Changing this to PRV now (2 weeks after thread post) so that I can move on with Black!

He strode into Polaris in silence, his gaze empty. One eye was blind--blue-gray and empty--the other, pale blue, lost in thoughtful focus.

There were shadows shrouding him--not hiding him, no, but a wispy, smoky sort of darkness that clung to him like ink in water. There were whispers, too: incessant and soft, barely-audible to those close by. It was these that distracted the Black Dog; he was always on the edge of comprehension. The words would be nearly recognizable, meaning almost clear to him, and then they'd slip away.

At times, he still saw visions: imagery, in his mind, of ancient war and clashing weapons, of fangs and claws and blood.

And the rock behind him, as he walked, darkened.

He had been instructed to enter Polaris, and to spread the void here: and he intended to do just that. Shadow was not... bad, it wasn't wrong, or unnatural. It had always been a part of who he was and this, like all else he'd encountered in life, was surely offering merely knowledge, wisdom, to those who could learn to listen.

Black saw no issue in laying that offer out for others to see.

A black cloak wrapped him, literal cloth beneath the wispy shadows; draped over his shoulders, down his back, one clawed hand clutching it into place. He wasn't sure why he had it, but the Collector had told him that he had to wear it, and so now he did.

He had no real reason to question this. And anyway, his mind was on the whispers.

Black padded his way toward the Spire, pausing to glance up at it, eyes narrowed against its glare. It was hard to see, in its light, and he turned away before kneeling, placing one clawed hand against the rock. Nothing happened, yet; but the ground beneath him still passively decayed, shifting more gradually to a dull and oily black.

Black will be attempting to Corrupt patches of Polaris! Gembound are welcome to come in and become Touched (see here for details) or to try and stop him, or interact in any other way they wish. (see top of thread, as of the 16th this is PRV so I can move on without needing to retcon anything!)

Qiszi had been reluctant to return to Polaris, after the incident with the strange carved circles. Even when his vision has cleared after a couple days, he stuck to Eridanus. Though part of that was because of a complete different situation. Still, the curiosity nagging at him overwhelmed the fear, and he found himself in Polaris yet again.

Why are you even scared? Its not this cave that messed up the spell. It was you. No, the spell had seemed perfect... until it backfired. It must've been something to do with the carvings- normally when he failed a spell, nothing happened at all. Maybe you achieved a new level of failure. The thoughts insisted.

This train of thought instantly broke upon seeing a familiar face. Well, barely familiar. The shape was all wrong, but Qisziux was sure it was the dog from pitch black tunnel.

The dog looked... wrong. He walked on two legs, and now wore a black cloak. He was further cloaked in wispy shadows, and the ground underneath his paws darkened. As he got closer, the faintest whispers brushed against his ears, much like the whispers or visions that often plagued him. But these whispers were real, he actually heard them.

Is that the power the altar was promising? He wondered, and for a moment wondered what it'd be like to have that power for himself. No, the alter twists things. If I got that power, it'd no longer be me with the power.

He wasn't sure what the dog was doing, but he was sure it wasn't good. He considered hiding and watching, waiting to see what the dog did. No, that wouldn't fix anything. I need to do something. And do something he did.

"Hey!" He called, "What are you doing?" The tip of his tail twitched, a bit like a rattlesnake's rattle, but less loud and more shiny.

"Spoken Words."
Thoughts

tags:
notes: he ANGY

coding by wulf for template purposes

@Black

Black did not answer, straightaway, his focus deeply on his magic. This new twist to his element was still very new to him, and learning it--toying with its subtle differences--would take time. It was still darkness, yes, but it had a nature of its own. Still, it responded to him powerfully, now, the black stain darkening the ground beneath his hand and spreading like a dry pool, a spreading shadow, all around him.

Qisziux's voice, at first, was but a backdrop to the incessant whispering, so much that Black at first, what with his concentration, tuned it out. It was only after he had finished that he stood, straightening, and turned to face the little creature.

He peered down at it.

"The Dog is to spread shadows to the stone," he informed it, even as his mind slowly lurched into motion once more. This lizard--it had been present before, had it not-? Here, in Polaris-... He thought he had seen it with Max.

It felt so long ago, now.

He was unaware of the reptile's feelings; he assumed it was being loud simply to be heard.

Black became abruptly aware of the darkness rapidly spreading toward the child; his magic had been far more potent than he'd expected. "Move back," he rumbled, more sharply, stepping forward toward Qisziux, "if you do not wish to become touched by it, yourself." He was already in motion, striding toward the little lizard, as if to pick it up and move it away himself if it did not move fast enough.

@Qisziux

"Spread the shadows?" He echoed. His eyes were drawn to the shadowy pool spreading from the dog's misshappened paw. You could spread the corruption? Would that make this cave like the pitch tunnel, or the altar, should the dog succeed? "No, you won't." he argued, practically bristling. He couldn't let it happen! He'd do everything in his power to stop him.

Though, admittedly, he didn't have a lot of power.

As the dog began to walk towards him, Qisziux reached for his magic. It actually came, this time, though not at quick and strong as it had when he cast magic on the strange carvings, but enough to suit his needs. He pushed the magic into the spot he was standing, and then quickly backed away. It looked like nothing had happened, but he knew something had happened.

"I won't be touched by it and neither will anyone else." Though the quickly spreading pool of darkness said otherwise. Hopefully no one else was around, to be affected by it. "You have to stop! You're really going to spread this madness? Because some creepy, whispering hole told you too?" He backed up further, waiting for the black dog to step onto the spot he'd been standing on and activate the blinding spotlight.

"Spoken Words."
Thoughts

tags:
notes: he ANGY

coding by wulf for template purposes

@Black

Black went silent, perhaps puzzled. He straightened back up--nearly falling, this bipedal form still quite new to him--as the light flashed in his eyes, too bright; and then he took one step backward. It didn't seem to be fear, so much as acknowledgment, and his head tilted as not one but two blinded eyes peered vaguely down in the lizard's direction.

"Do you fear it?" the Black Dog asked, with no real emotion in the question. If anything, there was slight bafflement. "It is only darkness, Crawler," and apparently he'd designated the Gila with a new name, or title; "It is nothing to fear. There is knowledge to be had, beyond the whispers. It is ancient," he added. And then, silence as he stood there, waiting for his vision to return. He seemed to be in no hurry--either to further act on his orders, just yet, or to take any action in regards to Qisziux.

@Qisziux

Qisziux, for a moment, felt a twinge of guilty for blinding the dog- even if only temporarily. He had accidentally blinded himself for two horrible days, and he felt horrible for subjecting another gembound to the same thing. This feeling faded- but didn't disappear- as he reminded himself this dog had been trying to spread whatever powerful, corrupted magic the alter possessed. He met Black's gaze- perhaps made somewhat easier by the fact that, at least at the moment, the dog couldn't see the obvious fear and anxiety on his face.

What the dog said, to him, was half nonsensical. Of course he was afraid of the dark, darkness only hid bad things. Darkness was to be feared and to cleared away so what it hid could be seen and understood. The fact that The Dog said different was an obvious sign the altar's magic had corrupted him.

Right?

"Of course I'm afraid. You should be too." He replied, trying his hardest to hide the tremor from his voice. He completely ignored The Dog's nickname for him, though he did greatly dislike being called 'Crawler.' "There is knowledge, but.. but.." He faltered, for a moment, trying to come up with the right words, "But it just wants to use you! At the altar, the way you all acted was... unnatural. Like you were hypnotized."

"Spoken Words."
Thoughts

tags:
notes: He ANGY but also SPOOKED

coding by wulf for template purposes

@Black

Black turned, and stared, for a time--blind, unseeing--down at the lizard. Or at least, its direction.

"The Dog's thoughts are, and were, his own," he answered, slightly more severely. As if to decry his assurances, images flashed before him--combat, urges of violence. For the briefest moment, he was deeply, suddenly tempted to step forward and to crush the lizard, to kill it--though he didn't quite know why.

He turned away. Long strides took him several yards away, leaving the broad patch of corrupted earth between himself and Qisziux.

"The shadows have no use for power. They simply are." He knelt, then, his back to Qisziux, clawed hands splayed across the rock once more. "It is but another form of magic. A purer one," he added, and stared blindly at the only thing he could see--a war, flashing past the corner of his darkened eyes.

Nothing happened beneath him, as yet--nothing past the faint corruption that lingered wherever he walked, at least.

@Qisziux

Qisziux's first response to the dogs words was "I doubt that." muttered low enough the dog might've missed it. His fear was beginning to be outweighed with anger and frustration as he realized the futility of speaking with this dog. He watched the dog walk away, and he followed- keeping a healthy distance away from the path of darkened earth, though.

Qisziux quietly hated the fact he was so intrigued by the dog's words. That he wanted to learn more about the dark magic, the altar and the power it gave. He knew that going back and listening to the altar would make him just like this dog, but the thought persisted, just like the whispers that lurked just at the edge of his hearing.

"If the shadows need no power, why do you spread them?" He countered. "If this magic is purer, then why does it only darken and corrupt?" He watched as The Dog splayed his claws against the ground. Nothing seemed to happen. Was that a good thing, or a trap?

"Well, If you won't listen to reason, I'll have to fight you!" He shouted, "Unless you just leave!" He added, "I have stronger spells than that one! You'll be better off if you leave." This was DEFINITELY not true but he hoped The Dog would fall for his bluff- he wasn't sure if he could actually fight.

"Spoken Words."
Thoughts

tags:
notes: Qiszi no plz don't do this

coding by wulf for template purposes

@Black

Black did not answer straightaway.

This wasn't because he was considering the child's words. Instead, he was listening, still and silent, to the whispering that had risen in chorus against his ears. It was insisting... something. He could not pick it out. He listened, and tried to understand, but he could not.

"I bring shadows, that others may hear, if they wish; and go to learn." A pause, as he looked down again, staring--his vision only slowly returning--at the rock with his one good eye. Incoherent whispering- ...Distracted, he tried to remember what he was saying. That... the corruption was not forced--that not all were called... "Not all will answer."

"It would be unwise," the Black Dog answered to this last, after some consideration. To kill him-... yes, that's what the whispers seemed to be urging. But Black had his task laid out, and he focused, for now, on that.

As he knelt there, however, dark flickered about him. He shook himself, briefly, blinking; and then half-turned, his face visible beneath the makeshift hood.

Black oil dripped, now, down his muzzle from both eyes, as if the corruption had struck him, rather than the ground beneath. He seemed to stare, sidelong, at the gila--with only his blind eye.

@Qisziux

Qisziux was beginning to seriously regret ever challenging the dog to a fight. They were much bigger than him, with whatever power the altar had given them. The dog hadn't actually attacked him yet, though, so maybe they wouldn't fight? Watching the dog sit silent, filled with dread.

Qisziux listened as The Dog spoke, tensed, as if at any moment they would run at him, frothing at the mouth and filled with rage. He watched as the dog's face turned, black goop leaking from both eyes like thick oily black tears. He grimaced, that grimace only intensifying as he realized the dog was staring at him- or would've been, had the eye facing him not been the cloudy, blinded one.

"It would be unwise for you." He retorted, "You're leaking gross goop and stuff! You're in no shape for fighting!" Qisziux had no idea what leaking goop from your eyes actually meant in terms of health, but it DEFINITELY wasn't healthy.


"Spoken Words."
Thoughts

tags:
notes:

coding by wulf for template purposes

@Black