The draconian huffed out more droplets of goop, and dipped her head in a nod- she understood. One couldn't learn secrets if they were dead, and perhaps those secrets could help them to survive longer and thus discover more secrets. A moment later, she nodded again, opening her jaws to peer at Dragon. She had never had a 'father', but the title was taken for granted, its meaning long lost to her.

"Yesss," Nox hissed softly, at length. She had never had any enemies before, but she liked dragon, and she would have liked to protect him. She was glad that Dragon did not find her unpleasant at least, the words sending a warm ripple throughout her skin. Dragon then asked what was her favourite food. Nox did not have one, really; she was not fussy. she'd never really considered the question before. "Meat fillssss me sooner. I must eat lessss of it. But meat causssesss problemsss." The dragon was silent for a moment- the texture of her skin changing slowly. She was thinking back to Hikari, how consuming the bird had so frightened him- the bird's gem now lying heavy in her gizzard. It had started to itch recently, and she knew that she ought to get rid of it- regurgitate it, along with the softly tinkling labradorite, into the swamp where Hikari would never find it.

"Plantssss feel no pain. But they leave me very hungry."


"Speech"

"If I find dead thingssss, I will eat thosssse, too."

Nox was comforted by the loud sureness of Dragon's words, and she rumbled softly as she listened. "I have not thought of it for a long time," she agreed, voice a low throb. "But I brought a child here. To watch over him. We were attacked by a bird. Ssssssmall to me, but awfully big next to him. It attacked. Got too closssse. I sssswallowed it, and he felt it dying to its very last thrash insssside of me."

Guilt- it was there, and it was raw. She was still uncertain of how it had happened, but fearful, and repulsed by the magic that could cause her to feel in such a way.

Nox listened, skin moving in slow curiosity as Dragon described the struggle with the orange dog. She felt sadness at its loss, but also confusion. Dragon had brought it back to life, and it was reborn? "How isssss that posssssible?"she rumbled quietly, her tone laced with wonder. She had thought what was dead, was dead. Hybrids were a concept foreign to her, and almost frightening. But she also felt respect for the dragon, too; how he showed remorse, and yet did not allow it to weigh him down as she would have. If she had been the one to destroy the dog, she would have surely retreated back into the swamp and never again emerged.


"Speech"

Nox was just as mystified as Dragon. "It issss beyond me," she rumbled. "Magic, perhapsss? But he issss young."

She felt her skin ripple with curiosity. Although Dragon said that revivals happened- Nox had never seen it. Almost didn't believe it. But she nodded as Dark talked about their stones coming out to enclose them. She had broke out herself, more than once- somewhere in Eridanus, the 12-foot ruins of her last chrysalis lay like a shattered egg.

Nox had seen young ones emerge. She had tried to help them on their way. But never had she ever thought about where they had come from. Curiosity was audible, a low throbbing sound deep in her chest. She was uncertain of the answer to Dragon's question, though. All she ever saw was red! "Red isss all I sssee," she answered slowly. "But perhapssss." Then she shook her head. No, she had never tried.

The dragon's musings brought another soft rumbling sound. "Could you?" And then... Dragon spoke of a dragon-dragon hybrid being powerful, a creature to be reckoned with. Nox's skin rippled in a small flinch. Was that a good thing? or a bad thing?


"Speech"

Nox's skin shuddered. Dragon's words were a comfort. A small comfort, but one that saw the guilt gradually trickling back into the recesses of her mind, leaving her, once again, warm at the thought of the little peachick. "I hope ssso," she murmured, voice low.

She listened, and fell into wondering, the dragon's skin moving slowly in thought. She considered how it would be to take care of a child- not one that she had just found, but one that she had made... perhaps one with the same slime. Suddenly, she was afraid. Her skin writhed. No, the caves would be a worse place with more of her. She was frightened. But what if, as Dragon said, they were cared for and taught? What if they became defenders of the swamp, protecting Dragon and the Children of Rot. What if they could be better? And... what if they were born without slime...?

"I have met few. I fear getting too clossssse. But I help when I can."

She thought back. She remembered, vaguely, the shape of a small dog, and a young kitten. A tiny, tiny bat atop a leaf. More little birds. Names were long forgotten, but their faces remained. And she was certain that there were others long lost to the cycles of hibernation. Dragon's moment of melancholy seeped into her, too, and for a moment the dragon's skin was smooth; for a single moment, she felt like she understood, and was understood. "I misssss them too. I do not remember their names. But I remember their company."

She paused. How many times had it been that she'd had to spray down an unfortunate youngster who'd tried to give her a hug, or played in her slime? It was a strange, thought, useless. It came unbidden. A ripple passed over her that might have been some sort of smile.

"I hope to stay closssse for the tiny bird." She had never asked his name. It didn't matter to her, much; so long as the feeling was strong.

"Speech"

Nox shook her head. No, she hadn't seen the offering pile. At least, not recently; although she could have sworn she'd stumbled on it before and... maybe secretly snaffled a cave deer or something here and there. Her skin trembled. To her, it was only food. And when it had started to rot, it became certain to her that nothing else would have eaten it.

She kept her beak shut, though- if he was offering now, she didn't think Dragon would be best pleased if he knew she'd already eaten there- but then again, if she had, he might have already seen the slime trails. Perhaps it was well hidden, or in an area of the marsh that Nox liked to avoid. Still, the thought of food brought forth an appreciative rumble, and turned the draconian's attention back onto her stomach from a momentary distraction. But, oh- was he offering, or was he simply thinking of it as a meeting place? Nox's skin shivered with nerves. She dipped her head; she supposed that she would like to see it. She would like to see dragon again, after all.

Still, there was an unmistakable air of melancholy hanging over her- skin moving slowly in deep thoughts. Although she had been distracted by food, part of her still lingered in the past- and on the faces whose names had been long lost. Or, perhaps, she'd never known.


"Speech"