ORIGIN

He was on his way back from hunting. The pull to get back to Eridanus, to be near Booker was almost a tangible thing. He wasn't there yet but just being closer than before made him feel better. His long tail dragged along the ground while his huge wings were pinned to his back. Those pink eyes looked at the ground around his paws to make sure he didn't step on anything or anyone. He was growing rapidly but he was not surprised. If that other dragon was anything to go by then he would get massive in size. He wonderd if he would ever have trouble navigating the caves... Perhaps he should just cross that bridge when he go to it.

As he wandered through the tunnel he noticed something different. Something he hadn't noticed before. There were strange patterns carved into the side of the wall. He wandered over to them and to get a better look, rose onto his rear legs with his long tail for balance. One forepaw he ran across the wall as he studied the strange symbols. Reading was beyond him... It made no sense. Perhaps Booker would understand the symbols of the wall, what they all meant. He was more.... studious than the dragon. Ripping and tearing was Baratheon's specialty while researching and studying were the numbat's.

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Sand... it was what filled the cavernous tunnel. It was one of the main tunnels, according to some Gembound and her squadron of raptors who attempted to lead her through the caves. The mossy and musty cave Raptor Mom had been lurking in for so long was no longer suitable. The massive creature desired more than such. Great feet thundered on the cave floor, each step sending large plumes of dust up in swirling masses. Beneath her, the squadron of raptors scurried around wildly, with the alpha attempting to lead in front. How could they be so idiotic? The monsters barely could stand on their own feet. Perhaps Raptor Mom would have to work harder in at least trying to educate them.

Suddenly, the alpha ceased moving, frozen in his place and alert. The subordinate females also quit their bickering, all standing still. Raptor Mom lowered her great crown, which had previously been brushing the roof of the cave. Nostrils flared, and the monster sought out what had frozen her creations. Up ahead, a beast of white stood, scrutinizing the wall for something. The first to move of the raptors was the mother herself, stepping over the squadron and approaching the great beast. It seemed to resemble the great dragon in Polaris, but much more pathetic-looking... and furred. Odd. Raptor Mom had been sure that dragons were always scaly lizards that breathed flames born of the core of their being. In that spectrum, she was wrong too.

Gilded eyes blinked and the monster lowered her crown to gaze curiously at the wall herself. Gibberish, it was all gibberish. Lichen-filled ruts in it meant nothing to the beast, and she turned with a low growl to the smaller dragon. "Why do you Gembound waste time with trying to discover what marks in a rock mean?" What was it about the caves that made these smaller and weaker creatures seek out what everything meant?

Baratheon heard the approach of the other --how could he not?-- but he didn't turn to acknowledge it. With the footsteps he knew it was big but he knew it wasn't the black dragon so he had no cause to turn and challenge it. Instead he kept eyeing the indents in the wall while the other came closer. Its head neared his own as it studied the wall for a moment as well but not until it spoke did he turn to look. His pupil-less gaze locked onto the visage of one like himself but not. It had no wings, no strong forelimbs, no horns but it did have feathers which were sort of like fur. It was a strange looking beast to be certain.

"Perhaps they could tell us something about the past... or at least, that's what my brother would say." He was sure Booker could spend hours studying the wall but he was no Booker. The dragon stepped away from the wall but he remained standing on his hind legs. It gave him more height when next to the lizard-thing. "But I'm not my brother and I don't understand a damn thing on that wall." Studying and researching... Give him a good fight over that stuff any day.

He turned his head to the side and studied the large lizard and then her tiny companions. "Pardon me if I'm rude but," He turned to study her with both eyes. "Who and what are you? You're not a dragon... are you?" He highly doubted she was but it couldn't hurt to ask, right?

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This draconian creature, it had fur in lieu of feathers or scales. What evolutionary advantage could it find in such? Raptor Mom did not care, and she was more focused on quelling her curiosity. Gembound were so curious and naive. Perhaps that could be used to her advantage. Perhaps only on those who were young and still curious as all get-out.

"And if these carvings told you of the past, would it matter? No." she huffed, "The past never has mattered. It will never help you in the future." The notion of another dragon that was kin to this one was quite... odd. Were the Caves being filled with fantastical creatures once again? Raheerah had reawakened, as well as the lamb, Dawa, so it did seem plausible.

It was as if her idiotic minions finally realized they had frozen in time when the dragon's pupil-less gaze fell on them, and each one scurried forth, hiding between Raptor Mom's legs. Fear held them in place around the great Gembound dragon. The alpha had the bravery to let out one shrill cry. The question that seemed to burn in the boy's head, however, finally came to the world. What was she? Certainly not a dragon. "I am not a Gembound. I am much more." So a simple answer came, and the raptor spoke once more, "What you do not know, does not matter."

Baratheon let a grin slip onto his muzzle. "No. The past is indeed in the past. However, if one does not learn from it then they're doomed to repeat it." A very profound moment... That he immediately ruined by saying, "Or some sentimental shit like that. Although I do prefer to look to the future." Which was true. He was just curious on the origins of the thing and if they had any information on the black dragon... or other dragons at all. He had an opinion on his species' origins but no definite things.

The white dragon watched with some amusement as the tiny things around the larger creature's legs scurried about, finally settling on hiding behind the larger one. One was brave enough to give a cry at him and in return Baratheon bared his vibrant fangs. It wasn't a real threat, he was doing it more to amuse himself and see what its reaction would be. At the larger one's words his eyes raised back up to hers. Her answer wasn't a satisfying one but what could he do about it? Beat an answer out of her? He wasn't keen on fighting something more than three times his size, not when he didn't have to. "But I want to know even if it doesn't matter. Why not humor me and let me know?" She was more than a Gembound? What did that even mean? Was she some sort of future creature or really just like him and just too conceited to admit it.

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For a moment, Ra'Ma was very interested, quite curious. But of course, the attention span of some Gembound was far too short to mean anything. Blinking, the beast flicked her gaze to the rock wall. Perhaps she knew of their story, but she did not care anything about it.

Instead, her interest was piqued by one of her own little monsters giving a cry. The alpha. As soon as the dragon bared his bright fangs, the beastie scrambled for cover behind their mother's leg with the other, watching with beady little eyes. Her great and feathered tail slashed through the air, and Raptor Mom could almost respect the persistence of this creature. Perhaps she could give a little hint. So she raised her great crown up, and finally, she spoke. "I am a Mother."

Looking down, she gazed at her little monsters, crooning. "And these are my hounds." And would that be a satisfying answer for this young one?

He watched as one of the smaller creatures scrambled behind the great leg of their mother. Amused a bit he lifted his head and looked into the eyes of the large female. Ears pricked as she finally relented and gave him a hint. A mother? Obviously a mother to these little ones but was that all? He tilted his head to the side, considered it for a moment, then shook his crown. Like the raptor mother he too could only hold his curiosity for so long before cryptic answers bored him.

"Thank-you for your answers." No matter how cryptic they were and how much he could hardly understand. "I am satisfied..." For now.

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