Slowly, steadily, the little one's glow ebbed away, leaving him an ordinary --- albeit odd-looking --- bird.

Aure's ears perked forward at the dog's demurring about evil and how the stag, whatever that was, had fallen because of his foolishness and arrogance. Perhaps the little one would woefully never know what a stag was. He began to grow a little frustrated as words were described to him, but he continued to listen out of an odd respect for this stranger he had just met. Only a slight scowl made it to his face, and it soon dissipated. Black was just confirming his thoughts; that words were nothing without meaning or action or purpose. Those three things were what made an infinite difference, what made a king different from another of the same name.

The little wyvern nodded knowingly, perhaps a surprise to the black dog, and stared back toward the Spire for a moment. "Words don't mean anything by themselves," he started, turning back to meet the mastiff's pale gaze, "but just give a name to things we do? Like..." Aure gestured vaguely, wing stretching toward Black, "you call yourself a guardian? And you do guardian things! Like helping and teaching like right now!" A clarity shimmered in Aure's bright eyes and he stood as well. "But if you just called yourself a guardian and didn't do any of those things, you'd just be calling yourself that."

@Black

Black dipped his head in acknowledgement. "Yes. I do not tell you this to say a word does not matter without action, though perhaps that holds truth. I say it because at times, you will learn a thing: that a word does not mean what you thought it did."

Black looked around as if trying to find an example of this. He seemed to find nothing, after a moment, and then looked thoughtfully to Aure.

"The word 'evil,' as you have used it. Perhaps one may see it as, pure malice, and hatred; a thing that is evil feels no remorse, and only wishes pain on others. Yet you may find that a villain, a killer, even, is not evil--but perhaps, as the stag Hasira was, is mad with pain. And then you perhaps will think, it is not evil at all; and if you look through the world, perhaps you cannot find evil after all. One that you called evil was but misled. Another was mad, but this was no fault of his own. Another to whom this word-sound was given, 'evil,' was hungry, and did not see it as evil to kill those who speak. And then perhaps you decide, that evil does not exist."

Black paused, as if to let this sink in, and then continued. "But then you find that you have no word for those that do cause harm--even if they do not do it out of malice. You have no word for the dangerous mad, and for the hungry who prey upon those who speak, though they consider it not evil. And so you find that you must use a word, and that 'evil,' perhaps, will do, and that you use it on those you used it on before--yet with new meaning. And in this way you discover that a word perhaps describes a thing, but it means something other than what you had thought. And in this way, your understanding of a thing may change."

Black fell silent.

He still did not explain what a "stag" was. Likely, he didn't realize that Aure very much wanted to know.

________________

@Auré

The world wasn't as black or white as Aure thought it was, as much as he wanted to deny it. Even in his short bout in life, he already had encountered a prime example of 'evil' as he called it: Eythan. His own brother had killed their father; under what circumstances, the little one still did not know --- and he didn't want to, just yet, for fear of what the gryphon would do if asked about it. Aure had already been waiting until he was strong enough to survive a possible confrontation, if Eythan got angry and tried to kill him. In that moment, the wyvern clicked his beak and lowered his gaze, swallowing. No, that wasn't it. That wouldn't happen. Eythan wouldn't do that to him, would he?

Was it fair to call his own brother 'evil', then? If he didn't even know why Eythan had killed the Bone King? Maybe he was like Hasira and mad with pain or mislead. But he was broken free of that when Mother came along and brought him home. Aure's ears flickered back as the dog fell silent, waiting, still not explaining what a stag was. At this point, the little one had given up on that venture. The wyvern mourned the space that his father could have filled, could have existed within and guided him from, not Aza'zel himself. He couldn't, not knowing what the Bone King had been like. Against his best will, tears began to slip from Aure's eyes and he turned away from Black.

Now, he was frustrated. Frustrated with his brother for taking that away from him, for taking a life. Frustrated with his brother for possibly taking Carni's life, too; that was another family member he would never know, never find. As far as he knew, there wasn't a trace of the Prince's stone left behind. Not a sound came from Aure as he cried, though; he was just angry at not knowing and not understanding. Somehow, the Black Dog had managed to break down Aure's entire view of the world in seconds. The little one wanted --- no, needed --- to know why Eythan did that. He had to know why the gryphon had done something so evil and know if he really was evil.

But he was terrified of what Eythan would do to him --- and to Mother.

This mixing pot of frustration and stagnant fear was translated to ichorous frills around his neck, but he didn't care. Aure shuffled further around, not facing the dog at all and possibly placing him in a very awkward situation. An awkward situation the little one could barely manage to diffuse with a quick, "sorry, I--- sorry."

@Black

The dog tilted his head, peering quizzically. He wasn't sure just what he'd said, or what was wrong with the little one, but Aure certainly seemed upset. The hybrid was shuffling away, hiding his face.

Black pushed up, padded over, and paused. He then lifted one massive paw and gently brought it down to rest on the hybrid's back.

What more could he do? He did his best to summon forth one single shining banana, to drop this from thin air to a point before Aure (nothing, unfortunately, happened), while speaking.

"I speak only truths, as I see them. I do not aim to cause harm with my words. Have I done so?"

He paused, thinking, and then added--"Do you require aid?" Stoic, stolid, but woefully socially clueless. Then again, he had no way of knowing just what was going on inside of Aure's mind.

________________

@Auré

Aure was tempted to just clam up, to just shut down emotionally. He wanted to run away and bottle up how he felt and not burden this stranger with his woes. But, fortunately, Mother hadn't taught him that. She taught him the opposite; she broke the chain of... emotional ineptitude in the Vita line. The little one whirled around at the large paw on his back, flinching slightly as he revealed his tear-slicked face. Aure took a heaving sigh and wilted visibly beneath the weight. "No! No... It's not your fault. I was just... thinking."

There would be no need to withhold this, right? "Mother told me that my brother killed the Bone King, but she didn't tell me why. She told me to ask him about it if I wanted to and I... I think he killed his own brother, too. But Mother said he was really sorry but I don't understand." His voice edged into hysterics and he paused to get a grip on himself. "I don't get it. That's family. I don't see how he could do it. Eythan's so nice and... I don't know how he could kill family." Aure figured he may as well unburden himself on this poor socially clueless dog. "And I'm just... mad at myself for not asking, because I'm scared that Eythan might get mad and kill me if I ask him about what happened and why he killed our Father and... brother, maybe."

The poor babe. Blinking, the little one rubbed at his eyes with the ends of his wings, vestigial claws scraping against his cheeks. "I... I don't know what to do. I don't know if Eythan's good or evil or if I should be scared of him."

@Black

Black listened, to his credit. He didn't interrupt; he just listened, wrinkled face attentive, as always.

When Aure had finished, when he was sat there blinking and wiping his face, Black considered. He had a different point of view, than most--though he wasn't aware of it. His mind worked in a wholly different fashion. And so the answer, to him, seemed quite obvious. The emotional implications were stripped away, leaving the bare answer behind, plain to be seen.

"If you wish to know, yet you fear asking him, then do not ask him alone." Simple, right? At least, he thought so. Just bring backup. If Eythan didn't like the answer, tough tooshie. Of course, Black didn't know what it might be like to turn up to one's own brother with backup--the implication of lack of trust--but to him, it would not have mattered. There was a lack of trust. Why hide it? It was better, anyway, than wandering about too afraid to act, and made miserable by the question.

He had not known, either, that the Bone King had been killed by his own child. Black found himself wondering, in a vague sort of way, if it'd been the Fisher child who had done it. He didn't know who Eythan was, he didn't think; somehow, he'd managed never to meet him despite both of them living in Polaris for so long. Perhaps due to Eythan's reclusive nature.

"I do not know of good, or evil. I know only of actions, and of motives. Perhaps he would harm you. Perhaps not. Should you bring another with you, you will defeat him should he attempt it. And you will learn the truth."

Cold, hard logic, at its finest.

Absolutely out of nowhere, a banana appeared. Black stared at it in consternation--apparently, the magic had been delayed. He gently pushed it toward Aure with his nose. It had been meant for him, after all.

________________

@Auré

Not... asking Eythan alone. That seemed out there and incredibly obvious. Aure blinked once or twice, managing to meet the Black Dog's pale blue gaze. Maybe he could ask Mother to have Omen watch from some dark place, so that Tanny couldn't see her. That way, if his brother tried to do anything, Aure could be saved if he couldn't save himself. The inky frills on his neck --- when had he conjured up those? --- would help him, if they came. Magic was fickle, like Black said.

There was no good or evil in this world. There was just good deeds and bad actions. Everyone here was Gembound and capable of both. Aure didn't truly believe it but he could do bad things too. It had only been two cycles, after all. Who knew what could happen, what he could be able to do. What would he do for family?

A flash of yellow manifested and the little one's eye was immediately drawn to it. He stared down at it just like Black had. "What---" The strange curved thing was pushed toward him with all the seriousness in the world. Aure couldn't help it, but he absolutely laughed at it. Tears still streaking down his cheeks, he shuffled toward the unknown fruit and prodded at it with a claw. "What's this?" For some reason, this was the funniest thing ever to him. The little one's laugh was akin to a windshield wiper or some blue sort of window cleaner.

@Black

"It is a food," Black rumbled sombrely. "A--gift. Brought by magic." He wasn't sure why Aure was laughing, and might even have been insulted were he not bewildered by it instead.

He eyed the banana.

No... he could not see what was funny about it.

The black dog looked back up to Aure, and tilted his head. "I do not understand. Why is it of amusement? You may eat it," he added, thus further granting permisson. "But you must remove its hide, first."

He considered, briefly. "Should you wish my accompaniment for your confrontation, speak. Should you have further questions, I will answer them." He sounded calm, and unhurried--un-anything, really; and once again, his offers were on the table.

________________

@Auré

Aure's windshield wiper laugh had developed into pure chaos as he threw his head back, raising a wing to clutch at his chest. He couldn't comprehend what was so hilarious about the yellow thing, but it had him in stitches. The little one managed to reign himself in, shaking his head. He rubbed at his eyes again, inhaling deeply. "I don't know why it's so funny, but it is." With a blunt claw, he gestured vaguely toward it. "Just look at it. It's so yellow!" Using that same foot, he reached out and took it into his 'fold.' Wrapping his toes around it, he pulled the banana towards him and sat down on his rear.

Much like a parrot would, Aure leaned down to stick his beak into its hide and peel it back. Just before he did that, he chirped appreciatively, "thank you!" As the tip of his beak pierced the peel, the little one tore down. Unfortunately, he didn't tear hard enough and found nothing but more 'hide.' Unfortunate. He'd try again in a second, but first he needed to respond to Black. "I don't want to make you follow me all the way back to Canis," Aure chirped, looking off to the side and then back to the banana in his grasp, "Mother's bird can keep watch."

@Black

Black stared, for a beat. At least it wasn't upset, anymore--it was laughing--but was this-... normal? Perhaps it was deranged, in some way.

He filed this possibility away, and continued, unperturbed.

"Should you require my aid in the future, perhaps you can find me. If you are to be a king, perhaps it would be wise to visit the others, in their turn." He knew why--to establish working relationships with them, and to learn from them--but he did not articulate as much. Possibly he didn't think to. Possibly, he didn't think out the reasons in a logical sense.

The dog paused, and then continued. "Use caution, where you can. Do not go to the buzzing, and should the lights go out, you must aid to bring them back."

There. The last of his questionable advice. Black pushed up to go, then paused, glancing over his shoulder.

"They have four legs, and long antlers; usually, they have red coats. Male deer. --Stags."

With that, he paced off, shaking himself to free his coat of dirt. He paused only to answer Aure's questions--and then he went his own way.

________________

exit Black
@Auré