ORIGIN

Even blind, Magdalena knew the eyes of creatures were on her. But they, too, were unseeing; carved into the walls, sightless monsters embedded in the rocks snarled down at her, writhing in place as though seeking to tear her apart. She felt the hair along her spine rise with discomfort. The small dog had traveled through this tunnel a few times now, though she didn't often leave Monoceros, when she did it was through this tunnel. Right now, her primary objective was finding Louie. She didn't know where he had gone, as the fox must have slipped away while she was sleeping. Maybe he was planning on coming back before she woke, or maybe he simply had something to do, or maybe he was still somewhere in Monoceros and she simply couldn't find him. Where ever he ended up being, Magdalena was sure to find him, even if it meant venturing out into the surrounding cave system only to come back home and find him there.

Long, careful strides brought the borzoi through the tunnel. Her bacteria had long since been expelled in this area and now flourished on the walls. She could feel it. The sensation was that of breathing, pulsing life, tugging at her skin. Magdalena had become so attuned to the feel of her bacteria that it produced something of an image of her surroundings, but it was less a visual image and more a tactile one. She could feel where near everything was, even the carved eyes of the snarling beasts decorating the entryway. However well the dog could make her way around, she still had faults in imaging the surrounding area. With a loud clattering, Magdalena stumbled over some old, rusted relic, yipping quietly as she struggled to find her feet again.

Her legs braced and the young dog adopted a pose reminiscent of a foal rising to their wobbly legs for the first time. Her limbs still shook with each step she took, but she was getting better. Her blind eyes felt swollen and sore, her nose dripped and her chest felt congested, an unfortunate byproduct of her flawed health. Magdalena was entering another bout of sickness, and she needed Louie to help her feel better. She hoped she could find him soon...

Magdalena heard the lion before anything else, but she couldn't identify who he was. His footfalls were sudden and urgent, running in her direction. The sound made her blood run cold, knowing that the sound of her stumbling must have attracted his attention - she fell still, unmoving, as if hoping that it would prevent him from finding her. Of course, it was wishful thinking. The large feline would soon be upon her, and she could feel his presence as it drew near until he had stopped to set his gaze upon her. Magdalena's nerves froze up. Then, she quietly spoke, probing for an identity: "Finis originae pende?" The dog whispered, wide eyes staring in the general direction of the lion, perhaps a little bit to the side. If this creature was friends with Louie or the Merrymen, then perhaps he would know the phrase, and identify himself as a friend. Otherwise, he was a stranger and Magdalena would have to exercise caution.

Suddenly he spoke out, asking if he could help. The dog's jaws parted slightly, revealing her lower teeth as the canine hesitated in thought. Her tail twitched behind her, hanging between her flanks while she analyzed the situation. "...With what?" Finally she asked, tilting her head slightly. Her voice was uncertain and it shook, betraying her unease with the stranger. Those wide, pale eyes continuously roved the tunnel before her as her head swayed, trying to isolate the lion's location while she waited for an answer.

Unseeing, she had no way of knowing what he was doing. She heard nothing, and then the sound of a rock hitting the floor and bouncing away in her direction. The dog straightened herself, hair standing on edge while she listened to the sound. She quickly realized, though, that it must have been his doing - showing her where he was, maybe. Magdalena tilted her head and zoned in on the sound, where it had come from, and slowly her pale eyes wandered to where the lion stood. But, he had not responded to her phrase, indicating himself as neither friend nor foe. She kept her distance then, only staring vaguely in the direction of the cub.

Even if he didn't make an attempt to assure her that he was a friend, he still offered to help her, an offer that Magdalena would take into great consideration. She could use all the help she could get, especially with this runny nose and congested chest of hers. "I am looking for a creature. His name is Louie. He tells me he is a fox." Magdalena answered slowly, carefully. For all she knew, he could be lying, but in all honesty Magdalena had no idea what a fox would look like other than it was the same size as she had been when she was just a hatchling. Now, she's a little bigger and Louie stands just under her. Are foxes naturally small? What kind of fur do they have? What colour are they? All helpful questions, had Magdalena been able to see, or even register what colour was. "He has a sly voice." She added, hoping it would make things easier. For somebody who couldn't see, the attributes of the voice were a vital thing to note. It likely wasn't so important to those with the gift of vision.

In the mean time, Magdalena's calculating brain had devised another way that the lion could aid her. He had offered his assistance in any way possible, and she took that as an invitation. Her concentration localized on the swarming bacterial culture within her gut and she tugged at it, hoping to draw it out.

Post-Roll Edit:
The sensation burned in her chest, and she coughed, expelling an invisible cloud of bacteria. Magdalena ushered the bacteria in the direction of the lion cub, swarming his head, nigh undetectable by a creature who lacked the connection she had. She waited with baited breath - all he had to do was breathe in, and then her bacteria would infiltrate his system, hopefully acting as a means for her to monitor him. Given time, her own personal blend of bacteria would culture in him, providing an easy way for her to detect his presence and tap into his internal fauna in the future.

Magdalena held her breath. She could feel it, the pull of the cloud that surrounded the cub's head. He spoke about the voice but she dismissed it for now, all of her attention on the cloud and the bacteria hovering around him, waiting until he could suck in a breath and infect himself with the mindful organisms she had emitted. There it was - she hadn't seen it or heard it, but she felt it, the sensation of the bacteria instantly sucking into his lungs and proliferating in his warm body. Her ears twitched and she blinked, until the feeling had settled - her task complete. Magdalena shifted, her muscles coming to relax as she grew accustomed to the sensory feedback of the bacteria, coming to recognize his form. "Why?" She suddenly blinked again; clever as she was, his concern seemed to go over her head. "He is well intentioned. He cares for me." Magdalena explained, as if failing to understand why being sly was a problem at all. Yes, his voice was sly, his words were slick and manipulative, but he cared. He helped her. How could that be bad?

The dog slowly began to close the distance between them. Now that she could pinpoint exactly where he was, Magdalena's calculated steps brought her a few feet closer to the lion cub until she stood near his side. Her black lips curled into a soft smile, wide pale eyes lingering just past him, to the wall behind the cub. "I am ill, I need to find him, for he helps me feel better." Magdalena added, and swiveled her head away to face the path of the tunnel. "You would help me, yes?" She prompted, drawing on his earlier offer.

Odd that the fair, slender dog seemed rather distracted with his words and was focusing on…something, the likes of which he was unaware of. When she replied him, she assured him that the sly voiced fellow was of good intentions. ”Well then that’s pretty fine,” he commented almost nonchalantly, unsure of how else he should reply her. The girl seemed to locate him then, a stark contrast from her blind feeling around previously. Usui wondered briefly if she had a power which allowed her to locate creatures after a while – didn’t seem harmful though. When she closed the distance between them, he shifted his paws slightly uncomfortably but the feeling faded as she glanced not into his eyes but past him blindly, at the wall. ”Why yes, of course, if you’d follow me” he trailed, although he wasn’t sure of who he was finding, Usui was not one to turn down those in need. ”Are you able to stick to me, and…can you pin point this Louie?” A couple questions, then a pause, then one more. ”What’s your name?”

The lion gave a little ”Mm” of acknowledgement when the girl replied that she’d be able to pinpoint Louie. How, he wondered, by scent? She came towards him then and brushed against his shoulder. Usui didn’t mind, he was after all, aiding a blind gembound. ”Mag it is then,” he spoke in a cheerful tone, trying to keep this sickly gembound’s spirits high. ”My name’s Usui. Well then,” he said as he snuffed her over to ensure that she was all in one piece and ready to set off, ”Lets go find him.” With that, he’d nudge her gently with his shoulder and slowly pad out of the room, heading for Polaris which he presumed all creatures would be keen to return to every once in a while. If he wasn’t there, they could take a break either way and be replenished by the area’s bountiful energy.

-Exit Usui-