[se] knee deep in forest rivers

Deimos There’d been other moments perhaps, but it’d been in the days of the Hollowed Grounds and confined wakes; before Hotaru’s involvement, hazardous and perilous adventures into icy caves, invasions, and wars. Perhaps it was only the Valkyrie’s intentions and his own modicums of political maneuverings (with hard lessons embedded in those distinctions) holding everything at bay – pettiness and spite still carved deeply into his bones. Dusting off the charcoal bits and ensuring nothing peeled away, his brows furrowed at the information provided. Turning over a new page, he didn’t miss the way Zuriel stared at the Flood, striding forward to linger at the Sword’s shoulder, as if the news bothered her as well. Clenching his jaw once more, his free hand reached out to pat his own companion, while beginning to take notes again. “A shame.” Not glancing at the sea panther, for his attentions meandered deeply into this concerning debacle, he started jotting the notions about the horned creatures. “Were they aggressive like all the others?” Out of sight and out of mind Make everything alright So let the sky and sea collide Just not in our lifetime

better get to diggin' while my body's getting cold.
i keep tryna fight it so just promise when i go, you'll bury me low

A pang of sadness blooms in Sunjata’s chest as he makes eye contact with Zuriel as she approaches, one that’s mirrored in Petronella’s own feelings as Deimos doesn’t even look at her while patting his own companion. She settles back on Sunjata’s shoulders and the Flood reaches up to scratch behind her ears as her paws press against his chest and her tail curls on the opposite side around his neck. “It is.” Sunjata agrees, before his attention flickers back toward Deimos.

“I haven’t noticed that they seek out prey like the river stars do. But they do and have been spreading more of the affliction.” Sunjata hums a small sigh, recalling the trail he’d followed of deadened flowers and a sick sense of despair in his gut, ensuring that he stayed far enough away from it to not get sliced by the sharpened horn, unsure what kind of disaster that might prove to be.

SUNJATA

Deimos The news contorted its way through him with more misgivings than calculations; wondering, vaguely, if unicorns could be affected, then what of his own? What of other companions? What if they had been put upon Caido, somehow, someway, to simply spread the vileness? Memories of both the blight and the disease to come after rankled on the edges of his mind, and the damned and doomed repeat scratched at the walls of his ribs. Though he hadn’t witnessed, nor heard, of any spread, Deimos had certainly seen the likes o multiple monsters hovering from a distance in Halo – his hunting parties had been taking care of what they could, but the inkling that something could still happen set the trepidations at the forefront. He jotted down several more notes, jaw clenching all the while, easing away from spite and pettiness simply for the sharing of information before something else snapped. “Spreading to more humans? Or animals?” Out of sight and out of mind Make everything alright So let the sky and sea collide Just not in our lifetime

better get to diggin' while my body's getting cold.
i keep tryna fight it so just promise when i go, you'll bury me low

It’s a similar worry that he’d realized when he’d talked to Hadama about it, the sudden realization that if it affected the regular run of the mill unicorns of King’s End, did it stop when encountering companions or was it something that would eventually cause them to succumb to it too? A thought that’s had him keeping Petronella out of the way, ensuring her safety after what happened to Haai.

“Animals and plants, as far as I know. No reports of transferring to humans, though we’ve kept our distance when removing them.” So there wasn’t a chance to find out – though that was the kind of experimenting the Flood wished to do. Likely for the best. “Any new appearances in Halo?” He asks out of curiosity, wondering how far the spread in a cold climate like the mountains would go.

SUNJATA

Deimos His hand paused, beginning to restlessly tap the charcoal against the paper until it made little darkened indentations into the parchment. His jaw couldn’t quite unclench itself, not when there were hordes of more worries upon the horizon, and that Safrin’s warnings had prepared them for something – but guarding against disease, and whatever else to come, was far more difficult than the more simplistic refrains of war. Another notion slid through his mind, and held there for a series of machinations – perhaps intermingling with all the dread and consternations cycling back through. “Have any gone into the Refuge?” He expected the other inquiry – easier to answer, though just as alarming. A long breath slid through his chest, and Belial wound around his boots, hooting quietly. “I have seen frostblooms and ursurs affected. Reports of corrupted frost foxes and luxere have been coming through too. I would not be surprised if there were others as well.” And all they could do was cull before something else occurred. Out of sight and out of mind Make everything alright So let the sky and sea collide Just not in our lifetime

better get to diggin' while my body's getting cold.
i keep tryna fight it so just promise when i go, you'll bury me low

“Some have been reported crossing over. Though, the refuge never kept out regular animals.” So it makes sense to him that it wouldn’t change anything with the refuge, but it does bring that sly realization that the refuge power’s and abilities don’t return the creatures back to their original state (though the question begs to answer whether typical magical creatures lost their abilities within too, a fact that Sunjata doesn’t know.)

A frown blooms on his face at the mention of frost blooms and ursurs affected by the affliction, more voided messes coming out of the woodwork in ways that Sunjata was growing increasingly uncomfortable with. “I'm hoping that the numbers start to die down.”

SUNJATA

Deimos The news left him silent – processing the information as a whole. He wasn’t entirely familiar with the Refuge’s inner workings, save for the time they’d all met as leaders and demigods when Safrin’s initial warning had come through. It’s impact on his own soul had been uncomfortable, strange, and foreign; to be without the powers he’d come to know well. “Did they look altered at all when they came in?” Perhaps it’d been too difficult to tell – but all of this made him even more apprehensive about sending any of his own towards the Refuge for safekeeping, if it came down to that. The unknown beckoned and clawed, and while they were trying to wind their way through any miniscule details they could surmise, everything else persisted in looming, large and foreboding. Taking another low, slow breath and glancing towards the river, he watched as another series of bubbles began, several yards away. And while it caught Belial’s attention, Deimos’s own command kept him from doing anything but staring. “Same. We have been sending out multiple hunting parties.” Out of sight and out of mind Make everything alright So let the sky and sea collide Just not in our lifetime

better get to diggin' while my body's getting cold.
i keep tryna fight it so just promise when i go, you'll bury me low

He hadn’t been there to see it personally, so he tries to recall what the reports said. “Not that the reports said.” He offers, before supplementing it with a follow up. “I’m not sure if it numbs regular animal magic and abilities, though, in all fairness.” It had been wholly a human barrier, focused on Ascended, Abandoned, Attuned, Accepted, and demigods.

A frown crosses his face at the mention of hunting parties, though, agreement rumbling in the confines of his throat before he exhales a sigh. And because he’s with Hotaru now and it’s likely he’d find out one way or another, Sunjata offers another small tidbit. “I would wait on sending anyone or utilizing the Refuge until we’ve finished our tests. The woman that Remi encountered, her name is Dahlia. Remi wants me to test the Refuge on her to see if it works. Which means it will need some adjustments either way, whether to fix it so it does deaden her abilities or hide it away so she can’t find it again.” His nose wrinkles with the amount of work and the danger of it all, complete with a soft little mewl from Petronella as she tries to relieve the upset suddenly burning in Sunjata’s gut with a wet smoosh of a headbutt against his temple.

SUNJATA

Deimos With not enough information on the notions, Deimos was forced to simply nod, jotting down additional thoughts and inquiries, pondering if they’d ever be truly answered. Perhaps it wouldn’t matter in the long run, but with the impact and so little details coming from it save from catastrophe, the granules were what they clung to. Though he didn’t expect any manner of sophisticated testing going on within the confines of King’s End. He arched his brow at the explanation, though not from the Remi portions. “I have put her poster, description, and a warning on our notice board.” So, at the very least, Halovians could use ample caution when approaching anyone with similar distinctions. He could hope she’d never set foot near them, but he also knew what Caido did with such aspirations. “Noted,” he offered at first – the intentions hadn’t been distinct in sending anyone to the Refuge, but just the possibility of any ‘in case’ proceedings. It sounded like a massive undertaking though – and he couldn’t help but narrow his eyes at the river churning again, at the potential risk to Hotaru… “Will you be sending everyone elsewhere while you test?” Out of sight and out of mind Make everything alright So let the sky and sea collide Just not in our lifetime

better get to diggin' while my body's getting cold.
i keep tryna fight it so just promise when i go, you'll bury me low

Perhaps in addition to the task from Dahlia, capturing a void creature and a typical magical creature and placing them side by side in the Refuge to see what happened to them would be beneficial as well – a though that he puts away for later now that the conversation has passed.

“That’s good.” King’s End still didn’t have a notice board at the present moment, but it helped to not have her picture blasted up for those to see if he was intending on luring her there. After? He’d absolutely start to spread it out. But first things first, the testing of it. Something that Deimos notes and Sunjata feels a fraction of relief fall from his broad shoulders.

For sending everyone elsewhere, Sunjata nods. “She likely can’t harm the entire region, but, aside from those that know what’s happening and wish to be within the Refuge itself, I’ve told them to avoid the Refuge until we know.” Now, he couldn’t stop anyone that was dead set on going in there, but he could warn them. “I intend on making it as inconspicuous as possible so she doesn’t need to fight.” Because he, selfishly, could very well be killed in trying to find out.

SUNJATA

Deimos Considering the implications of Remi’s difficulty with her, Deimos wouldn’t put it past the woman. In his line of work, and over multiple lifetimes, he’d learned very quickly not to underestimate anyone – especially in Caido, where even the smallest of prey still had a knack for protection and opportunity. If she’d figured out she could halt the Lullaby in his tracks, why cease with the rest of them? The concern lanced and knit through his brows, but with the situation well out of his control, save for the way they were implementing offenses and defenses around Halo, the most he could do was contemplate and dread. “All right,” he surmised, adding another line to his notes, knowing he’d have to spread word to Evie and the rest of his citizens. The Sword snorted at the implication of other things though, some sort of blackened humor through all of the potential turmoil. “You are just going to lure her in?” Out of sight and out of mind Make everything alright So let the sky and sea collide Just not in our lifetime

better get to diggin' while my body's getting cold.
i keep tryna fight it so just promise when i go, you'll bury me low

At the very least, the information flows easily between them and Sunjata feels a tightness in his chest release at the idea of it. So long as more people knew to wait before attempting to utilize the Refuge, the easier this task would be and the understanding of being able to ask Frey how to adjust it.

Nodding at the question, though, Sunjata idly scratches Petronella’s scaled fur beneath her chin. “Yeah. I met her I think when she had just arrived. So I’m pretending as though I don’t know who exactly she is to invite her in like acquaintances, see if it works, then send her on her way.” The most inconspicuous Sunjata could make it, the better. And if it meant he had to play dumb and stupid? He would.

SUNJATA

Deimos Sunjata had been renowned for his, at best, foolish plans, in the past. Remi insisting the Flood lead the charge, or the lure, didn’t surprise him, perhaps because the Lullaby knew the man would do it, but the Sword considered all of this with narrowed eyes, that turned into a widened gaze, and a measure of slow blinks, as if perhaps he hadn’t heard the entire thing correctly. Zuriel snorted, as if to inwardly acknowledge that his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him, and he would have to relent that there were portions of people that simply wouldn’t alter. After another long breath, in which he tied over hordes of words threatening to brim over the surface, he simply jotted something else down, unrelated to this conversation but certainly not to whatever was brimming in the water nearby (more bubbles had immersed, and perhaps a fin). The Sword managed something else altogether. “Do you have a way of evasion, if it does not go well?” Out of sight and out of mind Make everything alright So let the sky and sea collide Just not in our lifetime

better get to diggin' while my body's getting cold.
i keep tryna fight it so just promise when i go, you'll bury me low

He’s already aware the idea isn’t smart. But there’s no other option he can think of. Truthfully, had Remi not asked him to get involved, then there would be no chance he’d be caught doing what he intends to. And yet, here he is, bearing an eager streak to try and prove himself these days. To prove that he’s different even if half the time he’s falling into the same clutches.

At least the motivations are different.

Petronella mews again and her large paws start to stretch and paw at Sunjata’s shoulder, though he keeps her exactly where she is as the bubbles return, unsure what sits below the surface. “Hard to have one when no magic works within it.” Otherwise he could have a variety of items at his disposal to help. “I just have to hope that I can play nice enough to not tip her off.” His nose wrinkles with distaste, clear that he doesn’t want to do it, but feeling as though he doesn’t have a choice.

SUNJATA