ORIGIN - hands held higher (hatching!)

❀

deep within the corridors of polaris, a dark stone pulsed gently with life, in the crook of moss and dank cave walls. in the stone, which was no larger than a metre, was a fawn, curled up and aroused from restless sleep. she wanted out. the chrysalis that once had seemed a warm, safe haven was now suffocating her from all sides, digging into her soft flesh and restricting her limbs.

it was a silent struggle comprised of her straining her muscles and with each attempted flail, the stone loosening. finally, after a few moments, the bottom of her cocoon gave away, and an impossibly small, dark thing of long legs and lean head crashed out, splayed on uncertain hooves. it was all anticlimactic, except for the strident squeal that issued from her falling. dull pain grasps at her knees and hooves, but she manages to fight her way back up again.

she shakes like a wet leaf in autumn, and it takes one or two tries to regain what could be called a decent balance, as she stares with wide, golden eyes, in pitch darkness. there is an uncomfortable and cold weight on the right side of her cheek, where a tooth should have been, and it tastes like a strange cave wall. her head instantly tilts, in both compromising and curiosity.

perth is a pitiful sight -- a sleek, skeletal thing with a head too large for its body, slicked-back ears and perpetually wobbling legs. she has a headache, crescendoing in her temples. she's all too aware of everything, now, the darkness and coldness that creeps up onto her flesh and seizes her heart with fear. she whines, sharp with regret and panic, wanting more, with every passing second, to be back in her safe chrysalis.

it echoes faintly down the branching cavern avenues, and to the ears of those within them. help. she yearns, without knowing the exact word for it. help.

Died last night in my dreams
"Kyo Speaks" | Kyo Thinks
@Perth

The walls of his mind were drawing down; brittle and insufficient in the way one would knock them down. Though being was fine overall, it knew well of its product in keeping up momentum to explore and experience. Properties of this place would be great for the weary it seemed, but surely sucked the life out of those in which already overfilled their own supplement. Form held a relaxing stride, using the walls to guide him to his next exit. A tunnel, another room; it had not matter to the youth so long as it was out of lively sector.

Despite darkness in which dominated cave for the longest time, eyes were not all that fazed in not only being adjusted from blankness after a while, but organ was more build for this lacking. Shapes were apparent which was enough to navigate through and not trip over much of everything; but that had not excluded the occasional rock that met his paw. Shifting the stones he held in his mouth, he decided to try and leap over a considerably sized rock. With a small grunt, once he was on it his ears flickered at the faint sound of... crying? Each one made his skull tilt one side to the other in dishing out the location of it. Kyorai hopped off his temporary perch and followed where the whine was emitting from.

Urgency may or may not have filled his little body; thoughts conjuring up guesses as to why a being called out in apparent distress. There was the want to bay out for creature in whichever direction they lie. Hearing proved it further when putting forth the effort in acknowledging their heartbeat. Fast without any measure in calming. He glided toward where the beats became loud and slightly unbearable to large ears. Due to that, ears flatten but expression curious as to what was going on to cause this. After a few seconds of remaining on one path, a figure faded into his view; steps bringing him to go over to the side. Nose took in the air around, realizing the unique scent often those seemed to give off when emerged. Ah, so that was it. Scratching the ground to make an indent for his stones, he came close to the new form afterwards. Perhaps they were scared of the dark, which he found peculiar, but would try to understand such.

"Hey, hey. What's the matter?"

He questioned in a light tone, aiming to lick the young creature on the leg. Wha- what! It was a deer! The canine was not sure how to feel about it seeing he heard countless times that they were prey. However, he would push said telling away knowing it was something unnecessary.

❀

"hey, hey. what's the matter?"

she scents him first, with the twitch of her black nose, and the startled unfurling of her eyelids. by instinct, she presses against the cave wall, startled, breaths coming fast and unsteady. fear-scent slicks her skin and rises, pungent, in the musty subterranean air. a warm tongue rasps against her leg, and the hot moistness of the breath suffocates her. the dark presses against her eyes fiercely.

there is a long, drawn out whimper, low and terrified, accompanied by a squeal. everything is too loud. too warm. her heartbeat roars in her ears. "dark!" she exclaims, the word barely recognisable through her lips, tight with fear. "dark!" she repeats, she insists, as if saying it again would add urgency. she wanted to get out of this cave, more than the want to break out of her chrysalis. it felt like she was being digested by some monstrous, odious beast. everything was constricting.

"out." she whispers, then, calming. her neck extends, too-large head trying to shove gently against the wolf, seeking comfort. the shivering slows, she's much less frightened, but there is still the itching hate for this cave, and her wanderlust outside of it. "perth is scared ..." it is a murmur with the heavy weariness of truth. "want out."

kyorai

Died last night in my dreams
"Kyo Speaks" | Kyo Thinks
@Perth

It was not a surprise to hear their words riddled with fear. An emotion he has hardly gave his time to nor let it conjure time for him. A small relation the dog lacked, but he would try within the best corner of his mind to play true and mindful to the gemling's concerns. Even though he had the luck of light when he emerged, that certainly was a different situation for this fawn. He nudged at them this time to silently offer his company. It was a bit awkward as they stood much taller than him, but the puppy would try to work around that. "No need to be scared! Nothing's going to get you! I will be sure of it," he assured, positive that they would stay safe at least within his perimeter. The fawn was fortunate the puppy did not have any great interest in the deer within this cave yet or this would probably become a risky encounter.

Small hum emitted from him, perking an ear at what the gemling preferred. "Out? I don't think there's a way out," he was unsure if this cave had a known exit and never took the time to consider such plausibility. The elkhound would have to think of an alternative to their want. Shortly after pondering a few seconds, he recalled spots where minerals shone naturally and without fail; not needing to rely on any source other than themselves. "However, a place without darkness is not too far," he told in the intention of calming the creature, "little crystals with their own light! Perhaps better for you," he admitted with a smile as curly tail swayed. From where he known of their current location, they should not be a ways away from a clutter of crystal lights.

Multi-hued eyes scanned what all it could see up to the shadowed figures surrounding. He was uncertain how much of an adventure this would prove to be for Perth, but if they rather sureness than fear then something would come about. "Just follow me, it won't be dark for long!" he promised, bouncing forward some to make sure the fawn knew of his current spot near them. Kyorai wished he retained that light self took the time to break off. Perhaps by luck they could stumble upon it while venturing to where light was abundant as mind faintly remembered dropping it somewhere. Though that depended on if new youth could keep along.

❀

the softer, plush feel of the canine's head offers her a few moments of solace, and her staccato heartbeat settles into its customary drone, though still a little off-tempo. there is a another whimper, this time coming from the back of her mouth, and quieter, shallower, and she becomes more inquisitive, now. excited, almost, for what the future had in store for her. there was less reason to be scared with another at her side, especially one barking messages of comfort. she didn't understand much, but it was clear that the puppy was trying to assure her. she chirps, happier, in return.

"thank you! perth is safe, now." the naïve conviction shared between them is contagious. perth immediately feels bolstered; her shivering fades, though she is still a tad wobbly on her newborn limbs. her head bows, again in apprehension as the canine says that there is no exit, but brightens again when he says he knows of a place with light. the fickle nature of her emotions is almost comedic, and all too exaggerated on her sweet features. her laugh is crystal and birdsong, something of sugary amusement. her tail perks up too.

pressing close to kyorai, she nods with a sense of determined bravery. her mouth, while set in a clear line, is loose in the middle with relief. there was going to be light! the thought of it brings an exuberant bounce to her step, making sure to never leave the hound's side. "name for dog?" she asked, a tilt to her head, feeling the weight of her gem on her teeth. "dog has stone?" she'd come out of a stone, and she was certain that the weird weight in her mouth was also a stone, for reasons she couldn't fathom, not that she was particularly interested. but it would be awesome if the dog had a stone! perhaps it was pretty?

kyorai

Died last night in my dreams
"Kyo Speaks" | Kyo Thinks
@Perth

Content dominated its usual settlement when he saw the fawn break away from the fear in which they had initially. Such thing was good for both as their was not much of a middle ground beforehand from his own inexperience. Skull tilted at the peculiar sounds they produced; angle changing with each one. Despite the lack of understanding for use, he unconsciously knew its meaning which was more than enough. The puppy beamed at their spoken gratitude, mind swelling from warmth at its own self-praise. How fulfilling it was for the young form—outing the bad and fueling the good.

Stance came steady when company got close to him, thoughts battling the seesawing fixture of the wrong and the right. He snorted at the others livelihood as body had to fish some of its own back. While secretly drawing paths out, gaze flowed over to Perth in which asked for his name. How forgetful was he not to mention it previously. "Kyorai is what I go by!" he told, raising a brow soon after. He just noted how they had referred to him in having not figured self to be a dog. Perhaps that explained the small lack of handed similarities to other canine friend.

Humming as he observed his flexing paw, large ears perked at the second inquiry to come from the other. It was about his stone which had him recall the stones he just about left for this builded journey. Holding their question, Kyorai trotted over to where he dropped his items and returned a few seconds after. Purposely did he drop them to have a clattering noise come from them, licking lips with a light smile. "Yep! These are stones from where I first came from. My magical stone is right here," he stated, pulling head back to reveal his throat to them. Between where skull and neck met will be where iolite stone was wedged. Fur coated around it well enough so that it did not bother the puppy whenever skin rubbed on it. "Where's yours? It'll help to know so you can start using magic as well!" he explained, remembering how dragon friend taught him how to conjure his first spell with simply locating and acknowledging his stone.