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Eridanus!

Trees!

Water!

Plants!

That weird smell that never quite went away!

Other assorted things!

Kera had missed this place, despite all the little unnerving things that was wrong with it. The Eyes, the ground that had opened up at Astraea's command, the Divine. It was all nostalgic for her, in some weird way.

Pride had sent her here-- or, specifically, told her to come by when she had the chance. She'd been meaning to come by anyway, of course, but the proposition of meeting another nice someone-- who could also teach her more spells --was more than tempting.

She could probably impress Rift with something when she found him again, at least. The wolf took to wandering Eridanus, searching eagerly for the wall of thorn and vines that Pride had told him about. She remembered, vaguely, that he mentioned it was near the Eyes.

To the Eyes it was, Kera guessed.

The moss was soft underfoot, but she couldn't help feeling encroaching dread looming over her shoulder as the pools of crystalline water came into sight. Kera decided, some distance away from the damn things, that this was quite close enough.

So, instead, Kera did what was suggested to her.

"MERCURIUS," the wolf howled. "HELLO? MERCURIUS?"

Pride's instructions had been to 'call' for Mercurius when she was in Eridanus, to try to locate him at his grove. He did not say, bellow at the top of your little lungs until he arrived, but bellow at the top of her little lungs until he arrived was the action Kera took.

What could possibly go wrong?

@Mercurius

Azizos and Arsu were both gone, as it seemed. The former had come along, asking after the latter and bidding him adieu. Mercurius, heartfelt and benevolent as he was, offered a brief nuzzle, some stories of the caves, and a swift burst of healing magic; ensuring that his younger son was safe, too, against unseen dangers. With a proverbial pat on the rear, Azizos was off, possibly in search of his brother. Leaving old father behind, as it seemed.

The storyteller was quite unbothered by this, confident in the strength and resolve of his two children. If Pride believed that Azizos was capable of handling what life had to throw into his court, then Mercurius would not show doubt. Speaking of, the pale stag had been somewhat absent, lately — likely taking the opportunity to manage things in Orion with the Sinful Seven (Mercy had never quite understood the role that group served, or even had formed to perform.)

With this in mind, the lion had set out to work on the garden, further. Rather than his crystalline snowglobe — a gift from Arsu — lie simply on the ground, Mercurius had bound some roots of a nearby tree into a shelf of sorts. Gnarled bits of bark curled out from the earth, jutting out by a foot and then retreating back into the earth. Atop this shelf lay not only his snowglobe, but some bits and baubles he had received over the cycles. He made a few other shelves, as well, for the purpose of holding other knick-knacks any of the grove's residents may bring from their wanderings.

Well, anyone's wanderings but his own. Mercurius chuffed, pushing his way out from the wall of vines and brambles, precise in his movements so that none of the barbed points would be stuck in his fur. He shuddered slightly in the cool air, but smiled regardless. Spiralling moonstone horns glinting in the air, he started down the path to a stream — in search of a drink of water. As he went, magicka flared up in his being. With any luck, flowers would bloom in his wake and in a rather large sphere around him. Spring was coming, after all.

As was Kera, apparently. An unfamiliar voice burst through the gurgling of the nearby brook — the one that Mercy had been focusing on rather intensely — and nearly startled him out of his wits. Bristling, tail hitching between his hind legs, the lion whirled about toward the source. It was close, undeniably canine. The only canine he had known about was Arkrael, but that was so long ago and she most certainly wasn't around anymore — not to his knowledge. Mercurius steadied his breathing, smoothing out fur he hadn't known was standing on end.

If someone was calling for him… it must be an old friend he had forgotten; or, perhaps, a friend of Pride's sent his way. Arthritic old joints moved purposefully in the direction of the persistent howling, a trot carrying the storyteller towards the wolf. Once the sound became unbearably close, the lion paused and waited for her to take a breath — how could one Gembound have so much air in their lungs?! — and woofed, "you've called?" He pushed out from the undergrowth, then. Moonset eyes immediately fell upon a pure white wolf. A white wolf — and, oddly enough — with inky black mushrooms poking out here and there. Fungal magic, perhaps?

"I'm Mercurius," the lion stated, rather uselessly, "who sent you my way?"

@Kera

Kera liked shouting. It was fun. Freeing, somehow, in the most primal of ways. She was sucking in a breath to resume calling out for Mercurius, when he emerged from the foliage. She was unsure what she expected-- something white like Pride was, yes --but not a lion.

The wolf had seen big cats before; Rift was one, and that jaguar from long ago. But she'd never seen one with so much hair. She turned and stepped over, shifting to sit back on her haunches. "Pride," she said. Then, clarifying, "The stag. The skinny white one." You know-- in case he accidentally thought the emotion had sent her here.

"I'm Kera," she went on. "The Lightbringer. I turned the lights back on when the caves were plunged into darkness some cycles ago. I'm a guardian, a protector, and I'm going to murder the shit out of Blackberry." For a moment, Kera watched the lion before she lifted one leg and scratched the shaggy fur along her side.

"Pride said you could teach me," she began. "I want to learn how to eat plants without getting a bellyache. I know there's a spell for it, and uh," the wolf squinted, slightly. "Pride said you were nice."

Being nice was, in fact, a good as reason as any to come barging into someone's den and start screaming their name for several minutes before stopping to take a breath. Mercurius probably understood that. He looked older than Giggle was, at least.

@Mercurius

Mercurius looked the wolf up and down, rather curious --- he had never seen a canine with such a white coat. Unlike the grove's odd little family, her coat seemed to hold a warm, persistent glow to her. The sight of it was comforting, almost, despite the abrasive and blunt manner which she spoke. Of course, Mercy didn't mind. He simply shook out his mane and rocked onto his rear as well. Tail winding about his paws, the old storyteller nodded, "ah, Pride's a dear friend."

After a few introductions and bits of personality revealed, the lion quirked a brow. Electing to ignore the last part of the sentence --- as much as he felt it would be somewhat justified to put a stop to that goose's antics, albeit in a less violent manner --- he chimed, "ah, it was you, then. I don't know if you've slept since then, but the lights have stayed on. Thank you." Mercurius's head lowered, spiraling horns shimmering as he gave his appreciation.

Just as the lion began to wonder why or what Pride had sent Kera his way for, she provided. "I suppose I could be considered nice," Mercurius chuckled with a flick of his tail and ears, "and I know quite a bit of magic." He focused again, encouraging the lower reaches of the canopy above; hopefully, spurring the branches to extend downward and offer their leafy bounty to himself and Kera. Thankfully, the trees were eager and willing to obey. Even some low brush crept forth, stretching their branches to the limits of availability. "I do know how to perform that spell, but it requires persistence. Once you learn to use it regularly, it becomes second nature --- sometimes, I forget that I'm even casting it, while I eat. I've abstained from my, erm, carnivorous tendencies ever since I was newly-emerged."

No need to go into the why of that powder-keg of a subject.

@Kera

Kera followed the movements of Mercurius' mane as it shook out, briefly mesmerized, before looking back to his actual face. "He seems nice," the wolf offered. "Anybody who hates Blackberry is pretty much a friend of mine, anyway."

The wolf's ears rotated briefly, before her mouth pulled back into a doggish grin. "It was me," she confirmed with a tail thumping hollowly against the cave floor. She bristled with pride, even if she'd been told not that long ago that the lights had since dimmed. "It was important to get them back on. I've been in hibernation but I'm making my way back to Polaris to make sure that they stay on."

Kera hummed in response. The lion was humble. She did not know exactly what to think of this-- Kera was unsure if she'd met anyone who had been humble before, but she listened regardless. "I don't wanna abstain, exactly," she elaborated. She did not, however, question why Mercurius himself would want to, however.

He looked old. Older than the other gembounds she'd met. Perhaps he was older than Astraea and Tenzin. It looked like he was having a hard time moving-- perhaps he'd been part of a lot of fighting, and whatnot. Kera knew that the wrong injury could have you off your paws for an extended amount of time, at least.

Her head turned, her pale muzzle reaching towards the leaves rolling towards the pair, sniffing. They smelled like Eridanus, alright. Kera often noticed that the smell of leaves and flowers and things left a strange tang that hit the roof of her mouth. Kera did not know what this meant.

Kera did not care.

"How long have you been using it for?" She asked absent-mindedly, tongue drawing back against her muzzle.

"It's good to have friends like him," Mercurius agreed with a tilt of his head, "you should get to know him beyond mutual hatred." A smile flickered onto his face, a breathy chuckle at the end of his words. Subtle humor, perhaps picked up from Pride himself. It was funny how much your friends rubbed off on you. The lion shook his head and looked off into some unknown direction, "Blackberry and her clan are quite… destructive. They came swarming into here not long ago, seeking blood and revenge. Pride was there and fought against them, but I needed to protect our sons — they were barely two cycles old, then." A flick of his ear, and that mournful gaze of his was back to a warm smile.

So, it seemed that Kera was quite removed from the idea of humble. The old storyteller, of course, did not particularly mind. He just simply nodded, moonlit gaze shifting to the orb-lights across the Eyes. "Children of these caves don't need to emerge into darkness, or to live in it, lest they be swallowed up." If this was the Lightbringer, then she must know of the void, the corruptive influence of the shadows? He did not elaborate. "If you've ever any need for another light-caster," Mercurius added, "I'm often available. I don't get up to much." Exhibit a.) his random flower trails for the sake of doing something.

The wolf did not want to fully become herbivorous, which was a fair statement. Perhaps, it was curiosity that drove her to desire this. Or, perhaps, a penchant for survival. Another justification. Mercurius commanded the plants to stop rolling forth, once their reach seemed adequate. The lowest branches lay just beneath his chest, about eye-level with Kera. Perfect. "I've been using it ever since I was a cub — due to, hm," he paused, hesitatingly, "circumstances, I was not allowed to consume meat, as I seem to have been born to do." To indicate, he drew back his lips, revealing enormous fangs. "Ever since, I vowed never to hurt another being with flesh and blood, though that seems unrelated. The thought of killing and eating does not sit well with me, still," the lion concluded, softly.

Adjusting his posture, weight shifting foot-to-foot, Mercurius glanced to the side. Moonlit eyes fixated upon the greenery surrounding him, magicka already flaring up. "As odd as this sounds, I believe this magic originates in the stomach. This spell is, in a way, transforming it so that it may digest plants. Fortunately, it seems to bypass the part of chewing one's cud, making the process of eating rather simple." While he was sure it wasn't too dramatic of a change, the lion did not know how much he'd enjoy essentially chewing up his own vomit. "When I first learned how to do this, I believe I simply focused on eating leaves and berries and willing myself to not get sick off of them. The first few attempts were, well…" he laughed softly. Fortunately, there was no fear factor here to spur on Kera's learning. Very fortunate.

"While that seems unhelpful, you could perhaps try that? Focus on the leaves themselves and your need to digest them," the lion paused, rocking up to his feet. He strode casually toward a clump of glossy-green leaves, opening his jaws and ripping off a hunk of leaves. Like a dog eating peanut butter, he chomped down on the matter with his molars. Swallowing the chewed mass, Mercurius looked back at Kera, magicka working its… magic. "Chew them with the teeth in the back of your mouth — swallowing them whole won't make it easy," he rumbled dutifully.

@Kera