Oliver considered. He seemed deep in thought, maybe worried, as he peered (without quite seeing, his mind elsewhere) at Pallas.

"I believe you, 'course," he began, thoughtful. "We figured he had some other reason for it. We're trying to figure out what it is. Do you know any other reason Astraea'd want um, Reji, dead?"

He seemed earnest, thinking--but deep within, fear and suspicion both trickled through him. Neither were very strong, but his thoughts ran something like: why would Astraea make this up? Was it a test of the Kingdom of Eridanus, and their loyalty? Or had Reji done something else to piss him off?

Or were these Gembound maybe, just maybe, genuinely under some sort of weird fungal thrall?

@Pallas @Azrael

Pallas let himself relax as it didn't seem like the two of them would attack. Of course- they were already talking, but it'd finally set in his mind that he'd be fine. He was fine. Besides, he had the muscle nearby- if anything negative came of this confrontation, he'd be safe.

He tilted his head. "We- have a garden? I'll admit it doesn't smell the best." He internally winced at that with a soft sorry running from him. He didn't smell it, but. Apparently others did. "As for Astraea- no, not really. He doesn't like the lot of us." He rolled his shoulders to the best of his ability in a shrug. He had to act casual despite worry still managing to collect in the corners of his mind. "I wouldn't be able to give you a reason why. It's... Not surprising, but he is a Master." The last word was shown with a flash of his teeth, unintentional in his displeasure with the deer. "They kind of like to do what they want, and if you ask 'em why I'd imagine he'd just start hating you, too." Nothing to do but hide.

'This is concerning. He may come after us again,' came the anxieties of the linsang. 'We're better hidden, but for how long?'

Oh, he hoped he wasn't jinxing himself by even thinking that.

@Phlegethon

The more Oliver spoke, the more tension thrilled along the mental links. It wasn't fear, or panic, exactly. But MOTHER was debating what to do, Reji even moreso. Reji's thoughts broadcast among them worriedly.

"If Astraea knows where he is, we can't kill him or convert him. He'll sense Mother's influence and backtrack him," she fretted. "But if we just let him go, word might get out, and get back. And we have no way to trust him."

She did not seem to know quite what to do. "We might have to move," she added, worriedly.

It was fortunate that Phlegethon knew little about tending to a garden or what they were supposed to smell like. Perhaps, it was simply that some plants smelled less desirable than others. Reji and her strange bunch just enjoyed the smell of carrion - or cultivated it to hide themselves. With this conclusion in mind, it hummed, "it does not attract scavenging?"

Again, it was merely curious. Scavengers - vultures, hallowed callers, the lot... they all enjoyed a good bit of death-stink. It was a signal for food, however few scraps may be left on the bone.

A low hum of thought echoed from the slime-beast, jaw cracking open slightly to regard Sergei and Azrael where they stood with ambivalent indifference.

@Oliver

At Pallas' words regarding the Masters, Oliver first winced and then nodded, apparently both in agreement. "Yeahhh, he... threatened us," the hybrid admitted softly. He glanced over at Phlegethon.

The smell did stink, but as far as Oliver could figure, scavengers would just be further prey to the guards, here. Sergei, at least, definitely looked like something that ate meat. He left that portion of the conversation to his ally and looked, instead, back to Pallas. "It doesn't leave us much choice. We ran, we're hiding," he explained. "But there's a lot of worry about Astraea. Um. If you guys ever need help with anything, let me know-? We aren't killers," he reiterated, carefully.

The whole time he simply sat there, unobtrusive and gently attentive, his gaze earnest and his limbs sinking in the mud. There wasn't anything furtive about him, though he certainly had fears; they weren't the well-developed, cunning paranoia of a more mature Gembound but rather worry for Pallas and the rest. He was already wondering how, if any of it were true, they might be helped without being attacked.

But if it really was Reji who was bad..? Wouldn't... wouldn't killing her (and he cringed a little at this thought) save the rest of them?

He didn't want to think about it, really, and so he simply sat there, for a moment, his offer of generic "help" out on the table.

@Pallas

Pallas's ears folded back in consideration, the strain in the link affecting and reawakening his worries. 'We may- or we can try and start some patrols.' That had the problem of attracting attention, though. 'As much as I don't want to, we might have to trust him. The caves've changed.'

Truth be told, he didn't want to trust Oliver. He barely trusted the Children of Rot. But if they didn't, they could create suspicion by moving and lose some of the Childrens' trust in turn. Perhaps they'd understood, but it was a delicate situation, to say the least.

The linsang's head turned back to the direction of his den. "Sometimes- but all the more to eat. And it tends to keep away the greaters." He sighed, then, with Oliver's words. "I'm sorry." His tone copied Oliver's, one of sincere and genuine understanding.

Oliver didn't know about their previous destruction, how they were already hiding from the deer now. They were- well, they were like them, as far as he was saying. If he told the truth, that was. Turning back to the dog-hybrid, Pallas sighed and glanced to the ground. "I don't think he's so keen on letting go of whoever he was... Whenever he was." He huffed. "I appreciate the offer but- I really only have one request."

He paused, looking to Oliver carefully, looking between his eyes. How could he trust this stranger to follow what he wanted?

"Don't tell anyone about us. Where we are- who we are. We just... We want to be left alone." His voice, despite trying hard to be so formal, was interrupted by his body shaking to the pulsing of his heart, pure fear injected into his words. For once in his life, he wished he had magic to abuse, to peer into minds or track others. As much as he rejected it, hated the foul taste of it on his brain, it was necessary to keep the Hive running smoothly if this came up again. In this, he felt failure- failure to be someone of use. Failure to ensure safety for Mother.

All he could do was stand there and look on hopefully, pleading to whatever forces were out there that they wouldn't have to move. Not again- he couldn't keep moving, rebuilding hive nodes, threatening to leave traces with each stop they made. That wasn't the life he wanted for any member of his family.

He just wanted them to be safe. But he was small- defenseless. Without magic. All he had was his words, and all he could do was plead.

@Phlegethon

The smell was abhorrent enough to even ignite Phlegethon's dull sense of it - it could certainly keep curious Greaters away. A oddly on-the-nose metaphor came to mind: like the sweet scent of a fly trap. It could draw scavengers. Like bait. Gardens were a normal thing to have, at least... according to Oliver. There was no telling what strange flowers lay out in the caves.

The slime-beast merely nodded at the crow-dog as he peered at it, hovering with a relaxed sort of posture and being rather at ease. Phlegethon said little more, since it'd run out of (meaningful) things to contribute to the conversation.

@Oliver

Oliver listened solemnly, and then stood up, with a nod.

"Yeah--I won't. I won't let the Masters find out," he added, quietly.

...He still hadn't decided what to do, but this seemed the safest thing for now, and when Oliver lied he did so with the earnestness of a child. He would do what was best for everyone--he wasn't about to go around trying to get anyone killed, and anything he did do would involve trying to secure the safety of Pallas and the rest. But he had the vague beginnings of a plan, at least, flickering through his mind.

Find someone who could sense mushrooms--he knew they were out there, somewhere, those Gembound--and ask them to check the area. If there was really no fungus, then he'd forget it and never mention it to anyone again. But he wanted to be sure.

And if it was there..? Well. Some plans would have to be given time to work out.

"I promise I won't let you guys get hurt," he added, pushing up--and he meant this. Whatever he did, it wouldn't be to their detriment. That would be wrong. "Thanks for talking to me," he said, and pushed up, turning to Phlegethon. "And thanks for bringing me. I'll leave, now--I don't wanna draw anymore attention to this place."

Oliver gave Pallas a final, careful nod, solemn and earnest, and turned, quietly, to leave.

@Pallas @Phlegethon
exit Oliver--unless stopped?

Phlegethon bowed its head lightly to return the crow-dog's thanks, rumbling in a gentle hum: "you are welcome." The red eye in its jaws vanished as it turned away, shuffling backwards in the muck to float more easily in the shallows. Its ribs were starting to ache, pressed down by air and weighed down in slime.

Reeling in its swan neck and submerging in the water, it laid for a moment - as if expecting any further words - and waited for Oliver to leave proper before taking its own chance at escape.

;also exit phleg unless stopped

Pallas remained seated as the two made to leave. "Thank you," he ended with a bow of his own head.

Now he just had to try and trust Oliver. That was typically hard for him, but he had to now that he'd dug himself into this situation.

When Oliver spoke next, Pallas stood and nodded back to the both of them. A hard look had come across his face- he was putting faith in them that he expected not to be gone to waste.

"Safe travels," he gave to the two of them before standing (a few shakes of his paws getting rid of the muck on his hindquarters) and turning to return back to his den.

;exit Pallas