ORIGIN

As there were perks to not seeing, there were perks to seeing as well. Though the many spots of color could overwhelm Temperantia, giving the creature headaches, they had their uses. Temperantia spotted a blur of grey with one of its many eyes. At first Temperantia thought perhaps they should report this to Pride. A smattering of their eyes flicked back, they way they had came. But those focused on the creature saw how nervous it looked. Its chest heaved with its breaths. Clearly distressed.

Their desire to help outweighed any reservation they might have had. They blinked their multitude of eyes, a lazy wave of eyelids. Was it a dragon? Like that Dread creature--the one that had been there when...best not to think of that. It seemed close enough in shape to Dread. But it had no eyes. The first creature Temperantia had seen without eyes. It was...refreshing. Something new; different from all the gembound they'd seen before.

With a flutter of wings, Temperantia drifted towards the small dragonet. Unsure how to announce its presence without spooking the creature, they began to speak from below. "Are you hurt? Running from something?" They said. "We can help." Temperantia drifted closer, levitating towards the point on the cliff where the dragon was perched. A small gust of wind fluttered about them. They thought. They could not fight off any assailant. "We can get Pride," they amended.

"When I speak."

When I think.

The dragon's words confirmed Temperantia's suspicions.

"We are here," they said, fluttering their wings to cause a soft rustling noise.
"You cannot see us?"

Temperantia said, stating the obvious. They had not, according to their experiences, encountered any creature that found their appearance an oddity. The lack of reaction in that department was nothing it noticed. But still, the lack of sight was a new concept to them.

In any case, Temperantia was relieved that the dragon was not injured in any form. Lost and tired though--they could help with that. They stated as much. Temperantia paused, closing its eyes as it thought. It could not eat, but perhaphs the dragon could.

Temperantia outstretched a wing. They concentrated, and soon a plump banana formed, their feathers dipping with the weight.
"I have food."

Temperantia dropped the banana on the ground. Quite gracelessly, in hopes that the dragon would hear the banana bounce. They did not delight in dirtying food--a trait leftover from their time with Her--but they would if it meant the dragon could hear it.

"We will help you find the waterfall, as is just." As was right, they thought.hey hadn't been many places but...Pisces was nearby. Perhaphs that was where they had come from.


"Oh! We know where you are from." They paused. There was also a waterfall within Fornax. Another close cave, flooded with water. "We think we know. There is a waterfall in Pisces. We are sure. Follow us!"

They set off in the opposite direction they had entered the tunnel from, excited to be helping another gembound. They froze. A beat passed. The dragon probably needed Temperantia to guide them. Temperantia spoke once again.

"How did you become lost, dragon?"

And where are your eyes, they wanted desperately to ask. They could not imagine a world without sight, even when they blinked at least a few pairs were open, gazing at the world. They strained to keep their mouth shut, and avoid asking questions they knew were rude. They mentally mulled over the most polite way to phrase a question such as that. If it were even possible.

"When I speak."

When I think.

Seeing without eyes. That both made sense and made no sense. The concept was beyond their imagination. But Temperantia would accept it. They hummed at the dragon's thanks. Quiet but happy.

Temperantia felt the rush of air before they were aware of something behind them. They froze, and with it their levitation went kaput. They let out a small noise of fear as they hit the ice. They rolled on the ground, eyes shut, until they could stop themselves with a pair of wings. It took them a moment to recover, and then they were off again. They hoped the dragon could not hear that moment of embarrassment.
"We hatched alone. A horse found us. It may have been a god. That was far from here. We live near here now. In Orion. We work for the Seven. Helping others, protecting them."

They seemed pleased at that last bit.
"Like you," they added. They paused mentally. They'd never learned this creature's name.


"What is your name, dragon?" They said.
"We are known as Temperantia. If we cannot find your hatchmate, we will help you find them."

"When I speak."

When I think.

"Im fine," They said quickly. Not wanting to dwell on their one moment of gracelessness. They were greatly relieved that the young dragon had other questions. Temperantia was sure to keep an eye on the gembound, so they'd never crash again. They hoped.

"A horse?" Temperantia said. They thought. "They have four thin things that touch the ground. I heard they are called 'legs'. You have two. They have an opening with weird flat bits called teeth. And they're covered in tiny soft things called hair. Only two eyes."

Temperantia felt proud of the fact they knew both the words hair and legs. The things the strange gembound they shared the cave with walked on and were covered with. "

The Seven are run by Pride, and a weasel called Livius. There are many gembound there." They thought for a moment. "We cannot name them all. We know Pride is a deer. It's like a horse but stranger. A weasel is a small horse but long, we think. Orion is a cave, like Pisces. There are stars--bright things and rocks in strange, flat shapes."

They stored Haven's name in their memory, along with that of their hatchmate. The dragon was friendly and open, it reminded them of their time with Her. Although...the Hive was wrong. Deceivers. This they knew, had been told. This gembound though, Haven was--was safe. They thought, atleast. The idea that Haven might be working for the Hive unnerved them.

Though Haven talked with their mouths, not their minds. But the thought would not leave them. The idea that they were being lead to Mother once more. Lamia was in Pisces, wasn't she? Their paranoia overflowed, and they spoke. "Haven, have you or Electrum seen... a talking fish? With arms and legs? Lessers acting strangely?"


"When I speak."

When I think.

Temperantia was able to observe Haven's ear, and although curious, deigned not to say anything. Although they were curious, it would not be polite. They were content to observe oddities.

"They are very weird," Temperantia agreed. Although the dragon's next statement gave them pause.

"What do we...look like?" Temperantia thought. They'd never gotten a question like that. Most knew what they looked like, even if they found them a bit odd. "We do not know how to answer that question." Temperantia stopped. Thinking for a moment. They folded their wings, gently bobbing as they hovered. They hummed in thought. Haven seemed like they needed a break, in any case.

"We are like a circle. But we see and feel. Many eyes and wings. We hatched floating. We never touch the ground. You are very different. Walk and fly. Most are, like you, strange looking and moving creatures. We are sure there are more like us here. We hope to see one someday." They weren't sure. But there were multiple cheetahs. Multiple deer. Multiple gembound. It would be odd for Temperantia to be the only creature like this.

Temperantia was eased by Haven's admission. No Mother, no Hive. She would not force them to join her once again. But, they couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. And nervous. Where was Lamia? Where was Mother? Their eyes caught the scurring of lessers about them, and each individual eye scanned each for signs of infection, pupils darting about the Ophanim's eyes.

"We will ask this Electrum. If you find the fish, or any strange lessers, stay away. They are--" Temperantia couldn't bring themselves to say evil. "They are dangerous."

Was Mother dead? Would She even remember them? Would Lamia?



"When I speak."

When I think.