The calf had obediently followed the pair of birds out of the crystalline cave and into a room devoured by the bones of the dead. Here, too, the white was everywhere. And the more Aegis traveled through it, the safer they felt, the more at ease they were stepping through the fungal webbing and over patches of mushrooms. By the time they'd emerged into Tunnel K, it flecked their hair like they'd been trudging in snow, caught in the shaggy red strands that covered their skin.

But that was alright. It was a cradle, like a comforting blanket. It had been there to softly caress them when they woke from non-life and now it was here accompanying them across their journey. A long journey, too, especially for a child on unsteady legs, with no endurance born from experience. They had barely crossed through Canis when they found themselves growing tired. But the bone-room had little to eat and few comfortable places to rest. So they pressed on, ever following the Carolers, ever wondering who it was they were really following.

It wasn't until they'd exited Canis and made it some ways into the tunnel leading from it that they felt their first strike of fear. The air in here felt thing, ghastly, like it hadn't been walked through in ages. They felt like they couldn't get a full breath from the discomfort and anxiety lacing their system. They reached for the comforting presence that had followed them since hatching, but it wasn't enough. They were afraid, chills creeping across their spine that had nothing to do with the temperature.

This tunnel...it was wrong and it made them feel sick to the stomach. They wanted to run from here and hide, but there were no places to cower, their legs burned too much to sprint. Despite the Carolers still guiding the way, it was like Aegis didn't see them anymore, shifting to the edge of the tunnel and crouching against the wall with a fearful bleat.

@Halcyon

There was always something about this path Halcyon couldn't help but despise. Whether the pervasive sensation of hollowness that threatened to penetrate scales or the cold without any visible source of origin, its lack of logic seemed to exist purely to taunt the Drone and others of their kind on passage to more hospitable realms threaded with Order's gift. In earlier times, this would not have been much of a problem, clandestine visits to and from Gemini frequent but using more convenient routes, most notably the one requiring a mere trek through Leo's humid climate. Now that Mother had played her hand and revealed the might behind it, caution had to be exercised more so than previous. A price paid for daring to challenge the diseased establishment residing inside the caves' stone walls.

If avoiding the Valkhounds set on high alert was not the primary concern, then ensuring that the fools the Chaos creatures had fostered out of the rest of the populace did not dismantle possible salvation often became the next. Though not a soldier, this had lead to regular patrols on their part of each haven of fungus which war and their own diligence had made. A programmed sense of duty drove them to such action, but should they acknowledge it, a hint of guilt might've had a role in the fanaticism with which they took to the self-imposed task. Perfectionist to the core, the fact they'd not accounted for the vast ignorance of those belonging to neither faction and suffered as a result rankled like nothing else. So they marched, too, as penance for personal failure, steps heavy as they contemplated how better to handle further instances of mindless opposition.

They'd been combing through the rubble widespread in the cave characterized by its glittering ceiling, the lightest hint of a scheme beginning to be sketched in their mind, when Mother's request for a guiding presence trickled down their link. Ever the faithful servant of her will, they had paused at once upon hearing, pulled themselves out of knee-deep ruins, and gently brushed the dust off their form. Gazing into the distance, the instruction she relayed was committed to memory. Then, setting aside their endeavors for the time being, they wandered backwards to whence they came.

While the child was too new for their own flickering connection to be reliably detected through the Hive's vast network, narrowing down which Carollers' perspectives to observe to better locate them took little effort on Halcyon's part. Disregarding that, the duo comprising the bird escort was far from hidden, their liveliness standing out starkly against a background so forbidding and devoid of it. They could hear the unmistakable sounds of distress, see the shaggy charge they'd been entrusted with brace against hard rock unsympathetic to their plight through the feathered companions' dull eyes. Still a fair distance away, on the opposite end of the tunnel, they padded forward to bridge the gap, upright and hands clasped together in front of a chest aglow with pulsing golden light.

"Hello?" they called out. "Can you see me? There is no need to cry any further; I am Halcyon"—Drone Zero-Zero-Five Steward—"a friend. Of your birds. Of your Mother. Of you if it is your wish for me to be."

In more ordinary circumstances, a less forsaken place, perhaps the sentiment would've rang as believable. However, this was the nature of the tunnel: twisted and cruel. It distorted echoes so that polite clipped tones morphed into sinister whispers. Mist fully concealing Halcyon from view, the illumination penetrating it might've read as some otherworldly being come to peddle false reassurances or some trickster spirit intending to whisk their target to another world equally as disturbing as the current environment.

@Aegis

The sound of a voice jolted Aegis’s attention and eyes searched through the mist until it laid upon the figure, barely visible, barely anything but light in the shadows. Already afraid from the wrongness of the cave, they only became more terrified of this stranger, unable to feel wholly through the link the other connections of the hive mind. They pressed harder to the wall and their muscles tensed, ready to fight if the thing sought a battle, but after a moment when no blows came, their ears flicked up just a bit as it properly turned itself towards the stranger.

They looked up to meet the eyes of this supposed ‘friend’. Should they trust? It was difficult to say. Instinct, on alert, told them no, absolutely not. Any friend, here, became foe. All good will became malevolence. The twisted and dark nature that seeped from every crack and crevice of these stones riddled Aegis’s thoughts with the fear it was intended to instill in creatures such as them.

But on the other hand (or hoof), how would they know about Mother if they hadn’t at least met her? How would they know Her name if she had not spoken herself? Had they not been connected to her in some way, at some point? What do they know about the birds?

Feelings of trust, or love, of calm, flooded across the link. Their mind twisted in the opposite direction, away from fear and Chaos, to a trusting open-ness to all Mother’s children. They were not lying, they were not a trickster or a phantom. They were a friend, as they said, and Aegis, with Mother’s help, was more than inclined to believe it.

Still, they were nervous as she slowly pushed off the wall a bit, not making a move to close the gap, but at the very least tilting their head quizzically. ”I can see you,” they said, carefully. ”You are…a friend? Mother told me to follow the birds. To you?” They gulped and shivered, the chill of the cave running up their spine. ”What is wrong with this place?”

@Halcyon

A hesitance clung to them. Although not yet privy to the thoughts dwelling within, Halcyon could read it using the hints given by body language. No attempt was made at approach, only a questioning look, and so it was clear that strides would have to be taken in order to establish better a sense of trust.

Normally they would be more confident in the reassuring presence of their design, that reasonability and calm conversation could penetrate the toxic influences the caves exuded and dispel the hostility clouding innocent minds. But recent events had cast a shadow of doubt enough for them to falter in convictions and debate whether they were the best option to welcome a new sibling and ensure their safety. Surely one more suited for relations outside the Hive would be preferable, a charismatic figure like Jinyi who was used to dealing with the eccentricities of non-Drones. The most they had accomplished, after all, was drawing scorn for the simple act of defending a place of Order.

They were still too inexperienced with the unpredictability of those outside the Hive. Yet to grasp the art of idle small talk and addressing worries the Hive would have readily chased away with little more than a rush of emotions across a link. Worst of all, the defense they'd previously been all too eager to offer against threats had been easily incinerated, themselves burned alongside it.

No, argued a combination of Mother's correcting touch and their own hatred of flaws, that had been no failure. It'd been a means through which they'd obtained insight on the extent of the danger Chaos presented to all things good and ideal. Equipped with this new knowledge, their protection could be improved. They could better advise their siblings how to triumph over enemies, and this child would not have to suffer similar indignities as they had to keep their home pristine and uncorrupted.

Their clasped hands had tightened as this fleeting shaking of faith had passed. They loosened now, Halcyon willing them to fall to their sides to make more apparent the lack of harm they posed. Jaw tightening the tiniest bit, their glow intensified to further battle against the cruel atmosphere of the surroundings while simultaneously their straight-backed posture was forced to slacken into a more casual stance—what they would call sloppy whereas others might deem it friendly and less militaristic. Hopefully it'd be enough to cement a sense of goodwill between them.

"Yes," they said, a short and exact nod accompanying the confirmation, "a friend. It is fortunate that I met you here. This is a particularly cursed path to walk along. As you can no doubt tell, it is riddled with an infection we have been fighting against for some time."

"Chaos." A cold note matching the current temperature entered their tone at this word, disappearing as they entered a lecture delivered with the most neutral of attitudes.

"It is the absence of reason. Fear where there is nothing to be feared. Anger and suspicion of those who have not done anything to deserve it. Joy in pursuits that should elicit disgust instead. This is an empty place, no one here to hurt you, and yet..."

Halcyon pointed at the calf. "You seem unsettled. That is Chaos's work, ever insidious, and why it is best to travel with more than birds for company."

@Aegis

The confirmation - yes, they are a friend, yes, Aegis could feel safe around them - was what they needed to hear. With encouragement in the form of fungus-spurred chemicals surging through their brain, they at last stepped away from the wall and closer to Halcyon. Not right up close, but accepting the closing distance and their presence to approach them closer. Still, the unsettling atmosphere of this wrong, horrible, vile cave clung to them like a disease and ease still eluded them.

"Chaos?" they repeated back, the word feeling like acid on their tongue, a sharp sense of wrongness shuddering through their mind. No, they were not supposed to like Chaos. It was bad. Evil. An infection, as their new friend said. What it was infecting, Aegis was not sure, but they accepted this despite their curiosity. If it was the cause of this cave's vile nature, then it surely would be evil. There was no reason, right? There was nothing here but bare stone and mist.

"Chaos is bad," they reasoned out loud. "Then what is...good? Can we go there?" Their own words reminded them of another bit of curiosity, as they looked over at the birds and then back at Halcyon. "Is that where we are going? To good?" That would be very nice, after the horrors that this cave promised.

@Halcyon

"Most certainly."

As the distance between grew smaller, the calf's doubts of them dwindling alongside, a flicker of triumph jolted through Halcyon. The momentary surge ran along their spine and nearly caused them to shoot up and abandon their adopted slouch. Possibly startling Aegis with such sudden movement prevented this from coming to pass, and so the energy was contained, if just barely. Mild tremors might have been noticed in hands or the twitch of their tail over the ground. These dissipated once discipline asserted itself, another nod—containing more spirit than the formality of the last—where all the build-up was channeled to and ultimately departed the body.

"Good is wherever Mother is. Anywhere her children, us, have touched. Sense, reason," and foremost, "Order."

Opposition to the rampant disorganization plaguing this world.

"You should recognize it well." From what the Drone had heard, their birthplace had been Gemini, the cave whose conversion was quite a source of personal achievement. "The place of reflections is ours. A wondrous location if it weren't more on the fringes of our territory, so near dangerous spots like"—they shuddered against the chill—"this."

The unsettling atmosphere weighed uncomfortably upon them and threatened to grow the longer they lingered here. It'd be best if they made haste before it became clear whether the simple act of standing in an area like this could allow Chaos to gnaw its nasty way into one's soul. Nevertheless, pushing would do no good; they could only explain and trust in Aegis to come to a similar conclusion as them.

"Our Mother wishes me to bring you somewhere farther from Chaos. It would still be one of our homes, but safer. Further within our protection. If you remain by my side, I can ensure there will be no more to be afraid of. My light will ward away the darkness, and no harm shall be allowed to reach you. I vow this wholeheartedly."

Their eyes did not remain steady upon the calf, breaking away to glance at either end of the tunnel. Valkhounds were not present, could not be heard approaching, yet Halcyon expected them to spring out from the shadows soon. Uneasiness was filling lungs, a slow mental drowning. Seemingly the tunnel was influencing them exactly as they had claimed.

@Aegis

Aegis noted the bits of movement that shattered the perfect discipline before them, the twitching barely contained, but it did not bother them. There was little else that needed to be said to reassure the calf of Halcyon's good intentions. It felt right and they were like a beacon of light in this dark, unreasonable place. The word of Order, too, settled something within Aegis. Good is order. Bad is chaos. This, instilled through both Mother and Halcyon, cemented itself within him. Order was family, protection, reason, and safety. Chaos was violence, evil, fear, and danger. He did not yet know of its true nature, but the surface level had formed itself and Aegis happily tread upon it.

"I woke up and was...alone. But Mother came to me. Sent me the birds to lead me away. It was nice there, good. Why did I leave?" The answer almost came unbidden, not driven by Mother's will, but their own survival instincts. There hadn't been much food. The plants that had been their first meal had been only one patch that they had spotted in that cave. Perhaps that was where Mother was leading them.

Aegis shuddered as well and looked around the tunnel. "Are there...other places like this? Where is Mother?" they cut it in suddenly, a curiosity burning within them to meet her, face to face. If she had one, that was. She could just be a voice in their head, an intangible force leading them along the path of righteousness.

The promise of protection was moving something in Aegis. They did not know this one, they had never met them before. And while they considered them now a friend, sent by Mother, it was truly valiant of them to promise their protection. To vow to let no harm come to them. Their presence was a blessing, in their eyes, and it was a warm light within Aegis, driving away the dark, fearful mists.

Aegis nodded. "I will follow you. Thank you." And the promise came without saying, but if Halcyon listened closely, perhaps they'd hear it through the link that would soon slowly unfurl in Aegis's mind. One day, I will protect you in return.

@Halcyon

Though their mannerisms never quite managed to shed a robotic sense of precision, every movement a little too exact to be construed as entirely spontaneous, Halcyon tried as best as they could to maintain the fledgling bond forged with the appropriate level of friendliness. The expression of gratitude they waved away, hand slicing easily through the air. Their tone was light if strained by the eerie tunnel's effect on them.

"It is what any one of us would do for our family. Togetherness and support is our way, much as enemies would like to tear us asunder."

"There are, as you've surmised, other places it'd be best for you not wander to. Much ghastlier ones, I suspect, as it's been strongly advised we remain far away from them." Given time and the increasing strength of Aegis's connection, better explanations might come; perhaps Mother herself would impart the horrors a trip closer to Chaos's stronghold might bring. "Ursa is the closest you can be to Mother, and once you've grown more, the opportunity to meet her might be better within your grasp. For now we head to somewhere warmer than its snows. Food and shelter is plentiful there, and no doubt you will thrive in a place that can sustain you well."

They pivoted on a clawed foot then, turning back to the direction from which they first entered. An expectant look travelled from their charge to the empty space next to their flank. Though Halcyon had yet to begin walking, the message was clear: once the journey started, the path could not be strayed from. Each footfall of theirs would be in sync with the other's, never daring to leave them behind in the darkness to fear and fret as when they'd been first encountered.

"Shall we?"

((Do you want to continue this in Eridanus to get Aegis settled in there officially, or would you prefer to offscreen that?))
@Aegis

Family. Did Aegis hear that right? Was Halcyon calling them family now? Already? It was a little scary, for a child that he little to no direction, had little experience to connect to anything, to ever venture into a situation new to them. But for Aegis it was also a rush of pure joy. A family! A family to live with, who would protect them, who they could protect in turn, never to be lonely ever again.

What enemies could hate a family that cared? Who would be cruel enough to try to tear them apart? Aegis didn't understand - perhaps it wouldn't understand for a while the true nature of Chaos and Order, but for now, the promise of "togetherness and support" was more then enough for them.

They nodded along with Halcyon's explanation. Although they longed to meet Mother and see her for themselves, they understood the need to grow. They were young and small - would they grow as big as Halcyon? Bigger, maybe? But the idea of snow wasn't something they understood until a distant thought of a flurry of white, bitter cold, and the sharp taste of ice on their tongue quelled their wondering. Where had that come from, they wondered? Instinct, perhaps, or had Mother showed them something? She had never shown them anything before...

They realized in a quick second that Halcyon was looking at them explactantly and they jerked out of their thoughts. "Yes, yes that sounds nice." They didn't mention that they were nearly dead on their feet and hunger rumbled at their stomach, but they knew if they followed Halcyon, they would lead them there - to safety and food and warmth. Someplace better then here.

Aegis trotted forward to walk by their friend's side, leaving the misty darkness and fear behind.

*exit

@Halcyon (for visibility! and we can offscreen that, since we'd have to backdate it)

As the two of them proceeded onward, there came a flutter of wings and the echo of talons scritching on stone. Though Halcyon did not stop, their link allowing them understanding of the situation without ever bothering to look behind, a neutral note was made: apparently the Carollers were meant to be escorts for the entire way and not substitutes for the presence of a reliable Drone like themselves. A reasonable enough decision when one considered how much hostility the caves' residents harbored toward their kind in these turbulent times, and so no sense of betrayal crossed their mind at the Lessers hopping at the rear of the group. Mother, always considerate, had accounted for everything; these would provide extra eyes to better protect their newest sibling.

So it concluded, a success for all involved despite initial worries. A trio of Lessers and Greater had entered this tunnel. Now they left an additional member stronger, hope and security awaiting them a couple caves away.

-Exit Halcyon