Howl went to feel a little ounce of regret for being so mean to the filly, but all he found was a bit of a bittersweet feeling. He had pretty much just bullied a child and nearly enjoyed it. Reconciliation would have to come later. Well, if he even remembered that. He had orders to give, because he just voted for himself to be the leader of this scavenger hunt. He momentarily faced away from his crowd, eyeballing the returned piece and sniffing it, but not without first sneering derisively at the python, "yersssssssss too."

With a smirk across his face, he swung around to his new companions. "Ah thin' tis piece is from Orion, so we gotta look elsewhere!" Placing a hand under his chin in mock thought, he sat down on his haunches. Suddenly, like he was having an epiphany, he gestured towards the blue gryphon. "Sharp eyes 'n big wins. Ya should look in Cetus!" Turning to Asimona tending to the filly, he snapped his fingers. "Draggin'! Ah thin' Pisces wood be good fer ya." Cold and cold: that'd be good! "Python. Ya'd do well in Eridanusssssss," he gestured somewhere in that general direction, quickly passing over the rude serpent. "Ah'll go to Monoceros!"

Galloping on all fours towards the filly, he murmured softly, "Ah'm sorry. Ah got mad for no reasin." Tentatively reaching out a hand, he patted her atop the head. "Could ya go to Polaris? Hart of majeek? Ya'know where that is?"

@Llamrei @Asimona @Amras @Septiezal

The filly stared at Howl, shivering. 'I'm back in my Chrysalis. I'm back in my Chrysalis. I wish I was back in my nice, quiet, dark Chrysalis.' she closed her eyes, not wanting to see all of the predators around her. She didn't even know if the screaming-thing was a predator, but it had teeth like one.

Hearing an odd clicking noise approached, she opened her eyes, seeing a large... thing, approaching her. It almost looked like a giant lizard, but with wings. She attempted to step back, but the wall of the tunnel was already pressed against her flank. At the lizard-thing's question, she hesitantly nodded, trying to figure out what it was.

Then the scary screamer was speaking again, and she realized his accent was rather hard to understand. 'Draggin? Is that what she's called?' she wondered, connecting the word to the white... thing. So she was a Draggin?

The screamer had a rather odd way of moving, she thought, galloping on all four limbs like a malformed horse. His voice was surprisingly soft as he addressed and, although she flinched at first, she allowed him to pet her, pressing into the touch. "It's okay." she settled on saying, although she kept an eye on it. "I know where that is, I can look there."


"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

@Howl @Asimona @Amras @Septiezal

Pisces. Of course he would send her there. She scraped at the ground nervously, not really wanting to go back to where the dragon was probably waiting for her. However, she wasn't going to show that kind of weakness in front of a group of gembounds. She had to steal herself and be strong. She forced herself to nod with determination.

She backed away from the horse, realizing that her size and appearance was probably scaring them. Instead, she turned back towards the tunnel where she had come from. She glanced back, looking at the monkey. "Anything else I need to know?"

She waited a moment for his response before taking off down the tunnel.

*exit

"Find the one who'll guide you."
To the limits of your choice.

tags: @Howl
notes: notes here

Cetus was it? He certainly had his work cut out for him! Amras gave the monkey-like creature a slight tilt of the head as they suggested he look in one of the biggest rooms of the cave save for Fornax and had no further clues. Given the nature of the mystery there was a good chance that there were no clues, and knowing the room itself would be enough to possibly lead him to more information.

"It probably won't be done in a single day but I'll take a look" he responded truthfully. He did say the next time some large task with possible cave altering consequences came about that he'd volunteer, and what was larger than finding a missing piece to a mysterious magic statue?

Like the dragon he waited for a moment before turning to be on his way. He'd been in Cetus recently for practicing earth magic, perhaps he could continue that practice as long as he was looking around in there?

- Exit Amras -

---

Pouch 1: Baubled talc rods x12	Pouch 2: Charcoal dust (50 in3)	Pouch 3: Empty	Pouch 4: Charcoal chunks x7 (medium)
Back bag: Empty

Take hold of the power within
"And shape the fabric of reality around you"
tags:
notes: None

When it seemed that the Screamer had little more to say, and the Winged-Lizard and hybrid had left, Llamrei began to walk away, taking a wide circuit around the remaining Gembounds. If it seemed that no one was going to stop her, she would turn and begin to gallop, running off in the direction of Polaris.

-Exit Llamrei

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

As the filly found reassurance, Howl patted her nose fondly and grinned. "Gud gud!!! Witchoot fer rockbeests!" Turning to the icy dragon, he stroked his chin thoughtfully and shook his head, shooing her off as she took flight in tandem with the gryphon. Howl glanced at the only Gembound still in his presence and immediately tensed more than he'd admit. "Whelp, Ah'll be in Monocerossssssssss!"

As he scampered off, he hollered, "gud luck!" For the first time since meeting the python, he was being good-natured. We'll see how long that lasts.

/exit

@Septiezal

Septiezal shot Howl an angry look for mocking him, or at least, it was supposed to be angry. He had no eyelids to squint with. He still could not understand most of what the monkey-thing was staying, but he was clearing making fun of him with its hideous hissing noises. Septiezal hissed at Howl in turn, clearly offended. Still, the serpent held his head high as he watched the cheeky hybrid with disdain as they left after the dragon and gryhon.

The gist of what Septiezal deciphered was "There's missing magick statute pieces... go to Eridanus." It must have been wonderful to have ears, because reading the air vibrations of heavily accented mouth words was hard word. Anyhow, Septiezal knew he mustn't delay. The promise of discovery and magick was a worthy reward, even if he had to put up with an impudent rat turd for a little while.

Septiezal reached out towards the statue and flicked his tongue over it, reading its scent. He wondered how long it would take for him to find these pieces, even with the statue's smell in his mind. He had an uncanny feeling that would take a while. Regardless, Septiezal turned in the opposite direction and slithered away, towards the silvery lights of Orion.

-Exit Septiezal-

"speak"