ORIGIN

The dragon had decided, even if her sister hadn't quite been there the ultimate decision, that the stop of a steep, tall structure would be her 'home.' It was hard for her to climb the 90-degree building, but had she been a foot shortera and had no wings, she likely would have found it impossible. She was also sure that as she grew, she would eventually find it easier and easier to clamber up onto the building. Perhaps even simply fly onto it.

It saved them from the dreaded ground her sister seemed to hate. It protected them from the predators that roamed the room, things that would probably never even dream of trying to make her their prey, but also things that, in Eko's words, 'could eat me in one bite.' She couldn't see, but she was sure that her sister was much smaller than she was.

Regardless, she was content with lying on top of the stone structure, on her side with her wings tucked into her sides, legs stretched and sprawled, head lying on the cool stone with her tail hanging over the ledge, flickering to and fro. Napping was a common activity for Lichen; after all, a creature seemingly destined to grow to be like her draconic cousins Raheerah and Baratheon would no doubt need twenty-three hours of rest.

Perhaps, instead, it was laziness.

The dragon's scales shimmer green against the dark rock of Orion. It was dark; only illuminated by dim orbs of light, the glimmering quartz stars and, for the area she was in at least, the glowing scales. Not that she could ever see this, of course - in fact, she couldn't see anything unless she really concentrated.

It wasn't laziness at all. In order to not die every day, Lichen had to focus magic into her face just to see a few micro-organisms crawling around every bend and corner, crawling up and festering on every living creature. It was exhausting and overwhelming for her - at times, she almost feared for the caves, just by watching how much they multiplied in a matter of seconds. Unnerving, was what it was.

And when she didn't want to do that, all she could do was hear the heartbeats of other things. It was useful, she supposed, that she could follow a sound with her whiskers lifted carefully in fear of accidentally bumping into something; but it wasn't the same thing as being able to see.

But, then again, was seeing tiny, microbial life the same thing as the gift of sight? Lichen thought not, at least.

Lichen shifted and stretched out. She had no idea where her sister was, but regardless, she found her chin resting on the ledge of her home. She was sure if she listened hard enough, she'd hear Eko's heartbeat near by - perhaps by one of her legs, or hidden away in her head crest, or perhaps even somewhere near her tail. The dragon couldn't feel her - so she assumed she was sleeping somewhere or perhaps, she was gone off to look for food or to pester someone. But that was unlikely.

She breathed in, chest lifting and heaving; and she breathed out. Her eyelids shut over her gemstone eyes briefly in an attempt to concentrate. She focused mostly on her breathing, how her chest tightened and heaved with every breath, how it relaxed and the burning hot hair shot through her nostrils.

With gemstone eyes glimmering, her eyelids lifted. The world had opened up to her - well, sort of. Tiny, tiny pieces of bacteria were crawling around the walls and the floor and probably under her - probably on her. She tried not to think about it as she stared out into the room.