Blended in amongst the moss-caked walls of Tunnel N slumbered a chrysalis, it's mottled greens blending into the cavern walls. In one moment, Adi was not, then, she was. In an instant the pup was aware of their crystal imprisonment. Of the desire to claw and dig their way to freedom and into...into....It. Whatever It was, Adi knew she needed to dig her way to It.

Raking her claws against the chrysalis walls, she let out a determined whine, licking and gnawing at it with her nub-teeth.

Adi yelped as her leg went straight through the chrysalis walls, letting out another distressed whine as she realized it was stuck in the hole it'd made. Awkwardly contorting herself, she began to scratch at it with her free paws, hoping to unstick her leg and use the newly-made hole to further her escape.

A chrysalis was not an unnatural thing, and so Azrael did not initially pay attention to it as he slid through the narrow tunnel, but then, just as he had walked past, there was a crack. That did manage to catch his attention, quite suddenly. He turned, just in time to see the young wolf scrabbling against the crystal walls of her own chrysalis, fighting to break free.

He stood and watched, for a moment. It was important that children break their way free on their own. And this one was a fighter. He appreciated that, as he watched it emerge. He took a step forward, kneeling down so that he was not towering over it so much.

A gruff snort huffed from his nose as the head burst free. "Keep fighting," he rumbled. "Fight to be free. You will make it."

@Adi

Adi's frustrated wiggles managed to dislodge her leg, allowing her to shift and contort so her head could peek out. Wide brown eyes catching onto Azrael. And then...he spoke! Her nose twitched, sniffing the air inquisitively, both the presence of an adult and the sweet scent on the air had him struggling even harder.

"Fight!" They cheered, the battle cry of a valiant warrior rushing against their stalwart opponent. Once again slamming their little feet against the chrysalis.

Azrael grinned and suddenly slammed a fist against the ground. "That's right - FIGHT!" It was a bellow, not one to be terrifying, but one to be invigorating. The child struggled, the chrysalis would not give them up easily, but they fought fiercely. It was a sight Azrael had not witnessed in...a long time. The ruby had not fought in this way to be free, it had broken from its chrysalis as if it had been thrown out by some unhappy force removing it from what came before living. Banshy had been given the gift of an easy hatch.

This one had neither, and yet it fought. Yes...YES. It was invigorating to watch. It was invigorating to be here to witness this. It was something primal and good and Azrael felt the need to herald its hatching with something more then his presence.

A clench of his fists and a deep rumbling sound in his chest were like a generator to the magic that reached upwards, towards the lights above them. They began to flicker, some growing stronger, others going out, signaling the hatch of a new life that would fight.

"Yes," he growled. "FIGHT. Fight for your right to exist here, for your right to breathe, walk, be free! FIGHT!!!"

@Adi

With every bellow from Azrael, every encouragement to go on, it was as if Adi could feel themself grow stronger. She wasn't quite sure where the creature had come from- why he seemed so eager for her to emerge. But Adi simply kept on fighting.

With a final kick she went tumbling from her chrysalis, his body skidding a short distance before coming to a complete halt. With a loud, exhausted huff, the pup's head slumped against the floor. Adi was well-prepared for a nap, but the faceful of dirt had reminded her of the tasty thing she had smelled earlier, Adi's tongued lolled out, giving it a hesitant taste before shoveling a portion into her mouth.

The pup's final and full emergence was heralded by a full-chest roar from Azrael that shook the walls - let everyone hear, let everyone know, that a new life had fought their way into the world! It wasn't that there was something particularly special about this one - it was simply a lanky wolf, like a more plain and pure version of the corrupted one Azrael knew - but it had fought its way free and he had been there to witness it. Such things should be celebrated.

"You are FREE," he bellowed, shifting forward to follow where it had tumbled. "And you have earned it." He noted the sheen on its fur - still wet from the chrysalis fluid. It wasn't cold in here, but he recognized it might be unpleasant. He reached out one of his burly hands as warmth began to sear under his skin and light poured from the eye in his palm. Just one hand would make a suitable furnace for the wolf to dry themselves next to.

"I will announce your name to the walls and stone, if you have one." He noted that they had already began eating the moss - not what he expected from a wolf, but it didn't seem to be sick. So he did not stop them.

@Adi

Adi startled, head swiveling to find the source of such a mighty sound, before finally realizing it had come from their- friend? Their eyes focused onto Azrael, swallowing down the moss to blink up at him with curious eyes. What was he? Who was he? Why was he so big and Adi so little? Would Adi look like that one day? He thought that wouldn't be so bad.

They puffed up at his words, he'd earned it! He did a good job! Leaning into the welcome warmth emanating from Azrael's palm, they scrambled to press as much of their body as possible into it, which wasn't especially hard considering their diminutive stature.

"Ah-di," he said. "Your name?"

Azrael nodded and threw back his head, sucking in a great breath - that was all the warning the young maned wolf would get. "ADI," he roared, his deep, bellowing voice bouncing off the close-walls of this tunnel, powerful enough to cause a bit of dust to rain from the ceiling. He looked down to the small wolf and nodded in approval. "Now these caves know your name and the stones will remember it." The wolf might not know, but Azrael did - the stones did have memory that could be extraced. Perhaps one day, someone would touch the stones and listen to their history and hear the demon roaring the name of this child for the world to hear and remember.

A mark permanently left in history. Even if a relatively small one.

"I am AZRAEL. The Darkness. Now that you are named and awake, now you must decide - what do you want to do?" His head tilted just a bit as he looked at the child. Perhaps if someone had sat him down when he was fresh-hatched and guided him this way, things would not have gone the way they did for him.

Perhaps he could do better.

@Adi

Adi had grown somewhat used to his companions penchant for yelling, but it still frightened a startled squeal out of her. The stones will remember it? How? They were just stones! But then again, Adi was really just a stone as well. And..she knew somehow that the caves and her were intertwined.

Adi butted in the moment they learned Azrael's name. "Azrae- Az- Azzy, how are you so big? Will I be big?" she blinked, seeming to buffer for a moment as they processed his question. "Uhm! Ah! I dunno, explore? Learn? What do you do, Azzy?" probably something very cool and impressive, Adi guessed.

@Azrael