After having flown the populated areas of the nearby quadrants, the three brothers returned to Orion. There they waited to see what kind of response each of them would get, speculating the outcome and turnout amongst themselves. Their bodies glowed against the dark of the lightless cave, perched on broken debris in the central Forum, their glowing white dots and shifting nebula mass brilliant in the black of the arena.

Return here after collecting stones from Part 1 or hearing the announcement.
You may join this even if you have not collected stones.

Stone/Pledged Tally

Alnilam has 27 stones and 8 pledged Gembounds.
Mintaka has 31 stones and 6 pledged Gembounds.
Alnitak has 22 stones and 5 pledged Gembounds.

Join This Quest

If you would like to participate in this quest, post with your character in this thread. Completing this quest will require some teamwork, so don't be afraid to roleplay it out! Feel free to request a GM when you feel you may be ready to proceed.

Participants:
Envy, Kin-Kin, Ringo, Blackberry, Rinaotei, Teyouma II, Dragon, Desire, Azar, Widget, Xireidi, Albeon, Dezba, Septiezal, Aztec, Gabriel, Rinotai, Kera

Envy
You sink your teeth into the people you depend on
Infecting everyone, you're quite the problem

Envy wove through Orion, their prize of a red gem clutched in their small jaws. Their fur was still ruffled, messy and still damp from their escapade in the stream, but they didn't seem to notice or care, their steps full of the spring of success.

Though they didn't quite know what they were looking for, the weasel had seen a strange yet great creature swooping overhead, taking them by surprise and causing their breath to catch in awe and envy. They'd felt a flicker of recognition, ad regardless, had set off in the direction that the creature had. It had taken them a long time, but they finally found their way to the gathering of beasts, their eyes reflecting what little light their was in a vibrant lilac light that made their vision as clear as day.

Though they couldn't speak for the gem in their mouth, and would only be able to carry one at a time, the weasel approached the red-eyed bird with fake confidence causing them to coil and hold their head high, and dropped their prize before them, nudging it forward with their nose.

Then the little one backed away and bounded back out into Orion to look for more stones without waiting for a response.

-Exit Envy (for now)-


Red stones found: 1
/showthread.php?tid=4760

---

"Speech."
"Thoughts."

Kin-Kin moved with a full mouth and a tired look in her eye as she approached the strange beings, pausing in her movements as a small weasel skittered away between her legs before being lost in Orion. She shook her head slightly, though couldn't speak. Her tiredness didn't stop her approaching with a swagger, her head held high as she approached the golden-eyed bird.

Kin-Kin lowered her head and dropped two small gemstones, one a clear yellow citrine, and the other a grubby gem with the slightest of a yellow flash.

"Alnilam, wasn't it?" Kin-Kin drawled. And, unable to resist the chance to show off in front of these clearly powerful creatures, Kin-Kin set her paws and drained the meager glow from her fur into the earth at her paws. But, although her glow spluttered out, the ground failed to move at her command. Although a grunt rose in her throat, the wolf gave no other sign that she'd tried anything. She offered Alnilam a winning smile, and sauntered off.

"I'll be back, and ya can bet your stars we're gonna win, baby," she called over her shoulder, before disappearing for a well-deserved sleep.

-Exit Kin-Kin (for now)-

Yellow stones found: 2
/showthread.php?tid=4762


" speech "

Ringo knew the way so he was first to arrive through the crack in the wall, mouth bulging full of labradorite chunks- all from his own hatching of course. A black and white dog, not from the original events, followed him, yellow stones stacked in his own teeth. Widget had been a great help. Ringo hoped the yellow-eyed bird would approve.

He approached Mintaka and dropped the four chunks of labradorite before the bird. Though a touch covered in drool, they were certainly very blue, identical to the dog's own chest-mounted stone. He sat with tail wagging furiously.

"I gots more hidden away too! I can go get them, but these were the best bits!" He cocked his head, grin stretching from ear to ear. "Do you like them, mister Mintaka?"

Blue Stones Found: 4
(Based on successful rolls for Ringo's search)
/showthread.php?tid=4752
(Posts 2, 3, 6 & 8)

Blackberry strode into the forum, a good sized red stone clamped in her jaw. Her feathers were perfectly groomed and cleaned, her gem was shined, and her teeth and tongue sharpened (although she wasn't planning to go into battle anytime soon). She glared at the gembounds already gathered there and pushed her way to the front where the three birds waited.

They were even weirder in front of her then flying above her head. She looked around the three before spotting the red-eyed bird she was looking for.

She stepped forward and placed the stone in front of him. "I've brought you this stone,
Alnitak, if you'll give me wings. I'll be back later with more, if you wish."

She paused for a second before turning around to leave, spreading her wings and taking off, ready to hunt for more red stones; however many she needed to get her wings.

*exit Blackberry*

Red Stones: 1
/showthread.php?tid=4774

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

tags:
notes:

Rinaotei had her stones wrapped up gently in the coil of her long draconian tail, and a few more on her back, which she has managed to safely secure by folding and wrapping her membrane wings around her back like a scaly toga was on her backside. The intention of that was to utilise it as a tent for the stones so Rina can't lose them facilely or possibly have them purloined. The sharp ends are commencing to chafe at Rinaotei's scales over time but the scales are plausibly thick and just make the chafe more discomforting than painful. She carefully treads over to where these king brothers are while some of her stones coiled around her tail gleamed in sparkles amid her dark scales.

Soon enough she finally arrived at their grotto hopefully not fighting again, passing the likes of Kin-Kin on the way, who just seemed so fatigued that she looks about ready to drop to slumber then and there so perhaps it'll be benign that Rinaotei didn't take up their time with a conversation right now. It'll be for the better for Rina, as one somewhat lengthy discussion is enough for Rinaotei for today so much she feels a little tired herself maybe she'll take a minuscule stop to Fornax and relax for a while. She found the warm temperatures of it relatively comforting, especially since as of late the feel of algid water which previously felt lovely to swim in was beginning to bite her nerves uncomfortably. The temperatures were nothing perilous still she doesn't know if it has to do with her being possibly ill, or maybe it's this new form her body has taken the reason.

She approaches them more categorically Mintaka the one she had opted to give her stones for, providing a deferential little bow to Mintaka before carefully letting the coil of her tail ripple gradually. She brought the violet hook on the end of the tail around her side, so it's right by her face, uncurling it and dropped the one small dewdrop-like, blue pebble stone before the gelid-eyed, mystical bird.

Soon after she unfolded her wings that she managed to drape around her back to reveal two other Gems, a white, somewhat clear that had a claw mark across it which Rinaotei accidentally put there in her hasty endeavour to get it before it was out of her reach. The other was a one she got gifted to surprisingly still it was pristine and blue, virtually looking akin to a small, pretty glacier instead of a Gem. She would've lowered her head and let them slide and roll off, but they would just get caught by her horns. So, she raises her tail almost like how a scorpion would lowering it around the gems and coiling the tail around the two Gems on her back and put those before Mintaka too as an offering of sorts.

"I hope these are to your satisfaction Mintaka. Farewell for now." she made this expeditious, she did wish to perhaps speak with these beings sometimes soon, but she's a little too drained to right now, turning to take her leave from their cave and promptly vanishes in the tenebrosity heading most liable to Fornax now.

"Speech"

OOC: Blue/White stones found: 3
/showthread.php?tid=4765&pid=36722#pid36722
/showthread.php?tid=4765&pid=36742#pid36742
/showthread.php?tid=4765&pid=36757#pid36757 (Albeon gave Rina this one)

He came scurrying out of the dark, far from the indolent thing he used to be, after awakening post-hibernation. In his thin arms he clutched his prizes, and chittered with maniacal glee as he ran, eager to give what he'd found to the strange birds. It is clear by the opalescent shine to some of the beveled objects that his eye is most drawn to blue stones, although the unhinged hybrid is hardly a poster-boy for the ancient avian affiliated.

OOC: [Stones listed below, will edit as he finds them.] [ TALLY: 2 ]
x

Winter slid up to the three birds, unable to look them in the eye. She had heard that these birds had power beyond imagination and were truly worthy of the title "The Three Kings of Orion". Softly, she set down her blue stone in front of her chosen king before turning away and slithering off.

Blue Stone: 1
/showthread.php?tid=4771

When I speak.

When I think.

Dragon emerged only slowly from the darkness, high-walking with a limp to his right hind leg. His jaws were firmly shut, his dark, scarred hide dry in Orion's horribly un-swampy atmosphere. He might have looked like a prehistoric monster or some such dragging his ridges and claws from the shadows, but his eyes glinted with greed.

Wings. It is time.

...The alligator had not, at any point, been informed that the wings would not be real. Perhaps no one knew, yet.

Before him were the three birds, and he pulled up short to eye them, turning his head slightly to peer. They were fascinating--beautiful, even, were he inclined to think in such a way. Some part of their appearance touched that primordial instinct in him that knew what the night sky was meant to look like, and so seemed familiar to him somehow. He had never seen a star--yet these, he knew, had stars within their bodies.

Fascinating.

After a moment he remembered why he was there, and looked between the three. One had yellow eyes, and one blue--and the third, red. It was to this one that he marched, and tilted his head, opening his jaws.

Slowly, rattling loudly, a stream of thirteen red rocks clattered out and down into a pile at the bird's feet. Some were slightly browner, some more orange or ochre, but all were, for the most part, fairly red rocks. One was large and jagged, like a hunk of brick; another was a perfect, beautiful glossy stone, smooth and polished and lined with jet black streaks.

Some were very slightly sooty.

"I am here," Dragon declared loudly, voice proud and eager, "for the wings!"

He then tilted his head back, summoning up his magic, and a gout of flame crackled forth and licked the air above. It hurt like hell, but that didn't matter--his pride and his excitement overwhelmed the agony of his (admittedly well-calloused) singed maw.

"I am Dragon!"

Then he waited, staring intently at the red-eyed bird, (metaphorical) fire burning in his dark eyes.

It was time to fly. It was time to take his place as a true dragon!

((ooc - Dragon has thirteen red stones:
Wings of Chaos
Beneath the Ice
The Stars, The Wings, and Fire ))

When she reached the cave, her heart was pounding, adrenaline allowing for a last push to find the one she was so enamored with.
The cave was strange. Huge, pointed stones poked up from the ground, the ceiling - everywhere. From the great birds shone a lovely light, reflecting off the clear crystals and making them sparkle. Something excited and warm rose up in her throat, and she sped toward the golden one amongst the lights. An unabashed child, she slithered to the golden one's feet and dropped the rock at his feet. "For you, Alnilam." Slowly she backed away, unwilling to leave the shining ones.
Exit Desire.

Golden stone: (1)
/showthread.php?tid=4779