Nestled next to a rock, like a hunk of crystallized shadow, was a chrysalis of black diamond. It blended in the shadows around it, easily unnoticed, fading into the rest of the environment.

Until now.

A chip, chip, chip sound came from within the hunk of black gemstone. It got louder and louder, until there was a small cracking sound. The tip of a spiraled horn poked through the gemstone. Something long and serpentine twisted around within, trying to break off enough crystal to fit it's entire head through. After some maneuvering, and prying at the crack in the stone with large, gecko-like feet, a snout poked through, then the whole head. Soon, a long, noodly creature tumbled onto the ground like a heap of living spaghetti.

Large eyes stared at it's new surroundings. Pointed ears sat alert at the top of it's head, twitching slightly. It shifted into a position that was sort of a mix between the coil of a snake and sit.

And then, it watched.

@Kethri @Effluvium

Kethri had stumbled head to rest, laying against a wall to get her weight off her battered claws. They were burnt to Hell and back, the skin cracking and the claws brittle and darkened, like charcoal. She hissed and clenched them, the pain like nothing she'd ever felt.

Doctor was going to be so disappointed.

The thought surprised her. Why would she care what he thought? He wasn't... he didn't...

He mattered enough that his opinion of her affected her thoughts. She sighed in frustration and forced herself to stand, whimpering in pain as she walked forward.

A crack alerted her to something else in the tunnel, her head whipping around directly towards the cracking diamond. She narrowed her eyes and watched, before they widened. A hatchling! She could easily steal a piece of it's flesh and make away with it- yes! A wonderful idea.

If she could move, that was.

Effluvium trotted through Tunnel J. It wasn't a confident trot. It was the trot of a beast that wanted to leave quickly. Its' eyes were peeled, focused on the ceiling, and everything around it. Looking not just for foes, but for food. As always. It was unaware of the two other gembound in the tunnel. It was rather singleminded in its pursuit for food.

The creature paused, sniffing the air. Its' eyes blinked, before it turned its' attention to the ground, pawing at it with a misshapen limb. It'd caught a scent. A familiar one, the scent of deer. It licked its jaws, a quiet grumble. It had no preference for foods, but it knew that deer, in particular, were big. Effluvium trotted after the scent of food, occasionally scraping the ground.

"When I speak."

When I think.

@Slinky

Two other creatures entered the room. If the mean-eyed bird of prey wasn't enough to scare him, the living pile of carrion certainly was. His gaze darted from the owl to the shambling horror and back again. It tensed, shifting from the coiled sit to a tensed, ready to run stance.

The only thing his newly hatched baby brain could think was Do not see Do not see Do not see.

His skin slowly changed to the color of the surrounding stone- it wasn't perfect, the banding pattern was still faintly visible, but it was good hatching enough to give him a burst of confidence. Enough confidence to begin his escape- or at least, find a safer spot to watch.

A quick burst of speed landed him several feet up the nearby wall. Facing downwards like a strange, oversized, serpentine gecko, he stared at the two strangers, gaze flickering back and forth between the two. His tongue flickered out, making him look even more like a snake with legs.

@Kethri

Kethri's attention shifted from the child to Effluvium. Her eyes widened and she stared at... it. The thing. The shambling horror of meat and flesh, pieced together like a gruesome version of a child's molded dough creation. It was hideous!

It was perfect!

She took flight and circled from above, legs aching. The child was forgotten for now, and invisible, apparently, so she focused on the shambling horror instead. One chunk of meat and she'd be on her way.

She swooped down with her claws extended, this time wise enough to not try and heat up her claws. They'd surely break if she wasn't careful.

@Effluvium

Effluvium snuffled. It's pace had become more relaxed. Claws dragging. Slow, careless. It didn't flinch as a shadow passed over it. It was on the scent of prey, now. It didn't care, that is, until it felt a brief tug on its back. Followed by the sensation of something loosening. It own flesh.

It paused, only for a brief moment, as it realized what had happened. Effluvium had been robbed. That was ITS flesh. The beast snarled. It turned on the thing attacking it, with little regard as to whether the thing was sentient or not. Its jaws unfurled, and it sought to bite at some part of the owl.

"When I speak."

When I think.

@Slinky
@Kethri

The child watched, still and observant, as the two other creatures began to fight. He tensed, preparing to bolt, but the two seemed to distracted tearing each other apart to even notice him. The rotting monster had to pay attention to the talons tearing into it's flesh, and the viscous bird had to pay attention to the jaws snapping at it. He was trying not to be seen. He should be happy to not be seen. Not to be in danger.

But.. that wasn't exactly true.

He didn't want to be seen and attacked and hurt. But he wanted to not be afraid of being seen and attacked and hurt, even in plain sight. He didn't want to be like he was now- hiding on the wall, desperately hoping to go unnoticed. He wanted... Strength. Power.

But, he had to hide. The only things he could use to defend himself were his teeth, and the singular horn on the back of his head. He didn't have razor-sharp talons, or a beak made for ripping and tearing, or a multitude of misshapened jaws jutting from a rotten mass.

So, he tried to maintain his camouflage. But something went horribly, horribly wrong. It was like thoughts in his head were being painted across his skin. Stormy, roiling greys. Splashes of red and splotches of lime green.

His eyes widened as soon as he realized what was happening. He darted another foot or so up the wall, hopefully out of reach of any who'd notice him.

@Kethri

Thankfully, Kethri didn't give a rat's behind about the child anymore, grasping the hunk of flesh like it was precious treasure as she tried to get her foot out of the creature's mouth.

"GET OFF OF ME YOU STINKING, ROTTING HEAP OF GARBAGE!", she shrieked, her voice shrill like a witch's, though normally it sounded smooth and like a siren's.

She flung the piece of flesh away and snapped out her talons before slashing them downwards, trying to inflict as much pain as possible to this God-awful creature to try and get it to release her. The owl screeched and flapped her wings wildly, too, trying to break free. Her poor, scorched feet had been through enough!! She just needed to get back, now, and that would be that!!

@Effluvium
(Writer's note: im so sorry efflu baby i love you mwah)

Effluvium blinked as it felt Kethri's talons raked across its face. It was a dull sensation, but it hit an eye. It hit enough of Effluvium, caused enough pain to anger it. Effluvium growled around Kethri's foot. The rules of not-foods did not apply here. Effluvium did not know what it meant to be a 'stinking, rotting, heap of garbage,' but Kethri was screaming, aggressive, and so Effluvium would be too.

"EAAAT," It screamed in retort. Its eyes were honed as it watched Kethri drop the bit of flesh. The glimmer of it flesh caught its' eye, and Effluvium released Kethri in pursuit. The food was always more important. But then, unfortunately for Slinky, Effluvium caught its' malfunctioning camouflage. Bright, shifting. Greys, neon greens and reds. How could Effluvium not notice it? It was small. Long. Good size for eating. Small was food. Small did not talk.

It eyed the comparatively paltry lump of flesh Kethri had taken from it. Effluvium could get that later. Flier was more work than the bright food. Effluvium had a new target now. It was silent as it walked over, despite being such a large, shambling creature. Small, blinking eyes locked onto Slinky's form. Drops of blood trickled down its faces. It swiped a tongue over them. And then, it charged.

Effluvium slammed into the wall beneath Slinky with a reverberating thud. It was growling, snarling, drooling. Its claws scraped the stone, producing a horrid sound. Misshapen limbs reached for the gembound, always just out of claws reach.

"When I speak."

When I think.

@Slinky

The minutes-old hatchling watched the fight with a silent, observant gaze. Watching as the bird attempted to pull her foot out of one of the rotten-meat-monster's many maws. Watched as she shrieked and slashed at the monster with all the strength and fury of someone who just nearly had their foot bitten off.

Watched as the monster slowly turned towards him, then slowly walked towards him. Watched as it charged at him with a furious growl and the nearly-overwhelming stench of rot.

The hatchling let out a fearful shriek, though the rotting creature wasn't able to reach him yet. He watched as it's many jaws snapped upwards towards him, blood and saliva dripping off it's many more teeth. Watched as it clawed desperately at the stone wall, leaving stains of blood-red mucus that smelled like rotten meat. Watched as with every bite and swipe it got closer and closer to hitting it's target. It's prey.

jewel-color tones of yellow, orange, and white splashed across his skin like some demented piece of candy corn. He pressed himself closer to the wall as if that'd help, gaze locked onto the snarling, clawing, horribly hungry creature below. "NOOOOOOOO!" He shrieked, his first word a terrified scream of desperate panic. Magic shot out, along the stone wall, attempting to rescue him from this danger in whatever way it could.

A colony of mushrooms sprung up from his feet downward, a significant portion well within his attacker's range. Brilliant red spotted with white, almost cartoonishly beautiful. Also very poisonous.

@Kethri @Effluvium