NOTHING BESIDE REMAINS — Taken over and pushed around, once again. It seemed as though the world had no end to the amount of cruelties that it could end up piling onto Tanglewood without mercy. Really, it was enough to drive a man mad, and Aurum was painfully aware of that. Despite this, he couldn't help feeling guilty. If only he had been fully healed up and awake a bit earlier... perhaps he could've prevented this, somehow. He ultimately knew that the "hibernation" he had taken was beneficial to him, and without it, he probably wouldn't have healed so quickly. Unfortunately, he also knew that it had kept him away from everyone for far too long. Thankfully, it seemed as though staying away would no longer be an option, considering they were mostly just held inside the bunker. Escaping from the structure was significantly harder for Aurum than it was for one like Elsweyr, thanks to the noticeable size difference between the two of them. Thankfully, the lion also had shape-shifting and teleportation on his side, so he managed to sneak out – at least for the moment. He knew that, if too many of them were gone, members of the Cockalition, or whatever they were called, would start to take notice. That wasn't something any of them wanted, since there was no doubt in his mind that they would crack down even harder on their "security" if they noticed such a thing going on underneath their noses.

The angel's mind was plagued with heavy contemplation as he eventually reached where Elsweyr was, standing between the clumped together trees of the swamp. It took a moment for him to realize that she was speaking, mainly because of just how far off in his head he actually been. Once she was finished, however, he spoke up, slowly shaking his head from side to side, "I don't believe we've properly met. I'm Aurum, and I used to be the deputy around here. I was recovering from injuries when they raided... I wish we could've met under better circumstances." He scrubbed momentarily at his face, his expression grim as he glared down at the wet ground beneath them. Elsweyr was right in that they had a distinct advantage, but that still wouldn't make any future fight an easy one. He eventually continued, his voice a rumble, "...I can deal with the dragon. I have a form. A wyrm form... it's massive. Big and strong enough to take on the dragon, if necessary. But it's incredibly taxing for me to use, so if we were to do something... we need to make sure we're entirely prepared and sure beforehand." He didn't like pulling out his MAMA form under any circumstances, really, but this was a special case. Without it, Tanglewood would have one pretty massive threat that they had no real way to deal with.

( prior to any fighting with ninazu ) — OF THE MAN WHO WAS BORN AND DIED A KING.

— Reggan

NOTHING BESIDE REMAINS — It was odd, having both Sophiea and Atticus looking towards him, as if asking him for advice, and permission. It wasn't as if he wasn't used to it. After all, he had been trained for these kinds of things, and had been both a deputy to the group and an advisor to Vigenere. Still, he couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. On one hand, he knew that they all needed to step up, and make sure that Tanglewood would survive this. After all, Sophiea was right, he was the one with the most intimate knowledge of the territory as a whole. On the other hand, he couldn't help but wish that Vigenere was still here. He felt similarly to Sophiea in that he was frustrated that his friend and their leader had been captured once again, but he still cared. He could only hope that Vig was still alright, wherever he was being kept. For now, however, Aurum shook that off, his one eye briefly closing. He needed to focus on the moment, and what they could possibly do to help themselves. With this in mind, the lion found himself sighing before he spoke, "The both of you are right. We do have an advantage, but we're severely outnumbered. Even with a home advantage, we could end up getting crushed, and just making things worse." That was the last thing he wanted, especially when they were still wounded from the initial raid.

Looking down briefly in thought, Aurum's gaze narrowed before he eventually continued, "...The Typhoon is obvious. They're our allies, and they have their own protection to worry about as well. Even with our small size, they wouldn't want to lose our help. I have no doubt that Goldenluxury would be willing to help." He knew Goldie, and he knew that she wasn't the type to turn her back on her friends, and allies. He also had a feeling she would be frustrated, needing to save their asses after she had helped Vigenere out so recently, but he'd make sure they made it up to her, no matter what. His claws dug briefly into the ground, pondering, before he muttered, "And if the Coalition went looking for an alliance with The Pitt, and that didn't end up working out... I'm guessing that Gael isn't a fan of them either. Admittedly we aren't on the best terms, but I know that Gael is a reasonable man. He knows that, without us, there would be another shift in power, and if the Coalition got too big... they could be a threat to The Pitt as well, especially if they were denied. Not to mention the fact that he has family here..." He knew that Gael was a family man. That alone was enough to be seen through his interactions with Aine. And while Aurum hadn't seen Kiira in a while, he had to assume that she was still here. Gael wouldn't want her to lose her home... right?

Part of Aurum didn't want to send Atticus. After all, there were risks associated with doing so, and the former proxy didn't want to see his nephew hurt. However, the other also had a fair point. He held the most sway, and he was small enough to hopefully sneak out undetected. He stared at Atticus for a moment before eventually relenting, mumbling, "...You should go. It's our best chance to drive them out, and if you can get the other groups to help without them noticing... they'd have no time to prepare. You're also right about having the most leverage. If Gael doesn't seem willing to help... tell him that I'll make sure Tanglewood helps him in the future. We'll owe him one, even if that favor is just making sure that no Tanglers are a thousand feet near his group ever again." Ultimately Aurum knew that he wasn't the leader here, but Vigenere was gone, and the lion hadn't made a habit of breaking his promises. So, whatever happened, he would make sure Tanglewood repaid the favor, even if he had to fight tooth and nail for it to happen. Although, hopefully, once this was all resolved... hopefully Vig would be back again, and Aurum could tell him of what deals had been made.

Looking towards Elsweyr and the others, the lion rumbled, "...We should make a distraction. Something big. Make it seem like we're revolting, even if it's just meant to keep their attention on us. Atticus is small, but they've got goons crawling all around here. We need to make sure none of them will find him on his way out, or else we won't have the element of surprise. If we use the traps and our territorial advantage, then maybe we can hold out until The Typhoon and possibly The Pitt get here to assist us." It was a risky move, but both groups had moved swiftly in the past, and he knew that Atticus would waste little time. Glancing between both Elsweyr and Atticus, he questioned softly, "Elsweyr, since you set this up... do you think you'd be able to tell everyone we have about possibly creating a distraction? We would need as many people as possible involved to keep all their attention on us, but we'd also need to make sure they don't find out. That way you and Sophiea can set the traps up, and everyone can be ready for what could potentially be a long fight." Elsweyr had been smart enough to set up this little planning session, so it was obvious she knew how to keep things quiet. Could she round people up without causing any suspicion by their captors? — OF THE MAN WHO WAS BORN AND DIED A KING.

[div style="width: 360px; font-family: palatino; color: #c48d85; text-align: left; padding-top: 15px; padding-left: 10px"]and͠ I w̙͐a̗͘n̠̓t ̨̄a̩̓ mom̶̜̿eṋ̌t̞͐ t̘̋ŏ̝ ̺͞be r̳͘é͚al

Soft, unstable paws shifted.  The petite vixen's snowy form flickering in and from view.  Invisible.  Visible.  Mitch-matched hues flickered, darting over voices, listening in silence.  She had been unwell when the attack came.  Still recovering from illness.  The former medic did not want to fight, had taken Torren's word and did her best to glitch on purpose and take cover.

Paranoid, she kept glancing behind her.  Waiting for her friend to catch up.  Uneasy among tidings of distractions and warnings.  But they had to... They had to try something.

Her family spread to both the Typhoon and the Pitt.  Aurum was right.  They had to be able to get help from them.  Right?

Ears flicked back, chest tight as an entire leg disappeared from view.  Hopefully she could help pull off a distraction.  If she could direct her glitches... Maybe.

© MADI