Backdated to around the kind of ambiguous timing of The Great Eridanus Fire

He had stood in the back of the group with four arms crossed and a frown on his face, eyes glaring at the overgrowth of white fungus in every direction, and he had later introduced himself to Tectus. Observing the going-ons for a while, restoking the beast that lived in his heart, that had been dormant for many cycles. It was like an old engine that needed some time to start. The anger needed a bit of time to boil, so Azrael stepped away from the others, casting his mind back to thoughts of Mothers, the controlling grip she had over him when he was young, and the grudge he had never released.

He would not rest until she was wiped from the caves.

Brooding and ruminating on the task, he turned suddenly and swiped at some of the fungus with a snarl. It burned and withered away under his smoldering claws and he watched it do so with an ugly satisfaction in his chest. The embers were slowly turning into a flame, and soon they would be a blaze.

As Esther enters Eridanus for the hundredth time, they know they're here for a purpose. It is Chaos Forge's orders to remove the fungus from the caves thus Esther is here to help. They enter the scene of Azrael burning down fungus with the same spell they had once upon a time - so not corrupted, but they definitely think this one is part of the Forge.

Sometimes it's hard to tell, really, with how many members come and go in that place. Or perhaps Esther is just antisocial. Sometimes getting rid of the infection feels like a waste of time. There's so much within the huge caves that it almost feels impossible to get rid of it all. Still, Esther comes anyway. They offered to help with the fires and thus that is what they will do. With so many working on it - Forge and not Forge alike - surely it will get rid of Order?

It takes some time, but they summon a fire to burn a patch of the fungus. Eventually the white substance burns away into nothing. "Hope you don't mind some help?" Two is better than one.

@Azrael

His head turned as another joined his space, eyeing the oddly shaped, mutated wolf, glowing gaze raking over and passing his own silent judgement. He knew it, but only by face. If anyone was the antisocial one, it was Azrael, keeping to himself unless necessary, never going out of his way to socialize, especially with the Forge. He was not apart of them to make friends, he was there to destroy order. An activity they'd faltered on as of late.

Hence, his presence here.

The fires the wolf started, too, were familiar and something, to Azrael, mildly repulsive. A mockery of flame, without its warmth. Not a light in the dark but a beast in shadow. He had tasted them enough with Ruby-One and had come to hate them, but, for the time being, he kept his opinions to himself.

Perhaps it was hypocritical of him to hate that which was aligned to darkness, as he was, and that which he had subjected his spawn too, but it felt wrong. And that was enough for him to grow a dislike. Still, he would not judge. They were on the same side, fighting the same fight.

He nodded. "You may help," came his gruff response. Feeling the heat at last warming in his chest, he turned from Esther and spat a gout of fire over some of the nearby fungus, as if it took almost no effort to conjure such a blaze. He crouched near the small fire he'd started and glared as it burned.

"You are corrupted, yes?" he grunted after a few moments. "What is it like, to be like that?"

@Esther

Esther watches as Azrael breathed fire from inside - almost like it came from within the cracked shape on his chest. Interesting. The silence does not bother them, both are here to work. Getting rid of the Mother fungus is more important than socializing, though Esther won't shy away from another Forge member's words.

They hum when Azrael asks his question. "It feels like having the kind of firepower I wanted as a child." The fire that the demon has feels familiar even if it's been so many cycles. Esther almost wishes they could feel the warmth of real flames more often - but they've made their choice. "The magic is sometimes uncontrollable but I've learned to live with it."

It's always so hard to explain when others ask how corruption feels - or what it's like. It just is. Esther creates another flash of purple fire to burn more fungus away. Eventually the fungus will be gone, right?

@Azrael

He listened to the response with a faint frown. Yes, it certainly seemed...powerful. But the drawbacks he'd seen during his time living in Draco were fairly brutal. He wanted to ask but he was socially adept enough at this point in his life to know that it would be a little pushy, or perhaps a crossing of boundaries. They had barely just met and he was going to start asking about what horrors it experienced? No. He was not that oblivious.

He noted something, though, that Esther had mentioned wanting that firepower as a child. So it hadn't hatched corrupted, but had spent the time to walk into that element. His brow furrowed. He was touched by that magic, as was expected with a corrupted spawn and living where he lived, and it sometimes disturbed him. The loss of control he felt in moments, the strange urges...it disgusted him. He was a bringer of chaos, but it was a careful control built over cycles upon cycles. Chaos released all inhibitions. Powerful, but uncontrollable.

He preferred that which he was now.

As if to display that power, he turned and sucked in another breath, releasing another jet of flame, incinerating a large swatch of fungus in front of him. He grunted and stepped back from his handiwork, glancing at the wolf again, as if to say, Is this not enough 'firepower?' But he said no such thing as loud, except, "It must have been a long journey. I am interested - not to corrupt myself, but curiosity at the process. And the state of being."

@Esther

Man. Esther is probably the most boring gembound to ask how they corrupted. They don't remember a lot of it - getting thrown against the wall by the altar is one of the most memorable moments. It cemented in their mind to not touch - or try to damage - it ever again. They remember calling their fire forward, thinking if they damaged themselves it would be okay. Of course they never got the chance to activate it fully in the first place.

It was a lot of back-and-forth. Manic whispers demanding they INCINERATE! but burning things did not help. It just made them yell louder.

"It was a long process. When things started getting bad I kept going back to the source without realizing that was the cause at first. Eventually I went too far and was too curious to stop so I kept going back. I did end up chrysalizing so I didn't get the full runaround I think."

They came out with wings, claws, and newfound magic when they woke up. It took a long time for them to get used to the appendages, they felt like a gangly pup again. At this point they've had them for so long that it's a normal part of life. Flight is convenient and they'd never give it up.

"When I woke up my body changed, and my magic. Sometimes it's really hard to control - like it has a mind of its own." and it speaks to you. "Simply having the spells makes it hurt sometimes. I think many would regret the decision. But this magic has also helped me for most of my life at this point." They became corrupted at 7 cycles old, it's been such a long time since then. "So I personally do my best to ignore the drawbacks."

They blink, realizing they went on for a long time. Oops. "Sorry for rambling, i'm not sure i'm the best gembound to ask about all of this, really."

They're able to conjure a small flame to counter more of the fungus. It's been a while since they've used this much magic all at once, it feels good to see it going so well. Normally it does not.

@Azrael

To his credit, Azrael was a good listener. Once he realized that Esther was getting into a short speech, they were given his undivided attention, turning fully away from the fire and crossing two sets of arms across his chest. He nodded, a frown settling across his face, but not one in disapproval. More of the thoughtfulness of his nature.

When Esther was done, he grunted. "No, I asked and you answered. I will ask whoever I like." His words were almost edged with a snarl, as if challenging Esther to question him directly. There was so much confidence in this beast, he did not at all seem disappointed in what had been shared. "By source...you refer to the Spire? Or the un-light cave in Tunnel K?" He had visited it, curiosity long ago had driven him in and a dislike for the voices chased him away.

He had his answer. And something in him seemed to wither. He had set his spawn against the Spire without thinking of the consequences. He had not known the true depth of Corruption - he had assumed that it was simply greater power, not that it had such drawbacks. A mistake on his part, perhaps.

Certainly not a road he would even consider taking himself, despite the touch of the power still laying not-so-quietly in his mind.

He kept up the flames, noting that some were dying, another strong burst of fire to burn another section of the fungus. As he clenched his teeth back, he frowned, staring at the flames. "I am Touched by Chaos. It is hard not to be. And I have considered the call. Great power, unlimited by natural element. But out of control - that is a cross over my line. I would never trade control over for a boost in power when this..." He gestured to the flames, "is power enough." He glanced at Esther, brows furrowed. "I do not criticize your decision. But..." he glanced, then, at the flames the wolf was creating, small - much smaller - compared to his own. "Perhaps make the drawbacks worth it."

@Esther