There was nothing. Nothing. The bat flew and flew but even the distant heartbeats of life faded as he flew on, trying to find his way home. He was lost, horribly lost, after that disaster of a trial. Sure, they had come to a peaceful solution, but it had bothered him deeply that one gembound had tried to murder another. He knew he had been right to stay away from strangers and listen carefully...

That was when Tal'at tasted the bones. There was a dryness to Canis that you never forgot, and it soaked into him worse that the constant rain of Cetus. It smelled somehow worse than the first time he had come, like things had come to rot here. This intrigued him, but he wasn't here to visit Giggle... Perhaps he would go to her if he truly couldn't find a way out, back to his friends. She had been nice, and he had done so much since they had last met. Would she like to hear his stories?

He landed among the bones with a gentle clatter, frantically squirming so that he didn't end up trapped under the skulls and femers. Shivering, he sat up right and turned his head all the way to the right, then all the way to the left, clicking with concern. Was anyone here?

There was only one way to find out.


!!! ...
@Raikzik

The heartbeat spoke to him. As he heard it, he could taste the sweetness of his first fruit, and the safety of his first real companion. He knew this heartbeat, even though it had grown stronger and mature since last he had known it. Calmer. Steadier.

As the voice hit his ears the hesitance he felt broke like water from a dam and he grinned, flinging himself towards the harpy eagle. "Hello my friend! I found you!" He squeaked, tossing himself into the fluffy feathers of his first friend, his brother, his best buddy.

"I thought never... Never see you. I've done much. Explored cave lots. There's much telling. Lots to say. I'm so happy," he rattled off, but the abruptly fell silent, waiting for his friend to answer him back. Oh, but he was such a happy bat.


!!! ...
@Raikzik