The unicorn kept quiet eye-contact with Mercurius for a few moments-- her mind a little oddly blank in a way that almost, almost might suggest the spell had failed before she took a deep breath. I saw him too.

With this eventual response, she continued to wander back and forth. Half-unknowing that Mercurius would be able to read it, she began to wonder what the best course of action would be to take-- she'd never quite been in danger before, in fact the war in Eridanus had been the closest she'd come to it, but what had they done to protect themselves?

... Imprison the Bloodberries? No, no-- imprisoning Astraea didn't seem correct.

With a huff, she drew to a conclusion-- don't let Khloros go anywhere alone. He'd be too much of an easy target otherwise. She paused, turning her head towards Khloros, mouth half-open.

Should they tell him?

I don't know.

And yet, she was speaking.

"The stag," she began very carefully, speaking very softly. "He was here moments ago, watching. He has left now, but... it may not be safe for you to continue on your own, for now. Eridanus is a safe place, we can walk with you there after the race is over?"

She took another step forward and bent her head down towards a small indent in the cave floor. The unicorn took a moment to take a breath before reaching out for her magicka, casting, and then drawing water towards herself and towards the ground.

The indent filled into a small puddle under her nose, as though a spring had burst through abruptly from the ground. She took a step back, her brow still knitted with concern, and dipped her head quietly to Khloros before looking back to the participants.

@Khloros

Khloros came to an unsteady stop as Ayr spoke to him.

His body was weak, and he was having errant thoughts--something about stags, something out of place. And now she spoke of having seen the other stag down below?

He stared off that way, wondering--but he was far too weak even to walk very far, let alone go searching for the fungus deer. When he looked to Ayr, his liquid eyes picked out the water she was forming for him--and, grateful, he stepped her way.

He had not encountered this level of kindness since Booker and Nemesis. The memories--the idea, tangling with his memory just a moment ago of pain and horror--it threatened to overwhelm him. He did not know what to do, how to react--how to feel.

So he stepped softly over, each hoof clicking quietly on stone, and laid beside the puddle. He took a long drink, and then spoke quietly.

"Thank you. I will wait."

He went back to drinking. He would rest there, for now--and not interrupt them further. And perhaps when they were done, he could try to... what, work through his thoughts? Walk to Eridanus? Get to know these two? He didn't know. His mind was too much in confusion, in chaos, for him to try and plan; so he simply drank, and then laid his head down to rest.

exit Khloros
@Mercurius

Mercurius's eyes had not deceived him, then, and he warily searched out into the crowd once more --- Pride was yet to be seen. His mind wandered over Ayr's tumultuous, uncertain thoughts, mirroring them to a T. Just as quickly as she had thought back to him, though, the unicorn was already ripping off the proverbial band-aid. It was... to surprisingly little effect on Khloros's part. The stallion seemed stunned, yes, but not at the prospect of Astraea's presence. Mercurius couldn't quite place that expression, not yet.

After a quick drink, the stallion had laid down and prepared to rest.

I need to inform Pride of this as soon as possible, but--- I find it hard to grasp all of this, the storyteller broadcasted to Ayr, maintaining the mental link, I have heard of only kindness from that stag, benevolence and fatherly tendencies. A pause, as Mercurius swallowed. My magic found its way into that stallion's mind as he spoke, and... it was too vivid to be simply a dream of his. He died and came back, and I don't--- understand how.

@Ayr

Ayr bowed her head and then turned to continue watching the obstacle course. She was unsure how to react to Khloros' reaction, or rather curiously lack of one. She'd expected him to be afraid, or perhaps angry he hadn't been told sooner.

Perhaps it's all too much? She wondered. Perhaps he needs time to digest. She flicked her ears back and forth briefly, concern still gnawing into her, but said nothing to Khloros as he turned to rest. Merely nodded.

She had almost forgotten that her thoughts were on broadcast until she heard Mercurius again, starting somewhat. But many... die, and return to their chrysalises, she replied to him, gently. She was unsure, now, if death was the right term for that. But it's curious that none of them have mentioned this white being.

A little troubled, Ayr shifted on the spot. But, she began, carefully picking through her own thoughts, of seeing Astraea there, of Khloros' retelling, of how he seemed pained even by just speaking. We do know the stag killed him, and that he was watching his chrysalis. Perhaps the kindness and benevolence was all an act, or perhaps something has... happened, to him.

But what could have happened to him? Was someone else impersonating him, somehow? Could there be two Astraeas, identical, one kind and one-- well, horse-murdering? It seemed.. unlikely, but Ayr didn't want to think about the implications of gembound being out there to lie, especially if they were capable of...

... that.

The unicorn cast a glance over Khloros with a muted sigh. What do we do? What if the stag returns? She asked.

@Mercurius

Moonlit eyes drifted over Khloros, then turned back to the race as if their owner wasn't trying to force down a panic attack and as if there was absolutely nothing wrong with these caves. Mercurius watched mutely from the rocks, though his mind swarmed with thoughts and mentally-held conversation.

He has, after all, just emerged from the Spire itself, he mused. Being overwhelmed and the Spire often went hand-in-hand, these days. Sorry for startling you. The storyteller flicked an ear, a frown crossing his face. I have been in my chrysalis, many times before --- not from being forced in there, but... it is nothing like what I saw in his mind. This was an endless white, with the Spire in the far back. Mercurius wasn't sure of the success of it, but he tried to push that mental image toward Ayr's own consciousness.

The unicorn soon drew up an idea so shockingly parallel to the unknown past that his own thoughts skidded to a sharp halt. Vazi, he interjected, moonlit eyes wide for a moment. When I was younger I knew a stag like that--- he had been kind at one time but he was... hurt. His friend and his brother, I believe--- he had been killed. I emerged into these Caves, and Vazi believed that I had stolen his brother's stone and destroyed him--- His thoughts were racing, tumbling over one another now and threatening to overwhelm Mercurius. Just as the question of their plan came up, the storyteller abruptly cut off the link and paused to take a breath.

"W-we need to find P-Pride. He's a white s-stag. I saw him h-here, earlier, but--- I've lost sight of him som-somewhere in this crowd," he whispered harshly, breaths ragged. His throat bobbed as swallowed, head visibly tilting to accomodate. Gathering his wits, Mercy continued, "h-he is more suited to powerful, dangerous magic than I am, than you are. H-he will know what to do, here, but--- for now, we n-need to keep watch."

Astraea wouldn't attack here and now, would he?

@Ayr