Tethys swam happily in Fornax, twirling gracefully in the surface of the water. She had no problem catching food, as she usually ate fish, and some crab she hunts on her own. The young pup was independent when it came to hunting, which was quite an achievement. After hearing all that exciting information from that white owl, she decided a relaxing swim would be nice. Tethys hated the fact that she was restricted to where the water tunnels went, but she would not let that damper her mood. Tethys hoped that one day she would find a sea leopard like herself. But she was content for now exploring beneath the waters, and using her arcane magic to uncover secrets. There was much to uncover and Tethys was ready for it.

He had not been up to Fornax in some time, so he had set aside the time today to make the trek up into the Great Furnace. Astraea enjoyed warm water, but it did not feel the same in this body as it once had in his old one. It made him forlorn, and he hesitated at the doorway the Gembounds had previously succeeded in opening. Hmm. There was much do to about the tepid Gembound, but the foundation of their magic was a source he despised. With a grunt, he continued forward, beginning his scan of the room with dutiful interest.

@Tethys

Tethys decided to poke her head up out of the water to see if anyone was in Fornax. She then noticed a deer walking in Fornax, not too far from her. Thethys then knew exactly who that was. It was Astraea, one of the masters o the cave. How did she know? The knowledgeable white owl, the researcher, Aetius, told her. Aetius told Tethys all she knew of the caves, mainly due to the fact that Tethys had arcane magic. The seal pup swam over to the deer, close enough so he could hear her. A playful grin spread across the child's face. "Hey you must be Astraea! I heard a ton about you! " She gave a playful laugh, happy she knew this piece of information. "I know what you used to look like before you were a deer! Tethys gave a playful splash with her tail, her (Irish) accent proper as she continued to talk. "You were a two legged creature with long flowing hair! You had smooth skin and perfect complexion that was so pure and white, it looked as if it might be carved from alabaster! Your eyes, they were pale blue, intense and bright, blue of thin ice. You had pale colorless skin and silvery white hair draped from your head, almost as long as your body; you were tall! The only thing that hasn't changed is your red gem on your forehead!" Tethys had a confused expression on her face as she asked a question. "Hey, how did you become a deer? And why were you sitting in the throne in Orion back then, were you royalty or something?" Tethys did not know boundaries, as she was just a child. Nonetheless, she was a curious one, despite her innocence.

@Game Master CJ

Astraea did not get far before a voice interrupted him. Red eyes begrudgingly found the child, narrowing as she mentioned she "knew a ton about him." But when she started with the fact that she knew of his previous form, an immediate rage burst alive in his belly. She went on and on, and as she continued to ramble about some of his private and intimate secrets, it was all he could do to keep himself from ripping her to pieces right here and now. The fungi on his body quivered and grew, a carpet of poisonous threats rising from his hooves and spreading through the subconscious of his anger. In the center of his forehead shone his ruby, and similarly, his eyes began to glow as well.

As quick as a blink, the fungal carpet grew to close in around her, breaking the water as if it were not even there. He stepped slowly forward as it wrapped around her tiny body, his anger tangible and seething through the unnecessary force put into the restraint.

"Who did you hear this from," he demanded in a low growl.

Tethys felt herself being restrained by brute force by Astraea. She thought the deer was going to be nice! His red eyes and gem that glowed, terrified the child even further. When he asked who told Tethys the information, the seal pup gave out a sad, scared whine as tears ran down her face. She blurted out everything she knew. "The owl researcher told me! Her name is Aetius! She goes around studying the secrets and lore of the cave, and and... she knows a lot and she told me a lot! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, I was just curious. Don't hurt me, please!" With the sad face the seal pup made, could break any gembound's heart in an instant. The pup was terrified. She didn't move in fear of making the deer any angrier. "I'm sorry, so very sorry!"

Aetius flew into Fornax, but came across a scene that she could hear clearly with her excellent hearing. It seemed the child who she told all she knew to, was in trouble. Seeing Astraea's angry face, made her realize that Tethys blabbed to him about his previous form. Aetius would not stand by and watch this innocent child get hurt. She swooped in and landed in the water, desperate to save the child. She already heard of the child's conversation with the deer, and spoke the truth to the enraged master of the caves. "Stop! Please, leave her be! I am Aetius, the researcher of the caves. The child speaks the truth! I went into Orion and used my hindsight on the throne. I saw your previous form, and heard a conversation you had with Nemean, and you spoke of someone named Enki. I went to Nemean, and she clarified that what I saw was your previous form. I met Tethys and told her I was a researcher. Then she begged me to tell her what I have found, so I did, despit what Nemean told me. But I told her because she was just a child and innocent. Please, I told her! Don't hurt the child!" Aetius hoped Astraea would calm down. She did not know he could be so scary. She met the deer before when she was just a young child herself. Though she was willing to accept the consequences of telling a child such important information.

@Game Master CJ

Aetius. He wondered how this owl knew so much; had a separate entity told her of his secrets? He was loath to start a chain of inquiry about the matter, but hopefully he could get answers as easily from Aetius as he had from the seal pup. As he warred with himself about how to dispatch the child, another screeching voice curled his attention and his eyes burned into the newcomer's frame. This was Aetius.

He was deaf to the pleading, picking up key information through all the squabble: Nemean.

With Tethys still restrained—a good hostage, if Aetius were to plead for her so—he glared at the owl and worked through her words, struggling to resist the urge to kill her immediately too.

"Despite what Nemean told you?" he questioned. "What did Nemean tell you?"

Well, at least he wouldn't be searching for long. All he had to do after this was find Nemean... that gnat.

Aetius decided to spill everything, for the sake of the child's life, and to make sure that Tethys would not be harmed. She spoke with the truth choking up in her voice. "Since I saw Nemean in my vision, I went to her to ask for the truth in my visions, to see if it was your previous form that I saw. I asked her, and she said she would not give me any information for free. So we decided on me being her servant, in exchange for clarification on my visions. She told me that the creature I saw on the throne was you. She said, not to talk about it, or there was a good chance I may die. That it was a secret. She also told me something about five thousand years ago some creatures got the idea to rebel and escape, and they succeeded. She also told me that Enki was another master who died in the rebellion, and their stone was revived. More importantly, Nemean told me that you died, and the thing that revived you made you a deer. She said that it felt like a curse to you, that you hate it, so noone talks about it." Aetius looked at Tethys, who was silently crying, and trembling. The poor thing. Aetius pleaded again for the sake of the child. "Nemean told me all of this. But, I had no business telling a child such information. Please, she is completely scared and frightened."

@Game Master CJ

Graphic (gore)

Nemean... Nemean... Nemean. That rat knew so much? Of course she did. She had her tiny fingers in everything. Astraea's patience was worn thin. He cared not for Enki's stone—it had been orchestrated to be revived by the wolf, yes, but Aetius didn't seem to know that much—or for her pleading.

But hate?

He did hate.

"You are right," came his voice finally, low and sinister. "You had no business telling anyone, and she SHOULD be scared and frightened!" His voice rose as he stomped a hoof, his blood boiling beneath his skin. A good chance she would die? Hah!

With a push from his magic, he extended the fungal strains to snatch the owl's floating body from the water.

He twisted the fungi into her body, ripping through her feathers and tugging at the vessels, muscles, and skin that grew from her stone. It was tough work, topaz was a hard stone and he struggled to sever her magic from her body. Astraea knew then that he would have to release Tethys and put all of his magic into destroying Aetius. His eyes snapped to the child and he warned, "Don't move." Releasing the hold he had on the pup, his attention turned fully to Aetius, the full strength of his magic surging into her.

It would be agonizingly painful for her, and no part of him felt regret for forcing her gem to separate from her body. He thought it might be quicker, a fast and decent death, but a slow, painful, messy death was a good one too.

(ok from Kate to keep posting!)

Graphic (gore)

He worked by severing the blood vessels, the tendons, and then pieces of her skin—was it truly so much work!? The hardest part would be to break the stone from her breastbone, so he worked to shatter that next. Was bone truly so troublesome!? There was a backlash from her own magic, a fighting instinct; he felt it as a sharp pain in his own stone, but he grimaced and worked through it.