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 Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2022 11:09 pm
There was one person Kerberos could think of to turn to for help with the infection on his world. Lyndin had spoken more than once of things out there--things they weren't prepared for, things they needed to prepare for. Perhaps he might have some insight; surely a thousand years and more wandering the universe meant that he had seen things. Meant that he knew things.
Seeking Lyndin out seemed like a gamble, but the fortunate thing was that Kerberos had two Knight boyfriends, and so he could borrow Lyonesse's signet ring to send a letter.
Quote: Commodore Lyndin, I'm sorry to bother you, but I'd like to request your help with an urgent matter best discussed in person. Please meet me at the coordinates below at your convenience; I'm there most evenings, and it's a good place to talk. -Kerberos
He'd found and included the rough coordinates for his bench in North End Park, and that was where he waited--sometimes sitting, sometimes pacing anxiously. There was no aura to look out for, nothing to expect--just the hope that his friend arrived, and that maybe he might have some advice.
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2022 7:25 pm
It could have been a trap. Lyndin knew that it would have been easy to set him up. He wasn’t particularly familiar with how Knight messages worked, but Kerberos–if this was him–had found a way to get one to him. He’d considered the offer for a while, and for a bit he’d even thought he might ignore it. But. Something was nagging at him, worming its way through his mind until it was all he could think about. It didn’t take him more than half an hour after the message first arrived for Lyndin to decide that he would seek him out. He arrived with no fanfare; he’d made his way to Destiny City and went directly to the coordinates. Kerberos was easy enough to find. He seemed alone. So, Lyndin greeted him by name, and raised his hand in a standard wave. Not one to waste time, he asked, “What is so urgent?”
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Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2022 9:04 pm
A relieved smile drew itself across Kerberos's face when Lyndin came into view. There were no pleasantries, though, or gasps of relief, or dramatics--just the smile, and a return wave, and then Kerberos stood. There was no reason to hesitate.
It was urgent, as he'd said.
"There's something poisoning my planet," Kerberos said, with no preamble. "Some sort of Chaos infection, and it's killing my world." There was an almost-crack in his voice, the barest glimpse at the tidal wave of grief he was trying to hold back, at the thought of all the work he'd done being undone by some unknown enemy.
"I can't guess how it got there, but it seems to have rooted itself deep--and I thought, since you have much more experience with the wider universe, you might have some idea as to how I could remove it."
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Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2022 9:26 pm
Lyndin’s frown was prominent despite no wrinkles appearing on his face as his lips tugged downward. He might not say it out loud, but Kerberos’ world was special to him. It had life, in a sea of lifelessness. It was the first glimpse of something good since all of this happened. “Have you found the source of it? You should start there. Is it a Chaos you are familiar with, or one foreign to you?” He might have been unreadable emotionally, but there was no questioning his willingness to tackle the issue. He seemed to be treating it as if an attack on his own soil–with seriousness and a keen desire for immediate resolution.
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Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2022 12:25 am
"It's rooted to the First Flower, as best I can tell," Kerberos said, "a sacred plant that, so my people believed, was the, uh. First asphodel on our world. So--it's a pretty important place. And I think it felt foreign? But it was so...." Kerberos shivered.
It was hard to think of it, how sick he'd felt coming in contact with it.
"It was oppressive. And awful. But it didn't feel like anything I recognized."
Kerberos felt relieved, though, in Lyndin's presence. There was something calming, he supposed, about being able to talk the problem out with someone with a thousand years' worth of experience, and who was straight to the point on the matter. No hemming or hawing or circling the emotional drain--just direct questions. It was nice, because it let him try his best to focus on that himself.
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Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2022 1:44 pm
Lyndin nodded and drew in a breath as he considered the information he’d been given. “Don’t be reckless while investigating. If it’s any sort of Chaos that’s infesting your world, it’s dangerous. Your energy comes from your world so you’re the most susceptible to whatever is trying going to take root. If it can corrupt your world, trust that it can corrupt you. Don’t take chances. Don’t go up there unless you’ve got backup.” His brows had furrowed just slightly now and it was clear that he was thinking deeply, and quickly. “I don’t know if you can get me a sample, but chances are if you’re close enough to that, you’re in enough danger as is. All Chaos has a root, it doesn’t just manifest out of nothingness. Take someone else up there, see if they can get a different read. You might be oversensitive to it. You’d be more susceptible if it’s worked its way into any source of power on your world. Don’t let it fester. The more energy it has, the more it will grow. It will feed on everything it can until there’s nothing left. The faster you can target it, the better chance you have of eradicating it.”
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Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2022 4:10 am
Kerberos nodded along with Lyndin's advice. It was all practical, straightforward, and exactly what he had been looking for. Moreover, there was no sense of fatality--this didn't doom him, didn't doom his world. Just an understanding of the dangers posed and the risks ahead of him.
"I'm definitely not going to fight it alone again," he said. "I've got no doubt it'd be a losing battle, and I'm not risking dying." Not like that. Not when he could make the much smarter choice and face it with other people.
...Though his list of allies was a bit thin, all things considered. He would have to change that.
"I'm hoping that I've tracked down the root--or if I haven't, that it'll show itself quickly enough, once I go back with some backup. And I can try to get a sample, if any survives--if we're getting outside threats, it'd be beneficial to know as much as possible, so if something similar hits anyone else, they're prepared too." He let out a breath.
"Thank you. I knew you were the right person to turn to."
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Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2022 10:04 am
Lyndin nodded, partly because he was absorbing the information and partly because he was grateful for Kerberos’ ability to remain reasonable during all of this. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you to be careful, but I will. There are few here that I have the luxury of trusting, but I count you among them.” He had come to meet him, after all. And he had trusted him to visit his world, before. “Tell me when you have more information. If something is attacking worlds, I want to know.” If it was a threat to Kerberos, it might be a threat to Velencya, as well. Lyndin kept much of his motivations to himself and did not promise more than he could guarantee, but a threat to one world might be a threat to all worlds. The unknown was always dangerous.
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 12:54 am
It made Kerberos feel something warm, for Lyndin to say that he trusted him. That was...something precious, to be treasured.
"Thank you," he said. "I hope I continue living up to that trust. And--I promise. I'll be careful."
There was work to do, before he could return to his world. People to meet with,. Plans to make. And he'd have to remember to bring some Mason jars, the little ones, to collect samples in, if there were any left to collect.
"I'll contact you again once the situation is resolved." 'Or if it gets much worse,' Kerberos thought but didn't say. There was no need to be pessimistic in a moment like this.
He had a plan of action. He had advice. He could start working forward.
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