Kin-Kin was moving fast, the sounds of Monoceros' howling winds gradually fading into distant ambiance the further she went, her claws gently clicking on the stone floor. As the tunnel widened into the once-great city of Orion, Kin-Kin finally took the chance to stop, pausing by the edge of the city as she considered a plan of action. She lifted her nose and sniffed, drawing in the scents; nothing of any worth, though.

It occurred to her then that she was uncertain of this 'Batcat's scent. A combination of a cat's scent... and a bat's? such would be the assumption, but Kin-Kin couldn't help feeling more factors were at play. What about their element? Were the... 'fake' Batcats Xireidi described any different to the original? The golden wolf couldn't be sure, but she remained optimistic as she continued to sniff for anything unusual.

Perhaps she'd smelt it before, and overlooked it; anything unusual, Kin-kin felt as though she'd have noticed it earlier. Though she wasn't sure if it was the one she was looking for, a tendril of scent tickled her nostrils, and the she-wolf found herself following, her gait confident and tail raised high.

@Xireidi

After a quick scan of the Perimeter of Monoceros Xireidi had left the others to do a more in-depth sweep. He, in turn, would keep an eye on the entrance in case they flushed it out and it fled to Orion. If the target was on the move then there was a high likelihood that they would never track it down. By dividing their effort, they could block off sections of the cave at a time.

A familiar figure ahead caused Xireidi to slow down as he reached the end of Tunnel J, slowing to a stop among the monstrous carvings along the walls. He'd thought she'd gone a different direction after the meeting, no doubt eager to find their target.

"Any luck so far?" he questioned as a way of greeting as the large red wolf stepped forward again and stood at the mouth of the tunnel. "Sorry we didn't get to chat too much before, seems between the spider and the bat our last few run-ins have been nothing but business."

---

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

Kin-Kin's ears swiveled, and she turned slightly as a familiar voice greeted her. She paused momentarily, drawing to a halt, her tail swishing in greeting as she grinned back towards them. Her glow brightened, casting dark shadows from the tiniest of pebbles. "Hey, kid," she greeted, her voice friendly but oozing confidence. "Nothin' concrete yet. Ya smell that?" she took another sniff with wet black nose twitching. "Think it's what we're lookin' for?"

She waited until Xireidi had caught up, and then began moving again, slowly, cape rustling softly at her back and blade clinking gently in her sheathe. The tendrils of scent she followed were faint, she couldn't be sure of its source, but she felt sure that she was onto something, at least. She chuckled softly at their apology, eyes twinkling with mirth. "Heh, things have gotten pretty crazy lately, eh?"

---

words:
tagged: @Xireidi
ooc:
muse:

"Talking looks like this!"
Thinking looks like this...

Xireidi smirked at the assessment of the situation they were in, a single note chuckle riding upon his breath. "Crazy is an understatement. I thought being bereft of magic in a world I was certain had some eldritch abomination in it was bad, but the truth hits a lot harder than childhood fears it seems."

Though he knew it would likely be useless with his poor sense of smell Xireidi lowered his head to try to get a feel for what Kin-Kin was referring to.

"Though I know I'll probably never be as skilled as you at least I seem to have gotten some magic ability back at this point."

He continued to pace about, trying his best to pick up something, anything. There! Even if the scent was faint and with his nose difficult to distinguish from the other scents of the area there was definitely a batcat smell. Whether it was the right one or not was anyone's guess but this was a lead.

"This does smell familiar. It could be the real one or it could be one of the fake ones, but you have the right species at the very least."

---

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

Kin-Kin chuckled, glancing the younger wolf's way with a wry grin tweaking the side of her muzzle. "...Heh. You don't say?" Their words brought Kin-Kin back to Xireidi's emergence, and she found herself internally comparing the wolf -the much taller wolf- walking beside her now to the curious pup of many, many cycles ago. Kin-Kin had never noticed- or particularly cared- about her small size, but the pup in her memories and the tall wolf beside her made for an interesting juxtaposition. Though they'd passed one another close by many times, it had been a long, long time since Kin-Kin and Xireidi had actually spoken.

She chuckled quietly, seemingly pleased with their perceived compliment. "Heh, don't hold that against yourself, kiddo. It's me, after all. If ya need any... y'know... tutoring, I ain't going anywhere."

Kin-Kin was especially pleased that the scent she'd picked out was in fact the one they'd been looking for. She flicked her tail in a swift gesture, and broke into a brisk trot. "Excellent. Let's get to it, then!" the golden wolf called back, raising her nose again after a while to keep the scent pinned down. "Say... did the fairy let ya know how to tell the real from the fakes?" Kin-Kin asked after a while, still sniffing. The scent, however, was faint enough that she soon lost it, and with a small grumble, pressed her nose to the ground and began retracing her steps, trying a different way.

---

words:
tagged: @Xireidi
ooc:
muse:

"Talking looks like this!"
Thinking looks like this...

"Thanks for the offer." Xireidi responded almost absentmindedly as he intensely focused his good eye on the ground, sniffing to try his best to keep track of the scent, "But I actually already have a tutor. Sparring partner really. A blue gryphon that apparently spends all his free time studying the nature of magic. Last I heard he's been able to figure out how to use about half of the possible schools of magic. Says I am attuned to 'magic of the mind'."

Not flashy like fire or light or even electricity, but it was something at least. Where was that trail? It was here just a moment ago. Xireidi paused as he lifted his head, looking around. His sight wasn't too much better than his sense of smell, but this way he might be able to listen for the sounds of their prey. Of course he also had to keep an ear out behind them as well, he could get a short distance away from the tunnel entrance but didn't want to stray too far for too long.

"Unfortunately Nimean didn't say anything about it. I just know I brought a feral bat cat to her and... well lets just say there's a reason I feel like murder the fairy is a last resort."

Really helpful she was, but what could you expect of one who would hold the light of all living things in the cave hostage? Xireidi lowered his head again, having no luck in hearing or seeing any signs of their target, and sighed as the faint grasp he’d had on the scent had completely disappeared.

"I wonder if it flew away at this point."

---

"The words I speak"
The thoughts I hold
And the self I keep hidden away
tags: @Kin-Kin @Albeon @Rinaotei
notes: Feel free to hop in at any time!

Rinaotei did already have many tasks to do as while she does have to help those kings out in their search, Rinaotei decided she'll help them later. Initially, she hastily opted to assist the kings first to let Mintaka victoriously triumph, and now that's concluded even if they do require further assistance Rinaotei believes the kings have lots of support already from the other Gembound. The search group for Batcat, on the other hand, is a jarringly small group, so Rinaotei has decided to make searching for Batcat a priority, the others most likely will need her more currently. So, with that, she's presently scouting Orion herself in the search for this Batcat entity that faerie so desires to the point of suppositiously committing the despicable act of potentially jeopardising every Gembound livelihood by setting these lights off until her demand has been and thus tantrum resolved in the process.

Rinaotei considered many things in her head about this Batcat, for it has 'bat' within its name so it must be able to fly; but can it swim? If so is it possible for it to remain submerged for an elongated period for it to be able to obscure itself in the water? Rina scouted many places, high up the ceiling of Orion, the lowest level of the ground and diving in any deep waters she could find. Albeit with the water what little light there is in Orion starts to fade away, the more in-depth she got until she had to return up for air. She expeditiously surfaced and took to the air again, water dripping from her fur and scales, but she managed to shake a plethora of it off with each beat of her wings.

Rina resisted the urge to shiver from the cold; this being not being capable of handling the frigid as previously is becoming a concern for Rina; is it her physical health? She has continuously conjured that it's this new form of hers being the cause, but how can she be sure about that?

Hmm, nothing peculiar to be detected with just utilising her sight so she decided to go with her nose too, with that Rina dearly hopes more that Batcat to not be submerged in water for if it was then Rina won't be able to utilise her scent of smell the moment she has dived again. Rinaotei could see her fellow seekers from down below, albeit their forms were minuscule for her eyes from how high her altitude is but she could recognise them as ones who are additionally part of this search group.

Rinaotei soon sniffed the air to see if she can find anything at all out of the mundane. But woefully while she thought she noticed something out of the ordinary but it was gone from her just as quick; maybe she just imagined it? She took a deep breath to help get into concentration, clouds of frozen vapour emanating from her jaws as she does while shaking her head.

"Speech"

Albeon could've taken to the air to help search; instead, he's hop-walking intending to catch up with the others and help with this search. A lot of the canines, which is about everyone else in the search party look to be using their scent of smell in their hopes to track down this Batcat. Albeon doubts will help if he were to do that himself or at least he doesn't think a raven's sense of smell is a good one in comparison to canines; where sniffing could almost be like some unique skilled art of their's to master. So Albeon himself is thinking of using his Magick as he knows he's maybe the best Gembound ever at Magick. Still, he walk-hops right beside Kin-Kin and Xireidi and listens a little to what they have to say when the mention on whether Nimean gave any tips at all to help find the thing she's searching. Sadly regarding that apparently the little shit is useless in that regard, and she's blaming it all on Xireidi for getting her that 'fake' one from the sounds of it if she felt justified to do this to the lights.

What a complete asshole that faerie is.

When the mention of whether it has fleed makes him wonder whether that is possible, he looks up to where Rinaotei is but notices she's shaking her head might be to herself but must mean that she has been unable to find Batcat too. He wonders if Batcat was ever here, to begin with, and so he wonders if he could try looking into the past with his Magick to see if the corvid is correct. Albeon stops for a second and closes his eyes; his talons are touching the ground, so he doesn't think he needs to have physical contact any rock with his wings right? He feels like that may make it not work but, he doesn't want to look too weird in front of the others even if they're searching for the same thing.

Was Batcat in Orion?

Albeon could see some images when his Spell looks to have worked, but they are so hazy he has some difficulty deciphering any of them, but soon with his concentration and tapping more of his powers he could see some creature he has never seen before, appears to be some eyeless, winged feline. Cat and a bat are this what the Batcat look like then? Hmmm, he's getting something then, just need to concentrate on where Batcat is in this here vision to get an idea. Albeon doesn't know yet he tapped into the future instead of the past.

Tags: @Xireidi @Kin-Kin
Side Notes: N/A

"Hey Yours Truly Albeon Speaking."

And that's a good thing...
It means there's hope and potential in one's Future.

we burn the brightest

in the dark

It had been a long day of training. Beating down on a rock strengthened muscles, but it was nothing compared to an actual sparring partner. In truth, Aries felt a little lonely on his look out. He sighed and watched Orion from above. His face was hung low in boredom as his mind drifted off to Leon, the amazing Kin-Kin, and that strange, ghostly fawn in Cetus. He wondered what they were up too, and if there were anymore strange happenings in the caves.

Suddenly, movement down below caught Aries' eye and he perked up. They seemed like ants from his vantage point, but he could faintly make out one Gembound he recognized.

Kin-Kin.

She was in a small group, and they appeared to be searching for something. He was too far away to pick up any speech, so what they were searching for he could only guess, but Aries assumed it must be important.

As if furnace rekindled inside him, Aries raced down the rocky path he had taken many times before, uncannily hopping from stone to stone on his stocky legs. There certainly was pep in his step as he jumped onto the ground and bounded across Orion.

------------

After awhile, he finally reached Kin-Kin's group of Gembounds. As he neared he could make out their faces a lot better. The raven and the other red wolf, looked familiar, but he couldn't place his hoof on it. Aries hopped on a boulder and snorted to get their attention-- mostly Kin-Kin's though.

"Heyyy, Kin-Kin!" He chimed. "Demi-God of Light and Magical Champion, what's going on here?"

"Listen to me."
Thoughts...

TAG: @Kin-Kin @Xireidi @Albeon @Rinaotei // OOC:

Kin-Kin's brows raised slightly as Xireidi declined her offer; the wolf hadn't expected that. Of course, her initial reaction veered towards disbelief; had her initial first impression really been that bad? Kin-Kin had been creating her blade at the time, and was considerably weakened by the act of forming crystal. of course, she'd mastered the art by now, but she must have seemed... so much weaker. Kin-Kin sighed softly, but a smirk remained on her face.

"Alright! Suit yourself. still, if you ever want a bit of variation..." she winked their way. "Ya know who to call."

Kin-Kin's ears twisted to the fluttering of wings and the sound of claws against stone. she turned to see the rest of their small party entering the scene, and waved her plumed tail in greeting. Her ears pricked. "Any luck, you guys?"

then she turned back to Xireidi. Suddenly, Kin-Kin felt as though she'd encountered Batcat before; she just hadn't remembered until now. It had been many, many cycles ago. Before the magic competition, before she'd been a demigod. Before she'd even reached adulthood, if she remembered right. Kin-Kin decided to give these thoughts a voice. "Wait. Batcat. That's right... I dunno about these clones of yours, but I... think... I met the real thing. A long time ago... Before you emerged, Xireidi. Much further back even than that. The memory's a haze, but I think I fought it."

Kin-Kin paused at the sound of hoofbeats, and she turned around towards the familiar figure now perched on a nearby boulder. Immediately Kin-Kin's muzzle parted into a toothy grin. She turned towards the ram, approaching with a high-stepping trot and shaking her cloak. "Heyyyy, tough guy!" She reciprocated their greeting and came to a halt at the base of the boulder, tail swishing. "We're lookin' for a thing called Batcat. If we can get it back to the generator -alive- then we get the lights back," she explained briskly, raising her muzzle again. She took a deep sniff, seeking again to recapture that tendril of scent.

---

words:
tagged:
ooc:
muse:

"Talking looks like this!"
Thinking looks like this...