ORIGIN

It was strange eating food which had been killed from the inside. Crushed into a limp thing every time, poked full of holes as the gilded snake delivered prey, one at a time, to her at the nest. She'd eat each meal whole, none very large, not like she hunted, but it kept her fed, and her childrens' father was a deligent provider. Ra'Hen had decided she'd be safe enough to patrol around the small area of her nest, building onto it, adding more stones, larger stones, as her twins grew ever bigger. These were not eggs. These crystalline castes were more than that. She could feel the ebb and flow of magic as tiny bodies formed inside. Her babies. Her creations.

The nest had become enlarged signifigantly in the last half-cycle. She often sat perched between the side-by-side chrysalists, a wing spread over the top of each. She was the happiest raptorid alive, for she had become a Ra'Ma herself. Her own Ra'Ma would be called as Re'Rama, for it was a much more noble title- and the mutant had begun crafting her very own language of sorts, for she believed now, her massive Ra'Ma, Re'Rama, had indeed been a god herself the entire time, a master of creation. Now that Ra'Hen had achieved such a thing as creating her own life, she considered her place in comparison.

Re'Rama had created a great many raptor children in her time in the Caves, and she was Ancient. As old as time itself, Ra'Hen thought. Thusly, she considered the older beast with high regard, and far above herself.

Still, Ra'Hen felt above those who had yet to create, yet to realize their purpose. She felt apart from the young and lonesome gembound in the cave. With help from Midas, she had created true life, and soon they would hatch from their protective shells and greet her as she had once done for Re'Rama. They would need to be taught then, and she would teach the a culture all her own.

They would call her Ra'Ma, as she had once called her own. They would call the great beast of the tunnel Re'Rama, for it meant Revenant Mother, and above all else, that was what suited the ancient raptor lurking not far from where she'd nested. Someday, not too soon, she would take her creations and show them to the ancient, and in return, earn praise and honor.

And she would teach her children to seek the same highest regards, to prove their greatness and to create life. It would become an endless cycle, as they taught this to their children, and so on, and so on. Atop her perch above her growing children, Ra'Hen fluffed her feathers with premature pride. Soon. Soon they will come, and I will be great.

Ra'Hen was stirred briskly from her thoughts at the approach and voice of another. She focused her eyes on the looming figure and immediately, instinctively, felt threatened. I can't fight that. It's too big. Where is Midas!? She stood and fluffed her feathers, but besides that, she remained poised and seemingly unoffensive. The mutant shifted her feet on each chrysalis...

...and from her talons, heated by her internal flame, tiny licks of fire danced across the colored gemstones, like blue and yellow wisps. Her gemstone and eyes lit orange for a brief moment, but with a breath, quivering in her throat audibly, the bird willed her magic away. With a sigh, the glow faded, the fire turned to puffs of white smoke, quickly fading into the air. She stood still only a moment, warmed by the heated spots of glossy crystal, then cocked her head- as if finally considering his question.

"Ra'Hen created these new lives, yes. Is it not impressive?" She crooned, deciding to flare her wings and show off her treasures instead of shooing the monster away. "Ra'Hen will raise them to greatness, and all will adore her creations. Once they hatch, they will be strong and glorious, and Ra'Hen will teach them all that they must know to thrive and prosper." She crooned again, bowing to rub a cheek on each before turning her gaze back at the... wolf? "What does the... beast think of Ra'Hen's splendor? Has it created life before, like Ra'Hen has?"

The beast approved of her creations and Ra'Hen flared with pride, her feathers fluffing up and wings arching back in an impressive display. Then he spoke of having not two, but three children on the way, and for a moment, she was jealous. Such power, to create three lives! This beast clearly had the better bounty. She eyed him up and down, then decided his wards would be a handful. Her pair would be more than enough to start with- and she had plans to make more in the future, once these ones were raised properly.

"A green legless scaled one, called Midas, gave Ra'Hen his stone and magic." She brushed a wing across the golden stone first, then the redder, clearer twin. "Ra'Hen's creations will be bigger and stronger than Ra'hen. They will make their Ra'Ma very proud." She nodded, very sure of that, then turned her gaze back to the winged upright wolf.

"What is the beast? Ra'Hen has never seen such strange shape on a creation before. Does it have a name?" She felt benevolent, and thus, would allow the beast to name itself for a change. Otherwise, she would simply continue to call it Beast.

Lycanthrope. What a strange name for a species. His own name was Damian, though, and Ra'Hen decided it was much easier to say. Ly'Damian, he'd be, then! And Ly'Damian had a very impressive wingspan, she noted as he stretched, admiring the smooth spread of skin and fur. He then went on to ask her of her own species and she actually... laughed! The chuckling coo was a new sound for Ra'Hen and in fact, it startled her- though she hid her surprise well. She shook her head briskly.

"And Ly'Damian still has not met a chicken, for that is not what Ra'Hen is!" She settled on her perch, spreading her wings forward to show off her talons. "Perhaps, once, she used to be..." She cooed, examining her claws thoughtfully. "...but now she is changed. Ra'Ma, Mother of Raptors, changed her." Or so she believed. It was the only thing that explained the new body, the new shape. "Ra'Hen became a raptor for Ra'Ma, and now she becomes a Ra'Ma herself, in honor the Mother of Raptors. In honor of Re'Rama." She had a dreamy air to her voice now, as if she were in awe at the idea.

"Ra'Hen was just... Henna Cheek before she found Re'Rama, and found purpose." She looked up at Damian with a fire in her eyes, like burning determination. "Ra'Hen is better than that now. Not some crawler's lunch. Ra'Hen has become a creator and taker of life itself. Ra'Hen will become Re'Rama to many creations and their own creations, and then Ra'Hen will be immortalized in them."