ORIGIN

In amongst the leafy canopy above, something small, something bright, flitted through beams of light that flooded onto the ground in between the trees. A pair of wings vibrated and buzzed with subtle excitement. Some creature lingered above, watching, bright eyes curiously following the pigeon that had approached its stone. She was drawn to it - she knew what it was, there was no doubt about its origins. The mere shape of it told her from whom it had been reaped. How did she miss this event? It must have been when she was leading the dragon away.

It was unfortunate that the pigeon had arrived just in time to retrieve it. She'd only just found it. Still, maybe she could make this work... she needed that stone. Giggling quietly to herself, the sprite buzzed onto a branch hovering a couple meters above the bird. She sat herself on the bark limb, danging her feet playfully as she peered down. "Hey there!" She greeted, that southern lilt easy to pick out through the dull hum of the surrounding jungle. "Why that's a mighty fine treasure you found," Nemean added with another giggle as she formed an 'O' between her index and her thumb, bringing it up to her eyes and shining twin beams of light that fixed right on the pigeon and his stone.

She hadn't intended to startle the pigeon - or maybe she had - but when he jumped with a pompous sound and turned to glare up at her, Nemean couldn't help but smile even brighter, turning her wrists and clicking the lights off (in a sense). However, the green Gembound didn't seem very receptive to her presence and instead requests her to leave, which prompted the sprite to giggle and tilt her head, gazing down curiously at him. "Busy? With what?"

The spritely cat buzzed her wings curiously, cocking her head as she gazed over the stone in the pigeon's clutches. It shone dim in the light, glinting and gleaming like a piece of the moon itself. That's why they called it moonstone, she supposed. Dawa would pick that one. Typical. She mused quietly, but her attention very quickly fixed back on the bird. "Your stone?" The sprite answered incredulously, arching her eyebrows. "Don't you know who that stone really belongs to?" Honestly, she'd be surprised to hear that the bird didn't. In fact, she was even more surprised to hear him ask who she was. Nemean blinked, then her smile broadened and she giggled. "Oh, little old me? I'm no one special," She started. "Just the one that saved your silly butts from that nasty dragon! Well, for now." Nemean spoke with another giggle, her voice dropping with the secrecy of a sensitive subject.

"Don't tell anyone, but all I did was lead him away down the cave. I trapped him, I did, though I'll be honest I don't know how long it'll hold... You do know where that stone came from though, right? That darling little lamb, oh, did you meet her?" What a stupid question. Obviously he had. She cast him a cheeky smile, willfully ignorant and waiting for him to deliver the truth: either he had stolen the stone, or he was the one to kill her. It wouldn't have taken much.

Nemean's eyes widened as the bird poured forth a diatribe of the horrendous actions of the beast that had supposedly killed the owner of the lamb's stone. The perpetrator had three heads, and Nemean thought back to those she had encountered with more than one - there was that silly two headed snake, the weakling who she hadn't expected to survive very long. And a dog. A great big three headed dog. That must be the one... And he resisted against the idea of the dragon, which made her quirk her brow, her doubt about the bird now beginning to seriously mount. She didn't know why she was hanging around and dealing with this stupidity, but it was far from her style to be forthright about anything.

Nemean kicked her feet with another laugh as he demanded her name, and offered forgiveness if she mended this transgression, her wings buzzing with mild amusement. What an annoying creature. "Goodness, you're right! I do apologize, sweet thing. My name is Nemean." She smiled down at him, her long tail flicking below her feet. "How you never noticed him, I've no idea, but that brute... oh, his name was Raheerah, and your Gembound friends all rallied together to chase him out of Polaris. 'Course, I helped out as much as I could... I'd say magic played a good part. Seems our big ugly friend ain't much a fan of shiny lights." She laughed mischievously and puffed up with pride.

"But that nasty lizard ain't gonna stay trapped forever, and fragile little Dawa is the only one who can keep him at bay. Tell you what, let me take care of her, and I'll show you a few fancy tricks! Besides... you wouldn't want to be the one at fault if that dragon comes back, would you?" Nemean asked, staring down at the bird.