ORIGIN

High above within the very roof of the room of stars a sleeping figure began to stir. Though Zeno usually didn't go this high up without good reason he had spent the previous day wandering about the well-lit roof in a expedition reminiscent of some of his earliest days of knowledge-seeking. Between the glowing crystals the ceiling, which looked fairly featureless from the ground, was littered with outcroppings and small alcoves, some of which were large enough for a tiny creature such as himself to rest with a brilliant view of the ruined city below.

With a yawn the bat stretched his wings and dropped to the edge of his little hiding spot. Fatigue was still clinging onto his psyche, and as tempting as it would have been to just crawl back up to rest some more he still wanted to make today an active like the day before had been.

The small fruit bat leaned over the edge and began to drop, the ceiling behind him retreating with astonishing speed as more and more crystal lights became visible. Any fatigue that might have been hanging on was quickly brushed away by the winds that hit Zeno's face and the sight of the ground rushing toward him. Zeno's usual serene expression was nowhere to be seen, replaced by an uncharacteristic giddiness as a high-pitched screech of delight exited his throat.

Within what felt like minutes the bat descended upon the forum at terminal velocity, spreading his wings out at the last minute and soaring down into the pit and up again, shifting at the top of his ascent into a sideways glide that took him at high speeds around the circle. The sheer force of the maneuver took every ounce of his strength but the result was one of the greatest thrills that the bat had ever actually pulled off.

Faster and faster Zeno flew, beating his wings as his flight path took him in an ever-descending corkscrew around the amphitheater. He barely even noticed the small kitten at first- it had been just a fragment of a spec when he had first looked toward the ground and once he was close enough to see most of his attention had been taken up by making sure he didn't crash horribly into the ground.

When his path did finally converge on the forum floor the fruit bat tilted upwards once again to cut speed and slowly began to glide toward the front row of seats. Even as he touched down his heart was racing and his mind was sharpened from the adrenaline rush. Breaths came quick and deep and only ten did he have a chance to notice the company he had zoomed in on.

"Oh!" he exclaimed loudly as embarrassment began to show on his face, "I'm sorry if I disturbed you. I wasn't expecting there to actually be anyone down here."

The other seemed young, a kitten. Despite that it was still quite a bit larger than him. Hopefully he hadn't scared it too much; he'd been careful the last time he'd met a youth but it was a bit late to be cautious of their nerves now.

It was staring at him. Some primal voice in the back of Zeno's psyche started to scream out. Perhaps it was the adrenaline, perhaps it was the fact that this was a creature that ate rodents like him, perhaps it was the sudden realization that as a gemless one he probably looked like fair game to this cat. He'd talked though! Logically he knew that he had talked, and talking was one of the major hallmarks of a greater gembound. This was a kitten though, would they realize that?

"Oh Woah, woah!" he exclaimed incoherently as the cat's eye began to glow a bright orange. Was it a fire cat? He'd seen more than one from a distance in the cave and they didn't always seem like the most even-tempered sort. Any attempts his heart might have been making to slow down after ending his exercise were thwarted by the uncertain fear that was rising within. "Not food, not food."

His position wasn't particularly advantageous to retreat if he needed to. he could probably dodge and flit near the floor to build speed but it would be difficult until he fully recovered from his dive.

The cat didn't seem to be responding to his words, but at the same time it didn't seem to be advancing. The primal voice of fear began to quiet down and once more rational thought took hold. This was a kitten, curious by nature as it explored its world. Having seen him as neither a meal nor a toy it had lost interest.

A short time passed in silence as Zeno watched, his stamina beginning to return to him. The kitten had made no move to pursue him so he in turn made no move to retreat at this time, instead opting to take a moment to rest his mind as his body recovered.

Zeno propped himself up on his wings and relaxed his vision, the images before him still present but no longer commanding the forefront of his thoughts. Breathe, let the form rest. Thoughts will appear, but let the continue on. Worries and stress will arise but...

Wait, was the cat alone? Might there be others that were ignoring him right now?

The thought was momentary but broke the bat's concentration. Zeno shifted a little as the soft blue light that had started to shine from his eyes flickered and dimmed almost as soon is it had appeared.

As Zeno's heart slowed back to normal the kitten before him rolled over, continuing to sleep. Any hard feelings that might have been present from his entrance were apparently forgiven and the small creature seemed content to be resting on its own. There was no reason to disturb it, it had certainly found a peace all on its own here in this sunken theater.

Without a sound Zeno slipped down from his perch, flapping his wings to take to the air once more before he hit the ground. Despite the rocky start this would be a good day, filled with exploration as he planned to plot a course through the buildings. Surely no circuit would match the high dive in terms of excitement, but it would do nicely for having a change of pace.

- Exit Zeno -