to mind, which they were glad of, if a little aggravated that she didn't seem to worry as much as they wished she would. Pride knew; and knowing that made Envy feel better as much as it did worse. Envy trusted him, but he was too beautiful to possibly understand how they were feeling.

They tried hard not to let it get to them. They were, after all, a king. A proud and noble king.

But as they heard a shrill and piping voice by the throne, Envy felt all the certainty desert them; they knew that voice, and they knew the stakes. They couldn't let Amazon see them like this; they were a role model to her. They were the very epitome of overcoming challenge and staying strong. She couldn't. But then, by the time their wounds had healed...

Envy couldn't think about it. They felt a bout of nausea rise in their belly, and almost mechanically, set off for the sound of Amazon's voice.

Soon, they were descending the throne room stairs, step by painful step, trying to look grand, but knowing full well that they were just a tiny, and bedraggled weasel. They tried to numb the feeling of embarrassment as they neared; but it was too late to run away now. "Amazon...?"

Speech. Thought.

@Amazon

Amazon turned as Envy's voice rang out behind her. She opened her mouth to speak, to ask them her question when she saw the state they were in. Many of their quills were missing or half-grown, scabs on their body, and a heavy limp that made her think they had been hurt, and hurt very badly. For a moment, she was speechless, her plans flying away like dust on the wind. "Envy...what happened?"

Her heart sank. If Envy was like this, did that mean they couldn't take her? No, they couldn't take her, not in that condition. But she didn't have time, not nearly enough time, to wait for them to heal completely. She didn't respond immediately, fighting this internal battle of her natural selflessness and the selfishness required by the short future she had.

@Envy

Envy knew that Amazon had noticed the wounds immediately; and for a moment they could do more than to wince inwardly and look away, their gaze trailing instead over the ancient ruins around them whilst their paws carried them, hop by hop down the stairs, to stand beside her. There they settled, laying their mess of quills, both broken and still whole, down flat.

"It's... nothing," they said after a moment. "I was under a spell, and got attacked when I couldn't fight back. Nothing I could have done." the weasel recited, with nervous haste. Their tail flicked, bone gently tapping against the ground.

"Besides, it's almost gone, see? I've been using magic to heal myself!" They shook themselves, but rather than falling flat their fur fluffed up, exposing in parts the half-healed tissue and scabs. Their ribs still ached and breathing still hurt, but it was nothing compared to when they'd first stumbled back to the Throne. "...Anyways. What brings you here? You were looking for me, yes?"


Speech. Thought.

@Amazon

Amazon very much wanted to tell Envy that it was okay, she would just go back to her den, but she couldn't. Not now. This couldn't be happening now. Her little eyes closed for a second while she battled the conflict out in her head. A little dribble of blood ran down her nose but she didn't even notice.

After a moment of silence, she opened her eyes again. "I'm sorry that happened to you." She gave a small, amused smile. "I wish I could say I'd hunt down the one who did it but I fear I wouldn't be able to do much." Was that funny? To her it was, but she wasn't sure if Envy would take it well.

Okay, enough was enough. No more beating around the bush, no more holding back her question. She wasn't going to scuttle back to her cave. "I want to go now. Go out and see something before I can't see anymore. I know you're hurt...and I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate but...I don't know how much time I have left."

@Envy

She joked. Wasn't a very good joke, but a joke nontheless. They snorted with feigned amusement, baring small white fangs and pricking their quills. "I'm sure you could make their ankles very sorry," they offered, unhelpfully. It probably wouldn't help Amazon feel any better, but they were trying at least.

Envy's ears twitched. They took a moment to consider, remembering all those cycles ago when they had made the offer. Their kingdom had been so young, Charity's entire existence hardly a fleeting thought. They'd had so much less to worry about, so much less to do, and so much less to worry about. since then, all their petty worries had increased tenfold. Their kingdom had grown and shrunk, and was still shrinking. There had been tensions and wars, parties and injuries.

And now, perhaps, it was all coming to an end.

Greed had went awol, Lust had flown. Gluttony had long since disappeared. And Now Amazon was dying.

They could use a break from all of that; and... they didn't want to admit it, but if Amazon was to die, Envy didn't want to send her away. They wanted her last days to belong to them. They didn't want her to just... disappear one day, and never return.

"Sure. I could use a break."

Speech. Thought.

@Amazon

Envy's jest back did, in fact, make Amazon feel a little better. She flashed her own teeth, tiny as they were, and fittingly a little bit bloody from accidently swallowing blood earlier, and let loose a small laugh. "They won't even know what bit them!"

In the moment that Envy took to consider her request made Amazon tense. Did they not want to go with her anymore? Did they think her a waste of time? Were they too injured or too busy to go anywhere with her? But their final response released the tension and she sighed with relief. "Thank you Envy. I really appreciate it. I know you've got a lot going on but...I just can't wait any longer."

Now that it was settled, the only had to decide where to go. Pride had taken her to Pisces already...so that was off the list. She had been hatched in Polaris and Orion had been her home for nearly her whole life. "What's you're favorite place to visit? I don't know a whole lot about the caves so can you decide where we go?"

@Envy

Envy appeared slightly relieved that Amazon was laughing, as they, too, let out a chuckle, their quills softly trembling and baring their teeth. "I'll bet!"

Their chuckle faded into a quieter melancholy as she thanked them, and they nodded, unsure of what else to say. "It's nothing, really," they paused, hesitating, thinking hard about what they were going to say. They knew what they were thinking, but they shifted uncomfortably. Something about Amazon's presence made it feel a little easier to say, but even so they gritted their teeth against the embarrassment. "I mean... I've been thinking about leaving the Kingdom until my wounds heal. The Seven shouldn't see their King like this."

As she asked them where their favourite place was, they took a long moment to think about it. They hadn't left Orion and it's neighbouring tunnels in cycles. "Uhm, have you ever been to the warm cave? it has big pools of water, all of them warm, and in some places there is fire under the water. I assume not... it'd be a long way for--..." they paused, cutting themselves off. What had they been about to say? For someone so small? For someone who's dying? "--For... a little lizard. But I could carry you."

Speech. Thought.

@Amazon

Amazon nodded and found herself understanding Envy's plight. She didn't like it when people saw her when she was really sick either. That was the whole point of her hiding in her little cave for multiple cycles. But still, she worried that he would be too injured to take her anywhere. Perhaps she should cancel the trip.

No. She had done that time and time again. She was going to go now, on her trip. Even if it was to see one more cave.

A room, though, filled with water? Water with fire underneath? She was intrigued and stepped forward. "That...that sounds incredible! I had no idea that there was such a place! I'd love to visit, as long as it isn't too far for you." She happened to catch the meaning behind Envy's pause, but it didn't hurt. Perhaps it would have before, but she didn't care. Not anymore. She was a small, dying lizard and that was that. Why get caught up in things she couldn't change?

@Envy

Envy thought back to the last time they'd visited Fornax-- it had been cycles upon cycles ago. The tunnel to reach it was icy, and rough; it might take some time to get there, especially with their wounds. But they could always stop to rest along the way. And plus, the weasel was fast; they didn't need to stop and hunt, they could simply siphon nutrients from the world as they walked.

They grinned.

"Of course not. And if it is, we can stop to rest on the way." They pattered towards her, moving in a quick circle, serpentine body carrying them quickly around as they studied the best way to pick her up. She was quite spiky, so they didn't think they'd be able to scruff her. But she'd rode draped over their back, before. Then again, their quills were also spiky, and they didn't want to pierce her from below, especially whilst some of them were broken and jagged.

Then they remembered Pride, and, with a thrill of jealousy, his armour.

They could make some of that, surely. The weasel perked up, pressing both of their paws against the ground.

To their immense satisfaction, they felt a powerful thrill of magic seething through them, culminating in the earth at their paws. Gemstone emerged from the earth, forming a golden arch, perfectly smooth on top, and with a gap at the bottom. Small clusters of crystals had formed at the foot either side of the arch; perfect for Amazon to hold onto. It was designed to hug tightly around their ribcage, forming the perfect little seat for her.

After a moment of contemplation, Envy squeezed under the arch until they felt it tighten around them, then straightened up, and found that it came with them. They winced as they felt it around their ribs; their injuries protesting with a dull ache. It slipped a little, from side to side, but their quills mostly kept it steady. Still, it might pose a problem for scaling vertical surfaces, which... if they remembered rightly, there were a lot of in tunnel M.

Reasonably satisfied, though, they turned to Amazon. "Well? You coming?"

Speech. Thought.