(post business at your throat, pre above your station)

It seemed like something was afoot.

Cain wasn't sure what it was. Perhaps a mere gut feeling. Something about the way the Desert Rose skulked about, slipping out of Draco to some unknown fate. A sixth sense, perhaps, prophesized that some terrible consequence was weighing upon the Champion.

Whatever it was, minor or critical, Cain's wings snapped out and it lept from its perch, diving into a swoop after Thirty-Five.

As the small winged cat caught up to bulkier form of the winged dragon, it landed neatly on teeny pink toe-beans and continued, promptly, to keep pace. Magic bled out from it, snatching the outside edge of the Desert Rose's emotional state. "Don't stop on my behalf," Cain commented with a thick layer of jest on its tongue. Urgency thrummed like a drum between them, though it seemed as though the Champion was quite preoccupied.

"You seem to be in an awful hurry..." The Overseer implicated, but its own emotions were being worn clearly on its fur. Curiosity glowed in its bright crimson eyes, tail tip twitching. It lapped up Desert Rose's emotional state like cream, savoring the familiar taste of smug undertones, nestling itself neatly into his metaphorical heart. All the while, its ears angled toward him, eyes watching with a keen and hungry stare. Something was up! And "What's the rush?"

The all important cat wanted to be involved. Or, at least in the loop. Surely that wasn't asking too much.

@Vander

Desert's gait halted for a split second when Cain landed beside him, only for a brief second- ah, of course. Cain would be here. A brief second of surprise had shot through him that was washed away by the sense of urgency in his mind, and he continued on, trotting through the tunnel. Blue eyes flicked back at Cain when it spoke.

He knew this look. Not that he knew the magic that laced underneath it, but it was a cat's curiosity, one he was quite familiar with himself. Cain had taken that trait and wrapped it around its paw over and over, clutching it deep and extending it out with the sharp words in its arsenal. There was no sense in keeping anything from the little hybrid- it was an Overseer, and it'd find out eventually.

"Aethril asked for me," he spoke plainly. "About Hydra." That was partly true, yes? At least, he'd assumed so- she wanted trials, and trials took place in there, and he was one of the few who knew it in and out. His steps faltered for a moment in realization. Cain-- it was Hemlocke's child, and a pervasive sense of deja vu took a hold on him and stuck there like a weight. Remember when he lamented to Hemlocke about not coming back? About inheriting the Sentinels, about carrying on his legacy?

Desert's trot slowed. He probably wasn't going to die, but what if he said something wrong? He was going directly to Aethril's court, to where she could lay any trap for him to fall in. He'd never even spoken to her before. One wrong misstep and she could nearly erase him from existence. The thought clenched at his throat, and he frowned forward as he slowed to a stop, standing at the mouth of the cave.

"There's a slight chance I might not... return." While he kept as calm as he could on the outside, inside he was a knot of anxiety, the realization taking over him. What would happen? What would his legacy be, if he just crashed and burned before the finish line? His tail swayed uneasily as he kept his gaze forward, claws turning down into the rocky soil.

Eventually, he looked back to Cain. An anxious 'heh' bubbled out from him, with a worried smile against his tusks. Even with Palefur's face, Cain held so much of Hemlocke, an old friend he hadn't spoken to in... he didn't know. He'd been here before. Ready to go into the unknown, to hand off everything he knew to a garnet. Call him sentimental, but the similar situation settled in comfortably, nestling in at the back of his mind that he might yet survive this encounter.

"There's not much I'd leave other than unfilled tasks. Still- it'd be... mh." He stopped himself, wing-paw running through his mane as he looked back out to Pegasus. "It'd be a shame that my design never got much use, other than a few neglected kids and inspiration for messengers." The implication in his voice was not subtle, but also- how the hell do you ask for that sort of thing? And it's not specifically Cain he'd want to make a Gembound with- if there was a way to leave a copy of himself back at Draco, he'd do that. Maybe he could be reborn again, maybe Aethril could do something with his stone.

Dropping his wing back into place, Desert slid his gaze back to Cain searchingly. Cain was authorized to make Gembound, right? It was an Overseer by this point. If Desert Rose got lucky, he may be one too- and certainly a child between them would prove advantageous for finding the best parts of themselves. He'd let it simmer, though, let Cain kick off the idea, waiting patiently with the unsaid proposition hanging in the air between them. Was there any other being that would have good forms for him? What about the idea he had before, with making a child elsewhere and comparing? No- he had too many irons in the fire to worry about that. Too many distractions and he'd be liable to fall.

One thing at a time. A backup, someone to hopefully rectify his previous pairings.

@Cain

Aethril? Oh, how her name nearly sent a shooting purr through the back of its throat. Yes, of course, the Hand... That would explain the urgency.

Hydra. Rolling sands, the taste of oppressive heat and baking sand-- why, it was downright nostalgic. The Overseer could still taste it.

You know, Cain had never set a single paw into that hellscape. It was certain it could conquer the endless sands these days, but it had smartly kept its business as a youth on watching and exploring the rest of the caves.

"Of course," Cain nodded along, minding its manners. "You are the resident expert, after all." Let the records show that the cat was showing genuine respect. To be a Champion was no small claim, and Desert Rose had taken the trials how many times and survived in spite of it? Cain's birthright had been born to the Sentinels of those sands, a legacy that had shaped it like the dunes it stared out at.

For a moment, it might have thought that was its own (rare) anxiety-- a ghost of a memory of a pale silhouette-- but then it realized it was still leeching off of Thirty-Five's feelings. As the Champion spoke earnestly about the risks with meeting with the Hand, it paid a bit closer attention. It had its own immediate thoughts, but kept them to itself for a minute.

The Overseer considered. It had brought up the idea to Master Vargas and not forgotten it for a single instant. It had been open to giving life or stone for the sake of new creations, but its Master did not push it to do so, instead leaving it free to decide when. And when it did, it knew exactly what it wanted. An heir.

Ironically, it sounded like Desert wanted the same thing. A twitch of morbid humor showed in the flick of its ear, remembering the words it had said to Master Vargas: a desire to cull whoever it did use for making an apprentice. So it could be the sole creator, so that it would not have to worry about its child being let down when its partner fell.

Cain did not see Desert dying any time soon, no matter what he said. Perhaps that was an effect of him being older than Cain, a larger than life figure of its childhood, nearly reaching the same effect as Master Vargas.

But the Overseer would humor the Desert Rose all the same. "I can't imagine the disappointment you must feel," it commented as an aside. "It would be a waste of your potential." For a moment it had a thought of the other Garnet, who wallowed where it had rose. No, Cain could keep this Desert Rose from failing.

"I have been contemplating a successor for a while myself," Cain noted sympathetically. "I've wanted someone to follow in my footsteps for a while. If you would be comfortable," it glanced toward the Desert Rose, studying his reaction, "with that being their future, then Master Vargas has already approved my plans to create an apprentice. I've just been... Deliberating on who would be suitable." And though it refrained from saying it aloud, it hoped that Desert Rose could read between the lines: this was not a decision it made lightly, and it thought very little of its prospects with the rest of the Forge or even the gembound of the caves.

Then, a promise, one that it extended like the devil itself, crimson eyes gleaming. "You can trust me, that should you die, I would ensure your design would not go to waste."

With a blink, the intensity of its gaze melted away, and it raised its head, pelt shuttering as it twitched with humor. "Regardless, I could also just... accompany you," Cain offered confidently, "Aethril likes me."

@Vander

Desert Rose let out a quiet huff of air at being the resident expert. He was the only expert in their gang, other than Vargas. Granted, Vargas would arguably be the expert and Desert the understudy, but- that was beside the point. The idea stuck in his head, a faint humorous thought sitting at the base of his mind.

Still. He kept his expression the same, only looking over Cain's face briefly. And there it was, taking his thread and stretching it out, wrapping its words around Desert in the way it knew best. The dragon's head dipped to this. It would be a waste of his very being, if he was going to be honest.

And the bait worked. Widening his eyes in a faux surprise, Desert rose his head again to listen to Cain. Already, he was prepared to jump on the opportunity, but he shouldn't be too enthusiastic about this. A string of doubt still tugged at his heart, one he struggled to swallow down and pack away deep within him. No. This would bring good things. An ear pulled up at mention of authorization and apprentice- more added to the pot to sweeten the already prospective deal.

He only needed to take the hand and shake it. "I could see no better future for a legacy," Desert spoke with a chill over his heart. Would that be what the child wanted? It wouldn't have a choice. It would reflect on him how this ended up- if they were a failure, what would that mean for him? And if they were like him..?

Desert nodded. "Your magic is stronger. I worry about the stability of my gem, but it may form more solidified with direction, if you want that angle." It felt like Cain's eyes could reach in and pluck out his soul, morph it into whatever it wanted. "We're close enough to Draco that the chrysalis would be watched over- though I assume Master Vargas would want the Sentinel to keep watch over it regardless."

He looked forward, ears flicking back. "I don't know if Aethril wanted to see me alone. I wouldn't want to risk it," he added. "I would be ready to make the child now, if you'd like." Blue eyes slid back to Cain as he waited for an answer.

@Cain

Cain's fur fluffed up with pride at Desert's agreement that this would be the ideal legacy. No better future. What sweet, delicious words, stroking at an ego that already towered over the Overseer's small frame. It was nice to be surrounded by Yes-Men, wasn't it.

It was true that Cain's magic was stronger. After all, it had transcended and made a full recovery, now holding a mastery in magic that both came naturally to it and even farther reaching elements. It nodded back, a slight, barely audible purr rumbling in the back of its throat.

"I'll ensure that Master Vargas is made aware, regardless," Cain said simply. "We're far enough from the Black Spire here, but the Sentinel should easily be able to watch over it with his post nearby." Though, Cain didn't intend on leaving it unguarded. It had plenty of capability to keep an eye on the stone, and it certainly wasn't busy enough to be kept from becoming obsessive over doing so.

Cain was disappointed that Desert Rose didn't want it to accompany him, though it understood the why. It wouldn't push the subject, though it was well within its right to do so. It could easily make an excuse... but even as much as it longed for the sweet taste of fresh milk, its mind was focused more now on the future prospect of its future heir.

Would it take after the Overseer, or end up more like the Champion? Either was a successful design. It couldn't imagine their offspring not having wings, at least, which would be beneficial. And then...

"Yes, let's," Cain agreed, pushing away the mental distraction of curiosity with a flick of one long ear. In curiosity's place, however, it suddenly felt a surprising twinge of doubt: it hadn't done this before. It had refrained for cycles and cycles, insisting that it would do so when it found the proper... partner. Uncertainty stared it in the face. Still, surely it was an easy process if the idiotic gembound of the caves could manage to do so with experimentation and carelessness. "With my magic... And your stone, then?" It would need Desert Rose's stone... a piece of it? This wouldn't be unnecessarily violent... or would it?

Cain, frankly, didn't know. It had seen Master Vargas work, of course, but this was... A different beast.

@Vander