ORIGIN

Effluvium trundled on. It was content to, for a time, ignore Dragon, despite the alligator's following. Its mind was on the ground. Or rather, the scent trail upon it. It had a scent rich with untold meals. Different meats. It would not last long once Effluvium got to it. It did not notice Dragon sprout wings and horns.

It did, however, notice the blur of red and grey that shot ahead. Dragon. He landed ahead of Effluvium. Frankly not sure what to expect, the creature paused, shrunken in on itself, a literal ball of taut muscles. Dragon, it seemed, wanted to speak to Effluvium. Demanded that Effluvium not continue.

Effluvium's eyes squinted. "Food?" It said.

It tried to puzzle out why the alligator had stopped it. Not-food wasn't carrying food. Nor was it offering it. Effluvium's brain reached one logical conclusion. The bad not-food wanted to take the food from it. Wanted to have the food all to himself. Keep Effluvium from reaching the food. Its' rage reached its' lips, and Effluvium hissed loud, baring its jaws.

It snapped at open air, an awkward thing with so many jaws, but a clear threat."Effluvium go that way." It said, mimicking Dragon's words. "Effluvium food. No you." Its claws dug furrows into the ground, prepared to attack.

"When I speak."

When I think.(Will never be used)

A low and guttural hiss escaped the alligator, a warning sound of his own, instinctive and unbidden. "No," he told it, firmly. But Dragon was not without reasonable discourse, and so he continued. "It is not your food. It is OURS, and it is our FATHER'S. I will bring you something to eat, but you cannot go to it."

He paused, unsure if it understood, and then reiterated more simply: "You STAY HERE, I bring ONE FOOD. The rest is MINE."

Then he paused, waiting to see if combat would be necessary. He certainly hoped not--and over a regular food supply he'd hardly have started a fight. There was plenty, after all; it was not worth risking potential injury over. But the possibility that this thing had been sent to poison Aquarian lingered, and that was Dragon's main concern.

It must not, under any circumstances, be allowed to reach his Father.

Effluvium did not like. It didn't understand the concept of others owning food. As far as Effluvium was aware, all food was Effluvium's food. "Effluvium food!" It snarled back. Effluvium did not understand all of what Dragon said, but its brain caught onto the word 'food' and 'eat'. Effluvium did not know what a 'father' was. But Effluvium did not like the sound of it, if a Father prevented it from having food.

But the offer of food was still on the table. Effluvium relaxed. Satisfied by the not-food caving in. Effluvium sat back. Tentacles flopping as a relaxed cat's tail might, shifting from foot to foot in a strange, excited dance. "Give food."

"NO! Two food. Mine food." Effluvium did not know how to count higher than two. Verbally, atleast. Yet. But if it did, it would've asked for more. It would comply for now with Dragon's wishes, however. It could simply eat the food Dragon gave it, and come back for the big food later. Not-food could not hoard all food. The rare plan had taken shape within Effluvium's mind.

"Fooooooooooooooooooooood," It warbled, as a drowning bird might sing. It looked around, already impatient, and searching for something to eat whilst waiting.

"When I speak."

When I think.(Will never be used)

The flapping dragon-gator settled fully in the mud, wings and horns receding. But the draconic display wasn't quite done yet.

Dragon's jaws opened, tilted upward, and then a flamethrower torrent of roaring frame crackled skyward: searing hot and blazing bright. When his jaws snapped shut, the briefly-lingering glow lit his dark eyes with sparks, which faded as he stared at Effluvium.

"I WILL BRING YOU FOOD," he bellowed, his voice loud and commanding, "AND THEN YOU WILL LEAVE THIS PLACE."

He could not risk Aquarian. He knew that this thing probably wasn't bright enough to have plans of its own, but as a weapon, a tool-? That was a possibility.

And he was still wary of its size, its bizarre shape--he didn't know its capabilities--but flesh, at least, was flammable, and Dragon was nothing if not a fan of fire. He turned, and trundled off toward the meat pit, snarling back "STAY," as he went.

Effluvium was still on a high, excited for the food coming. That didn't last for much longer. Dragon's head tilted to the sky. Effluvium followed his gaze, curious. Almost expecting the food to drop from the air. But instead, out came bright, burning orange.

Like a glaring, bright eye, or an indomitable monster that towered over it. More powerful than Effluvium could imagine. The creature shrunk against the ground, claws dug to the knuckles in mud. A dry, blazing heat washed over it. Its mucus, even from this distance, began to dry out.

Nearly flat against the ground. It squealed, a high pitched scream. And it knew. This was the thing that Hunger's crackling and bubbling was the precursor to. It was the thing that it knew to avoid. More than anything in the caves.

Its' lizard brain screamed danger with every crackle. When the display ended, Effluvium still lay flat against the ground. Eyes focused on Dragon, the firelight glow making the alligator all the more terrifying to Effluvium. It was an understatement to say Effluvium had a new sense of respect for Dragon.

"One food. Effluvium go." It said. Effluvium feared the burning being turned on itself. And this time, it was no longer a lie. Effluvium did not like this place, the Hunger swamp. With its burning fires and choking smoke. It was not safe. Effluvium would not return. Not for a long time.

"Ssstay." It gurgled, in agreement with Dragon. It lay there, tense. Waiting for whatever Dragon tossed at it to promptly flee with.

"When I speak."

When I think.(Will never be used)

Dragon grunted, more than satisfied with this response.

"Good," he praised, loudly, warmly; "now wait here."

Great leathery wings--though false, though magic, shot through with blood red and black--snapped from his back, the horns twisting up, and he turned: rose up, vanishing into the mist. He was gone for but a moment. It did not take him long to select a kill, a fresher cave deer--large enough to be a meal, he imagined, for Effluvium (though none of them were huge, really) taken from the fairly non-decomposed top third of the pile.

He landed back before it with a thud, dropping the deer neatly and flapping back with a leap and swish of magic wings, settling in the mud. They receded, these wings, fading, and Dragon looked to Effluvium with interest. He expected it to eat here, not to flee, and he spoke with these expectations in mind.

"Did someone send you here?" he tried again, blunt and to the point.

Effluvium waited. It was docile, as close to tame as it could be. Fearful of the fires return. When Dragon returned with the deer, Effluvium began to drool. It almost forgot about the fire. Almost. As soon as Dragon backed away, Effluvium shot itself forward. It grabbed the deer by the face, giving it a little shake to make sure it was dead. And also didn't breath fire as well. Effluvium was suspicious of anything to come from this swamp.

It dragged the corpse away from Dragon. It crunched once. A second assurance the dead deer wouldn't breath fire. To answer Dragon's question, Effluvium hissed. Which was. A response, technically. It secured its jaws around the neck of the deer.

With no words for the Alligator, save a paranoid eye, or thirty, Effluvium turned. It broke out into a full gallop. Trying to get as far away from the food scent, and the alligator itself, as it could. The deer was dragged along with it, knocking into rocks and mud. Effluvium did not care. And would not care when it ate it. The creature was wrapped up in a hurried attempt to flee the swamp.

It would likely attempt to find somewhere safe to eat the deer before leaving. Like a dog fleeing with a treat.

"When I speak."

When I think.(Will never be used)

Dragon watched it go, irritated, bemused; he resolved to follow it, at least at a great distance, and watch where it went.

The answer was, perhaps, unsurprising: it ate. It rocketed through Cetus, over leaves and sticks and through the mud, before settling in to just consume.

If someone had sent the damn thing here, they certainly weren't expecting it to report back--and that made sense, because Effluvium did not seem capable of doing so.

Dragon grunted to himself, and turned back: to watch the offering pile, for now... but from a very wary distance.