ORIGIN

A prison of amber enclosed upon the small form. Within that creature an awareness of the world around him was building, a feeling which had not been sensed before but was now growing. The calf now writhed within the chamber, body twisting about as if to free itself from the captivity held upon it since creation. In the last hour eyes had cracked open, staring out with a hazed sight at the visions that swam about in the freedom the outer world provided.

Limbs reached out, clicked against the inner walls of the husk of stone. Head jerked upward as the bovid’s body squirmed more violently. An invisible force, a fleeting feeling which ushered him on told the calf to keep moving. Salvation was a task slowly gained as the cracks along the walls merely inched upon the gemstone’s hide like cracking glass. It wasn’t until one last writhe seized the child that the gates were thrown open.

A loud crack as a fissure split the walls and with an ungraceful motion the buffalo was spit out upon the cavern floor. Limbs scrambled as the child fought to sit up. Snuffled snorts pulled from deep within the youngster’s lungs and were expelled through the nostrils. Tongue folded against his lips as large ears fell at his cheeks, turning at each sound which echoed within. Everything around provide a strange and foreign sensation. An overwhelming feeling drew a call from the child’s throat, a bleating noise to call upon those who were near.

Mind fully occupied with the memories of her adventures, Tillie trekked back to the place of her birth. The cavern that welcomed into her into the world with the sound of crashing water and a cold, shivering breeze.

It wasn't that she liked Pisces, but she yearned for the familiar.

Carefully making her way back through the tunnels, her trek concluded as the path opened to the grand, damp room. Before entering, Tillie sniffed the air, as cautious as ever.

Though instead of the obtaining the comfort she sought, a new and unusual sight caught her eye. She stepped towards it, hopping on three legs as she favored the hoof that carried her stone. A thundering crash made her flinch, stumbling backwards as a creature burst free from its stony husk.

The newly hatched babe let out a bleat, and Tillie took it as a quiet plea for help. Moving closer, she hobbled into view. "H-hello. Are you alright?"

That first cry from the hatchling dragged out till there was no more breath to be put into it. The need for air cut off the bellowing call as the child gasped for breath. He was more than prepared to unleash yet another bleat to be followed by another, however many it took, in order to get the attention sought. Luckily there was a foreign voice ringing out in the otherwise silent cavern.

A gentle tone that turned the calf’s currently oversized ears long before eyes were drawn over as well. Amber gaze fell upon the creature with an uneven gait, one limb raised higher than the rest. Head tilted curiously but a pride coupled it as it bloomed within his chest. He’d gotten what he wanted with those vocal tears!

Limbs scrambled and pushed against the moss as an excitement rolled through the boy. Words which only made so much sense had been spoken, a question. But the child’s focus was on why the one who came was still so far away. Body wiggled but the calf didn’t rise. Instead another bleat rose in his throat, “No!” Never would he be alright, not till the stranger came closer.

If Delphine could have her own way, she would not have chosen to frequent Pisces as often as she did but alas, Fate had a way of intervening and as was often the case, she found herself wandering the aquatic space with trepidation. It was not that she was loath to be here but that water had never been something of a strong suit for her, particularly when her inclinations fell toward the solid earth beneath her feet. Yet she could not complain when it was both instances in Pisces where she encountered the two most important Gembounds in her life. Meredith and Tillie. If she was not traveling alone, she was often times searching for traces of Meredith's explorations or perhaps following the ghost of Tillie's hobbling meanderings. This time around, she fell to the latter choice.

Having caught scent of the young okapi, Delphine gradually ambled forward. It would have been made infinitely easier if she'd simply gem sensed for the child but a part of her feared the notion of relying so much on her magic and it was this preconceived hesitance that made her settle for the more natural way of things. That and it was nearly impossible to miss the thrum that reverberated throughout the room, a powerful vibrato that curled bone-deep. She knew this feeling well enough to be that of a new birthing and Tillie's fortune of being a part of a process she herself came to love.

A loud bleat sounded from around the bend, urging the adolescent's steps to quicken so that when she caught sight of Tillie's familiar form, a smile immediately found its way along her black lips. "Till." She whickered before stepping forward with her head bowed and her gaze rested on the newborn calf. He was the first of his kind that she'd seen and in that alone, she found herself intrigued. "Hello little one, I am Delphine." Slowly she took a step forward, caution hazarding her every move so as not to scare the newborn. "What's your name?"

Kharis

Tillie

Kharis

Delphine