Baroque had gone to the lagoon with his dad, ready to leave. He was with his sisters, and everything was okay-- until there was a sudden, startling noise and his dad left his side, and suddenly the poor grizzly cub fell into the water. Panic filled him, paddling towards what he thought was the surface, but he was having a hard time swimming since he had little to no practice. If it wasn't for Kerberos' dispel hitting him and throwing him out of the water once more, he might have drowned in the commotion.

... Well, probably not. He had pretty reliable swimming genes from his parents, and he could handle himself. It was just such a scary situation that he couldn't help but imagine the worst. As he tried to make out what happened, his ears laid back on his soaking wet head and he dragged his paws towards his father, shivering.

He was all too aware that something was wrong, but he tried to hold back the tears. He was scared and he just wanted to be by the safety of his father. He didn't even ask what had happened, and he kept his eyes away from what seemed like an injury-- he could see some blood, anyway, and that was enough to keep him from looking too close.

He almost walked right into Lillith.

Terror, viscous and clinging, leaching from his pores. The goblin-like kitten clung to Kerberos' back with all his limited strength, claws unsheathing to tangle in thick white fur, eyes - for the first time in his life - clenched shut, foreign tears dripping down bare, wrinkled cheeks. All he had to do was hold on, and this would all be over, wouldn't it? He didn't understand why all these massive, horrible monsters were hurting his friend, but he couldn't exactly ask.

Everything had been fine until that awful, hellish bird had attacked, and then all the nice things had turned into terrible, lawless creatures, and Kerberos' heat leech felt hatred seethe in his chest. He managed to grab quick glances of the main offenders - a hideous, massive bear, and an equally grotesque lion. And he made himself a promise: the next time he saw them, he'd punish them for daring to hurt his host.

And so μικρό γυμνό παιδί hung on, sobbing soundlessly, frightened and full of acidic disgust... until the water rushed over, his body froze, and the world went dark.

[ exit ]