A trail of black followed behind the wandering valkhound, staining the pristine, glittering beaches of Leo a dead, dull brown-black. A stark contrast against the bright lights reflecting off the sand, a shadow, a strain, slowing its movements ever second that passed. Faltering - for what reason wasn't initially clear. It had been walking some time at a slow but steady pace, but now it slowed farther, steps uneven and unsteady.

And then it moaned and stopped completely, trembling in place. If it could blink, its eyes would be shut in their hollow pits, but among the many curses placed upon this wretched creature on its hatch day, one of them was that she could never truly look away. Even with her head lowered against the brilliant lights, the sand still seared the light into those eyes buried deep within the hollows of the face. She moaned again, sobbed a bit, wobbled in place, and then fell almost comically to the side, letting the legs on one side buckle and flopping right there into the sand.

The miserable creature cried from the agony, the exhaustion, as corruption trickled across the sand beneath her, as oil tears spilled from her eyes, collected into the hollows of her face, and dripped methodically onto the ground.

"No...more..." she moaned. Oh, oh she was exhausted. She was so tired. But the light - the light! - it burned and she could not look away.

She did not care about the sound of feet approaching over the sand, she did not even try to look up because looking up meant more light more blinding more being unable to look away. So she laid there and moaned, her slick, shredded flank rising and falling quickly with the force of her pants. Perhaps death here would be a mercy. Perhaps if she laid here long enough she would eventually dissolve into the sun.

But then - are you okay? Eyes at last turned in their hollow pits and her teeth gnashed at the sight of the thing - white! White! White! Like the white thing that hurt her once. Like the white things that battled here once. Something akin to whining growl bubbled up her throat. "Youuuu..." but it trailed off as quickly as it came. She stared at it longer. Not Rena. Not the large Rena-bug things. She chuffed. "No...you are not...that."

Very illuminating.

A heavy breath choked by a sob wracked her body and another oily tear spilled from the veritable puddle that had collected in the hollow of her face. "Hurts," she moaned. "Too bright. So...tired." She had been wandering so much. Walking constantly. She was so...so tired of it, of all of it. Perhaps she should simply lay here and die, maybe that would be a mercy. Maybe this one would do it for her.

She sinks into her exhaustion as the thing speaks. Not a threat, not hurting her, not the white-thing bug-creature that she didn't like. He had a nice voice. She would not mind dying with that voice in her ears.

But then it was grabbing at her and her lipless mouth opened again, teeth threatening from the sudden tugging at her loose skin. Another unpleasant noise bubbled from her throat. It didn't hurt but she did not like grabbing. No grabbing. No pulling without asking.

Before she could properly try to bite down, though, she was being calmed. "I'm not trying to hurt you" was really all she needed to close that mouth and flop her head back in the sand. "Okaaaayyy" she mumbled. He could do what he wanted with her.

But the tugging was getting unpleasant as he scrabbled for purchase. No she didn't like that. Would she have to help? She didn't particularly want to, moving was hard when he bones were weary, but if he was promising shade then she would do anything ANYTHING to get out of this sun. She didn't want to die in the light.

Her legs began to kick and push at the sand beneath her, but they caught no purpose and, when they did, she trembled from the exertion. She'd already half-given up so her heart was not really in it. After a moment of fighting, she relaxed and gave up again.

"Noooo," she moaned. "Just leave meeee...cannot move..." She sobbed softly, dramatically, oh how miserable was she!!