As the seal made to leave, the the power of Mother's commands rippled through his muscles and he stepped forward, eyes flashing. He would follow Mother's commands. He would stop them from leaving, whatever it took.

He sucked in a breath and threw all four arms out to the side. "YOU DO NOT LEAVE," he snarled summoning as much strength as he could to send the surrounding area into pitch darkness, so that the fools could not see. Those of the hive would know where each other were, through the link, but the magic sputtered and failed almost immediately.

He blinked. Shit. That was supposed to work.

Tethys let out a loud roar. She should have known not to trust them! Tethys attempted to use her bulk and weight to push him out of the way. It didn't push him far, but she was able to get him out just enough to pass by. She let out another roar as she shuffled herself as fast as she could towards the water. She would not let them control her. Tethys seemed to have made a grave mistake. Perhaps she should have trusted the masters. Now it was too late. Her only concern was to get to water, and fast. She ran off, hoping Orlaith could help fend them off as she ran.

Orlaith knew they shouldn't have trusted these pieces of scum! She leaped towards the big brute with wings attempting to rip his eyes out. Unfortunately she missed entirely. She let out a frightening ear piercing roar before speaking. "You bastards better hope I don't reach your faces or any part of you, unless you want to lose your sight. You better get with the program! We are leaving, and I am going to take as many of you with me as I can. Now come fight me you arrogant little shits! I promise you, a tiger's ferocity is something not to take lightly." The tigress braced herself, ready to die if need be.

Lamia had expected things to go smoothly. She thought that Tethys would trust her, that she'd take the bait. She held no ill will for her friend - after all, mother's presence was kind and good. Why shouldn't she accept the gift?

And when she didn't, and Mother's command boomed through her head loud and powerful, she shivered, her muscles moving without her consent. She didn't want to attack Tethys, or any of them mind, but...this was what Mother was asking of her. No, she demanded this. And Lamia would not disappoint.

The point was to keep them here, yes? To keep them from leaving? She remembered the spells that Tenzin had shown her, how to create ice, to freeze water where it was. If she froze Tethys to the ground, then that would complete the mission. She threw forward her magic towards the seal as she tried to escape from the cave, forming a thick layer of ice around her to stop her from moving.

As soon as the order rang out, Pallas's senses overwhelmed him. He would not see this plan fail- not now. He easily grabbed a hefty chunk as his head shot back from its place beside Mother. He couldn't let them get away that easily.

He shoved off of the roots, eyes wide and ears flattened against his skull as he moved with the fluidity of a snake, claws aching in how far they were pushed out. Mud sprayed with the force of his kicks. Mother's fungus taste bled into his mouth, and he surged behind Orlaith in the chaos to Tethys.

The ice had grown up around her, thanks to Lamia, and she was in the perfect position to be inducted. Mrowling with a hiss under his chunk, he forced himself to step directly onto the ice and ignore the shooting cold underfoot. Not that it mattered to his adrenaline. He didn't have time to worry about semantics- he ripped out half of the piece of fungus with a claw and shoved the piece to her lips with his other paws scrabbling for purchase.

"EAT!" The demand came louder than was typical of the linsang from behind Mother, his pupils drawn to mere pinpricks of their usual selves.

@Tethys

Aquamarine could not believe it. She tried to break free to say something, but nothing worked. She was obligated to follow mother. She yelled after Tethys and Orlaith, desperate for them to say. "Tethys, Orkaith, please do not fight, be a part of the family, a part of mother!" The young rodent went forward, unsure of what to do. She watched as they fought. She was just a child, what could she do?

Zelk was Orlaith's childhood friend. She was always there for her. It was the polar bear's choice to trust mother. But now, as if the real her spoke, she spoke to Orlaith with words befitting the old her. She still trusted mother, even though she should not have. She spoke to Orlaith, giving her helpful words. "Orlaith, stop! It's not worth it to fight here! Come and join mother!" Zelk said these words, knowing mother was still good in her heart. She hoped her words would help her friend realize that mother was good to them all. She ran towards Orlaith and landed a big blow on her hind leg with her right paw, trying to get her to stop resisting.

@Legion

Legion's swarm trembled. They'd been returning back, as quickly as they could, with the whispers of the Hive and happenings murmuring through its mind. The last few moments they'd been waiting, and now Mother's command roiled unpleasantly through their ranks.

Legion was not a fighter. The very concept of fighting terrified it. It shrank from violence; it enjoyed curiosity, friendliness. But the swarm now had no choice.

They coalesced and then spread, a vague, thick, brown-gray swarm, and hesitated. Orlaith, or Tethys? -Tethys was captured, but the big white bear was stopping the tiger-...

Legion's swarm veered, and swept toward Orlaith, aiming to buzz around her head. To blind her, perhaps, or just to disorient--maybe with luck she wouldn't be able to find her direction. But Legion was no figher--and this was as much as they could do.

Reji pushed out, panting. Mother herself was pressing harder than she'd ever felt it--overpowering, almost frightening.

She carried a clot of fungus in the corner of one side of her jaws, and after hesitation, she darted for Tethys. While the sea leopard was briefly restrained, she could try to slip some in; all it would need was the slightest few spores for it to take hold...

...Of course, getting so close to the massive jaws was a terrifying prospect. The leopard seal could kill her with a bite; but Mother's command was an imperative. Trembling, she ran for Tethys, aiming to press fungus for her face while she was held.

Sergei hesitated. There was much going on, and his brain was simple. It seemed wise to rush after Tethys, perhaps pounce her; but she was large, slightly heavier if he judged right than himself. And Orlaith, despite Zelk being atop her, was close, and would be fast if she broke free.

Sergei was not a creature of subtlety, and he struck out with one paw for Orlaith's legs, aiming to break one or more. If she could not run, she could not escape, surely?