Fornax was not a populated cave. The lapping water was mostly still, undisturbed by the speech or movement of sentient beings. There were fish, beneath the warm water--but mostly it was the play of distant sunlight over shimmering water.

Against the damp curve of one vast wall, well-hidden in the darkness of a deep crevice, lay a smooth, opaque black stone. This stone had been here for many cycles, dormant. Now, something stirred within.

There was a quiet scratching and a scrabbling at the rock from within.

Fear was gripping him. It was the first thing he would know, in this life: the terror of entrapment. He'd come to, and at first had felt warm, safe--but the more he tried to move, the more he realized he was tightly squeezed within the stone. He didn't know who he was; he didn't know what lay outside. But he knew that he had to get out.

He struggled and strained, and pressed himself against the rock. At length there was a tiny crack, and then another--and then, abruptly and all at once, the obsidian's integrity gave way and a great portion of its face cleaved right off, clattering to the ground with a loud, dull clack. The hatchling inside tumbled out, landing atop it in a splash of dark fluid, and then fell entirely from the crevice.

The little one landed on the loose stones of Fornax's largest island, peering and blinking large ember-colored eyes around at the vast world of sea and light into which he had been born.

This... was new. His fear lingered; he was small and alone in a very big, foreign world. He'd been birthed into a new life, and he hadn't the slightest clue how to begin.

((ooc - anyone is welcome to join, otherwise I will spam alone, since Fornax is really out of the way!))

Light glimmered on the smooth stones where Septiezal laid. His stout coils were strewn about, soaking up the rays' warmth. The gentle wrapping of the water below hummed a soothing tune that gradually lulled the serpent into slumber. For the first time in a long time, he felt truly relaxed.

He had once made a lovely den for himself here many cycles ago, but he soon out grew his it and hunger drove him to seek bigger prey elsewhere. However, Septiezal always found himself returning to Fornax, to this island. It was humid and warm compared to the rest of the caverns, pleasant for reptile such as himself, but the part that he loved the most was that it was quite secluded. No one ever bothered him here.

Septiezal allowed himself to doze off in the heat that cradled him like his chrysalis once did. As he felt his last bit of consciousness float away, suddenly, vibrations in the stones jolted him back to reality.

What was that?

It felt like a stone breaking from the wall, or a chrysalis hatching. The serpent flicked his tongue in the air and tasted the faint scent of amniotic fluid in the breeze. It was a scent he had smelled many times before. He cut his eyes towards the direction of the source and let out a long sigh. Great. I've got company For once, he wished his hunch wasn't right. The last thing he wanted to deal with was curious little gemlings.

"Listen"
Thoughts...

tags: @Dread
notes:

The tiny dragon hatchling was barely more than a cat's size. Perhaps a medium-sized dog, at best. As it was, spotting a massive, coiled serpent was not high on its list of "things to do to ensure my survival," if he'd been coherent enough as a newborn to create such a list.

He was not.

For a time, however, he didn't spot the snake at all. Instead he looked around, slowly, blinking ember-colored eyes, and then began to wobble his way toward the shore. He tried a step, then a hop--then staggered, nearly falling to one side, with the ungainliness of a newborn. A tiny squeak of frustration escaped him, and he carried onward, the loose stones clicking at his passage. He paused near the water's edge, and stared at it. It was ominous--dark, and vast; it could hide enemies in its depths. He knew this instinctively. Enemies that could lunge up and snap him down whole.

With a shake of his tiny, mini-spined head, he turned and waddled onward--only then spotting Septiezal ahead. Again he froze, and then quickly backed up, gaze locked on the snake.

His mind had no thoughts--not yet; he'd never heard speech before, and it had not come naturally to him. Instead he felt caution, wariness, the resurgence of a spike of fear, and waddle-walked backwards on batlike forelimbs, hoping the snake would not pursue.

@Septiezal

Septiezal felt the awkward pitter patter of tiny legs along his body, and they seemed to be coming towards his direction. "Of coursssse they are." he hissed to himself. He pulled his coils closer to him in anticipation as he waited for the little beast to intrude. Hmm... perhaps it's small enough to eat. Now that Septiezal thought about it, he was feeling a little peckish.

As the gemling stumbling into view he got a good look of what . It looked like a strange cross between a spiny lizard and a bat, and about the size of that diseased dog he almost bit. Septiezal wondered if it would hurt going down. Not if I swallow it head first. Strangely, its eyes looked just like his own, only bigger. Septiezal found that quite bizarre. He did not recall making any offspring.

It was smart to flee, the serpent had to give it that. It made him want to eat it a little less. Unfortunately for the gemling, Septiezal crept forward as it tried to waddle backwards. With his blood about warm, he felt energized and ready for a hunt. He began to slither after the poor creature, half to see what it would do and half for amusement. There would be a dinner and a show.

"Listen"
Thoughts...

tags: @Dread
notes:

The little dragon stared, still backing up as quickly as he could. Loose rocks scattered around his leathery-webbed forelimbs and he scurried back a few more paces--but the big, long thing was heading toward him.

Defiant, afraid, he instinctively thrust his own head forward even as he skittered back, letting out a squeak of warning--a baby's roar--and then another. The third time his jaw opened, a tiny twist of black smoke coiled from his nostrils, and a superheated burst of air--tiny, and weak--fluttered out. It was barely a candle flame in heat, and in fear he turned, scrambling back for the safety--he imagined--of the crevice in which he'd just been born.

He had no other real ideas; instinct drove him.

He had to escape, or his little life would end before it had even really begun.

@Septiezal

Its squawking was kind of cute. It almost made Septiezal feel bad for hunting it, almost. Suddenly, it opened up its jaws and spat forth a wave of heat directly in his face. Instinctively, Septiezal flinched, however its attack was barely strong enough to sting his scales. In that moment, the gemling turned tail and fled. Septiezal noted how it did not use its wings. It cannot fly, He realized fiendishly. And it is trapped on this island with me.

Septiezal did not need to be faster than his prey, he had superb tracking on his side. He lapped at the ground with his forked tongue, following the gemling's scent through the vegetation and over the stones. It did not seem to bother twisting its trail into puzzle. Instead, it lead him directly to a crevice off in the distance. Septiezal stop and flicked his tongue in the wind. The scent was freshest here. It had to be in that crevice.

This is too easy.

Septiezal would have slithered straight up to its little den, if it hadn't shot him with a fire spell. Sure, it was a pathetic cast, but the serpent knew all too well how fickle magick was, especially fire, and next time, he might not be so lucky. He opted to slither towards the bushes just out side the entrance. He was careful to be quiet as he tucked himself within the leaves. Hopefully, the foliage would provide him with enough cover to succeed at his ambush. If he hid well enough, the gemling would be met with a nasty surprise when ever it decided to come out.

Until then, he would wait.

"speak"

@Dread

The tiny dragon felt his little heart hammering in its tiny ribcage as he scrambled frantically up into the dark safety of his narrow niche. The big predator couldn't fit in here--probably... he hoped?

Once inside he flattened himself down, trembling, in the farthest recesses--back against the sharp shards of obsidian from which he had been birthed. And there, he waited.

It was a rather anti-climactic thing--he didn't leap out, didn't threaten this far-larger opponent. Instead he just remained silent and still, though a rock python could undoubtedly smell him, taste him on the air, hear the vibration of his frightened heartbeat. But he didn't know that. He just remained frightened and quiet; maybe it would go away.

Maybe something else would draw its attention--some other prey. Or maybe something bigger would come along, and eat it instead.

He could only hope.

* * * * *

Several hours passed.

There was no sound outside, bar the lapping of water and the gentle buzz of insects. Fear had somewhat subsided--though not entirely. As quietly as he could, Dread crept--catlike, one limb carefully placed before the other--to the edge of the niche.

Outside, the dragonflies danced silver and blue in the air; below, there were... rocks, water... ferns--oh, a giant snake. Dread stared.

It was trying to hide, but he could see it--a bit down below, ready to strike. He wasn't sure if it was within hitting distance, but he pulled back at once, with a loud and frustrated hiss of defiance. Claws scrabbled again over rock as he clambered farther into his tiny den again, hiding away once more.

...Where, again, he would remain for hours.

@Septiezal

It had become waiting game between predator and prey. For what seemed like hours, Septiezal waited and watched. He knew the gemling was in there, he could smell it, but nothing stirred, not even the lizards scurried or birds sang. It was quiet, too quiet. Septiezal's gut began to twist. Am I hiding well enough?

That was confirmed for him when the dragonling crept cautiously from its dark crevice. Septiezal stayed put. It was too late to reaffirm his cover. All he could do was hope that his scales blended in with the stones. For a moment, he thought the dragonling over looked him, the suddenly, it let out a hiss and disappeared back into its small den. Septiezal let out a small, frustrated hiss of his own

Damn it.

He debated on whether to find better place to hide. He could last cycles without food, but he had no idea if this creature could as well. For all he knew, it could choose to starve to death instead of meet his coils, then his wait would be all for naught. In the end, Septiezal chose to let it win the waiting game. He had better things to do, like quenching his thirst and sunning his scales. Perhaps he would come across its scent again, then the game could began once more. Reluctantly, Septiezal retreated into the cover of the foliage beyond and out of sight. He slithered towards the water's edge where the warm stones sat, welcoming him.

"speak"

@Dread

Dread waited for hours to pass, again.

Eventually, when darkness fell--when the orb-light had dimmed and the warmth had gone--he crept cautiously forward once more. He watched the spot where the snake had been, but saw nothing. He heard, however, a faint scurrying somewhere in the distance--the slightest rustle of claws on stone. And there was, too, a slight burning in his belly.

He was unaware, yet, what food was--and how it related to hunger. If he'd known, he might have had a better idea of why Septiezal was hunting him. But instinct drew him, nonetheless.

Fear, however, gave him pause. The memory of the big predator was quite fresh in his mind, and for a time he simply lay in the dark at the edge of the niche, listening, taking scent from the air, and watching. Bar the lapping of the water, however, and the buzz of the night-bugs (and the faint scrabbling from somewhere nearby), he heard nothing.

Quiet, he spread tiny, billowing wings, and glided some distance down from the niche, toward the noise. Even in light, however, his landing would have been clumsy--he was newly-hatched, after all. Instead he clattered into the loose stones, scattering them here and there--and quickly bounded away, trying to hide in the very same bushes Septiezal had prior claimed.

The skittering of the rat grew louder, then faded as it fled from his overly-noisy approach. He could hear it, rushing off parallel to the waterline.

Looking around rapidly, alarmed and with tiny heart again racing, the little dragon listened to see if anything would come.

@Septiezal

Septiezal had dozed off once more as he laid on the warm stones only to be awoken under dimmed lights by the clacking of loose stones followed by the faint scurry of smalls paws. Something was coming towards him. The serpent's stout body stirred to life as he slide out his tongue. The wind smelled of rat and Septiezal's hunger peaked once more.

It wasn't long before the rodent came clambering blindly out of the brush, clearly panicked. At first, it did not see the python in the shadows until its glittering black eyes met his. The rat shrieked in terror and turned to scramble away. Septiezal wasted no time and snatched the rodent by tail. The rat snapped around and plunged its fangs into the serpents nose. Despite the pain, this did not phase Septiezal and he twisted his large coils around his prey, mercilessly squeezing the life from it. Eventually the rat when limp, and Septiezal began to work his jaws around his kill as he started to swallow it whole. Blood trickled from the bite wound left by his prey. It looked deep enough to scar, but only time would tell.

Septiezal popped his jaw back into place as the last of his meal slid down into his gut. It wasn't big enough to sate his hunger entirely, but at least it could hold him down until he found bigger prey. He tasted the air inquisitively. He knew a rat that size could not have made such a ruckus, at least not alone. There was another that attempted to hunt it. Septiezal first thought went to the gemling he had cornered earlier, though in his slumber, it was possible he had missed another gembounds swimming to the island. Like a slug, he crept slowly away from the shoreline, his forked tongue tasting for anything new.
"speak"

@Dread