Kin-Kin was prepared at first for the chance to flex her muscles and boast as illusory confetti rained down upon them when they approached, and she lifted her head high and strutted. After that, everything seemed to happen so fast; Batcat's shrieking, Nimean's protests fading into the distance and finally a shock of pain through her muscles that forced her to her knees. The shock of it caused the wolf's tongue to loll out, and before she knew it, the wolf was on her side, slowly coming back to her senses.

Her gaze flickered, and as she rose to her paws with cautious movements- even though the pain had faded, the wolf felt a strange sense that she'd been in this situation before, even though she knew full well that she hadn't. maybe she'd fallen asleep here once; or maybe it was some strange side effect of the magic that had sent the shudder of pain through her being.

She shook herself, stretching each of her limbs in turn, before taking a cautious step before the odd orb that had been left behind. It didn't look like a gem, but it might be. The wolf blinked. Cautiously, she stretched out a paw and cautiously poked at it's surface. Pain shot through her again almost immediately, and she recoiled with lips peeled back in a snarl. It was the same pain.

This was definitely no ordinary gem. But what was the point of it? "Some reward," scoffed Kin-Kin, regaining her composure even though her neck still bristled. "What do you thin it is? It's not natural. It has to have some kind of purpose."

---

When I speak.

When I think.

@Xireidi

Filthy thing? Xireidi lowered himself to a defensive stance, ready to spring as the dark fae greeted their guest with open hostility disguised in a beguiling voice. Muscles tensed as she spun and grabbed a batch of arrows, but neither he nor Nimean were the first to strike. Batcat lunged forward and captured the creature much as its feral cousin had before.

"No!" the wolf shouted as the familiar scene played out before him. This time, however, the batcat did not eat Nimean but instead just clenched her in its teeth once it caught her. Completely wordless Xireidi could only gaze in astonishment as the loathsome creature was dragged away screaming into the distance.

All at once the worry, the tension, the apprehension of the last days released and it was all Xireidi could do to keep from tumbling to the ground. The gem was still stuck in the generator but removing that would have to be done by another, and he suspected at a later time. He had no way of getting to it right now and those who had come here were all ready for a battle, not precision work like that. Perhaps after a good sleep they could return.

One thing they could investigate, however, was the strange purple orb that all at once surged with energy. Already on the verge of collapse Xiredi hit the floor hard, an intense migraine-like pain drilling into the right side of his head and throughout his body. A defense mechanism! Nimean had been a clever opponent, though she was gone there was no way they would be able to accomplish their goal if this orb was standing watch over the generator.

"I have no idea. It seems dangerous whatever it is." Xireidi replied to Kin-Kin, picking himself back up now that the first wave of pain had passed. There was no telling when it would activate again, they probably had to work fast to remove it form the area. But where could they take it? And how?

Observing the wolf's wincing Xireidi stopped short of the orb as he approached, opting to stand close to it without actually touching it. A twinge in the back of his mind hit him as he stared it down. Magic, he could use magic. A skill that had been lost to him for most of his life and returned with the assault on the spire. Magic was calling to him begging to be let out. Amras had told him that his was an element of the mind, perhaps if he tapped into that power it would enhance his perception to learn more of this strange thing.

As always Xireidi could feel his consciousness fade away as the 'spirit' of his magic began to take hold. When he awoke hopefully he would have greater knowledge of this object...

---

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

Xireidi experiences a brief shock of pain at the urging of magic, but nothing significant seems to happen. The orb, however, emits a faint glow in response. Indeed, they are connected now.

@Xireidi @Kin-Kin @Black

Black slowly lowered himself to his haunches, sitting as he watched. He did not know these two strangers--canines, like himself--but he knew the familiar flicker of magic, and he saw the glow as the purple orb flared.

"There," Black rumbled. "It glows. Whatever you did, it held light, for a moment."

He then shifted his gaze to Kin-Kin, staring at her. "Nemean is no ally. I have heard her in stone, long ago. I have seen what she has done. This is no reward. It is a trick, perhaps, or a valued thing that she has now lost. Be wary--but do not let her have it back. Kill her, if you get the chance. She would kill all of us. She has tried," he added, and the low edge of a growl laced his tone.

He was unsure what the magic was that Xireidi had cast, but he felt the faintest touch of it himself, and shifted his gaze back to the orb. He decided to reach out to it as well, to try and see what it might be that had caused it to flicker up. If this was some measure of Nemean's power, it would do them well to investigate--even at the risk it might present.

________________

@Kin-Kin

Kin-Kin glanced sideways at Xiredi's observation of the orb and couldn't resist a chuckle. "You don't say?" she responded, flexing her toes and marvelling at how suddenly the pain had subsided. One thing was for certain; she wouldn't be touching it again.

She turned to the black dog, then, her ears pricking to his words. "No kidding?" she murmured, unable to resist a shudder. "Noted. She won't know what hit 'er if she decides to mess with me." Even though she seemed to be half-joking, Kin-Kin briefly recalled Xireidi saying something about the Sprite being dangerous, and unpredictable. So the strange dog's words rung with a note of truth.

"Maybe we should take it somewhere," Kin-Kin said, gesturing with her muzzle to the orb. "Somewhere safe, until we can figure out what it's for. But if we can't touch it, we might need to think a little outta the box..."

---

When I speak.

When I think.

@Xireidi @Black

Consciousness arose once more as the invader seceded control to his body's true self, believing this to be the way to use magic. The one who had stolen his birth name may have been correct in that in all honesty; it was entirely possible that Xireidi was as fully incapable of magic as he had once thought. Satisfaction flooded the usurped self as he allowed his eyes to focus, limbs frozen as they always were.

No matter, he had decided before that he would play along, let his presence stay unknown to the parasite. Xireidi had wanted to look at the purple stone with magic so that's what he would do!

With nothing but his thoughts and emotions under his control Leikari focused in to the orb before him, feeling into its essence, tapping into its potential. Pain ripped through his body as the orb glowed in response, nearly sending him sprawled against the floor as Xireidi had been. With a surge of adrenaline, however, he managed to catch himself before losing footing.

Wait... he caught himself? His heart still pounding from the residual pain Leikari turned his head to the side, his vision shifting so that he was now staring at Kin-Kin and the black dog talking about Nimean.

"We will kill her one day." he spoke, a voice sickeningly identical to the one the parasite had claimed as its own, "one day she will let her guard down enough for us to remove her threat once and for all."

These were strangers to him, known only by the shared memory he held with the other. Even so they had to be left unaware lest Xireidi fortify his own defenses. He would play the role, act as the other, but relish in his freedom the entire time.

Gaze shifted once more to the orb. This was his, he had connected to it. He had felt its sting and it had called to him in response. No one else had any right to it now. "The caves will stay dark unless we remove all trace of Nimean's presence here. I have a resting spot on the edges of Polaris, I can take it there."

Without even waiting for a response the large wolf leapt to the other side of the orb and braced himself for the pain. It could lash out all it wanted but in the end it would be subdued. With a deep breath he pushed forward in an attempt to roll the large item away toward the home Xireidi had prepared for him.

He hadn't put nearly enough weight into the initial push, however; it was heavier than it looked. The orb jarred slightly but instinct caused the wolf to fall back from its surface almost as soon as he had made contact.

---

"The threats I make"
The secrets I hide
And the fool I have become
tags: @Black @Kin-Kin
notes: None

Black watched, aloof yet attentive, as the wolf tried to move the stone. He seemed to have trouble, as before, and with a huff, Black pushed up, striding forward and giving it a shot, himself--trying to nudge it over the floor.

He felt a horrific, sharp spike of pain, and flinched, but he paused and took stock, and found that he had no damage done. That, and the ball was, at least, rolling. So to speak.

The stoic mastiff nudged it forward again--in the direction Xireidi had himself attempted--doing his best to aid in whatever it was the other canine was doing. It wasn't a terrible idea to move it out of sight, at least, in case Nemean returned, though it was difficult, at best, to ignore the sharp shocks of pain that he felt.

"She may take it back, should she return," he rumbled in warning. "It would be good to move it, to hide it. But I do not know what this magic is, that hurts as it touches."

________________

@Kin-Kin

Kin-Kin's ears pricked to Xireidi's words. "Mmmhmm. Maybe we oughtta think about a plan of action, in case she tries anything." She glanced sideways at the other red wolf, gaze lingering for just a little too long. Something seemed... off, for a moment, but she couldn't quite figure out what. Had Xireidi always
been so eager to get his teeth into things? But she supposed, that the wolf had witnessed something of Nimean's bloodthirsty nature, and the black dog had his own warnings. Whatever Nimean's plan was, there was enough evidence to prove that something was a little off.

The others both agreed that they ought to move it. But how?

Kin-Kin could think of an easier way. But she didn't know if it'd work, and in all likelihood, they'd still need to carry it away from the riverbank and up any slopes. still, it was worth a shot, wasn't it? if it spared a little bit of that awful pain, that was worth it.

Let me try," Kin-Kin said, approaching the orb once again. This time, she didn't touch it, instead pushing the magic that shrouded her into the earth at her paws. The ground crackled and solidified, the orb rising from the ground on a crystal plinth, sloped at one side so that the orb could roll safely back down to the earth. It wasn't much, but the orb would, at the very least, wind up a short distance from where it had started.

---

When I speak.

When I think.

@Xireidi @Black

It was all Leikari could do to suppress a snarl as the black dog approached to try to steal the orb away from him. It was his! They had no claim. Unfortunately such an action would only serve to break the charade, no doubt they would have expected the body snatcher to just roll over and let his property be taken away without a fight.

Fortunately for both his cover and his ambitions only a half-second angered gaze of anger could be seen before it flashed back to the dopey attempted heroic look that Xireidi always seemed to wear. The black dog, it seemed, had not approached to try to steal it but to help push it toward his den! Even if only temporarily he already had a servant to do his bidding.

No, not a servant, an ally.

Despite himself Leikari shook his head, feeling his limbs threaten to lock up just as he had started to get comfortable here. Too soon! He was losing himself to the demon's icy grip so quickly after temporarily lifting himself from its possession! He wouldn't go down without a fight though! Just as Kin-Kin echoed the black dog's pledge of servitude Leikari pushed himself forward, ready to tackle the orb with his full weight.

Aaaaand instead crashing head first into a sudden column of gem, pain of a different sort resonating though his bones.

---

"The threats I make"
The secrets I hide
And the fool I have become
tags: @Black @Kin-Kin
notes: None

Black watched with a sort of detached bemusement. Kin-Kin's spell... worked, though it seemed to be a little bit pointless. He stared at her strange scarf-thing, wondering why she didn't simply use that as a buffer, rather than expending so much energy--and then the other wolf had plowed head-first into the stone.

Were wolves... dumb?

Black slowly tilted his head, observing for a beat before rumbling out his words.

"...Perhaps the pale wolf might use its... strange object, to touch the stone," he suggested. It could be wrapped up, and carried--the stone pushed onto the scarf--or Kin-Kin could, perhaps, wrap her snout in the scarf and push.

Either way worked, but they had to move it before Nemean returned. With a glance around, Black summoned his magicka, trying his best to darken the entirety of the room. The purple orb might still glow, so that they could work with it, but at least they'd be hidden from sight.

"I will hide us," he declared--but nothing happened, his magicka not responding to his summons, and he stared off at nothing, looking perhaps impotent--or insane.

________________

@Kin-Kin