The travel to Eridanus was rather pleasant. Having not really traveled with a friend at all in such a long time, Arete was glad for the company. The fresh scent that belonged to Eridanus soon filled her senses and a happy purr escaped the tiger as her paws soon began walking over moss and lichen alike. "We're here in Eridanus," She spoke to the owl that still rested upon her. HEr eyes searched the area curiously as she walked further into the cavern, heading towards the Monarch. The very center of the room. It would be there that they would perhaps have a better advantage at finding this tiny friend of Dark's.

She also knew several other gembounds lurked in this area. In particular a wolf. A wolf she had not seen since the day she spilled out of her Chrysalis. She knew the wolfess had staked her claim on this area, regardless if others would perceive it as her territory or not. It was here that she spent the most time, guarding and protecting the territory as best she could. For a moment Arete wondered if they would be given a visit from the wolf and if they did, would she remember Arete? Perhaps one day she would make an effort to search for the canine. For now, she would focus on finding Dark's friend.

"Tal'at is a bat correct? What do you think would be the best way to find him? Calling out for him?" There was plenty of ways to find a bat, however, that did not mean she knew of the ways. She had never met a bat before. Her tail flicked curiously as she turned her gaze up towards the trees that settled here and there all around.

---

"speech"
OoC: lame post meh.

@Dark

The owl considered; truth be told, he'd somehow stupidly assumed that the tigress would search with her eyes. But thinking about it, in dense jungle, that was hardly a good solution, was it? He'd seen the image, once, through Tal'at--and he knew how thick the ferns grew. To find something so small by eye would be nigh on impossible, and he felt silly for having thought this. It wasn't something that, as a blind creature, he'd even considered--he'd thought, "she has eyes, he can see him!" without considering the particulars.

He hooted softly, thinking.

"...I guess so?" he replied hesitantly, shuffling about a little on the tigress's back. He liked the way her thick fur felt beneath his own fluffy-feathered feet; Arete was warm, and soft, a nice change from cold rock and hard wood.

For a moment, he remained somewhat quiet, gently chanting the tigress's name, as if he enjoyed making the sounds that comprised it. "Ah-ruu-tey, Ah-ruu-tey, Ah-ruu-tey..."

Then, fluffing out his throat, he called out far more loudly.

"TAL'AT?" he shrieked abruptly, his voice harsh and grating in full screeching-owl mode.

Of course, he wasn't aware that Tal'at lived in Cetus now, but perhaps if the bat were visiting Eridanus for food, they might get lucky.

________________

@Arete

@Arete @Dark

She did not want to be here. There was not enough fog, and certainly not enough water. Hardly any fish-- yet the bat kept filling her mind with a clear image of a brightly colored sphere in some trees. This "fruit" was important, and she could hardly resist his demands. Timidly, the spider crept through the ferns, her bright color almost blending in, but not... quite. She felt exposed, vulnerable, even with the gembound with her. She was a solitary creature... who did not like exploring, not one little bit. If it wasn't for his vote of confidence, his eagerness and want to return to the land of Mangos, the spider would have never gone this far.

At least it was warm here. The spider could appreciate that. As Tal'at took off the moment she spotted some fruit from the trees, she scampered into a tangle of roots and ferns, hiding herself from any predators. Do not worry, his voice whispered to hers. It is safe. She screeched in reply, but settled down in the underbrush to wait for him to return.

In the meanwhile, a voice rang out-- sharp, terrifying-- TAL'AT, the call came. Though the spider could not communicate like the other gembounds, she understood the word. Even if she didn't, it caught the blind bat's attention. Something was looking-- or had spotted-- him. Ssssssss, came her percussive reply, tuckering down even more.

The bat dropped down into her ferns, which would have scared her to death if she hadn't felt his senses drawing ever closer to her bright form. He was growing all the more comfortable with her, yet the feelings were hardly mutual. He hoped, at the very least, she knew that he didn't want them to be stuck this way. As his body found purchase on her blue-green form, he held out his juicy, half eaten mango to her, clicking softly. She wanted none of it, unfortunately.

"We should go... Sounds like Dark. A good friend. Please may we?" He asked his seeing-eye spider in a soft voice, even though he could just think his words to her it seemed more sincere to whisper to her. She responded with a sharp, ccchchhttt to his brain, but they lurched forward, taking careful steps towards the squawk of the bird. However, the moment the spider spotted the massive tiger, that was that.

Tal'at and his spider went shooting up the nearest tree, though the poor bat clinging to her back let out a shrill of alarm. "Wait woah friend! Not this way! Dark you there?! Hello my friend! I am here! Right over here! Do not mind-- My friend In'am!!" All of his chirping and chattering only seemed to make the teal spider scramble higher and higher up the tree, however. There was no water to hide in, so climbing up a tree seemed like the next best option.

!!! ...

going out a different path lead by a beating heart

Dark seemed to ponder over her inquiry and before too long his screech rung in her ears. It caused her to pause and shake her head a bit as her ears rung but she ultimately grinned and looked around. For a moment she wondered if there would be an answer and just as she was about to give up and move on to the next area another voice suddenly hollered out. Rounded ears perked into attention and she listened as it called to dark.

"Well how about that. He is here," she grinned as she took a few steps closer towards the tree before stopping and lowering herself down to rest upon her stomach. "Is your friend scared?" She called up to the bat, not quite sure what kind of friend he had that would be scared of an owl and herself. Hopefully it wasn't scared of her. She could literally cause no harm to anyone or thing.



@dark @talat

Sorry it's small :/. Phone posts and all

The owl fluffed out his feathers, rotating his head awkwardly far to listen to the distant hissing, skittering and the cries of his friend. Tal'at sounded unharmed, but there was an odd urgency in his voice nonetheless that left Dark flapping from Arete and soaring downward, taloned toes touching along the tops of the ferns until he was somewhere near the base of Tal'at's tree. He landed with a tumble, not neatly at all but instead trying to touch down in an unseen divot in the earth, instead tripping at high speed over an exposed tree root and left falling through the brush with an indignant, startled squawk.

One would think he'd be used to blind landings, by now.

After a moment his slightly disheveled owl's head popped up from the bushes a few yards distant, looking around blindly.

"Tal'at?" he called, uncertainly. He'd ended up a little ways away from Tal'at's tree, but certainly close enough to be heard, and seen.

"Are you okay? This is Ah-ruu-tey. She's a friend. Are you okay?" he repeated, an edge of concern in his voice. As an afterthought, he quickly went over what Tal'at had said, and added, rather more a question than a statement, "Hello, In'am?"

________________

@Talat

@Arete @Dark ;; sorry for the delay ;o;

It seemed no matter what Tal'at did, the dumb spider was going to insist on being a panicked, frantic, frightened prey-thing. A bit flustered, the bat fluttered his wings and took flight off of the cyan, practically glowing spider and clicked sharply. It wasn't like In'am could go anywhere without him-- it was too disorienting for both of them.

He turned his blind orb-face towards the sound of the tigress and the owl, trying to pinpoint them via their voices. Seemed like they were at the bottom of his tree! Slowly, he flapped his way down, spiraling a bit down the trunk.

"Yes she is... She is scared. Thinks gembounds want... To eat her. It is silly," he explained as he abruptly hit the moist earth, flopping down on to his face. He huffed and shook the dirt from his fluffy mane and swung his head around, smiling under the unsettling orb that made up most of his face.

"She is Spider, I found her..." He quickly explained to his blind owl friend, "In swamp water. Somehow we bonded, now I cannot... I cannot leave. We are connected. It is odd. She'll be fine. Wants to hide. Say let her. She is safe, even if she... Doesn't believe it." He spread out his wings, wobbling over to where he thought Dark was, fully intending to just bump into the owl.

"How are you? It has been... Much too long!" He was beaming now, excitement filling his staggered, clicking tones. "Who is friend?" He had heard another voice, and promptly assumed that the tigress must be with Dark.

!!! ...

going out a different path lead by a beating heart