ORIGIN

Since his very much hated loved bathtime courtesy of Beau, Saudade, and a little girl named Clover, he'd stayed away from the two pups. He tended to wander toward the pale white fawn, listening in on her many stories to be told. The two had met on terms that Azazel didn't exactly appreciate, but hopefully first impressions could be changed. Yes, that was one hope he clung onto. So he'd approached the story-telling fawn, wondering if she'd allow him to tag along in an adventure for mind fodder. Surely Clover could make something of some exploration or adventure. The two hadn't really settled on a specific direction, and just wandered. The white fawn seemed to lead the way, and The Bone King followed. She was a curious little thing, and he was quite fawn of the stories she told him along the way.

The duo emerged in a passage leading to a verdant room. He'd yet to come and explore this place, and it was simply fantastic. He hadn't seen so much greenery and plants in one room... and here, it was sublime. It may be a little too hot for his liking, but he'd be very open to venture around in here! His rufous crown turned to the ghostly fawn, who'd already begun to show a bit of happiness. The Bone King smiled and nodded at her question. "Yeah, uh. A little bit ago, there was a beast in one of the tunnels leading out of the room of stars, and a bunch of Gembound decided to help him by looking for pieces of his friend. They're like little bits of shiny stuff. He called it 'metal'?" Carmine eyes flickered down to the jungle floor, nosing aside leaves. Maybe he just could find something to start out the story trip.

He moved a massive leaf aside, and found a gleaming little granite pebble, blue hash marks inscribed on it. "Oooo." Azazel pushed himself deeper into the brush, balancing precariously on some gnarled root from a nearby tree. Leaning down, he'd scoop out the rock from muck and mire, throwing himself back and tumbling on his back. "Look!" The Bone King twisted his head and dropped the small pebble at the girl's feet, smiling. It wasn't anything special, but he thought the stone was pretty neat.

The Bone King nodded vigorously, carmine eyes glimmering in the half-light. "A beast! He decided to call himself Beast." Now, that was a name that truly fit the shadowy creature. It wasn't one given in malevolence, but almost in benevolence. He'd given himself the name, and he seemed to remember that, unlike his true name that likely had been lost to the wiles of time. Maybe someday the Gembound of the void would find his true calling and find his name. Maybe when they pieced his friend back together. Azazel was still quite unaware of the fact that the Beast's friend wouldn't simply come to life just like that, when they put together all of the parts.

It wasn't that easy to put two and two together. Not for a still somewhat unintelligent child who'd lived amongst bones for the first month of his life, oh heavens no.

The pale fawn squealed as he moved the stone toward her, drawing a small chuckle from the ave. "Well, no... but it's equally as co—" Cutting of his speech, the bird raised a wing and hid his face. He just swallowed some mud from his beak on accident. It had been disgusting. But the muck and mire was in his stomach now. Eugh. Raising a brow and moving his appendage, the bird would hear a request. Make it glow? Of course! Nodding happily, the bird nosed the stone closer to her. "Go at it, Clover!" Smiling, the bird stepped back, giving a small chirp, "I think there are other things! I'm gonna go look some more, and you can, too!" Scampering off, the bird nosed through some more leaf litter, eager and happy. It had been a long time since Azazel felt this young and innocent.

The bird rooted around a little more in the leaf litter, sometimes clambering into bushes to find nothing but some more leaves and mud. By now, his talons were caked with mud, and he almost hated it. He'd have to clean them off later in one of the nearby streams that he could hear bubbling off somewhere. After the colorful pebble he'd discovered, there was almost nothing to be found but ordinary rocks embedded into mud by giant feet. The footprints were gone now, but Azazel was pretty sure that was why they were there.

With the call of the fawn, the bird whirled his head around and hopped to her happily. Carmine eyes glimmered and he looked down at the stone, blue marks now glowing brightly. It was simply stunning. "Oooo, that's really pretty, Clover." Nodding vigorously, then hanging his head, "No... Didn't find anything but plain old rocks." Raising his rufous crown, the ave looked all around. Maybe he was looking too hard? Simply gazing around, he hoped he would see something like the helmet that Beast had been holding when they met.