Oh, he really should have come out of isolation to explore the world sooner! There had been so many changes he'd been completely ignorant of. That, Scorch thought determinedly, had to change right now, starting with this new glittering cave. It was unlike any other cave in the system. Scorch had known of Polaris, Orion, Canis, and Eridanus. Each were unique in their own way, but even Polaris didn't compare to the mysterious beauty of this cave. It had the crystalline beauty of Polaris (albeit without the glow), the stone structures of Orion (but almost better, because the crystals and geodes here weren't derelict and crumbling, and none of the bony creepiness of Canis. All it needed, Scorch thought wistfully, were some plants. Come to think of it, plants might also make this place glow like Polaris, if he managed to bring over the right kind of moss.

He flew slowly and carefully. The reflections everywhere created an effect that made him feel almost dizzy. It definitely messed with his awareness of his surroundings, and he didn't want to crash into a crystal spire. There was a waterfall along the cave walls, and he headed toward it. Where there was water, there also would be the best place to attempt to bring some plant life into this room.

But as he alighted on a ledge, he noticed something strange: a crystal alcove near the waterfall that seemed to shimmer, perhaps with magical energy? He leaned towards it, tilting his head in an attempt to get a better look. Then, in order to glean a different kind of information, he reached for his magic and attempted to extend it into the rift, searching for any signs of plant life, but it slipped annoyingly from his grasp.

The shimmering rift in the alcove seemed to be stable - its colors swirled steadily, the soft whoosh coming from it was continuous and at a constant low pitch, and nothing was coming out of it. Scorch had never seen anything like it. He stood in front of it for a while, fascinated by the swirling patterns of colors. Then, cautiously, he approached and tried to poke a talon through it, because it didn't quite look solid, but it repelled him somehow. It didn't look like the crystals around it, and it didn't feel like a normal crystal wall either.

Although the play of colors across the crystals was hypnotizing, he couldn't see through the shimmering thing. What is it made of? Scorch wondered idly. Could I peel it off the wall? But he discarded that idea almost immediately. Whatever this rift was, it didn't look peelable. Instead, he reached for a spell again, feeling for any nearby plants. A place this close to the waterfall had to be the most hospitable place in this room for plant life, right?

Senses did not reach beyond the portal, for it was a magic of its own and not within the owl's realm.

But here, in Gemini, there was plant life--albeit hidden away, tucked into corners. But once one knew where to look...

...little crystalline shapes, at first easily missed as part of the rocky landscape, were in fact clusters of camouflaged grass. Small flowers bloomed, petals hexagonal, flat, refracting the light through translucent structures. They looked, these plants, as though carved from crystal themselves: a unique adaptation to a very few locations in the cave, not widespread at all. And they were very, very pretty.

If touched, they were not as rigid as crystal by any means--they were not sharp, hard things to use as weapons. But nor were they soft, pliable, bar the flowers' petals: instead the grass was a little stiff, a little rough, the way a very dry, tough desert grass might be.

@Scorch

The plants came as a surprise: he'd thought they were little crystals at first! They were even translucent, just like the crystals they grew on. Cautiously, so as not to disturb the clusters of grass any more than necessary, he reached out and plucked a flower with a talon, watching the light bend through its delicate petals. It really did bear a strong resemblance to the actual crystals and geodes in the room.

A sudden whim came to him. What if he... tasted it? This might be the closest he ever came to eating a rock. He wondered what the little plant would taste like. Sure, he couldn't eat it as actual food, but a little extra fiber in his diet couldn't hurt, right? Just this once.

He took a flattened hexagonal petal in his beak, swallowing it whole. It had a slight sweet taste and left a lingering cool feeling wherever it touched in his mouth. He swallowed a second petal, and thought that the air coming through his nostrils felt cooler when he breathed in. A third petal, and his vision seemed to become even sharper than normal, the light in the cave brighter. He felt more... alert, yes, that was it.

Suddenly, Scorch felt terribly guilty for eating the plant. It had made him feel nice and refreshed, but he had done nothing but be selfish and take a flower to eat. I must make up for this somehow, he decided. He stepped toward the patch of grass he'd taken a flower from, willing his magic to gather on the top of his talons. The grass seemed to be unwilling to grow on him, though.

"Come on," he coaxed gently, although he knew that plants couldn't understand speech. He willed more magic to gather on his talons, calling minerals to its surface to make a nice, nutrition-packed substrate for the grass. Perhaps he'd plant the grass in Eridanus, once he had a way to carry it there. Then, he could share its refreshing properties with all the animals there!

The grass seemed to be convinced, now. It took root in the surface of his talons, and Scorch trilled a giggle at the tickling feeling of roots curling into skin. "You'll be so happy in Eridanus!" he promised, spreading his wings and taking off.

-- exit