The ragged hyena was making her way to and fro around the piles of bones at the Fortresses, sniffing around their bases.

She didn't know anything about the Merchant, though word had it he had made his dislike of the Collector clear, which was--in her mind--a good thing. And when she'd heard of his mission to open a new cave, she'd run straight off to her bone pit to--in alarm--consult the bones.

Their message had been plain enough. They claimed he was, in one sense, telling the truth--that he and those aiding him were indeed working toward a common goal. But they'd warned, too, of missing something, something important. Either the Merchant was leaving something out, or those who'd spoken to him had missed something in turn. But the end result, despite the bones' warnings to seek what had remained unsaid, the reading had closed on a good note: heat, and light, like that of the orbs above, or even fire. Giggle normally interpreted this as positive. Light and heat were life-giving, though they could be harsh; it meant life triumphing over death, good over evil.

So here she was, pawing among the bones of the dead, seeking the stones of the fallen, looking for the strong ones that the Merchant might require to open the door.

She wasn't too sure of what would happen to the stones--would it consume them, rather than rebirth them? This left a bad taste in her mouth, and she was half-tempted to try and put a stop to it all, but the bones had been oddly clear on this, too. They had spoken of communication and travel, and then of--quite specifically--interrupted rebirth. If this had been all, she'd have been disturbed as hell and tried to fight what was happening. But the final rune spoke of the repeating cycles of birth and death, and so Giggle assumed, in her way, that all was well. Perhaps, she'd thought, it meant that though the stones' magic would not be reborn, the cycle itself would not be interrupted. Perhaps the life within would be cut free, only to return to other stones, in time.

Giggle wasn't sure, and with the reassurance of the bones, she'd moved on to the gem hunt.

Thus far, however, all she'd found were gemstones that didn't react to the light touch of life that she tried to push into them--or at least that's how she viewed what she was doing. She'd given life to gemstones in the past, so she was reaching out with her magicka, touching, seeing if they responded. None of what she'd found so far had any life left within them; nothing reacted to her brush of magicka.

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Nothing... Nothing. Nothing... From bone to bone she nosed, probing with her magicka. Canis was littered with the bones of the dead--there were plenty of gemstones--but not a lot seemed to flicker with any energy, let alone powerful energy.

For some place this full of stones, I'd have expected more to be viable, she thought, musing.

She spent another half an hour nosing around the immediate area, carefully checking bone after bone, looking first for stones and then testing the stones for life. She eventually found just one--weak, and small, half-hidden among a pile of charred-black ribs. Hrmph. It isn't much, but it'll have to do, she thought with mild irritation. From what she'd heard, this Merchant wanted powerful stones--not that she was doing this purely for the reward. Bones or no, she didn't trust most of the old Gembound in these caves, let alone those who hid behind mask and cloak and demanded that others do their bidding. No--she wanted to see what would happen. She wanted to be a part of history; she wanted to see this for herself.

She picked the weak little gemstone up in her jaws, and she moved on.

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Giggle moved on, away from this set of bone fortresses, at a swift and loping trot. In her jaws she carried the first little gemstone, and her paws scraped over ribs and jawbones. Death took them--and it keeps them. And these ones, at least, won't be getting life again, the hyena thought grimly--assuming I even find any.

After a moment, she came to the next few structures, and began her work, sniffing carefully over them. A thought occurred to her, then, and she paused, reaching out along her link with Omen. Omen--you bored? Help me find some gemstones, she suggested, her mood (sent likewise along the link) friendly and a little playful. It'd be like a game, after all; the bird could look for stones, and then Giggle could come and find them. At a questioning thought from the wordless bird, she showed, as best she could, a mental image of a gemstone. Those. Gemstones, she clarified, trying to send the idea of gemstones along the link.

Hesitant, but willing and eager, the bird took flight, and Giggle could both see and feel it in her mind's eye. Black wings carried it toward her, from where it'd been resting near her den--and she began her own search again, while she waited for her to arrive.

Her mind, though, was so lost in the connection to Omen that she promptly missed her footing, tripping and stepping down exactly on a pointed rib that jutted up. She heard the soft squish--even smelled the blood--before she realized what happened. The pain struck a second later, a sharp, searing-hot agony that tore through her right forepaw. With a chittering yelp she leapt back, her face wrinkled up in in a grinning snarl, rounded ears flattening as she tried unsuccessfully to pull herself off the bone--which only came with her, jammed into her paw.

Down she went, flopping onto her side, biting at it--struggling to reassure the frightened bird that reached out, questioning, along a panicked link. Mother-sister? What happened? Are you okay? Was it Gemstones?! (The bird, it seemed, had still not quite grasped the 'gem' concept).

I'm fine, I'm--fine--... Stepped on something... Giggle winced, braced herself, and then clamped her jaws around the rib--yanking it free with a twist of her muscled neck, and then licking rather worriedly at the blood that flowed freely from the wound.

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Stone Count: Fledgling - 1

Omen arrived far before the bleeding stopped, at first inspecting the wound and hopping about with fright, fluttering her wings and watching nervously as if expecting a larger, fiercer gembound to appear and attack Giggle while she was down. Giggle, for her end, had been made first nervous and then irritable by her demeanor, at last trying to distract her by asking her to carry the weaker stone she'd already found.

After standing there blankly holding this for all of thirty seconds, Omen had seemingly recovered from her fright, set the stone down, and flown away. Giggle lay there, still, licking her paw, but to her surprise the bird returned only a few moments later.

She ruffled her black feathers, and the faint swell of excitement that the hyena had felt (but not quite placed) a moment earlier grew into a rush of pride. She opened her beak, dropping a very small gemstone at the hyena's feet. Ears pricking, Giggle leaned forward, nosing at it and probing with her magic.

It was alive--weak, but alive--and she looked up to praise the bird.

"That was fast," she observed first, and wryly. "But very good! Did you pick that from a bone? -Can you find me more?" she asked, glancing at her paw. It'd be easier to simply let Omen bring her stones, or lead her, later, to bones that still held gems. At the moment, walking would be painful, at best.

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Stone Count: Fledgling - 2

The wound gradually stopped bleeding so freely, though it still hurt with sharp throbs and still wept slow beads of blood into the bones below.

But in the back of her mind, Giggle could feel--even catch glimpses of--Omen searching diligently. Her familiar was excited to even be involved, really, and her sharp eyes were quite attuned to quickly sighting shiny objects even from high in the air. She'd circle, then land and try to pick a stone clean from a femur or a skull with her small and pointed beak. Eventually, she succeeded--and Giggle felt her happiness as she winged her way back to the hyena.

The bird was happy to help, happy to contribute--and Giggle, for her part, was happy to not have to run around on a punctured paw. She gave a grateful huff. "Thank you--good job," she said, Omen still ruffling her feathers in place. The single red eye regarded her, excited, as she waited for the hyena to check the stone.

I'll probably be able to do this faster than anyone else, she thought, with amusement--Omen's help would speed things along a great deal, even with the wounded paw.

She reached her magicka down, pressing her nose to the stone and watching it half cross-eyed as she tested it for magic. It sparked back, albeit weakly, and as Giggle raised her head to praise the bird again, Omen (sensing her mind already) immediately lifted off and fluttered rapidly away again, searching for the next.

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Stone Count: Fledgling - 3

Omen wasn't long in returning. A ruffle of feathers, the light scratching of talons on bone, and Giggle swung her head up to see the bird hopping over, another stone clutched tightly in her beak. This one she set down on the hyena's good paw, and then she hopped back, and waited, proudly puffed up.

Giggle leaned down, nosing it. Her magicka flickered, but she felt only the barest echo of a response in this one--it was dead, or... very nearly so. Her ears pricked up, a vague sort of sympathy touching her, or perhaps it was pity.

Omen's head tilted as she sensed this, her pride--and no doubt, her wait on being praised--quickly fading in favor of innocent, curious worry. Her thoughts, translated into words, would have been something like--Is it okay? Giggle glanced up upon sensing her questioning concern. She answered aloud, though she was careful to send the thoughts--the ideas, the answers--mind-to-mind, as well. She sent, too, a reassuring calm.

"No, no, it's fine. It's alive, just a little weak. You're doing good," she added, with warmth in her voice--and the bird was off again, that being all the reassurance that she needed, leaving not even a feather behind.

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Stone Count: Fledgling - 4

She'd nearly fallen asleep--half from the blood loss, though it was minor, and half from the shock after the pain. It was only when she felt Omen hopping to and fro along her leg that she lifted her heavy head, peering and blinking quizzically at her familiar.

...Oh. Right.

She shook herself, pushing up to roll onto her chest, then leaning her head out to nose this newest prize."Well done," she murmured, her voice a half-asleep croak, as she reached her magicka out to test this newest gem.

Again, there was barely a spark within it, but she gave the bird an encouraging nod this time, carefully avoiding letting any pity or disappointment shine through along the link. She was gratified to see the Caller puff herself up before flitting off again, eager to find Giggle more stones.

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Stone Count: Fledgling - 5

Giggle lifted her head as Omen came back yet again.

...This was the life. Laying about, doing almost literally nothing, with a familiar to do everything for her. It'd have been fantastic, if her paw wasn't aching from the pointed rib that she'd pulled from the pad. That being said, she truly did appreciate Omen's aid. She never took the Caller for granted.

The bird landed, hopping closer--and a deep sense of apology and shame emanated toward Giggle. The hyena tilted her head, but before she could ask, the bird's thoughts touched her mind--translated by her own. I am sorry it took so long. Giggle warmed, leaning forward and gently nudging the bird.

No, no--I was resting, Omen, please don't rush. Take your time. This time it was only thought, no words, and the hyena waited to feel her familiar calm, and acknowledge her, before turning to the stone.

The stone was another weak one, flickering faintly, and Giggle wondered at how many long-dead Gembound had stones left behind barely clinging to life. Should she have been seeking these out all along..? Bringing them to life where she could?

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Stone Count: Fledgling - 6 why

Giggle waited while Omen flew off yet again. The bird wasn't yet tiring--she could feel that through their link--but her experience with Omen's abilities also told her that it wouldn't be too long. Four, five more trips, depending on how long they took, and she would need a rest.

Quiet, Giggle used her nose to arrange the little pile of gemstones, nosing them over.

How long had they lain here, cold, lifeless, and alone? The mothering instinct in her sparked, and she wondered if she could bring life to them. Perhaps that's how she should spend her time--returning Gembound to life, or rather, making new life from their remains. Was that not the best gift to give back to those who had passed beyond, for all the guidance that they offered? But Giggle wasn't arrogant enough to think that she knew best. There was a lot that she might not know--about life, death, and about what lay beyond; about what effects such an action might have. I will ask the bones, later, she decided to herself.

Hell, after this, she could take the stones back to her bone pit and search there. Maybe some of those might like reviving.

The black bird fluttered back in again, a slightly-battered stone in its beak, eye bright with excitement. Giggle reached out, picking it away delicately with her teeth, sensing it.

Another weak one, she thought, and it was curious--thoughtful--rather than disappointed. Slowly she pushed up, keeping weight off her wounded paw, and she looked around.

Why are they all weak..? Are they just all that old? Or is something draining them..? This new discovery left her worried, and--after taking a few moments to carefully scoop the gemstones into her jaws--she turned to limp back to her bone pit.

There were new ideas--new concerns, and new realizations--in her mind, now, and she wished to consult the bones at once.

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Stone Count: Fledgling - 7 seriously though why

Two readings, Giggle had decided. One about the gems. One about whether to bring them back to life. Careful, the hyena had set the seven terribly-weak gemstones down among her fungus. She watched them, some part of her worried and motherly as before, some part of her mind itching... as if a new truth was looming on her horizon, threatening to break into her world.

She didn't like that, but she pursued that truth regardless.

Down to her pit she'd gone, picking up a bone--and then returned up, casting it into the pit (limping all the while) while Omen rested and watched. The hyena watched the way the bones fell, grimly silent as she interpreted the throw.

The reading was... disturbing, to say the least... and disturbingly specific. The hyena's sharp mind, attuned as it was to her own style of interpretation (she felt, through experience, which bone-falls meant what), quickly picked meaning from the bones.

The way they fell--alone, with no fall, and yet the secondary little scatters creating a cascade beyond what she would have expected, and then the sad tumble at the end... It was clear. Aloud--more to herself, than to Omen--she spoke. "Delayed rebirth... They were meant to be born, I think, but weren't. And that one speaks of children to come. I think we are to hatch them, but--that ending. It speaks of failure," she went on, limp--pacing a bit to one side to get a better look.

In fact, the way they fell at the end had left one, specific bone--a larger, darker one--looming over the rest. This she eyed, her expression mirroring its darkness after a moment. "...This was someone's doing," she breathed, at last. "Someone never brought to answer for their actions. For their--crimes."

Giggle shook herself, and trotted back down for another bone, her expression still rather grim. On second thoughts, she took the dark one, too, eyeing it distastefully--then mentally rebuking herself. It was but a harbinger--a communicator, a sign--a messenger. It wasn't the bone itself that had done wrong, no; that was, in a sense, helping her. Mentally apologizing to the bone (and never let anyone say that Giggle wasn't wholly sane), she carried them, with her limp, back up to her ledge.

The first bone--a young Gembound's bone, by the looks of it, still slender and even pliable--she lobbed down. This rib smashed, down, and her question--voiced as she watched it fall--had a resounding answer. "Should I revive these stones?" These--and others like them? Should she make this her work?

The bone shattered. Others broke at its touch, despite its tiny size. With deep misgiving, and a growing sense of dread, the hyena watched. And in a droning, grim voice, she spoke. "Things are unchanging--stasis--not growing, not reviving, that's obvious... The bones say that they remain so. And that now isn't the time to take this chance. They say, in fact, that this would end in a horribly imperfect result in a very important task. We wait," she told Omen, but her voice was a near-whisper.

What did all of this mean? Why would reviving these gemstones end only in catastrophe? She could think of only one answer, and this answer bothered her, deeply.

It could be that we are all to be wiped out again--and soon--and that any revived beforehand will only die with us. That perhaps we must wait... and die, and let them come back another way. That, or maybe they'd find a way to strengthen them. But she didn't hold out hope for that.

The cold, nightmarish sense of unreality threatened to grip her as she picked up the dark bone in her jaws--this, a heavier, denser thing--and lobbed it down.

What she saw surprised her. It wasn't talk of a villain, or a selfish thing--but the bold way the bone crashed down, without breaking or even truly scattering those around it, almost suggested a hero. A strong figure, a determined one, able to meet a challenge despite terrible opposition. It spoke of courage, of endurance. And it didn't end there. The way the bone stayed on top spoke to Giggle of ever-presense... of death, and yet of endurance. Someone who had died, and already been reborn, perhaps? But no, she didn't see rebirth in this. Someone who had mutated? Died, and then slept, and come back? Or who was still sleeping..? A few final bones, while Giggle was pondering this, tumbled in among it. Her mind clicked--things that already existed, that had long existed, would come back to haunt it... or to haunt them.

The hyena limped back so sit, staring down over the bones, her brow furrowed as she sat deep in thought.

What it came down to, then, was that the gemstones had long sat still and silent, unchanging, outside the cycle of rebirth that the living had joined. And they were to stay that way, lest a terrible fate be their outcome, though one day they should be reborn. That this was all some other being's doing--a courageous being, and yet, one that still lived and lurked, despite having perished or slept long ago.

Uneasy, the hyena stood and turned, limping back down the way she had come.

She'd have to warn Aure about all this.

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