Ritz approached the large birds with two red stones in her mouth. They weren't large, but they were something. SHe didn't have time to get more, but she hoped they were enough. Nudging the rocks toward Alnitak, Ritz bowed deeply.

"For you, Alnitak. I hope this satisfies you." The fennec fox said, still bowing as she backed away slowly. Raising her head, Ritz scampered off back towards Polaris.

-exit-

/showthread.php?tid=4757

Half-skidding along the cave floor, the wolf puppy scrambled frantically for the three brother-birds, following the faint glow of their bodies in Orion. Arriving before the yellow-eyed brother, Alnilam, Kera dropped exactly one yellow rock.

Soaking wet and covered in mud, the puppy ran back out of Orion, gone for several minutes, then-- just as wet and muddy --threw down another rock before Alnilam. This process was repeated many times, in the span of about an hour.

Breathing heavily, with her grand total of rocks in a pile before the golden-eyed bird, Kera stared with her own wide eyes for several moments. "You're winning," she wheezed, regardless of his progress and regardless if he even knew or not. "I want my wings, Alnilam."

A moment or two of heavy breathing later, Kera looked out towards the other two brothers as well, slowly settling herself onto her haunches. As she did, she began to catch her breath. With more oxygen-- if that's what gembounds even breathe, --she began to calm down and collect her thoughts.

"What is your dispute?" Asked the puppy. "What's so bad about it? What can't you agree on so bad that you need to get others to decide things for you-- and why with rocks? What does it mean and what are we actually getting ourselves into?"

YELLOW/GOLD STONES COLLECTED: 7
all that glitters

Rinaotei dearly hoped that the presence that was all too eerily familiar was no longer there, it's the sole reason why she left so abruptly the last time as she was not expecting to see it again, the fact of seeing them once again in darkness made things even more unnerving. If the presence is amongst the gathering still, Rinaotei will keep an eye on them this time. At least with Rina choosing to pass the time with finding more stones to avoid the presence potentially, she'll have an applicable reason for returning after leaving. She had some time to process just seeing it again so soon, and out of nowhere so she will be able to restrain herself from going in a hurry.

Carrying her new bunch of stones, she soon presents those to Mintaka too not wanting her presence to be known by too many Gembound. However, she doesn't say anything, but she did bow respectfully to Mintaka again. When Rinaotei did enter her jaw did tighten a little as she prepared for the possible outcomes if that presence is still here or not. Discreetly, looking from the corner of her eye she sees it, red eyes and pink, this time she didn't show any signs of surprise or concern of seeing them here still, although she did hope they wouldn't be here by the time she returned.

"Speech"

Blue/White Stones collected: 7
/showthread.php?tid=4794

The birds were pleased as Gembounds came and went, delivering stones to them.

Alnitak had been the first to receive a stone. A weasel had approached, quieting the three brothers as it did so; and its offering was for the red-eyed brother, silent as it nudged its red stone forward. Alnitak fluttered down from his perch and stepped forward, reaching out to collect the first stone. As the weasel said nothing, neither did Alnitak; instead, he nodded proudly. He was pledged to first, and so he turned with a great show of himself, holding out the stone to his brothers as the weasel skittered back off into the depths of Orion.

Alnilam and Mintaka did not seem so impressed. Behind Alnitak, a wolf with a cape had approached and delivered yellow stones, asking for Alnilam. Brushing past his boasting brother, the yellow-eyed bird glided down to meet her, ignoring the scoff from his brother.

"Thank you," he said to the wolf, scooping her contributions to make his own pile. As she called back to him over her shoulder, he looked up to her and smiled.

One of the gembounds they had seen from their reemergence into the cave arrived with stones for Mintaka, who hopped pasted a now-grumpy Alnitak—who had yet to receive more stones since his first—and gathered the donated stones into a pile. Mister Mintaka, it had called him. He chirped a bit of laughter, matching the pup's grin and enthusiasm. "They are perfect, young one," Mintaka cooed. "Thank you for answering my call; your best will do."

Alnitak was simmering, but before he lashed out at the pup for pledging to the wrong choice, a goose had flown in with a red stone; and it was for him! "I will give you the reward as promised," he confirmed, watching as she turned and took flight.

More gembounds started to enter the Forum offering stones. Their request had been heard!

A winged wolf for Mintaka, delivering three stones before saying farewell to gather more. A hybrid next for Mintaka, with two stones, followed by a cobra with one stone. Mintaka was proud of how many had pledged themselves to him. The mass of star-stuff was shimmering within his body. He was a humble being but he was proud to know these cave inhabitants chose to trust him with this seemingly tedious task.

And then... An interruption.

A short, long, and thick creature lumbered up to them and opened its wide jaws, letting thirteen red stones spill out before Alnitak's talons. The bird's red eyes opened wide as the gembound announced that he was here for the wings, spewing flame into the air. He was Dragon! Alnitak slowly picked through the pile Dragon had brought, and decided to add the few stones he already had obtained to this new pile.

"A fine offering, Dragon," Alnitak said. "Wings you will have, indeed." His eyes raised to meet this creature's, its scales strange to Alnitak, but perhaps... not unlike a true dragon's.

Alnilam and Mintaka were stuck staring at this exchange, but a speedy slithering and a gleam caught Alnilam's eye. He glanced down toward the python's stone and smiled brightly. "Thank you," he said as she slowly backed away. Just after her, a fox bounded up, excited at the yellow stone he had found. "It is fantastic!" Alnilam agreed, chirping with glee. "You have done so well! Thank you!"

Soon after, another canine approached him, but it used a name he did not know. "Ringo? Well, they were right," Alnilam confirmed, smiling. "Thank you—and thank you to your friend, Ringo." After the dog, a red wolf struggling with its offerings finally freed its mouth of such hassles and Alnilam nodded gratefully toward him. "Of course, thank you." Following the red wolf, a raven hobbled up, sacrificing flight for its stone contributions. Alnilam was tempted to reach forward and help untie the knot in its scarf, but waited patiently; when all was untied and done, the raven had two offerings, and one of them was large and beautiful. Alnilam nodded and again said, "Thank you."

Alnitak was sour again, watching his brother receive many pledges. A black wolf pushed forward and through to him, however, and gave to him five stones! "Yes!" he cawed, scooping them from under her snout and pulling them into his pile of stones.

Mintaka frowned at his brothers lack of gratitude, but a thudding caught his attention. Alnilam had been gathering the stones from earlier into his pile as the python approached, but looked up to the thudding sound as well. His eyes widened briefly at the sight, and was surprised to see what the python had brought him.

"Wow! Thank you very much," he said. "Please, go rest! What effort!"

Next to receive stones was Mintaka. The jaguar cub was excited, and that made Mintaka excited too. "Of course, as promised!" Mintaka said happily, raising his wings outward and letting their spectral transformation take over before shuffling them back to normal and scooting the stones into their pile. A small dog approached them next with more respect than Mintaka every expected to receive, bowing to them and calling them My Lord; Mintaka was already a humble being, but they felt in awe at this display, hesitating to take the stone. "Thank you, it's more than sufficient!" Mintaka called after the gembound as it left, moving the stone into the pile.

Alnitak was staring at Mintaka with narrowed eyes. Why hadn't he been called My Lord?

Time had passed between all of these offerings, and soon, others were coming back with more stones.

The caped wolf returned to Alnilam again. As he collected her stones, he noticed she may have been injured; he hoped she hadn't been pushing herself too hard to do this. "Thank you," he called after her, watching her figure disappear through the gathered gembounds.

As the wing wolf returned to Mintaka, he was happy to receive her stones; but the troubled look she had was curious to him, and he tried to follow her gaze. One of his pledged? He couldn't quite tell, and did not want to make an assumption. "Quite the contribution you have made!" he tried to say as a bit of a distraction. "Thank you so much for your hard work!"

A small fox approached Alnitak with two stones, and he grinned down toward her. "Ah, yes," he crooned, clawing them into his pile. "Very good."

A wolf pup ran in and dropped a yellow stone before Alnilam. "Thank y—" and then she was gone, racing back out into Orion. He stared after her for a moment, slowly moving the rock into his pile. Alnitak cawed laughter into the air while Mintaka cocked his head toward the darkness of Orion. Then, in she came again several minutes later, dropping another yellow stone before Alnilam's feet. "Thank you—" he said quickly, watching her as she raced back out. He said this each time to her as she repeated this.

Nearly an hour later, she was done. Muddy and exhausted, she turned in her final stone and Alnilam opened his beak to squawk out a quick thank you, holding it in his chest as he realized she wasn't racing back out into the darkness. "Wow!" he chirped. "You will certainly get your wings! Please rest, first. That seemed quite exhausting," Alnilam said softly. When she asked of their dispute, the three brothers looked between themselves for a moment.

"It seems most fair to have the inhabitants we will be interacting with decide," Mintaka said, craning his head around Alnilam to look at the pup.

"Oh, because I would be a bully?" Alnitak scoffed from the far side of the other two.

"Yes," Alnilam said flatly, his eyes rolling to view the direction of Alnitak. "I didn't say that," Mintaka said at the same time, somewhat quietly, defensively.

"We're three parts of a whole," Mintaka tried to explain, looking down at the pup.

"Let's wait until we have the results," Alnilam suggested as the winged wolf approached with possibly the last of the offerings, and Mintaka nodded in agreement. Alnitak hmmph'd.

With that—and again, Mintaka noticed the discomfort of the wolf, but returned her bow—they tallied the results.

"Alnilam had eight pledged gembounds and twenty-seven stones. Mintaka had six pledged gembounds and thirty-one stones. Alnitak had five pledged gembounds and twenty-two stones." They announced the totals together, looking down at their piles and sifting through them absent-mindedly. Alnitak seemed upset to have lost on both fronts.

"Huh! Ridiculous," he hissed.

"Now, don't be a sore loser," Alnilam said calmly.

"According to the stone count, I have won," Mintaka declared.

Already, something strange was happening between the three of them. A strange swirling of energy began to move between their bodies, connecting them.

"To my pledged, I bless unto you: Eternal Wing!" Alnilam said with a loud voice that echoed around the Forum. A great yellow light washed from his body, ethereal feathers floating around him in a dazzling and bright display. Those that had pledged to him—Kin-Kin, Desire, Azar, Widget, Xireidi, Albeon, Septiezal, Kera—were also suddenly surrounded by the same display, a rush of magic flowing through them. His body began to disappear in a sparkling of light raising up into the air, the feathers swirling around his fading body as if taken up in a whirlwind. "With this Eternal connection, we will be able to communicate. With this Pledge, I am Yours." Alnilam was gone, the golden feathers fusing with Mintaka's body, which grew double in size.

"To my pledged, I grant unto you: Haunted Wing!" Alnitak said with a booming voice that echoed around the Forum. A strange red light emanated from his body, thick black auras expanding around him in a terrifying and dark display. Those that had pledged to him—Envy, Blackberry, Dragon, Dezba, Ritonai—were also suddenly surrounded by the same display, a rush of magic flowing through them. His body began to disappear in a sparkling of light raising up into the air, the black auras swirling around his fading body as if taken up in a whirlwind. "With this Haunted connection, we will be able to communicate. With this Pledge, I am Yours but You are Mine." Alnitak was gone, the black aura fusing with Mintaka's body, which grew again in size. For a moment, a mass of swirling star-stuff consumed the body of the birds, an aurora birthing a new creature.

The giant galaxy-like bird was towering over the others now, the size similar to that of other ancient titans. The stones within its chest were orbiting each other. Its eyes were ice blue in color as it slowly blinked, taking in the scenery from its new height.

"To my pledged, I grant unto you," it said softly, the voice Mintaka's. Still, it had a powerful voice which echoed around the arena. "Spectral Wing!" A dazzling many white-blue lights rose from his body, like fireflies slowly lifting off and gaining speed before disappearing into the dark distance. Those that had pledged to him—Ringo, Rinaotei, Teyouma II, Winter, Aztec, Gabriel—were also suddenly surrounded by the same display, a rush of magic flowing through them. "With this Spectral connection, we will be able to communicate. With this Pledge, We are One."


"Thank you for helping us decide which of us would remain as the lead personality in this form," they spoke together, the Kings outstretching their wings to display a shifting expanse of a sky the gembounds would not recognize. "During our search for a lost stone, we fell into disagreement, and split."

"Speaking of," Mintaka broke in, craning the Kings large head downward to look at the collected stones. He gathered them together carefully with a large talon, squinting to look at them carefully.

"It is not here," Alnilam whispered inside of his brother's mind, though his pledged would be able to hear his voice.

"What! After all that effort, and we did not find it!" Alnitak hissed, silent to any others except for his pledged..

"Yes, so it seems, the stone we seek is still missing." Mintaka confirmed, gazing up to the gembound gathered.

"Help us one more time, and we will reward you a second time." Their voices called, the large phoenix-like bird shimmering with auroras and galaxies unknown. "It must be made up of each of these colors—a stone or like-object mixed of blue, red, and white... But it is lost within the depths of time, forgotten and decayed. Find the stag who watches over cycles of the cave."

Results!

Congratulations! You (unwillingly?) participated in "Choose your own NPC!" You've chosen Mintaka! Now the Kings have asked you to help them find a lost stone; help them and you will be rewarded a second time.

This concludes Three Kings of Orion Part 2. Your characters may exit immediately or discuss among themselves who it is they need to find, and if they want to travel together. The Kings are here as an available NPC to talk to. Part 3 will be posted sometime in the next few days (or if you make contact with the needed NPC sooner and need to turn in information).

Kera, decidedly, liked this one bird. At Alnilam's suggestion to rest, the wolf pup promptly fell onto one side, mouth open and panting for a while. She kept an ear perked, listening to the bird-brothers speak to each other.

She did not know what three parts of a whole meant-- not really. Hell, at first Kera wondered how a hole can have three parts until it actually sunk in. "Then why have a dispute at all?" She asked tiredly, half-open eyes darting to Mintaka. "You should be working together, right? Sorting out your differences and pushing through as brothers?"

The pup spoke gently, but the confusion was audible in her tone. She slowly pushed herself up as Alnilam spke of blessing and connections, tiredly lifting herself onto all fours and dipping her head as her body became bathed in yellow light.

Yellow light. Like the lights. Somehow, Kera had known she pledged herself to the right bird.

"What kind of stone?" She asked in the same soft, curious tone. "What does it do, and where can we find the stag? Does he have it, or does he know where it is?"

Dragon remained still, half-glancing to and fro (though with his thick neck he could hardly do so to any real angle) as he was engulfed in black energies. His massive jaw-muscled tightened as excitement thrilled through him, though Alnitak's warning did not go unheard.

-but you are mine.

Pfft. He was his own! He would be-... Hrm. This magic. Dragon tried to flex these wings, to spread them, to test them. They were-... there, yes--the alligator, long and fat and stubby, suddenly had black and red batwings extending out from his back. Yet--with a little hop, he found he could not actually fly. He growled, and looked up, rage flickering through him, anger. Had he been used..? He listened, coldly.

Dragon bellowed laughter, for some reason, at the final revelation--that of the search for the stones. It was biting laughter. I knew!

"Do you seek Raheerah's stone, or the blue-bird's perhaps, or were you after the stag's? I had thought as much but if they are combined, as you say--and the stag is alive... Then it was another altogether."

He huffed, and looked back--or tried to--at the flexing wings on his back. They were ghostly, magical, not physical wings, and he hissed.

"What is this!" he growled. "These are no wings! These are--a mockery!" ...He realized, even as he spoke, that he might just be too heavy to fly with them. Perhaps the others could? He looked around, still hissing deeply.

He then looked back up, grumbling.

"What is the other reward of which you speak? Are these wings but a taunt? Bait on a line? Bah! I will aid if it means I will fly! I want WINGS!"

The ungrateful alligator hissed again, tilting his head to stare at the great bird.

"And I belong to me!" he added for good measure. "But I will find this stone, if it is flight I will be given. Is this in your power?!"

Envy
You sink your teeth into the people you depend on
Infecting everyone, you're quite the problem

Envy wove back through the crowds, a little disgruntled at being unable to find any more gems, and found that the competition had just about finished anyway. the little weasel approached, listening to the bird's conversation and waiting expectantly for their promised prize. They waited, bouncing on their paws in excitement and anticipation, as the rewards began with Alnilam. When the golden-eyed bird had finished, it was their turn. With a shudder of great joy, the young creature felt magick flowing into them, the knowledge flowing into their bones.

A shudder of pleasure rippled through their long body.

Fierce pride and anger sent their blood coursing through their veins; at this moment in time, they felt like the greatest being alive. They bared sharp teeth in a grin. All that faded however as the words of Alnitak brought fresh indignance welling in their chest. "I belong to nobody!" they yelled childishly, drunk with the power flowing through their veins, and unaware that there were some who hadn't heard.

The small one focused on that power, rising onto their hindpaws as high as they could manage, and tried to let it all out, drawing on the knowledge they'd just been given. What happened instead was that their magic dissipated, leaving them alone and feeling stupid. They snarled, again baring their small teeth. They heard the bird's strange request then, and although every part of them wanted to yell that they wouldn't ever help them again, the thought of more rewards kept them rooted to the spot. Eventually they coiled close to the ground and gruffly said "I'll think about it," before scurrying off, undoubtedly in search of the odd stag.

-Exit Envy-

---

"Speech."
"Thoughts."

Xireidi looked in awe as the bird he had brought his three stones for disappeared in a blaze of sparkling light, inundating him and the others who had brought gifts with a blessing of magic. He could feel the energy penetrate deep within his fur, his skin, his limbs and his mind. He could feel it try to integrate itself with his stone even as his innate magic tried to reject it, though for what reason he could not say. Perhaps such pure light magic had a difficult time clinging to a dark stone like his, only managing to anchor itself to a small portion of the gem's whole while anchoring itself the rest of the way within his physical form.

Though Alnilam was no more, brought to become only a part of the whole with Mintaka as the face, Xireidi could still feel his presence with this new entity. He knew that when they spoke they spoke for all within. An unprecedented system for gembound, and a good explanation to the contest. The reasoning for their initial split, however, seemed much less clear.

"A lost stone?" he questioned, even as many of Alnitak's followers lost their temper, "I'm sure many of us would be happy to help if you have any clues about the whereabouts of this stag."

It was unlikely that they would know outright, but perhaps like with Batcat they would have a clue to how to track them. If he was tracking one individual then why not add another missing creature to the list? Who knew, perhaps one would be able to give even more hints to where to find the other!

---

"The words I speak"
The thoughts I hold
And the self I keep hidden away
tags:
notes: None

'cause i'm the big bad wolf

now let the games begin

Dezba tensed her muscles, feeling the haunted essence conjoin with her body. The magick that Alnitak bestowed upon her, the magick rushing through her veins, it was exhilarating. It was as if something missing inside her had been put back into place. Black aura swirled around her shoulders, unveiling a pair of rose red wings. She unfurled them as a menacing grin stretched across her face. Was this what it felt like, pure chaos?

If so, it was wonderful.

She heard Alnitak clearly, and they rang through her head.

I am Yours..

"but You are Mine..."

Unlike most of Alnitak's servants it seemed, she felt honored. Finally, she had place, a purpose, but more importantly, someone wanted her. For once, her cursed anger had not betrayed her, instead, Alnitak's gift had showed her that perhaps, it is not a curse after all.

Dezba, she was so desperate for a friend.. so very desperate..

She snickered fiendishly at the awful weasel she met back in Orion. It was the weasel that destroyed her toy when she wanted nothing but to play with them. After all that talk, only to have their spell fail.

Pathetic.

Then her grin fell when the alligator spewed out his complains. She curled her lips into snarl. How dare he!

"Shut your maw, fat lizard!" She spat venomously. The alligator could, with out of doubt, kill her with one bite if he wanted too, but drunk with her new found loyalty, she could not find it in her to care. "How dare you speak ill of His gift!"

She turned to the god-like avian, dipping her head respectfully she declared "I will find you your stones." Dezba glanced back at the other Gembounds. The Competition.

"And I will not fail you."

"Listen to me."
Thoughts...

TAG: @Dragon // OOC: if you wanna reply

The 'fat lizard' turned, unhesitatingly, at the challenge barked out by the black wolf. His maw opened, rather than closed, and for a moment the fire he called upon hesitated, as if his magicka were still funneling into the wings. When it came it wasn't as large as it could have been, but it was still a blast of fire, and this he breathed straight at the wolf.

It was a guttering torrent of flame, though she could likely skitter out of the way easily enough; it was more a display of his violence and raw power than anything. Though it did come with a cost; the scent of burning alligator hung in the air as he bellowed.

"YOU MAY COW TO THEM IF YOU WISH, but do not dare to order me, pathetic creature!" he roared. He lashed his heavy, ridged tail over the floor, then clacked his jaws shut with a loud clap, before opening them again to lie there and hiss at Dezba as he awaited the birds' responses.

(( @Dezba - she can totally move out of the way etc & ty for the tag! ))