Alces: He sat hunched over inside a large black stone cage, feeling around the floor for any sign of nature he could manipulate on this magma planet. His body was badly beaten and bloody.
????: "I wouldn't try that, Valkun wouldn't be very happy with that." A very large dragnoid figure stood outside his cell with black scales and a red undertone. His armor was bright silver and heavily plated. For his size, he was rather friendly. "It's just not a good idea; we don't have life on this planet anymore."
Alces: His fingers brushed against nothing but scorched stone and ash. He clenched his hand slowly, withdrawing it to his chest. "I can feel it… the echoes of what once lived here. Even dead worlds remember." His voice was low, tired, but edged with defiance.
????: The dragnoid shifted his weight, the metal of his armor giving a dull clink. Heat rolled off his body in slow waves, yet his posture remained relaxed. "Memories won't grow roots, friend. Valkun made sure of that." He crouched slightly so his massive head was level with the bars. "This place was chosen because it starves beings like you."
Alces: He looked up then, eyes glowing faintly green against the darkness of the cage. "Then why keep me alive at all?"
????: The dragnoid hesitated, tail curling behind him. "Because killing you would make you a martyr. And Valkun hates martyrs almost as much as he hates losing control." A faint, apologetic rumble escaped his throat. "Besides… I was told to make sure you don't suffer more than necessary. We still-...He still needs Wiliaquo's location."
Alces: A bitter smile tugged at his lips. "You sound almost kind for a jailer on a dead magma world. Besides, I already told that jackass all I know..."
????: He let out a small, awkward chuckle. "Yeah, well, he doesn't exactly believe anything you say. Name's Darumith, by the way." He straightened, silver armor catching the lava glow.
Alces: He leaned back against the cold stone of the cage, folding his arms despite the heat rolling through the chamber. "Then he's chasing ghosts. Wiliaquo doesn't leave trails you can follow with fire and threats."
Darumith: He snorted softly, smoke curling from his nostrils as he glanced toward the distant lava flows. "I tried telling him that. Wind slips through cracks fire can't reach." His tail flicked once, uneasy. "But Valkun hears what he wants to hear."
Alces: His eyes narrowed. "And what is it he wants this time? Control? Vengeance?"
Darumith: He hesitated, claws scraping lightly against the stone floor before the cell. "Fear." He met Alces's gaze fully now. "If he can't rule the elements, he'll make sure they're too afraid to rise against him."
Alces: A quiet, humorless laugh escaped him. "Then he's already lost. Fear only lasts until hope remembers how to breathe."
Darumith: The dragnoid's expression tightened at that, something conflicted flashing behind his molten eyes. He straightened again, armor gleaming harshly. "Careful. Words like that get people erased around here."
Alces: He shrugged slightly. "Good thing I'm already caged on a dead world."
Valkun: He stormed into the room, a hooded figure trailing right behind him. "Move." He shoved Darumith to the side, banging on the cage. "Alright, if you won't just tell us where he is, I brought someone who will make you."
Darumith: He stumbled as Valkun shoved past him, claws scraping against the stone to keep his balance. His jaw tightened, but he said nothing, retreating a step as the heat in the room surged.
Alces: He lifted his head as the banging echoed through the cage, eyes narrowing. "Always so subtle, Valkun."
Galacor: He removed his hood and knelt before the cage, the soft whir of mechanisms audible as the gears embedded in his cheeks rotated. His gaze locked onto Alces for barely a heartbeat before he straightened slightly. "He doesn't know."
Valkun: He laughed sharply, the sound bouncing off the obsidian walls. The fire along his shoulders flared, then faltered as the words sank in. "Pardon?"
Galacor: His eyes glowed faintly as runes flickered across the metal lining his face. "There is no deception in him. No hidden memory, no sealed knowledge. His mind holds no path to Wiliaquo."
Alces: A faint smirk crossed his lips. "Told you."
Valkun: His fists clenched, embers spilling from between his fingers. The room seemed to tighten around him, heat rising with his temper. "Then where is he hiding it?"
Galacor: He tilted his head slightly, gears slowing. "There is nothing to hide."
Valkun: "THEN FUCKING FIND HIM! DO YOUR DAMN JOB!" Flames burst forth from his body, the ground rumbling.
Darumith: He backed away another step as the flames erupted, heat washing over his armor. The silver plating glowed faintly under the sudden surge, and he lowered his head instinctively, wings pulling tight to his back.
Alces: The cage rattled violently as the ground shook. He braced himself against the bars, jaw clenched, eyes fixed on Valkun. "Careful. You'll crack your own world before you get answers."
Galacor: He did not flinch. The fire licked close, reflecting in the polished metal of his face, but his expression remained unreadable. He uncrossed his arms only to adjust one gauntlet, gears clicking softly. "Locating a being like Wiliaquo is not a simple search. He is woven into unstable timelines. That level of tracking requires compensation equal to the risk."
Valkun: The flames around him pulsed hotter, the magma beneath the floor bubbling violently. He leaned down, towering over Galacor. "You are in no position to bargain with me."
Galacor: He met Valkun's glare without hesitation. "On the contrary. I am the only one in this realm capable of finding him." He straightened fully now. "Pieces of each founding Eternity Star shard. Not replicas. Not fragments already drained. Originals."
Darumith: His eyes widened slightly. "Those shards are relics. We can't just-"
Valkun: He raised a clenched fist, silencing him. The fire dimmed just enough to show the calculation behind his rage. His voice dropped, low and dangerous. "You ask for power that predates all of us."
Galacor: "Yes." His gears slowed, locking into place. "Because what you are hunting is not just your ordinary batch of prey. They are gods, important ones, may I add."
Valkun: He stared at Galacor for a long moment, the room trembling with restrained fury. Lava surged in the distance, casting violent shadows across stone and steel. "I will give you fragments from each shard, fully charged."
Darumith: "MY LORD YOU CAN'T-" Valkun struck him across his face, making him drop to the floor, ripping off one of his wings.
Valkun: "WHO TOLD YOU TO SPEAK FOR ME?!" He dropped the wing to the floor, turning towards Galacor, "I will give you a small version of the star, perfectly usable for someone like you, but only after the job is finished. Only after you have brought the two of them right to my feet."
Galacor: He blinked, "Done." He waved his cape, disappearing into a rift of broken glass.