He had been deposited in a shallow section of Pisces after all that tumbling. When he woke again he was sore all over. There were bruises blooming all over his little body as well as some cuts and scrapes from the rocky surfaces, and he was still a little bit soggy. The cold was what drew his attention the most; a perpetual numbing which made things hurt less. He felt slow and he did not like that, and when he tried to stand up his withers quaked with the effort, but like any fawn it did not take long to master his feet.

Everything was damp. The terrain was built of composite stonework that layered like stairs in some places or ledges in others, most of which rose around him imperiously - not that he was dissuaded.

It took focus and dedication from the newborn to climb anywhere, and he chose a route that looked simple at first glance. In the end it would not have mattered which direction he'd go, they were all painful and they would all force him to struggle onward. He did not recognize anything - but why would he? Having been birthed beneath the heel of the waterfall and then sent tumbling through the ponds like the offal of a rotten fish, it wasn't like the boy was born a cartographer.

He recognized the boom of the waterfall all the same; it was unmistakable. He was not afraid of it. The cacophonous rumbling drew him closer incrementally until something swooped overhead; he was small and easily missed against the cascades of stone and all the chaos of the livid water, but the shadow that passed overhead was anything but that.

It was shadow-dark with ruby wings, not that he knew the names of these things, and the vibrant red that flashed across his vision was intriguing. The creature must have been at least three times his size - probably more, but who cares about math this early in life - and when it landed nearby, the newborn knew he had to figure out what the heck it was.

He worked his way closer, and as he drew near he saw something shimmering and pale; it cut a round silhouette against the backdrop of the serpentine black thing, drawing his eye. He did not want to get too close - and to be honest, the boy did not know why he was so reticent in the heat of the moment. He did not know to be careful around strangers and he certainly did not hold any fear for these shapes; he didn't really feel anything for them. Instinct told him to hang back.

And then there came a third body: the newest arrival walking over from a shadowed section of rock. The creature was not something he recognized either: it was also pale, but larger than the low-slung round thing. The sight of it sent a thrilling sensation down his spine that caused a few of the dryer hairs on the back of his neck to stand up.

They were congregated at the edge of the lagoon - but why?