Mar 27 — [Quest] EMERGENT INFLUENCE (READ MORE) Mar 8 — [Event] Spring Regrowth! (READ MORE) Feb 6 — Domain Migration Complete! (READ MORE)
CAVE STATUS
QUESTS/EVENTS
Torrential downpours cause localized flooding and many upset cats. Along with these frequent rain, from gentle drizzles to heavy rainfall, there seems to be a flux of Magicka drawn in particular to water sources. Occasional jet streams of warm air make narrower tunnels harder to navigate. On occasion, the rain intensifies, becoming howling storms with sleet or large hail. However, the temperatures overall are a little warmer, with snow and ice in temperate caves somewhat receding.
A great image, unobscured by darkness, will come to the black dog. Tendrils of purple and black whisked around the platform upon which the throne was situated, as if a deep mist had settled in over it. The floor gleamed a dark red marble, pristine - as if time had yet to touch this great throne. Someone sat upon the throne but they were undistinguished and unseen - only the low gurgle of a malevolent growl reverberated through the air, and before them, countless eyes. Eyes upon eyes, masses of darkness, shadows; slobbering fangs and hulking masses. A voice, but the words were unfamiliar, a language unknown. The shadows roiled over one another. They were bodies, but their forms could not be told apart from each other - an artifact of an ancient memory, perhaps. Excitement. Anger. Restlessness. The voices grew louder. Preparation.
A celebration.
The image ends, leaving Black with naught but a vague memory.
Black slowly removed one paw from the throne, head tilting as he did. He stared at it absently as Fisher spoke to Cancer, and spoke. His voice was soft and distant, barely audible, as if he didn't wish to intrude--or perhaps was no longer aware of much else beyond what he had seen.
"The shadows twisted as he remembers. They gather and dance at the foot of the throne, violent and ink, and they gibber. A coronation. A victory. He sees it as if in dream. As if in memory. As it was, before."
Then he shook his large head, and slowly turned to face Fisher again, as if immediately forgetting or putting aside whatever it had been, and turning his attention back to guarding his brown noodlefriend.
More betrayal. Cancer listened, hurt, to Fisher's excuse. A part of him felt a pang of guilt for the brown critter's self-angst. Another part of him, a bigger part, felt the sting of claws across his cheek, an echoed pain, and he felt defensive, pushed away. Fisher slipped off of him and he rolled over and away, standing with ears pinned back and pale eyes narrowed. There was no hostility- not this time. Not for Fisher.
"...Yeah. Alright." He didn't care about any so-called shadow king or winged hell-raiser. He'd found the one person in his life that didn't carry pain with their presence but now, that sting of rejection had taken that from him. To a cat who'd lost it all, this seemed like the final icing on the bittersweet cake. Then, a distraction- thank gods for those. The dog began muttering. Cancer turned to watch, alarmed at first, then in familiar recognition. An arcane user? As Black finished, Cancer stepped towards him, putting his hurt and disappointment aside in favor of this new event.
Fisher could tell he had hurt Cancer, but as Black spoke a memory flickered through his mind. His heart pounded in his chest, and as the leopard spoke to Black, he did his best to slip away from the pair-- just for a moment. He ran, as though for his life, towards the tower that rose towards the starlight quartz sky. His side burned with pain, but he knew that this was the only thing he could do for the leopard to prove... To show that he wanted more than anything to be there for the cat.
What he wanted and what he needed were unfortunately worlds apart.
His feet tore through the earth as he reached the tower. He was gasping for breath, absolutely drained, as he started up the broken stairs. He knew the worn way well, the broken chrysalises of gembounds long hatched hardly hampering his path. He reached the top, eyes glistening, and slipped into the room, finding his way to the treasure trove that hid there for him.
It wasn't much. In fact, it was hardly anything. Just two things. A plain rock, and a beautiful gem. Both of them meant the world to him, at least, once upon a time. He felt torn at the thought of giving away Arkrael's gem, but he didn't have the resources to take it with him now. He grabbed both of the rocks in his mouth (a bit difficult to say the least) and began his descent. Hopefully he would get back before Black noticed...
But then again, the loyal guard dog had sharp eyes.
Black turned just as Fisher bolted off, turning back toward the throne. He heard the scuffle of paws on rock but didn't think much of it, his mind absorbed.
He simply repeated himself, to begin with.
"The shadows twisted as he remembers. They gather and dance at the foot of the throne, violent and ink, and they gibber. A coronation. A victory. He sees it as if in dream. As if in memory. As it was, before."
Then he turned, peering quizzically at Cancer, wrinkled forehead furrowed.
"You live close, and so you must listen. The things on the walls were carved not by paw and claw but by things of shadow, things that fled upon the approach of another. Here they gathered, and here they cheered. The stone was red as blood. The-"
He turned, abruptly, peering dumbly down at the place where Fisher had been. He was gone? Black glanced first at Cancer--had the leopard somehow eaten Fisher without him seeing?! ...Then he immediately dismissed that idea, instead dropping his head to sniff and snuffle around the ground where Fisher had stood. After a moment he picked up the scent, and started heading off in the direction Fisher had gone, though by now his friend might already be heading back.
