The rumors on the wind had brought the black cat to this place, a little more grown then her tiny, pitiful form but still quite a small little creature and perhaps walking a little too joyously into the dark, cold, and bone filled Canis. She paused as she entered the cave, though, eyeing the bones and hesitating for a moment. Something passed across her eyes but she shook herself out, gave her shoulder a swift lick and began to trot through the cave.

She didn't seem too bothered by all the bones and the stagnant pools of water, in fact, she was excited! This was a room she'd never seen before and it was thrilling to be able to be here! And she was also quite excited about this Collector person she was going to meet. She'd heard about some creature handing out prizes for favors and Wilder was certainly someone who liked Things. Also someone who just liked doing things for people. Surely, she'd make the Collector happy by running errands for him!

She wasn't really sure where she was going, but the rumors had said he would be hanging around a certain wall. She arrived at said place and sat herself down, looking around for anyone nearby. "Hello?" she meowed uncertainly and her voice magically echoed along the walls, small whispers searching out the figure she was searching for.

@Game Master Dark

A quiet voice, deep, crooning, rippling like light on water from some distance behind Wilder. It came from the shadows of the ruined stones, and it echoed over the bones.

"Here, kitty, kitty..."

Beyond her sight, at the foot of the Fortresses, waited the Collector--crouched over a slender black stone bowl filled with milk.

@Wilder

Wilder turned at the crooning voice, her ears turning up at the sound. She saw the strange robed figure standing at the fortress and trotted over. Was he calling to her? She noticed the bowl of milk that he clutched and her whiskers twitched with excitement. She walked faster, her tail wiggling happily. When she arrived at his place, she looked up at him with wide, bright eyes. "Wow, is that for me? Thank you!"

Without waiting for permission, she dipped her head into the bowl and began to lap at the milk. It was yummy! She drank enthusiastically until she was full, which didn't take very long at all. Once she had enough she stepped back and began cleaning her whiskers. "Thank you, that was good! I'm Wilder! What's your name? Friend! Friend!"

@Game Master Dark

"Why, how polite. You're very welcome," the hooded figure assured the kitten. As she drank, he remained crouched for the moment, and moved to run his clawed hand over her head and back, petting her for a beat--before standing, and leaning back against the rubble behind him.

"I am the Collector, and that is my name," he answered smoothly. "When Gembound want something very much, they come to me, and I get it for them, for a price." His words were slow and clear, his pinprick crimson eyes unblinking as they watched the cat.

@Wilder

Wilder didn't flinch as the creature's clawed hand came towards her head and was a little surprised when he stroked her down her back. But her spine arched with pleasure as he did so and she purred deeply. That felt so good! She wished that all of her friends had hands like those so they could pet her like that too!

She almost missed him saying his name but when she heard him, she remembered why she had come here. "Oh! The Collector!" Her new friend was exactly the person she had been looking for! "Hi! I came here to look for you! I want a quest! I can go and fetch things for you or...or I can make you something! Or make friends with someone for you or whatever you need!" She wiggled with excitement and wondered what kind of mission he would send her on, and she was completely certain that he would send her on a mission at all.

@Game Master Dark

The Collector peered down, and seemed to be thinking, for a moment.

"Well, little one," he began, his clawed hand unfurling to indicate the cat, palm-up. "Is that all the reward you wish? A 'quest?' I am here to grant Gembounds' most deep, their strongest, desires. Is that all you seek?"

@Wilder

Wilder tilted her head, a little confused for a second, before she realized what he was saying. Her whiskers twitched with amusement. "No! I want something! I want..." she thought for a moment and the strange mistiness came into her eyes for a moment. "Magic. I want m̸a̶g̵i̸c̴." She had gone rigidly still as, for a few seconds, her consciousness wavered. "I̸ ̵w̵a̶n̸t̸ ̸m̷a̵g̴i̷c̸ ̵m̵o̷r̷e̸ ̶t̷h̶e̵n̴ ̸a̶n̴y̴t̷h̸i̵n̸g̷ ̷e̶l̶s̷e̷.̴"

She narrowed her eyes for a second before they cleared. She blinked and smiled again. "Quest! Quest! What do you need me to do?" She hopped a little with excitement and waved her tail around.

@Game Master Dark

The kitten peered up at him as she spoke. So innocent. Naive, yet, to the ways of the world. Excellent. Aloud, the Collector spoke smoothly, his head tilting with polite intent.

"I think I know just the thing," he answered kindly. "But tell me--when you say 'magic,' do you want to learn more magic, or perhaps be granted magical power..? I have trinkets, too, that might help with your magic, if you wish such things. We must be specific, after all--these chances only come once in a lifetime."

This was not. At all. True. These chances came as often as these Gembound came crawling to him for his gifts. But the kitten needn't know that; and a Collector, after all, had to keep his air of mystery.

@Wilder

Wilder smiled, tried, and failed to contain her excitement. "Yay! What is it, what is it?" And his question made her phase again, but it was a strange half thing where she spoke normally with the scratchy, haunting voice of her trances. "I just want m̷a̴g̸i̶c̶. I will do a q̸u̸e̸s̶t̵ for m̷a̴g̸i̶c̶. I will have a̴̺̕l̵͖̄l̷̢͑ ̴̣͒t̸̤͗h̷̯̾e̵̘̋ ̴͔̈́m̶̥̑a̴̭̽ĝ̷̤i̶͇̒c̷͎͌ ̴͍̕i̷̻̋n̸͈̏ ̶̜̈́ṱ̷̓h̶͈̓e̵̚ͅ ̶͔̆ẁ̸̰o̸̳͘ȓ̴̙ĺ̷̝d̸͈͗."

She didn't go still this time, instead being unable to contain her joy and racing around the robed figure in a circle, meowing with excitement. She was gonna go on a quest! She was gonna learn more things and get more Thing!

@Game Master Dark

Behind the hood, the Collector rolled his eyes. Given that his eyes were a solid glowing mass of red, this wasn't particularly visible.

"Very well," he answered.

Now for the fun part.

"I have a quest for you. I require news on various points within the cave--and a little one like you must learn as much as they can, yes..? I would like you to find the following Gembound, and only report back to me when you have done your best to meet each of them, get to know them, and come back to me."

He waited, to ensure Wilder was listening, and then he went on.

"Firstly, the Gembound in the tunnel near Polaris, the core cave--the one with the Spire, yes?--who call themselves 'Bloodberries.' Meet as many as you can; let me know what they are up to. The black dog named Kavish, and the white tiger named Bahamut, in the tunnel that leads here, to Canis. You should be able to find them quickly and easily enough. Find a black wolf, one often here in Canis--he calls himself Astaroth. And find the Gembound in Cetus--the room of mists and black swamp--calling themselves 'Children of Rot.'"

A hand drew swiftly from the robes, holding with it a long spread of parchment, with black writing in sharp lines, in a strange language. He drew his claw over it, leaving a scorched stretch of paper at the bottom--then presented it to Wilder.

"If this is suitable, press your paw here," he directed, pointing one long claw at the spot, "and your agreement will be sealed. Then you may return to me, and I will grant you magic, indeed."

@Wilder