ORIGIN

The voice boomed in her head again, sending her reeling. Some voice was roaring into her mind, somehow, and it seemed more or less apt to kill her. His shouting confirmed their minds were linked; she sighed. Distressing and quite uncomfortable. Desire swung her head back and forth as he rattled off questions, instinctually searching for a source she would not find. She saw the moss and the ferns, inadvertently sending these images to the animal on the other end. She squeezed her eyes shut as the thoughts came suddenly louder.
"I want to stop listening, Dragon. I am not a bird, I am a snake. And for your information, I'm not hunting anything ANYMORE!" She spat the words aloud to the ferns, voice uncharacteristically rising to an enraged hiss. She whipped around to the pile of ashes and grabbed the gem in her mouth. The ten-foot long snake was not quite so small as she used to be, and combined with a growling hunger and needling frustration, she was quite confident that she could show this Dragon a thing or two. She thought to him: Where are you? Maybe I'll have you for dinner.

@Dragon

Dragon listened, very confused. Now he not only thought to his new comrade--he bellowed aloud, as well, his voice carrying through Eridanus.

"YOU ARE A SNAKE? BUT YOU ARE A FLOWER? WERE A FLOWER. YOU ARE NOT HUNTING, YET YOU WILL EAT ME?"

The thought left him bellowing with laughter. Was it Raheerah? It was not his father, at least. Hell, let them try.

"COME, THEN. I AM..."

Where am I..?

Dragon looked around, hauling himself through the jungle and considering. He looked for landmarks, and bobbed his boatlike head, nodding to himself. "I AM IN THE CAVE OF JUNGLE AND FOREST. I AM BY THREE VERY LARGE TREES!"

With another bellow he lifted his jaws, aiming to spout flame sky-high. As a beacon, in case the other being was close. The rock rolled around in his lower jaw, managing to avoid the flames.

The fire was slender, high-arching but hardly a flamethrower torrent. That didn't matter; what mattered was allowing it to be seen. His jaw clacked shut, afterward, as he fought back the agony of the heat searing his admittedly-scarred maw.

"FOLLOW MY FIRE, HUNTER, IF YOU SEE IT!" he roared.

@Desire

Desire hissed in frustration. Loud, stupid questions knocked around in her head and she didn't have the least bit of patience for any of them. She sighed at his description; this place was full of trees. She remembered it well, but not that well. As a hatchling, she'd no intent or idea that keeping track of such details were of any importance at all. She whipped her head around as there was a strange noise in the distance. Just above the treeline, bright orange flickered. Moments later, the scent of burned foliage floated to her. Desire winced as he roared into her head, but she followed the command. It was her only hope of stopping this.

Her long, white form slithered through the grasses, bright alabaster and lacking camoflage. He'd likely see her before she saw him, but all she needed to know was how big he was. Irritation still burned in her veins, and she'd do anything to get rid of this stupid thought-talking or whatever it was supposed to be.

Well, she wouldn't eat him. He could talk. Maybe. Maybe just in his head. That would be convenient.

For a time she slid about, losing the trail here and there and picking it up when she backtracked. The smoky smell grew stronger, and stronger, and as she came upon the clearing...

Blimey. That sure was a big ...whatever it was. She retracted her head, sliding back into the overgrowth, desperately hoping he didn't see her.

@Dragon

The alligator peered, listening to the vague thoughts in his own mind. They were fainter, now, but he thought he heard something about--seeing him? Eating stuff? Something big..? Most likely this link could be suppressed with practice, but that was something Dragon did not yet have. He turned, peering with dark eyes into the forest. He thought, for an instant, that he saw something white flash through the undergrowth, and he focused on this.

Unexpectedly he felt his magicka well up--and a moment later he saw, saw a heartbeat, felt it, sensed the living thing just nearby. WHAT IS THIS?! he demanded of his own mind, confused.

Perhaps it was the other creature, after all, making itself known..? He would have to test this, later. For now, he simply called out, thinking loudly as well as bellowing.

"Well? Come out. I do not eat those that speak. Or did you still intend to eat me..?" The thing hadn't looked that large. Long, yes, but not as long as he himself, and not nearly as heavy. What had it been? A snake? Something tall, lying down--a horizontal giraffe? He was unsure, but hopefully it was not too afraid to come out.

WE MUST SOLVE THIS, he thought at it, as loudly as he could.

@Desire

Slowly, Desire slithered from the brush, attempting to mask her embarassment with caution that was not altogether false. I do not eat those that speak. The phrase was familiar, a solid principle. It comforted her slightly; she recalled that first gembound she'd met and held onto a sliver of hope that this bellowing beast could be anything like that Khloros. He shouted into her head again and she winced - the hope was gone.

"You needn't shout in your thoughts, Dragon, especially since I am here. I believe your words are much louder when they are reverberating within my skull." Her words were slightly garbled from the crystal she held in her mouth. Promptly, she let it roll off her tongue before him. "I think this has something to do with our problem. Have you seen such a thing before? She only hoped he would heed her word and stop shouting so much.

@Dragon

Dragon watched, silent, as the white snake slithered forth from the brush. His first thought was a rather absent, That is a pretty creature; like a statue of white marble. His next was a far more cautious, Hrm. Is this better..? He was doing his best to think quietly, but regardless, it would probably still be a little loud.

As he watched her spit her stone out on the ground, he lurched into motion at last. Slowly he hauled himself over the grass, injured leg trailing behind him. Delicately, carefully, as if it were a young alligator hatchling, he tilted his head sideways and dumped his own from his jaws so that it landed against Desire's with a quiet clink.

"As you can see--I have. did yours come from a flower?" He considered, eyeing the snake. He was trying to speak quietly, too, but his voice was still a deep bass rumble. "Mine did--a pleasant thing, pink and sweet, I think it was. It did not smell of carrion! But it did not smell terrible, at least."

@Desire

@Desire @Dragon

Desire eyed Dragon warily; his thoughts were flattering, but he was too big for comfort. She was thankful for the relative quiet his thoughts became. Yes, that's better. Thank you. She flinched as he came forward, only to drop another crystal next to hers. As he spoke, the cores began to glow; Desire eyed them suspiciously, unsure if fire would spring forth again. Nothing else happened. She exhaled a little, looking back to Dragon to answer. "That sounds nice. Mine was on fire." And it had nearly set the rest of the cave alight, she thought, and the little magic she'd attempted to stop it with had sputtered and failed.

Desire stared at the glowing things again, slowly sliding up to them. "Do you think they are meant to be near each other? What if I...?" Cautiously, she nudged one with her nose, pushing it into the other. Maybe this could be fixed - she was fairly certain Dragon would be grateful for both of them to be out of the other's heads.

@Dragon