As Wilder raced through Canis she went over her number of objectives in her head. It had been a long time, maybe a little too long, but she had at last finished the quest that the Collector had given her when she was barely a child.

The Children of Rot - she was one of them now. They lived in Cetus, they were secretive, and something happened with a tree. Bahamut was dormant in his tunnel, Astaroth as well. Kavish was missing, nowhere to be found. And the Bloodberries...they were gone. She had new on other things as well, like the meeting that had happened, although she wasn't sure she should reveal most of what had happened, and the Kingdom of Eridanus rising from the ashes of a war of some kind. There was much to say.

She stopped at the place where she had met the Collector before and meowed as loud as she could. "Collector I'm back! I have news for you at last!"

@Game Master Dark

As the echoes of Wilder's voice faded, the sound of distant clicking hoofsteps could be heard approaching. They grew nearer, louder, until after a few moments, the robed and hooded Collector stepped into sight among the bones.

"Ahhh... there you are, little cat," the voice crooned--though he did not bend down to pet her. "And what knowledge have you brought me, hmm?"

@Wilder

Wilder turned at the sound of hooves and smiled as she saw her friend coming into view. "Hi, Collector! I did everything you asked me to do!"

She purred and sat herself down, readying her report. "So I went and found Astaroth! He's still living here, but he's not doing anything. He wouldn't speak to me at all and from what I gathered he's been inactive and still is now. I also went to find Bahamut and Kavish. Bahamut was like Astaroth. He had this cave with really gross corpses hanging outside." Her nose crinkled at the memory. "He said he mummified them. But he hasn't been active either, just kind of living alone. I couldn't find Kavish anywhere. Bahamut said she'd disappeared and had not been seen for some cycles. I checked around the caves to be sure and I couldn't find her."

She flicked her tail in annoyance, knowing that the first part of her mission had been a little underwhelming but she brightened up as she got to the last bits. "But I did find the Children of Rot! I joined them! They're led by Dragon and they're very secretive and they want to survive! I also got to meet Aquarian, he was really really big but he didn't want to talk to me. They had some trouble with the big tree, they called it the Divine. They said she used to be a creature and the swamp was once alive but Nemean ruined it. I didn't understand, but they're not really doing much either. There's Dragon and Serek and Septeizal and Eve and Thothaga, I think she's a part as well. I'm not quite sure. Dragon invited me to a meeting - a secret one! He talked with Envy from the Sinful Seven and Aure and Giggle and he also talked to a cat called Rift from the Kingdom of Eridanus." She didn't want to reveal too much, though. After all, the meeting had been a secret one and she realized that even telling the Collector it had taken place might be dangerous on its own. But it was too late now, so she moved on.

Her eyes shone as she imparted the extra knowledge she had found, knowledge that the Collector hadn't asked her for but she had gathered anyways. "In the cave with all the plants there's a whole Kingdom! There's a bunch of them apparently and they protect the forest and help each other. Apparently there was a big fight between them and the Bloodberries." This was where Wilder paused, her mind flashing back to her time in the cave with Blackberry. She wasn't sure if she should tell the Collector about her...but perhaps just leaving out where she had found her would be okay.

"As for them, the Bloodberries, apparently they're gone. At least, that's what everyone thinks. After the fight they scattered. Three of them were kept prisoner, I think. One of them died. Others are sleeping or missing. I found Blackberry, though...she told me that she would never go back, that she wasn't the leader anymore. I searched for them, I really did, but the tunnel they were in is empty now. What's left are in hiding, I think."

She finally stopped speaking but the question was still dancing on her tongue. Her ears swiveled around as she tried to push down what she was begging to ask in favor of waiting, at least, for the Collector's response.

@Game Master Dark

My, my, isn't she the perfect little spy. Though he'd intended merely to toy with the kitten, Wilder had come back with a wealth of information. The Collector was no fool; he realized almost at once that her bright, inoffensive demeanor made her the perfect spy. No one would suspect a thing.

Much of what she told him, of course, he already knew. Yet there were surprises in her words, too. For example, the fact that this Cetus group knew of Nemean's clash with what was now a tree. This surprised him; 'How did they find out about that, I wonder..?' And the meeting of the leaders--he hadn't heard of this, either.

The news of the Bloodberries' dissolution, too--that was a disappointment. Perhaps, the Collector reflected, he ought to consider paying Blackberry a personal visit.

He bent down to run a furred, clawed hand over Wilder's head and back, a few times, slowly. Meanwhile, he spoke to her, his tone approving. "A task very, very well done, kitty," he told her. "I shall offer you your choice of reward momentarily--magic, indeed, as promised--but first, tell me this--what was it that this secret meeting discussed? I am ever so curious."

@Wilder

Wilder puffed out her chest proudly and waited for the Collector to reach down, just as he did when they had met. When one of his hands came out of his robe she pushed herself up to meet it, purring with happiness as he stroked down her back. She almost didn't hear his last question but managed to catch just a few of the words, enough to know what he wanted to know.

She was on the verge of speaking of it too when she remembered how insistent that Dragon had been that nobody else knew, no one but the leaders and those that had been invited. Perhaps she hadn't understood most of what was said and perhaps she didn't really care, but one thing was for sure - she wouldn't betray her friends' trust.

"Uh," her brain started whirling, trying to come up with a plausible excuse. "They were, uh, just talking. About being allies. Helping each other out and stuff. Sharing news. Yeah, that's it!" She smiled and leaned back into the stroking, purring once again and hoping that it was good enough for the Collector.

@Game Master Dark

The kitten's hesitation and brief stuttering were not lost on him, and he made a mental note to look into it, later, himself. Ahh, well; it seemed his 'perfect' spy was not quite as devoted as he'd hoped.

It mattered little.

He produced a small, stone saucer of cream--caves only knew where from; it was as if he'd pulled it from his sleeve--and placed this down before Wilder, all the while speaking quietly.

"Very, very good. Now for your reward, hmm? I offer you one of two. First, I can grant you the knowledge, the use, of any spell you wish--but it will be tied to an item, a trinket or bauble. Should you ever lose or remove this item from your body, you will lose access to that spell. And each of these items holds a drawback," he warned.

"Alternatively, there is a much riskier, but perhaps more worthwhile, reward: a cunning little trinket, really, that holds any spell you cast into it, and upon being activated by magicka, it casts that magic on its own. So, let us say you put... hmm, light or heat into it; or water. It can then create that light, or heat--or dispense water--on its own, while you... grow plants beneath the light, for example. And you can change which spell this object holds." Very crude examples--the ring could be used far more creatively than that, as he knew from experience. And also from experience... "...However, should your attempt to activate it ever backfire, it will lash out at you, and return you to your chrysalis for a time." He didn't mention, of course, the horrific surge of pain that would come with that--really, who cared about such trifles?

@Wilder

She had hoped that the Collector would pull out another bowl of cream for her so when he did she felt a surge of joy and immediately dove it, licking up the delicious liquid as he continued to speak, all the while purring at top volume.

She was still in the middle of the bowl when it was time for her to make a decision. She licked her lips and looked up at him, her tail thoughtfully curling on the ground. "Hm...I think...the second one sounds like fun! I'd like to be able to cast lots of magic!" Her tail curled happily again and she dove back towards her cream. It seemed that was what mostly had her attention at this point.

@Game Master Dark

"Very well. Just remember, once you have taken this gift, it cannot be so easily returned." A warning, on the heels of that last fool having abandoned hers. "For the cost of another task I would perform the magic needed."

Down he knelt, clawed hands slipping from his cloak, and between his fingers he held something glowing a soft blue. It was a ring of translucent gemstone, just large enough, really, to serve as a comfortable cat's collar. Wilder could likely slip it on and off at will. It shined softly with its own light. He moved to slip this on over her neck, speaking further.

"And now for your reward, little kitten."

Identified Item!

Wilder has received an identified item from The Collector!

3★ Echo A translucent blue ring or collar that can be used to cast a stored spell. Cursed.

☆☆☆★ ★ ★ Echo A translucent blue gemstone ring or collar that can be used to cast a stored spell. A spell must be successfully cast into the ring to store the magic. An Other roll is used to later activate it. The ring will then cast the stored spell until stopped. Powerful spells will drain the ring more quickly, and it will need time to recharge before the next use. ELEMENT: Arcane MAGIC LEVEL: 70 DURABILITY: 50 SPECIAL: (CURSED): A critically-failed roll to Activate the stored spell will backlash, sending the user into their chrysalis for two weeks' time. MATERIAL: Blue Chalcedony ATTACK: N/A ADDED: N/A DEFENSE: 10 WEIGHT: 1 EQUIP: Neck Currently owned by: Wilder

@Wilder

She paused, again, when she felt the Collector kneel before her. She looked up and stretched out her neck so that he could slip the blue collar around her. Once she felt its weight settled she leaned back and tried to look down at it. She couldn't really see it, per say, but she could see its soft blue glow against her black fur.

She smiled as she reached up to touch it. It was cool! And if it was glowing then it really was magic! "Wow, thank you!"

She touched along the length of it, still looking at the blue light that it cast on her fur. And she then had the audacity to ask, "Do you have a pink one?"

@Game Master Dark

There were few things that surprised a being as old as the Collector.

This question, however, was one of them. Of all the responses to receiving a powerful magically-enchanted item, he'd never had anyone ask for one in another color--and he'd certainly not expected it from the kitten who seemed to be pleased with everything.

He forced a quiet laugh, one which sounded sufficiently good-natured. "No, little kitten. I'm afraid I don't."

@Wilder