He'd heard it, but he hadn't believed it.

Well, seeing was believing, and so here he stood: a hulking monstrosity of a beast, gazing up with bitter green eyes at what had once been oily and black as his own stone. Now it was... different, shades of iridescent teal and aqua, shimmering with an unfamiliar magic.

Vargas' lips curled slightly, the small hooked teeth glinting in the wrong light.

"Delightful," he growled, thick sarcasm in his voice despite the fact that no one, so far as he knew, was there to hear it. "And all this while I slept."

He did not know what to think. Astraea hadn't seemed particularly upset by the change. But perhaps, for him, time had dulled his rage. Perhaps he was used to this... thing, by now.

Vargas very vaguely wanted to stride up and punch the Spire, but even he knew that this was probably a bad idea. He didn't know how much magic it contained, but considering what it did, now, it must be immense. The backlash, should it be capable of such, would be far beyond him, especially considering its apparent source.

Why had they allowed this? Was the creature still linked to it? Why did they roam the caves without dealing with this... thing?

Had they lost..?

Adèlaide

I'm rotten to the bone, but my heart's still beating

There was nothing to guide her way most of the time, confident steps and head held high got her around, yet she never knew exactly where she was going. The young pup had seen great beauty in the time she had been awake, since her first sight of this world, she had gone looking for fun and perhaps nothing more since she did not know what more there was. Of course, this lack of knowledge was more infuriating than anything she had felt in her short time awake and for gem's sake did she want to fill her mind with something, anything, to ease the pain of not knowing. She had found that exploring, even without knowledge, had eased it somewhat. The sights she had seen, the beauty, the sheer magnitude of everything, was beyond her imagination. She wanted to go everywhere, see everything. But something was drawing her somewhere. There was a tugging at her mind as if a rope had tied itself tight and was attached to something that was shortening its hold with every second, pulling her. Her right ear, for some strange reason, seemed to feel it the most, like the rope began from there, looped around her brain and clung to something that she couldn't see.

The walking had taken her somewhere, somewhere that was...unusual to say the least. Although, she didn't quite know what was usual yet either. She should not go any farther though, that much she knew. Her crimson gaze had caught, no not caught, been compelled by a tower taller than anything she had yet seen. Her whole body seemed to shiver under its gaze, lightening traversing her veins and causing her paws to dance on the floor. She didn't know whether to run away from or towards it. Either way, she hated it. It did something to her, seemed to feed and nourish her, and she had no control.

The young pup must have been right that 'monsters' were what filled this place, however, she found them interesting. She had woken to one staring at her and thus her mind seemed to think they were what was normal and not her. For, in front of the massive tower that, if she looked hard enough, seemed to waver in her eyesight, was something...just something as she didn't know what to call it. As usual. But it caused her breath to slither out of her lips and her heart to pound out of her chest. And it was talking! Cool! It didn't sound happy, and, although intrigued by it and totally not scared, she did not want to get any closer. "It is horrible." She was stood many feet back, unable to hear the words of thing but able to hear the sarcasm so she tried to throw her voice to get it to hear. Did she want it to hear her? Too late now. She could feel her mind reach out with her voice, pushing it more than her throat could have, although the push was weak, swallowing up some of the sound to feed its departure, it worked somewhat better than she had tried before.

falling victim to your fantasy

Vargas

Vargas was busy staring at the Spire, so much so that he did not hear the soft-pawed approach of the pup some distance away. When its magic twisted out, whispering words into the air close by, he startled some--swinging around, peering for its source. It took him a moment to realize that the voice had been projected somehow from something farther away--and a tiny something, as well. He peered down, and as his mind at last registered its words, he shifted his gaze back up to the Spire.

"It is, isn't it?" he said with rough humor, staring up. Curious, he looked back to Adelaide. "But tell me--why do you think so? How does it trouble you?" Did this new Spire somehow affect those now living in the caves? Would it affect him, too, given time? He was still relearning the world around him, and he had no idea what the Spire's effects might include. Perhaps this little one could enlighten him.

"What is your number?" he added, all six eyes narrowing in concentration.

The thing was small, yes; black, with red eyes, and somehow its color and its design both put him at ease. Perhaps it was part of the old world, something of the old reality, after all. It was missing a little color, but he could forgive it that, if it was an old thing, strong, though small.

Vargas looked back up to the Spire. Surely this ugly turquoise monstrosity couldn't have produced the black canine? Though she was a little low on spikes and acidic green glow...

@Adelaide

Adèlaide

I'm rotten to the bone, but my heart's still beating

The pleasure at seeing the confusion on faces was yet to dim, still causing that smile to spread across her lips as she watched the thing sway its head from side to side until it found her. It was so fun, so much so that she let out a small laugh, relaxing ever so slightly in its presence now that she knew it reacted the same way as another creature had. Surely he wasn't that dangerous then. There was the slightest pain in her head, not even a pinprick, but she could feel it never the less, and her throat felt the smallest bit rougher than it had beforehand but none of that was important. Barely even noticeable.

The young girl moved closer at her words, to hear him better she would tell herself when in reality she wanted to see him better, although she didn't quite like getting closer to the spire. It caused her to be all abuzz, she was jittery with something, perhaps it was power but that didn't lessen her disgust. "It's filling me with something, it looks cool but it has got its paw in me." As if to enunciate she picked up her left paw and dipped her head to tap the right side of her head, missing the gem she still did not know was there but touching where she felt the most influence of the power. "I don't like it. I'm me, it's not me." She didn't quite know what it was actually doing, why it looked as if it shimmered if she turned her head at the slightest angle or why her body felt more alive this close to it. Could the other thing feel it? "Is that why you think it's horrible too? What is it?" She finally let her eyes roam the body, so many eyes everything must be in so much detail, and so many spikes, and its colour was awesome! She didn't want to look at the spire.

Then there was a question that she couldn't answer. "My number?" Number? What could that possible mean. Was it how many legs she had? Although that was an odd question and he could clearly see that. "What is your number?" Take that weird, cool, creepy thing!

falling victim to your fantasy

@Vargas

Vargas studied the pup, for a time.

He had no idea what the hell it meant when it said that the magic was inside it--perhaps the Spire held a link to them? That was his best guess. If it was forming things out of nothing, as had been his understanding of the Masters' explanation, then perhaps they still belonged to it.

"I think it is horrible," he answered, looking to the Spire--and discarding the rest, because had nothing to say to most of it--"because it does not belong here. It is disgusting," he went on, looking up at it. "It was not always... this." But how could he explain this to the pup? Did he even need to?

He shifted to his left-side limbs, considering--and then its other question caught him by surprise. Incredulous, he swung his head sharply back to stare down at Adelaide. For a moment he seemed stunned into silence, and then he blurted, "MY number?! I do not have a NUMBER, child! I am an Overseer! I am Overseer Vargas, and you will address me as such!" For a moment he was filled with righteous outrage, his memory of the world that'd come before and how things used to be all tangling together with anger. Then this faded, and he was left where he truly was: standing shouting at a tiny black wolf pup who had no idea what her words even implied.

He felt a little foolish.

But still angry. Just... not as much. Huffing, he turned his eyes back to the Spire, calming himself and trying not to feel like too much of an idiot. "How do you refer to yourself, if not as a number? What is your stone? And how old are you?" he demanded at last, and he finally--as he asked this--turned his body fully to face her.

@Adelaide

Adèlaide

I'm rotten to the bone, but my heart's still beating

Both of them seemed to be in some sort of confusion, though she couldn't speak for him. He didn't make all that much sense and she didn't know how much she didn't know that she was supposed to. He knew more than she, that was obvious and quite annoying, but he also captivated her attention, as much as she was beginning to hate him. "But it's here, how doesn't it belong?" If it didn't belong here then where did it belong? Is there somewhere else it should be? "What was it?" She was getting aggravated with him, he wasn't really answering her questions and she wanted answers. She wanted to slam her paw down in a tantrum, force him to open up his mind to her, how dare he hold information back! Instead, she dragged in air through and made a grating sound with her teeth, narrowing her eyes at him, always keeping her head turned away from the spire.

She had said something wrong. No! He had taken it the wrong way, yes, it was his fault. Nevertheless, his piercing eyes locked on her, his voice penetrating through her mind, through her body, there was danger lingering around him, she wanted to recoil, runaway, be safe. Safe wasn't fun, safe didn't give her answers. She managed to grab ahold of herself after only taking a step back from him and his fury. Battling herself as she pushed her chest out and rose her head taller, tail straightening behind her. How dare he! "Will I?" She didn't know what an overseer was, she didn't need to, he couldn't boss her around no matter how much more powerful he was.

The pup was left bristling even after he turned away, she did not let her guard down, did not let her body relax. Even as her mind was screaming at her to leave this creature be, every word it said seemed to enrage her and that's all she needed to stay. "You may call me underseer." He did not deserve her name. She was still confused by what he meant by number, did some call themselves by numbers here? She also didn't know what he meant by stone, she beat she had woken up to had a stone in his chest, but she didn't so Vargas must be confused. Ha, he must be lacking a few crystals in his brain. She also did not have an answer to his last question, she was young, that was all she knew but there was no way she was telling him anything about herself! She took another step back as he turned to face her fully, her body seemed locked in its defensive stance with raised hackled and proud head, but her eyes let slip the fear that she felt, hiding under the anger.

falling victim to your fantasy

@Vargas

Vargas was at first puzzled by the little creature's demeanor, but after a moment, was amused by its insolence. It was brave, at least; he had to give it that... but at the same time, it had now piqued his interest, and his humor.

Vargas' brand of humor was not always pleasant.

He turned slowly, deliberately, and rose up to his full height--and, stiff-legged as the she-wolf cub, he paced over to her. His demeanor hummed with dominance, neck tight as he stared unblinking down with all six eyes. A low growl rumbled from his chest, but with his size it seemed to reverberate with impossible bass.

"It was black, and belonged to another--as it should be," he answered, and his voice--a strict teacher's--was dangerously low and quiet. He did not shout, now, but his tone, despite the calm manner of his words, held deep threat.

Of course, he felt no real need to emphasize his own strength. It'd be easy to snatch her up and eat her, to dangle her about, and he doubted there was any Master that would think him all-powerful for tormenting something so small. Except Nemean. Or perhaps--so young. But she had to learn her place.

"You will, if you like being alive," he responded--and then followed this up with a question. He was trying not to show his amusement, instead towering and bristling his quills, his voice a deep warning. "What, pray tell, is an underseer?"

@Adelaide

Adèlaide

I'm rotten to the bone, but my heart's still beating

She still hadn't worked out entirely what he was, he didn't act as she imagined others of this place to act, he said he was an overseer but what was that. She felt that if she asked him he wouldn't answer with as much knowledge as she wanted and at the same time she was worried that might be overstepping some invisible boundary. She was conflicted, her young brain couldn't handle the conundrum of wanting to know but knowing you shouldn't ask. He rose taller, stronger, and her body froze, a chill descending over her, ice of her heart breaking as his growl trapped itself in her bones and echoed against her very marrow. She was still just a pup, reacting without her mind's permission, eyes widening in fascinated horror even as she berated herself. "Why doesn't the other still control it?" One should not be persuaded by her words for her voice quivered, over both anger with herself at falling so weak in his eyes and fear for him. For some reason, she wanted him to see her as strong, powerful, interesting, not weak and paralysed by fear. Of course, she hated that vulnerable feeling, but it was different right now. This was not the calm before the storm, she was in the eye of the hurricane right now and each step had to be calculated. "What was the other's name?"

He threatened her life as he stood over her like that, she was being careful where she stepped so he could too! She let her own rumble vibrate through her teeth, her mind trying to push at the sound as if it was a tangible thing, wanting more to emphasize the growl than anything else. Then she narrowed her eyes but slumped her shoulders at the same time "I will settle for just Vargas." Oh, she was a foolish little creature, perhaps the mist had crept into her chrysalis as she grew and flowed into her mind, creating a haze over the reasonable part. "You said, you are an overseer, whatever that is, you over see me. She tipped her head back as far as it could go to try and show how he was taller than she so she had to look up and he looked down, thus over seeing her. "I under see." For this she dipped her whole body low and crawled ever so slowly closer on her stomach, one might take it for a submissive stance, but she was telling herself that she was showing him how she under saw, turning her head up to attempt to look under his head and legs. She was still breathing heavily, her body tensed to run if he tried to stamp on her head or wrap his jaws around her throat from her low point and his vantage point, but she wanted him to see that she wasn't afraid.

falling victim to your fantasy

@Vargas

"CREATOR!" Vargas cried--a strange tone, somehow thrumming with fervency. "He was our CREATOR, and he no longer needed this stone." Or, at least, this was Vargas' assumption. For why else would he have let it become this... this reviled thing? Surely, he simply no longer needed it--it no longer concerned him, or he would have decimated what had taken its place and rebuilt his own.

At the pup's insistence that she would not call him by his proper title, his patience thinned. He had given her fair warning. He reached down, aiming to snatch it up by a hind leg and dangle it high, crawling or not. He did not aim to slash with claws, but to use a rough grip without cutting. If he managed, his intent was to hold her up above his head and out a few feet, his long arm fully extended as he stared up at her, letting her look down on him and the rock perhaps twenty feet below.

"What is it you will call me?" he demanded, his tone a loud growl. "I think you forgot my title. An Overseer does not simply look down. They are the BOSS," he went on, explaining it as simply as he could to what was becoming more and more obviously a child. "There is no such thing as an UNDERSEER. An Overseer has the right to drag you kicking and screaming to your demise, or to eat you if they so choose. Do you so wish to keep your pride that you would rather die with it than call me by my well-earned title? I have eaten many creatures far larger than you."

He was careful not to drop her, and though his tone and fearlessly aggressive posture demanded respect, he was curious as to what she'd say.

@Adelaide

Adèlaide

I'm rotten to the bone, but my heart's still beating

Oh shoot! Sugar! The spire on a cross, she messed up big time. The creator seemed to barely register in her mind, only processing the voice that seemed to have taken over. No longer was he partially patient with her, that deep voice that had fulfilled so much more than she could have achieved just be running around asking questions had turned dark, vehement and...there was something else there. This Creator was important, maybe not to her, but to him. That was a question for another time, perhaps when he had cooled down, as for now she could only stare with wide, frightened eyes. That voice in her head telling her to run had lost all control of her limbs, her mind was screaming, pounding, her heart trying to tear out of her chest, but her legs would simply not turn and flee. They would only drop her body lower, trying to flatten herself against the floor.

The floor dropped away.

She felt her whole body being held by the one leg, blood rushing to her mind as she was suspended in the air, glaring down at eyes that held no mercy for her. She couldn't feel her body, she didn't even know if she was breathing. Rocks. Glowing eyes. Gleaming teeth. Hard stone floor. With the spire just watching on, its blue gaze doing nothing to stop what was happing right in front of it. "I did not forget -" the last word caught slightly as pain was beginning to throb in her suspended leg and she had to wriggle in his grip slightly to ease off the pressure, wincing, scrunching her eyes and breathing hard but holding back any cry. "Eating gives you no command of a title. I have breathed in front of creatures smaller than you, therefore, my title is well earned." Did he think by threatening her like this he gained some respect? Fear was only a way to rule if you could guarantee their loyalty that way "You're doing it wrong." She did not understand his logic, eating everything would just mean that he would be the boss of nothing. Granted, she didn't understand much with her head upside down staring into his eyes. She had gone past fear and entered furious anger. Then she smiled. Attempting to gather saliva in her mouth, she would also attempt to swing her body and spit into, hopefully, one of his six eyes. Only to have it miss, massivly, and she watched as it dropped to the floor, way off mark.

falling victim to your fantasy

@Vargas