ORIGIN - here we are

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Home sweet home. Oh, how Layla loved Cetus. Not a habitat one would normally think a leopard would enjoy, but you'd be surprised. She turned to grin at Aithaas, then looked back out at the swampy land. "Welcome to my home, Cetus. Now we gotta find Dragon!" Layla happily announced. Yes, now to find Dragon. The snow leopard threw her head back and prepared to scream.

"DRRRRAAAGGGGOOOOONNNNN! I'MMM HOOOOMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEE!!!!" The feline yelled at the top of her lungs, hoping her voice would reach out to the gator she considered a father. And a friend too, of course. Layla sat on her haunches and waited expectantly. "Oh yeah, Dragon can be a bit intimidating, but he's really nice. He's kinda like my dad, but not really. I think you'll like him." She warned Aithaxas, not wanting to surprise him with Dragon's pushy attitude.

@Aithaxas @Dragon

Aithaxas's paws were a bit sore, but less so than he had truly expected from this walk. It had been nice to see the world outside of Polaris.

He looked around. The place hadn't been exactly what he was expecting. First of all, it seemed very muddy. There was water everywhere. It was not his kind of place, this misty swamp. Yet it wasn't unpleasant. He still wanted to explore it all. Something told him, however, that this place was a bit dangerous.

Aithaxas wagged his tail, following Layla. Her excitement was getting to him as well. He was curious to meet this Gembound. "I trust you. If you trust Dragon, then I trust Dragon," he said, voicing his thoughts.

@Layla @Dragon

Dragon heard the calls from quite some distance through the swamp--from where he was submerged beneath the black water. He pushed out at once, turning to listen.

Who is that? --Ahh, the child! Good! He had just been thinking of her, a day or two ago. A reminder--her and the lammergeier--that youths still hatched among the dark stone.

Out he hauled himself, with a loud bellow. He dragged himself, right hind leg permanently twisted and damaged, toward the sound of the voice. His face was covered in new little scratches--as if a kitten had torn at him--but these were healing; the old scars that cross-crossed his back were just dull flesh. It was the leg that gave him trouble.

As he drew closer he opened his jaws, summoning up his magicka and sending a blast of flame billowing into the air. It wasn't as large as he'd have liked--and it took more effort than it should have--but hopefully it would provide a beacon in the dark swamp. Fire had a tendency to illuminate the thick mists quite well; the droplets carried and held the light, intensifying it.

"I AM HERE, CUB. COME!" he bellowed, voice reverberating through the dark.

@Layla

Aithaxas saw a burst of flame. Then, the Gembound- who he assumed was the creator of the flame- called out for Layla. Was this Dragon? He looked over at Layla, waiting for her move. She surely knew him, and while the maned wolf assumed this was who they were looking for, he didn't want to rush towards a complete stranger.

That, and if he arrived before Layla, that would surely cause confusion. And from what the big cat had told him, Dragon was intimidating. Aithaxas figured it was best to follow her... through the swamp. Should he announce his presence as well in some way, though? He shifted uneasily on his paws.

@Layla
@Dragon

Layla grew excited when she saw the flame. Dragon was there! She bounded off in his direction, looking back over her shoulder to make sure AIthaxas was following. Layla let out a roar of delight as she spotted her father figure.

"Dragon! I brought a friend. He wants to help us!" Layla grinned as she slowed, coming to a graceful stop. She hadn't seen Dragon in cycles, and she was overjoyed at the familiarity of him. Him and Cetus. Her home.

"This is Aithaxas. Aithaxas, Dragon! Be nice to each other please."

@Aithaxas @Dragon

"AiiiTHAXAS," Dragon boomed, trying out the name. "It is a good name," he then declared.

For a moment, he looked them over--looking as best he could at this new stranger's appearance, and at Layla's state of well-being. She had grown!

"You have grown!"  he bellowed. "This is good. It is good to meet you, Aithaxas. I am Dragon!"  This last was given in an utter bellow, and the alligator puffed himself up proudly.

"With what does he wish to help, child? With survival, and the secrets of the cave, or something more? If the former--then what have you told him?" Dragon asked, tilting his head a bit to one side. Dark eyes regarded Layla with curiosity.

Another ally, regardless--this is good!

@Layla

Aithaxas wagged his tail as Layla introduced him. Dragon was a big intimidating, he did admit, but more so in appearance. He seemed friendly enough. Aithaxas certainly didn't want to get on his bad side, though.

"Nice to meet you, Dra-gon", he said, dipping his head in friendly greeting. He split the name into two parts, but names were always a bit on the difficult side for him. The stone in his jaw caused some issues. Sometimes it was better to stay quiet, really.

He listened to Dragon speak. He knew that he was interested in the history of the caves, and the secrets they held- but he wanted to hear it from Layla herself, so he stayed silent.

@Dragon @Layla

Layla smiled. Good! Dragon liked him! And he was happy she had grown. Although Layla wasn't the biggest and baddest cat on the block, she had gotten fairly large. And she hoped it was a good thing. Dragon thought so, so it must be.

Layla grinned and looked down at Dragon. While he was a massive creature, he was not tall at all. "Well I asked him if he was curious and if he'd like to help me explore the caves and look for the answers!" Layla chirped. Honestly, she didn't even know what questions she was answering.

But she didn't care either. It made her happy to have a purpose. And her purpose was to make light thingies, and answer questions she didn't even know. Yeah. A great purpose. It was like a super big mystery!

@Dragon @Aithaxas

Dragon huffed, then puffed himself up proudly. GOOD, he thought to himself. And aloud, he said--

"GOOD! You have not forgotten! Does he know? Have you told him of the caves; of the secrets; of Aquarian? Allies are good. The more of us who seek, who seek answers--knowledge--survival!--the better our chances for truly surviving!" He hauled himself slightly closer to the pair, and then to Aithaxas, peering over him closely. He was a strange-looking thing, something he had not seen before.

A dog? A wolf? A fox?

He decided, quite simply, to ask. "And what are you?" he demanded, curious.

@Layla
@Aithaxas

Aithaxas listened to the conversation. Who, or what, was Aquarian? Whatever it was, it sounded interesting. He tilted his head to the side for several seconds.

It was, indeed, quite intimidating for a large Gembound to inspect you. He gave the reptile a friendly sniff. Smelled a bit fishy, but not like a fish, exactly. Probably because he lived in a swamp? Did he eat fish? That would explain it, too.

"I am a maned wolf," he announced. "But not really a wolf?" He said, sounding confused by information about himself. He knew he wasn't really a wolf, or a dog, or anything along those lines. But he was still a.. wolf-thing, a canine.

"What are you?" He questioned, curious as well. It was partially directed towards Layla, and he glanced over to her as he said it. He knew Layla was a cat, and Dragon was a reptile, but what exactly?
@Layla @Dragon

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