The world was so loud. Blindingly loud. Rain crashed down all around the young fruit bat, only his hunger pushing him forward into the thick of the swamp. The air was thick and moist, the smell of drenched vegetation promising him a bounty if he could just keep going. He found it impossible to fly in the downpour, but the ground wasn't much better. He could manage to crawl up a tall, rough tree and glide right into another easily enough-- but it was getting exhausting.

If there was fruit, he could not find it. He tried many times, crawling out on to branched, scrambling for fruit and getting sharp needles back. These were the wrong trees. By the time he was in the thick of it, however, he had no sense of getting out. He was, after all, blinder than most bats. His fur was soaked but thankfully not too muddy. Once the ground had gotten too muddy to continue on the ground, he had made his way up the nearest tree and the rain had since washed him mostly clean.

By now, however, he was much too cold to continue. He knew where he could find warmth, however. He just had to find a Heartbeat. Heartbeats would be warm, would keep him from freezing to death in the rain. With a shiver, he focused, his tigers eye gem glistening and then glowing a deep, dark red. Although it didn't last long-- perhaps the rain was drowning even his magickal sense-- he picked out a heartbeat deep bellow, in the thick of the trees ahead.

Shivering, he spread his wings and launched himself off of his branch, lunging through the air. He swooped towards the Heartbeat, the Red disappearing from his vision as he went, but he plunged towards the direction anyway.

"Is anyone there?" He called, clicking into the rain, indeed, more blind than usual in the horrid downpour.

!!! ...