The temperature had dropped—perhaps not enough for others to explicitly notice, but Astraea was keenly aware that something had changed. It did not feel dire, though, so he took his time moving through Orion and toward Polaris. There was a small sense of dread, in that he may have to deal with something, but hopefully it would all work out for the better. It did not feel like Tenzin's cold, so there was an ounce of disappointment that he would not secretly be meeting the phoenix. He could, of course, always go and meet him anytime without a reason—but then that'd feel like admitting something.

He bit a small portion of his lip and grumbled to himself. It was something he'd pigeonhole for now, the unwanted tug and loneliness putting him in a sour mood. It was strange, still, to have his thoughts and mind so free and empty of his partner's presence; to be alone.

@Temperantia

Temperantia hovered, wings close, perched on the roof of a building. One time had eaten away at. The pale lights of Orion reflected off Temperantia's eyes. Quartz, Pride had called them. But Temperantia had not seen quartz that naturally glowed. Had it been baubled, like they could do individually? But on a mass scale? Temperantia hummed. It was a lot for one individual to do.

As they mulled on it, there was a noise. Somewhere further below, the click of hooves on stone echoed beneath them. Temperantia's first thought was that it had been Pride. Temperantia had been meaning to speak with the deer as of late. They spread their wings, and prepared to descend to the deer's level. Their gaze floated down. But Temperantia's eyes did not reach white fur. There, below them, was brown fur and blooming mushrooms. Temperantia inhaled sharply. Their wings shook. Astraea. Temperantia descended then. Not gently, but quickly. They landed behind Astraea's trail. Eyes narrowed.

"Astraea." They said. Temperantia was quiet, but turbulent. Air rushed in and out of their lungs. They struggled to put words to all of their anger. And then, like floodgates opening, it was all out. "You--you murderer. Family ruiner." But was that truly Temperantia's family? "Vile--you're the reason we were torn from Mother. We--" Temperantia didn't know how to go on. But they also couldn't stop talking. Thoughts that they had felt decided on felt raw and untouched, like a scar split.


"Why? You are--you have no concept of morality. You should be using your abilities to help us. And yet, you murder lessers without a second thought. You ask for children to be separated from their parents. Separated for some creature that threatens us, one we don't even know exists. We..." Temperantia trailed off, unsure of what else to say. But still fuming.

"When I speak."

When I think.

@Game Master CJ

The quiet rustle of wings had him turn an ear, but his name demanded more attention than just idle listening. He paused, head turning to view the hovering ring in one smooth motion. Ah. This one he had seen at the meeting, yes. It had... opinions. As if the thought had summoned them, they came boiling up and out of the creature in a sputtering burst of words.

Murderer? Yes. Family ruiner? Well, someone might say so. Briefly, his lip smirked at a quick memory of Dawa whining to him and Tenzin when they forbade her from seeing Raheerah. Aaah yes. Such the family poo-poo head he was. Vile. Hmm. But Mother?

The Hive?

Suddenly, his smirk fell to make way for tightened lips as understanding washed over him. Still, the ring went on. An exhausted sigh rattled from his lungs and he took a careful inhale before beginning to speak.

"Her presence exists somewhere, still. I have not yet found all of the little pieces to demolish, but I can smell the influence of order leaking through crevices in the rocks," he said cooly. "So if you are so lost without something controlling your every thought, then yes, go and find her—Mother." His eyes narrowed. "But know you are not being welcomed into a family. It is a hungry hivemind, no part of it is female and no part of it is a mother. It simply is, as it was created to be: a hub, a brain, a collective of weak individuals that can create a stronger whole. It is scattered, not just here, but everywhere, by an influencer who would sooner see you die for his cause than nourish you at his teat." His breath nearly failed him as the last of the words came out, his voice rising on accident.

A sharp inhale this time. "Lessers are food. They were created as such. They live in an infinite cycle of being born, being eaten, and being born again," he explained coldly. "And no, I said you could raise your children. If they passed set tests before them, they may be exalted to a higher demand, promoted, if you will—to serve outside of the caves. To be free." Well, not exactly. But the ring was gullible enough to believe some random fungus-like organism was its mother. He shuddered to know the Hive was still lingering about in secret corners, that his nasty little fingers were still clutching at edges of the nest.

But at the last line, that some creature might not exist, his smirk returned.

"Oh? Would you like to meet Him?" He could arrange that. The ring made him feel particularly spiteful, diverging him from his duties only to bark at him about things it did not fully understand. This was really getting to be a dull encounter, over and over again. "Ooh! Astraea! You're such a jerk!" and never, "Ooh, Astraea! Why are you the way that you are? Are you okay?"

@Temperantia
introducing: table mode, shit's real now

Temperantia could not interpret Astraea's smirk. The first idea they went to was some sort of smug, cold thought. Stealing children, perhaps. And then Astraea went on. Dismantling everything Temperantia thought they knew about Mother. Confirming some of Pride's own statements. But no--Pride had been brainwashed by Astraea as well. Hadn't he? For what other reason had he invited the red deer?

"You lie." Temperantia said, a wall against the horrors. for they could not believe all that Astraea spouted. It was cold. To believe that Mother was under the possession of a higher being. A formless thing, not even thinking, set on the caves to enact some being's will. No, she had thoughts. She shared her thoughts and her love with them all. Even if her methods were unsavory, she was better than him. She had to be. But then the thought struck.

What if Mother had been created by Astraea? In some plot to divide gembound. Create hate of unity.
"She strove for unity and peace--was that such a horrible concept? I do not believe Mother was created by some...thing. Unless you created her with that purpose. To distance gembound from Unity. Further your own, devious plans."

The rise in voice, fear? Rage? A simple voice crack? "Lessers. They are better than that. They live and think. A cycle of constant death--that is a cruel fate to bestow on anything. One I do not put above you." They hissed the last word. They doubted a creature that spoke so coldly would have an ounce of empathy within.

But...as Astraea went on, there was promise of freedom. Not even for them. But for those that came after them. It was..tempting. But Astraea could have been lying. Back at the meeting, Astraea had misled them all. Tried to teach them 'writing' and 'reading'.

Temperantia's eyes narrowed. Meeting 'Him'? A threat? Most likely. A bluff. "he? We doubt 'he' even exists. A bogeyman you made. A story to keep gembound in line like cycle old children. Distract them from real threats. None we have talked to have seen 'him.' Except for you. Do you plan to simply trick us? Isolate us, and use the opportunity to kill us? But if 'he' is real, then fine, we will see him with our own eyes." And if he does exist, Temperantia was sure they had to be better than Astraea. 'He' created beings of unity. Things Astraea destroyed. "We will meet him. But if he does exist, we think you a craven old deer. And if not, one with a power complex."

"When I speak."

When I think.

@Game Master CJ

"You lie." Was it so hard to listen to someone else, and maybe consider that they were telling truths, and that the other being had told them lies and brainwashed them? His ears were cupped as he listened to the ring go on about unity and peace, and how nice that would be, and how, somehow, he might have created Mother from his own dark recesses.

"Absolutely not," he said quickly, exhaling air in a short huff. He might be controlling, but he was nowhere near the level that Fate was driving them toward. Drilling into their heads and placing a small chip in their brains to control them. Ludicrous. Disgusting. It made his skin crawl to even imagine himself as one of them, the side of brainwashed slaves, entire kidnapped colonies...! Just like it had tried to do to the Gembounds!

When the angel ring went on about the lessers, he nodded. "I agree, it is a cruel fate," he said, "but a necessary one." Unfortunate as it was, anyway. There was a reason they could not speak and use magic to the degree that the Gembounds could; a reason they were lesser. It was in the name!

The eyes along the ring all narrowed, and again, it prattled on about how a higher being could not and did not exist. He waited, patient, until they were done speaking and finally agreed to meet Him. The ring had not seen Dhracia then, he assumed, as some other Gembounds had. Unlucky for both of them, for now it'd have to meet something worse.

He turned fully now, taking several steps toward them and nodding in the direction beyond.

"This way then, to Tunnel K. We can speak more along the way," he said, stepping out to lead the way. "What is your name, if I may ask?" He hadn't caught it at the meeting, he was sure, and they hadn't said it yet.

"As much as it feels chaotic—because a lot of it is chaotic—I do strive for unity and peace among you," he said after a moment, his voice soft and genuine. "It was why I did come to the meeting, to try and answer questions and shed light on some of your concerns." His head turned slightly to glance at them. "You also spoke this way then, that my actions were immoral. Yes, sometimes I am overwhelmed and I lash out, but I'm..." he trailed off, returning his eyes forward. "I deal with a lot of my own problems, too." Not that anybody seemed to ever care! "But that is not an excuse, hm? I do agree I need to work on my anger, but I'm pretty comfortable with my morals."

@Temperantia

Temperantia watched the deer closely as Temperantia went on their small rant. The deer had a stone-like face, the only emotion the flick of its ears. And then, when Astraea spoke once more, it was a quick 'absolutely not'. It gave the ring momentary pause. Astraea seemed so assured about his lack of role. But how could Temperantia be sure it wasn't all lies? The creator's words about lessers did not give Temperantia hope. There was sure to be another way. Another way for gembound to derive sustenance from the land, without the necessity for murder. Temperantia was able.

Astraea's body turned. Temperantia was jolted from their thoughts. They flapped, floating backwards. They were prepared to be attacked by the evil creature. To be forced to go down fighting. They were not built for combat--but Temperantia would be sure to give Astraea an earful as they were taken down. They doubted the Seven would even hear of how they died. And then, to their shock, Astraea agreed to take them to see 'Him'. Temperantia blinked. Shook out their wings.

"Thats it?"Temperantia had expected a confession of villainous acts. A confession to an attempt at murder. But instead, Astraea seemed content to humor them. To take Temperantia to see...whatever 'He' was. "You're just giving in? Taking us to see 'him'?"

There was a smooth exhale, a wheeze through spiracles. Temperantia had not expected to get this far. Temperantia had been content to simply yell at Astraea. "Fine then. We will see your bogeyman."


Temperantia waited until the deer passed them, and then, sure they were safe from attack, followed. Temperantia had heard of Tunnel K from Pride, yet had never gone down there themselves. "Temperantia."Came its name, unsure, after long seconds of deliberation. Temperantia was too flabbergasted by the turn of events to deny their name. Astraea held no malice in his voice. And whatever Astraea's goals, Temperantia's name would not make much of a difference. Given Astraea seemed...content to listen to Temperantia, they would try to enact change. Make things better for the gembound that surrounded them. A different approach, then.

"Gembound suffer so much in the caves. If you strive for peace, then how do you allow this? We have learned there are those who force gembound into a cave called 'Hydra'. For killing. Two of our own--a Wolf and a Panther were murdered there. Fireheart and Nassir. They gave their lives trying to protect others. They share the goals we posses. Can you not seal it?"

The honesty, the commitment to do better. It shocked Temperantia. "You...make strides. We appreciate this. There is always the chance for redemption. To...improve on actions. And morals." Then another beat of silence. "Yet you do not act on other issues. You know much. Unless you lie. We wonder how you know this. All of the things you've said. Are you speaking the truth? Or not telling us enough of it?"

Temperantia's attention turned to the land around them. If this were some attempt on their life. A plot well concealed, Temperantia would need all the strength they could muster. They began to draw from the land. Grass and shrubs wilted around them, drawing the strength of the land around to their own body.

"When I speak."

When I think.

@Game Master CJ

"That's it? You're just giving in?" A quick, airy laughter escaped him. "I'm being cooperative," he answered back quickly. "It pleases you to get answers, yes? The most direct I can provide is to see Him for yourself." This bogeyman. His head half-turned to view the ring, make sure it was following, and he offered a small smile when they agreed to come along. Its name came next: Temperantia. What a mouthful. They agreed to come along on what could potentially be a perilous journey, and for that he was grateful. He'd never purposefully programmed gullibility into their hearts, but this new wave of Gembounds were rife with unnecessary additions.

But then came the rest, a whole flood of words and accusations, some of which made him genuinely flinch. Why had he been so late to the party? He frowned just thinking about the lost years he spent under the thumb of someone else. As he listened to the complaint about Hyrda, he slowed in his pace so that he could turn to view them wholly.

"Hyrda is necessary—it was our way to test those willing to ascend. If they could survive Hydra, they would survive the outside worlds. In here, you are pampered. In Hyrda, you are given merciful tasks. Outside? It is not merciful, not in the slightest. Dying to a trial is far more desirable than dying elsewhere," he explained, solemn tones genuine. He turned back now, continuing to lead the way. "At least those that die in Hydra are allowed to rest. They are not reborn to die again. Outside? Beyond?" His tone dropped, and he finished quietly: "It is endless. You are weak, you die; you are risen to die again."

To think Dhracia had taken Dawa when She took Raheerah. It twisted his heart, it twisted his face: a quiet, brief shudder of air left his lungs, some hint that he may have sobbed over this very thought before. Cried his tiny red eyes out against the feathers of his partner.

To think their daughter would be subject to such torment. He hated that. He hated that with all of his guts, all of his magic, all of his life-force. He hated that with everything he had. But so it was. They had failed to protect her and this was their punishment.

"Fireheart and Nassir," he echoed after a moment of self-woe. "The previous trial was not necessarily a normal one, it has only happened a few times. As such, their stones may be recoverable. It is worth searching, perhaps I can ask." His head turned slightly to view Temperantia. "What were their stones?"

When Temperantia mentioned there was always the chance for redemption, he offered them a sad smile and turned back around. Well, that was nice to hold in his thoughts, but he didn't really know about that. However, when the winged one mentioned other issues that he did not act on, or might not know of, his ears perked suddenly and he turned to ask: "Like what?"

Ugh. Those words sank a weight into his chest. What else was happening in the nest that he didn't know about?!

@Temperantia

"That is...what we want.Temperantia said. They floated in place for a moment. Red flags should've been flashing. But Temperantia's abject naivety overpowered their paranoia. Eyes locked onto the deer's back, trying to stare secrets and hidden meaning from Astraea's fungus ridden hide. But there was nothing to glean. Until--a flinch. And then the deer turned.

Temperantia was content to listen, suspicously, but listening, until Astraea implied--no, outright said they were pampered. "We are not pampered," It said, voice ending in vitriol. A hiss and a spit. "You are wrong. You do not understand the struggles of gembound. If we were pampered as you said, there would be no need for us. We--and the Seven, to protect gembound. Save them from Masters. From the wars that break out, and the creatures that wish to murder us. Things we do not understand exist in this cave. Malicious things. Golems. Worms. Many others." They floated after Astraea, a tumult of wing flaps.

Their thoughts drifted to tunnel K once again. The strange tunnel Temperantia had not experienced. The same with the trials, and Hydra. A risk into the cave was the next idea that presented itself to the angel. To learn about the dangerous cave. The place where many gembound died. To endure the same things that those before it had. To learn about its' enemies. As Temperantia did here. "The wolf--Fireheart." Temperantia began, finally replying to Astraea. "Their gemstone was a Clinohumite. The other...the panther. We do not remember." They admitted. A mark of shame for them. "The panther's stone was pale. Within their tail. We did not know them well. Either of them. But any death is a horror."

Temperantia, then, thought of Astraea's bleak outlook on life and death. Perhaphs it was Temperantia's naivety, their youth, but they could not imagine eternal rebirth being bad.
"Eternal rebirth seems to us, a blessing. You rise, after death, to see your friends once more. You will always encounter them."

Temperantia finally noticed Astraea then. The deer seemed in the midst of recalling some experience. Judging by its face, not an enjoyable one. Temperantia studied Astraea's face. The deer let out a shuddering exhale.
"Yet we have not experienced this cycle. Perhaps you have more experience."

Astraea's smile had Temperantia thinking, perhaphs they had gotten through to the deer. Convinced them of Temperantia's ideals. It was relieving. They could understand Pride slightly better now. And then Astraea asked them about other happenings. It blindsided the angel. They thought. They hadn't been expecting Astraea to dig. To ask questions. Other issues...Temperantia tried to dig through their memories for one. Ah. "There is a being who tricks gembound into...can tracts. Makes them kill for him." Temperantia was sure that was the right way to say that. "He also leads them into Hydra... there are two of them, perhaphs." Concepts clicked in the wheel's mind. "You know him? Them?" And there was the unasked question, could Astraea do anything about them?

"When I speak."

When I think.

@Game Master CJ

He listened carefully to their words, parsing each sentence, each word, and smiled briefly when Temperantia argued that they were not pampered. They continued, detailing the reasons why they thought this, and he nodded absently to show he was listening.

"It is telling that you miscontrue our efforts. Indeed, you are pampered, and you assume hardships to mean that you are not. You do not know otherwise, and that is not your fault, but just because you suffer some does not mean that you are not pampered. You are spared much, and live mercifully forgiving lives down here in the nest," he explained, his voice soft but stern. "The malicious things you speak of that live here are merely living on instinct, just as you are," he added, flicking an ear.

"You have not met malicious," he growled, voice tearing on the rumble in his throat as his mind pictured something specific, personal. Red eyes briefly turned to the angel, a grimace tightening his lips. "Malicious is whoever took a baby girl—a baby, Temperantia, a defenseless blind, stupid, newborn baby—and cursed her with an eternal life of pain. The air? Burns her skin. The most gentle touch? Bruises her for weeks. Even walking—her feet, the vibrations of her feet on the ground—send painful responses up her entire spine. That's malicious. Nothing you do can spare her tears, nothing you do can help her; even cradling her in your arms makes her uncomfortable. You pay your life's worth of weight in gold to someone who weaves her a blessed cloth, so that she may know warmth without the feeling of her skin peeling free—you pay this person anything, everything you have, so that your daughter can smile, just once, in her sleep."

A shudder. A crack in his voice. The swallowing of a lump—anger, sadness, perhaps both—and his gaze left her again, facing forward, moving on.

"But even in the face of a so-called malicious Fate, we try to pamper you as best as we are able." As best as they deserved, which was nowhere near what Dawa deserved. And he'd failed her, too, twice to the same Hand.

He tucked the information about the Clinohumite, Fireheart, into the back of his mind, nodding to this, but not promising anything. As for the panther, he could do his best with a description, but probably not much. Either way, he'd have them searched for, if only as an extra bout to please the angel and turn them from the Hive.

Their understanding of rebirth was faulty, but he shrugged, ready to say more until the angel admitted they had not experienced it in the way that Astraea was talking about. He chewed on the thought a moment, mouth opening to reply, before closing again with nothing but a sigh. Yeah. It was kind of like that: not really worth it. With a quiet voice he said, "I hope you never have to experience it."

He considered their words for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, the Collector," he answered, beginning to move again, but unsure why this was presented as an issue he may not know about. "Such is his job, sometimes," he continued, thinking. "And he does not always ask for murder on those contracts, but he does enjoy... hm, the test. Sometimes they are riddles, and not meant to be murders, but there are always those who will think first of murder before anything else." His tail flicked. "And if you consider the contracts as sort of mini-trials, like those in Hydra, then the interpretation and chosen answer are considered either for or against the specific Gembound."

They entered the tunnel and he looked back briefly to make sure Temperantia was still following, even if the atmosphere would turn unwelcoming.

"The place we are going is an altar," he began. "It is a dark place and you will hear whispers, you may feel hands reaching out to touch you but are not there—it is uncomfortable, maybe, for Gembounds. But it will be okay, this I promise you." His voice and his expression were genuine. They were before the Hole now, its crawling whispers reaching out to them, beckoning them in. "Are you ready?"

@Temperantia

Temperantia wanted to protest. Astraea had not lived in Temperantia's place. Seen the things Temperantia did. But Astraea knew of this and more. They could not dispute that. A brief, disgruntled noise came from them. Unable to shake their head no, an eye occasionally narrowed. And then Astraea began to speak of a Child. Temperantia listened. Quiet, yet eyes widening. Darting away from Astraea as they listened.

"We..." Temperantia said, unsure how to reply to that. All of that. Temperantia was silent for a good while. Gathering their thoughts. Trying to form a reply, any reply. It sounded a life of torture. One temperantia couldnt imagine. They rarely felt much through their carapace. Astraea's emotion on the subject left Temperantia feeling stupefied. A creature they had regarded with such contempt, the supposed antithesis to their morals, laying itself so bare.

Confessing to such suffering. They said nothing through the cracks in Astraea's voice. The shudders. Even as Astraea went on to speak on sparing the gembound within the caves, Temperantia was silent. And then, finaly "We... cannot deny. We have seen nothing like that. We-no, no child should suffer like that. We are...sorry."

Even as they said it, Temperantia did not know what they were apologizing for. For the child's life? For not being there to stop it? For not being able to help? Temperantia felt as if they should've done something. Been there. They existed to mend--to protect. To fix. Their purpose, now, was prevent that from happening once again."We will prevent anyone from suffering like that." They said. Their voice was sure.

Temperantia barely parsed Astraea's words on rebirth. They had found a new obsession. Planning, plotting. Thinking of ways to prevent a fate as Astraea's daughter had suffered from happening again. Temperantia would have the answer. They could solve suffering. They could prevent ills. Their life's work was to protect. The name of the Collector drew Temperantia from their looping thoughts. It was almost a relief, being able to think of other things.

Guilt embedded itself within Temperantia, like a fragment of glass. They pulled through the feeling. Eyes back on Astraea. Listening closely. The Collector now, a sure enemy. The more they knew, the better they felt. The Collector was an easy obstacle to understand. A causer of suffering. Something to be hated, without moral reprecussions. But to hear Astraea defend his actions. "We disagree," they said. Softer than their earlier accusations.

"They pit gembound against each other. There are...we can make less cruel ways to perform trials. We believe." As Temperantia spoke, they felt the starlight from Orion faded. Slowly replaced with the choking silence and the deep dark. They felt the chill coalesce on to their wings. This was tunnel K. They had not been here. Had heard of it, and seen it of course.


Temperantia studied Astraea's face. Searching for malice. Any sign of betrayl. They folded their wings completely, then closed their eyes. Silent, drifting back and forth, thinking. They would have to report this to Pride when they were done. Astraea claimed that Temperantia would be safe, but... "We do not fear." Temperantia said. They snapped their wings in a show of confidence. One that was surface deep. There was a feeling, now, that Astraea...perhaphs...had been telling the truth. The wings closed slowly. They saw, then, the Hole. The place darker than even the tunnel. A thing Temperantia believed impossible."We will see your... 'Him'. Whoever 'He' is, whoever, or whatever lurks down there, we are ready."

They could hear-no. Because that wasn't the right word. Temperantia could feel noises from below. As if they were words. Just faint enough they couldn't make them out. Temperantia strained themselves to understand them. These were the whispers Astraea had mentioned. There were no hands. Nothing touching it. It gave them confidence. Like the whispers, and the hands that Astraea spoke of, they felt now there was a solid chance He was real. And were that so, were He real, Temperantia had many complaints.

Many things to share--things that Temperantia believed they could change. If He would just listen to Temperantia. But no, Temperantia was sure that He would. A being that powerful--surely all that was required was a heart to heart. Perhaps Temperantia could change His mind. And through that, change things in the cave. For the better. The idea excited them. With little other words, they began to drift down the tunnel, descending into the Hole.


"When I speak."

When I think.