When Septiezal spoke, Dragon chuckled. It was a deep, rumbling sound, and he glanced to his brother with appreciation for his words.

"Yes," he agreed. "Nor do I know how long this cave has been here. I have not been here, much," he explained, glancing around. He remembered descriptions of this place from others--mainly Imp, who he hadn't seen in an age--but he didn't travel, much, himself.

I should, though. Now that I can fly! There is no reason not to keep one claw upon the pulse of what happens in the caves. Really, he no longer had need for spies; he could do it himself! Though-... he was, he supposed, just a little unwieldy.

Thothaga's arrival had him turning toward the spider with a nod. "I would presume another monster will appear from within this hole, but we will see," he rumbled. "If it does, we will kill it again!" He made as if to continue, but suddenly a voice was calling out from behind them--"Minions of the deep, step away from the fated one! This child is not alone and its life is not yours to claim." Dragon turned, blinking. There was a fox, small, its paws glowing bright. Dragon stared, then looked around. He couldn't, for the life of him, figure out who was being addressed, or why--but... "minions of the deep," that would be dwellers of Cetus, wouldn't it..? What child? What was this idiot creature on about?

He turned back to Miru, and tried to summon up a massive torrent of flame to blast over her head--quite far, not near enough even to singe, but to make a point. He managed, but unfortunately he coughed first, which rather ruined the effect--nor was the fire quite so impressive as he'd have liked. Still, it was a blast of flame into the sky, and suitably draconic. That was really enough, for him. "I AM ALSO FIRE," he informed the fox, loudly. "I am not here to claim anyone. I seek knowledge, and we have followed the wisps to find it. Though I suspect you can hold your threats for whatever will come next."

To Pride he simply nodded, as the white stag arrived. The deer had been absolutely less than useless in defending Cetus, but his presence here was just a further indicator that something was wrong. Yoosung's, too--Dragon remembered the dog from that battle, as well, though the dog had at least had the sense to fling light and damage the shadows. As for Shango, Dragon hadn't a clue what the animal was, nor, precisely, what it was asking. Before he could respond, the Masked Merchant had emerged.

Dragon turned, listening to it, his heavy tail sweeping slowly to and fro over the stone.

He wanted to respond with another blast of flame, but he waited patiently, for now. "I already hold mastery over fire, and that is enough. What is your test? What is your real name?" he demanded. And then, eyes narrowing in suspicion--"To whom are you loyal?" This last was guttural and deep, the alligator glancing meaningfully at Septiezal.

"Perhaps this is one of Nemean's tricks," he hissed in warning.

@Septiezal @Wilder @Miru

Wilder hopped with surprise and turned around at the sound of someone approaching and speaking. She tilted her head with fascination as a bunch of gembounds suddenly appeared and gathered near the tunnel. "Am I? Uh...yeah!" She responded to the big lizard, which, for some reason, she held no fear for, despite being a fraction of its size. "I control the lights! Watch!" For a second, she concentrated, feeling the faint stirring of...something in the back of her mind but she pushed it away. She was just showing how she could make little fire things!

The wisps appeared beside her, dancing innocently at her side as her grin widened. "Hello," she greeted the snake-thing back. "You look cool! I like your eyes!" And as the big spider arrived, she hopped over to one of its legs and gave it a careful sniff. "You're big! And fuzzy! Hi! I'm Wilder!" She didn't at all listen to the spider's strange, cryptic speech and instead gave the leg a small rub with her cheek before hopping away as she heard a familiar voice call out. The smell of fire made her a little surprised as she rushed towards Miru but it didn't stop her. She purred loudly as she rubbed the side of her head against her friend's shoulder. "Hi Miru! I followed lights here! These are my new friends!"

She wanted to continue talking to her friends but there were more to greet! More new friends! She turned and bounded away, the little wisps following her like moths to a light. The next newcomer was a big stag thing! Wow! He was big, and really pretty! She stood at his feet and looked up, her eyes shining with awe. "Woww! You're so shiny and pretty! Pretty, pretty! I'm Wilder! What's your name?" She purred and pressed herself against the stag's leg for a moment before bounding away again. A thing! She didn't know what to call it but it was a big winged thing and he was angry! So cool and awesome! "Hiya! You are awesome! I'm Wilder!" She ran up and tried to press her head in greeting against his leg too before turning towards yet another newcomer. But this one...different?

She paused at the sight of this one and tilted her head, whiskers twitching a little nervously. He was weird! And a little creepy. But that had never stopped Wilder before! She carefully made her way up to the Masked Merchant until she was standing right in front of him and looking up. She wanted to greet him too but how? She couldn't rub her head anywhere, it was all robe and stuff! So she just gave him a big smile and a wave of her tail. "Hi I'm Wilder! What beasts? Are there beasts? Here? In the dark?" She said all this with a chipper voice before turning to all the other bigger creatures and tilted her head a little confused but still as perky as ever. "Hey! Did you fight beasts of darkness? Sounds cool!"

One last newcomer to greet, a dog that curled his lip. But she didn't mind! She jumped right over and pressed her cheek again against his leg. 'Hi! I'm Wilder! We're all gathered here for some reason!"

She turned back to the Masked Merchant, intending on asking more questions but froze at his display of magic. She gazed at the wisp and her tail, which had been erect and waving happily, slowly lowered until it was limp, useless, on the ground. She was transfixed by the fire for a moment, her eyes going a little hazy as she took steps forward. The eye on his hand...the fire...magic...a test...

"What is it you want..." she whispered a little strangely. "What can we offer you..."

@Septiezal @Thothaga @Miru @Pride @Shango

Miru held fast for only a few seconds as more and more gembound filtered into the area following their own lights. Had she judged too fast? No other gembound seemed bothered by this group of frightening individuals and Wilder appeared fully unharmed. In fact she would even venture to say that the kitten seemed to be having an enjoyable time.

The moment the alligator turned around and locked eyes with her though it became absolutely clear to the fox that there was more to this than there had seemed to be. Even if only one of the reptile’s eyes was visible that one eye resonated cryptic concepts within Miru's perceptions.

Betrayal. Assistance. Potential.

A strange combination of factors, but not one that indicated immediate antagonism. Perhaps the soul behind those eyes had seen betrayal at some point and decided to rise above the slight and turn to helping others, opening the door for unlimited possibilities. Then again the combination could be signaling not history but intent- that this was a gembound who would promise any number of undefined futures and offer to help see them to fruition only to betray their target at the end.

Impossible to tell, full judgement would have to be withheld for now. She could, however, own up to her earlier miscalculation whether the eyes of the gator belonged to a sage or a swindler.

"Seeker of knowledge, I see now that many have gathered at the behest of the light." she spoke, snuffing out the spell and lowering her head in a small bow, "I would ask that you forgive my actions, which had been rooted in an incomplete view of the truth. Let us start again as a group to seek out the secret of the lights"

They didn't have to wait for long as strange figure shuffled into view. Strange shape, strange smell, and a mask which obscured what should have been the windows to its intent. Or at least at first it seemed that way. When it rose its limb and opened its hand to reveal a single eye Miru stumbled backwards with the raw intensity of impression that gaze seemed to cast.

Strength.

Strength of soul? Strength of body? Strength of magic? Impossible to tell! All of them?! What kind of gembound was this?

With the overwhelming impression that eye left in Miru's mind the small fox couldn't even fathom trying to dig deeper. What other secrets might it hide?

Beasts of darkness? Were there more beasts than just the one we faced? Could this be the master of the nightmare or might it be an ancient hero who banished them once before?

A display of magic, an alternative use for the blue flame. Hero or villain, this creature certainly had might to match the aura its eye foretold. An offer to teach the technique to them. A reward for their victory? No, not a reward without strings. Deeply tempting but difficult to judge the safety.

Even so, what was a life without risks but a boring waiting room of death? She would proceed with caution but still proceed.

"It it is material gain you seek we can act as scouts to locate and obtain objects of value. If it is knowledge then surely there exists one among us who possesses it." the fox spoke out, once again standing firm even under the creature's heavy gaze.

---

Though my thoughts are my own
"This is my greatest tool to hone"
Notes: RW3S6P0M & RW8M

Pride tilted his antlered head, silver eyes narrowing a tad. He immediately wondered if this creature had controlled the so-called "beasts of darkness." He'd run into two of them, himself--and they had to have come from somewhere. Or perhaps they came from this very cave..? Perhaps this cave was filled with shadows, like those Mercurius had spoken of, like those that had taken the hyena Giggle and the lion Faelan, and perhaps the white deer Clover.

He eyed the hurtling blast of blue fire, and considered. It would certainly be useful in a fight--to protect his family--and he, unlike the flame-billowing alligator, didn't already hold mastery over such things. It was beautiful, too, and something about this appealed to him.

The stag found his curiosity getting the better of him. There were things to learn, in here. He had children to think of now, of course, so he couldn't risk himself too greatly. But as long as it was only an offering...

He swept low, one knee bent and one extended forward, so that his antlers nearly touched the ground. He focused, magicka gathering, and then the rock cracked and split. A shard of shining diamond--rough at one edge, but brightly crystalline--emerged, and as it broke free of the rock, he picked it up in his teeth.

He carried this--large, and shining--and offered it to the Masked Merchant's other hand.

"I have nothing to offer but stones, or the use of my magic, but I am curious of your spellwork," he said, once the Merchant had hopefully taken it from him.

Then, a stray memory hitting him, he added--"Were those creatures able to disrupt the flow of magicka? --Did you control them?"

as a maiden she tiptoes shy with her light...

It was not long before a few more gembounds arrived, guided by the wisps too. Thothaga began to wonder if these were to be her competitors, or allies. Where there many prizes, or only one? Could she even trust them fully? There was one gembound she recognized out of the group, much to her disappointment. "Ah, White Stage, we meet again, this is unfortunate." She said flatly, as if she expected him to remember what she said after their clunky battle with a shadow beast.

Suddenly, her train of thought was broken by small black kitten, proclaiming to be called Wilder. Her greeting was soft and pleasant to the touch, though it did tickle somewhat. Thothaga chuckled. "And you are a tiny fuzzy." As her leg hairs brushed against the kitten, she got the sense there was more to this gemling then what her eyes told her. "And a strange one." For a brief moment, Thothaga wondered if Wilder could be the being The Collector told her about. He did say He could be anyone. That thought was quickly dismissed when an strange, squat creature waddled from the cave's deep, dark mouth.

It was robed, much like the Collector, but its material was unknown to her. The creature seemed to gaze blankly at them through a bone-white, antlered mask. A shiver of ancipation when down Thothaga's legs they unfolded an appendage from their cloak. It revealed a glossy gem embedded with its palm that looked more like an eye than its other "eyes" did. Thothaga puffed up with excitement. "You must be He! The caves had told me about you." She stepped forward, pointing at him. Mesmerized by the destructive beauty of the wisps, she clicked her fangs together rather hungrily. It is beautiful, I must learn it! However she did not forget what the Collector and her silken strands told her. Tread lightly...

Ha, you are a merchant, yes? Thothaga sat her rump on the ground, preparing to do a little bargaining if possible. Maybe this was a part of the test? Well then, name your price.

The being held no expression--how could it, past the mask?--but it listened to the flood of voices and then, eventually, it spoke. As it did so, it plucked the diamond from Pride's teeth.

It did not address everything that had been said, for perhaps there was too much to address. "Perhaps... I am he. I need no... gain. I am here to strengthen... the strong. This is a coin, for the door..." The delicate fingers lifted the stone, and the other hand swivelled so that its eye started at the diamond unblinkingly. The stone was then swept away, into the robes, and the eye returned to the others.

"Puzzles lie within." The free hand swept back to indicate the dark cave mouth. "Succeed--alone, or together--and be rewarded with what I offer. Should you fail, I will take further payment... The stone of my choice."

The Masked Merchant did not wait for the Gembound to debate, or respond. Instead he turned, slipping back into the blackness of the cave mouth, and vanishing.

WARNING: Those characters entering the cave will be in very real danger. Should a catastrophic failure occur, one character at random may be chosen to die!

@Septiezal @Iris @Shango @Yoosung @Charoite @Pride @Dragon @Wilder @Ejder @Mosaic @Selena @Acheron @Aequum Regem @Miru

The dog looked down as a kitten pranced over to him, pressing her cheek against his leg. Despite himself, his face softened, and he leaned down to sniff at the top of her head. "Hello Wilder. I'm Yoosung." The stag from before bowed to the Merchant, and the fox spoke its flowery words. Did they not share his wariness?

His fur rose on end at its next words, offering for them to enter the cave. But it would be dangerous, as it sounded like the Merchant would kill one of them if they failed. He took a deep breath - "If anyone else plans to enter, then I will go with them. But I will not enter alone."

I've been on a lonely tripdragging along a lonely shadow

"Foolish!" Dragon bellowed at once, turning to Septiezal. He did not bother keeping his voice down as he addressed his "brother."

"The greatest power is to survive! Only a fool would risk their life for some lesser strength, some lesser magic! --And we have fire," he added pointedly. They already had better than a few flashy wisps. Unless, of course, those wisps were what summoned more powerful beings, like the Shadebeast-... "Unless those wisps were what summoned those beings, and we could do the same. But even for this knowledge, I do not think it worth it. We should return to Cetus, or wait and see if this creature comes forth, perhaps--and eat it!"

Shango was, at the best of times, simple. He wasn't a complete fool--but he'd been alone for much of his life, and his social abilities were stunted at best. He was like a child in some ways, though with enough contact he'd grow out of this. But it left him impulsive, greedy, and liable to throw tantrums when his efforts were stymied.

This, of course--in this situation--was a perfect recipe for disaster.

The hybrid let out a sharp screech of desire. "Give me magic!" he demanded, and--heedless of, or perhaps not comprehending, the potential cost--he spread his scalefeathered wings and shot into the darkness of the cave with a single powerful leap.

________________

I AM THE STORM

Pride listened to Dragon as he spoke. And the moment the alligator stopped, he opened his mouth to agree--only to swivel his head sharply as Shango responded first. With a soft cry he sprang after him, then paused, one hoof raised into the air. He looked back at the others, torn, eyes wide.

"I do not think it wise, either. But that fool child just raced in. Stay out here if you wish to remain safe, but--it is best someone tries to keep it alive. Alligator--I do not know your name--Dragon? If I do not return, since you are staying out there, find Mercurius in Eridanus and inform him of what has happened, please."

He grimaced, glancing over the others. "I do not know who this being is but he has no right to take our stones. And I do not think that creature understood. I want no part of this test, but alone it will almost certainly die."

With these terribly honorable--and quite foolish, all things considered--words, the white stag followed Shango, slipping swiftly into the darkness.