ORIGIN

While he tried to make his way towards Dragon, the alligator continued to drift further out. He barked out a command, and for a moment Ghanyarah blinked dumbly at him, trying to understand what he meant. Put his feet away? Where were they supposed to go? He needed to use them to keep himself afloat, otherwise he would sink into the water! The komodo dragon furrowed his brow and sunk his head into the water, keeping his nostrils above the surface so that he could breathe. He tried to think on the alligator's suggestion, and for a moment, he stopped paddling. Just letting his feet fall still, Ghanyarah realized that he was still able to float. So, he slowly tucked his feet against his side. Now he just wasn't moving at all. Eyes flickered back up to Dragon, confused.

But wait! He could still move his body. He resumed those gliding, seamless s-shape wriggles, propelling himself forward. Success! His body cut through the water, and though his technique was still a little sloppy and uncertain, he was beginning to swim a little more cleanly through the marsh. Mouth curled up in a grin, though it was still hidden beneath the water. Unknowingly, he had summoned his magic once more, a spell that was familiar to him. He tightened the pores of his body, keeping water from seeping out of him and, simultaneously, water from entering his system. Though it didn't do much, it did help to keep him floating on the surface while he wriggled his way closer to Dragon.

The conversation had shifted from swimming lessons to Ghanyarah. He wondered for a moment what he was talking about, and then remembered that there was indeed a pretty shiny on his head. It had been the target of a grabby monkey once. He averted his eyes while he swamp back up to Dragon. "It's Ghanyarah's thing." The reptile answered stiffly. Yes, his thing, and no one else's. His next question allowed Ghanyarah's expression to ease, but curiosity and confusion very quickly took hold. Fire was a term he was familiar with. The mongoose that traipsed in on his newly emerged predator friend and he had threatened to use fire against him. Was that the heat and smoke that Dragon had used earlier? "Ice." He said, certain. Water was water and ice was just really cold water. "You are fire, do you know Small Queen?" Ghanyarah asked. If this was the creature she had threatened him with, then she would be in for a surprise after finding out that he had befriended her treasured weapon.

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"Small queen?"

Dragon asked this, then pondered it, as he slowly drifted down the marsh's channel. He was heading vaguely back toward his offering pile, though he wasn't doing so consciously. Who was small queen? He began to think aloud.

"Who is small queen? I saw rats. I saw a long brown thing and a brown cat and a black dog and a deer. She attacked Dad. And he spit out a bird-thing. It tried to call him later but he didn't come." Dragon snorted. Stupid bird.

Like a rambling child, he briefly forgot Ghanyarah's question. Then he remembered it, and fired a sharp gaze toward the other, curious. "What's she queen of? Can we use her?"

The blunt, matter-of-fact way he phrased it seemed to indicate he meant, would she be of use. Able to be manipulated. Could she provide anything helpful. Past that vaguely greedy expression of interest, almost hunger, Dragon didn't seem curious at all.

After all, if it wasn't useful, or edible, then what was the point of it? Unless--

"Would Dad want it?" he added, as an afterthought.

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Ahh... he must have been mistaken then. Dragon expressed that he didn't know the Small Queen, which meant that he must not have been the fire she was talking about. If by fire she meant some creature's magic, then that probably meant there were more like Dragon out there that could use fire. Maybe even more Dragons. This concerned him slightly - he had made friends with this Dragon, but he didn't know if he'd be able to stand up against more of them. While the alligator let loose a stream of consciousness, rambling thoughts regarding creatures that he had seen when they all fought Aquarian - Dad - the komodo dragon tried to pin a description to Small Queen. The idea of a long brown thing sounded about right, but she wasn't really long... sure, her body was kind of long and wriggly, but she wasn't big or anything. That was why she was called Small Queen. "Long yellow-brown hairy, with a pink tooth." He clarified. That pink tooth and the fact that she went around telling everyone she was a Queen felt distinct enough.

Ghanyarah had fallen slightly behind the alligator. He swept his tail through the water, gliding forward to catch up with him as the other asked if they could "use" her. For what? Ghanyarah had entertained the idea of eating her, but she had faster feet than he. Otherwise, her personality didn't seem very pleasant, and he couldn't imagine wanting to be associated with her for any reason. "Queen of... Thieves?" He blinked, trying to remember. "But no. She tried to steal Ghanyarah's little-hairy-big-teeth." Temoria, obviously. "Not very nice." Now, this was a good question. Would Aquarian want her? Why would he want her? Dragon had mentioned that Aquarian wanted them to bring him food in exchange for help. Ghanyarah could use some help from a big, scarier dragon... "Maybe. Would be funny." He snickered. With their combined efforts, would they be able to hunt down the mongoose and sacrifice her to Aquarian? It might be worth a shot.

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Dragon glanced at Ghanyarah as the komodo dragon spoke. Little hairy big-teeth? He didn't see much in the way of particularly big teeth on his brother, let alone teeth that were both big and little, or hairy, or any combination thereof.

Huh.

He dismissed this at once, and his mind briefly skipped over a couple of thoughts. First, if this brother of his wanted the Little Queen dead; why, then they should kill her! It was obvious. Provided she wasn't too far away, that was. Secondly, he knew he was still growing, and Ghanyarah as well. One day they might both be as big as Dad. Now, Dragon wasn't afraid of Ghanyarah--not anymore, anyway--but he knew he'd rather have the komodo dragon as a solid friend rather than a tenuous ally or even an enemy. If the death of a strange pink-toothed Queen would do it, well... small price to pay. Unless she was more useful, maybe--then he could take her instead and have less competition in the marsh--but Ghanyarah had said that she wasn't. And some faint twinge of something approaching loyalty flickered deep within him, anyway--hidden, but making itself aware.

He ignored it in favor of speaking, his tone solemn.

"Never seen her. But you are brother. If you want her dead, we search, we kill. Where was she, last that you saw?"

He glanced questioningly at Ghanyarah as he said this, oblivious to the approaching reek of his offering pile, which was now beginning to be noticeable over the stench of the swamp.

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So it was true, then. There were multiple fires about, including this one, which meant he'd have to be extra cautious. Was this what happened when one interacted with other Gembounds? All his short life, Ghanyarah had been alone; and now, he'd made what he could tentatively call a friend, and it came with confusing side details and other relationships that he only knew of through speaking with Dragon and then suddenly brotherhood and, even worse, death - what was going on? Ghanyarah's eyes widened at the alligator's words. Dragon had referred to him as brother, and as a result of their sudden kinship, was willing to bring the Small Queen to death for her transgressions against him. But was Ghanyarah really willing to go all the way to death to give the little mongoose her just desserts?

Well, if he was willing to sacrifice her to Aquarian, why not? It would prevent her from trying to steal his little-hairy-big-teeth again... and that was only practical. He'd want to prevent having to take such risks, and if death was the easiest way to go about it, then... why not? The komodo dragon surprised himself with these thoughts. He had always been the one afraid of death and being hurt. He always feared dying at the fangs of a larger predator, and yet here he was, conspiring with another of his kind to kill a small mammal.

"Here." He said, still mildly uncertain. Ghanyarah didn't think that she lived here. She must have lived in one of the other rooms, but the dragon wasn't keen on leaving his jungle home. Not yet anyways. "But she left. Do not know where Small Queen is now." Ghanyarah added, glancing over at Dragon. That's when the stench of the rotting pile had hit him full force - a sudden wafting wave of rancid odors pouring in from some nearby source. Ghanyarah grimaced and snorted, dipping his maw under the surface and blowing out bubbles in an attempt to get rid of the smell. When he raised his snout above the water again he scowled. "What's that!" He'd smelled it before, but it was never this strong... where was it coming from?

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Here? In HIS swamp? He'd have to keep an eye out for the Little Queen with the pink fang. He decided to say as much.

"Little Queen was here? In MY SWAMP?! ...I will watch for her." He'd given the middle just enough (way too much) dramatic flair, and ended calmly. And now Ghanyarah was--Dragon glanced over, immediately assuming that his newfound brother was drowning, but no--he was hiding his nose. Why? He glanced around, then toward the offering-pile (now faintly visible as a black mound about five feet tall and seven wide), bewildered. He blinked, and looked back to Ghanyarah, smile curving to become more pronounced.

"Oh! It's great, right?! It's for Dad," he explained, tone taking on a distinct note of excitement. He turned, scurrying toward it, talking all the while. "He wants food. There's fish and mice and rats and frogs and a deer I found and fish," he explained rapidly. "And BIG rats, and more fish. And other things, too. It rots and more rats come and I kill them, but some barely. One almost killed me, instead. They get biiiiiiiig. Careful. Once it's big enough and I have enough things I will call Dad with it and ask him how to get as big as him!"

Dragon paused to glance back at Ghanyarah as he finished this mighty little speech, eyes lit up with intense, excited anticipation, alligator's curved smile more prominent than ever.

Yup. Dad would just love this!

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Dragon eyed Ghanyarah, pondering, and then nodded sharply.

"And then we can kill her!" he said cheerfully. Possibly he was just this callous about taking life, or possibly he didn't really understand the gravity of what he was saying--or a mixture of both. Regardless, he then skipped on to the next topic, scampering in a young gator's gallop to the edge of the Heart, pointing out over the still black water with a nod.

"This is deep. Real deep. SO deep. It gets cold a little bit down. Dad is longer than this WHOLE MARSH!" In reality Aquarian was indeed at least a hundred meters long but who knew how big the swamp was? Not Dragon. All HE knew was that Dad had to be bigger. He was bigger than anything.

With an enthusiastic, encouraging glance back toward Ghanyarah, he continued. "I'll get that big! Probably you too! I think? I want to ask him all about that. When I call him, you can come too?" he offered, almost shyly.

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Dragon glanced to Ghanyarah, and shrugged--or an imitation of one, as best a crocodilian can.
"Dunno. Maybe won't notice us, if we're quiet? Pile's not ready," he added solemnly. He splashed quietly into the shallows of the Heart, revelling in the feel of cold water lapping at his sides, and the squish of mud beneath his feet. "Can probably swim, though. Don't go deep. He lives there."

He remembered the bird that Aquarian had spat out; the heron had tried to summon Dad later on, and he'd been ignored. Likely one would have to make a grand display of some kind to even attract his attention--but it was best to be careful. "Maybe stay close to the edge, too."

He pushed off very slightly, waddling into the water until the earth fell away from beneath his feet and he was treading water. With tail and paddling limbs he turned himself slowly to face Ghanyarah, nervous but excited.

Like a kid breaking into somewhere he wasn't meant to be. Where Daddy might just catch him. Though he'd not quite been forbidden, the thrill was there nonetheless--and Dragon liked it.

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