Jun 19 2016, 01:35 PM
Along one of the cavern's many cliff faces, a sudden breach in the line of rock was the first clue that something had gone awry. In the clean line of the rock one section had sheared off in a thick, angular piece before plummeting down several feet. The wall below was pocketed here and there by violent divots. And there at the bottom, nestled among broken pieces of rock, was a chrysalis. A growing layer of dust coated the facets of the massive alexandrite, some surely from the debris of the initial fall, but most having been layered over the course of weeks. No movement betrayed the creature inside and no prints marred the surface. The stone looked more akin to a gravestone than a place of rebirth. The sudden split of stone crumbling beneath cloven hooves. A gasp. Dust stinging airways. Weightlessness. With an almost audible thump, Boar was suddenly extremely aware of her own heartbeat. Pulled from disjointed flickers of memories, she was yanked unceremoniously back into consciousness. She hesitated, taking stock of her situation. For an instant it felt as though she had never existed before this exact moment in time. But then, as she settled into awareness, memories -- solid, real memories -- edged their way into her mind. She lurched, stretching into the barriers of her chrysalis. Another flex, and more barred freedom of movement. The muscles along her neck tensed. Again she pressed, flattening violently against any wall she felt. But her muscles were too-long unused, her body too awkward from the growing and mending it had done. And so Boar rested. For how long she remained still, she couldn't tell. That familiar dark thoughtlessness crept across her mind like a veil. It may have been months or only minutes. At last she felt an energy grip her from within. She was ready. Her haunches flexed, drawing in her hooves to her belly before lashing out in swift action. They met the inside of her chamber with a resounding crack. The wall stood no chance. Her hooves smashed right through, sending shards of alexandrite raining across the dust-littered floor. From there the rest of the chrysalis fell as fissures erupted from every corner of the opening she'd made. They streaked like lightning across the surface of the stone until it finally all fell away. Boar was left standing, panting, and free. |