Attikias could feel his muscles prickling. The situation was dying down, and this Astraea was walking away. There was a sense of aloofness about him, but-

The elf's instincts drove him to bunch up like a sprinter ready to run when the two of them were intent on continuing. The color had entirely faded from his body, returned back to the navy purple it once was in his lack of concentration on the cells. Why would they keep going? He’d already proven his strength against them, and yet they attacked.

His body moved before he gave thought to it. A hunter- no, this deer was a Hunter- a Hunter shouldn't be attacked by his prey. Even if he didn't know the full story, they seemed intent on breaking this cycle, this world he'd built himself to know- who were they to know what information was dangerous or not?

It's one reason why he never wanted to tell anyone how to light fires. Reasons why he didn't want to rely on his strength, of this information he'd learned and gained and could so easily abuse.

Information he would use against these assailants. Bursting out of the brush, the elf launched himself forward with knife in hand, left arm in front of himself like a shield as he tried to intercept the scrawnier of the two. She was the easier target. If it weren't for him already noting the lion's way of looking (visually impared?), he would've avoided her for the sheer size.

No. He aimed to connect and barrel over the wolf, planning on pinning her down with the knife against her if she tried anything else. He didn't have time to shout, didn't have time to make noise- the only thing he did was lash his tail and bare his sharp canines at his target, a soft hiss rising from the back of his throat.

SPY VS SPY CONCLUSION:
KINGDOM OF ERIDANUS

[ you have engaged astraea! ]

ASTRAEA

the virgo master, reawakened

astraea

the virgo master, reawakened; "deer dad"

▼

988 / 1000 HP    98.8%

Ah. So the children were ignorant, admitted it, and still blamed him?

A blanket of fungi blossomed over his hide as the children made toward him, the ruby embedded in his forehead shimmering alive; he did not necessarily need the defense, but if they wanted to engage him, they'd have to put a lot of effort into it. His form was slightly buffeted as their bodies made contact with his; he refused to turn and face them, but just as the spores puffed around them from the impact, a third form rushed in. It tackled the one attempting to attack his face and his head reared back.

At first, it was a blur—but his eyes adjusted to the creature that had tackled the maned wolf and all he could do was stare. Was that... himself? Air snorted through his nose and he stomped a hoof. Mere breaths had passed, the tiger still on his flank, and here—here was...

Enough! He stomped another hoof, bellowing out a low sound as he called his fungi forth, attempting to have it wrap around his foes' legs and root them.

His magic answered his call, strands of plant matter curling up and around the legs of both Atinneas and Zavenlora. Taking a few steps forward, he glanced behind himself to make sure he was clear of Atinneas' reach before turning his attention solely onto the humanoid... the elf.

At first, he did not know what to say. Should he say anything? How had this creature come to be?

He had too many questions, and the current situation did not permit him to ask them. His ear flicked.

"Your assistance is duly noted," he said after some time, adding, "...friend." Would that he could possess another's body, take back his true form, take back... everything...

With a rush, he turned on the tiger, leaving the maned wolf to the elf.

"You would do well to know your place within these walls, Moonstone! I wish not to kill you, I wish not to kill any of you—you are my charges, my children—you know nothing of what happened with Aetius! And you will not know! Continue to interfere with me and I will have to let your magic fade, giving your stone a second chance to form something..." he paused, chewing on the thought, trying to find the best term. "Something better; to be born blind, that is... a shame, isn't it?"

His eyes narrowed as he stared at her. "Count my legs, you said; it is a shame you would not be able to do the same, but rest assured, the challenge will find you. Someday."

With that, he turned to leave again. He needed time to process the existence of dark elves within the cave. Had they been put here on purpose? Was it just the one? His mind whirled.

GEMBOUNDS

character stats and info

attineas ▼ POISONED    ▼ ROOTED 71/100

zavenlora ▼ ROOTED 74/100

attikias 100/100

[ ACTION LOG ]

> ASTRAEA attempts to exit!
> ZAVENLORA suffers 16 Magical damage and is rooted!
> ATINNEAS suffers 16 Magical damage and is rooted!
> ASTRAEA attempts to root his foes! SUCCESSFUL!
> ATTIKIAS barely tackles ZAVENLORA for 9 Physical damage.
> ZAVENLORA suffers 1 backlash damage from the fungi!
> ZAVENLORA attacks ASTRAEA for 11 Physical damage.
> ATINNEAS is poisoned! ATINNEAS suffers 8 poison damage!
> ATINNEAS suffers 13 backlash damage from the fungi!
> ATINNEAS attacks ASTRAEA for 11 Physical damage.
> ASTRAEA cloaks himself in fungi! The fungi is poisonous!
> ASTRAEA is engaged!

> (Previous rounds here)

Attineas gave up. She felt poison flooding through her, and more noticeably she was rooted to the ground. She yelled at the deer, with fire in her heart. "Yes, we may not know what happened, but Zutar does! Rift may not have told us much, but Zutar knows what happened. She also knows the exact reason why you killed her mother! Before Aetius died, she shared everything with Zutar of what she learned of the caves. So everything Aetius knew, Zutar knows as well. I don't know what insignificant information Aetius knew of you that led you to kill her, but guess what, Zutar knows it too. I bet she is angry at what you have done. Perhaps that secret information will not be secret anymore. Though, it is her decision after all, if she wants to reveal it!" Atinneas knew this as a fact, despite not knowing everything. But everything she said was the truth. Zutar knew everything her mother did. And if Zutar knew of the situation between Astraea and Aetius, Astraea's secret may not be a secret anymore.

Zavenlora knew that Atinneas said what she said out of anger. But at the same time, she knew it was the truth too. The maned wolf decided not to move, as she didn't want to meet her death at the hands of this humanoid creature. She calmed down. In fact, it was Atinneas's words that calmed her down. Astraea wanted to kill Aetius, fine. But the maned wolf hoped that Zutar would spread this secret. Spread it, and teach him a lesson.

@Game Master CJ

@Attikias

Attikias didn't noticed the staring. Not until the deer had spoken, and he turned to him with an intense alertness across his face. He'd connected alright, held the wolf down, and he huffed out adrenaline as he backed off away from the fungi bursting around him. He wasn't the target, yet he still held caution.

His tail flickered. A nod was given to Astraea, his hand tightening around the stone knife in his hand. "Of course." He didn't want to see that violence, didn't want to see people hurt. And so he watched, cautious, as the deer addressed Atinneas.

With his eyes on the retreating Astraea now, he stood on his own two legs and pulled the knife back into its sheath, his hand still on it. "Information can be dangerous," he hissed out, tail swaying like an unhappy cat. "You don't know what you're saying. You don't know what you're doing."

Caves save Zutar. If this information was already warranting killing why would you condemn another? He'd let Astraea leave before he broke them out of the fungi, giving a hard stare down at the blind lion. That was, if he ever did break them out.

SPY VS SPY CONCLUSION:
KINGDOM OF ERIDANUS

[ boss encounter: astraea ]

ASTRAEA

the virgo master, reawakened

astraea

the virgo master, reawakened; "deer dad"

▼

988 / 1000 HP    98.8%

Still, still the children talked; still were they ignorant.

"You think you know...?" came his voice as he paused again, half-turning to view them. Astraea waited, letting them all get their opinion in, letting the elf share his own words; and then, finally, he turned completely to face them, his tail flicking.

"You speak of it as if it would be my undoing," he said with a cocky tone. The corner of his lip curled into a grin. "You speak of it as if a mere utterance of it would break me, but no, what you mistake for a weakness is merely my own vanity."

With his head, he gestured toward the elf. "You see this man here, how he is different than you? Oh yes, he is different. Look at you," he paused to gesture to both Atinneas and Zavenlora. "You are creatures we would not have originally created—your magic, your forms, they are borrowed. Of the elf?" His eyes glanced toward the standing being. "Old magic gives him life, he is... as we were, once," his attention turned back to Atinneas. "Ah yes, some of us masters were once elves, yes—that is the secret which you speak of, which you hold high above my head like it were some powerful spell, some almighty end-all to my very being. Once, yes, I held a form of two legs and two arms—oh, can you count his legs and arms, blind one?—but unlike my brothers and my sisters, unlike my husband, my daughter, and my son-in-law, my skin was not shadowed with the void. No, it was pure. My eyes were not vivid colors theirs held, no; they were pure. I was purity incarnate, with alabaster skin, pale eyes, white hair—and now?"

His hoof stomped. "I am this." He grunted, a quick wash of air pushing through his nose again. "I am this form, borrowed much like yours is—and I hate it, yes. Aetius had seen my previous form in a vision presumably, and accosted me with it—you know, the details would be lost on you." He decided not to explain it.

"But that's it, that's the big secret. So there you go. Ah, it has been revealed; oh no, I can feel myself melting!" His voice sputtered out into mocking laughter. "You children, you bite first and ask questions later—you have done this countless times to others less fortunate than you—those without voice or forms similar to yours—and I have not stopped it. This is how you are: savage, feral, chaotic. Ah yes, you must not deny it. It is your legacy."

Suddenly, his ruby flared with light, and a cleansing relief would wash over Atinneas; he had relieved her of the poison his fungi had afflicted.

"Ah, forgive me, you do not even know what an elf is, hm?" he said, turning away from them again. "Such is your fate." His head turned to view Atinneas once more. "But it will not matter. When the challenge of legs finds you, know this: it was born of your chaos, your drive for blood—as our friend mentioned, information can be... dangerous."

One final glance landed on the humanoid. "Pray come and find me if you are ever in any need, Imeára nur. I am Astraea, the Virgo Master; I hope we may cross paths again, and that we may talk. For now, I must take my leave," he said with a short bow of his head. He began to walk slowly, curious of any responses, hungry to have his anger and his passion fueled by the idiocy of young magic.

GEMBOUNDS

character stats and info

attineas ▼ ROOTED 63/100

zavenlora ▼ ROOTED 74/100

attikias 100/100

[ ACTION LOG ]

> ASTRAEA attempts to exit!
> ATINNEAS is no longer poisoned!
> ASTRAEA casts Fauna Cleanse on ATINNEAS.
> ATINNEAS suffers 8 poison damage.

> ASTRAEA attempts to exit!
> ZAVENLORA suffers 16 Magical damage and is rooted!
> ATINNEAS suffers 16 Magical damage and is rooted!
> ASTRAEA attempts to root his foes! SUCCESSFUL!
> ATTIKIAS barely tackles ZAVENLORA for 9 Physical damage.
> ZAVENLORA suffers 1 backlash damage from the fungi!
> ZAVENLORA attacks ASTRAEA for 11 Physical damage.
> ATINNEAS is poisoned! ATINNEAS suffers 8 poison damage!
> ATINNEAS suffers 13 backlash damage from the fungi!
> ATINNEAS attacks ASTRAEA for 11 Physical damage.
> ASTRAEA cloaks himself in fungi! The fungi is poisonous!
> ASTRAEA is engaged!

So this secret you just explained was not a big deal. WHY DID YOU KILL HER?! Also, what do you mean by our forms being borrowed, and why is that?! For your information, we are not savage, feral, or chaotic! We are noble creatures! My anger comes from you taking my dear friend's life! If you were elves, then what happened to make you change your form?! What are elves anyway?!" With that, tears fell from her blind eyes. She wanted answers.

OOC NOTE: Zavenlora can be skipped due to her staring in surprise

@Attikias

@Game Master CJ

Attikias felt his heart stop when he came into view. Rapid blinks of confusion were obvious as he stood, stances awkwardly, his eyebrows coming together. Yeah, he was different- so what?

He… He was an elf?

He almost dropped his knife at the information flooding into him, of old magic, of elves before and him being one. "How-" He nearly began, choking on his words. His skin, shadowed by void. Astraea being one like him. Old magic, old beings- this was beginning to make less and less sense. He set his jaw as Astraea mocked the two rooted in place, looking away at the laugh only to let go of his blade. Bite first and ask questions later… He felt childish for doing the same here.

He had no word for what he was until now. Eyes met shaky hands as he clenched them into fists, an eerie sense of calm coming over him. He'd finally found out what he was.

His head shot up when he was addressed again. A nod was given, one set with determination, set for- an imeára nur. The word stirred some part of his brain he never knew he had locked away, and he chased the feeling only to lose it. When he was coming to his senses, Astraea had formally given his name, and Attikias let his hands drop to his sides.

"My name's Attikias, and-" he hesitated. Should he be allying himself with one so vain? No- he saw the power the deer- elf- held. "Let me know if you need me in turn."

But what could a being so strong need him for?

He took a step back, then another. He had no answer for the lioness, only brief concern, wantings to speak, but he still had his mind whirling around what he was told. He was am elf, this Master's imeára nur. Why did he understand that? And why was he an elf, then, when they were all supposed to be gone? He was boggled for answers, and he nearly felt like waking up from this strange dream, now.

@Game Master CJ

The battle fades. Astraea disengages from combat.

The tiger continued her onslaught and Astraea merely turned an ear her way.

"You have many questions which do not need answers," he said after she was done, his head half-turned to speak to her. "As I said, the meaning of her death would be lost on you. For your other questions—meaningless, they hold no context now. It does not matter."

His ruby eyes rested on Attikias, nodding to his name. "Attikias." It seemed his form indeed had originated from their own—by whatever magic still clung to their memories, here he was: Attikias. He had seemingly understood the language which had rested dormant within Astraea for ten thousand years, save what gentle words he may have shared with Tenzin or Dawa. "Marto mittanya tye, imeára nur."

And then he left them, continuing on into the brush, and would further ignore any more questions thrown his way. He had something to do now, several things—and he waned to attend them quickly.

Attempted exit, will not respond to words.

@Atinneas @Attikias

Atinneas looked away, as she was still rooted to the ground. She then turned her head to Attikias, speaking her last words unto him. "If he took away someone you loved for a pitiful reason such as that, you wouldn't have stopped us." She may have been rooted to the ground, but she did not care. She let out a tired sigh, anger still there, but less as before.

-Exit