all welcome!

After the entire affair with the collar, the komodo dragon had found the courage to venture out of Cetus again. Of course he wasn't willing to travel too far - and he was bitterly reminded of the cold tunnel connecting Cetus and Eridanus when he had crossed the ice again. It wasn't that the cold really affected him as much as it did other creatures - he was very used to it by now, after having used his magic enough to become familiar with the stinging chill of the ice. It was just that his body's physiological simply didn't agree to a lower temperature, and it made him move a lot slower than usual. So, when trekking across the tunnel, he had to move swiftly; thankfully, it hadn't taken him long to reach the entrance of the neighboring cave, and Ghanyarah eagerly entered the jungle room and was once more met by the warm humidity of the light and moisture.

He briefly considered tracking down Gracie and dragging her along to investigate the eyes again, as he had been planning on doing since returning to Cetus. There wasn't much investigation he could get done with Usui hanging around, especially with the task of finding the collar looming over their heads; now that he was on his own though, he could focus on what he wanted. And what he wanted was to figure out why the eyes had frightened Dragon so, and what kind of power they could hold in twisting the reality of Gembounds who disturbed the water.

Ghanyarah could remember the path he took to the eyes, the feel of the loam squishing beneath his feet, his long tail dragging behind - he was nearly fully grown now and stood an impressive length. He recognized some of the trees and bushes and the sound of birds calling in the trees surrounding him. There was a brief moment of nervousness he held, wondering if anybody else had considered visiting the twin pools of water today. Maybe he could frighten them off with some special effects, hey? The lizard snorted and paused, reaching out to the mass of water droplets suspended in the atmosphere in an attempt to pull them all together.

Post-Roll Edit:
Yet there was nothing. He could feel his magic probing out into the air around him, but he couldn't grasp it. Ghanyarah grumbled and shrugged it away before spending too much of his energy - it wasn't that important anyways. After scuttling through the bushes, he soon found that nobody else was here at the pools and he was alone, thankfully. It was time to investigate. The komodo dragon pulled himself up to the edge of the pool, reaching forward and dipping his fingers in it to familiarize himself with the crystal waters.

Near the Monarch the kitten sat. Her head was bowed and her mind reached out to touch the life around her. Just like normal the pinpoints of light showed up in her vision, all were bright, all were happy... except... She could sense a little plant, close to the Eyes of Mother, that was a little dim. It was sick! Oh no! The little feline shook her head and dropped out of her trance. She had to do something! But what? Oh.. Oh... she couldn't control the plants, only monitor them.

Perhaps it was time to put it out of its misery. It was on its way out anyway, perhaps releasing it to the Blackness would make it all better. It would get to forevermore be with Mother.

The feline turned and padded towards the Eyes. Quickly she came upon the plant. It was a tiny flower, curled and wilted. Perhaps Dovefeather would be able to pour some water onto it or know how to bring it back... or maybe not. Dove dealt with the water and signs, Owl dealt with the mushrooms, and she the plants... This was her domain and she would have figure out how to deal with it. The kitten thought back to its dim life, it had been shuddering and pittering out. It wouldn't last... The Blackness would be better for it.

It was sad but it was also a good thing. "I'm sorry but I must let your spirit go back to the All Mother." Her head dipped and she closed her eyes. "Forgive me but know that the Blackness isn't bad. The Mother loves you and so do I." With that she grabbed the wilted flower and pulled it up from the ground. Then, she quickly dug out a little hollow in the ground and buried it. "To the earth and Blackness you shall return." With that she turned and would have made her way back to the Monarch but something else caught her eye. A large something. The creature she saw was all scales and a huge and long body! How incredible! Mother's creatures were all so different.

Fearlessly she went up to approach the other creature with a kind smile on her face, "Hello, Brother!" She trotted right up to him and looked up with bright yet calm eyes. "Have you come to seek Mother's advice by looking for answers in her Eyes?" That had to be why he was here right? He was a water creature just like Dove.

---

419
Ghanyarah
---
7/10

"Talking looks like this!"
Thinking looks like this...

We'll light up the sky,

We'll open the clouds...

DOVEFEATHER

let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

The kitten returned to her Mother's Eyes, a fresh grey feather tucked in her ear. She flaunted it, padding over to the still waters as though she owned them, speaking in soft tones to herself.

"I did it, Mother. I found my sign. A Dove's feather, as grey as I and my sisters. Are you proud? Will you show me now? How to see as your Eyes do, what a gift I dream of honing. Please, I know I ask a lot but I want to
See as you do..."

The feline paused, paw in the air, as she heard her sister's voice. Her oblivious eyes finally focused on the scene, seeing the strange scaly creature and her silver furred sibling.

"Black, another Seer?"

Surprise trickling through her tones, she settled down where she was, still many paces from the rim of the pools. She longed to gaze in them, but perhaps this brother was a sign.

"I am Dovefeather, Brother Seer of the Eyes. Can you see as they do? Would you like to? I wonder. I shall wait and See. If you like, I could See you, and you could See me-- yes, yes, yes..."

words:........ as if im gonna fill this out
tagged:........ eh
ooc:............ heck yea
muse:......... 9/10

"Talking looks like this."
Thinking looks like this...

Owlfeather I think it's time you found some frame of mind

After a short nap among a cluster of mushrooms, Owlfeather decided to visit her sisters. Blackfeather wasn't by the Monarch as usual, so she moved towards the eyes, fur heavy and dragging behind her.

Her sisters were there, but so was a stranger. The kit paused before she continued forward, barely dipping her head respectfully at Ghanyarah before she carefully sat down near the pools, tail curling around her and settling over her paws.

She watched the dragon in silence, cautiously waiting for him to move or reply.

His claw pierced the crystalline surface of the water and outward from it danced a sphere of ripples, climbing across the water, gleaming and glinting until they fell back into indeterminate waveform and gently sloshed against the edges of the ponds. Ghanyarah tilted his head, flicking his tongue out as he stretched his neck over the water. It didn't feel any different than normal water - it didn't feel any different from when he had come to investigate the ponds with Usui and Gracie, either. It hadn't changed at all. In fact, the temperature of the water was nice, refreshing against the humid and warm atmosphere of the jungle room. There was something alluring about it, something that beckoned him forward, daring him to enter its depths - the desire very quickly became intoxicating, and Ghanyarah was two seconds from slipping his heavy form into the water when another Gembound had shattered his veil of privacy.

Sunset eyes flicked coldly to the approaching kitten, and Ghanyarah withdrew from the edge of the pool, settling on his stomach. His long tongue continued to flick out of his lips, tasting the air and coming to know the kitten by scent - she wasn't alone, either. Two others had slowly, eventually come out of silent hiding, both lingering near the distant edge of the pond. He narrowed his eyes and looked back at the approaching kitten, her pleasant smile and warm voice failing to persuade him from his mild annoyance.

When she greeted him with a Brother!, the lizard arched his brows and nearly drew his lips back into a sneer. He refrained, though; her followup statement suggested that there could be something of interest in the eyes that he had come to explore. Ghanyarah simply blinked at her, only to turn his gaze to another one of the kittens that had come to join the first female. Brother. It seemed that these eyes certainly were the windows to all he sought to know, and the two cats spoke of seeing, learning; perhaps they could assist him. But first, the lizard had to set the record straight. "I am not your brother, I am Ghanyarah." He said crisply, analytical gaze scrutinizing the two furry predator-children. They were nothing like he and Dragon and especially Aquarian, which meant he wasn't their brother. Besides, there was an internalized bias in him against these sharp-toothed, furry predators that kept him from forging any kind of kinship with them. The only exception being Temoria, of course - she was his.

Ghanyarah blinked more slowly, his gaze passing over the small cats. "You say these 'Eyes' can see and show me answers - how?" He asked, slowly elevating himself aloft thick, powerful limbs. The question of the 'Mother' burned in the back of his mind, but he expected the kittens to mention that again in explaining the Eyes to him anyways. He may as well play the fool and listen to what they had to say, if only to silently extract anything that was relevant to his interest.

Like clockwork her sisters showed up. Dovefeather arrived first and analyzed the situation with her Seeing abilities while Owlfeather came next offering her quiet strength. The youngster offered a "mroow" of greeting to both of them before turning her attention back to the long lizard. His words did little to dampen her spirits. Perhaps he did not know the ways of the All Mother but even if he didn't choose to acknowledge it, it was true. "Brother Ghanyarah, we are all children of the All Mother and so we are all Brothers and Sisters in her Eyes." Her voice was calm and assured as if she knew exactly what she was talking about. To Dovefeather she said, "I'm not sure... Perhaps he is and hasn't realized his potential." Should she consult the great white mushroom about it? Or should they test him at the waters? Dovefeather was right, they should wait and see if he could See.

Her eyes returned to the great lizard, eyes infinitely calm and patient as he asked his questions. "By looking into the Eyes of Mother she might send you a message. She talks to Sister Dove in that way and perhaps there are other Seers like her." Should she explain what a Seer was? "I see visions from the Mother in a different way, by praying and sitting at her base. Dove, however, uses these waters and messages all around... I'm sure she can explain her ability better than I..." With that her green gaze locked onto her sibling and she gave an almost imperceptible nod to tell her to "go on" if she so wished to explain.

---

274
Ghanyarah @Dovefeather Owlfeather
---
7/10

"Talking looks like this!"
Thinking looks like this...

We'll light up the sky,

We'll open the clouds...

DOVEFEATHER

let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

The kitten blinked, taken aback by the sharpness of the strange, leathery Brother. Her tail twitched, curling behind her, as she tried to explain about the Eyes-- as her duty asked of her.

"The Eyes are the All Mother's, through them she Sees, not how you or I See, but a much greater Sight than any mere individual is born with..."

"The Eyes look up, towards nothing, but when one looks into the Eyes, the Eyes See you back-- they know you, they See and they understand, as the All Mother does."

"Someday, I hope to learn to See as She does, but--."

The kitten paused, flexing her claws on the stone. Her tone suddenly dropped the child-like wonder, and a flash of venom seared through her voice, ears laying back against her grey fluff.

"You are wrong. No one gets to choose who are Brother and Sister-- if the All Mother chooses you our kin, then you are our Brother."

"Blackfeather would know, she can speak to the All Mother, through her plants, through prayer. You should listen to your Sisters, Brother."

Her eyes narrowed to slits, glaring at the lizard. She stretched out her paw, the reflection of her black toe beans rippling through the crystal clear water.

"The All Mother will Show you. Come, and See into her waters."

words:........ as if im gonna fill this out
tagged:........ eh
ooc:............ heck yea
muse:......... 9/10

"Talking looks like this."
Thinking looks like this...

Owlfeather I think it's time you found some frame of mind

The long-haired cat slowly tilted her head, somewhat bleary-eyed. As she looked over her shoulder at the Monarch she slowly got up onto all fours and turned around, padding over to the giant mushroom. With half-closed eyes she delicately touched her nose against the mushroom, as if she had reunited with an old friend.

The kitten slowly lay down on her belly with her back against the Monarch, murmuring more to herself, quietly, as she slowly fell asleep.

(exit)

The cats insisted on calling him Brother - one of them, the one with the feather in her ear, explained that they were all children of the All Mother and that made them all brothers and sisters - at which point the komodo dragon was stifling the vomit that was slowly climbing up his throat. All Mother? This sounds like a huge load of crap. He mused inwardly as he watched the black feather cat lean over and whisper something to the naked looking cat. Sunset pink eyes flickered between them, rather disinterested in all the hogwash regarding the All Mother. What he really wanted to know was what the Eyes could do for him, and so he gave his attention to the kitten again as she explained. The Eyes - the Eyes of the All Mother, of course - could send them a message like they did to Dovefeather, the naked looking cat.

Of course they were the All Mother's eyes. He stopped listening to her when she rambled on about how they were Seers and she could receive messages something or other praying blah blah - what was she even talking about? Ghanyarah narrowed his eyes at the cat when the other one began to speak. She provided a better explanation, but it still sounded a little culty. Even so, he liked the idea, but... he wasn't so sure he liked the idea of the Eyes being able to see what he was. Maybe he could find a way to use it to his advantage. Maybe Aquarian would know more about it.

She, too, started going off about how they were kin, babbling on some more - again, he didn't listen - before offering to show him something in the water. No. Double no. That sounded culty as hell.

"Eh, I'll pass." The dragon hissed, angling his body away from the group of freaky kittens. "Thanks, but I uh... Just remembered, I left... my... Dragon on..." Ghanyarah said suspiciously, gaze flicking left and right. Without warning, he bolted away from them. "OH AND I'M STILL NOT YOUR BROTHER, GET STUFFED!" He cackled as he made a run for it through the foliage. Smooth, Ghanyarah. Smooth.

Exit Yara 8') @Blackfeather

DOVEFEATHER

let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

The kitten huffed, laying down by her pool, stretching her other paw out to make the perfect circle of grey between her legs. Her tail flicked with irritation, her eyes guarded as she let the lizard flee.

"Not all will accept the All Mother's truths readily. We cannot force them to believe. Ignorance is why the truth is hidden, and some day they will see, Blackfeather."

"Some day they will understand that they made a horrible choice to spurn Mother's wisdom."

That was all the tiny seer had to say, though she dropped down into a quiet murmur that was meant only for the pool of water under her paws. She settled her smudge-dipped chin upon her forepaws, a light sniffling coming from her nose. Her eyes fluttered shut as she began her quiet prayer.

"O All Mother, I am here to see as you see, to grow strong in not only vision but in ambition, to prove that I am worthy of your gifts."

The purr that had been silenced by the rudeness of the lizard slowly returned.

"May I never grow passive or shy from the secrets of the world. May I always stay strong and curious, eager to be welcomed under your wisdom. I shall continue to Seek your guidance and I hope to one day transcend my feline limitations and become one with you."

She lifted her head, pale eyes opening to stare at the empty ceiling, lost in her prayers.

"Praise to you, All Mother, and may I become blessed to see your praise in my own time."

"Blessed be, All Mother, O."

Finally, she stood once more, and with a flick of her tail towards her sisters, she trotted off into the foliage for some alone time.

words:........ dovefeather exit
tagged:........ eh
ooc:............ heck yea
muse:......... 9/10

"Talking looks like this."
Thinking looks like this...

[/quote]