ORIGIN

Something stirs within the tunnel, as if a great breath was inhaled, the dormant dust rising like a wave and eddying through the air. Piles of trinkets, from whole sets of rusted armor to small ornaments and cups, rattle and fall as if displaced - and then things settle once more in to a strange calm. What looks to be a shining chunk of unrefined gold can be seen glittering just out of the way, shadowed by a high pile of treasure; geometric shapes line one side of this fist-sized stone, or so you would see if you got close enough. The dust settles around it, but does not touch it - something protects the stone, keeping it from becoming tarnished by the dirt of the tunnel.

She'd just been resting in her home, minding her own business when she heard the great clatter of metal objects which roused her from her light slumber. The mongoose tucked her usual gear on: the spear, the vine belt, the dagger-sword, and her satchel. Then, she scurried out of Monoceros towards the sound because what thief could resist the temptations of metal?

The mongoose then laid eyes upon the huge mound of glittering gold. So much of it! It was there for the taking! All she had to do was grab it! A decidedly evil grin spread onto her muzzle as she ran forward towards the pile and reached out her paws to hopefully make off with something of great value.


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"Talking looks like this!"
Thinking looks like this...

The creature dives headlong towards the glittering gold, but Diamondfang hits some sort of unseen barrier - it is fleshy, but unseen. Their body rebounds and plops against the ground, with the prize just out of reach. After colliding with the unseen barrier, a voice breaks through the shadows.

"Hhhhh...." the voice says, slurring and sighing, as if waking up. It is hard to tell if it is a true voice or simply the wind. Something shifts beneath the piles of debris once more, and then there is silence.

When Diamondfang looks down at their paws, they will notice a chunk of rusted metal resting there - but not the gold they sought.

The mongoose's paws were outstretched and her eyes stretched wide with greed so when she smacked into the fleshy thing it was fully unexpected. Her nose collided painfully with it and she rolled backwards, completely caught off guard. So... It wouldn't be that easy. Of course not. The mongoose lay on the ground a moment and stared upwards but she could see nothing... Nothing except the enticing gold.

And then the noise.

A squeal of alarm erupted from the mongoose's mouth and in fear she changed her coat from its red-brown to a muted gray to keep from being seen while she herself scurried behind a rock, out of sight. The mongoose sat there for a few moments, trying to calm her racing heart. After her heart calmed a few beats she looked from behind her rock and peered out at the treasures. What on earth had stopped her? Some invisible thing? Hmm... This might be more difficult than she thought... Especially if she couldn't see what she was up against. She lowered back behind the rock and began to think on what to do.


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"Talking looks like this!"
Thinking looks like this...

The fleshy barrier shifts with the rodent's assault, jiggling slightly, and then comes to a rest while the creature stares in befuddlement. Then, as the creature shifts in color and becomes nearly as invisible as the barrier itself, something new occurs. Diamondfang scuttles, their claws clicking upon the rough floor of the tunnel, and above - deep in the dark - four shining shapes reveal themselves. With a slick and wet sound, the first almond-shaped eye opens; then about a meter over, two more, until finally a last one (nearest to Diamondfang) shines in the darkness. Each eye is briefly focused upon her nimble little body while she stares hungrily towards the chunk of gold. Before she noticed, the eyes shut.

Her next attempt did not come. In fact, the creature appeared to give up entirely. She shuffled behind the cover of a rock, and the gold stone sat waiting for further attention.

Diamondfang most likely didn't know it - or if she did, she was much more tolerant than Fleur had given her credit for - that her protege had taken to sleeping just close enough to the mongoose to see her, far enough away to dart away when the smaller Gembound happened to rush out, right after a loud crash echoed through Monoceros. The skunk's eyes narrowed, and she snuffled, slowly getting up from her hiding place, beginning to follow along at a steady scurry, tail raised high and ears pinned back.

Two cycles old, and Fleur still hadn't figured out just what made her so protective of Fang. Was it her mentorship? Her tolerance? Florence had those qualities, too. No, whatever she felt for the mongoose was much different than the warm, familial love she held for her flamingo. Diamondfang was special... but then, she was a Queen. Queens were pretty special.

But sometimes Fleur wondered if her Queen had forgotten her Princess.

Stubbornness. Maybe that was it. Fleur was too stubborn to stop, too dependent to leave, and much, much too possessive to let Fang go. And so she trundled on, darting from rock to rock, wall to wall, using every skill her mentor had passed on to keep off of her radar. It was easier than normal; most of the mongoose's attention was focused on treasure hunting.

Finally, Fang stopped, in the tunnel where Fleur had first met the big fire thingy and the fox pup. Nem-e-sis. Hm. Wary now, the skunk dropped low to the floor, narrowed eyes watching the scene as it played out. A sigh, and a squeal, and Fleur was up off the ground like a shot, skidding to a stop in front of the strange creature that had dared offend her Queen so, hissing and stomping on the ground as hard as possible, snapping her teeth and raising her tail in warning.

"Bad! Bad! Stay. Away. From. Fang!"

Perhaps it was the skills she was teaching to her protege or perhaps it was her preoccupation with the gold but either way she didn't notice the skunk until after she ran out to assault the invisible thing. Fang's tiny head popped up from behind the rock as she watched. Quickly her fertile mind came up with the perfect idea. Ah, sweet little Fleur-de-Lis, popping up when it was the most useful. When she had formerly been fearful and concentrated on coming up with a plan she now gave a smile.

"That's it, Fleur! Keep that thing distracted, alright?" Yes... Yes, distract it while she went along the back and gathered up everything.

The mongoose began to ease her way from behind the rock, carefully and easily to sneak behind the commotion and hopefully around the weird fleshy thing.


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"Talking looks like this!"
Thinking looks like this...

And then there were two. Two plump and furry morsels with shining gems, each which held interest to the many-eyed thing; but the many-eyed thing thought it had been crafty and quick. It thought that its hungry little glance would go unseen - and yet, the chubby white critter seemed to notice. It scurried up to where one of the many-eyes had been open, while the brown noodle took a chance.

Diamondfang would find her way around the flesh wall. She might notice the ground becoming slightly damp, but perhaps her zeal for reaching the gold stone was far greater than her self preservation - the closer she got to the stone, the more humid the area felt. Such sensations were reserved to the furry creature's spot within the cave; Fleur would be free of the strange dampness, and the gradually increasing rotting odor that would surround the more adventurous queen of thieves.

The stone was still out of reach, but not for much longer.

That's it, Fleur! Keep that thing distracted, alright? Fleur's ears twitched as she swiveled to peer at her mentor, grinning with the lust for a fight and pride, turning back to the weird wall-thing with renewed vigor. Useful! She was finally useful! Come at me, eye thingies! The young skunk stomped and chattered gemstone teeth, hissing and waving her tail to and fro, whiskers twitching wildly. By the middle of her 'distraction,' the babe was practically dancing about - menacingly, of course.

Diamondfang passed by the wall with seemingly little trouble, and Fleur tried to keep the fleshy barrier's attention on herself, raising her tail in warning and sneering out a challenge. "Wanna. Startle. My queen! Huh? Pick. On. Me!" With that, the white ball of chubby fluff took aim and focused, trying to make use of her natural scent glands to further distract the wall.