This place was beginning to make him gloomy. It was nothing like the fresh waters of Polaris where he had been born. Sometimes, he wondered why he stuck around but the rich lore and the promise of power and fulfillment from Dragon had lured him into lingering just a bit longer. Children of Rot seemed like a nice place, nice members and family. Pietro waddled in his ambling waddle sort of way as he progressed around the edge of the murky pool where he had met the alligator himself. Others should be around, he said there were a few, but most had retreated back to their chrysalis.

Weird to think about when he had just emerged for the first time. Why would anyone want to go back? Brushing past the foliage, he came upon a rather depressed looking boar surrounded by coloured gems. Was this what the alligator had been referring to.

"Hello. Who are you? Are you a CoR member?"

@Czernobog

Days. It almost felt surreal to have gone days, laying around Tiny's nest, protecting his steadily growing eggs, while the bat himself lay ensconced in his chest. Czernobog let out a noisy breath, massive head moving to thump down onto the muddy ground, curling even tighter around the eggs, as if to protect them from an invisible threat. Hunger gnawed at his stomach, but he couldn't make himself leave - Tal'at would never forgive him if his children were hurt, especially not when he was as helpless as they were.

Plus, the feeling of his friend, his brother, lying still, pressed against his heart, drove any want to eat away.

Peanuts had brought him something - a bit of spider leg - and he eyed it for a moment, almost feeling bad for not taking the offering. The little bird was Good, starting to reach the level of favor Isi had gained in Czernobog's eyes, but he still couldn't make himself down the food.

Completely ensconced in his own gloom, the boar flinched at the sound of a stranger's voice, barely having the energy to move his gaze towards it, upper lip flipping up to reveal yellowed teeth and solid gemstone tusks. Hello. You? CoR? The monster blinked beady black eyes at the... Hat? It kind of looked like a Hat, anyway. "...cooooooore?" Confusion colored the mumble, but Czernobog shook it off, snout wrinkling in all his ultra-protective glory. "Iiiiiii. Aaaaaaam. Chuuuuuuuuuuurnobog. Soooooon. Oooooof. Draaaaaaaagon."

His head rose a bit with pride, but just as quickly flopped back down, sending drops of mud flying. "Whooooooo. Aaaaaaare. Youuuuuuuuuuu?"

@Pietro

This whole display was rather odd to him. But then, he hadn't met or been around many mammals. Maybe this was just how they were? This one was particularly boorish. Pun not entirely intended. Unaware of what the Czernobog thought of him, he didn't back down as the yellowed and smudged teeth were displayed to him. Maybe it was a little scary, but he just continued to stare him down.

Pietro struggled to discern the drawl. But he recognized the word Dragon. "So you know Dragon? He accepted me into it." Those movements were so sluggish and he twitched and flitted his wings. Speed and rapid reactions were what the avian kind were about. "My name is Pietro. It's great to meet you." The mud splattered just before him and he stepped back frowning. "I'm guessing you're the defense of our group?"

But his attention was caught by the glowing gemstones beneath him. "Who or what are those you got?" Well, he knew, but he didn't want to seem disrespectful if he got it wrong.

@Czernobog

Czernobog raised an eyebrow at the little-Hat's reaction - or non reaction, more accurately. He eyed the stranger with a bit more respect, rounded ears pitching forward to try and suss out its words. Know Dragon? Accepted. The boar's brow furrowed in confusion. "Draaaagon. Iiiiis. Faaaaather," he attempted, snorting out a blast of warm air from his nostrils.

Pietro. Great. Meet you. Guessing. Defense of. Group? Czernobog hummed with pride, raising his head up enough to nod, chin and neck slicked with mud. "Chuuuuurnobog guaaaaaards," the pig answered, confidence in his place threaded in his voice. He almost leaned down to welcome the not-an-intruder into the fold, but it seemed his movement had opened a crack between his front hooves and his back, letting the nest he lay encircling show through.

Immediately, a low, squealing growl rumbled from his chest, and Czernobog curled up tighter, head slamming back down to the ground to fix pitch-black eyes on Pietro. Who? What? Those? A round of harsh grunting later, and the boar let out a purposefully forceful huff, watching it ruffle the bird's feathers with some measure of enjoyment. A solid minute later, he answered, turning his face away to gently nuzzle at the two growing chrysali. "Eeeeeeggs. Tiiiiiiiiiiiny's." The monster sounded almost mournful, turning back to close off all view of the nest, eyeing the bird distrustfully. "Iiiiiiii. Prooooootect."

@Pietro

That was certainly interesting. How could an alligator have a pig child? But then who was he to question the strangeness of Cetus. Everyone here was pretty far out from what he could tell, a bit disconnected to the world. Czernobog definitely brought that out in all the colours. This was getting way too weird, so he was guarding the eggs? All his movements, though sluggish, were heavy and he jumped backwards again as he huffed and rolled about. The glittering shine came through a crack in his 'formidable' little circle.

"At least you're protecting them. They will be safe. But you must be hungry here all the time." It was merely an observation, as he had no solution to offer nor did he have any particular inclination to offer if he did have one. Pietro figured this was just his job as a member of the Children of Rot.

@Czernobog

Peering at the little football-shaped bird, Czernobog let out a pleased chortle when it jumped back. Protecting. Safe. You. Hungry. As if on cue, his stomach let out an irritated growl, and the boar huffed, pouting, eye faced towards Pietro half-lidded. "Gooods. Dooon't. Neeeed. Foooood," the monster grumbled, ears and tail flicking lazily, the words simply a statement of truth. "I. Prooootect." And then he grinned, maw opening wide to show off chipped teeth and a throat heavily crisscrossed by electrical scarring, tongue lanced with spiderweb scars. "I. Kiiiiill."

A sharp hoof moved to slap at the ground - perhaps to emphasize the point... or, more likely, in an attempt to get Pietro to "dance" again. Czernobog was essentially, after all, an overgrown child, when it came to where he took his amusement from. "Youuuu. Roooot?" The pig eyed him skeptically, finally letting out a loud snort of begrudging approval. A cold, solid lump had settled in his throat.

Dragon had replaced his sister.

"I. Proootect. Roooooot," the guard added - the only peace offering he felt inclined to give. He would protect everyone his father brought into the fold... even if they made his overgrown, damaged heart hurt.

@Pietro