BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. It had built gradually, and had at last become deafening, vibrating, and spectacularly annoying. Now it finally trailed off into silence again.

Nemean waited, lounging on the Throne, one arm draped loosely over the back of the white hare she'd found there. It was an easygoing creature, and pretty, but not too pretty. Someone's familiar, she thought, since it hadn't answered her.

Now she was hanging out with it, waiting on Pride, while idly munching on some bits of fruit she'd brought herself.

Anger smoldered in her eyes, even as she fed a bite to the hare. "Pride!" Wait--that was his name, right? That's what she'd been told. "Hey, deer! Come OONNNNNNNNNNN," she howled, kicking her little feet impatiently.

This is the Kingdom of the Seven Spy vs Spy thread. Only Kingdom of the Seven members may join.

@Pride

Someone's here. The idle heads-up from his lazy familiar warned him first, and his mind translated her wordless thoughts into something resembling sense. Dangerous? he thought back, and in return, he received an image of Nemean laying idly on the Throne. Nah, she's cool.

The buzzing had permeated him--tearing through his mind, causing him to grimace, shake his head, flick his ears. Thankfully, it had quieted. And now that he'd made his way to the Throne, now that he could see Nemean, his brain suddenly snapped two and two together.

He knew who this was.

The buzzing... the fairy... oh, caves, Mischief get down! You're not safe! The fear that thrilled through him--that sent Mischief bolting like a shot off the Throne and into the dark--showed not at all on the white stag's face. Instead, he peered after her, as if quizzically--and then looked with perfect politeness to Nemean.

"Err--yes, I am Pride? To what do I owe the visit?"

But he did not doubt that the buzzing, and her shrill and carrying voice, would have alerted the rest to come.

@Reign @Luster @Narcissus @Livius @Nassir @Siren @Amazon @Zothra

The buzzing noise was so loud and impeccably and terrifically present. Nassir's ears flattened against his head the moment it began, pale eyes searching. Knowing. Familiar with it. It had been there when he had fallen, fallen, fallen, met the earth. Found himself in a realm beyond imagining - or was it simply that?

He couldn't be sure.

But, his intuition said that the noise emanated from the Throne at the vault's heart, and duty-bound as he was to being a guardian, the dark beast steeled himself paced towards it.

Pride had already arrived as Nassir rounded the back of it. Pale eyes widening, peering at the pale stag, the beast huddled down. Waiting in the wings. With a weak-willed pulse of magic, darkness began to encase his being, melding into the shadow of the throne. From that spot, Nassir watched with pale, shining eyes.

Amazon peeked her head out of the little cave she'd once again taken residence within, the buzzing having woken her up from her slumbering. She blinked blearily and pulled herself out, taking a quick sip of water from the puddle just outside, before beginning to climb up the steps to the Throne. She wasn't just going to sit around and wait to find out who it was, the shrill voice too annoying to just ignore.

But as soon as she caught sight of the little fairy alighted on the Throne, she froze. She knew that thing. She'd spotted it during the Trials, hanging back, watching the groups forge on. Nemean, right? She glanced nervously up at Pride, who watched the sprite with a politeness that Amazon, at least she hoped, was covering suspicion. Pride had to know who she was.

Amazon wasn't sure what to think about Nemean - she didn't really have a reason to distrust her, but if she'd been part of the trials...she was more then she seemed.

Nemean's eyes settled on Amazon, and her pout turned into a broad grin. Her eyes lit up. "HEY, I remember you!" Down she buzzed, kneeling to pat the little lizard on the head. "Hmm, you're a lot less dying than I remember... Good job with that!"

She flitted back up into the air, preening her hair for a moment, studying Pride. A smirk crossed her lips. "Man, he'd hate to see you! Hahahaha. All the shapes he coulda got, and there's a prettier one out there. OH boy." Little hands clapped together. "So! I got a job for you, branch-head, and your friends, too. I thought there were seven of you, but whatever. DO it, and I'll tell you ALL SORTS of secrets about the cave, mmkay? Don't, and, well, I'll be really angry!" She shook her fist at Pride, her face twisted into a little 'angry' knot. "See, there's this snitch." As if from habit, the little sprite darted over to land between Pride's antlers, settling there. She lounged back, flicking them with every word. "He's-a-snitch!" All the while, Nemean made no sign of spotting Nassir in the shadows. Perhaps he was too well-hidden; or maybe she just didn't care.

"He's called Rezik. Even his name is stupid, hahaha! He used to hang out with you guys, you know--well, not you but things LIKE you--well not even that but--meh, details. Every time they did a liiiittle rebellion he'd go RUNNING off to Astraea. 'Master, all my friends are rebelling, so if you could just kill them all and give me more power'--disGUHsting. Kill him," she added, lifting back into the air. "He's, like, really nasty! I'm not sure where he is, though. He looks like you but with a stupid face," she added, gesturing at Pride, "and he's blue. Got it? Great! Good luck."

The Kingdom of the Seven has been tasked with finding and killing Rezik. If they succeed, they will be rewarded with deep lore knowledge of Orion. Failure to deliver Rezik's remains will make Nemean really angry. KoS members may tag Game Master Dark for interaction with Rezik at any time.

@Pride @Nassir @Amazon

Pride tried to remain composed and politely-attentive, but he knew who Nemean was, and he had a vague idea how much danger they were in. When she flitted in amongst his antlers he blinked and snorted, drawing back, startled--but she made no sign of noticing his surprise.

Uneasy, the stag shifted from hoof to hoof, flicking his ears and rolling his eyes upward to try and see the sprite. Fur along his spine rose a little in fear. This... this wasn't something he'd expected when he woke up this morning, that was for sure.

And she was asking them to... what, kill someone? He struggled for words, for a moment, blinking as he tried to think of a polite way to turn down the request of a dangerous Master.

"You are right, we are hardly the Seven any longer," he tried, cautiously, his wide eyes cutting to Amazon. He feared for her safety. Either attempting an assassination or pissing off a Master would be, Pride thought, rather bad for her prospects. "And we consider ourselves protectors, not killers." Boldly-spoken for one who had the bones of a dead enemy laced atop the Throne in diamonds, but he'd had good reason for that one...

"May I ask," he began, abruptly, as something else occurred to him, "why you wish to kill someone who is loyal to you, regardless-? You are a Master, too, correct?" His brow furrowed as he tried to understand.

Was there argument between the Masters..? Why did Nemean truly want this other stag dead..?

The dark beast remained in the shadows, leaving any and all talking to the one that didn't have a speech impairment caused by debilitating social anxiety and a case of trauma. Pale eyes flickered in the dark first as his magic wore off, then came back into view once the shadows disowned him. Gritting his teeth, steeling himself, Nassir hoisted himself up onto the throne-platform. His gaze was averted from Nemean, focusing only on Pride and moving so that he almost clung to the white stag.

A bit like a child hiding behind a parent's leg, but oh well.

"If - if we do tuh-this, Pride... we cuh-could be prote- protecting future Ge-Gembound from be-being betrayed," he reasoned quietly, though with a slight grimace - half-agreeing with her brought that on. "Buh-but..." he trailed off, considering the ramifications of murder. Or, y'know, assassination.

The female cheetah stayed in the shadows, listening to every word that Nemean, the master, had said. Why did they have to do this? Why can't Nemean do this herself? Why didn't she explain more about this Rezik creature? Apparently, none of these questions mattered. The last thing that Zothra wanted was to anger Nemean. She was a master of the cave after all. After the small cat fairy had finished, the cheetah trotted outside into the view of everyone else. She went to stand right in front of Pride. Since they had to find and supposedly kill this Rezik guy, there was no other choice. The cheetah didn't think that anyone in the kingdom wanted to suffer the wrath of Nemean. Zothra spoke to Pride, with a curious tone. "Well Pride? How are we supposed to do this?" Zothra was a predator, and Nemean clearly stated that Rezik looked like Pride. That meant he was deer like. Zothra didn't expect it to be easy though, just because Rezik had the body of prey.

Amazon flinched when Nemean buzzed up to her and patted her on the head, trying not to recoil. Was she...always like this? Had she been like that during the Trials? She couldn't remember ever interacting with her before. "Uh, thanks..." Regardless, she inched a little closed to Pride when the sprite buzzed back into the air, wondering what she was even doing here. She glanced at Nassir that also was seeking refuge behind the stag.

Kill someone? Nemean had said that they'd betrayed their friends, so perhaps killing was the right thing to do? She was going to voice her support, however tiny it was, when the memory of the inside of Reseda's mouth returned to her, all the blood, the choking, the horror of watching half her face explode, her body falling to the ground, broken, lifeless, dead. And her mouth snapped shut, eyes widening.

No. I couldn't do it. She probably wouldn't be the one to do it, Pride would, but she couldn't...even if they were bad. Who are we to decide who lives and dies? She said nothing, looking up at Pride with faint worry on her face, scared that he'd accept, but also scared that he'd refuse. She didn't want Nemean to get angry.

At Pride's question, Nemean gave a little "Pah!" She then flitted up, and spun closer, staring him in his too-widely-set eyes.

"Loyal to himself. Important distinction!" She then buzzed higher, and threw her arms out to either side. A loud sound like sliding-scale whistles filled the air, and what looked like glowing, sparkling confetti rained glittering and golden down around them. "I'll be back soon! And it'll be time to celebrate." This--as the confetti vanished--seemed somehow ominous, almost a threat as the fairy stared at them.

And then, with a booming ZIIIP, she was gone, firing off like a light-shrouded rocket into the depths of the cave.