Any explanation that its m—Overseer had offered about this Hunt, the selenite didn't hear. It was presently quite fixated on the feeling of grass underfoot once again; its overly-long tail was wagging somewhat eagerly, even as it followed single-file after Alpha. Four pairs of eyes roamed the grounds of Pegasus, but nothing... stuck out or said Hey! I'm pointy! V-Selenite-One just turned a piece of diamond over and over in its palms and sniffed. Wait—

It craned its neck to see past the orthoclase now speaking to the Kings. Was that—Brother-Talys? Selenite was tempted to whoop and holler to him right then, but then it remembered that it wanted to keep him... somewhat secret. Lest the Lord return and take him, too. Quills prickled along its neck, goosebumps forming even on its velvety joints.

Rather than jump right into the fray—there were a lot of Gembound—it found a nice patch of grass to squat in, one pair of arms folded over its knees and the others bracing on the ground. All eyes were set on those building a maze.

selenite is observing

Beneath the Black Spire, the Hound had tended to her wounds. She continually reopened and cauterized the gutter-deep laceration on her throat—and she paid some mind to the others already scarring over on her hide. Oil-black fractals bloomed along her sides, occasionally swelling. There was nothing to do for those.

The rippling, dark beast had lasted barely three days before her cravings for chaos grew overwhelming again. Her brief spat with the Leviathan had worn her out, but it had not fully satisfied her. Could Draconua's hunger ever be sated, though? Centuries of witnessing war and being drip-fed raw entropy had rendered her reliant on its existence. Being without was a certain recipe for disaster.

And so, she crawled out from her hole and stretched her legs as she plodded after Vargas's little Overseer. Each King's words hardly caught through her ears as she passed by on thunderous feet.
exit to make everybody wish she wasn't there

Tahi-shei's eyes lit up as he saw Orthoclase-Alpha, but avoided calling out to them. The presence of... the monster took him firmly off guard, his heart thrumming in his chest as he took a half-step back. "What is that--?" he whispered, pressing into Aran's side. Fear was heavy for now, but he was absolutely certain that curiosity would overtake him later. In any case, the pair had not approached from the vague direction of Tunnel P -- they'd come from the other side of Pegasus--? He'd have to investigate that, eventually. If he ended up being brave enough to check up on Alpha (and maybe, just maybe, ask Master Vargas some questions).

I'll hunt. Mom grunted, declaring its side amongst the chaos. Zoisite was hounding at their m-m-m-m- OVERSEER'S heels, quills rattling at all of the other gembound. They had never seen so many, nor did they understand the trampling sounds of Huntsmen, Hounds and their Quarry. Everything felt... Overwhelming.

Other monsters in the mist loomed like dark shadows, and Zoisite-One? They tried to glow brightly in response, their quills pulsing and giving off light, their jaws opening to suck in breath and exhaling deep waves of golden light.

Stick with mom, they thought, if mom hunts, I'll hunt too. They didn't like hunting, they-- they actually hated suffering, and pain, and killing-- but it seemed a hunt was on. They didn't want to make it last any longer than necessary, and if they could make it quick...? Their tender underbelly crawled, fur bristling as they raced through the grass and dirt.

"I'm with you," was all they said, jaws snapping shut at the end of those words. They wanted to make their... Overseer... proud. No, not just proud. They wanted it to be happy.

@Orthoclase-Alpha for visibility, exit to aid hunters with alpha

Hunter's questions didn't go unanswered. A weird little lizard scampered onto a rock nearby, quickly catching Hunter up to speed. So this was a hunt!

"Okay, I got that-- my name's Hunter, so I guess I gotta--" Wait, wait, what was that...? Help the prey, help all the prey? Help the hunter, help all the hunters? That made his choice a little more clear, surely he'd want to help himself... or was that too selfish?

But then Sharp (who, Hunter didn't get a name for, and would never know as anything more that 'the little helpful lizard') told him that helping neither helped those that fail. Immediately he remembered the obstacle course, and how winning wasn't important in the first place. It was way better to make sure everyone could run their own race, at their own pace.

Well, that solidified it for Hunter, for sure. "Okay, I get it now! Thank you very much!" He raised his hand to wave as the lizard rushed off to find shelter, grinning widely as rain pelted his face and made his hair stick awkwardly to his body.

So, it was with the knowledge that watching would help those who needed help most (those who would fail!), Hunter ambled along, taking stock of who was rushing ahead to help the Quarry, and who was joining in with the Hunters. There were plenty of gembound rushing this way and that, but he almost completely stumbled into a strangely humanoid looking creature. It was dark, like he was, and instead of covered in fluffy fur, it had hard carapace-- but those vertical inverted stripes, and that mane of fur...

... "Hey, uh," Hunter raised a hand to wave at the teenager sitting in the grass. "You watching the hunt, too? My name's Hunter! You look kinda like me, huh?" He giggled, before crouching down and leaning on his spear a few paces away from the other biped. "I mean, not really, but like. There's not a lot of upright-folk 'round the caves."

@Sharp for visibility, thank you for the help! and @V-Selenite-One for direct interaction

The large slime-slicked beast followed just behind Alpha, it's gaze occasionally flickering over to it's siblings, and much more frequently nearby looming Valkhound. It was, at best, wary of the newcomer. Labradorite was, in general, extremely wary of all the unfamiliar gembound about, trying it's best to stick close to those it DID know.

Just like how it's sibling began to glow, Labradorite did quite the opposite, or at least attempted to. It reached for shadows to cloak it. To make it less noticeable among the chaos. But... nothing happened. You do not need to hide. You are not scared. None of the others were attempting to hide. It didn't matter. Labradorite's tail lashed nervously, it's six eyes darting around. It was fine.

Hunt... That's what they were here to do, right? Hunt, with the huntsmen, and their hounds, and the other gembound who'd gathered here. They watched the misty, fox-like creature dash past, in the distance, Is it scared? If Labradorite had been in it's place, It would have been scared. Of course you would've scared. Can you even be brave? Something akin to frustration bristled across it's hide. It HAD to be brave. It's siblings were brave. It's Overseer and Master were brave. Everyone else was brave. Why couldn't it be brave?

It would hunt. It would be brave.

"I'm coming too.. I shall hunt." came a somewhat reluctant voice. It flashed Zoisite a nervous, hopefully reassuring smile. It could easily see how nervous Zoisite was. It wanted to help, but didn't really know how. It didn't even truely know what was making Zoisite nervous, except the many unknown gembound and the prospect of hunting. Same as it. But nervousness was not fear. Zoisite didn't run, like it had. It just followed Alpha.

And so did Labradorite.

@Orthoclase-Alpha @V-Zoisite-One Tags for visibility! Exit to aid hunters

Teyouma.

---

Having wandered in to the area completely by happenstance, Teyouma was drawn to the sound of voices and the sense that something was happening deep within this new space. He had half a mind to ignore it and continue on, at the very least desiring a quick reconnaissance before he fell in with the residents; that's what they were, right? Residents. As Teyouma climbed among the trees, leaping and gliding and leaping and gliding, he got closer - learning very little in the process. But these strangers certainly did not look like they belonged here.

Perhaps they were here to investigate, as he was. No matter; they dispersed, some racing off through the meadow, others in to the trees. A few lingered. He chose to approach the group that waited and watched, and that's when he saw them: the Kings. He knew them! He had dealt with them before, and that wasn't a trick of his sleepy post-hibernation brain, they were clear in his mind with the memories. They had granted him the blue magic; the spell that gave him wings -- well, more wings.

Teyouma moved in to where they waited and perched himself in a tree, keeping them in view. It looked as if a game was underway: some hunting, some trapping, but he was only interested in the trio.

Puck felt glee watching the Quarry's short stumble. And then it was off, into the woods. Puck barely had the time to think before it disappeared within the trees. Puck blinked slowly, watching the scores of gembound either following or already within the trees. Puck's tail lashed behind it. And then it turned around, leaping from its branch to another. And another, further and further within the forest. Naruto running amongst the trees to follow the quarry.

;exit puck to aid the huntsmen

Effluvium, as usual, had been wandering the caves. Searching for Food to eat. Like a predator, things moving drew its eye. And there was a whole group of gembound. A good distance away from it, but not too much it couldn't tell what was happening. Most of them, chasing, clamoring after something ahead. Before them all was a blue, shifting figure. It drew Effluvium to it immediately. Drooling, always hungry, Effluvium began padding after the group. Before, with a odd huff sound, began to trot, then gallop. Chasing after the group. Blue food was still food, after all.

"When I speak."

When I think.

;exit to aid the huntsmen

THE WILD HUNT

THE CHASE

Aiding the Huntsmen and Hounds Puck, Madhukar, Kitty, Orthoclase-Alpha, Mephisto, Draconua, V-Zoisite-One, V-Labradorite-One
Aiding the Quarry Abaddon, James, Talys, Warrior, Hargrave, Cryogen
Observing Tahi-shei, Hunter, Comet, Sharp, Glaive, V-Selenite-One, Hunter, Teyouma II

The first leg of this event has tied between Hunters and Observers!

______________

The sweep of Quarry and Hunters looked as though it should sound like thunder: the pounding of hooves and paws across the meadows. But it was eerily silent, just great wisping twists of half-formed fog.

The Quarry--goaded, directed, lured--swept into a pack of Gembound, pursued closely by the Hounds.

Magic flashed, and crashed, the earth darkening and splitting, lightning blinding in brief and vicious strikes. As voices cried out, the Quarry broke past, streaking in ever-changing form for the exit tunnel.

Behind it raced the Hounds--and behind them, riding hard, the Huntsmen.


______________

IMPORTANT: If your character is not listed here, then you DID NOT provide a link with proof of their efforts back to this thread (or it was missed). Do so to be counted!

@Abaddon @Kitty @Madhukar @Tahi-shei @Alrik @Glaive @Hunter @Warrior @Hargrave @Talys @Comet @James @Mephisto @Orthoclase-Alpha @V-Selenite-One @Draconua @V-Zoisite-One @Hunter @Teyouma II @Puck @Effluvium @Mephisto