"Of course he's a threat -" Eythan had begun, talons clutching yet-tighter around the bone before the wyvern waved out a wing for him to get a hold - to be quiet. To listen. His mother was onto something, however senile of theatrics she was putting on. For her to suddenly grow so animated... it had to be a trick of sorts. Recognition and understanding glimmered in his bright eyes, even as he instinctively bobbed along with the hyena's dramatic voices.

So, flaring up his feathers and puffing out like a piece of lint, Aure chirruped in response, "many, Bonecaster? What does do you mean? What else do you see?" And Giggle continued, speaking of ghosts. While the young King had no clue what her aim was, he continued to play along, "spirits?! Are there truly such things, Soothsayer?" The wyvern peered wild-eyed at Opal, almost dramatically scuffling to stand closer to such a powerful mystic.

Even as he grew more and more riled up externally - much to Eythan's confused and worried staring - Aure focused on opening a link (however brief) with the old Gembound now on the ground. But... there was nothing but an F in Local Chat for him.

@Opal Three-Seven-Six

The Opal blinked at the hyena, confused by her words. She did not seem mad when she first spoke. But as she carried on, his mind suddenly jolted, flashing an image of a foxlike creature with a halo gem siting in front of a pulsing, white mass of hair-thin tendrils. The voices in his head; he cared for them like family. Suddenly that train of thought broke, as if it were snatched away. How-?

He squinted at the hyena, suspicious. Are you.. reading my mind? His thoughts spat with the same impression of digust one would say if they caught a peeping tom. He felt violated. How much had she'd seen?How much did she even understand? He chuckled darkly, wondering how this would all end.

"No, there's not." He cut in, answering Aure. Then his glare shifted back to Giggle. "I know what you're doing. You think I would just tell you? Open up, just like that?The Opal sneered. "Sorry, but my guts don't spill that easily. Just ask Desert Rose 35." He nodded towards the dragon. "That is what you still call yourself, right?"There was the impression that were collogues of sorts, having survived a few trials togethers. The Opal regarded him with caution, but his presence may have some use.

@Giggle @Desert Rose Thirty-Five @Eythan (Aure)

Bafflement rippled through her. Not at him catching on--she had to admit annoyance and embarrassment at that; the stranger was sharper than she'd hoped. Familiar with the magic, probably. But for a moment she was struck dumb at the odd sight she'd seen. The foxlike creature--it was muddy, with patches of blue showing through where it lay. Was this Rezik's sibling, the 'rebel' one-? But that was hardly a passing thought compared to the bizarre horror of the pulsing white mass.

What the fuck is that, she thought, as the link slipped shut, as she held her breath. She blinked dark eyes, refocusing on Opal. What WAS that? She felt a horror she didn't often feel. There was something about it that whispered of the same sort of power that brought silver-eyed, blinking darkness, the same disgusting, unfathomable, untouchable otherness.

It took her a moment to recognize the filaments in Opal's memory as fungal spores. Her eyes narrowed, fresh confusion flickering through her. Why was Opal's thought, in this horrible moment of danger, of a strange fox and a hole full of fungus-?

Was this Opal's magic; were they fungal users, carrying these spores here, into Canis-? Is that why he had come?

She extended out her senses, again, this time for Opal's body instead of its mind. And this time, the horror swarmed her. There wasn't just fungus on it--not just on its hide. Instead, and this was clear despite the flickering weakness of her spell, it was full of it. Fungus threaded along every nerve, a soft whispering carpet of infiltration, infused into every vein and muscle.

"What the fuck," she murmured, barely-audible but this time aloud.

Was it empowering him? Controlling him, even? Could they get rid of it? She feared what might happen if Opal could use these threads to strike out, to grant himself speed, strength-... Was it possible, to do such a thing?

She swallowed. She took a step backward. Flashes of eyes in the dark and filaments of throbbing white screamed warning in her mind. "He's full of fungus," she warned, with dawning horror in her voice, as she backed up. "Aure--can you control it? Eythan, don't let him leave, but don't get too close to him... Why are you full of this shit?" she asked, all pretense of theatricality gone. There wasn't a need for it anymore.

And then, again, to Aure--"We may be able to force it out--it might be making him stronger. I saw something-..."

________________

ROLL THE BONES

@Desert Rose Thirty-Five @Eythan

The eel-creature had caught onto their game, and Aure stopped mid-bob. His other foot met the ground, and he lifted his head up again. The wyvern's ears careened forwards, magicka dully pulsing against his brow - waiting for the creature to make a move. He knew who Desert Rose was, and his odd series of numbers, too. This was an old Gembound, then. But, to be so against Astraea... that didn't add up. Bright eyes flickered up to the fox-dragon, tail swaying lightly. They weren't allies, were they?

Aure opened his beak to talk, but was interrupted by his mother stiffening at his side, murmuring to herself and then shifting backwards. Her voice shook, infested with panic and fear. As much as the wyvern wanted to keep a level head, his heart raced and feathers flared up. "Full of... fungus?" Like mushrooms, or...? his voice implied, even as he shifted to stand more in front of Giggle. "I can try to, I can try to control it? - what does it look like?"

His mind flickered to his and Pride's conversation, their talk about magic and the use of it; "could we - could we burn it out?"

Aure turned his head towards Eythan and Aries, barking sharply, "keep him there!" and trotted forwards regardless, magicka coalescing into a rather broad, Opal-shaped beam of radiation. It wasn't so incredibly concentrated to the point of burning and killing - and he tried to aim around Eythan and Aries (if they managed to get at the eel-creature) - but maybe enough to get beneath the skin and...

And do something.

Eythan almost warily sprang into action as Aure barked the order - hadn't Giggle just said not to touch the stranger? He couldn't think of any other method to holding the slippery eel down other than, well...

His talons clutched tighter around his bone bludgeon, and he lurched forwards to swing it in the direction of Opal's face - but not to clobber him senseless. No, the gryphon was waiting for the bite that he was sure was inevitable, to smack the bone straight into the eel's way and bear-trap mouth. May as well neutralize one means of attack, right?

And what was that about going for the tail?

@Aries

Aries lurched forward at Aure's command along with who waved a bone-club the eel's head. He let the gryphon go a fraction before him, then, when it seemed like the slime-beast was distracted by the attack up front, he went for the tail, which had now been exposed.

Both hooves slammed down behind the tip. The eel-creature cried out in pain. Aries soon found out why. He felt the hard surface of a gem underneath. The ram silently cringed, remembering the pain from when he cracked his own gem.

The Opal reeled. Aries found it difficult to keep its slimy, writhing appendage in place. It was like trying to pin down a large, thrashing worm. This tail, it was stronger than it looked. It could be weapon. Can't let that happen He felt like his hold would break any minute. Aries gritted his teeth. "Hurry up Aure!"

"Listen to me."
Thoughts...

TAG: // OOC:

Unaware of Aure's attempt with magic, Desert pulled absently at the filaments stuck in his claws with his canines. Dirt had gotten under the nails too- egh. Nobody was looking at him anyways.

All in all, he didn't seem to have much ado about this until his designation was called. With orange claw trapped in his bared teeth, he slid it out and huffed. "They have other ways, Opal." He was never the best with the numbers, but he'd remember the rock, alright. His eyes barely glanced to the champion addressing him before he moved back to flicking a thumb claw under the problem nail.

The hyena's voice snapped him into an attentive and alert frame of mind. There was uncertainty, the others had begun to move, and Desert rose to his feet.

He had no stakes in this. He tried to remind himself this as he stepped forward, coming to Aure's side with concern written across his every movement. What had this old being done? Fungus? "I've never seen him use mushrooms before," he spoke with an air of confusion, his scales beginning to flare over his skin. "Something's not right."

He couldn't place it. As attacks were launched on the Opal, Desert stayed by Aure as the beam of magic channeled out towards him. This wasn't his fight. Yet, part of him ached to be a part of the action, to help himself understand. The urge to kill, at least, had left.

They would need to be careful. After all, the Opal was designed to be ever so slippery.

The Opal stood back up, fins stiffing. Though his hindleg throbbed even more, the hyena's discovery disturbed him even more. An alarm to Mother went off. She knows. His vision locked on the hyena. He felt a sudden urge to kill her.

"Full of... fungus?"

The hyena-spawn's voice snapped him back. Opal shuffled back, frills pinned. He was full of fungus? The Opal could feel something creep up his spine. Appalled, disgusted, but Mother's gentle whispers quelled his silent protests. It would be alright.. they were hisfamily, after all.

And they were about to be "burned out".

His eyes widened. "What?" He stumbled back. Bones jutted into him as he pressed against the wall. "No!" Yellow eyes flicked around wildly. Were they going to set him fire?? "You're making a mistake!" He barely had time to blurt out those words before Aure set his goons upon him. Time seemed to slow down. He saw Eythan, charging for him, bone in claw. Opal drew back and raised a webbed claw, intending to smack it out of the way. Then, of the corner of he eye, he saw the ram, hooves bound for his tail. His heart sank.

Crunch!

Opal's jaw dropped as he screamed. It was loud, anguished. Excruciating pain ripped through his body. If Giggle was still connected to his mind, it drowned out all other thought. The next thing Opal knew, a bone was being jammed into his open mouth. Aure was preparing something, and his tail was subdued. With no time to act and under the haze of agony, he fell back on his drilling. It was second nature.

Survive at all costs.

Gripping the bone, he yanked his head to the side. Claws reached for Eythan's fur or feathers, to hold the gembound out front to take the brunt of the spell.

A blinding light shot towards him and he felt every inch of flesh pierced by heat. The eel screamed once more as his slime bubbled and sizzed, boiling him alive.

@Giggle @Eythan (and Aure)

Giggle's magic could not be held up while doing other things, and her mind-link had dropped as soon as she'd sought out fungus. But it didn't take a mental link to feel Opal's agony, and she flinched hard at whatever Aure had done. They were beating Opal, battering him, and she didn't really know why. He couldn't have run, anyway--not with his damaged leg--she'd meant to surround him, to stop him if he tried. Not to... not to break him.

She breathed shakily, and wondered if she were in the wrong here--after all, the rest of them were going straight to violence, and she'd arrived here late. Maybe she'd missed something, a fight prior, or the like. ...She'd have to ask later, and if not, the Bonebound would need to have a talk about reasonable force.

The old hyena shook herself, grimly, and turned her attention back to the fungus. She concentrated, pouring her magicka for it; she knew magicka to spread fungus, to grow it, and now she tried to take what was in Opal and force it out, grow it into its own death without eating his flesh any longer, to ripple from his body into a foul mat and fade. She wasn't sure if it'd come through his mouth or... whatever, if it worked, or just sort of osmosis out or just die inside him and be absorbed. She wasn't even sure it'd work. But she willed her magic into it, roaring at it to get the hell out of him.

If it gave him power, they'd remove it. If it was an... an infestation, placed there by someone else (by Astraea? she thought, distractedly; he had some link to the strange fox, and his magic was hers, after all-)... they'd get rid of it.

Leave him, she commanded, as she shaped it; Leave him, and spread over the rock, instead.

________________

ROLL THE BONES

@Eythan (Aure)

cw: vomiting

Aure'd really thought he was - that he was doing a good thing. That he was being precise enough with his magic. The moment Opal started screaming, (This isn't right... this isn't right!) the young King redirected his magic and let it disperse. That's not what I wanted - "I-I'm..." Bright eyes widened, ears pinning back in horror at the sizzling of flesh and slime.

The sight was atrocious - a signifier of the senselessly aggressive magic - but the stench was what did Aure in.

His stomach lurched up and up, and emptied itself all over his own feet. "No, no - this - I..." he gargled through a mouthful of bile and acid, trying to spit out the rest of it. His eyes stung so bad. "I didn't - I didn't mean to do that. I'm sorry, sorry - Mother? Mother..." and here he turned to Giggle, focused on her magic, as if trying to apologize to her after Opal.

Aure continued to step back, breath coming hot, heavy from the depths of his gut and almost constricting around his throat. He felt like he was going to throw up again, sick and on a whirling tilt from his racing thoughts.

@Opal Three-Seven-Six