Temple of Fenix -- Diarmuid

Transcript
PANDOR. Exploration commenced. Diarmuid Certainly, this was not the terrain he expected when he heard of a temple. Far from the lush forests he wandered into whilst taking delight in hunting trips-- far different from the place where he first died. Despite that, it had a bit of a warm feeling, although initially it seemed barren. Perhaps it could be because of the noises of beasts he cannot see-- well, the more obvious source was the heat coming from the fire. He steps over to one of them flanking the temple, placing hands arms length away from the fire. It's surprisingly pleasant, Diarmuid muses to himself, although a part of him wondered if it'd be more enjoyable if he had company. PANDOR. You might not have spotted any creatures on the way in, but the longer you stay by the fire, it becomes apparent that the creatures are free to roam about the area. You spot a cerberus lounging by the altar...seems like you've caught Fey on the job! She's letting you do your own thing but gives you a welcoming grin and wave. Diarmuid With a matching smile of his own, he waves back at Fey, doing the bare minimum of acknowledging her presence. He makes a mental note to do something for her later, as a sign of his gratitude for letting him wander around the area. The cerberus is particularly, to others might not look so inviting, but Diarmuid pulls away from the fire. He walks toward the alter, keeping a steady smile on his face as he creeps closer to the dog-like creature. Although it was a creature from Greek mythology, he can't help but be reminded of the hound he owned back when he was alive. He wonders if it's alright to pet it? "Hey there," he begins, breaking the silence as he continues to slowly approach the cerberus. PANDOR. Fey pushes herself up from where she was leaning against her cerberus, patting her as she does so. "Welcome to the Temple of Fenix, Diarmuid! What brings you here today?"

The cerberus looks pretty relaxed, with the two outside heads dozing while the middle head perks up slightly to look at you. She gives you a curious head tilt, watching you with...hope in her eyes? And even though she's a large animal, you can just about see the tip of her fluffy tail wagging behind her. Diarmuid Diarmuid's eyes widen at how completely docile the cerberus seemed to be, but that confusion goes away as soon as he connects that Fey was its owner. Thankfully, ever since he's arrived here, he's felt... a little more free. The curse of his beauty mark has seemed to dissipate completely, so he's been able to hold conversation with women for once in his life. He smiles, "I was just curious about this place. It looked quite grand, so I thought to come in." The cerberus truly acts as a dog would, which ignites excitement in Diarmuid. "Why, she seems quite friendly-- and very cute. Can I pet her?" Surely she'd be soft to the touch, and she didn't seem afraid of him. He steps closer, returning her gaze. PANDOR. "Sure is. Used to be used as an actual coliseum, but ever since that was retired from our culture it's been Fenix's temple. Gives the 'ferocious beasts' somewhere safe to live, y'know?" She grins again at your question. "She's definitely both of those things! Feel free to pet her, she's a big softie for the most part."

And sure enough, this horse-sized beast is acting more like a puppy than a monster. Her middle head stretches slightly towards you in anticipation, and the other two heads start to perk up too. Diarmuid "Ohh, how wonderful! So now these creatures have a place to take shelter... truly, how wonderful." Diarmuid nods thoughtfully, smiling when he's given permission to go ahead and pet the cerberus as he desired. "Is that so? I'm glad to hear that. Then, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne... will go ahead!" Dramatics aside, he dives straight in, first going for the middle head who excitedly anticipated his touch. Fully making sure to use the fact that he has two hands, he continues to stroke the head of the middle head with his right hand, and then with the other he reaches out to pat the leftmost head. Truly, the warmth he sensed earlier made all the sense now with such lively creatures among them. "She is very soft as I thought," Diarmuid notes with a blissful smile. "Was she always living here?" PANDOR. The cerberus's gray-and-white fur is both soft and warm. The two heads are thoroughly enjoying the attention, but the third one begins to 'awoo' slightly and nudges your arm.

Fey just chuckles and shakes her head, indicating this is normal for her companion. "She was brought in a long time ago, as a puppy. I met her right before the decision was made to close the coliseum, and in victory of my final match in the arena, I was allowed to request a prize. I chose her. She was so small and scared back then...how things have changed." Diarmuid With a chuckle leaving his lips, Diarmuid glances over at the third head on the right, and moves one of his hands to accommodate. "If only I had three arms," He jokes quietly, "then I'll be able to pet all of you at once. And of course, maybe master a third weapon... alas, I doubt that would be acceptable." "I see, so she was your prize. You've made an excellent choice, Lady Fey." He nods in approval, chuckling again at the image of a much smaller version of the cerberus he sees before him. "You've definitely raised her well. I'm sure she's quite strong, too." PANDOR. The third head gives a rumble of approval at finally getting attention. The head no longer getting pet huffs, but accepts it.

"Oh, I'm sure she'd love that too. But she's a prize in name only, since then she's become my closest companion and friend. She's trained to fight if needed but...we haven't had to do that in a very long time. So now she spends her days hanging around and getting spoiled." Diarmuid Diarmuid realized that he has now encountered something very tough. If only he had three hands, but nonetheless, he makes do with what he has and starts alternating pets between the three heads. "Is that so? The two of you have a very beautiful friendship," he smiles, eyes twinkling a bit at the sound of it. He had to admit he longed for such companionship again, but perhaps he'll make such bonds here. "I hope that peace will be maintained, but at least the two of you will be able to protect each other if it comes to it." He finally pulls away from his petting spree, and kneels in front of the priestess. "Of course, you are not my master, but I am willing to protect the both of you as well..." He trails off, a bit hesitant about adding the last part, but decides to go through with it, "... as a friend, if you will." PANDOR. The big puppy enjoys this system very much.

"Heh, glad you think so. I hope that's the case too." She raises an eyebrow at you when you kneel, but you sense that your words have touched her in a way. There's a warmth in her eye that shows approval and genuine happiness. "I'm no one's master, and the desire to protect goes both ways. As long as you're here, in our vocatum, you have my - and Alora's - protection." The cerberus wuffs softly in agreement. "And I think you've already done more than enough to prove you have our friendship."

February 25, 2019 Diarmuid "Is that so? I am very honored to hear that," Diarmuid smiles, also letting out a breath of relief at hearing that she wasn't bothered by your declaration of friendship. The idea that she considers them friends as well felt... wonderful, yet foreign at the same time. He considered the other Knights of Fianna his friends, although as soon as he was compelled to betray his lord-- now's not the time. "Oh, so her name is Alora? A lovely name." He nods. He also thinks that maybe he's done enough of bothering Fey when she must be busy at work. Either way, he's done what he sought out to do, and thinks that he'd like to come here ever so often. "I'll take my leave for now, but I will return to play with you again, Alora. Of course, you are free to call me here whenever you'd like." PANDOR. The cerberus whines softly as her new friend leaves, but Fey just laughs. "You're welcome any time, Diarmuid. It was nice chatting with you! It's been a while since I could share some old stories. And may Time be on your side."

EXPLORATION ENDED.