Cetus was a delightfully peculiar little place! Full of that greenery Luna was always so fond of, the water, the fresh air. The fog that rolled around was like its own organism, a mystery ever shifting - something to entertain herself with endlessly if the world ever got too boring. A stunning discovery on her part, well done.

The affirmations felt almost mocking as she tried her best to keep an open mind. Her enthusiasm was starting to seep into the mud. The very same mud that she found herself stuck in, in fact! Bitter is the flytrap with no honey to tempt the pitiful insect. Nope, this baby was all glue.

"Hello?? Is anybody out there?" Calling out felt like asking to die here, in the smelly muck and smothering fog. Her fragility was ever present in her mind - but woe, there was no other way. Better to take the chance of a greater heeding her cries, than a lesser finding her scent. "I am in dire need of assistance, I'm afraid!"

@Erasmus

As Erasmus has senses that are to such a degree as to be overwhelming at times, their hearing is what wakes them up. Reality hits them harshly then gently, for though they remember what happened prior to sleep, the large being is still curled around them and crooning.

They do not realize that the sound they hear, those words they hear, is less audible to the large being, but they jump up chirp and whine and dart back and forth, trying to convey that the being that they need to be followed. The tone they hear is distressed, for all they do not comprehend the words.

Then they dart off, hoping beyond hope that the large being follows. They themself are afraid. A part of them still hisses displeasure at a being in their territory, but what happened has scarred them mentally. They do not want to hurt, even on accident. Even now, they hug the stolen stone to themself as a reminder.

As the new being comes into sight, they grow tenser. Should they get closer to her? They whine, stopping before the mud, pacing with uncertainty. Are they even safe to be near others, Erasmus wonders.

They stare and then glance behind them, hoping that they have been followed by him, the being that cares despite conflict. Surely he would know what to do.

@Alek

Alek thinks the younger gembound wants him to follow. Why, he is uncertain, and it is not as if he could ask, since not only does the other barely understand words if at all, they also seemed rather frantic. They hurry off on quick legs, and Alek follows, if at a slower pace.

The aquatic dragon is greeted by a large insect perhaps-stuck in mud and a pacing whatever-this-gembound-is-to-Alek. Does the younger gembound want to help this one? Then why do they not approach? It would be easier if Alek could simply ask, but...

In any case, Alek does not mind helping if he needs to. This is his duty now, to watch over this gembound. This gembound who has gone from accidental murderer to wannabe rescuer.

Alek didn't hear the beginning of the shouts clearly, but the end of her shouts he did hear. She needs help. "How can we help you? Are you stuck?" Alek asks.

Since its polite, he tries to introduce himself and the other. "I'm Alek, and this is... um. My companion. They don't really understand much speech but- I think they heard you and wanted to help?" That is the situation, as best he can explain it. Does his companion even have a name, he wonders.

Really, he can't imagine how to explain the situation at all if he was prompted.

@Luna

Her wings fluttered in a confusing mix of anxiety and excitement as shadows moved within the fog. Friend, or foe? Certainly interesting - big dark eyes skim over the first visitor, a pale, elegant creature. She regards their claws and fangs with the skittishness of a prey animal. She felt her muzzle pull back, the growing temptation to bite the hand that could either feed or eat her if it chose. She withheld as best she could.

A darker, stranger shape followed the smaller. A less conventional beast it seemed, sleek and snub-nosed with an impressive set of branching horns. If he was aquatic, as she suspected by the gills at his neck, wouldn't those features impede his movement? Or was he built for a stranger niche? Fascinating.

Greetings, Alek! I am Luna - my apologies, this is my first real outing to this part of the caves and I've found myself in, ah-" She wriggled around, the mud around her squelching happily. "Quite the pickle. Is there anyway you, or your friend, could help?"

@Erasmus

The being that cares about them despite has followed them, and that is a relief. When he speaks, they try to focus on the words. On understanding those words. Three in particular stand out to Erasmus. Alek, companion, and help.

"Help?" Erasmus asks the large being hopefully in their rough, pretty much unused, voice. They do not know how to help, but they are sure the large being knows. After all, the large being helped them, and continues to seem to want to help them.

Why, they don't know. They whimper and clutch at the gemstone they still carry, holding it close.

@Alek

His companion was as good of a title as any for them, Alek decided. And his companion had spoken, stopped pacing, fully focused on him. It was uncomfortable, in a way, that this being looked to him for support. Alek had never been what anyone would call truly reliable.

But he had a being relying on him now, and he had committed to this duty. And, in any case, Alek would have helped Luna anyway, he was pretty sure.

"I believe I can help, yes," Alek agreed. He positioned himself so while he was turning his head towards the moth still, one of his wings was what faced her. He carefully extended his wing, large enough that if not for his build he could have been flight capable, and stuck it into the gross mud, beneath the moth.

It was an attempt to scoop up the moth with his large wing and then deposit her on less muddy land.

@Luna

She blinked with wide-eyed curiosity at the young biped this time - even the gloomy cave, the hair that caught it seemed to shimmer like silk, and stranger still, their skin seemed matte in comparison. Like the marbled stone she'd see in Cepheus, she noted.

She was promptly saved from her muddy fate, scooped up by the larger beast with a wing. This was met with a wince rather than a sigh of relief, as the muck that still clunk to her thick coat began to crust in the open air. There would be a long and unpleasant walk back to Pegasus after this outing - but when was there not?

"Quite the wingspan!" She observed as she returned to solid ground. "Many thanks for your service - I am Luna. And you two are?" She glanced again to the smaller of her rescuers, wondering if they had settled upon a name yet. It was difficult to gauge the maturity of greaters, especially one as quiet as Erasmus - she had many questions to ask, and their capacity to answer them mattered greatly.

@Erasmus

Erasmus did not understand much at all, even with their newfound focus on words. But they heard the large being repeat the word 'help', and then scoop the insect-looking entity out of the mud. They chirped, absolutely thrilled. But then there was more words.

They tried to pay attention to the sounds. The exclamation was bit more loud to their sensitive ears than they would have preferred, so they could not decipher anything, too busy with a momentary wince. But after that there were words that they could decipher.

At least, they thought they understood this time.

"...Am Erasmus," Their voice rasped with disuse, a contrast to the musical vocals of the loud being.

@Alek

"Thanks. I can't actually fly, but they can be useful in other ways."

Alek was fairly certain they had introduced themselves earlier, him and the moth at least, he could not blame Luna for forgetting. To the contrary, he found himself actually grateful. Perhaps it had been the repetition of the words, but his companion had finally given their name.

"I'm Alek. And my companion, they're Erasmus. They're unused to speech, I am pretty sure, but they understand if you speak slower. And they're quick to learn," The aquatic dragon explained, while not explaining much at all.

"...They heard you way before I did. They must have pretty good ears," He considered. "...Or, well, sensitive ears, at least. I don't imagine that is always a positive thing."

@Luna

The smaller creature croaked an answer - good, Luna was most curious about them - though Erasmus' demeanour implied that anymore responses to her queries may be hard won. Best not to bother the poor soul, they already seemed overwhelmed.

"A pleasure." She offered a forelimb to Alek, seeking a polite and professional handshake - though seeing as he didn't appear to have a hand to offer in return, any alternatives would be easily accepted.

To more interesting topics - biology! "Good hearing, eh?" She turned briefly to Erasmus again, her voice lowered. "Must be quite the hunter, especially in these mists. And," Her attention shifted back to Alek, as did her volume. "You seem well equipped for fishing. Might I ask who, or what, your parents are?" His traits seemed a little to mish-mash to be a wall spawn, that's for sure.

@Erasmus