She'd gone to Cetus after leaving Mother's remains hidden deep in Cetus's lagoon, where the ones outside of the cave could never, ever find them. Tenzin could, perhaps, but she still trusted her father with all her heart. He wouldn't betray her, even if he did awaken and somehow found the bits of fungus. She had a feeling, though, that he had other things to do. Like sleep.

Reji said she was going to Cetus, though, so that's where Lamia headed. Through the deep tunnels until the familiar murky water blurred her sight and she relied on the shifting waves, the temperature, the faint vibrations as fish swam by. Something familiar was within the water. Something heavy and dark, thickening the water. She followed this familiar feeling, up and up until Phlegethon's pitch black oil came into her sight. Other voices were speaking above the water.

Phlegethon, she sang into the water, a soft greeting for her friend as she surfaced, just enough that her eyes could see her, her hair fanning out on the water behind her. Bulbous eyes gazed at the gathered gembounds with confusion. Oh, she recognized the eel! That was one of Mother's children! But the others, she did not know, though she had a pretty good idea.

She swam just a little further up until her mouth was free and she opened her jaws to speak for the first time in many cycles. "CHILDREN OF ROT?" She screeched into the air, voice hoarse and terrible, like claws against metal and it hurt, physically, to hear herself speaking like that.

Dragon listened quietly, watching and listening--offering greetings here and there--as the others arrived.

Merrow offered nothing but childish arrogance and rudeness, and--immediately angered (a rare thing)--Dragon resolved to shout at her in a moment.

Sekith arrived--and the old alligator, though he nodded greeting, was quite surprised. He hadn't seen this one--not in an age--and though he recognized it as one of Nox's brood, he was shocked that he'd not seen it in the swamp. It must keep to the trees, he thought, and was at once proud that he had family surviving so well-unseen in places other than merely the murky waters. Hunger was missing--but that one was more a wild beast than a Child of Rot, and so he dismissed this as "probably for the best."

To Septiezal and the purple eel-creature he offered a nod, of agreement and greeting--and to Phlegethon, a more grateful nod. At least this son offered sense.

They were--as a whole--a rather strange group, he realized. All oily and slick, reptilian, all other. They would survive well. It was good.

"FIRST OF ALL. I welcome you all. Second, Merrow: BE POLITE!" He drew back, aiming to cast a sudden, powerful blast of flame over her head in warning, or rather, as a display. "WE ARE FAMILY, AND YOU WILL BE POLITE! -Yes, survival is our thing, but we must secure it ourselves. Never trust another to save your life; they may fail. We must do it ourselves!" There: a rebuke, and useful life advice. What a good father he was.

"Some. We will tell them," was all he said to Khloros, assuring the black horse. And he would.

"Welcome!" he said to Sekith, heartily--obviously it was one of the Children, or it would not have laid its offering, so he didn't bother to try and educate it. Have I met this one before-? he wondered, but did not say aloud. It didn't matter all that much. It was one of them!

"Brother," he then offered to Septiezal, in warm greeting. "It is good to see you well. And who is this you bring among us-?" It wasn't an unfriendly question; mere curiosity, even polite. "I am Dragon, of the Children here," he added to Opal in greeting.

And at last, a word to Phlegethon. "Wisely-said. When Raheerah fought the caves, he did not aid us. We will not mention that to him--but it is wise to ask. Wise to test," Dragon went on. He was proud of his (not-)child's words.

Dragon turned, scooting closer to the black Heart, bellowing down into the waters. "FATHER AQUARIAN! WE BRING AN OFFERING, AND A REQUEST! -Step away from the pile-" he added more quietly, intending to listen to whatever Septiezal and this purple creature had to say while they waited for the behemoth to arrive. But before he could finish, Lamia had burst forth from the waters.

Dragon stared.

Her voice was horrific, screeching, and he immediately thought of Aquarian's diva screams, and cringed.

"WHAT?!" he bellowed back, more from displeased surprise than any actual rudeness.

@Lamia @Septiezal (Sekith, Opal) @Merrow @Phlegethon @Khloros

Merrow was beginning to remember why she didn't come to these little shindigs (when she was paying any attention at all)-- there was always so many gembounds, blathering on about nonsense! She nearly jumped out of her skin when Dragon sent a burst of flame over her head. "Eep! She squealed, scampering away to where the bog sunk into muck so she could wriggle herself down in a puddle. She squirmed until only her head was above the surface-- just her nose and her eyes, and her wiggling ears.

At least, once her father was done ranting and answering the massive crowd, he began to call for Aquarian. It was about time-- she wanted to see the big guy herself, watch it eat the massive pile they'd brought in offering. Unfortunately, he was interrupted by some strange, flatfaced, land-limbed fish that screeched like a banshee. Frankly, compared to all the weirdos here, it was hard to call Lamia weird, but the mermaid's skin and scales and unnatural face set off something instinctual in Merrow that told her the strange fish was weird and not only weird, but unholy. The hybrid wasn't even religious!

Thinking better of saying anything and annoying her father more, however, the little wriggling fur-gator kept her trap shut, and stared from the supposed safety of her mud hole.

@Dragon

Septiezal flicked his forked tongue. "This is... Squelch, he seeks our help." He motioned towards his slimy guest, who was now eyeing Dragon carefully.

"In return," The serpent added. "He's agreed to tell us everything he knows about the Masters."

Suddenly, there was a horrid screech from the water. Septiezal snapped towards it and reared. He let out a vicious hiss; hostility and fear sparking in his eyes. It was only Lamia, but in Septiezal's scarred mind, only a monster would make such a horrendous noise. Poised to strike, he was ready to tear it apart before it could do the same to him.

__________________________________________________________

"Listen"
Tag: Name || OOC:

SQUELCH
For the first time I'm thinkin' about tomorrow

They feed Master Aquarian?

Squelch was beginning to think coming here was a mistake, but it was too late. Septiezal had already begun to introduce him to their leader, Dragon. No, Aquarian is not your master, He reminded himself. not any more.

Squelch shuffled away from the rot-pile and eyed it precariously. He never knew Aquarian all that well, just recognized the power he held as a Master. But still... Why was using gembounds to feed him? and more so, what possessed these free-born gems to serve this Master in such a way? ...And call him "Father Aquarian?" He shook his head at the thought. This was all too weird, but the Children didn't seem to be completely loyal to Aquarian. There was talk of "testing" him. Perhaps Aquarian wasn't keen on going back to the old ways...

He stood next to Septiezal and nodded. "Indeed. He said to Dragon. "I was a Hydra Champion from the old cycles, back when the Masters ruled these caves..." He paused, lowering his voice as his eyes stalk glanced around. "I've turned my back on them and the old ways... now I fear that I'm a fugitive, I risk my life just by coming here..."

Suddenly, There was the familiar, yet jarringly distance voice of Lamia. Squelch lit up. A ripple of lights pulsed down his sides. "Sister?" He gasped, raising his fins. He had not seen her sense Astraea destroy Mother's nest.

He rushed towards her and placed himself between her and Septiezal. "No! No! She's with me, she's a friend."

@Dragon @Lamia

Khloros found himself withdrawing, a little, from the group. Not departing, but... it was a louder, larger gathering than he'd been in since he'd been a foal. Dragon and Merrow reminded him strongly of the blazing brazenness of the rhinoceros he'd considered, for a brief time, his mother; and their loudness, of the group to which she had belonged. A group that had never truly accepted him.

He was unsure how to handle all this sudden activity, and stepped slowly backward through the muck, his mind wandering. I wonder if she's still alive. If she's okay.

Half his attention, though, remained on the meeting, and Squelch and his offer didn't go unnoticed. Khloros pricked up his ears, peering at him. "Do you know of the stag--Astraea? Of what he wants?" Khloros asked, quiet. "Have you been beyond death? Do you know of the white creature, there, and what it is?" His voice was soft--barely audible over the din--but hopeful.

Even the din itself, however, was soon shattered by Lamia's screeching voice; and Khloros fell silent, turning his attention toward the Heart.

Phlegethon was stirred by movement in the water below it, head craning down. The melodic song of its name brought a pleased hum to it: Lamia. It hadn't spoken in the tongue of sea-creatures in a while, but the sound flowed just as naturally as its regular voice did. You are well? Dragon's approval was most certainly exciting, a gentle nod. Father Aquarian - if he wasn't an elaborate hoax offered by many of the Greaters (and Vargas) to fool it - should be tested, should guarantee his assistance. What would be the point of feeding him, then, if there wasn't anything to be received in return.

Though, the siren hoisted herself up to the air and spoke - clearly unpracticed and crawling across its skin. It was just a shrill and incomprehensible a noise to the rest of the rot-children, their varied reactions causing the slime-beast to lower its head protectively over her. "This is Lamia. She is a Pisces-child. I trust her." A friend of a rot-child was friend to all of them, yes?

It dipped its head into the water, pressing its slimy snout against Lamia's midsection and pushing the two of them out of range of the offering pile. Just in case.

Perhaps she'd been a bit too loud. Everyone was suddenly turning to face her and the scaled one that seemed to be the center bellowed at her loudly, displeased. She shrunk back when the serpent hissed and raised to strike, ready to dive back beneath the water until Phlegethon told her it was safe to emerge, but the familiar eel-brother stepped forward to defend her. "BROTHER. GOOD SEE YOU," she rasped, trying to lower her voice a little bit (but not very successfully). "SORRY," she said to Dragon. "SPEAK BAD." but then she came to the startling realization that not only was her voice physically painful to listen to, but she actually didn't know a lot of words, certainly not enough, at least, to say what she wanted.

Bulbous eyes moved towards Phlegethon as its muzzle touched her midsection to push her away. She sang into the water towards the oily mass that was pushing them away from the pile. I cannot speak what I want. Can you translate for me? I want them to know I mean no harm, that I'm just looking for the ones that do not trust the Masters.

Speaking of Masters.

The black Heart of Cetus rippled, the surface dancing and trembling with water droplets. A wake--like an arrow for the shore--frothed bubbles, and with only this as warning, the (at least) three-hundred-foot serpent Aquarian erupted from the depths.

Teal diamond-shaped scales glinted with iridescence as his head came up, the citrine point atop his forehead shining in the dim light. Slit black pupils in toxic yellow eyes darted this way and that, rapidly settling on the offering pile--and with jaws gape, the serpent crashed down face-first, swallowing the offering pile whole.

With his almost draconic face stuffed with flesh, he dragged backward into the water, then snapped his head back and gulped it all down completely.

A moment later he turned, those yellow eyes flashing over the Gembound gathered below him. "WHAT?" he screeched. He recognized a few of them--Dragon was known to him, by now--but he hadn't seen this many gathered here in quite some time. "WHAT DO YOU WANT."

"FATHER," Dragon boomed, pleased to see the great serpent. There was always some part of him that admired Aquarian--was jealous, even, of him--but was pleased to bask in his presence. He was size; he was power. He was a behemoth.

"We wish to ask this of you: should we find ourselves under threat, here in Cetus--will you defend us? For example, should Nemean or the other Masters come for us--will you fight alongside us? You speak of her as Betrayer. The Masters begin something called 'trials' once more. Would you stand by us, if they come? Will you fight for the survival of those who serve you?"

His words were simple and straightforward, though his voice was utterly booming--nowhere near as loud as Aquarian's, of course, but still. Dark eyes glittered as he watched the serpent--wondering what his answer would be.