Brothers aren't simply close,

Mercurius reprimanded Rift--and Sebastian couldn't blame him, that had been a particularly idiotic move-- and Rift apologized to the 'guests', although they still sounded rather like prisoners, to him.

But then he was being approached, and he lowered his paw, staring at his brother. 'We'll talk later'. Anxiety roiled in his chest--that never meant anything good. He had failed, failed to protect Rift, protect Enka, protect their Forest. They had never spoken after he had set the Forest on fire. There was so much to speak about, and none of it good. Would Rift make him leave? Had he only let him stay so that the confrontation would remain on the Bloodberries? But Rift needed him to do something, and so he nodded, "Of course,"

His anxieties were lessened when his Brother gave him a small lick, as though they were little cubs again, and he gave him an affectionate butt of his head before standing, calling out "Want to help me, Enka?" whether she did or not, he would turn about, and head off to work on their nests--gone before he could hear the explosions, or see Cloudberry escape.

=EXIT SEBASTIAN=

@Mercurius

brothers are knit together

Mercurius simply frowned at Rift's apologies, but sighed. "If you ever have need, Rift, of... a talk and how to restrain yourself," he rumbled softly, sternness softening to a suggestion, "and your anger, I'm here." Where 'here' was was, of course, up to the future, but Eridanus wasn't the largest cave on the block --- if one were to search for him, they'd find him soon enough. Rift called to what was presumed to be his brother, requesting that nests be made with a tone of forced calmness. "I will take them to my garden in the meantime," Mercurius interjected, glancing sidelong at his fellow father. He should not host too many qualms, here.

The puma then moved off to speak with Oliver (next on the storyteller's own checklist, once he had the Bloodberry children settled down.)

Then, of course, everything seemed to explode and Mercurius reacted instantly, defensively. His magicka worked, just as soon as shards and shrapnel began to fly, and the odd Yew attempted to scramble beneath him (for that, he attempted to stand as tall as he could.) Unfortunately, none of the plants seemed to respond, too overwhelmed by Pride's horrifically failed spell. The best Mercurius could do was shift his legs as to cover up the poor little hybrid hiding beneath him. He grit his jaw as gemstone and bark collided with his skin, leaving (what was essentially) papercuts. Small, but oh-so-annoying. Then, it was all quiet again.

"It's alright, Pride," he murmured first, hoping to reassure him and the ex-Bloodberries --- had such a thing been intentional... Carefully moving backwards, Mercurius's ears flickered to the empty space left behind by Cloudberry and, before anyone could react or respond to it, he woofed, "let her go." Without a tyrannical mother to march her children off to war, she'd find her own way. It seemed being in the presence of many wasn't doing much good, anyways; seeking her out was another thing to add to the list. Once fully unattached from Yew, Mercurius leaned down and offered a gentle lick to the head, against the grain of little hummingbird feather-fur, "you're okay, Yew."

His tail flicked, gaze trailing to Huckleberry and his unfortunate predicament. "I'm going to help your brother with his wings, okay? Is that alright with you? Then, afterwards, we can go to my garden. It's safe and warm, there, with lots of light."

@Enka

Rift respected Oliver's silence, his tail slowly swishing behind him and his eyes blinking slow. "I understand. Just remember we're all here for you." It hurt to see his friend in such a state and it only served to fuel his anger further but he restrained from giving any verbal or physical signal. And he would have stayed by Oliver for longer if a sudden crashing sound didn't immediately capture his attention.

He turned and leaped back towards the gathering, crying out "What's going on?!" He saw the result of Pride's spell, the stag himself looking mildly horrified, and the four-winged hybrid flying up through the trees. He watched her go but found himself unwilling to try and stop her. She wanted to be free, like a bird in a cage. She didn't seem bad to him when she had spoken, a little harsh and confused, but thankfully not bloodthirsty or insane. He sighed. He hoped that not pursuing her wouldn't end up being a mistake.

He looked towards the other two, the green wolf cowering under Mercurius and the moose hybrid staring at where Cloudberry at disappeared with shock and sorrow and it came to him, really came to him, that these were children. Perhaps not children in a sense of age but their childhood had been stolen from him. He considered what his life would have been like if he had not the freedom and joy of racing through the trees with Sebastian. No room to grow his magical abilities or nurture his garden. Only violence, a bloodthirsty family, and constant fighting.

Rift glanced at Mercurius. He was right, these children deserved a place here. And if Rift so wanted a Kingdom that was a safe place for the lost and broken, then he had to accept the lost and broken. He took a deep breath after thinking about all of those for a few minutes. "We'll let her go. To keep her caged here would do nothing but harm. She has learned, I think, and I don't believe she will return to her family."

He turned towards Yewberry and Huckleberry. "I've thought about it and I believe that I was wrong. If you wish to join the Kingdom of Eridanus, we would accept you as Citizens. We will care for you and give you a home and, when you are ready, you will help maintain the basic living conditions of our home. And, should you like to stay and prove yourselves creatures of peace, you may take a job of your own, whether to use your own skills for the good of the Kingdom or to discover new talents. I think," and here he turned to the others, "that this would be a good idea for any new member that we have not met before. Allow them to join as Citizens and, once they've proven that they are trustworthy and peaceful, give them a proper place."

@Pride

Pride rapidly pranced back, flinching and snorting in surprise as the last of the debris clattered around him. His reaction was immediate and genuine, his tone and expression shocked, apologetic. He continued to apologize as he backed away.

"Oh caves! I am terribly sorry, that was not at all my intention, I swear it. I was intending to--to translocation--the cages should have vanished, wood falling around you--harmless, not an explosion!" He checked over the remaining two children briefly, with sniffs and a glance over, though he didn't approach them. He then looked at Mercurius, hoping the lion believed him. Mercurius had reassured him--but would he actually believe it..? Pride's utter disdain for the Bloodberries was no secret, nor was his willingness to commit violence against some of the family. It was hatred, really, if muted and dimmed by revenge already half-obtained.

He bowed his head briefly, apologetically, and then turned to go, pausing to turn and call out to Rift. "I will let Envy know that you wish to meet with them, and will then return once they know what has happened here. You have my aid with the... guests, if you wish it," he went on--though after that display, he was unsure he'd be welcome by either side.

exit Pride

Oliver remained mute. Perhaps he'd have answered, but then the cages had exploded, and his pale blue eyes followed the creature so vaguely like himself--blue-eyed, mostly black, winged, feathered- and furred--that shot off over the trees and out of sight.

He curled closer on himself as the others began to speak.

He didn't leave, he didn't talk; he waited for decisions to be made and then--once they were--did not voice his misgivings.

Oliver had helped one of them, once--had saved Jayberry's life. Her snarling, mocking threats to Enka as she'd torn her apart still roared through his mind, a rush of hot blood that he didn't know what to do with. Fear. Betrayal. What was to say these ones weren't all the same? What was to say that Huckle and Yew wouldn't be tearing Rift apart in his sleep..? But what was the alternative, really?

Keeping them caged, forever? Going mad in that tiny, barred space? --Or killing them? Oliver hadn't the stomach to face either. Either seemed far too cruel. Quiet, he shrank back amidst the ferns and foliage, and did not offer his thoughts.

{Table code credit to Madison, altered a bit!}

@Huckleberry

Huckleberry flinched when he saw Cloudberry's form bursting out from the debris of her cage. He watched with despair as she shot into the trees and disappeared. She was gone now, she was gone and she hated him and he couldn't follow, even if he wanted. Once again, all of the fight left his body at once. Even Shiny, who was clambering her way out of the debris, couldn't get him to move anymore. He stared at the spot where she had disappeared and just...stayed like that. Frozen. Uncaring.

He didn't react to Rift's announcement. Not to Pride leaving, either. He was stuck in place, his wings trapped in the branches that had fallen around him. If anyone came up to help him, he wouldn't fight at all. He was silent and still and ready to fall asleep again.

@Yew

The hybrid shivered, huddling under Mercurius. She didn't understand him, couldn't understand why he was so kind to her when she had done nothing to deserve it, deserved the exact opposite. But yet he was kind, treated her like she was a child.

He stepped away from her, and she flinched, but then he was grooming her fur if only for a second, and everything was okay. She pressed into the touch, crooning low, only for the sound to break into a whine when he looked away. Her eyes opened, and she twitched her ears--"He-he-he's my un-uncle." the words were stilted, and she struggled to get them out. The frustration on her face was obvious.

She furrowed her brow, and the gemstone on her throat gleamed, before a banana appeared before her. The newly named Yew leaned down to grab it in her beak, and she leaned forward to give it to Mercurius, "fo-or him," only for it to explode all over her face. She gawked, eyes wide, the expression of shock likely comical, the skin of the banana still dangling from her beak, its soft flesh splattered all over her feathers.

@Mercurius

Mercurius glanced down at Yew, surprised--- her uncle, was he? Before he could properly respond, the throat gem gleamed and then sputtered banana-guts all over the poor hybrid's face. The old storyteller stifled a soft chuckle, resolving to rumble, "I bet he's a good uncle --- conjuring up food like that." He reached forth with a paw, nudging the peel away from her beak. Moonlit eyes then turned away, back toward the stock-still Huckleberry. "We'll get you cleaned up a moment, alright?" Mercy rumbled, tail flicking idly before he trotted over.

He murmured cautiously, at first, moving so that he was directly in the hybrid's line of sight, "will you be alright?" A flush of magicka, and the branches ensnaring Huckleberry slithered away, vanishing into the undergrowth. Mercurius approached cautiously, offering a gentle lick to the child's cheek. Sure, his neck complained from stretching up so far, but his reassurances were necessary.

A beat. "Would you like to come along with your niece and I? We can go to my garden. It's safe and warm and full of food." Mercy glanced back at Yew, then began to move off in the direction of his hidden grotto. His gaze happened to catch Oliver's, in the undergrowth, and he lamented having so many things to do at once--- once the ex-Bloodberry children were resting, he'd have to seek out the crow-dog (if he did not follow him.)

;exit mercy unless stopped
@Enka

Rift nodded to Pride. He didn't really think that Pride had consciously intended on causing such damage to the berry children, although Rift had a feeling that perhaps his own emotions had interferred with the spell he had cast. They had lost one of the kids, but Rift found that he didn't mind. He glanced up into the trees one more time and found himself hoping that she found a better life on her own.

Mercurius was tending to the children now, helping the taller one out of the cage he was still stuck in while the green one waited for him to return to its side. He seemed to have them under control now. He would leave it to him, not trusting himself to intercede anymore on the matter of the Bloodberries.

The last person left, then, was Oliver, still watching everything mutely. Rift stepped back over to him and leaned down, nudging his side softly. "Come. We'll find you a place to rest in the tree. I can catch you something to eat as well." He wasn't going to pretend that he was as gentle or understanding as Mercurius, but he would do his best while the lion was busy.

*exit, unless Oliver doesn't follow

@Oliver

Oliver hesitated.

He'd be fine... alone, he just needed time but--Rift was being nice. While Oliver'd rather have had the space, he didn't want to be rude when the (strangely-changed) mountain lion was making an effort to help him.

Mutely he pushed up, his head and tail low, half-crouched as he crept along behind him. He spared a glance off toward the broken cages, the captives, toward Mercurius--who caught his eye, briefly.

"Thanks," he whispered, and even he wasn't sure who he was talking to. Both of them, maybe, though Mercurius was far too far to hear him.

Quietly he followed Rift off, glad to be out of this place once again. It just held too many bad memories... and now new nightmares to join them.
{Table code credit to Madison, altered a bit!}

exit Oliver