Wilder stumbled forward, panting heavily as she ran as fast as she could. She hadn't gone far from the place where she had been talking to Pride and Envy, but it had been far enough for her fear to grow. And what if she was wrong? What if they were actually just going to the Bonebound and she was betraying them again for no reason? She didn't like doing this, sneaking around and betraying those she thought of as friends. She and Pride had survived the dark, twisted cavern together, they had both died together. They weren't close, but she considered him good. And now...now she was doing everything she could to stop him.

She stopped and paused. There was a way to find out. Why she hadn't tried again after she had failed was beyond her but she still could know the truth. It had only been a few minutes since she'd left so she only looked a few minutes forward. She closed her eyes and focused, willing the future to open, for a glimpse of the possibilities.

And she saw what she dreaded. Pride was running with Envy on his back but he wasn't going towards Canis. He was heading towards the tunnel that Wilder hoped he wouldn't go to. They wore grim, determined faces and Wilder knew exactly why. She didn't have to look any farther to know what was going to come next.

She'd never beat them there. Not with legs like hers. She could call for Aure but he would never make it in time either. If only she had friends in the Kingdom she could call them down or if the Children of Rot cared for her at all. No...one thing popped into her head, though, and she desperately cried into the air, "Aether! I need your help! Please!" She had no idea if the creature would be able to hear her or not, but it had said call for help and it would come. So she continued to run while she waited, hoping that her friend would appear.

Perhaps ten or fifteen minutes passed. Wilder was gone--likely in the far tunnel by now; Aether arrived with a flutter of wings and a sniff of the air.

It found--nothing. The area was empty; he knew the link and the one who had called down it, but they were no longer here. Baffled, and concerned--perhaps the cat had been fleeing an enemy?--it lowered its nose to the ground, trying to find her scent.

The scent that it caught was not Wilder's--but it was not familiar enough with her to know that. Hesitating only briefly, it began to swiftly follow the odor of a cave rat back and away--the exact opposite direction from where Wilder had gone.

Aether exits. Wilder may attempt to call on him again once she has arrived at her destination, though it will take time, as before, to travel the distance.

@Wilder

Aether wasn't coming. Perhaps it hadn't found her. But Wilder was almost there now, the tunnel was up ahead. Maybe it was just behind her, trying to catch up? She didn't know, but if it didn't show up soon she'd call it again.

*exit