coming back to herself from her thoughts
she let her caramel drenched optics focus back
unto the kind one that found her.


summoning her brain cavity to locate his name
she fumbled out his name clumsily " niru..."
letting the last vowel trail off a little before she made
another feeble attempt to continue where she had left.
"may I come closer to you?" before he probably had time to contemplate her query,
never mind have time to respond to her
she began making slightly uncoordinated motions towards the kindred adolescent.
after a couple of unsure steps, she began mastering her wobbly footing.
niru was listening to the pudgy pup athena rebuttal, in all honesty all was gibberish to her.
complete foreign language but, anux hoped that one day
she'd speak this language of what they knew, fluently.

encroaching on niru's personal bubble exhibited two things.


the first of these exhibits was that she was beginning to realize the fearlessness within herself.
she barely knew this feline, but yet she knew he wouldn't harm her.
maybe her young self was far to naïve but she felt a connection to him.
perhaps it was a hatching syndrome where you cling to the first being you lay eyes on?
second of the exhibits that were on display was how damaged and mangled the poor teenager was.
who had done this to him? and most importantly, why would someone ever do this to him.
the closer she let herself get to him the more she wanted to wince.
compassion struck her small heart strings.

letting herself cozy up next to him gently
she released the muscles and bones of her haunches ever so slowly to embrace the cavern floor.
benevolence flooded her pools as her sandpaper ribbon began stroking his neck ever so softly.
only a few laps of her tongue were necessary before she stopped.
she hoped her message to him in this act were clear.


a thankful heart resided contentedly within her being
and she was faithfully hoping that he knew she was thanking him.

a tug in the crevices of her fuzzy maw finally prevailed
as a small but, beaming grin none the less poked through the surface.
suddenly, something in the near vicinity of her attention was diverted.
a lurking presence had taken on the attributes of a ghost.
attempts were made to focus solely in on the stranger.
with little luck, her still strengthening lenses failed her.
her voice was low as she let words spit forth "we've got company in the shadows."

whole hearted attention now lied on the blurry being that perched not far from them.
"Speak up, shadow..."
a little more of a substantial voice shot out of her, not rudely of course but confidently.
where did that come from? she questioned herself inwardly.

@AZAZEL
@NIRU
@ATHENA

everything was interrupted by the looming presence of a creature. a creature i hadn't the pleasure of meeting. little nux spoke up, calling the shadow to come forth. i quickly sat up, the harsh movement causing the fresh gashes to rip open, blood seeping through fragile scabs and tainting the golden strands crimson before dripping to the rock flooring. it was always a shock to me, that not everyone was as vigilant and prudent as i. so when the little cub alerted the rest of us to the shadow's presence, as well as offered forth something of a testy tone, i wanted to hush her and explain that - not all creatures which lurk in the dark are ones to be taunted. but perhaps, like me, she needed to learn all on her own. i wouldn't tear that away from her, that life experience. so instead, i will protect her in case the foreign gembound were to attack.

with the new presence of the mystery critter, all prior information would be stopped. i didn't want to make the unknown gembound to feel unwanted or not included, nor did i want to say something wrong. it would seem i wasn't the oldest, wisest one in the circle anymore - and quite possibly no longer the strongest. if i even was in the first place.

"allow the creature space, for they will come to us when they feel."

politely, moderate tones laced in adolescence still poured out toward both the pup and the cub, hoping not to anger whatever creature lurked and certainly not the two lovely, new gembounds near me. i attempted to keep a grin upon my face, though the action as hard and it soon dissipated, though i was sure to keep dull jaded lenses a soft, kind expression.

@anux
@azazel
@athena

Athena Ignis

Everything is hard before it is easy.

Athena was, like many newborn, a gembound with nearly unending curiosity; although she wasn't quite as impatient as others. Therefore, she was quite content to drink in the sight of Anux - the cub was so much more.. developed(?) than she'd been when she emerged and somehow that made the pup feel bad. Not really jealous or envious but maybe like she was at a disadvantage in comparison to the feline? Athena had to work hard on gaining control over her young body and mastering speech; she was an amateur at both which made the puppy feel like she'd missed out on something.

Athena watched Anux settle down next to Niru, both a few steps away from the pup, her smile fading slowly. All of a sudden, she felt sad and she couldn't even really say why!

Surprised, Athena stared into the darkness and saw the shape of another gembound lurking there. For the moment, her sadness was pushed aside and she instead focused on the intruder spying on them. Anux and Niru spoke the stranger, but Athena wasn't too sure if they should be. Shrouded in darkness the way they were, the mysterious fellow was quite scary - or well, more like a possible danger -, but still, Athena would not let herself be outdone. "Hello." She murmured, voice enhanced by the echo in Canis.


"Listen to me."

The creature was not unnoticed. So he quietly peeked out from the shade, ivory skull visible first then the rest of him. In just a moment, the Ave was perched upon a higher up stone, so that he was stationed just higher than the lion's shoulders. "It seems more like you are in my company," he demurred, carmine eyes closing for just a second before he continued, "This is the home of the Bonebound." The Bone King chirped quietly, though his voice was amplified by the echoing sound of the cavern. Lowering his head, he bowed a little. "I was merely observing... watching over you three." Of course, nothing seemed suspicious. As per usual, a newly emerged Gembound in the Caves surrounded by those who had hatched before then.

Slowly, the lammergeier shifted closer to the youngest of the trio, a newly emerged lion cub with eyes of caramel. Then a pup with a spire of flame rising from her crown. Finally, a male lion, a thick mane beginning to grow about his neck. There were some open wounds on him. Azazel clicked his beak and would glide off some, pondering for a moment. Oh, what was it. Cobwebs, yes. Now, where would he find such a thing. Wings graced the air until he found a collection of bones, one of the many remains was a skull with extremely large eye sockets, which a spider had built it's web within. Hooking his talons about it, he wadded the thick silk into a ball on his feet and would return to the trio. On his way, he would dip it lightly into the waters that collected in the center of the room.

Holding out the slightly wet ball of silken threads to the larger male, he tilted his head. "You best seal those gashes, or they'll never heal."

@Anux