for muzrothun, but open to all sos!

It had crossed the threshold between Canis and this tunnel only twice - both in quick succession.

The mangled rat clutched in its jaws was proof of such (as well as the blood slicking down most of its quilly-mane.) It held it, head high, like it was some sort of prize. Something to be shown off as it meandered back towards the warren to chow down. To be fair, the poor rodent already looked like it had been chewed and spit back out by Aquarian. It was more of a hunk of fur and flesh than anything animal-like. Frankly, it was disgusting.

Orthoclase-Alpha hadn't quite mastered the art of hunting stealthily and efficiently. It was a mere few days old, after all.

About halfway to the warren, the hybrid monstrosity decided it couldn't wait any longer to eat. The scent of it was tantalizing enough, but it was about half-starved and its limbs ached with the walking. On top of that, its back was itchy, peeling strangely (in a yet-to-be-discovered exoskeletal molting cycle that was already kicking off.)

Acidic eyes glancing around, Alpha shuffled sideways - out of the thoroughfare - and plopped down heavily. Elbows splayed out, it held the rat in meaty forepaws and started ripping and tearing into it.

@Muzrothun

Muzrothun decided to take a stroll in Tunnel P. She was advised by older gembounds not to enter the cave called Hydra, which Tunnel P lead to. But it would not hurt to see what the tunnel looked like, not Hydra. As she walked, she noticed a large strange creature tearing into a rat. It seemed kind of gross, considering she was a herbivore. She decided to be friendly and meet the other kid. She put on a nice, polite and kind face. "Hey! My name is Muzrothun. I am what is known as an okapi. What is your name?" She wagged her tail happily, wondering what this odd creature was. It was pretty big for a kid just around her age.

@Orthoclase-Alpha

Something came clip-clopping through the tunnel, making an approach. Alpha's almost Chesire grin immediately turned to face the - what was that? A... thing. A thing was what it was. Furry, brown, small. It looked like a stiff breeze could blow it over. For a moment, the hybrid monstrosity contemplated if it was prey.

It started to talk, however, giving a name that definitely wasn't a gemstone or number. Orthoclase-Alpha grunted, giving a sharp growl as it gripped the half-eaten rat protectively. Point made about that, it called back dully, "not a des- designation." The big word caused a bit of fumbling, but it managed. "Orthoclase-Alpha."

Acid-green eyes narrowed a little, almost suspiciously. "Who are Oak-a-ah-api?" It seemed that Alpha was under the impression that Okapi was the name of another group, and not a species. "Okapi are not welcome."

@Muzrothun

It seemed that this kid was not the brightest gembound in the caves. No matter. Every gembound was different in their own way, special even. So she was willing to work with him. The creature said its name was Orthoclase-Alpha. She decided to explain what an okapi was. "Nice to meet you Orthoclase-Alpha. I think you're confused though. Okapi is not a group. You see a lot of gembounds in the caves are a species of animal. There are many different animals, and their species is the name of the type of animal they are. My species is called the Okapi. Don't worry, I am not part of a group, and I am not here to bother your home or family if you have any." She thought for a second before speaking again. "Hey Orthoclase-Alpha, you want to be friends? I hope that's ok. You know, I think you look very cool. Do you have any parents around here?" She knew some gembounds were hatched without parents, and some were made with parents. She wondered if this kid had a family.

@Orthoclase-Alpha

Alpha started boredly chewing on its meal again, pointedly tearing off a hindquarter and swallowing it with a few loud crunches. Nestling it in the crook of one arm, the hybrid picked at its jagged white teeth, looking for scraps. All the while, it listened idly about species. "Gem and number works better," it grunted, before chittering at finding a good chunk of rat stuck near the back of its mouth.

Swallowing the finger-sized hunk of meat, it amended with a hard look, "Okapi is not welcome. I'm eating." It lowered its head a little, still protective of its food.

It did not know what parents or family were. The concepts eluded it, not mysterious or interesting in any way- "what? 'Family.' 'Parents...'" Clearly, the orthoclase wasn't going to answer questions, only firing them back.

"I'm already Orthoclase-Alpha," it grimaced stiffly, "my designation - you can't change it to..." Alpha worked around the word, mouthing it, "fer-feriends. Friends." Weight shifting, it peered at Muzrothun. "Why are you here?"

Not to bother its home or 'family,' apparently.

@Muzrothun

Desert was on edge when he heard the rumbling growl down the tunnel. He knew Alpha was out- had it found trouble? Grumbling to himself, he dragged himself from the warren and looked down the smooth slope.

It was laying there, looking at... Something. Desert huffed through his nostrils, displeasure crossing his face. He could hear the voice of an explanation calling down, and he made his way towards them, letting his claws click on the rock below. Intimidation, it seemed, wouldn't work, but he could let whatever was here know that it was dangerous in this tunnel.

He didn't want to bar anyone from Hydra, of course. People could pass. But, why would anybody want to explore down here? Grunting, Desert came close enough to speak, his pupils at pinpricks on the child. Why did it care so much about a species? As far as he knew, species were for the lesser to care about.

He cleared his throat. "I am this child's..." There was a pause. "Commander." His voice was clear and he held his head high. "How may I help an outsider to our tunnel?" A glance was shot to Alpha, one holding negative connotations on the word outsider, but the gaze stuck as he watched the beast exhibit some protective tendencies. "I won't say you aren't welcome, but we have no use for beings seeking just friendship here. May I perhaps offer passage to Hydra? Is there something you need the Sentinels for?"

Why else would they be here? They could receive something out of it, too, if he played his cards right. Then again, he was talking to a child, and he put too much faith in her understanding what he was talking about.

@Muzrothun

Muzrothun noticed a dragon like creature coming into the tunnel, joining in on the conversation. Apparently the dragon gembound was this kid's commander. So, they were like an army type thing huh. The okapi child shook her head as she answered the dragon's questions. "Oh no thank you. I don't want to go into Hydra, I heard it's a very dangerous in that cave. I don't need the Sentinels either, but thanks. I just came to check out the tunnel is all. I didn't mean to disturb you. I can leave if I am bothering you." Yep, she had definitely stumbled into an army type group. Especially since the dragon addressed himself as a commander. She seemed a little intimidated, but, she held her ground.

@Orthoclase-Alpha

Alpha's gaze immediately moved to focus on its commander. Desert Rose was an authority figure, leader, and adult. He had years more experience - and while the orthoclase didn't always listen to him specifically, it held respect. It nodded quietly as the word outsider was stressed harder than the others. Another for the vocabulary.

Acidic green eyes lit up as it somehow straightened up its posture, then set to tearing off a messy hunk of meat while the Champion spoke to the okapi. No sooner than his sentence was done, it offered the rat-piece in one fist. Desert Rose looked at it for a moment, offering a clipped "no, thank you" in response. Ah, well. The rat vanished into messy-bloody jaws.

So did the rest of it. There hadn't been much left, anyways.

Barely licking its claws clean, the orthoclase pushed onto its frontmost legs and craned its neck to ask - not even quietly - "it was talking about parents and family and it - don't have gem or number." Grammar, ah, ah-hah! "Doesn't have gem or number." In a lower voice, it grunted, "not right. It says words that don't mean nothing." Pfft, parents. Family.

@Desert Rose Thirty-Five

It was good the orthoclase was eating, but he certainly didn't want to divulge in it. It was- well. Honestly. It was kind of nasty, he'd admit, but he'd certainly eaten worse. The child needed to eat more than he did, anyways, but the gesture was appreciated. "No, thank you," he gave with a quick chirp with a wary look before returning back to the okapi.

The okapi. Why define yourself by your species? Stepping closer, Desert took in a breath to judge her smell- new, as far as he could tell, and one he could try and remember. "You're knowledgeable on Hydra- that's good." Deeming her safe, he pulled back and sat down with his foreclaws close together to push his head higher. "You're no bother. We don't receive many visitors, after all."

Of course, they didn't really go searching for them, but it was all the same. Alpha didn't have much in terms of knowledge on the outside world, as far as Desert knew, so this could provide an opportunity for it. The dragon himself was still trying to figure out what they did and didn't know- there was some level of innate knowledge actual new beings seemed to be born with. Some things they knew he'd forgotten long ago.

Knowledge was a valuable resource, here. And here, Desert listened to what Alpha had to say- it'd shown some confusion on a few words, which he made to help fill in. "Family and parents are people you're related to by blood. The Overseer is your life-giver, as you know- a more informal," there was a pause at that word, a warning with a head tilt and a squint, "thing to call him is a parent. Ruby-Beta is your sibling, and classifies as family."

... He missed his own family. But, he shook out the thought before he let it consume him with a shudder of his mane and a flexing of his claws. "Where is your family, okapi?" He turned the question to her, tail flicking a few times behind him in idleness. She must be far from them to wander into this tunnel.

@Muzrothun

The okapi shook her head at the dragon's question, knowing she had no family. "No, I hatched without any family members. Some gembound's are hatched from the spire's magic, and not from older gembounds. So I guess you can say that the spire is my family, as well as everyone else's family. I have been wandering the caves searching for answers of its past. What I have learned is that a long time ago, gembounds awoken and started roaming the caves. What happened before then, is beyond me." Yes, the child had learned much since she hatched. Her main focus now was to figure out all of the caves, and to maybe figure out if there was anything beyond these caves. She looked at the dragon curiously, as her tone turned somewhat serious as she spoke. "Have you ever wondered if there is a world beyond these caves? Or anything above them?" She wondered if this commander knew, but doubted if he did.

@Orthoclase-Alpha