Azazel, King of Bones, was dead.

Carni, his only remaining heir (since Eythan's departure and possible involvement with Azazel's passing), had unwittingly and quite before his time, become the new King.

A King had responsibilities to his people.

A King had to think about his Kingdom first.

Personal feelings aside, Carni had a job to do. Biting past the aches and pains of a fitful, restless night of mulling it over, the hybrid finally roused from his father's side. The Founding King had been buried beneath the stone and bones of his own throne, wings stripped- for he'd have no need of such things now- so his memory would live on in tradition. The matter of his father's private and quiet burial finished now, the young prince-- no, young King- had one last job before he could settle into any sort of routine.

He had to address this change. He had to address his people, as their new leader, and he could only hope it went well.

Perching atop his father's throne- His throne now- the white hybrid cleared his throat- still felt raw from crying- and sucked in a deep, calming breath.

Then, he called out. He called for any and all nearby to come, and listen. He called with urgency, with forced authority- and hoped they'd heed his call. Hoped they'd come.

As his voice echoed into the dark corners of the cave, he sat, and waited. This was going to be a very, very hard meeting.

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OFFICIAL BONEBOUND MEETING
All members please attend to retain your place in the group.
Those looking to join the Bonebound have a great opportunity to do so now. There's no posting order. I'll be posting to this thread once a day, assuming there's been replies.

Members in Attendance:
Carni, Xin, Kerberos, Bones, Fortune, Götterdämmerung, Amaria

Xin had been lounging around the edge of Canis when he heard someone calling. A bonebound meeting? He faintly recalled having gone to one a couple of cycles ago, but he had left before much happened. Now there was a chance to go to another. Before he even realized what he was doing, his paws were leading him to the source of the sound. When he got there, he saw someone else, someone different from who he remembered used to be on the perch. He thought maybe they looked familiar, but the marten couldn't really tell.

It didn't seem like anyone else was here. He must have been the first to arrive. He hoped he wouldn't be the only one here. Maybe Ashtoreth would come? She had been in the other meeting. She was the only one he could really stand, since she was also mute. He sighed and looked back up at the other. They were white, perhaps albino-he couldn't really see their eyes very well-and had wings. Their gem was a blue horn, directly on the forehead and seemed to be the only color.

Xin sat and wondered why he was here. Perhaps he could join the bonebound? It might be nice having some sort of protection. Then again, he didn't know what this group was like. Would they accept him? A tiny, mute noodle? Then again, they had accepted Ashtoreth...But she was family, wasn't she? He was just some gembound that came to see what the hype was all about. How would he even let them know he wanted to join? Would they ask? Would he have to have some way of telling them? Surely they would ask. He didn't really know anyone in the gembound aside from a few select few. He looked around as he waited for others to join.

δεξιά . κέντρο . αριστερά

Far, but not too far away, there was a shaggy white boulder that slept by the arched door-- more and more frequently, the beast slept here, waking only occasionally to sniff at passerby's-- and although his rest could be quite deep, the canine could not ignore a call of his kin. Muscles reacted before three heads fully awoke, churning, moving to stand. A scarred face twisted over another neck to look past his shoulders, into the darkness. Magic twisted inside the mammoth, unused for so long.

Kerberos' large paws walked through the dark tunnel, familiar with every dip and loamy bump, even with blurry, still waking eyes he could make this trek. Hell, he could probably do it in his sleep. The dusty scent of bones filled his lungs as he breathed in, stepping fully into the dim (but by comparison to the tunnel, quite bright) light of Canis, six pink eyes blinking fully open to stare upon the sorry sight.

Last time Aza'zel had called a meeting, there had been so many.

The canine shook out his fur, breaking into a dead sprint towards the throne. By the time he got there, he dug his heels in, sliding to a stop, ears alert, snake tail held waveringly behind him. He opened his mouths, three rolling tongues falling out, to speak, but then found he had no words. There was concern-- one that was met with a strange, awkward purring from deep in his fur to soothe him-- but also a puppy-like curiosity, and he sat...

His head with the orange-tinted nose noticed Xin, a familiar sight-- the tiny mustelid was basically family to him, and he let out a tiny, half-woof of greeting. His voice was rough, scraggly like he was sick with something, but it was simply from disuse. His only company for a while had been the hairless gremlin of a cat-leech stuck in his fur, and they had a bond that went beyond words.

After that, his six pale eyes focused on the creature of white, so small compared to him. Aza'zel's kin. Had Ashtoreth still not returned from her trip? He couldn't remember. Where had Aza'zel gone? Although slowly, a sense of wrongness came upon the canine. Something more wrong than the miserable, tiny group they had gathered for this meeting.

i'm ready to start
the conquest of spaces

Bones was doing what he did best. A fresh rat lay next to him, split open down the middle. The blood that leaked out from the rat stained his paw, which would occasionally touch the wall with caution.

Painting took Bones into a different realm entirely; a place where the crevice in the wall was so much larger, where if he grew bored of what he was painting he could sprint down plains of long, emerald grass. He had tried, of course - and regularly bumped his head off the wall because of it, waking Booker up on more than one occasion.

It wasn't the numbat that had pulled him out of his work this time however - it was a call to a meeting. His ears flickered and he realised one thing: it was not his grandfather's voice. Surely, it had been a practical joke being played by some younger gembounds, but seeing Kerberos thunder by his little den forced the dog to his feet.

He moved out slowly, stepping by the elephant skull Booker slept in, and followed the blur of white fur. A limp in his step, his eyes were not set on the hybrid sitting where Azazel often would, but rather on the hulking cerebus.

"Hello," he muttered, ears raised in alarm as Bones pointed his muzzle upwards to lick the side of one of Kerberos' head's snouts; in greeting. "Who is this?"

The remaining fur on the dogs back lifted somewhat as half a snarl brushed by his teeth. There was the scent of Azazel lingering in the air but it was wrong somehow. The creature that stood in the vulture's place was nothing but a solemn-looking child.
It caused him to step forward, very nearly in front of Kerberos. "Who are you?" he barked. "Where is Azazel? What did you do with him?"

Bones' back legs were shaking - not with the weight of his own body, but with fear. Surely, this child hadn't overthrown their own leader, had he? His teeth bared as he turned back towards his brother.

His mind had already began to piece together assumptions and theories - something had happened to Azazel. Did the Merrymen kill him? Did the hybrid kill him? "Who is this?" he asked Kerberos again, loud and desperate.

With the cub soothed enough to sleep, Toon had taken to wandering the halls of the Chambers, curious to see if anything had changed. The ancient duiker gazed up towards the roof of the cavern, eyeing a certain pathway leading up to a fallen King's nest. The man simply couldn't have fallen. A slash across one's windpipe usually meant foul play was involved. acratia was most certainly ruled out. Any mycelia nearby certainly hadn't told her of nearby sickness.

She was nearly at the peak for the great wall she'd been scaling as the call of a risen King echoed through the room. A soft smile tugged at Fortune's lips as she turned, abandoning her current quest. It was still placed on a small, imaginary to-do-list in the back of her mind.

Easily, she picked her way back down and ran across the room in great bounding strides. Perking up her ears, the Gembound slowed as she approached the gathering. A few faces were familiar only from passing; Kerberos... and, oh, what was his name? Ah, yes. Bones! She'd never encountered them personally, but she knew of them. The mighty Cerberus watcher of the gates to Canis and the painter of the Bonebound.

As she sat down, Fortune couldn't help but to wonder if any of the others would arrive--that is, if they were still around.

Surprisingly, the first to arrive was a small stranger. Carni regarded them almost numbly- normally, it'd be exciting to welcome someone new to the cave.

Today was too tragic an occasion for such novelties though.

Kerberos came next, in all his beastial glory. He settled, looking understandably attentive- Azazel should've been the only living thing to perch here. Carni, in all his usual pride, now felt unworthy. Doubt swarmed in his chest as more members filed in.

Carni recognized Bones only by a drifting scent- and though he'd perhaps seem the dog around before, even the canine's voice sounded unfamiliar as he barked upset questions. Carni winced visibly at the accusatory tone, sinking deeper into his self-doubt.

Thankfully, like a security blanket, Fortune arrived. He focused on her and thought of her reassuring words, and in the memory of it he found courage. A few more quiet seconds passed.

Okay. Any stragglers would get the idea quickly. Time to start.

"B-Bone--" His voice cracked at the first attempt. Anxiety churned in his chest, almost violently, before he cleared his throat and tried again.

"Bonebound." Better. "Thank you for coming. For those who d-don't know me, I am Carni Vita, son of the First Bone King, Azazel Vita, Prince of Bones." The introduction flowed easily, well practiced. He paused to look curiously at the visiting newcomer and the painted dog, hoping to see understanding, their questions answered.

The next part of this was harder. He braced, because he knew better than to beat around the bush with this. The needed to know. He'd make it quick.

"The King of Bones is dead."

Eyes snapped to Fortune, desperate for grounding, the sting of tears behind his eyes and bile in his throat.

"My father's death was..." Did he tell them everything now? No, only his father's most trusted needed to know for now. He'd get their council first. "...untimely. Unfair." He paused, brows knitted, gaze distant for a moment as he rode out another wave of dread. When he next spoke, he couldn't keep his eyes open- he didn't want to see the disappointment, or even outrage, sure to come next.

"I take up my Father's throne with a heavy heart. I had h-hoped that he would have been here, retired and proud, the day I took the throne from him..." Whoops, nope, getting personal. Reel it in. "...but I intend to honor him, and all of you." Finally, blue eyes- glossy wet- opened to scan the group with pleading determination.

"The Bonebound lives on, and with us, so do the dead." The hybrid straightened his posture. "Please help me continue his legacy."

---

<sub>OOC : I don't want this one to drag on, so I tried to cram the important stuff into this one post. At this point, the rest is reaction, discussion and anyone else hoping to hop in gets the chance to. I'll likely close this thread on the 1st of Sept, if it's not concluded IC by then.

@Kerberos @Fortune @Bones @Xin</sub>

Quietly, Bones eyed the duiker as she wandered by. He hadn't talked to her, but he had certainly seen her around - bug-eyed and gangly. He liked her; she was tall and lean like he was and ancient and haggard like his mother. His ears flickered briefly in respect, his muzzle loosened from it's snarl.

It didn't last long however. The white hybrid had begun to speak and amber eyes shot back to the place where Azazel used to stand. He was tense, standing stiff despite his shaking legs.

Azazel was dead. In a way, Bones could have seen it coming but it didn't soften the blow. Mixed up emotions boiled within his chest and he was silent only for a few moments before everything tumbled out of his maw in the form of angry questions.

"Where is he? How did he die?" he spat, stepping forward. "Who did it? What did it? What gives you the right to take his place?"

With ears flat against his skull Bones only took a moment or so to think it over: there were many people who could have killed Azazel. He could recall not a whole lot being particularly fond of the vulture; including some of his own children.

A strange thing, in fact - Azazel had many children. Giggle, Ashtoreth - countless birds he had found hatched in Canis. The hybrid standing in front of the small group that had gathered was barely a child.

"Where are the others? Your brothers, your sisters? Where are they now?" The snarl had returned in his voice, crinkling his snout. "Why aren't they taking responsibility over the Bonebound?"

He stopped and he turned, half-limping and half-pacing around the dry cave floor. His eyes were wet, oversized ears low. He couldn't think of many instances of death - if anything, the occurrence was fairly rare to him.

He sat, eyeing Kerberos with glassy eyes. "Are we safe?" he asked with a wavering tone, but it wasn't completely apparent who he was asking; if it were the gatekeeper or the so-called 'new king.'

For endless days, the cat that lay ensconced in the fur of Canis' guardian lay still, barely breathing, so deep in a trance that every muscle sat hard as stone, anchoring him in place. The bond the cerberus had formed was corded and strong, like iron welding their minds together, golden and warm. It had been strange, at first, to delve into the only space he could use to speak to others, and see the pillar, standing among purple skies and black earth, lightning striking its sides and fizzling out from its sheer strength, glowing roots spreading across the landscape and slowly edging the cold darkness back. It had taken him hours to gather the courage to touch it, even longer to tentatively send something - anything - through it, but as soon as he had, the words had begun to flood outward, memories and stories, tales woven to keep the great beast company.

It hadn't been enough to distract him from the weak, blackened, shrivelled thing that let him speak with the only creature that understood his words without the need for translation, the old tongue so rarely shared. Azazel's bond was bogged down with sadness, guilt and anger and self-doubt, so heavy it seemed to fray at the seams. Ichor, black and thick like blood, dripped from its edges, and any attempt to touch it only led to the miniature attachment flickering out of existence for long enough to ward off contact. For weeks it had withered, the strange, hairless cat useless to leave his host, too dependent on the warmth of the living body to seek out the King on his own.

And then, in the middle of what counted as "night" in the caves, Götterdämmerung had awoken, frozen in fear, as the tiny, painfully fragile bond shattered, decimated as its originator fell to the floor. Phantom pain clamored at his throat, bright and hot, gone as quickly as it had come. Wide eyes stared at nothing, all attention turned inwards to watch the lifeline of his only connection to anything outside his host fade, until the spot where it had stood, like a gnarled, thin tree, was once again covered in stormy fog, any inkling of its existence as dead as the bird it spawned from.

There were no signs to explain the death of a soul, how it felt to feel the tug of another mind dragged down into the abyss, how quickly the nuances of their voice were lost to time. His tongue sat in his mouth like stone, jaw too heavy to force open, mind silent and still. Explaining what had happened... it would only cause grief. To hide it... well. Götterdämmerung would burden the consequences.

His perch shifted, rose, and the wrinkled cat, now fully grown and still a perpetual stick, skin tight across his ribs, blinked back into consciousness, slowly creeping upwards to sit on the crowd of Kerberos' middle head. Shouting, accusations, a volley of words echoed around him, but the goblin simply stared, crouched as if ready to pounce, ears forward and eyes wide and glinting in the low light, all attention focused on the one who revealed the horrible, bitter truth. The cat swallowed, throat clicking, nausea rising in his gullet as he tried to focus on calming the one who could, no doubt, feel everything rushing through his mind. His eyes slipped shut, and he focused inward, paws kneading the skin below, old language surging to the forefront.

Es tut mir leid, mein Freund. Ich hätte Ihnen gesagt haben, aber ich...

Hot blood down the back of his throat, claws across the tender skin, tearing away feathers like scissors through paper - I couldn't lose you too.

Amaria

You fell away,
What more can I say?
The feelings evolved,
I won't let it out,
I can't replace...
Your screaming face,
Feeling the sickness inside

Silently the mutated leopard sat towards the back of the gathering. Hard sapphire eyes watched as Carni spoke of the old Bone King, claiming the bird had been killed. Several other Bonebound members had already gathered as well to hear what the young hybrid had to say. She couldn't say she was particularly upset about the news, but that didn't mean she wasn't a little surprised by it. She adored the old bird, even if she didn't approve of a few things he had done. A frown marred over her features as she contemplated on who had done the deed all the while Bone's seemed to go a little crazy over the news. She almost felt bad for the canine just by the reaction he was having. Though...her attention was pulled away from the group instantly as she quickly scanned everyone again...

Where was Eythan.

Panic was quick to rise in her gut and she rose to her paws, her tail sliding across the ground with a rather loud scrapping sound as scales slid along the rock. Nostril's flared, desperate to catch the scent of the cub, but no matter how she tried she could not detect it over the many other scents that seemed to linger within the immediate area. Eythan had been on his own for awhile now, Amaria giving him the space he seemed to need just as hher other two cubs had needed at one point, but now she was worried. As much as she wanted to go look for him, she knew she had to wait. She would sit through this meeting for Carni and give him her support when he needed it now the most and then after that she would seek out the cub she had mothered since that damned bird had breathed life into her mate's stone.


"Speech" 'Thoughts'

Tags:
Words:
OoC:

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Keep on trying I’ll not die so easily
I will not die…
Why is everything so fucking hard for me?
I will not die…
Why is everything so fucking hard for me?
I will not die…

Xin glanced around as others joined, suddenly feeling slightly nervous. A lot of them seemed rather confused. One of them even asked the one on the perch questions, asking about Azazel. Was that the leader? If that was the leader, who was the one here? Faintly, he could recall seeing the albino hybrid at the meeting he had been to, cycles ago. Had something happened? He shifted his paws. Something seemed very wrong here, but he didn't know what. Perhaps this wasn't the best meeting to be at.

By that point, the hybrid had begun to speak. He felt a flash of jealousy at the sound of his voice, as he usually did. No surprise there. The marten listened to his words, despite his jealousy. So...this was Carni. The prince of the bonebound. Seemed simple enough, he supposed. So why was he the one speaking?

Upon hearing his next words, Xin blinked in shock. Oh. Admittedly, he should have been expecting that. The one who has asked questions began to speak more, bombarding the albino with more questions. He just stood there. Would the new king let him join? Or did...Did they all need more time to mourn? The feeling only strengthened now. Maybe he really shouldn't be here...