Nemean tumbled through the air, averting her eyes from the sooty carnage of Raheerah's passing. That wasn't why she was here. Or well, she was always here-... usually here. But that's not why she was here right now, okay?

"HEY, DIRTBAGS," she screamed. She already knew--she'd been watching, off and on, but now she hovered near the Throne, arms folded over a miniscule chest, one foot tapping on thin air. "Seven Morons or whatever. Did you do what I ASKED? -Or is it PUNISHMENT TIME?!"

@Zothra @Amazon @Pride @Nassir

Pride let out a soft mental sigh, and pushed to his feet. Nemean was right there--not far off, shouting and insulting.

What a surprise. He mentally warned Mischief to stay away, and then paced out into the open before the Throne, trying to suppress his irritation. She was a Master; she was probably powerful enough to wipe him out at a glance, but he wasn't about to cower before her, either.

Calmly, proudly, he drew himself up and spoke to Nemean as if she hadn't just called them all morons.

"We couldn't find him, I'm afraid." And then, their hopefully little ace, delivered with deliberate indifference: "We searched around quite a bit, and even spoke to Astraea about it."

Pride studied her. He even cast out his mind, tentative--he'd ridden in along Raheerah's thoughts before, seen Nemean through the dragon's eyes, so surely she wasn't beyond that, at least. He wanted to know if Astraea and Nemean were in conflict, in this; his hope, his gamble, was that Nemean might back down if she knew that the other stag had been involved.

"Regardless, Astraea instructed us not to kill Rezik--so it seems there was a bit of confusion, there, perhaps?" The stag tilted his head, peering at the sprite.

Erzu was in her underground tunnel in Orion, right underneath where the drama was happening. Some female, which sounded small in size, was checking in to see if a task was completed. And from what it sounded like, it seemed whoever was supposed to do the task for her was very inferior to her. After all, she did call them dirt bags, and the sound of possible punishment hanged in the air. Erzu was about to sleep, but now was stuck on the conversation above her, listening with great interest. As she listened underground, someone answered, telling the female above ground that they have not completed the task. Erzu's eyes widened. It seemed that punishment was about to happen. She continued to have her ears perked, listening in to the conversation. There was no way that those above could notice her. She was underground after all.

Zothra felt really ashamed. She was unable to fulfill her tasks that were given by Pride. But she was close enough to hear Nemean's annoying yelling and insults, along with Pride's explanation. So if Astraea, another master of the cave told them not to kill Rezik then what were they to do? Zothra was not going to defy the words of another master. Zothra trotted up to the two, her athletic legs strutting in the process. She give a brief roll of her eyes before speaking. "Actually Pride is right. Astraea is another master of the caves. If he told us not to kill Rezik, then how are we supposed to kill someone another creature of power told us not to kill? That definitely causes conflict." Zothra was right. Actually, she found Astraea scarier than the sprite. So if push came to shove, it was Astraea she needed to listen to.

Pride rounded on Zothra as she approached, disbelieving. Not only was what she saying already obvious, she was also threatening to undermine his ploy with her... idiocy. And she had never reported back-

"Zothra-? Where have you been?" the white stag demanded, too shocked at her sudden appearance to be too harsh. But his anger was building. "You were to find the other clans and speak to them, and you simply--did not. And never returned, until now-? Why now? You are half the reason we know nothing of this," he went on. Normally, he might have expected a good reason--perhaps she'd been forced into her chrysalis--but the time frame had been too long, and for her to happen to turn up now, of all times-!

He looked back to Nemean in disbelief.

This couldn't be happening.

Nemean flicked up into the air and stared down at the Gembound, coldly. "You idiots think I care?"

Then she fell silent, for a time. For long, staring moments.

And then shrugged. And grinned.

"All right, losers, just don't say I didn't warn you." With a flash of blinding light, Nemean was away.

@Zothra

Zothra couldn't believe Pride was getting angry at her. Zothra, getting defensive, put in her own words. "Look, I tried to search for them, but had no luck. I also may have gotten sidetracked along the way! I messed up, but I wasn't the one who put up this stupid quest to kill someone! But you know what, I know what I have to do! I'm not gonna stand here and let that sprite do what she wants to me. I'm gonna find Astraea! If you were smart, you'd do the same. I'm not just gonna sit here and take this! Accidents and mishaps happen Pride." The cheetah wanted to say sorry, but her pride would not let her. Zothra ran at her full speed, and dashed off out of Orion. She wasn't going to be blamed for something Nemean started. No way in hell.

-Exit

@Pride

Pride interrupted, calling out after her as she went, disbelief rising.

'I may have gotten sidetracked along the way-'

"You may have gotten sidetracked?' For over TWO CYCLES? If you could not find them after a few days, or weeks, why did you not tell me? I could have searched for them myself!"

And as she continued, mentioning Astraea, he broke in again. "WE SENT NASSIR TO ASTRAEA. We have already spoken to him. You were THERE for that!"

'I'm not just gonna sit here and take this! Accidents-'

"This was no accident! Accident?! You agreed to aid us, and you did nothing. If you cannot even take responsibility for your own failures, then you have no place here."

But she was running, now, and he raised his voice to call after her. He intended to snag her in his magic, to speak further, but she was too fast--and he was left with the childish cat streaking away, too swift for him to continue conversation with.

Very well--it seemed she didn't want to take responsibility, to learn from her mistakes. There was no place as a 'guardian' for someone who could not even keep their promises to protect their own.

@Zothra