ORIGIN

Dark had swept down in silence upon hearing Bevy's call, coming as he always did. By now he was at his full adult size--just over two feet from head to tailtip, his wings a good five foot wingspan. His plumage would have been handsome--chestnut at the back, creamy white in the front, ridged and barred with speckled black. But there was still a strange, dull grayness to it, as if the owl was always slightly dirty--and maybe, being blind, he was. Maybe he just didn't preen himself, or maybe the dirt stuck to him in ways it didn't stick to others. The result was that he always looked vaguely out-of-place, as if he'd come from some realm of dust and half-light and not the same, colorful cave as the rest of them.

Even the bright green of the gem eyes he now levelled at Bevy, as he hopped forward on clicking black talons and folded his wings, seemed unnatural. The calm with which he listened, silent and unseeing, detached from the rest, was also otherworldly. He only spoke once, voice soft, at the tail end of Bevy's speech, and even then only to give a quiet bit of information, and an offer.

"I think I can find my way back to the monster, if anyone needs me to show them how to get there. It sounds very big, and it burns, from far away."

Other than this, he said nothing; the idea of meeting these "bone-bound" interested him, something about the way the word rolled off the tongue of his mind, but other than that, he remained disinterested.

________________

It had only been a few days since Makyna's departure from Eridanus, and in the meantime, Booker had told his family all about her, about Pisces, and about the wedding that was to take place. After securing Diot away, the Rider and his Dragon set off for the territory of Maji Walezi, Booker alternating between riding atop Baratheon's head and scurrying along beside him. Now, nearing their destination, the numbat scampered down from his perch between the massive dragon's horns, trotting the rest of the way just in front of his brother, communicating through their bond with steady waves of contentment and happiness.

Ain't it lovely, Bara? A weddin'? It's so sweet, he gushed, not bashful at all about his love of, well, love! 's nice of Ky to invite us, after the whole trial thing, the scribe added, taking in the sights of Pisces with wide eyes. It was nice to take their time now, appreciate the place, rather than the muddled, half-recalled memories of the time before. Booker's memory had yet to return fully, and probably never would, but the sparkle of the water, the damp air, and the slick stone were familiar, comforting. The biggest thing he associated this place with was Quix, not the trial, and so he relaxed, practically skipping along.

It didn't take long for the pair to reach what looked to be a gathering, presumably of Maji Walezi. Staying at the back of the crowd, Booker watched on, fascinated by the clan and its members. There were so many different beasts - so many possible new friends! Listening intently, the scribe perked up when Makyna began to speak, hurrying forward as her announcement ended, breaking through to the front of the crowd and waving an exuberant paw, sitting back on his haunches. "Oh, oh! I'd love ta help with the singin'," he offered with a bright, honest grin.

"Baratheon Speech"


His brother had told him nonstop about the lioness and the wedding that was supposed to happen. He said nonstop because they shared thoughts, he knew pretty much all the time what Booker was thinking... and it was ninety percent about the wedding. Baratheon's eyes would have rolled if he had pupils to roll but he didn't. Instead he just groaned inwardly. By the many smells he could smell heading towards Pisces apparently a lot of gembounds thought this wedding was just the best thing. He begged to differ. What was so fascinating about two gems making googley eyes over each other? He didn't understand it. Brotherly love like his and Booker's was one thing but this thing that Leon and Makyna had was... strange. He tried to wrap his brain around it but just couldn't.

Now as he took a seat at the back of the ground, so as not to block everyone else's vision, he listened to the announcements. Well, he did at first before being distracted by the design of the cave. He remembered when he had come here and practiced flying for the first time with Quix. That had been quite fun! His eyes then roamed to the little lagoon... Perhaps the Maji Walezians wouldn't mind him taking a dip in that pool after this bore of a meeting.

"Oh, oh! I'd love ta help with the singin',"

An audible grunt came from his throat as he turned to the numbat, now at the front of the proceedings, with a confused head tilt. Sing? Oh... That lioness' announcement. Had it been about singing? Must have been because the deer next to him piped up about wanting to sing too. Puh... He wouldn't sing for anyone. Not unless Booker asked but that was different. He kept his mouth clammed shut for he had nothing to offer. If Booker wanted him to sing then he would but he couldn't put on a light show or do anything fancy. Except hanging up decorations, maybe but still... only if they asked.

Leon too had been quick to come to the bird's call - he was tending to one of the cave's many lagoons, searching for a fish or two to catch and bring back to Makyna. Thankfully, he hadn't snapped one of them up before Bevy's summoning rang through the waterfall cave - he could leave the task of hunting for now, putting it behind him as he set off to follow the sound of her voice. It seemed that a few others had, too; once he arrived, several others had already beat him, including Makyna. Orange eyes pinned to the lioness, eagerly weaving his way towards her. Leon rumbled a quiet greeting, bumping his nose against her shoulder before sliding down onto his stomach and cocking his head towards Bevy. He had to sit, lest he block the view of all others behind him - his short, round ears twitched curiously as he glanced back to see those gathered, then looked at Bevy again.

She began by explaining the purpose of their group and their new goals - to help everybody else in the cave, not just Maji Walezi. That made sense. It rang true with Cancer's initial purpose, though Leon had to admit that in his earlier days, his sights were really only set on Maji Walezi. If it was the wish of the bird, his new leader, to help everyone - then so be it, he would. She explained the tasks of those ranked, and he tuned it to her suggestion for the scouts. She intended to dispatch them throughout the cave, primarily to gain information on the monster that plagued Polaris - a dragon, she said. Leon narrowed his eyes slightly. He knew that some terrible beast lurked in Polaris and cast it ablaze. He had avoided it for that reason. But he was more than ready to plunge into the flames to help those in need.

His attention was once more grasped as Bevy mentioned the wedding. Leon's grin broadened into a smile and he nudged Makyna's leg with his nose once more. The path of his thoughts diverted when the little owl spoke up, and the bear turned to him, listening. He knew where the dragon would be. The dragon - Leon's task. His brows furrowed slightly; while the rest of the group proceeded to fawn over the wedding, Leon found himself plagued with the responsibility of finding the dragon. Of course, he rose and smiled again as everybody poured forth their happy offerings. After a moment, Leon leaned closer to the lioness. "I'll be right back. I'm sure you've got this covered." He murmured, his voice full of jest as he spoke of the wedding. It was no surprise that she had jumped on planning it, and that was perfectly okay with him. She was a lot more organized anyways.

The bear made his way back over to Dark, cocking his head down to look at the tiny little owl. "I'll need you to show me this dragon, once we're done here." Leon said, casting a sidelong glance back at Makyna.

Dark hardly heard half of what was going on; unlike those who could use their eyes to watch the arrivals, the comings and goings of others, and to identify him, he had to use his ears. And that meant that he actually caught very little of the information sent his way, as distracted as he was.

When Leon's bulk padded toward him he froze, turning and rotating his head to stare wide-eyed upward, despite the fact that he couldn't see. But the bear's voice came gentle enough, and after a moment, he clicked his beak and responded, his voice quite soft and polite.

"I have to talk to Bevy, first. Then I will lead you there."

Without further ado, and not wanting to make the bear wait, Dark turned and flapped off after Bevy.

________________