If you take care of me, I'll take care of you

The form shivered and broke more as it drifted through the room, magicka wreathed thick and potent in the air. It didn't seem to be moving on its own, the stale drafts barely inching it along. Was it sleeping? It was difficult to tell. Its bright orb-like eyes never closer or disappeared or even dimmed. They seemed narrower at the moment, however, and its body trembled oddly.

After a moment, the glowing disks widened to their normal size and it was like it came back to life, moving forward with purpose, paws just barely skimming the ground.

As it drifted, it wondered how Wilder was doing. And Bauble, too. And the third sibling that it never met before it left. She lived here, somewhere, did she not? Or, perhaps, she had fled to the room she called Canis, scattered with bones and stagnant waters. It was definitely high on her list to-do, to at least visit each and every cave to know its world. Perhaps there they would meet again.

But the caves were vast, Regalia knew this already. And there was more then just Wilder and Bauble in the caves. It had already met others of its children already and there were more to find. So it didn't bother changing its course to float to where it knew Wilder's hideout was waiting. Instead, it continued to drift, seemingly aimlessly, through Polaris.

@Throne

everything moves in the eye of you

Almost instinctively, like the force of gravity drew a free-faller to the cruel, unforgiving earth, Throne found himself migrating to the Core. The glimmering lights and crackling hum of magic only spurred the lamb on as he emerged from a tunnel of many stairs and carvings of creatures fleeing. Pale, ghostly eyes flickered to and fro once or twice, and he stooped down to rub his snout against a forelimb. Itch soothed, he pressed onward, already fascinated with the incandescent glow of fungi above and this spire.

Oh, the spire. A glimmering, multi-faceted point that seemed to scrape the heavens. It was infinitely tall to such a small creature. Here, the bridge between his body and magic seemed small. Throne could reach easily for the reins and control of energy. But, it wasn't occupied with magical practice. Not right this second.

It was with the spire, shimmering and alive. The stone of an immense being, perhaps? Were the caves themselves sentient?

A great many questions. A great scarcity of answers.

@Regalia

If you take care of me, I'll take care of you

It heard the gentle clacking nearby as the lamb's hard hooves connected with the stone beneath. Like rock on rock, unfamiliar to Regalia's senses, spurring a streak of innocent curiosity in its heart. Never before had it heard a noise like that, as no creature it had met had feet like the lamb's - only soft paw pads that were close to silent on a cave floor.

Its eyes swiveled back, moving over the gaseous body until they seemed to be on the back of the cat-like form's head, staring out at the source of the sound, zeroing in until its creator was found. The gas rippled and shifted, the entire form pulling itself around until it was facing the child and it began to drift forward again, quicker then before.

It approached the young lamb, silently, but not stealthily, drifting in front of it to stare into its eyes. Strange white...and odd horns flecked with stars. Lights flickered across Regalia's body hopefully, wondering if these stars could flicker back. If it would understand. For then it would find another of its kind.

But they did not flicker. They did not move. They were not stars, not lights. Just points of white. It only took a second or two for Regalia to realize this and its own stars ceased their twinkling. This was...a shame. But it was not disappointed in the young one. It was not their fault.

Instead, it moved in silently, growing closer to its head to better inspect the strange nubs on its head, the odd white eyes. It was intriguing to the god for it was new. It was unlike those that came before, but also the same. It had a body, it had form. Furred, one head, four legs, a tail. Perhaps not as different as the others.

@Throne

everything moves in the eye of you

The lamb's eyes roved across the spire's immense bulk, but he didn't dare approach. His hooves seemed rooted to the spot as he thought of a closer inspection - to touch it and feel the warmth it must exude with such a strong glow. Throne imagined it would feel like white-hot fire, and that the crystal would not discriminate between a gentle or deliberate touch. This was something to be looked at, but not touched.

Slowly, darkness filled his vision. A great many glimmering lights - like the stars above - blinked through the void, as did a miasma of colors and two shining yellow orb-eyes. While he couldn't see that this creature was peering at his horn-nubs, the lamb tilted his head, gaze enraptured by the shifting lights and little more.

As Regalia inspected him, he inspected it. Sniffing once and twice, finding hyper-cooled air - only what surrounded it, fortunately - filling his lungs briefly. Throne snorted with a shake of his head, but proceeded. The lamb's head bowed low, observing the strange cloud's shape as it changed, wavered. This being was amorphous, but curious. Sentient, perhaps? The lights may have been a form of communication, for the archangel found no sign of a mouth in the impermeable blackness.

So, an experiment: "your lights... blink them once for hello - twice for yes. Thrice for no." His ears flickered forwards, ghostly eyes glimmering with curiosity as he circled the ethereal being. "Hello. Can you understand me?"

@Regalia

If you take care of me, I'll take care of you

It seemed its curiosity was not one sided as the creature stepped forward to inspect the god before him, breathing in the air around, as if to capture a scent. Regalia watched as he did this, glowing eyes trained on the nose that seemed to be his method of sensing smell. Wilder has one similar, as does Bauble. Perhaps all creatures of form required similar sensory organs. How strange, how...unproductive. Far easier was it to use a single space of input, for the glowing orbs detected sound, sight, and smell alike. Whomever had modeled these creatures of flesh and blood...perhaps they simply did not know better.

He spoke then, and it heard him. Glowing eyes stared at him, conveying no emotion, but amusement sparkled in its mind. For a moment, it considered ending this game before it began, but Regalia decided to amuse the young one for a moment or two. It blinked its lights once to accept, to say hello, and then twice the stars twinkled, to confirm its understanding of his words. But that's as far as it would take this game for now. Magic reached out from its heart, pooling at the young lamb's ear, whispering a faint melody of a hundred ethereal voices. "I also may speak when I like," the voices said, but they were distant, garbled.

Perhaps it was the presence of the spire, so grand but powerful, that caused its voice to fall short. It wouldn't be surprised, of course. The magic was tangible enough to cause the edges of its form to waver, wisps of the dark smoke wavering free, breaking shortly from the form, before drifting back within and disappearing once again.

@Throne

everything moves in the eye of you

There was no scent to be caught from the formless entity - intriguing - but he pressed on. Many things here required inspection, Throne was certain of.

Somehow, despite hosting little in the way of anything but apparent sight, the being heard him. Pale eyes quickly fell to the twinkling lights. Two, one, two - perfect impromptu Morse code. His jaw moved to say more words, ask more questions, when a voice fell into his ears. Throne flicked them once, twice, and found that its distant, garbled sound was unchanged. While it scarcely stole above the hum of the spire, the lamb heard it perfectly loud and clear.

"I see," he bleated softly, then turned fully away from the many-voiced creature, plodding away a short distance with a beckoning head. Away from the noise, it seemed. His investigation of the Spire could wait a moment. "My name is Throne," the lamb began once he came to a stop, facing the stars if it followed, "what sort of being are you? What is your name?"

@Regalia

If you take care of me, I'll take care of you

Regalia's great eyes followed the twitching of the ears, but no other reaction could be seen on the young lamb's features. This was a little unfortunate, but it did not mind. It was not, after all, here to shock and scare, it was here to guide and protect. It was still amusing to see how the creatures of these caves reacted to it.

The response was not special in the slightest, nothing respectful or awe inspired and Regalia found itself missing the way Pubber had reacted. It seemed these creatures of flesh and blood really did have different ways of thinking and acting. Curious indeed - Regalia wanted to see more. It wanted to know more about this lamb, how it acted and spoke, how it thought and what it wanted to do.

It followed him with its gaze curiously, moving away from the Spire. Perhaps it was too much to handle, perhaps Throne was sensitive to its magical influences as it was. No matter, it drifted along next to him, allowing him, for now, to lead it to a different spot. This "Throne" (a strange name that brought to mind nobility, power, and importance) asked of it more complex questions so it reached forward again from its heart, and this time connected them, their thoughts, and spoke directly into his mind. "I am that I am and I am called Regalia. Tell me, Throne, about you. Yourself, your life. Your purpose, your dreams, your hopes. I wish to know...who it is I am speaking to."

@Throne

everything moves in the eye of you

Throne noted, this time, the clarity which Regalia projected its voice into his mind. It was either 'speaking' more loudly, or casting thoughts that were not his. Either way, the cacophonous sound emerged from it, ethereal and ever-vague. Prompt and melodic. It was nothing comprehensible by the spoken word, but certainly named - what a name it was. Derived from the word 'regal,' no less, but with a note of interest to make it stand out. What other names would he discover and learn about?

Then, it asked for a plethora of information, that which the young lamb hadn't quite accrued. Somewhat blithely, the child responded, "I will tell you, as long as you do so in return." Throne paused for a moment, awaiting a response.

If he received the affirmative, a promise, he continued: "there is not much to tell. I've been awake for only a short time, and emerged from the tunnel yonder; there are carvings in there, of creatures fleeing from others - perhaps. My purpose, dreams, hopes... they are yet to be discovered. Right now, I simply seek knowledge." Tilting his head, he prodded, "and you, Regalia?"

If he received a negative, he simply stood in silence.

@Regalia

If you take care of me, I'll take care of you

Regalia regarded this information carefully, mindful now that Throne was, in fact, brand new to this world. Truly, a child in all regards. Perhaps it could have picked up such information from its appearance, but never before had it seen what such a creature would look like full grown. The request that Throne offered to Regalia did not much spark its interest, but it supposed it was only fair, in his eyes. But why give something in return for that which Regalia already possessed? It simply the veil over this knowledge to be removed for now, for Throne to give it back - why should anything be given as a reward?

Well, perhaps that was simply how those cursed by mortality worked. They would need to be nurtured gently, rewarded more then was deserved. So Regalia reached out and connected them again to speak in its hundred-voices, "I shall offer you this kindness." And then it went silent to listen.

It stored away the knowledge of carvings. It would have to inspect these later, discover what secrets they held. Perhaps Throne would like to know, if it was not something of extreme importance. It figured that the lamb would be happy if this knowledge was imparted to him.

His purpose, however...it was a little concerned that it didn't feel like it had purpose. That would not do. All those that lived needed purpose to spur them forward. "You say you have yet to find purpose, yet is it not your purpose to seek knowledge? It is the task you have given yourself, a task eternal that shall drive you forward. If I may assist you, Throne, in your pursuit of knowledge, I will do what I can." The way Regalia said these words, the weight behind them, it seemed more then a simple throwaway offer. It was a binding contract. That Throne was now one of theirs.

"Me...I am Regalia. I broke from a shell some time ago within a cave in this very room, close to the great crystal Spire. I hatched among another, whose name became Bauble. A cat, Wilder, was with us as well and gave us shelter. They tried to hold me back so I left. I wandered and discovered. I shall learn and see and meet all. As for my purpose...I have many. My dreams and hopes...they are not important, nor are they numerous." It went silent, then, obviously not willing to share more at this time.

@Throne

everything moves in the eye of you

Regalia - strangely - spoke of a transaction being a mere kindness offered. As if it would have the thought to simply not provide its own information. He wouldn't have been too disappointed, for to teach their own. Whatever knowledge wasn't provided by others could be easily found himself. The lamb lifted his head, scraping a hoof along the earth and flicking his tail.

"I may not dedicate my entire life to seeking knowledge, Regalia," Throne began, ears brushing against his top-most pair of horns, "not everything is easily located." With a bow of his head, he added, "it should be my task and mine alone." He could not hope to collaborate constantly with such an ethereal being - not because of a perceived holiness, but because of the impossibly large scale of these caves. "I cannot hope to offer enough in return for that time spent."

"But," he punctuated, closing his eyes slowly, "if we cross paths, we could exchange what we have learned since then. A fair trade, hm?"

The amorphous entity before him did, though, hold true to its word, speaking in a thousand voices directly into his mind. It introduced itself again as Regalia, and as a creature similar to itself - yet so different. At one time, it was contained just as he had been. But, into the world they went, eyes new and blinking into the orb-lights. Spire jutted out from the speech, a distinct note against the rest of the vague information - it was unsatisfying aside from that word. That word struck a chord.

His gaze turned towards the glimmering precipice, calling, "is it? The Spire? What purpose does it serve?"

@Regalia