set before deathmatch!

Faceless scuttled into the tunnel from the Maw of Mosses.

Overall, this did seem like a surer, safer way to start exploring than the other tunnel. It was well lit, and it could get a good grip on the rocky trails with its claws. No ice to slip on. Wide open and easy to find its way through. It ambled through the tunnel at an easy quadrupedal crawl, tilting its head this way and that to take in its surroundings.

It didn't know why everything was so barren once they left the room of their hatching, but it was hopeful that the path would lead somewhere good to live in. It was well worn, meaning animals had come through here, and they had to travel here for a reason, right? No one would want to visit a place with no food.

It stopped every now and then to examine the scenes carved into the wall. It couldn't read those words, of course, but the pictures seemed to tell a story of some kind.

Well, after those couple of fiascoes, Crescendo was NEVER INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE AGAIN! --carvings, though, she could get behind. These carvings had been there for her entire lifetime. And though she wasn't as old as even some of the modern Gembound, she was getting to be on the old (again, relative to modernity) side herself.

She still FELT nice and chipper, though! Near death experiences notwithstanding, of course.

Anyway, Crescendo was exploring the carvings! So far, she couldn't make any sense out of them whatsoever, but the little pigeon was determined. They seemed to show some kind of... thing? in the middle, with lots of bird-like things fleeing from it! Or maybe it was sending all the bird things off to war? They did look pretty fierce.

Oh hey, someone else was looking at those carvings too! Now, Crescendo had JUST decided that she was never interacting with people again. But! If this person was also interested in art and history... maybe they would be a bit more civilized?

"Hey," she tried from a safe distance, and gestured to the carvings with a wing. "You got any idea what this is about?"

Faceless flinched back a little from the sudden talking pigeon. Really? What was with all the food-things making mysterious noises that sounded neither like normal prey nor actual language? This one seemed friendly, though. No wispy witchcraft, no conspiracies, no intentions of chasing it back to Eridanus.

All right. It supposed it could tolerate the pigeon's existence for now.

"You should, like, totally leave me alone," it muttered, scooting away from the pigeon. Dammit. It wanted to stare at the carvings some more. Maybe if it looked at them hard enough something would start making sense. Maybe that was an explosion of some kind? The birds scattering in fright? Seems legit. Hesitating a moment, it cautiously scooted back and reached up to poke the carving with its arm.

Nothing happened, of course. Because it was rock.

Huh? Why was the other Gembound making weird noises like that? It wasn't Lesser, right? Crescendo didn't think she'd seen anything like that strolling around the caves before. She also didn't think Lessers would be interested in boring rock carvings that couldn't be eaten.

Nah, definitely not Lesser. She'd caught the words like and totally in there; she was absolutely sure. Kind of weird, but whatever. The bigger concern was that it was POKING at the piece of history with its sharp hard arm-things!

"HEY!" she frowned, flapping closer and whipping up a gust of wind with her wings. It was directed at the thing's face (had she really seen its mouth open sideways when it mumbled something at her?), like one would spray a misbehaving cat with a water bottle. Crescendo saw no problem with this, as she figured the thing was basically feral anyway. "Don't touch that! --can I see your face? Does it really open sideways?"

Content Warning
This post contains potentially sensitive material:

gore

death

(italics)
Faceless jerked back at the sudden gust of wind and dust stinging at its eyes, a snarl twisting its (yes, vertical) mouth. What part of leave me alone hadn't this idiot bird understood? (Every part, most likely, given its alien language.)

In any case, irritation had spiked in its gut, and it wasn't about to consider language barriers when it was pissed off like this. Besides, it was just good etiquette not to throw spells at random people like that. Rude. Dangerous? Possibly not, but it didn't like rude things either and it would be glad to be rid of this one.

Without warning, Faceless leaped at the pigeon, mantis-arms snapping out. The bird didn't even have enough time to take flight before its arm swung shut, crushing Crescendo in between. There was the briefest shriek as the blades cut through feathers and flesh, crunching her hollow bird's bones, and then sweet silence. The scissor blades opened, dropping a mangled body cut nearly in half.

Faceless cleaned the feathers and blood from its arms, and promptly ripped open its chest to feast upon the pigeon's remains. It was never one to pass up a meal, after all.

(exit both)