The topaz was ruined, it figured again with another glance. Regret twinged again. Alpha looked away, kept licking at its hand.

Dragons — that was… safe. Pride'd already known about them before. Dread (the sensation, not the dragon) thrummed a discordant note through it at the thought of seeing the Overseer, informing him of this apparent meeting. He will know. If not from deduction, the stag would certainly tell him. Unless —

"He… is a carnivore — hunts deer," it stated warily, an indirect yes.

Pride's invitation didn't get much of a response, only more hurried licking. Consideration, even if it already planned to avoid another interaction like this. Socializing was… unfamiliar, difficult to navigate. Tricky. Terrifying.

Alpha jolted, setting its hand back down and tensing as the stag's spell backfired, blood spurting out and pushing him into sudden motion. Cleaning out its wounds briefly forgotten, it looked Pride up and down. Not so immune to his own magic —

It shook itself, head turning in a smooth motion to scan all its exits, every corridor made by ruined buildings. Setting it level with its spine, the orthoclase slunk closer with a few large strides, just about crouched down in front of Pride, and whispered quietly, "don't say anything about me to him."

Those glowing eyes had probably never looked so earnest or pleading.

@Pride

It saw him bleeding.

It tensed, looked around sharply, checking--exits? Is it checking exits?--and lurched to a point right in front of Pride. He tensed sharply, ready to spring back, blinking past the stench of blood in his nostrils--but it did not pounce; it whispered. He wasn't sure if it was begging, or a threat, but-... it didn't seem like a threat. Surely it would be a growl-?

Pride went from thanking the caves that he'd re-raised the repel 'barrier' to pushing away--holding back, at least--the adrenaline that threatened to rush his body into shakes. "You've nothing to fear from me."

He considered, for a moment; he did intend to intervene, a tad, on Alpha's behalf but did he actually intend to address the topic so directly? It wouldn't be wise to simply blurt, "I want you to treat Orthoclase-Alpha better, maybe free him from your entire bizarre quasi-civilization" because the Overseer was likely to say no and then punish the Orthoclase for it. No; he'd have to get the lay of the land, first, and go from there. "If you like, I can tell him I am impressed by you," he offered, mildly. Perhaps a... a good report would serve it well.

@Orthoclase-Alpha

Alpha stared into those silvery eyes, but found that it wasn't sure what to look for in them. Unequipped for earnest, it backed off a few paces. It'd have to take that. Nothing to fear from him. Of course not —

Pride suggested that he put in a good word, but it again seemed… not so genuine. Or was that its perception, again? It stared, ironically looking like a deer caught in the headlights. The orthoclase turned away with a quietly dismissive grunt — with maybe a half-nod — and slunk off a few feet.

Pausing, the monstrous thing looked down at the discarded bag of popcorn-and-beetles and the half-shattered, broken topaz. It ducked down and picked up one of the larger shards in its mouth, glanced back at Pride, and stole off.

exit alpha, unless stopped?
@Pride

Pride watched him go, and turned, pensive.

It was time, now, to clean himself up--and to start planning. He had to decide what he wanted out of meeting this, Overseer, and how to go about getting it. If it holds command over Orthoclase-Alpha, it must be powerful. Very powerful. Likely, he thought, a very competent magic-user, using those like Alpha as its foot-soldiers.

Something about it taking the single piece of gemstone with it left him... sad. Not angry, not sympathetic--only a little empty and hollow.

Why did such things still have to be-? And on the heels of that thought came brief determination; they didn't. Not when he, or the Seven, stood for a better life.

He would do what he could--surprisingly to himself, for Alpha; but for the dragons, and for anyone else who might find themselves in this 'Overseer's' path.

exit Pride