It was the early hours of sunrise, if one could call those still-dark hours here sunrise. The first pinkish light was peeking from the orbs above, and in their dim glow, the dark form of a whale-like creature gently wafted through the mist.

He was feeding, at the moment--maw opening wide, scooping clouds of low-flying insects where they skated over the water's surface, or scooping algae from the frothing breakers. It didn't seem to matter what he ate, and he was in no hurry: a slow and undirected drift, carried along by Leo's thermal winds.

The faint pink-red glow of his vents glowed more brightly now and then as he pulsed out heat, dropping a little lower; or dimmed as he rose higher. Six eyes of the same color glanced lazily around as he coasted, keeping a gentle gaze on his surroundings. His song--a low and almost mournful but hauntingly melodic cry--rang softly over the sea, reaching the shoreline, though his magic failed to propel it any further. He didn't seem to mind.

Though an alien creature, and a stranger to this place, the floating whale seemed quite at home.

Another voice-? Surprise thrummed through him, and he tipped gradually and slightly to one side, to tilt his eye up to look in wonder at this stranger drifting alongside him. He had rarely met another creature that could fly, or even float, as he did. And Fulgur seemed as gentle as he, as pleasant, if his words were any indication.

Blinking, Anthem raised one massive flipper in a slow, sweeping wave of greeting.

"Hello," he echoed back, the single word a reverberating melody. Anthem pondered what to say next, for a moment (still terribly surprised by a stranger's sudden appearance) before settling on, "Thank you." His attention, now, was wholly taken from his lazy breakfast. Instead, he gradually halted, hovering and turning himself with slow waves of flukes and flippers to face this other sky-beast. "I am Anthem. I have never met... another who can float. Do you sing?" he asked, abrupt and hopeful.

Joy!

A friend, who could speak, and who was--well, friendly! Anthem rolled, a slow rotation in the air around his horizontal axis, a cheerful twist that took him quite some time to complete. As he spun, he spoke. "If you want to... I will listen. There are many friends," he added, three eyes on one side flicking to them all. "I have never seen creatures like them! But it is good to meet you--Fulgur," he finished, struggling briefly to remember this new name.

A faint concern struck him just after. He'd not often spoken to other Gembounds, before: what if he were intruding? "Is this your cave?" he asked, a little worried. "Am I... allowed here?" Would this new, friendly stranger simply ask him to leave?

Well, that was a relief! He hummed as much, a soft, deep whistle of approval. "I hope you are right," he agreed. He was considering, mostly, food. "What do you eat?" came that question, right on the heels of his comment--because he ate a great deal of just about anything. He could understand someone claiming a cave if it meant more than one of them would eat everything inside it!

But he, at least, did not eat that much. A few clouds of insects here, the tops of a few trees there, and he had enough to burn for hours, at least. And if he got lucky, and scooped up a few hundred tiny fish or water crawlers in the surf-? Then he'd be fed for a day!

All the while, as he spoke and thought, Anthem drifted along: a slow roll and bank here and there, but mostly an attempt to keep pace with this new friend--and his entire flock.

Vast black body rolled--slow--the many blush-toned eyes tracking Fulgur as the other whale-beast dipped down to eat. If it were somehow rude, Anthem didn't mention it; he didn't seem to mind, a gradual sweep of tail-flukes bringing him amiably back up alongside his new companion.

"Eating is... good," he commented, not being very familiar with (or therefore good at) idle conversation. But his curiosity was already getting the better of him. The mention of carrion; he'd never considered that, before, but surely that'd be a good way to get sustenance. It sparked his interest, and made him wonder what else Fulgure knew--and had seen!--that he had not.

"Will you tell me a story?" he sang in question, voice deep and hopeful. "Tell me about--what you have seen... or done... or learned. I think... I might learn from you," he suggested.

Ahh--but what had he to give in return? He considered. "I could tell you a story... or sing, in payment." Would that be enough-? Fulgur seemed... worldly. Like he'd spoken to more strangers, visited more places, than Anthem had. Would his offer even be worthwhile? Or maybe the stranger did not wish to tell a story. He hadn't considered that!

"If you want to," he clarified, more softly.