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CAVE STATUS
QUESTS/EVENTS
Torrential downpours cause localized flooding and many upset cats. Along with these frequent rain, from gentle drizzles to heavy rainfall, there seems to be a flux of Magicka drawn in particular to water sources. Occasional jet streams of warm air make narrower tunnels harder to navigate. On occasion, the rain intensifies, becoming howling storms with sleet or large hail. However, the temperatures overall are a little warmer, with snow and ice in temperate caves somewhat receding.
Kerberos had been keeping a secret-- not so secret-- from his family. He hadn't exactly introduced the leech that clung to his fur, even though it had been frankly cycles. No one had exactly asked about him either, which led the dog to keep quiet about his feline friend. Perhaps the canine was simply scared of losing the hairless baby, but today that was to change.
It took a bit of sniffing about, but before long he had caught Aza'zel's scent. The dog tromped along, his tail swaying behind him, as he approached his leader. "Aza'zel!" He woofed sharply. "I need to talk to you," another head tacked on as he made his way through the bones littered across Canis.
"... I need to tell you something..." His central head spoke slowly, rasping. The wounds on his face were healed now, simply scars, but it was clear that movement and speech was still painful. A single eye stared out from the middle head, meeting his leader's gaze, and then all three heads bowed to the avian.
Quietly, his floppy eared head turned towards his back, poking into his central head's ruff. "Mikró gymnó paidí, come, come now. Out from my fur," The head cooed, straining to lick at the hairless feline snuggled into his warmth.
Purring softly, gently kneading the fluff and skin below his paws, the hairless cat that was practically stuck to Kerberos startled out of his half-doze from the dog's barks. His purr wavered, unsure, and slowly he shifted enough to peer out from his hideaway, wide green eyes sticking out like a sore thumb among a sea of white. The ravaged voice that came from his friend's middle head still made him flinch minutely, not wanting to remember the failure of letting his host get hurt - for the third time - but it was, at least, a sign the wounds were healing.
Thankfully, the Aza'zel beast soon came into view, and the little feline let out a sigh of relief at the sight; they definitely weren't the lion, the bear or the jaguar. The gentle words and touch from Kerberos set his purr off again, rumbling and strong, and though he came slowly, the cat did eventually creep up to sit on Kerberos' shoulder, softly brushing a cheek over one of the pup's snouts in agreeal before jumping to the ground.
The cold hit him like a sledgehammer after so long spent among his host's warmth, but it only served to make him sit up straighter, paws covered by a thin, whip-like tail, staring rather creepily at the strange bird, never once blinking.
The Bone King was busying himself with preparing for really nothing in particular. He was just hoping to perhaps gather up the Bonebound once again and bring them to their former glory. Y'know, from a time when it was first formed and Aza'zel actually did things with the clan. But it had become a bit... ambiguous. The russet vulture was not sure how many of the group remained in Canis, and how many had met the unfortunate fate that seemed to befall many of the Caves' residents... like Mau... like Vraak... like many others. As he moved from pile to pile of bones, the avian tried his best not to think about it. They still haunted his happiest dreams and worst nightmares, contorted shadows with only eyes and gemstones to identify them by. Mau's shadow was that of a regal princess, but her gaze was hollow, filled only by the aquamarine stone of hers, an ominous skull floating in the darkness. Vraak's was a more menacing figure, contorted and spastic. The shadows darted everywhere, the larimar stone glistening constantly with sky blue eyes. Sometimes, he could see the shadow of a creature almost forgotten. Saudade. The maned wolf had been gone for so long. Even the gift he had been given glowed with uncertainty. Beau was there as well. So was... Ashtoreth. She had returned... but he still had night terrors about losing her. About her being destroyed by the darkness of the caverns.
Sometimes, if he stared at the shadows of Canis for too long, he thought he saw his nightmarish hallucinations. But he wasn't going mad. He was just so... stressed. So... pained. So... scared. Scared that death would find him next, and grasp him with spindly fingers that are unable to be broken. Caged and swept away under the wing of the grim reaper. Forced to watch as the scythe of death sliced down upon his nape, spurts of sanguine messily splotched everywhere, staining the walls of Canis forever with his blood. Raggedly gasping for breath and trying his damn hardest to move despite a severed head. Falling silent. Dead. Faintly feeling himself become lost. His stone cleaving itself from his frame. Destroying all that he was. Destroying his past life. All of his memories. Only to be made anew by someone else. Someone completely different. A life without being a Bone King. A life without being amongst his Bonebound. A life without... love.
A sharp bark jostled him from his thoughts, and Azazel slowly turned his gaze up to find Kerberos looming over him. The Bone King forced a smile onto his beak as he quickly shoved away the darker thoughts creeping into his mind. "Yes, Kerberos?" There was only a moment to inquire before the albino cerberos cooed into his fur, and out came quite a strange creature. Feline. Small. His mind kicked into overdrive. His carmine gaze softened and he almost felt tears prick at his eyes. Mau was still alive. Mau was still alive. She was awake and alive. She was reincarnated. She was still there. She was— he blinked. He stared into the cat's large grey eyes, and he knew. He got his hopes up. Gaze flicking up to the backdrop of shadows, he could almost see Mau's sitting in the silhouette of Götterdämmerung's, eyes widened with sadness. It turned away before he could think of anything. All he could do was ask in an oddly quiet voice, "Who's this?"
Kerberos waited, politely, for Aza'zel to ask the question he expected. "This is my friend," he spoke in one mouth and another corrected, "My best friend." His tail swished behind him, casting aside bones as he laid down, letting the goblin creature down if he so desired. "He is not family, but he is a comfort to me."
The dog's peripheral jaws shut, the injured mouth taking a breath in, gathering strength. He wanted to make this clear, wanted to show he was being a good dog-- he was not neglecting his family with his weakness, and this he wanted to prove. "His name is Mikró gymnó paidí. His voice does not work, but he is not lesser." This was important not to Kerberos, but he knew the Bonebound were picky about the difference. Giggle had told him he could eat the lessers, and Kerberos wanted it to be clear that the sphynx was more than just a special snack.
"I was hoping... He could become Bonebound." As almost an after thought, his red nosed head glanced towards the cat. "If he wants to." Perhaps it was because the dog was preoccupied with his thoughts, but the canine was oblivious to the tears in the avian's eyes. He had no idea what Aza'zel was going through, the pressure of being a leader. The great cerberos dog was a good guardian, a fierce follower, but he had no experience in such a pressuring position.
Strange green eyes peered at Aza'zel thoughtfully, the cat's head tilting to one side. He'd never been good at reading emotion, considering he didn't exactly feel much, but the bird definitely looked... upset. A soft, hesitant purr began to unfurl from his chest, tamping out a rhythm in his throat, and Goblin inched closer - only stopped by Kerberos' voice. My best friend. His head swivelled on a dime to stare at his host - until, like the sun breaking over the horizon, he grinned, bright and pleased, tail twitching, purr rumbling harder than he'd ever felt, buzzing and proud. Best friend.
Slowly and carefully, he stored the title away, like a precious gemstone, cradled it in his heart as a tiny ember. He remembered his first friend still, remembered her disappearing without a word - all he knew of her was her face. This, this was precious, a gift, to be named and titled by someone so gentle and kind.
Bonebound. Blinking, Goblin refocused on his friend, confusion plain in his expression. Nevertheless, the little cat nodded; wherever Kerberos went, so did he. It was a fact by now. Satisfied he'd answered sufficiently, he turned back to the calling-bird, shuffling closer, until he was close enough to gently tap his forehead to Aza'zel's beak, rubbing a cheek over the ave's shoulder for good measure, purring all the while. After all, if it worked for his friend it would work for others, wouldn't it?
The dog seemed not to notice the almost puffy look to the Bone King's eyes, which was almost good and satisfying for him. But the feline? That was a different story. While listening to Kerberos, he watched the feline scoot forwards. "I'm glad you have a best friend." It was good. For what the dog had gone through... it must be awful to do it alone. But Azazel was the same. Except he was doing horribly with coping. No matter how often he suggested it to himself, he refused to seek help. He could deal with it on his own. It was fine. Everything was fine. Everybody was fine. The whole world was fin—something very cold brushed against him.
The little feline had scooted close enough where he could feel the icy cold enamating from his bare skin. Poor thing. No wonder it hid in the thick pelt of the polar-bear-cerberus. Almost unconciously, he pulled his wings out from his sides and wrapped them about the freezing cat. "Hello," he cooed, gently touching the top of his head. "He can definitely be a Bonebound." There was no questioning the certainty in his voice. But it did not sprout from the fact that Kerberos had stated that this cold little creature was his best friend.
No.
It came from something else.
His gaze flicked upwards, watching the shadows. Mau's appeared before him, a mix of his own shadow and that of Götterdämmerung's. It just created a larger figure for him. Her blue eyes were narrowed to thin slits, suspended skull glistening in the dim light. He blinked and found that the vision was gone. Then he stared down at the feline. This was... Mau. Wasn't it?
His stone glowed, hoping to reach out to the mind of the feline and listen to its thoughts, if it could not speak.
At Aza'zel's words, Kerberos appeared to melt into a completely different dog. Gone was his reserved, quiet, polite mannerisms-- it started at his tail. The snaking limb began to twitch, and then swish back and forth, casting bones about half haphazardly and kicking up dust. His hindquarters popped up and his rump wiggled, brows lifting with them.
"Really?" The dog woofed, softly, but a great excitement was starting to pelt out of his fur-- it was an energy he gave off into the air. He began to bounce, shifting around in place, his tongue lolling out from his mouth. "Do you mean it, Aza'zel?! Really? Really! Oh great, oh wonderful, he's really nice-- see, look, he likes you already," the canine began to bark and pant, squirming and making the earth tremble as he did a little playful wriggle across from his leader as though he was a pup again.
The dog, of course, had no idea that his leader was touching his best friend's mind at the same time. All he saw was the naked baby of a cat snuggling up to his leader, showing all the perfect, wonderful affection that Kerberos knew he was so wonderful at doing. Even if he was a freezing cold hairless mostly-eyeball cat.
Jan 26 2016, 01:33 PM (This post was last modified: Jan 26 2016, 05:37 PM by Götterdämmerung.)
MAGICKA LEVEL 100% RESTORED TO 100%
It seemed his idea did, in fact, work, considering warm wings - although not nearly as warm as Kerberos' fur - wrapped around him. Goblin didn't much care about the Bonebound part, but he figured the snuggling was a good sign, so he simply continued to purr, pushing into the touch at his forehead, essentially headbutting the Aza'zel-bird gently. Peering out of his new feather-nest at Kerberos, the hairless cat grinned toothily at his Best Friend's obvious happiness. At the end of the day, if it was that important to Kerberos, he supposed... Goblin sequestered the word "Bonebound" away for a rainy day, tucking it among the many Kerberos had taught him.
Of course, that was the moment when something decided to poke him directly in the brain. Hard. Wincing, purr hitching, the cat wheeled around to stare at the bird, wide-eyed with curiosity and a healthy dose of fear. ...hallo? Ist jemand da? His brow furrowed, tiny goosebumps rising on his ice-cold skin. Was machst du in meinem Gehirn?
Around his mental form, spreading out in all directions, was an endless wasteland of tundra and ice, snow falling forever without building up. He himself wasn't a cat at all - no, he was a floating ball of black shadow, punctuated by two almond-shaped eyes, staring at the tiny, fragile link that had somehow formed between his own consciousness and... presumably, Aza'zel's. The voice that had been soft and whispering now turned booming, as if a switch had flipped - now set to the creature's true voice, thunderous and crackling like electricity. Ich bin Götterdämmerung! Ich bin ewige Vernichtung! Aber Wenig Eber nennt mich Mick.
Jan 26 2016, 08:55 PM (This post was last modified: Jan 26 2016, 09:25 PM by Azazel (Original).)
MAGICKA LEVEL 86% RESTORED TO 100%
Seeing the happiness displayed so plainly on the cerberos' features put Azazel in a better mood than he had been. It was almost contagious, and the avian found himself with a dumb smile plastered on his face as he hugged his borrowed cuddle buddy closer. He managed to reach out and make a temporary link with the feline's mind. At first, the cst was confused, ceasing his soothing motions for a moment to call out in his head. Pulling at his magicka to maintain the bond, he grabbed a hold of it and chirped in thought, "Hallo! Es ist Azazel." Best not to spook the cat. With large alien-like eyes, the cat gazed upwards at him. "Früher habe ich meine Magie, um Ihnen zuzuhören. Nun, ich benutze es, um zu sprechen."
The next thing to intrude in his mind was a loud and booming voice, introducing the cat as something that was much more fearsome than he appeared. He flinched and recoiled a little bit. Azazel smoothed his feathers and nuzzled the cat gently again. It was nothing, right? "Götterdämmerung? Das ist Ihre wahren Namen, ja? Ich bin der König der Knochen, der Führer der diejenigen, die ihre Knochen gebunden." For a moment, he thought, and then nodded. "Was wollen Sie, um für die Gruppe, zu tun?" Quickly, he shifted his glance up to Kerberos and smiled. "Yes. He'll fit right in." Azazel was sure of it. Smiling, he chirped to the little goblin nestled in his feathers. "Wilkommen in der Familie."
Jan 31 2016, 05:55 PM (This post was last modified: Jan 31 2016, 06:00 PM by Kerberos.)
MAGICKA LEVEL 87% RESTORED TO 100%
δεξιά . κέντρο . αριστερά
Kerberos' ears perked at Aza'zel's words, lost at the strange language he didnt understand. It reminded him, distantly, of the language of his name-- the one he could comprehend instinctual but not explain in the common tongue. Whatever it meant, however, the dog was sure it was friendly. In this case, the problem was the inverse -- he had not a lick of clue what it meant, but he could say with certainty that it was a friendly... welcome? To Götterdämmerung. His tail thwapped against the ground.
Creeping forward, the canine reached out a huge paw to gently reach out with his warm mitt towards the kitten and the bird, as though encouraging his naked baby of a friend to return to him. Part of the canine longed to be able to speak to the sphynx cat, but perhaps only Aza'zel would be able to touch the cat's mind. Kerberos remembered his leader's voice brush against him once, and quietly he thought that was why the goblin was startled. He seemed happy enough, though.
A tingle brushed through his paw as he reached towards the cat, a longing connection trying to be made-- but it fizzled, his magic not quite taking hold. The dog didn't quite know what he wanted just yet, and as such, his magic refused to take the bond. It was probably for the best, at any rate-- no point in shocking the tiny feline any more. Kerberos, too, would likely be startled by the gift of shared senses... Perhaps soon, but not yet.
"Thank you, Aza'zel," he woofed softly, a smile sparkling in his eyes.
