ORIGIN

Gracie hummed a soft song as she marched through the hazardous land of Cetus. The last visit had lead her to meet her lizard friend, Ghanyarah. He was an interesting character, a brave hero who had saved her life from a hollow log the panda ever so gracefully got her head stuck inside. She was bigger now than she felt, age had her fully grown now: a 200 pound black and white bear adult who still thought of herself as a slight cub. My, how fast time flew! Gracie would forever be a child at heart. That is exactly what brought her to Cetus in the first place. New adventures away from home, Eridanus, in a mysterious and eerie cave. At least today it wasn't raining bullets from the sky. Not yet, anyway.

Blinking hard and rapidly, the crusty outline of her purple eyes (a result of deep, deep slumber from earlier) making it difficult, the panda tried her best to peer through the dark forest. Ducking down underneath the gnarled roots of towering trees, she was careful not to disturb the three little sprouts that were rooted on top of her shoulder blades. The sugar cane babies were getting taller and taller each day. Gracie was starting to feel a bit pained by their existence; roots excavated channels into her skin, sapping all the life she had to offer from her body. She didn't know how to get them off without injuring them, or more importantly herself, just yet. It was a thought for another day. Gracie chose not to think too long about the future, just what was happening in the now. That and she was too fragile minded to think ahead when it came to anything at all.

For now, the panda was completely enveloped by the sound of pounding water. It was such a strong and steady noise the curiosity drew her in. Mist in the room seemed to be getting thicker with each step, a sign the girl was on the right track! Watching her large paws with each step, she didn't want to accidentally walk right into a loud river. A deathly mistake. The song at Gracie's lips grew more frantic and loud, trying to keep her focus with the anxiety that powered through her veins.

He hated being apart from Booker, ever since that incident and the numbat's touching of his stone he felt different. More connected and more bonded with his brother. It was a strange sensation but now, it was intensely more amplified. It brought in him a great fear but also excitement and something altogether more mysterious. He didn't quite know what yet but he was certain that in time it would come to him. For now though he needed to eat and he didn't want to be anywhere near his brother and their little charge and yet he didn't want to go too far.

He settled on an area he knew well and an area that he knew wasn't too far from Eridanus. Cetus was usually pretty sparsely populated so he could hunt there without fear of turning on any cognizant gembounds. The dragon trekked through the thick bog, nose lifted as he attempted to scent a bit of prey. It came in the form of a distant smell, that of cave deer. He took to the skies easily. With his increase in size he had also found that his larger wings carried him far more easily. He could stay in the the air for a few hours now before tiring and he used this talent now. He circled above the cave deer, pink eyes locked onto one in particular. It was a young fawn that he was certain that he could snatch up and swallow whole.

After making a few swift calculations he dove with his foreclaws outstretched in hopes of grabbing the fawn.

At the bottom of his dive he lashed out with his claws in hopes of getting it but he miscalculated because of the fog and only grazed the deer with his claws. The herd bleated in fear before trying to run away. The fawn nearly escaped but the dragon dove downwards with his head and snatched the hapless creature up with his fangs. its blood rushed over his tongue and down his throat and he could feel the fever hit him. With a savage snarl of joy he took off into the air but not before he gave the creature a few shakes with his head, spurting the ground with blood. He soared through the air and for a moment played a game of rip and tear with the fawn until it finally disappeared down his throat. In a moment of pure joy he let out a savage roar which echoed around the foggy area.

He could feel the Bloodlust wanting to take full control and wanting him to continue the hunt for something bigger but he was able to shake himself out of it. Booker. Booker. He had to remember Booker. He couldn't lose control and go running off again. The tiny numbat needed him. He shook his head, snarling, as he gradually began to take hold of himself again. His vision changed from foggy red back to the normal pink color as he soared.

Perhaps he should return to Eridanus now, he had a patrol to do. He flapped his wings and angled himself towards the exit with his tail but that was when he heard a sound. it was singsong and almost like the birds but somehow... different. His head tilted this way and that as he tried to focus on the noise with his oversized ears. There. He could hear exactly where it was coming from and curiosity dictated that he should go investigate. Hmm... He could feel the tug at his very soul to go check on the numbat... But what could make a noise like this? He would go to Eridanus right after this, he promised to himself before gliding downwards towards the noise.

As he neared he saw through the fog that it was a black and white bear... a panda. She was a small creature compared to him which gave him a bit of satisfaction. It was she who was making the noise as she carefully made her way across the boggy area. Baratheon blinked as he lowered himself some more so that he could fly right above her only a few feet. He flapped his large wings, no doubt disturbing the air around the bear. "Don't you know this area is dangerous? Is it wise to sing that way and distract yourself while you cross?" It was an honest, if not cheeky, question. True, he liked the sound coming from her but it would be pointless if she allowed herself to make a wrong step and drown. That would severely suck.

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@Gracie