ORIGIN - this is your story

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Jotun.

She had only meant to settle in for a nap. Her belly had been full and she had been content; new to the world at the time, or quite close to new, and so very sleepy. Erupting from the chrysalis had been hard work and she'd only been awake for a short duration thereafter; the sleep came quickly. The caves faded around her.

And when she woke up she found herself sheathed in stone again. It was thinner this time - covered in dust, half contained by a segment of wall as if she had crawled in to a burrow for hibernation. Maybe that is what happened. She could not remember the specifics - only that she had wanted sleep and something had driven her far from where she'd first woken. That explained the sanguine red-brown of the dirt around her now. The warmth, like heavy panting breaths, pulsing across the surface of her shelter.

As her dream receded, drew away from her like a sweeping tide, her eyes open. The shield of stone around her head holds her firmly against the dirt. A tense of her shoulders begins the splintering of the chrysalis there - a flex of her jaws and her neck muscles continues it along. As she pushes against the shielding with her head it comes apart, lingering across her forehead like some kind of armor.

She shakes her pale face and this too falls away, piling in scattered remnants where her head had been poised moments before in the rut of her neck; but she doesn't rise. The burrow she had found so many cycles ago had become too small for her now, and as the hibernation fully slipped from her mind, she became aware of the claustrophobic pressure holding her there.

This started out as a quick exploration. A little peek through the room of bones, and she was interested by this tunnel. Comet clambered over the crumbled stone door and walked into the tunnel. It was hot here, and she was not best suited for these conditions. But something pushed her to explore maybe just a little further.

Her keen ear picked up a cracking sound. What was that? It sounded familiar, but she wasn't sure where she had heard it before. Her paws automatically carried her in the direction of the sound, and she arrived at the burrow where Jotun was trapped. It was a rather strange sight. "What are you doing in there?"

@Jotun

Jotun.

It sort of felt like being hugged on all sides, which wasn't unpleasant at all. Except when she tried to take a deep breath. As sleep drifted away from Jotun more and more, she felt the need to yawn, but in doing so she became intimately aware of how tight everything felt. She blew air out of her snout sharply - the remnants of that yawn causing her ears to pop, and even a small hiccup deep down in her belly.

"What are you doing in there?" A stranger asked from nearby, and the dragon huffed again.

"I was sleeping," she pointed out. "But when I went to sleep I was small, and now I am not. Hmm." What a predicament this was. What if she went to sleep again, would she wake up even bigger?

"I think I'm stuck. I can't move much at all."

@Comet

Oh, so they were stuck. They looked rather large and dangerous, but Comet forced herself to go closer and inspect their predicament. The pup could see that it was tight in there, and there was almost no wiggle room. Almost.

"I'm going to make you wet and slippery which might help." said Comet. She thought about how slippery fish were when they were wet. Perhaps making them wet would help too. The light fountain of water came out of her mouth, and she aimed it at the part of the body that was stuck in the burrow. "Okay, now try holding your breath and slipping out."

@Jotun

Jotun.

The stranger came closer, close enough for Jotun to look them over. They were smaller than her. Their body was mostly covered in white and she was reminded of her mother, the nostalgia rolling through her to nest painfully in her chest.

When they explained what they were going to do, Jotun nodded. It sounded like a good plan. If she could become slick then maybe she could pull herself free!

A blast of water erupted from the stranger's snout, and with a tilt of the chin and a few well placed steps, the fountain of water had drenched a good portion of the wall. It wasn't a very nice feeling after all was said and done; Jotun did not enjoy the cool feeling of the water as much as she expected to, not that it mattered.

"--try holding your breath and slipping out." The creature suggested.

Jotun drew in a long breath, tightened her core muscles as much as she could, and hoped it would be enough. It was an exceptionally tight squeeze, but the water turned much of the dry dirt in to mud, and that did help. The dragon felt the walls shuddering around her and she pulled free, and the trough of fluid which pooled beneath her became a sizable mud slick. Across she slid, down and out, and she could finally take a proper breath.

"Thank you! I don't know how long I'd be stuck in there if you hadn't come to help me." They praised the creature warmly. "I owe you one! My name is Jotun - is there anything I can do to repay you for your help?"

My, what a chatty, cheerful dragonbear. You'd expect more negativity from them considering they'd woken up on the wrong side of the bed, or something.

@Comet

Comet held her breath as she watched them try and squeeze out. For a second she thought that the plan had not worked, but luckily they managed to slide out. "Yay!" she celebrated. Now that the rock was not obstructing it, she could get a good view at their whole body.

Her mind was not able to comprehend what animal they were. The only part she was sure about was that they were part bear. But on the body, there were some thick scales, so perhaps a lizard? The tail was pointy too. Now that they were out, Comet saw how big and dangerous they really were. If they chose to be of course.

Their warm thanks shook her out of such thoughts. "Of course! I'm Comet. Umm, you don't need to pay me anything. I was just helping you." Comet didn't want to be repaid for helping others, it was just something that you should do, right? "Do you need anything else?" The pup hoped to be of more assistance by helping them, and maybe they could do some... stuff together.

@Jotun

Jotun.

How fortunate that this creature was so kind, rather than malevolent! In her compromised position Jotun could have been the target of scorn at the very least, and maybe something worse if the being that came upon them felt empowered upon finding a dragon stuck in such a way. They were very thankful that Miss Comet had come along instead.

After hearing the introduction Jotun nods, leathery lips pulling back in to a smile which looked a lot more menacing than they meant; those large teeth shining where they scythed together in a grin.

The dragon started to say something but cut themselves short immediately, then took a moment to peer around the area. It didn't look familiar in any way - but maybe her sleep, and time within the confines of their chrysalis, had warped her perception and memory a little bit.

"I don't know where I am. I mean... beyond the obvious. The caves are eternal after all." After mentioning this Jotun took a few greedy breaths of air, tasting the mud-scent left behind from their escape.

The entrance near her napping point emanated warmth. The heat made the doorway drift with an illusory shimmer. It was brighter on this side of the corridor than what should be normal, thought Jotun as they peered around at the smooth walls. It had been a good place to nap because of that warmth.

"Where did you come from, Comet? That way feels warm even from this distance. What's.. Over there..?" Jotun motions with a tilt of their snout along the corridor leading towards Canis, presuming it was the only path they could take.

@Comet

They pulled back their lips into menacing smile. And Comet only just realized how sharp their teeth were. The pup automatically bristled her fur and settled into a defensive stance. Any sudden movements and she would be out of here. Unless they were actually trying to smile at her and couldn't help looking scary.

Comet relaxed a bit when they spoke normally. She couldn't believe she thought that they would eat her. Of course they wouldn't! It wasn't their fault that they looked scary. She looked scary herself sometimes.

"I'm came from a cave full of bones." Comet hadn't actually looked in that cave much, she had come directly to this tunnel from there. "But past that cave is Orion, I live there." But the pup was still wondering what kind of animal they were. "What animal are you? Depending on that, you might fit better in different caves."

@Jotun

Jotun.

A cave full of bones? That did not sound like a nice place. Maybe it would be better for Jotun to stay where she was, or head towards the hot place - as uncomfortable as that thought made her feel. Bones or fire, what choice was that?

"What animal are you?" @Comet asked next, and the dragon's shoulders pinched in a shrug. They redirected their attention from the corridor to look upon them instead.

"I don't know. I'm a big one, though." Big and heavy, especially compared to the comparatively lithe Comet. "What are you? You don't look anything like me. And your scales are... not scales." As she says this Jotun leans in closer and sniffs at the tufts of fur lining Comet's scruff, each breath tickling her nostrils. "You smell.. warm." Okay, weird.

Heavy footsteps. Heavy breaths. Something... fruity in the air.

Something approaches.

"WHO GOES THERE?" A voice bellows, interrupting the two amiably conversing creatures. It seems to have no consideration for what they speak of. It either does not notice or does not care.

The encroaching tyrant is a hard beast to miss. With ease, it could see two sets of eyes to Jotun's measly one. Its wings are outstretched, perhaps to create the illusion of increased size, as a lion's mane does. It is a convincing tactic. Two heads, one with larger horns and the other with smaller, are covered in hard plating and quills. Dog noses and cat whiskers twitch and quiver at the end of each ruthless snout. There are many wicked angles and jutting, toothy claws on this abomination. It lumbers forth, its entire body flicking through different colors as if figuring out what to wear.

It lands, of course, on vibrantly dark green with blue spots. Amidst this dry and partially windy tunnel, a dehydrated passerby might've mistaken the beast for an oasis in its delirium. Having a hide like this has taught it that the opposite of camouflage is actually embarrassment.

Nevertheless, it continues to draw closer to the pair. The large-horned head is made to bare its fangs. The small-horned head dons an... off-putting easy smile.

Six feet at the shoulder, twenty three feet in length, all fully grown despite its age. The Reaver of the Something Something, at your service. Unless you are a trespasser. Which... you are. So nevermind I guess.

@Comet @Jotun (lo and behold, a failed science experiment to terrorize the youths)

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