The shadow of the Monarch sits astride a dense section of jungle moss, sprawling ferns, and the criss-crossing mass that is Eridanus. Among the ferns there is a commotion - and out of the dark pops a plump gembound. It is easy to see that this is no true gembeast, but a lesser one - a prey animal. The creature is decorated with spines and warning colors, and behaves confidently enough. The focus of its attention is a strange dark object, it rolls in and out of the shadow, with the creature in pursuit.

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Wings fluttered quietly against the air, carrying the large beast high above Eridanus. A single blue eye searched and peered down below, missing nothing in their observation of his homeland that moved slowly down below. His masked head seemed to turn with each way his eye turned to look, giving him the appearance that it was his mask that might be looking to where he was most interested. His mother was not here, which had surprised Salethyr greatly as the mutated wolf seemed to do nothing but keep to herself these days. For a moment he had thought about going after her. Just to see what she may be up to. Yet, something else was quick to draw his attention the closer he came to the monarch. The singular eye quickly focused on the moving creature. A creature he had never set his site on before and a curiosity was quick to grasp at the creature. The inky blue beast finally decided to descend. Closer and closer he swooped down towards the creature, wondering just what exactly it seemed to be chasing. WAs it a gembound? Did it have the knowledge of speech? Or perhaps it was a lesser gembound? Salethyr was unsure, but he did know if he investigated he would surely find out. He flew as close as he dared. At first, he kept good several feet from the creature before he finally eased his paws onto the ground. From his position, he continued to watch the creature chase after something he couldn't quite make out. A frown marred his features and for a moment he looked around, twisting his body about to make it easier for him to look about for other gembounds that might be around. A shame his mother wasn't here. Maybe she knew what it was. After all, that she-wolf was old. He snickered to himself before setting his gaze on the creature. Maybe he would just...call out to it? With a quick shake of his masked head, Salethyr opened his mouth and called to the creature, curious to see how it would react. "Uh, hello?" "Speak" Tags: Ooc:

Salethyr

Eridanus, charred and broken by a clash unknown, had been revitalized. It was thanks to Vianne's influence that the pale lion had managed to keep at the monstrous task. The only drawback was that his magicka flow was abysmal. Each thought simply pertaining to the practice made tiny, hooked claws dig at the base of his skull. A migraine was resounding in his core, which he made some attempt to ignore. To give it form was to give it power. So it was because of his headache that he strode deeper into the maw of mosses. Further than usual, all just to clear his mind.

He steered clear of the Eyes, as any bound to their gem should.

The heart of the cave drew near as his world was bathed in a gentle silver light. Monarch, a beloved beauty—where were those who had dubbed her All-Mother?—stood before him, chasing all of the shadows away. Dancing tendrils swaying in the wind, the mushroom beckoned him. But he was led astray by the sight of a dark blur swooping low. Rookery his mind supplied, hoarfrost clutching his weak heart. But as a moon-face came into view, his spirit was stilled—only slightly.

Treading lightly on uncertain toes, the pale lion came to the massive amalgam's side. Moonlit gaze immediately caught the curious sight of a creature sharp against the green, darting in and out of the creeping darkness without worry. He hummed softly and, despite the dull thrum of a distant headache, he sought to glow (and thus dispel the shadows) just as the object came just into view. Hoping to get a better look.

When called, the creature stopped its chasing and gave pause. It's body - layered with many hollow quills - seemed to undulate in the manner of a shifting wave. Before the beast could do anything there was a brilliant flash of light which briefly blinded it. The beast reacted as any animal would: instinctively thinking it was under attack, the beast puffed up (spines raising all over) and shrieked an unholy sound.

It's mouth dropped open and caught the light, lending some aid to those present to see inside it's long maw - and there at the back of the throat sat a set of pharyngeal teeth, tense and ready to grab. The object lay abandoned to the beast's flank, although it stepped back and was abruptly positioned over it.

To anyone curious of the object, they'd see a smooth dark surface which appeared to absorb the light Mercurius was generating.

Rather unsteadily, Kronos had snuck after Mercurius. He'd been a persistent shadow for the male since their meeting, never leaving the whiter, bigger lion alone - at least not truly alone, anyway. Even when the big male wandered off, seemingly lacking any interest in his new unwarranted ward, Kronos hobbled after his name-giver dutifully. After all, eventually, Mercurius would have to accept his company, or he'd find something better by following him, right?

Wobbly, twitchy back legs made things difficult, however.

Today, he'd been plenty sneaky, but he'd fallen behind too much now.

In an attempt to catch up, the awkward cub's legs entirely spazzed out, dropping Kronos in an ungraceful lump at Mercurius' feet. Thankfully, the big male had stopped. As twitchy-legged Kronos found his footing once more, the older lion's object of attention came into view.

It was a scary, poky thing. It bared its teeth and even in the lowlight Kronos could see how its posture was threatening. It was scared, perhaps? The cub looked to his side and past Merc, startling at the even more unreal creature that sat beside his mentor.

The small creature lost the cub's attention in favor of this larger and much more interesting creature of feathers, fur and many parts.

"Woah."

^{@Mercurius @Salethyr}

Eridanus wasn't a place Othello often visited, but since he visited Orion the other day, he figured why not venture to other caves to see what they had to offer him there? Monoceros had been quite lonely lately after all.

What he didn't expect to find when wandering through was a collection of other gembounds hovering around some horrid looking thing with a million teeth in its throat. Othello's eyes widened and he cringed, wondering what the actual hell that thing was and why everyone was crowding it. Just leave it alone! Obviously it's angry and is gonna eat everyone now.

But then, that's when he noticed it back up over the little round thing absorbing all the light the larger lion was seeming to produce. Othellos head tilted and he looked around at the other gembounds before looking back to the angry-thing protecting the smooth-thing that he so very much wanted at this moment for who knows why.

Othello twitched almost uncontrollably for a moment, trying to think it seemed, before moving his hand-like paws around on the muddy dirt and forming a rather spectacular mushroom, if he did say so himself, and if he did say, he would say. Looking back at the angry-thing, he popped the mushroom loose from the ground with his paw and rolled it half way between him and the angry-thing, praying it would trade it's smooth-thing for his mushroom so he could get the hell away from it and its one million throat-teeth.

As soon as the gathering had caught the creature's attention, he reacted as any lesser would—threatening with quite a display. Immediately, Mercurius shied away, if only slightly when he nearly tripped over the lump that had unwittingly placed himself there. Dancing for balance, the pale lion glanced down at the one that had apparently become his little shadow (a thought he didn't like very much). "Kronos," the wanderer breathed, "I thought you had stayed among the falls."

He didn't wait for an answer, for he was interested in the pure vantablack orb absorbing all of his light. A void. The Rookery, his mind whined. Unsettled, the lion shifted back some more, nearly bumping into the arriving amalgamation offering something to the lesser. Taking a page out of that book, he stepped over his cub and scavenged for a smooth, orb-like stone. He fumbled a little, anxiety riding high and making his movements shaky. The pebble uncertainly flickered to life, baubled with a gentle light. Then, he sent it off towards the lesser gembound and its strange void sphere.

The creature does not know why it has become the focus of so many; it only sees the many beasts as enemies, as monsters to avoid for its own safety. It has forgotten all about the orb which had been such a distraction before - now, eager to avoid being eaten, the creature does what it must.

First the mushroom - it sprouts, is thrown towards it, but the critter dodges with a shriek.

Next, the small orb. It holds a faint glimmer which catches the beast's attention; it lurches after it, but not far, and out snakes it's tamandua tongue - reaching for it, grabbing it as if it were a marble - and this is added to the pile by its flank.

The smaller orb strobes softly with magicka, and it is only after this gift is nestled beside the black void-shape that you can tell it too is a solid terrestrial object, and not something so other-wordly.

The gembounds have discovered a large opal!

How are you going to fetch it from beneath this prickly individual?

Finding his own gift accepted—unlike the poor (what can be best described as a) noodle-beast's offering—and placed alongside the vantablack orb was rather reassuring. Contrary to what he had expected, the sphere hadn't devoured the baubled stone wholly. Instead, they just sat alongside one another rather companionably. In spite of agitating his headache once again, the pale lion went to try his strategy again. This time, he would meander a little farther, gathering some lemon bottlebrush. He beckoned magicka forth and, with much more certainty than the orb, the frilly flowers ebbed and flowed with an ethereal light.

Tucking the stems between his toes, he hesitantly crept towards the prickly little creature, extending a soft paw outwards to offer the glimmering plants. Subtle. Gaining trust. Slow and patient. Mercurius relaxed as much as his arthritic muscles would allow, trying to show no ill intent whatsoever.

Kronos turned eyes back to his parent and watched the lion's offering be accepted.

Gifts, huh?

Kronos planted his paws out in front of him, not too close to either party...

...and to his delight, his magic worked like a charm and with a wisp of dust and a soft green glow, a sprout began to grow from between his paws. It reached a fair height before going so far as to bloom, revealing a single red poppy.

Kronos returned with a shuffle of his butt to his place beside Mercurius, but remained crouched, back legs still twitching with the use, bright eyes wide with wonderment. He briefly shot his caretaker a glance; had he done well?

^@Mercurius