ORIGIN

Okay, so he'd chickened out. As much as he wanted to explore what lay beyond the misty dark tunnel Xireidi just couldn't bring himself to go all the way through when he knew he still had a long way to go before he could effectively defend himself from whatever creatures dwelled there.

Still, coming back to Orion had definite benefits. With all the strange structures around he had plenty of opportunity to train himself to be big and strong. It was a pretty place too, perfect to relax at the end of a long day sore from running and jumping and playing.

This was one of those moments, where Xireidi lay at the base of an ancient structure catching his breath and relaxing, for once not even having to deal with the strange thoughts that plagued him every now and then.

The youthful wolf was just moments away from drifting to sleep as a sound penetrated the cavern. He'd heard it once before in the scary tunnel, but this was nowhere near the entrance. Awakened by curiosity Xireidi lethargically rose and started to move to investigate.

At first as the creature came within sight the pup thought it was a rabbit of some kind, but it didn't quite look right. He was full from a previous hunt anyways so even if he hadn't noticed the gem on its tail he would have been unlikely to have pounced.

"Hello?" he articulated as he approached from around a corner, head lowered and ears forward in curiosity. "You're... a gembound aren’t you?"

As much as he wanted to investigate in further detail he stopped a few feet shy so as not to scare the poor creature. It probably didn't help that he was a good bit bigger, had sharp teeth, and looked like he'd just come out of a battle with all the cuts and bruises from the day.

"The words I speak"
The thoughts I hold
And the self I keep hidden away

The wolf pup showed a small grin at the creature's attempt at words. he remembered that time, having just come to life and fumbling over what now seemed like the simplest of things. Now that he was closer he also had a good view of the blue stone from which she had emerged and realized just how quickly he had managed to get here.

It was too bad she was too weak-looking to be of any use to him. Not that that actually mattered in the least. This was a new life, and it was his responsibility now to see to it that her entrance to the world was a good experience.

"My name is Xireidi." he offered in a soothing voice, lying down so she wouldn't have to look up. It wasn't as bad of a difference as it would have been were he full grown, but he had been around for nearly a cycle and she was newborn. "Do you have a name yet?"

He started thinking back to his emergence, trying to think of what it was like. He'd been nauseous, hungry, in pain, and not yet used to living in a world with no depth perception and a dulled sense of touch. Still, it had been a joyful time and this small one did not seem to have emerged with quite as much difficulty as he had.

"The words I speak"
The thoughts I hold
And the self I keep hidden away

The young red wolf couldn't help but continue to grin at the small creature's antics. She'd actually gotten his name remarkable close, especially considering that it was nothing but the junction of the first syllables he'd ever uttered. It was nice to see how fearless she was of him, and as she approached he took the opportunity to try to figure out better what she was.

Well, she definitely wasn't a rabbit; that was for sure. Even if she were one she'd be much too small to bother hunting for now, especially as full as he was. Still, even from this close range he didn't have a concept in his head that corresponded to her physical form. For now he'd just have to settle with the name she'd given, Gratia.

His already perked ears twitched lightly at the sound, and his mind returned to where it had been just before she spoke up. "Well then, Gratia, it sounds like you could use some food." he said with the same soft tone, "If you want to rest here I can go find something for you and bring it back in a little bit."

Xireidi stood up and listened around, trying to map out possible hunting locations he hadn't used recently. He doubted that this creature would be able to eat a whole rat, but perhaps he could track down a small mouse or a few crickets? Having given it some thought he started moving toward the closest hunting spot he could think of likely to yield results for the little Gratia.

"The words I speak"
The thoughts I hold
And the self I keep hidden away

Xireidi paused momentarily as he heard shuffling behind him. The Gratia was following him. To be honest he really couldn't blame her, this was a new world with strange wonders around every corner. Either that or...

The wolf stopped dead in his tracks as he recalled the other realization that he had made shortly after emerging. The presence of that entity, one of the only things that had burned itself in his mind as deeply as language itself. As a newborn it had scared him, led him to try to get stronger as quickly as possible. Was Gratia coming to terms with the instinct of there being some terrible abomination of black and glowing orange in these caves? So far he had been the only one he knew of that had been bothered by it, but he deeply felt this monster had to be the reason for his, and possibly everyone else's being.

"Don't worry." he reassured behind him, "You can come with me; I'll keep you safe from the monster."

It didn't take long for them to arrive at the location he'd been seeking out; a clearing with many tall rocks scattered about and a couple of berry bushes that attracted small prey.

"I'm going to climb on top of one of those rocks so I can get you some food. I won't leave though; I'll be just a couple seconds away in case anything bad happens."

With a mighty leap the wolf jumped high into the air and landed on the edge of one of the taller rocks, clattering up the rest of the way and positioning himself so he was still in sight of the youth. Now to try to find a mouse...

"The words I speak"
The thoughts I hold
And the self I keep hidden away

There! Almost hidden away by the terrain Xireidi spotted a small mouse. It looked a little further away than he was used to jumping, but he'd been practicing a lot so it would be a good challenge. The young wolf crouched down on the rock, coiling himself up for a strike. Almost inpercevably he moved his head from side to side, creating an artificial sense of depth perception as he'd learned to do. He had a lock on, now just to...

A cry pierced the silence, spooking the mouse to abandon it's resting spot and run for cover further away. Xireidi attempted to stop the motion but he was already mid-spring. The youth began to skid down the steep slope of the other side of the rock, landing with a thud but mostly unhurt.

He blinked a few times and looked around for signs of possible danger, only to find Gratia munching away at the berries on the bush. A small chuckle started deep in his chest as he began to right himself and walk over toward the bush.

"I should have guessed." he commented mostly to himself. "You don't eat mice, do you?"

"The words I speak"
The thoughts I hold
And the self I keep hidden away