There was a brief, faint sense of distracted apology along the link. Mother was busy: she could not devote full attention to a conversation, at this time. And--beyond that--was the threat of discovery; a risk she could not take.

She spared only a brief note further: a reassuring answer to Aethereal's question, and an invitation. "No. A child is not its parent's slave. We seek those who serve the Father. Should you wish to speak more, Aethereal... come find me in Ursa."

The Praetor who had pulled ahead had returned, during this exchange: and the one Aethereal had sensorial linked approached it, and bowed its head.

The first pressed mandibles neatly around the neck of the servant--and then there was a sharp, crushing sensation that ripped through Aethereal's link, mostly dulled by Mother's intentions but there, nonetheless.

The link, abruptly, was severed--and the head of the killed Praetor rolled away, the body collapsing where it had stood, stoneless and doomed to slowly waste to fungus-infused dust. The first turned, hurrying off to do... whatever business it might have, back in the throes of war.

Behind it, the fallen body--not near any of the Gembounds, by design--cracked and then exploded, threads of webbing shooting in all directions, glassy shards of carapace detonating like shrapnel. Fungus drifted down on the thin breeze, spores clouding the area.

@Aethereal

Watching the Praetor bow to its own death sickened Tourmaline. What kind of creature would willingly lie down and die for no apparent reason?

"That's horrible," she mutters, backing away from the dead thing. "How..."

She turned tail, scrambling deeper into the bone fortress. She'd hide there, until the distant sounds of roaring quieted. Then she'd slip away to Polaris, back home, back safe.

Exit Tourmaline

She relaxed with Mother's reply, reassurance smoothing tensed muscles, but only for a moment.

He words would have been quite reasonable, actually--Aethereal found nothing to disagree with; a child was free, not beholden to anyone if it did not choose to be, and though it seemed to conflict with the impressions others had held of Mother, the surprise she felt was pleasant. But the next, the Praetor she had linked bowed its head to its partner, and Aethereal only had a moment's sense of something is about to happen before its head was lopped clean off.

She roared as a phantom crushing sensation gripped her own neck, wings flaring out in alarm and forelimbs lifting from the ground like a rearing horse. Her wings beat, and she shot into the air away from the living Praetor. Shock rippled through her familiar's link as the Echoing Grey clung to her back; Scars, too, had been spooked by the sudden violence.

Whatever progress Mother had made toward convincing the Valkhound onto her side, it was gone now. A child is not a slave, but she would kill one of her own for no apparent reason? And it had allowed it. Without giving the situation further thought, Aethereal shot toward Tunnel L away from this ruthless being and her war. She had to get out of here.

exit Aethereal

The moments passed slowly, painfully - quiet save for the thrum of the magical barrier and the occasional clack and chitter of an oversized insect. Relic gave both of the other defenders a glance and a nod, the only gratitude she could spare at this moment. What did the creatures want with the valkhound? While the other's complaints were understandable, she couldn't help but feel curious. She was old enough to keep that to herself though.

She watched Aethereal leave the shelter. If the praetors changed their mind, would she be quick enough to save her? Should she even try? Would the others even think to come to her aid? She was not a bitter animal, but if the other gembound had fraternized with Order in the first place - maybe what came of her was none of their business. 'Stay here.' Relic didn't want to trust Her words.

And then - and then the other came back. The crushing of a shell, slicing of flesh, it happened so suddenly that the hyena almost didn't feel the wave of nausea as with a thud, the other creature's head collided with the floor - and then the body, after a few too many seconds of pause. Their translator disappeared shortly after, whatever link they shared severed with the killing. Had she felt it too, Relic wondered - the jaws pressing against flesh, the mind escaping the shell?

Without proper vocabulary to describe how fucked what happened was, a too delicate "Oh." Was all she managed. The smaller cat disappeared into the fortress - maybe she had the right idea. "Don't look." She looked to both of the children, wings spread in an limp attempt to shield the view. What did it matter? All of them had seen it. All of them had watched. "Let's... Let's go." She moved in the direction Tourmaline had scurried off in, not paying attention to who followed her - or who didn't.

table by dark
[ exit Relic ]

The enemy and the confusing valkhound retreated farther into the room of bones, and only then did Wulfsige step from the barricade he and the other two Protectors had made. His gaze caught Khloros' for a brief moment. The fear was.. surprising and yet not, given the situation. Fear in the face of an encroaching army was to be expected. But he was under the impression that the fear was directed- was caused by him.

That was unfortunate. He did not want to cause terror in anyone but his enemies.

"It is the power I taught you. To see the enemy that hides within this nest." He told Khloros. "I cannot explain any more. Order marches on.

It Pierced him all at once. Fractal crystal shards driving into his mind, his awareness, driving out all other sensation and thought. He winced, teeth gritting and a slightest growl sliding between his teeth. His magic was Untrustworthy. Nearly against him. He needed to solve that. But now was not the time.

After taking a couple moments to recover, he would lift his head to regard those who hadn't yet left, voice raising into an attention-demanding call. "ORDER WON IT'S BATTLE." And he would make a sweeping gesture towards the destruction the Drones has wrought. The despicable mold and webbing that already began to creep across stone. "THIS CAVE IS NOT SAFE! FLEE TO POLARIS! YOU WILL BE PROTECTED." A brief pause, a breath taken. "I WILL NOT MEET YOU THERE. I MUST SPREAD WORD OF THE DANGER." And then, he would go to do just that, leaving Teosar and Aether to protect the others.

Exit thread @Khloros

Wilder saw it happen before it did. She saw Aethereal finally make connection with Mother, although she didn't hear the conversaton. She watched carefully as they stepped away, and she watched as the Praetor's head was sliced clean off. A shiver went through her at the clarity of her vision, but she had not panicked - at least they had not attacked the Gembound here. She had thought to warn the Valkhound, but she had already stepped away.

She sighed, the last of her anxiety attack fading away. She felt tired, so so exhausted, as if she had run through the cave many times over. She could distantly feel Vaati grooming her fur, soft nibbles and lickes through her rumpled, dusty pelt. But she didn't have time for comfort. As she looked up, she could already see the effects of the Order's victory. Webs of fungus and beds of white, reaching out across the stones and bones. She took a step back, fear rising in her throat again, but a steadfast need to protect seared through her.

But as the gembound began to split, Aethereal in one direction (she wanted to talk to her! About what she had said to Mother and what was said back, to perhaps share in the trauma of being under her control) and Wulfsige in the other (she wanted to follow and help him, assist in his mission and see where the threads of fate were taking him) and many were retreating into the fortress or preparing to leave to Polaris (she had to help protect them, as she promised).

Conflicted, she turned to Aether and bounded up to him. "Thank you for coming, Aether. We avoided a fight - here, at least, but the caves are still in danger, I think. I don't...know what to do. Stay here and protect these gembound or follow Order and try to stop them? Protect the next cave they decide to attack?"

Aether considered. There was a doglike loyalty to it as it answered, a sad wrinkle to its face. "I will... come with you, whatever you choose. I am sorry I was too slow, last time."

It still didn't quite know what had happened, there, but at least Wilder was alive--and now that it was here, it could ensure she stayed that way.

@Wilder

Her eyes squinted, ears swiveling back. It was up to her, then, to make that decision. She looked behind her, at the Order slowly spreading across Canis. A cave she'd once called home, infesting, devouring. And she imagined the rest of the caves like this. Pegasus. Orion. Eridanus. Polaris. All the caves, turned white with fungus and crystalized by Order. IT was...terrifying. And no Gembound would be safe from them.

She turned back to Aether and shook her head. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault." Yes, a time long ago, when she'd been twisted by fear and blinded by ignorance, she'd foolishly sent Aether on an impossible task, one he was doomed to fail. "I shouldn't have called you at all. It was a personal matter, don't hold it against yourself."

Wilder flicked her tail and turned in the direction that the Praetor had gone. The tunnel that led away to Gemini, and Leo. They might be striking there next. "We need to follow them, and stop them. If they keep going, everyone in these caves are in danger. You, me, everyone that gave life to you...everyone else. Come on, and get ready to fight." And she steeled herself for it. She hadn't fought, not in a long time. She never wanted to fight. But she'd do what she could - and someone had to help Wulfsige. He was too young to fight this by himself.

She bounded forward, following in Wulfsige's path, feeling dread rush through her body with every step, but determination masking its corruption.

*exit

Coyote stayed back, body again in an arch, tail tucked and ears pinned.

She had quite literally no idea what was going on, or what she should do. Bones didn't seen to be needed any longer. Fear gripped her, and she cowered deeper against the stone, eyes squeezing shut.

There she stayed, trembling in terror. Not even her magic answered, leaving her feeling incredibly helpless on top of everything else.

probably exit Coyote unless addressed!

Khloros spared a frightened glance down at the pup, but his own terror had faded into a background buzz. What had initially been brief, startled panic had calmed--and now he found himself more curious than anything.

There were enough still here--and so he set out, hooves striking sharply against the stone.

"Wait-..." he called out to the Praetor, kicking into a trot--only to skid immediately to a halt as it lopped the head from the first one just before him.

And then it--exploded-?! Shards of tangled white dust and glassy chitin burst in all directions, leaving him rearing again, a neigh tearing from his chest. He came down hard, pranced back, and stared with pinned ears.

What-... is this?! he thought again--and it wasn't, had never been, directed at Wulfsige or the magic. It was at these creatures, these beasts, these... whatever the hell they were. Their white magic and fucked-up threads of web.

He slid back toward the shadows, lingering near the hidden area, for now--to keep an eye on what might transpire, without putting himself into further danger.

horse stock by venomxbaby on deviantart

exit Khloros