ORIGIN

We started life uneventfully as the obsidian substance that made up our tomb began to crack away with every claw stroke down its side. Our wings were cramped and in order to reposition ourselves we required more space, thus we needed to be free. Thrusting forwards, our beak burst through and our breast hammered into the side soon after. There was minimal pain, irritation at the clumsiness of our movements more than anything and with great effort, we broke free. Only juvenile in age, our head had retained most of the fluffiness from our previous stage of aging. Our plumage had not yet adopted the dark grey colouration it one day would, instead replaced by a muted variation.

Raising our head, our first point of reference was the crystalline sky that illuminated the area in a dull blue. Rows of seats encircled us and we realized that we had been born in the middle of something important. The 'Forum' or what had remained of it was a great place to be birthed, there was no one here to disturb us and it appeared there hadn't been anyone for quite some time. Able to stretch our wings, they hadn't yet reached their full width but they would in time. Right now that didn't concern us more than testing out what equipment we did have. Extending our right leg forwards, we flexed the dangerous talons and once more noted how they weren't that sharp just yet. In fact, our entire foot was rather small and our permanently fixed brow bone appeared to draw in closer as we scowled.

Again no matter, we were only young and when we were able to grow we would become bigger. Unbeknownst to us was the plethora of life that inhabited these dark caves but we would come to know every inhabitant personally whether they were expecting it or not. Feathers ruffled, we looked to the discarded egg shell fragments and merely shook our head. Pity something so beautiful had had to face destruction in order to give birth to something like us. Not entirely sure where to begin in this new world, we outstretched our wings and in a few swift beats, we were airborne. Wobbly and definitely not as great as we could have been, we came down hard among the broken seats with a harsh cry. Frustrated that it would take some time to get used to this practice, we merely stopped briefly to rest and regain ourselves.

Alright so. We would figure this out before the day was over.

Oh. So there was another and we watched as it made its way over to where we were. It was a big creature, very very big and we were very very small in comparison. Maybe not very, very small, but he had four limbs while we had two with wings. Different body structures, whatever that meant. Since we were on our belly, we maneuvered so we were once again on our feet and blinked a few times at the maned boy.

That comment didn't strike us as odd, but it did make us wonder if all we were was a little one. Surely, we wouldn't be full grown out of a chrysalis but we had hoped that we didn't appear so juvenile like we were. Without meaning too, the gem that lay itself within our breast begin to tingle and glow. The light over us drew in and we were plunged into a sort of darkness that made us, at least we felt it made us, a lot more menacing than we actually were. "Little one..." We pondered this name, it wasn't what we were called and it was obvious as we played the word over and over. "No. Not little one." Blinking at Niru, our head cocked sides, "Big one?" Maybe that is why he called us little one, because his name was big one. Still shrouded in shadow, we waited, this place was nice enough to stay for a conversation.

"Missing something?"