" We'll see creation come u n d o n e;
These bones that bound us will be gone... "
Emptiness, oh how it filled him... void of some emotion, but what emotion exactly? He had a family, the Bonebound. Such a group had grown so close, but recently The Bone King had begun to get a little lax... a little silent. Far too quiet for him to be comfortable. Azazel felt melancholy, perhaps a little poetic in his sadness. What could he be missing? What emotion would put the pieces of his broken heart back together once more? It could not be a yearning for battle, for he had sworn against it and felt no urge to shed the blood of another. No... he would no longer have sanguine upon his talons. The scars that still yet crossed his skin beneath a fresh layer of feathers were not worn with pride. He did not feel proud of what he had done... the pain he had caused.

Fisher hadn't deserved what he got. Those battle scars, he could see them that day. He could see the fear in the mustelid's eyes. The poor Gembound had been just as terrified as he had. Fear was what started this turmoil, the terror. It was that asshole wolf who had blindly fought, forcing the battle to begin. Someday he would find that bastard and make him pay, perhaps learn what fear was. For now, Azazel would remain in his domain... amongst the bones that lay bare. There were definitely a few skeletons in his closet that he had to clear up, for that guilt truly weighed him down.

The Bone King had simply been resting atop his throne, perched on the precipice with little to do, little to think of. The void of his being was what he thought of. He had Krakarak, his favorite bird in the whole wide world... more than family to him. He was one of the few who really had stayed with him all his life. Giggle, the one he trusted with his life. Mau, his own daughter... perhaps. Everyone else, too. They were all important. But he sought forgiveness, not from his family but from someone else. From Fisher... Even past that, he hunted and yearned for something else. Love.

In truth, Azazel was jealous. How can one simply look into the eyes of another and see love in it. Not as a friend but as a mate, as a soulmate. He was jealous of what Makyna had, of what Leon had. Nobody had ever really loved the Ave except for Krakarak... but he was afraid to confess that love. Maybe he was in love with someone else, as well.

" We'll stir our spirits until we're one;
And softest s h a d o w we'll become. "

@Black @Fisher

Fisher had nearly had enough of bones, but they hadn't found Fallah or the kitten yet. Giggle had sort of vague gestured towards this area of the bones, so he picked his way along. He tried not to think too much about the whole fortune dealio-- right now they had to find Mau. If she really was here then... Then they would find her.

... Of course, not without finding the King of Bones first. He stumbled into a tangle of spine and ribs on the floor when his eyes caught sight of those brilliant red feathers and tumbled to the ground, letting out a grunt of surprise. His side ached, but he scrambled back to his foots, backpedaling into Black. Of course he was here, of course! Sure, Fisher had known Aza'zel was somewhere among all the bones, but why towards where the white kitten was?!

And by now, he had certainly made enough noise to attract the vulture's attention. His fur puffed up as much as it could, making him look more like a pipe cleaner than anything else. "Black-- Black, be careful, alright?" He hissed to his friend, ears laid back. Aza'zel was dangerous. Deadly. He wasn't going to let Black get hurt like he had. Hell no.

private ;; @Black @Aza'zel
held between Fishing for Fallah [Pt.2] and [Pt.3]

________________

Black trotted slowly along beside Fisher, eyes balefully alert, or so it would seem, to their surroundings. As Fisher's self-appointed guardian, he was ever watchful, sticking close by the scarred brownfriend's side and listening intently to his warnings and his commands. Or what Black interpreted as commands, at least.

When Fisher abruptly stumbled into a bone pile, Black turned, wrinkled brow furrowing with concern. He had barely had time to take a step forward to try and lift Fisher back up by his scruff when his friend had already scrambled back, bashing into his paws--whoops--and causing Black to quickly and apologetically step back again.

Licking his jowls he looked up, and around, trying to see what it was that had caused his friend distress.

"Very well," he rumbled quietly. "Is there enemy?"

Fisher seemed frightened, fluffed up like a static-infused wool sock, and Black stepped up and beside him--partly in front of him--in instinctive defense, looking around for danger.

But the question remained. Was Aza'zel enemy? Or had they come, instead, to greet an uncertain friend?

________________

@Azazel

" If I fall down on my knees;
wondering for what we c o u l d be. "
Still yet perched upon the rocky throne, Azazel surveyed his domain in silence, gaze unwavering. Blinking once, he slumped. He was tired... so very tired. It was as if he could fall alseep right now, but he didn't want to. If The Bone King would slumber, it would be atop The Chambers, within his nest of branches. Was it even standing, still? It had been so long since he slept in it. Azazel had fallen asleep in the most random of places. Once in the middle of Giggle's bone pile ( much to her chagrin ) and another time hidden in a pile of bone chunks he had been eating with one halfway lodged into his throat. He had awakened and about choked on it.

A clamour arose, and the Ave tensed a little. Carmine eyes snapped down to gaze upon a pile of bones that had been overturned. Azazel could see amongst the ivory remnants of the dead... and what he saw had been something he dreaded seeing once again. Scars of his work, fear of his doing. "Fisher..." he breathed silently. The mustelid was puffed up and looked like a ball of fluff, and a strange wrinkly dog stood slightly before him, perhaps a protector. Nobody should have need for a protector. Ruffling rufous feathers, Azazel spread his dark wings and slowly glided down, closer to the duo of Gembound. It was now or never that he apologized.

Talons clicked against the cold stone, and he shivered apprehensively. Tremors racked his icon, and Azazel looked away for just a moment, only to hang it quietly. "Fisher..." he croaked, "I... I'm sorry." Drawing himself closer, he tried to look at the mustelid in the eyes, seeing those vibrant amber orbs. That only made The Bone King more upset, and he looked back down at the noodle's paws. "I don't want to fight you anymore... It isn't worth it. What was it even worth when it all began?" He wanted to start anew... turn over a new page. Would Fisher accept that offer? Could they possibly be friends?

" If I could try a little h a r d e r;
I could succeed, oh, oh;
I'd rather give up and be happy. "

@Fisher @Black

Fisher didn't expect words. He had... He had expected fighting. He expected wind and sound, the storm that they made whenever they meet to rise once more... He expected them to greet one another as they always had: with a violent clash of teeth and magic. So when Aza'zel apologized to him first and foremost... Sincerely...

Fisher didn't know what to do. His fur slowly laid flat once more and he slipped under his Black Barkfriend and, with a reassuring lick to the mastiff's shoulder, started towards Aza'zel.

"I stole your bone... It wasn't right." He had started it... Just like Leon had. He was more guilty. The dumb greedy overgrown bird was selfish but... For the most part, Fisher's bad luck and grumpy moods had really been the cause. His ears laid back, he gave a cautious wag of his tail.

"... You didn't get hurt too bad last time, did you? I... Kinda lost it. Scared the... life outta me, almost."

private ;; @Azazel
held between Fishing for Fallah [Pt.2] and [Pt.3]

" Take me down to the riverbend;
Take me down to the f i g h t i n g end... "
The Bone King had seen that small spark of shock in the mustelid, surprise at how they had not broken into a violent clash of tooth and claw. No thunderstorms would rage today, Azazel would hope. The chocolate-colored Gembound moved forth from underneath the dog, approaching with a remorseful gaze. Quietly, the vulture turned his skull to the ground once again, scared of the notion of meeting his gaze. Surely both were such mighty fighter, yet they were falling in shambles before one another.

Sighing, Azazel shook his head, hopping forth with a small CLICK! CLICK! of talons against granite. That bone... that was how it all started, was it? Oh, those memories were so vivid. The two had been so young, innocently stupid. Azazel was still quite a little ball of fluff then, but yes, he had still yet to grow out of his obsession with bones. He was older now... smarter and more intelligent. Casting a sidelong glare to the bones, he finally spoke. "That bone... it was never mine to begin with. It was another Gembound's... one that had died in it's chrysalis. I was selfish and stupid to fight you over it." That was what he had been at the time.

Just a selfish overgrown bird.

Drooping his eyelids, the Ave barely heard the fisher's question. When he did, Azazel jumped a little, looking to his back quietly. "My back has scars on it... but it was charred and burnt. It took a while for my feathers to grow back. I didn't know what I was doing... and I just kept going and going until my body was so weak." It had been his mistake to keep going... Subconciously, he approached yet closer until he about touched him, gently nuzzling his forehead with his beak. When The Bone King realized what he was doing, he stumbled backwards. "I'm sorry..."

" Wash the poison from off my skin;
show me how to be w h o l e again. "

@Fisher

To Fisher's surprised, the bird touched his beak to his forehead and they had a sort of... Bizarre moment. His gem on the nap of his neck ached and he frowned, shaking his head when Aza'zel backed off, apologizing. "It's whatever. We were just kids." What was with this bird? They had been mortal enemies, and the bird wasn't even mad or-- or scared, or anything. It was like they were family. He wasn't sure he liked that thought.

Awkwardly, the mustelid pawed at the dry earth under his paws. He had met those who shared this home with the vulture. He had met Giggle and Bones, both fine enough Barkfriends... Actually. "I still don't even know your name," he commented lightly, "or do you really just go by the King of Bones?" That said, he flashed a coy grin at the avian.

The noodle inched forward, and then, playfully, pounced at the bird, claws sheathed, squeaking and chirping in his least threatening, weasel-y way. He wanted to nuzzle up in all those weird, dirty feathers and-- he wasn't sure. Embarrass the overgrown feather duster perhaps.

"Gotcha!"

private ;; @Azazel
held between Fishing for Fallah [Pt.2] and [Pt.3]

" I'm waiting at the station;
watching a m i l l i o n faces walking nowhere fast. "
Azazel could truly feel the awkwardness rising in the air, almost choking him. Looking off to the side, he blushed a little... even if it was not that obvious beneath all of those feathers. Croaking out his quiet reply, he looked back at Fisher. "Yeah... kids." The Bone King truly wanted a friend out of Fisher... or at least someone to trust a little bit. He didn't have to entrust his life to Azazel, that was fine. The Ave felt as if the air had been knocked out of him, and that his lungs were severely malfunctioning. Definitely.

Hopping backwards, Azazel hid his face for just a moment in his wing. Why did he do that? He had spent so long trying to analyze the fact that he had just straight-up nuzzled one who used to be his mortal enemy, that he forgot the mustelid was still there. Hearing his question, ivory crown shot up from the hiding place that was his wing. Tucking it back at his side, he shyly hunched his back, "I never told you? Wow, I am a jerk." He knew the fisher cat's name was... well, Fisher since the beginning, but only because the little noodle had screamed it out loud. "I don't really go by the name of The Bone King, but people choose to call me that," he shook his head and continued, "My real name is Azazel Vita... but just Azazel or Aza is alright."

He was hardly ready for the playful pounce that Fisher aimed at him, and the bird flapped his great wings a few times as he pondered what just happened. "Wha-?" The realization struck Azazel like one of the mustelid's lightning bolts, and the bird gave a loud caw, raising his wings. "Ah, you little son of a noodle!" Skittering across the floor as fast as he could toward the mustelid, he gave a joyous cry, flapping his wings to bat at the fisher.

It was as if they had always been friends.

" I'm saving all my time;
For the one shot to get this right;
For the one love, for y o u. "

@Fisher

a sonnuva, stepfather,
a sonnuva,

i'm so sorry
Fisher felt absolutely childish as he tackled into the bird, flopping on to his side and rolling away, scampering away as Azazel flapped after him. He wiggled around as Azazel caught up to him and twisted around to get a face full of tickly, fluffy feathers. He lightly chomped at the feathers and pawed frantically at the overgrown chicken, squealing and barking as he got so engrossed in the feathery monster.

Playing with his absolute worst enemy was definitely not on the list of things to do today, but yet, there he was. "Aaa~zazell!" He taunted as he wiggled around behind the bird and tried to scamper up his back. "Azazaza!" He continued, turning into a noodle once more to slip down the bird, plopping on the ground. There was a bit of pain from his scar, but he forgot it with a hearty laugh.

An untimely fuzzy feeling flitted up through his chest and to his gem, like the humming buzz of Cetus. He blinked, ears twitching-- he couldn't hear it, but he could feel it... With a sharp, but painless, crack of stone, a piece of his injured gem fell loose from his body. He couldn't see what had happened, as the sliver had fallen lost in his ruff, but he looked up to Azazel.

"W-what was that?"

life isn't always what you think it be,
turn your head for one second and the tables turn
and i know, i know that i did you wrong
but will trust me when i say that
i'll make it up to you somehow,
somehow

a sonnuva, stepfather,
a sonnuva...

private ;; @Azazel
held between Fishing for Fallah [Pt.2] and [Pt.3]

" Touch, sweet touch;
You've given me too much to feel. "
Azazel's quills clicked excitedly, creating a toe-tapping melody of talons, wings, and feathers as he scampered after the mustelid. Once he finally had caught up to the brown noodle, the Bone King pounced lightly and he cackled in happiness. He felt hot breaths on his chest as Fisher found a mouth full of his tickly red feathers. Next moment, he felt them being chomped. "You son of a noodle, you!" he squealed in a playful tone and hobbled backwards as little paws pushed against him. Closing carmine eyes and shaking his head, waiting to become steady once more, he flapped his wings lightly.

When he opened his eyes, Fisher seemingly had poofed. But next, he was right behind the bird taunting him. Little noodle-paws pushed against Azazel's back side, and he spun around and around trying to reach the mustelid. The Bone King never quite had expected to be playing so lightly with who used to be his absolute worst enemy... and here it was on his agenda, apparently. How had he hated Fisher? He seemed so friendly and like such a fun friend. A soft thump was heard as he slithered over his shoulder and plopped down on the ground. For a moment, the Ave worried about the mustelid's scar, but he just laughed it off heartily.

He was going to pounce once more, but Azazel could see a small glow of the fisher cat's gem. Blinking, he was curious to see what it was all about. Little lines joined together to create a little circular shape, and it seemed to fall out of the gem and into his fluffy ruff. Fisher didn't seem to notice until it faded... and Azazel was instantly confused... just as the mustelid was. "I... I don't know. There was a small little glow in your stone, and I think a little piece fell off... somewhere into your ruff. I am just as confused as you are."

" Sweet touch;
You've almost convinced me I'm real. "

@Fisher