as a maiden she tiptoes shy with her light...

"Hmm, a contract." She repeated, thinking. Must be symbolic. Thothaga assumed he was telling the truth, she just wish he actually read what on the contract. She was dying for the characters to talk to her. No matter, she would just ask Algol how to listen.

"Alright." Thothaga said. "I accept. So, let us not be found out" The spider reached out with an unsheathed claw touched the bare space on the parchment.


Thothaga thinking.

A flash of red light, and a black seared spot appeared across the parchment where Thothaga had touched. The Collector quickly rolled this up and tucked it away, inclining his head.

"Very good. Very good. ...Now let us discuss the answers that you seek--and their cost," the Collector said.

@Thothaga

as a maiden she tiptoes shy with her light...

"AH!" Thothaga flinched at the red light. She withdrew her leg, rubbing her eyes. Once again, ambushed by magickal light! She didn't even get to see what it left behind on the parchment.

Now that was out of the way..

Thothaga knew exactly what she wanted to learn first. "Teach me how to read those markings like the ones on that contract and the walls!" She pleaded. "I see them everywhere but I don't understand them! The Maiden did a giddy little dance with her eight feet-- clearly excited as a schoolgirl. It would have been cute if she weren't a giant spider.

"Thothaga speaking."
Thothaga thinking.

The Collector stared, for a beat. "You said that you had questions. Teaching this," he went on, gesturing to the western wall, and likely the carvings upon it, "will take much time." He considered.

"I could find you an item that will allow you to study it, to learn it--but that will cost a great deal indeed. Possibly a life," he added, and it seemed thoughtful, rather than a warning.

@Thothaga

as a maiden she tiptoes shy with her light...

Thothaga looked at the wall, and then Algol. "Oh?" She said, stroking her fangs. Her eyes sparkled deviously. "And whose life might that be?"

She wondered what object could need a life to function. What power it must hold! Thothaga was itching to hear more. For a hungry, young mind craving knowledge, no price was to great-- unless it was her life, or the Spire's. That would just defeat the purpose.


"Thothaga speaking."
Thothaga thinking.

The Collector stared blankly, for a moment.

"...Yours, if you are not cautious. Because it is difficult to retrieve, I'm afraid," he explained.

The opening of Hydra would unlock a whole realm of possibilities for him, really, and he was well aware of the Merchant's place and plans. Relics he'd thought long-lost were once again available to him--given the willingness of brave and powerful Gembound. "There is another cave that will soon be opened just nearby. A dangerous one--a deadly one, I warn you, Spellweaver. But there are items that I could use, once again, lost within. Perhaps for the cost of retrieving one, I could direct you to the thing you seek--if you don't wish to venture in yourself... Well, there are others in the cave, stronger and more willing to act for whatever price you might offer them."

@Thothaga

as a maiden she tiptoes shy with her light...

Well, that complicated things.

Her curiosity was peaked but on the other leg she didn't want to haphazardly risk her life. She could do like Algol said and hire someone else. Is that what he's trying to do me? She chattered at the thought. Perhaps they were more alike than either of them wished to let on. She shuffled her fangs and eyed him, noticing an inconsistency in his words. "I thought you didn't need help." She pointed out, teasingly. Thothaga wondered he was just being lazy or if there was good reason he couldn't his own relics. Yet, still, relics were relics, and the payment was tempting. "I will think on it." She finally said. Thothaga wanted to consort the caves first.

"Now," She started, ready to move on "Another question; I know that Cetus used to be beautiful, until Nemean cursed the Divine and killed her children. Why would she do such a thing? Do you know?" Now with his mind presumably on the matter, the spider attempted to weave her spell around his thoughts. It worked, but it could have gone better.


"Thothaga speaking."
Thothaga thinking.

The Collector parted his arms, spreading them palms-up as if to make some sort of point. "I have done well enough without them for this long. They are not things I need, but things I want," he clarified, his tone amused. "Though I admit I could make use of them, indeed."

At Thothaga's question, the Collector folded his arms back into his cloak, and sighed a little, as if sadly. "Ahhh... the Divine; what a terrible tragedy." His tone held deep sadness, though whether it was true, or a lie--or whether he even knew what Thothaga was talking about--was anyone's guess. "I do know the answer to what you seek. Now, let us discuss the cost of that knowledge, shall we?" He thought, for a moment, drumming claws upon his own robed arms. "Information, for information. There is a group of Gembound in Cetus. You know them; you have walked among them. I wish to know why, and how, they still live there; and what their purpose is. Tell me this," he went on, "and tell me truthfully, and I will tell you exactly why Nemean cursed the Divine that should have lived among them."

Crimson eyes regarded the massive spider greedily, and he awaited her response.

@Thothaga

as a maiden she tiptoes shy with her light...

Strange. Thothaga thought. Her web caught nothing. The spell definitely worked. This had never happened before. Was he hiding his thoughts from her? An enchantment perhaps? She focused on him once more, this time with the intent on searching for magical items.

All the while, listened to what Algol offered in exchange for the answer to a question that haunted her for cycles. If Thothaga had lips, she would have smirked. This might as well have been a steal! "Oh, you mean the Children of Rot?." She said innocently. This was payback for kicking her out of their little, secret leader meeting. "Honestly, their goals align with mine, as far as I know; survive, piece together the past. That is why I assisted for a time, even if they didn't trust me--they're a wary bunch. As to how and why they live among the Divine's dead children, I do not know--it's not that bad if you're built for it-- She shuffled her pedipalps, thinking. "But... it might have something to do with Aquarian." Thothaga paused then added. "Dragon, thinks--" She stifled back an amused chitter. "Dragon thinks Aquarian is his father."

The spider spread her forelegs, as if to mimic open arms. "Will that suffice?"

"Thothaga speaking."
Thothaga thinking.

There was a dull hum of magic all around him. A strange, echoing version of his voice resounded in her head--though distant, ringing with the same magic as before. It was hard to tell what sort of magic it was, exactly. "Curious spider. Tip-tap, tip-tap, claws against the rock, hmm?" Yet when he spoke, the Collector himself gave no sign of awareness of her intrusions.

Strange.

"Hmm. I suppose that will do, yes. And it is only fair that you don't know more of them--because I don't know all of Nemean's motivations. I do know this much: the Divine has always had that name. The little fairy didn't like that," he went on, and there was a glint of grinning, pointed teeth beneath the hood. "The Divine was beautiful... and she didn't like that, either. Vain, jealous, easily-moved to anger. And now I am glad we have our little don't ask, don't tell pact," he added, the grin splitting wider. "Rumor was, she was angry that there was something prettier than she was. The Divine... Ahh, she was ethereal, majestic, noble--everything that Nemean wasn't. Of course she couldn't let that stand."

The Collector spread his arms, just as Thothaga had spread her forelimbs. "Is that a fair deal, then?" he asked, amusement in his tone.

@Thothaga