He knew, on some level, that Mercy might have heard--felt--it all. Pride hadn't been trying to hide anything. Or maybe Mercy had been sleeping. Or maybe he'd blocked it out, to give the stag some privacy. But when at last Pride snapped from his horrific reverie, it was Mercurius he had to go and see.

I'm not telling anyone else about this, he reiterated, firmly. And yes, it was thought. Just thought, intended for himself but "himself" was firmly linked to his friend, these days. He'd been at the lion's garden, and so he turned, looking around and trying to orient himself to Mercy's location. Once he thought he had a bead, he set off, hooves a quick, clipped click across the stone. Mischief leapt and scrambled (and he paused, crouching) aboard his back, and Pride took a breath and set off.

Troubling thoughts plagued him.

Does this mean there's a different End for others-? Somewhere they might... reunite? Spirits, ghosts--did I just damn myself from ever seeing dead family again?

His thoughts drifted to Azizos. He hadn't seen his son in quite some time, and the background thought of "probably just sleeping in his chrysalis" had been gradually, fearfully upgraded to "maybe actually ran into danger somewhere." Arsu hadn't seen him. Nobody had. What if he'd died, somehow-? And now, what if--when the rest of them died--they gathered up, together, and Pride... did not?

Had he just isolated himself--forever?

"Mercy?" he called out. He tried to keep his voice even, calm. Not that it mattered. Mercy could feel the roiling unrest beneath the words, regardless. But even so, he failed; there was a break and a tremble just in the single pair of syllables, syllables Pride hadn't yet the strength to add to.