Cantos

"Cantos, please, I need you to focus."

He shuddered and turned towards Quince. The roots sprouting from him shuddered too, wriggling in a wave that started from his face and traveled down to the remains of his claws. "It doesn't feel like a proper body, you know."

Quince set his jaw and nodded. "I...yeah. I'm sorry you-"

"You're working on something though, right? You said you were last time. You guys have a plan to help me."

Quince looked up at him, trying to meet his eyes. If nothing else, he could reassure him, right? But those eyes looked so wrong peeking out from behind that frenzy of moss and vines, made larger by their framing, hatchling-like and hopeful. Quince looked away.

"Y-yeah. We are. You can remember our most recent interview?"

Cantos nodded. "I can! Is that weird?"

"It's new. I'm sorry to ask this, but do you remember what the Well talked to you about?"

Quince dared another look at him and relaxed. Cantos was still looking through him, but now it was off into the distance, eyes narrowed. "Yeah. Wanted to know about the clan. Dragons in general. News. You guys. I didn't tell it anything, no matter how bad it wanted to know! I'm loyal." And Quince looked away again, feigning preoccupation with his notepad, but couldn't quite hide the wince when asked "So what's the plan?"

"W-well, y'know, I mean, we're not sure it can't, um, push you harder for info, right? So if we told you the plan--"

Cantos nodded. "Right. Right! I understand. That's smart. Thanks, boss."

"You don't have to call me that, Cantos. But it would help with the plan if we could get some more information from you, right?"

He brightened up, eyes practically glowing. "Of course! Yes! Anything you want to know! I can tell you all sorts of things! And boss?"

Steeling himself, Quince met his eyes.

"Thanks for helping me."






FORMER NAME
=============

Cantos


FORMER ELEMENT
==============

Light


EXTENT/LOCATION OF TRANSFORMATION
=================================

Total/Full Body


LOYALTY TO WELL
===============

Special (see notes)


NATURE OF CHANGE
================

Capable of inducing sleep on touch. Compelled to tend sick and dying. Fur and skin replaced by mosslike surrogate. Roots replacing some portion of inner organs. Will "kidnap" wounded dragons for treatment. Will release dragons after sufficient recovery (typically cessation of contagion and closing of wounds). No dragons that failed to improve "sufficiently" have been recovered.

Note that compulsion will extend to encompass non-wounded dragons if denied a patient for approx. 1 month. Because a healthy dragon cannot "recover", this must be avoided, and healthy subjects replaced with sick ones as soon as the issue is noticed.

No Wellsprung should approach it in its non-lucid state (see notes) except to assist trapped, healthy dragons.


HISTORY
=======

Entered the Labyrinth during a time of war between Light and Nature--claims this was an innocent mistake caused by a long period of travel and lack of news. Captured by roving warband, beaten nearly to death. Recovered by Tirohia and taken to the Well for treatment.


NOTES
=====

Only known dragon to survive total conversion with psyche largely intact. Mind is normally overridden by a compulsion to heal. During periods of lucidity (approx. once per season), responds to former name (Cantos), exhibits awareness of changed body, and attempts to leave the Labyrinth. All Wellsprung are advised to make every effort to assist Cantos during his lucid spells.

In every period of lucidity observed, Cantos has lost control of major muscle groups within half a day of gaining lucidity. At this point, he will unwillingly accompany Tirohia back to the Well. Intervention at this point is strongly discouraged due to possibility of retaliation.

While the Well appears able to remotely gain control of Cantos's body, it leaves some functions in his control (namely speech). Starscape hypothesizes that the Well does this as a stand-in for socializing with dragons, due to its own compulsion to modify otherwise interfering.

Reversing Well transformation has so far proven impossible. Breaking its hold over Cantos is the higher priority. Please bring any leads to Quince.









Pre-Well alt:



You got a sec?

I want to talk about Mira. You don't mind, do you?

Alright.

We had this deal where a few times a month she'd bake some stuff and I'd come over after school and eat it. And the deal was that while I was eating, she'd talk to me.

At first it was kinda boring, mostly her wondering how you guys were doing. I think she was lonely. I mean, I know she was lonely. I wish you guys had been there more. I'm not...don't get mad, I didn't mean to be rude, I'm sure you had a lot going on.

So after a bit, right, she started telling me stories. I thought she was just making stuff up at first. Like how she used to run supplies behind enemy lines, and she got caught once, but she pretended like she was a circus juggler....stuff like that. She had a pretty crazy life.

And it's good the stories got better, because there was something up with her. She'd forget to add sugar, or add way too much, or she'd forget she'd put anything in the oven at all, and she'd just be wandering around while the whole place smelled like smoke. And I'd still eat it, because what else was I gonna do?

My mates at school gave me crap for it, so I talked about not going any more, and then my dad got p*ssed because he figured I was doing a good thing. I think I would have kept going anyways, y'know? But sometimes she'd make sounds like words, except they didn't make any sense, and she kept getting hurt and not noticing. So I knew something was up. The healer was useless, so I visited more, tried baking stuff myself but I...

I mean, I wasn't. I wasn't...




I wasn't any good.



Sorry, didn't mean to...I'm just remembering. I don't know.

I wasn't there when it happened. I'm...thankful for that, I guess. I mean, after the stories, I couldn't imagine her going quietly. They ran the obit on the weekend so I don't think anyone really saw it, small funeral. She deserved better.

You know, she swore she talked to a god once? And she believed in an afterlife, too. And she used to talk about you. I don't know how someone can love and hate someone so much at the same time. I used to hate you too, but I dunno.

My mates used to give me so much crap about her being my old-lady girlfriend, but like, sometimes I think, well, girlfriend, no. But I...whatever. Whatever. I don't...I wish you'd been there for her. I really wish you'd been there for her.

She left me her cookbook. Used to say she'd part with it over her dead body, heh. And some...money I guess, I don't know, and she had it in her will she wanted me not to cry much, and also finally ask out Jess because I'd been pining after her for years and it was embarrassing, that's her words, not mine.

I totally did it. I used the cookbook, made her these little turnover things. Totally worked.

Anyways, the way I figure, you're dead too, and she didn't believe much in hell, so maybe if she was right then you'd know where she is, because I don't think she'd stick around here, I think she'd go to the mountains or something. So just...give her my best, okay? Tell her I've got another date with Jess this weekend. And that I love her, I guess. Make sure she knows.