ORIGIN

Effluvium dragged itself along the beaches of Fornax. It was normally a dull creature, but a spark of intelligence had been lit within it. Its beady multicolored eyes focused on different patches of the beach at once, flicking to and from. It remembered being on beaches not so long ago, it had given life to stones. It had not known then what that meant, but it knew now. It understood now. Those stones--they were free developing sacks of meat. They belonged to it, and only it.

It had caught them too late the last time--but this time it would do better. Effluvium's huffs and wheezes intensified, exciting itself. "Food," it gurgled. It had food, yes. But it could have more food. Its skinless hands scraped the sand, its' mouths drooling freely over them.

"Soon...," it gurgled.

"When I speak."

When I think.

It turned over a patch of sand, picking out a small stone. Effluvium extended its burgeoning magical senses. Nothing. Effluvium growled, a low gurgle, and tossed the stone aside. A waste of time, that stone was not magic. Not food. Effluvium stomped the sand in a miniature tantrum, and scraped long gouges with its unused arms. Effluvium shook itself out, relaxing its body from the anger that had begun to build. It continued down the beach, tossing aside the sand in great scoops. "FOOD!" It snarled at the beach, as if the beach itself was a creature it could will into giving what it wanted.

"When I speak."

When I think.

And yet still, the beach did not comply. It unearthed multiple stones this time. They were simple river pebbles, but Effluvium was not aware that only certain stones held life. And so, when its senses reached out and found nothing, it was even more enraged. Effluvium threw a full tantrum now, angry screams and squeals echoing as it tore the sand apart and gouged at the the waves. If Effluvium had not scattered the lessers on the shore yet, it was sure to have by now. After its tantrum ended, the beast huffing and wheezing, it turned back to the sand. Then looked at the waves. Maybe something would wash up. Its' jaws closed together with a hollow thunk, and it tilted its head at the water. It waded slightly into it, digging into the sand with its claws.

"When I speak."

When I think.

Effluvium's claws hit something hard. It blinked, before lowering its arms into the water. A stone, decently sized. Effluvium brought it up to one side of its heads, its multiple eyes zoned in on the gemstone. Effluvium's magic reached out, and was struck with something powerful in response. The drooling began anew, its eyes glittering with unfettered hunger. This would be a good meal. It made a clipped, guttural sound. Its laugh. Effluvium tucked the gemstone into an otherwise unfunctional pair of jaws. Unusually gentle for it. But then again, it didn't want to lose a potential new meal.

"Food..." it said once again. Food no one but it would know of. No more 'eating thinking things is bad'. Not if it were the only one to know where they were. Effluvium, reenergized, bounded forward in the rapidly muddying surf, a pleased wheeze leaving it. Another stone, and it would have enough fresh food to satisfy it. However long it took.

"When I speak."

When I think.

It growled again. The surf was refusing it too, now. No stone. It resisted the urge to clench its teeth and break the stone it held. Another gouge in the sand to show its displeasure, along with the curl of various limbs and tentacles. "Give...Effluvium....food." It demanded, the sound exiting from multiple, whistling esophagi. It raised its head, searching for a new vantage point. Its eyes stared blankly for a while, before a slight rise higher up the beach caught its attention. It gurgled in interest. Effluvium spared a glance down towards the water once more, before it made a low sound in its throat, and turned for the rise. It crawled out of the befouled water, its tail of muscle and loose nerves trailing. It placed itself over the mound, and scraped the sandy rise with a combination of its mangled feet and arms.

"When I speak."

When I think.

Effluvium's digging was rewarded. Another stone. Its senses extended again. This magic was weaker than the first, but it was still there. It searched around it, eyes darting about, making sure no one was there to witness. Pleased, it clutched that stone in an unused tentacle and began to move again. Effluvium was selective with its cache, not choosing to place them until it found a secluded shallow section of the beach, protected by a rock overhang. Satisfied, it wheezed out a growl. Effluvium turned its head down, its tongues dangling, and released its jaws. The first stone dropped to the ground, swiftly followed by the second. Effluvium let out another pleased growl. This would be a good meal in the future.

It turned its attention to the most attention grabbing one first, the one whos magic had caught its attention. Effluvium pushed its head against it, the stone cool against its head. Effluvium's magic sparked, draining from it.
"When I speak."

When I think.

Effluvium raised its head from the first stone, feeling drained but pleased. It wiped at its face with a foot, trying to scrape the tiredness away. Effluvium sat on its haunches, watching the first one take its magic and begin to form. It was remarkably quiet while it watched. Like a predator, it stared at it with hunger, the only sounds its constant wheezing. It was not a patient beast though, and eventually its' attention ran out. It had another stone to revive, after all. Effluvium snorted, licking at an eye with a tongue. It turned its heads to the stone it had found second. It was not as large, but Effluvium willed them it be large, meaty, easy for it to consume. Effluvium leaned its head in, and a overlong mass of tongues stretched out to touch the stone.

Effluvium's magic came much easier this time, flooding into the comparatively weaker stone. Now it was done. Satisfied, Effluvium let itself collapse onto the sand in front of its stones. It rested its front mass of heads onto its main limbs, the others folding beneath it. They were Effluvium's, and its alone. It would protect them. No teeth or claws would touch its chrysali, except for its own. For Effluvium was not watching over them as a parent with new children, but as a jealous beast with an untouched carcass.

"When I speak."

When I think.