ORIGIN

Finding or being tossed unexpected odds and ends seemed to have become a bit of a fact of life for Richter as far as he could tell. From his first moments outside of the chrysalis, he'd been given curiosities to behold with eyes full of simultaneous wonder and bafflement, left to puzzle out their origin and purpose. Whether festive beads or the cloak presently worn secured about his neck, hood down to avoid unnecessarily cramping ears that preferred the open air, each he cherished as yet another landmark of his time in the caves. They provided a sense of progress, the expansion of his understanding of the world around him. In a place where the surrounding rocks amounted to whatever you made of them, collecting unusual things for his and others' perusal came across as a worthy effort to invest energy into; doubtless some must similarly appreciate such discoveries. Maybe like minds would eventually bring to light the truth behind these interesting souvenirs so often deposited where any passersby could stumble upon them.

For this latest acquisition, though, answers needn't be pondered any longer. Glancing between the flat square held in his paw, one of many suddenly scattered about tunnels as if a whirlwind had swept by, and the raucous stone monument sprawled out before him, he could plainly determine the explanation for the colorful images on its surface linked together by bold arrows. They were directions guiding him to this location, quite a clever way of disseminating information if one didn't wish to spend most of their days spreading it through word of mouth. Frankly, the method was a mite too impersonal in his opinion, ruining the fun of encountering fellow Gembounds and the good conversation that might spring from those rare interactions. However, who was he to judge. Whatever event was going on here might have been important enough to warrant efficiency over a warmer touch.

Ears swiveled back to protectively press against his skull once a particularly deafening screech of music blared from the forum ahead. A little shaken but not deterred in the least, he lolloped onward in search of a better view of the proceedings within.

Ignoring the increasing intensity of the grating sounds emanating out of the arena which tempted him to almost forego comfort in favor of pulling up his cloak's hood to dampen sensitive hearing, the simple setup arranged here appeared innocent enough to the ordinary eye. The scent of various foods located at multiple points overlooking the current course wafting downwind did much to assuage any concerns as well. A stomach grumble reminded him of the last time he'd bothered to sample the local greenery; perhaps a bite could be indulged in later once his more mental hunger was satisfied.

As the latest announcements boomed throughout the venue, hazy memory caused Richter to tilt his head. "Huh," he mumbled after humming a while in deep thought, no closer to understanding why the voice struck him as familiar. Claws twitched, imaginary metallic spheres clacking in their grip. "Sounds fun. Well, ah, other than that harming critters jest. If I'm lucky, there could be a single out there to make me a pair?"

Ascending the stands turned out to be a challenge in itself. Not one too used to heights and physically incapable of making a retreat, navigating each row consisted of careful maneuvers. Every hop needed to be exactly on its mark lest misplaced feet cast him dangerously to the bottom. Upon reaching the absolute top, feeling like he'd conquered a mighty mountain's summit, there wasn't too much fuss over having to wait in the forming line near Nemean. The kangaroo took advantage of that space, softly panting to recover lost stamina.

"Seems I'm not the only one wanting to get in on the action," came a light observation of his surroundings once he'd gained the breath to make it. "I hope it's not too much more of a bother to you and your pals, ma'am. But, um, I was wondering if you could spare one more partner for the games." Part of his stone peeked out from the shelter of his cloak. A claw self-consciously tapped it, motivated purely by force of habit. "I, uh, really thank you if you can. Must be an awful lot of work putting all this together for us to begin with."