Beist wanted to introduce himself to Kore, but Heian had just told him not to speak to her. Not to even look at her. Instead, he turned to Sarris and replied to her questions. "No, I have not had a sibling before. You say you acted the same as her when Sarne... used your dolls....? He did something to anger you, but what did we do to her? Just look at her? I spoke to her, but she was already attacking me before I did so" he whispered, putting a hand next to his eye to stop himself from glancing at Kore.

He was intrigued by her as he had been by Heian. He wanted to look at her and speak with her, exactly what he had been prohibited from doing. Ah, how terribly inconvenient. He was tempted to disobey, but he valued his survival over his curiosity. He would just have to talk to Heian more to try and obtain the information he wanted, especially more information on what he had just said about Wood leaving through cremation. That was very intriguing. He also wanted to see that horse, the only reason he was in this place to begin with.

"Well, I suppose we should pack up camp and get moving. I for one, won't be able to go back to sleep after such excitement. Let's find that horse and be done with this place."

Caedes offers Sarris a glance, "Sure, but to be honest, I didn't see much of them as a kid. My family was a bit... busy." He looks back towards Heian, skeptical as he starts to explain the situation between "Wood" and "Kore". Given he has not actually received any context on this man, or who Wood even is, nearly everything goes right over his head. "... And... who is Wood, exactly? Your friend?" he asks, not offering the demoness a second glance, in case she were to grow aggressive again.

Beist speaks up next, and the changeling sighs. "Indeed; if... Kore," he waves his hand in a spinning gesture, turning his head away from the demon woman to look out towards the bog. "— and Cerber both came here, we should look for the horse, too. If the place she came from is this bad, is there any chance the horse will be putting up an equal fight when we find it?" He looks to Heian, crossing his arms beneath his cloak. "I know you said we shouldn't hurt it, and that's all well and good; but should we be prepared to defend ourselves if it's hostile?"

He looks towards Beist; the only one who'd been injured, but it seems his wound has closed up. He didn't see how, but he supposes it's a relief.

Sarris sighed, “Sadly having been around Wood and Heian this all kind of makes sense if yo do not spend a lot of those worrying about it. Wood will try to hit on you, he is a HORABLE flirt.”

Sarris stopped for a moment and said, “That could have been the start of a strange mating ritual. That required an animal sacrifice.”
She blushed and said, “Not that you are an animal Beist. You have better manners than me.”

With a teenage blush Sarris said, “I do not want to know….”

“I am sorry your family was busy. My father ran off and my mother died,” she said.

They kept talking, as they followed the tracks of Cerber. They were at least a day old, as far as Heian could tell, so silence was not necessary.
-Yes, angry Cerber is something you'd normally want to avoid, and if he escaped Kore he probably is in not the greatest mood. So we need to capture him quick enough for me to jump on him and calm him down
-I can see your curiosity Beist, you gotta learn to hide your feelings better. Feel free to ask, we will spend some time after those hoofprints

He turned back to check on Kore. Head down, stiff step, straight arms. Just a chain and shackles missing to make her look like a prisoner. He had no idea how to begin, he hoped for Wood to think of something. So they had to find Cerber, for his demon friend to hopefully escape the memory trap.

Beist blushed slightly at Heian's words. His embarrassment was as obvious as his curiosity. It didn't help that his ears and tail drooped lower, helping to give away his feelings. He had never been that good at hiding his emotions, but he felt like this body displayed his feelings for all to see no matter what he wanted to hide. He cleared his throat slightly before turning to Heian.

"You're right. I really must work on that... Anyways, I am quite curious. What did you mean when you said Wood left by cremation? And now you say your friend is... the glassy half of your body? What exactly are Wood and Kore? Tell me, would you happen to be possessed by a Demon? I have heard only a little bit about them, but from what I do know, that seems to be the case" he questioned, his hand reaching up to stroke his beard while the other tapped his walking stick along the ground with each step.

He watched Heian as they walked, wondering what their reaction will be and if they will even answer his question. He hoped they would not be hostile like Kore had been. He didn't want to sound like he was accusing him of anything, so he continued.

"Ah, I do not mean to be rude. If that is the case, I wouldn't hold it against you. You have been very friendly. And you do seem to be in control of yourself rather than being controlled by someone else. I myself know what it's like to have something of a split personality, something else controlling your body. A more dangerous, uncontrollable side... Oh, but not anymore! Do not worry, I have not had that side to me for some time now... I just mean, a polite Demon sharing your body sounds better than... never mind. Forget I said that."

"Ah....?" Caedes furrows his brows; but he can relate. "I'm sorry to hear that. I too lost my family recently; my condolences." he says to Sarris. Heian does answer his question, thankfully; although the promise of an angry, flaming horse does not sit quite well with him, but... it is what it is. He would rather keep the creature out of the grasp of the Crimson Hand, even if he gets burned in the process.

Beist's curiosity echoes his own, however: he, too, would like to know the context behind those who Heian keeps referencing. The half-demon, the other dimensions... it's all dreadfully confusing, honestly. The changeling crosses his arms, looking to Beist, before looking back at Heian as they walk and talk. "Given we are agreeing to help you find the horse, I think it fair to have something of an explanation." he agrees with the werebeast, eyes narrowing as he looks towards the darkness of the bog before them.

He has been avoiding looking at Kore, as he does not want to set her off.

"Sarris seems to have met you before; but we are just making your company for the first time. No judgements; but, it would certainly ease some curiosities."

Sarris watched the going ons with some amazement and curiosity. Other dimensions, she got as much as her brain would allow. Having or thinking she was in Hell with Ray and fighting a Demon Prince.

“If he explains it, It is going to make your brains hurt,” Sarris explained having tried to have a similar conversation with Ray.
“My guess knowing these two,” she said pointing at Heian and Wood and then continuing, “They probably left a portal open just a bit so she could follow them here.”

“When she gets past the wanting anything being a blood sacrifice phase, I would like to meet her,” Sarris said. Not often you get to meet real life demons.
Now she needed to figure out how to meet some of the Angelic beings. Just to keep her world balanced.

Heian listened to their speculations about his and Wood's nature with a slight smile.
-I have nothing to hide, Caedes, it's just that I'm a little lost now without half of my mind, and second thing saying "Hello, name is Heian and I have a voice inside my head" kind of ruins the first impression
When Sarris mentioned him leaving rhe portal open, he went silent for a longer minute, thunking intensively.
-I don't think this is the case - he started slowly - I forgot to ask Kore how did she get hier. After catching Cerber will get to that

-The explanation of my nature on the base level is quite simple. Me and Wood, the glassy part as Beist called it, share the body. He escaped from his hell, but without his own body, which got incinerated in soul fire as a method of execution. Now to the harder part

-Charon is just one of the worlds, each world having his own quote unquote hell. So far I couldn't get to any heavens, which doesn't mean they aren't there, it might have been Wood interrupting with his presence. The travel between, let's call them surface worlds, and hells, as well as neighbor worlds, is quite simple with correct tools. But it's also dangerous, different worlds may have different rules, or sometimes not exist at all, so leave dimension travel to professionals
He smiled again to reduce the strengh of his words.
-Kore couldn't get hier through a portal I left behind, because if I would left such portal, it would not be in Charon. Which means there must be a direct connection between Charon and Nether. Which, again, I will investigate

-And about talking with my step sister, you will have to wait quite a while but she surely will want to talk in exchange for information from... native source

Then he looked directly at Beist.
-You cannot just get rid of part of yourself, it's not so simple. It still lives somewhere inside you. But you seem to have it under control, so I wouldn't worry too much. And as Kore's servants showed violent side is sometimes necessary
Heian looked at everyone, with yet another smile.
-Your minds doesn't seem blown, let's get back to tracking

Beist thought about what Heian had said to him for a while as they walked along. He suspected that they were probably right. The werebeast side of him might still be in there somewhere, but its savage nature was suppressed. He believed his human form and beast form had been combined and fused with the forms of other creatures whose parts he had used in the potion, but that didn't mean the aggression and savagery were erased.

He also thought about some of the other statements of the demon-possessed man. If there really was another world out there, it sounded fascinating. He wondered if any of the plants of animals of another world might be useful in potion making. He had no idea how he could possibly travel there though. Especially after the warning to leave it to the professionals. It would have to just remain a fun idea in the back of his mind for now.

"If you do manage to travel back to that other world, the Nether, I'd be delighted if you could grab me some samples of the local flora and fauna. Creatures from another world sound like they would be quite interesting to study." he whispered to Heian in a joking voice, leaning down close to them.

Sarris thought about this. What Heian said made sense with what she had been taught. Though the only way to get there was to die. Maybe because Wood was Spirit and not human, they could cross easier. metaphysics was too much to think about at this time. She focused on catching the horse.

Wood smiled widely to Beist.

-Wood will not go back there. But you're in luck, because both of us like to collect souvenirs. We hid an entire chest of various seeds and saplings from our travels, after we get a proper laboratory and run tests which plants can survive local environment, you're free to help yourself. Now silence everyone, we're getting closer

Indeed, the area in front of them began to glow slightly. Everyone pulled out their lassos and Heian gestured them to spread out around the small clearing Cerber stood in. The wind blew towards them.

The horse was huge, easily reaching 6 feet tall, at the same time Cerber seemed more slender than local horses. His entire body was transparent much like Wood and Kore, with only exceptions being hooves and bright green, neon mane and tail. And yellow eyes, similar to ones of demon siblings.

Cerber, despite the wind not working in his favor, suddenly became wary.

Beist moved around the horse, his lasso at the ready. He wasn't paying very much attention to trying to lasso the creature though, as he was excitedly studying it. He looked at the horse's glossy glass-like body similar to Heian, he stared at the glowing green mane and hooves. He noticed the beast seemed to have very acute senses as it became very wary of their presence almost immediately.

He nearly dropped the rope at his feat so that he could pull out his notebook and start recording his observations. He wanted to get closer, but he knew the creature might be aggressive if it was anything like Kore had been. No, he sadly would have to keep his distance. But he really wanted to touch the horse's mane and see if it was hot like the fire it resembled.

He shook his head for a moment and cleared his thought. He held the rope lasso at the ready. He could wait until after they had caught it to observe it more closely. It should also be easier then, as long as Heian and Wood gave him permission.

Caedes has mostly been listening as the others speak; arms crossed, lasso dangling from his grip, he ponders the words spoken. It's a lot to take in; and while he has had his experiences with fiends, and ethereal voices... well, worldhopping is something else entirely.

Caedes takes note of it.

He allows the others to talk amongst themselves, following quietly as the area expands in front of them. Indeed, there is the horse: a beast of flames, embers sparking as the wind buffets its hell-torn mane. It's a beautiful steed, in all respects; strange and ethereal as the letters had said. Caedes stifles a sigh as he wields his lasso.

He has absolutely no experience in wrangling a horse.

Is it going to burn the ropes?

Caedes nods at Heian, a small gesture of, "On your cue," before slowly separating from the group— taking up a position just out of eyeshot of the beast, and keeping downwind in the shadows of the bog.

“You could soak the rope in water to keep it from burning,” Sarris suggested.
There was a lot of water around this place.

What Sarris knew about horses was not to stand behind them and be careful with what you step in after them. She did know a little about how to throw a rope. It was kind of like throwing a grappling hook. That she could do.

She also did not think about the far that a horse could drag her around as she held the rope.

She watched the horse as it watched them.

Digging her toes into the marsh she found stone.

Then in Old Elvish she started a chant letting the power build gently till a wall about as tall as a man. It rose gently from the ground slowly blocking a passage the horse could use. Sarris also tried to feed the power in a non-threatening way as she did not want to be kicked by a horse with flames coming off of it.

She looked at the rest of the group to work their skills.

Heian nodded at Sarri's idea and gave others some time to do that. Then, he slowly left his hiding spot and circled the steed from his left side. This way he could jump on the horse more easily. Cerber was still wary, listening to the surroundings, so Heian had to remain completely silent, at least until ropes go flying.

When he was close, he raised his hand, just as slowly as he approached the horse. Heian went through the prepared movement sequence again and rapidly lowered his hand.

Cerber somehow felt the move and turned his head towards potential danger. At that time lassos went into motion. Before the horse could react, two out of four ropes coiled around his neck. Cerber tried to run, or rip the ropes and when that didn't work he went opposite direction.

But Heian was already sitting on his back. Once the two ropes reached their targets, he bounced of his left leg, raising the second one and helping himself with right hand. When Heian was on sitting height, he launched the support hand forward, using the momentum, and embraced Cerber's neck with it. Left hand meanwhile, the prothesis one, grasped the mane.

So when the horse charged in the direction of ropes, Heian had a solid grip, allowing him to slightly manipulate Cerber's course. But to gain control he had to calm him down, so he started silently speaking to him in demonic.

-{Everything is fine, ardor. You are together again}

Heian could feel Wood "moving" inside him. Finally.

Cerber targetted the seemingly biggest threat: Beist.