If the crow could vomit, she would. Right now. Immediately. Her wings were already aching as she flew down tunnel H, wings frantically beating in barely successful attempts to keep herself airborne, staring in wide-eyed fear as she caught sight of the blue light of Polaris. If he wasn't here, she wouldn't be able to find him. Polaris was seemingly the centre of the caves; there were many tunnels spawning out of it. He could have gone down any one of them if she weren't fast enough. As she burst through the tunnel exit and into Polaris, she looked down, desperately trying to find the big-cat. "Vicktor!" the frantic squawk left her beak. "Where are you?! I'm not gonna hurt you?! table code © rasta 2015

@Vicktor

Truth be told he had no idea where to go exactly, only to run away. FAR away from Cetus. He paid no attention to the terrain, his senses were simply pain. It still rattled his skull, blurring his vision, or was that the tears? It didn't matter, none of what he was doing did. He had done something unspeakable, something monstrous, and he as running from that fact. He could barely stand himself, all of it had been done out of fear yes, but he could have stopped. Couldn't he have?

A familiar voice disrupted his thoughts, splattering them across his senses. He had no choice but to stop, he was frozen. Fear ran through him, Eve was calling out for him. He couldn't move, so he didn't. Thick ichor draining from his underside, pooling slowly beneath him. They spoke of not harming him. But could he be sure? What if the others were close behind!? He was already suffering, he was already so tired. He couldn't survive another attack, at least not from all of them...

But he trusted Eve...she chose to scream at him...not unleash furry such as the owl. So he decided. Preparing himself for the sharp pain down his throat, he yelled to the sky pushing his voice upwards towards her. "EVE I'M HERE" Collapsing again, panting hard from the lack of air he now held in his tired and pain filled lungs.


"Speech"

"Thought"

@Eve

From here, it almost looked like the jaguar was nothing more than carrion. She brushed it off however, croaking and fluttering down next to the collapsed cat. "Vicktor?" she chirped, for a moment worried that he was, in fact, a scrap of carrion. "What happened back in Cetus?" She couldn't do anything. It hurt. She wasn't like Bevy; who was braving out and healing countless gembounds after they got pummeled by Raheerah. If the jaguar died it was her fault now; all she could was scream and make lights appear. She croaked and waited for Vicktor's reply - if it ever came. table code © rasta 2015

@Vicktor

A small part of Vicktor though she would mistaken him for carrion, he almost counted as such now didn't he? But no, faithful Eve flew down, the fluttering of her all familiar wings was almost calming. Almost. She called his name, and he watched her lazily. He was so tired. At least until she asked what had happened. Silent droplets rolled down his cheeks and puddled to the moist soil below. He could only cry.

Voice raw and strained it was a wonder he could speak. Perhaps he was turning more into carrion by the minute. He frantically pushed that thought away. He didn't want to think about it, but he had to tell her, and he had to keep it together. "Eve..." he rasped, recoiling from the pain, he just needed to get used to it for now...for that buzzing to take over...

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry Eve! I I messed up Eve...I ran into the boar...I I didn't mean too! I...I was so sad I was running with tears blinding me..." With sad wide eyes he watched Eve, choking back a mounting sob he continued. "He...I don't know, he said...intruder...and I was so afraid Eve...I didn't meant to attack! My electricity don't you remember!? It comes out on its own sometimes...when I'm overwhelmed!" Spatting up ichor he froze, watching the sanguine fluid drip to his paws. "it happened when he summoned plants...they died all around us..."


"Speech"

"Thought"

@Eve

Eve paused for a moment, confused. She briefly looked back, wondering if Dragon or Willow had given chase, but for now it was quiet. She shuddered briefly; Czernobog didn't take kindly to people he deemed intruders. She hobbled around Vicktor's head before she fluttered up onto the crown of his head, leaning down to preen the short hairs on the top of his head. He was dying and she knew it - but then again, so was Czernobog. But at least the boar would be surrounded by family - she wouldn't let Vicktor die alone in the middle of Polaris. "Don't cry," she murmured, her own croak wavering. "Czernobog doesn't like strangers. Don't cry. You'll be alright." She was blatently lying now - not just to Vicktor, but to herself. She continued preening Vicktor's head, wide-eyed. "Everything is okay," she continued. "Just rest." table code © rasta 2015

@Vicktor

Eve was so understanding, he had hoped anyway. She was hobbling around to his face now. Fluttering up onto the crown of his head. If he did turn into carrion maybe he would spread some positivity...such as a full belly...its not like he would mind, he would be dead soon right? He would deserve to be eaten as such, he had caused so much pain. Something fruitful should come from this misery...

He didn't mind the new weight on his skull, she was as light as a feather to him. 'Don't cry' she had murmured, he really was trying. It was so very hard to stop the torrent of tears, he seemed to be leaking from the face more than anything. And Czernobog, so that was his name...he would need to apologize to bog...if the large boar would even tolerate him for a second...

Eve said everything is okay, that he would be alright. Surely Czernobog would be too? Ah she spoke of resting, calm and collected as she preened his head. It was practically one of the only spots he was swore. "I'm...trying not to cry Eve...it just hurts...and im so tired...but i know what happens...when the rabbits sleep. I played with one too rough and it...died...i dont want to die..."

He was deep in thought, maybe he deserved this. No, he most certainly did. After what happened to Clover, fate would never forgive him. "I miss Clover, Eve...I deserve this...its all my fault"

"Speech"

"Thought"

@Eve

@Eve

Tal'at had almost lost the carrion crow and whoever they were following-- the sparky one. He was blinder than a bat and his flying was clumsy, still rather disoriented after all... But finally, finally, he found Eve again by her voice and came floundering to the ground.

Flying this far, this fast, while trying to use magic left the tiny bat exhausted. He landed awkwardly behind Eve, shaking his head. His ears perked as he turned his blind face towards the electric, bright gem that he could sense-- but he had missed most of the conversation.

"Why do you... Flee from us! Return and face!! What you've done!!" He squawked angrily, expecting to have Dragon and Yarah not far behind him... But he didn't sense either of them, just Eve, and out of nervousness, he scuttled up into her feathers and kept behind her, realizing that whoever this gem was... They were a lot bigger than both of them combined.

!!! ...

going out a different path lead by a beating heart

Eve didn't understand Vicktor's words - so she kept preening, thinking about what to say. And then Tal'at fluttered in and started speaking. She lifted her head, still wide-eyed as the bat clambered up onto her. "Tal'at, no," she started, voice still wavering. "This is my friend. He didn't mean to-- it was an accident," her breathing was pitched - hollow, almost. She leaned back to gently touch the side of Tal'at's face with her beak, croaking somewhat. She wanted to lower her pitch - in a way so that Vicktor couldn't hear, even though he probably knew just as well as she did. "He's dying," she murmured. "He's dying and I can't do anything. We can't make him move." She felt the tears swimming in her eyes now. Her entire face went into Tal'at's neck, silent. table code © rasta 2015

@Vicktor

Eve continued to preen and calm the young jaguar. Until someone else had arrived on the scene. Vicktor could only flash his wide fearful eyes. He could barely make them out through the silent tears, until they spoke. It was Tal'at, the fruit bat they've known since the very beginning. Their words cut across his heart like a razor. Causing him to only recoil from just their tone alone.

Vicktor could only make out so much of Eve's words. That she was explaining it was a terrible accident. But that damn pain began to buzz into his thoughts. Everything was turning into white noise again just before he had fled the Children of Rot. If he was going to fade soon he would want to speak with Tal'at one last time."I was so afraid Tal'at...I still am...i'm sorry...I'm sorry I made a mistake...im sorry I cause disappointed" He spoke in just whispers now, repeating the same phrases over and over. Stuck on a loop, chasing the white noise. He hoped it would fade, fade away to that same numb sensation as when he originally fled. It was so much more manageable then...


"Speech"

"Thought"

@Talat
@Eve

@Eve

Tal'at's anger washed away rather abruptly as Eve's beak touched his face, her voice broken and hushed, not afraid but fearful. Oh so fearful. The bat grew still, slipping down her form, but he still pressed close into her downy feathers, straining to listen carefully to her words.

... And then Vicktor spoke, and for the first time, Tal'at realized who it was. He didn't move, paralyzed with silent dread, as the feline whispered to him, drawing him in. The bat hadn't realized... If he had known, he wouldn't have said such awful things. It was the first time his blindness led him for a true fool, and his heart was in his throat as he spoke back up, softly ashamed at himself.

"... I know you? I didn't realize... Oh no, friend... Child don't despair. You'll be alright. I can find... Herbs to heal. But for now... Close your eyes. Relax my friend." He stumbled forward, towards the battered, bloody fur of the cat, his leathered, winged hands running over the now-adult kitten.

"You will live. Get some rest. Sleep for now..." Truth be told, Tal'at didn't know how to heal. He didn't know one plant from another. For now, he was just trying to sooth the cat's fears, give him... Something of a peaceful way out. Tal'at had never witnessed a greater gembound's death, but he felt strangely detached by it. As though he wasn't really feeling anything in particular aside from an overwhelming numbness.

!!! ...

going out a different path lead by a beating heart