The beast lingered there in front of the collar, watching, amazed at the reflection that peered back up at him - amazed at the sight of something once so long forgotten. His attention had only been broken by a comparatively tiny voice, squeaking out from off to the side. Aquarian grunted, withdrawing his head and swiveling it around to peer down at the alligator. Dad? That was a new one. The beast blinked a few times, then registered what he meant after he had said he found things. Yes, the pile of decaying bodies that now sat rather unsettled in his stomach, the treasures, and the collar. The collar. Aquarian glanced back at it, finding himself briefly distracted by the reflection, only to be again ripped away from the prize as Dragon burst out into a slough of questions.

The creature had asked probably twenty questions, and in that time Aquarian slowly slid up onto the mud, coiling around Dragon and watching him. While the reptile seemed to speak a mile a minute, Aquarian stored all those questions away in his mind, picking and choosing which ones were the most important for him to answer. After all, he had promised these pathetic creatures that he would be theirs - and Aquarian never broke his vows. Once the alligator finished with a single sentiment - I want to know everything - the beast chortled and raised his head, hovering high above Dragon and then pointing it down towards the reptile so that he was almost directly above him, staring down.

"THAT... IS MIGHTY AMBITIOUS OF YOU." Aquarian rumbled and cackled. "BUT YOU WILL NEVER BE AS BIG AS I." He added, immediately ceasing his laughter and staring rather deadpan at the alligator. Dream shatterer. Aquarian didn't care for dreams much. After a moment of silence, his lips drew back into a malicious grin and Aquarian began to slide away from him, his large coils following through with the motion. "THERE ARE EYES IN THE CAVE THAT SEE. EYES IN ERIDANUS. THEY HAVE SEEN YOU." He added, as if he hadn't just completely destroyed Dragon's dreams. "BUT THEY DO NOT EAT. PERHAPS THEY DO. EAT THE MIND. IF IT DOES NOT LIKE YOU." Aquarian spoke thoughtfully. "THEY WILL EAT NEMEAN. ONE DAY." The creature snorted and continued to move away from Dragon, through the mud along the shore.

But then he would turn around, heading back towards the alligator, quietly chattering to himself. "YOU SPEAK OF FATHERS AND BROTHERS, BUT THAT KNOWLEDGE IS BEYOND EVEN ME. IF YOU CALL YOURSELF A DRAGON THEN THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE, AS I AM AQUARIAN AND NEMEAN IS NEMEAN. AND YOU WILL BE THE BIGGEST DRAGON, YOU, THE ONLY DRAGON. BUT I CANNOT MAKE YOU ANY BIGGER. I CANNOT CHANGE THAT." He answered, large eyes flickering around the jungle room. At this point, Aquarian had forgotten any other questions the alligator asked. The massive monster stopped, lingering on the shore between Dragon and the water, and his head suddenly snapped towards the reptile and stared down at him. "WHAT ELSE DO YOU SEEK TO KNOW?" Aquarian rumbled, cocking his head to the side.

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Dragon listened raptly and, oddly, found himself entirely unafraid. Aquarian didn't seem about to eat him, or even posturing or threatening. Even when he loomed directly overhead, he seemed more to simply be watching Dragon, and to be making a point, rather than being hostile.

As the great sea serpent-creature spoke, he found himself mulling over every word, quickly processing it and considering it.

Never be as big as him? Could that be true? ...Nah. I will! He'll see! ...Some day!
and then, as Aquarian spoke of Eridanus,

There are eyes? They will eat my mind?! They will eat Nemean? Oooh. ...What does that even mean?
He listened, too, as the great creature spoke of names and sizes, and creatures. Everyone had a name, and they were unique?

He says he's not a dragon, he's an Aquarian but that's his name? But then again I'm a dragon and my NAME is Dragon. But so is Ghanyarah and so is Baratheon? I don't get it.
Then he found Aquarian staring at him, suddenly, where a moment before he'd been just glancing about. Dragon blinked, but his little mind worked quickly. What else did he want to know? Obviously Dad couldn't just tell him everything at once, so... what was most important to him? He thought, for a moment, staring at the black marsh, and then turned his sharp, bright gaze up at Aquarian again.

"...There's things that try to eat me. There's power. And there's magic. And I guess nobody really knows where it came from, but I want to be strong enough that nothing will kill me. I want to know everything so nothing catches me by surprise, again, like the magic crystals or the giant tree. There are all these bones and old things and nobody knows where they came from, and I want to know so I don't die like they did. You came from before, right? I want to be big and tough like you, Dad," he added rather earnestly, peering up at Aquarian before finally asking his actual question. "I want to know what you know. What do I do so I can learn, and get big, and strong, so nothing will take me by surprise? I want to be ready, and strong enough to fight and live."

Dragon said this firmly, sure of himself and his goal. His survival was important--he could worry about everything else after he was sure he wouldn't die around the next turn. Between the giant spiders and the cave rats, the giant angry rumbling tree, the sparking crystals and the hunting black cats, there were just too many surprises. He wanted to know things, so he'd never get caught off-guard again.

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Aquarian lingered and waited, but his patience was wearing thin. He had important matters to tend to that explicitly involved lying in the bottom of the marsh and doing nothing. Sleeping, mostly. For a massive reptilian, his lungs were large enough to hold a quantity of air that allowed him to hold his breath for several hours. It also helped to have an additional set of gills tucked just behind his jaw bone. The alligator glanced away and then flitted his gaze back to Aquarian, causing the massive reptile to rumble slightly in the depth of his throat. Then he listened, curiously following along as the alligator outlined the things he had encountered. Things that tried to eat him. Power. Magic. All those things existed in the cave, yes, far beyond Aquarian's influence and there was nothing the large creature could do to stop it. If the alligator sought protection from those things, Aquarian could not help him.

Instead of protection, however, the alligator sought to become strong enough to combat those things. The massive reptile's lips pulled back in a cackling sneer. Strong enough to defend against power and magic, and against all the things that wanted to eat him? Did the alligator seek to become a God? Well, didn't they all? "ANOTHER MIGHTY REQUEST." The beast cackled and tilted his head, curiously looking down at the little alligator as if he was some kind of novelty, a thing built for his amusement. Whatever creature had brought these things into the cave, it must have done so in earnest. They were foolish and naive. Why should Aquarian unleash the secrets of this cave to this little alligator, to anyone? It was a terrible history, a tragic one. Perhaps keeping it from them would prevent them from making the same mistakes.

Aquarian snorted, blasting a powerful gust of air at the alligator before elevating his head. "TO BECOME BIG AND STRONG AND KNOW THIS CAVE AS IT KNOWS YOU," He crowed, gazing around the jungles. "YOU MUST LIVE A LONG, LONG TIME." For the first time in a long while, Aquarian's voice had dropped to the closest quietness it could achieve; his voice still rang through the still cave air, but it melded with the humdrum, it was methodical and wise. His yellow eyes flitted back to the alligator. "SURVIVE AND THE CAVE SHALL TELL YOU ITS SECRETS! SURVIVE ABOVE ALL ELSE! BE THE LAST AMONG THE MANY EYES AND SEE WHAT ONLY FEW CAN." He cackled again and reeled away from the alligator.

But that was all he would disclose to the reptile. For now, at least. "I WILL SEE YOU SURVIVE! FEED ME, AND THIS A PROMISE I WILL KEEP TO YOU!" He spoke and chattered, diving down towards the collar. He grabbed the treasure delicately between his teeth and then turned away, making for the depths of the marsh again. He liked the alligator's spunk and had become morbidly curious as to how well the alligator would survive against the odds he described. Perhaps, one day, he would have the makings for another Aquarian. Until then, Aquarian himself would sit by and observe.

exit Aquarian

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Dragon stared, and he listened intently.

Live a long time? Well yeah, that's what he was trying to do--many eyes...?

I guess that's probably the others in the cave...?

Secrets! Those sounded good! Feed Aquarian--a thrill ran through him, a surge of victorious joy, as he realized what the marsh creature was offering. Protection, in return for sustenance. Well, he'd probably need help for that, but he thought he could--wait, was he leaving?

Dragon blinked. He'd gotten more than enough motivation and answer, and he was satisfied with that, really--he just had to live a long time, and Aquarian would help him with that--but he hadn't gotten to say thank you yet! And saying thank you was only polite!

He scurried after the water-creature, clambering into the water himself and sticking his head beneath the black surface to shout bubbles into the Heart of Cetus. His tone was entirely serious--he meant what he said.

"THANKS, DAD!"

(Though due to the water, it came out sounding more like "THRRRRRB, DRRRRRRRRRBBB!")

Eyes bright and full of fire--the metaphorical kind--the alligator pulled back and puffed himself up. It was time to hunt. Time to hunt for food--and to keep an eye out for others who'd want to do as he did. To hunt not only for food, but for guardianship, as well.

So if anything bad ever happens, Dad will protect me.

Proud and satisfied, the young alligator turned and plodded back into the reeds, gurgling and hissing to himself quietly.

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((exit the dragon))