Shards of a once beautiful and large howlite gemstone scattered across Polaris' floor. Spreading out in a small pile that was tucked close to a wall on the far side of Polaris. Amongst the shards sat a rigid form, covered in pure white feathers that just barely showed tale-tell signs of colors that would surely darken the older this creature became. Sharp purple eyes pierced the area in a somber gaze. Just where had this creature awoken? The place was bright. Nearly too bright for this bird to completely adjust having just found himself free from his Chrysalis. Feather's ruffled as the creature was content to just sit there for a moment to gain his bearings.
It was a new world. Was definitely entirely different than the one he had been dreaming of whilst he was deeply sleeping tucked safely away in his Howlite gemstone. Yet now he was here, but for what purpose? The place was rather pretty, this young bird would give it that, but why would it have awoken him now of all the times? Slowly the bird began to stretch out his wings. Contemplating on just how it felt to actually spread them out as wide as he could. It had definitely been cramped within the gemstone that housed him so it was definitely a nice sensation when he was able to stretch out.
AFter stretching his wings, and wiggling around each of his talons that he could the avian attempted to fully stand up instead of remaining perched where he was. He wobbled and shook, his wings leaping out on their own as if to try and steady him up to balance on his feet. It took awhile, but he soon got the hang of standing on his feet. It was in this moment that the eagle spotted a similar stone just on his foot. He leaned down as he lifted his foot up, half expecting the stone to fall from his talon, but alas it did not. His head tilted as he studied his gemstone talon. He could live with it. It meant he could keep a piece of his gemstone with him.
This thought brought his sharp purple eyes back down to the shards he stood by. The thought crossed his mind that maybe he should keep one with him, but how much of a hassle would that be? He'd much rather just sit here with it until he had felt no more use to have them. His attention wandered away from the shattered gemstone shards as a sudden noise sounded off in the distance. Something was there. Or at least something had moved? Perhaps he would see just who. If not, then he would cast it aside and go back to his solemn thoughtful....thoughts.
"speech"
OoC: Stole the free table from that one thread. I will make
findsomeoneelsetomake Zi a table later.
Perhaps Tal'at was destined to die.
Surely it wouldn't be the first time a gembound died, unable to hatch from their chrysalis. The caccoon was wrapped tightly around the soft, fragile body; round like a pebble, partially embedded in the stone wall. If the being inside of the brilliant, large tigers eye could see, he might have seen his first glimpses of color; blues, greens, yellows.
You see, the baby's gem had gotten a nasty crack down on side. Not enough to break the creature free, but enough for the young one to breathe when he awoke. It was impossible to tell how long time had been, but to the young one it had been forever that the creature had existed in the round cage. Unlike most gembounds, whose hatching came with the gift of sentience, this one had already come to be aware of many things, even before hatching.
He was awake, and he could hear the world through the jagged slit in his jail. His ears twitched, though he barely had room to move. He could think and he could understand. He observed the world, a round, immobile ball high above the possible predators and golems that searched Polaris.
He knew a few things:
His name was Tal'at. It was a beautiful, symmetrical name. He was very proud of it.
Tal'at should not be trapped in the gemstone. He had limbs, and try as he might to strain from the gem, he could not escape. He knew the world was waiting for him.
And lastly, Tal'at was getting hungry. He heard the things outside and wished that the pain would go away, but he was so weak, so absolutely trapped.
So, perhaps, just perhaps, Tal'at was destined to die.
But before he was to die, in a beautiful gem that was as apart of him as his weak, tired limbs, he wanted to see. He wanted to know what was making those noises, those strange sounds that made his ears twitch. And so he tried.
A brilliant red light shone through the crack of the tigers eye.
;; post roll
Heartbeats. His own. Other heartbeats. Something close. Something alive. If only they knew... If only...
The young Tal'at desperately began to make sharp, short noises. They reflected painfully off of his shell, telling him just how confined he was, just how soft his body was-- but none of the echoes bounced back into the shell from the outside. He was blind, all except for the heartbeat of another. One who had escaped.
"Tt! Tt! Tch!"
A talon taped against the ground he stood upon. His head turned to it's side as he listened a little more. Something was definitely moving around. But where? He fluttered his wings about for a moment before he took a few curious steps forward before pausing again as if listening for the sound. And then it came. Only it sounded much different than what he was hearing before. A strange sound, almost as if it were calling to him. Was it calling to him? RaikZik didn't know, but he would find out. He waddled forward for a moment, still trying to get use to his legs as his wings spread out a bit to assist in keeping him balanced. Once he got a hang of that, for the most part, he carried on his way. Heading directly for the sound.
It took a little bit, seeing as his wobbly walking didn't really make for great travel. It would have to do for now though. Now he stood in front of it. A gem that had a crack down one side of it. He tilted his head again, listening for something. Anything. It had to be this. This is what the noise was coming from. But it looked different than the rest. He leaned towards it, tapping his beak at the crack that marked across the gem. Yet, when something moved(or at least attempted) he back peddled a moment. In doing so he lost his balance and instinctively he began flapping his wings around.
Feather's ruffled up quickly when a sudden wind picked up, wrapping itself around RaikZik and the stone he had previously been looking at. It nearly knocked him right off his feet and he couldn't help the surprised squawk that had escaped his beak. It was a strange sound and Zi wasn't entirely sure he was fond of it. He cast it aside as his ever piercing gaze watched as the tiger's eye gemstone wobbled in the sudden burst of wind, and nearly had a panic attack with the thing broke lose of it's resting place and clattered to the ground. When it settled down, Zi let out a sigh before fully gaining his composure and hopped closer to the stone again. Someone was in there. It must be like how he was inside his own howlite stone. Maybe they needed help getting out? With that thought in mind he used his beak to strongly peck at the stone where the crack was, hoping to give some assistance in breaking this little creature out. At least he hoped it was still alive in there after all that ruckus the came out of no where.
"speech"
OoC: Guardian birb to the rescuuueeee. Already. So young. i'll let you do the cracking of the...egg ;D
The Heartbeat outside heard the bat's clicking call for help, and a faint rustling noise soon began to shake the cocoon that had the young gembound hostage.
The rumble was horrifying. Suddenly all that the blind bat knew was dislodged and plummeting through the air, swirling head over feet, until the earth hit. Skull jarred by the impact and body bruised, the poor thing just lay silently in the egg. The world had to stop spinning eventually, didn't it?
A tapping noise, loud in Tal'at's ears, came from just outside. He squirmed slightly, straining once more again the cage. The fall had been just enough to weaken the rest of the gem's structure, and with the help of the Heartbeat outside, the egg broke into large chunks of auburn and gold.
Tal'at could move. So he did, immediately, as the prison fell apart around him. The bat stretched his wings, knocking away pieces, and leaped forward, catching the air immediately around him in the thin membrane between his fingers.
The Heartbeat of course was what the bat was attracted to. He heard it in his ears, felt it in his chest. Suddenly his body hit a surface, soft and puffy with things called feathers. He latched on, hugging tight with his weak wings and hooked, clawed ends and took some real breaths for the first time. No more of the shallow, restricted ones of the chrysalis. Big, full breaths, ones that filled his whole chest.
"You saved me," the bat declared in a gentle voice, soft clicks and squeaks. "Who are you?"
When the little creature emerged from it's prison, stretching it's not so similar leather membrane like wings out as if in joy that he was no longer cramped with them tightly shut Zi could do nothing but stand and watch with his ever piercing gaze. His head tilted a moment as he clicked his beak. He nearly panicked again when the creature suddenly leaped for him and he could not stop his wings from shooting out to the sides and giving a surprised flap. When this creature only seemed to cling to his breast with it's taloned wings RaikZik settled down, folding his wings gently to his sides once more.
He twisted and turned his head until he got a better look at this creature. A stone covered it's face. A stone that resembled the same one he had previously been pecking at to save the little creature from it's prison. Then it spoke. Zi listened to the words, played with them in his mind before he set his attention back to the bat once more. "Yes. Saved you," He almost nodded as if to comfirm his own words, but the most this eagle did was turn his head to look at the bat with his other eye. "I am...RaikZik..." He introduced himself. Slowly speaking the words as if he were testing how they felt on his tongue. The name came without conflict. It just was. It was existence. His existence. "You?" He would not deny he was curious as to what this little creature called himself.
"speech"
OoC: Birb snugs are best snugs.
The fluffy thing was quite warm and quite comfortable, and now even without his Special Sense he could hear and feel the Heartbeat. The creature spoke to him, a bit more hesitantly than the words had come from his own mouth. It was hard to say why that might be, but he did ponder it for a moment. That moment lasted precisely long enough for Zi to give his name: RaikZik.
"RaikZik," the bat repeated, a clicking echo. It sounded better when the creature of feathers said it, certainly. He had a much more lasting, musical voice. The bat would consider just what it reminded him of later. So this Heartbeat was RaikZik. Did every Heartbeat have a name? Did every Heartbeat know its name?
He certainly knew his, and so when RaikZik asked for it, his head perked and the thrust of weight nearly knocked him off. For some reason, his face felt quite heavy, but this did not seem strange to the bat. After all, it was all he had known. Instead, he gingerly put his face back into the fluff of feathers where it was warm, rubbing his big old orb all up in the bird's chest.
"This is Tal'at. I am Tal'at."
And Tal'at had not died this day, as he might have been destined. He was certainly sure he was safe with RaikZik. The Heartbeat had saved him and so his life would continue. He could learn more about the world that breathed and moved around him in ways that he could not before.
He was, frankly, quite excited. For now, however, he was quite happy to stay clinging to this warm Heartbeat named RaikZik for the time being. He did similarly decide that while he was absorbed in this matter, he should check for more Heartbeats, just in case. Perhaps RaikZik could not sense as he could, for he could certainly Hear but it was only Hearing that had made the bird come to save him.
;; post roll
Tal'at could only hear and feel RaikZik's precious, brave Heartbeat and so, for the moment, he felt comfortable. His gem did not so much as flicker a dull red for a moment, because unfortunately the young bat was quite worn out. He likely needed to eat as soon as possible-- and, to go with his flickering gem, a soft, quiet rumbling perked up in his stomach.
It was quite the problem for Tal'at. He could only sense Heartbeats, currently, so how was he to find something he could eat. Perhaps RaikZik could find food. Would that be too much to ask of the one who had already saved him once?
"Where is food?"
Tal'at. What an interesting name. It sure did fit this leather winged creature though. Zi shuffled on his feet for a moment, before looking still still not at all bothered by the bat that clung to his chest. This creature was requesting food. RaikZik didn't know what food there was to eat. He knew off of instinct what he could find should there be those things lingering around. He stood there motionlessly for a good few minutes before he shook his thoughts and decided standing there would not assist in what this little creature obviously needed. He began waddling on, finally getting a hang of walking on his legs to the point where he didn't look much like a penguin as he walked.
Meat. He could eat meat. Could this little leather-wing eat meat? It didn't really look that way. He had no beak to tear apart the flesh of anything to get down to the juicy, tender, succulent meat. Just thinking about those words left RaikZik hungry himself so he had to quickly push those thoughts away and focus on the task at hand. Foliage maybe? He sure didn't look like a grass eater to him. All the while his thoughts continued on over what just this little bat could eat RaikZik continued his journey. His piercing gaze looked over everything they could. Things moved, things only his eagle eyes would be able to catch, but he did not move to go after them. He would eat later.
Much to RaikZik's disappointment he did not see any kind of foliage or anything of the likes in the area. There was only gems and stones. And rodents that would fill his belly easily. Maybe they would have to travel else where to get this little bat something in his belly? He stopped for a moment and cast a solemn glance down towards the Bat. "Might need...to look elsewhere...for food," He spoke and if one listened close enough they would catch a frown in his tone. Though there was no apparent expression upon his beak, it was certainly there in his voice. He didn't want to make the little leather-winged wait for food, but it looked to be their only option.
"speech"
Tal'at considered the feathery Heartbeat named RaikZik's comment. Elsewhere. They were already moving, he could feel the awkward lumber of the baby bird as he clung to his feathered chest, so perhaps Zi knew the way to the food even though... No, there was doubt in that tone. The bat had very sensitive ears and so he heard quite clearly the distinctly unhappy tweak to his words.
"Can find food," he reassured, though with a short consideration he knew he did not want to eat anything with a Heartbeat and all he could sense was Heartbeats. Did food make nose, or perhaps smell? Smell, maybe. That seemed reasonable. "I can smell," he announced shortly, though Tal'at knew he had to clarify.
He sniffed, and even tried to sense Food instead of Heartbeats, but no matter what he did not sense through magic or otherwise where food could be. "No food here. Keep going on... I can wait." It was with those words that the bat seemed to realize he was being quite silly just clinging on to the other Heartbeat-- but he was afraid to let go in case the creature disappeared forever.
His nervousness won out for now, but he made a vow to himself that once he smelled food he would let go and show his savior the food. Especially if his friend could not find the food himself, which was possible since he sounded so unsure of things.
[[ perhaps we should make a new thread in Eridanus or elsewhere where there might be fruit stuff? :D if you want! or in a tunnel somewhere. Whatever you want really :3 ]]
Tal'at's reassurance made RaikZik calm down in his concern of not being able to find something to eat for his new leather-winged friend. With an almost unnoticeable sigh RaikZik gave a curt nod when Tal'at insisted he could wait. Not that either of them really had a choice. With that set in mind, RaikZik continued on his way. It would be no probably for this avian to wait to fill his equally empty belly. Tal'at would be the first to be taken care of. Then perhaps RaikZik would search for something edible for himself. With a flutter of his wings RaikZik took a small look around. Making sure to keep this place in his memory banks so that maybe one day he would return and make it a point to explore the beautiful rooms. Especially the strange grinding sound of rocks he could hear off in the distance.
Whatever it was, it would surely be something of interest to check out once he was bigger and able to use his wings. His mind wandered away from the thoughts of grinding rocks and began to focus once more on what exactly this little leather-winged ate. Tal'at had said he could smell it, so Zi figured if he could at least get close to something that called to Tal'at's hunger the little leather-wing would surely let him know there was food for him in the vicinity. With that in mind, RaikZik took his leave of Polaris, exiting out of a yawning entrance that would surely take him to a place filled of foliage.
"speech"
-Exit RaikZik-
It seemed like RaikZik knew where he was going. Fantastic, the little bat thought, clinging like a marsupial to his momma. If he had eyes, they would close, his body relaxing as he hung limply on to the fluffy down of the baby eagle. Indeed, the small mammal knew his protector, his savior, would certainly find him food. He could tell by his steady Heartbeat, the comforting noise that made him think of a color his heart almost understood but his mind didn't-- Red, that Zi knew just what he was doing.
The air of Polaris left behind, the last of the energy the young Tal'at had faded. It was time that he rest, his weak body worn out from the struggles of his hatching. The air turned damp around them, but the baby gembound did not feel cold for his friend, the Heartbeat, Zi, was Red and Red was warmth. Of course all life would become Red for the gembound with time, and he would find other colors for the rest of the world, but for now, Red was the only color he knew and it was his favorite thing.
And as his attention drifted, the small one dreamed of what food might smell, might taste like. He had memories, barely reachable, just out of reach. Tal'at couldn't wait for the delicious scent to reach him. He dreamed of juicy, wet things.
Soon, food would come to him.
;; exit Tal'at!