The young calf had awoken from her stasis to find herself horribly cramped. The walls that surrounded her were no longer a safe comfortable space that hid her from the world and it cruelties, rather they had become a hindrance. Instinct told her that it was time to break free, to step out into the world with fire and gusto, to make it hers. With her body aligned vertically she kicked with her back legs in an effort to break free. Fissures appeared in the stone and she shifted to kick once more. However, it seemed that one kick had been enough stress on the chrysalis that when she shifted her weight it caused the stone to completely shatter. She spilled out into the muck of the cave floor, fluid pooling around her.

Disoriented, she shook her head and took a shallow first breath. The coldness of it startled her, causing her to sneeze, clearing her nasal cavity of the rest of the fluid and draw in deeper breath. The action soon fell into a normal rhythm and she found it wasn't as cold as she had first thought. Gathering her legs under her, she attempted to stand only to slip in the mud and fall backwards. Legs still flailing, she let out a cry of indignation. There were things to see and do, she would not be held back because her legs decided they didn't want to work.

Iridae always seemed to show up in wet, cold places. How was he supposed to have fun in a place like this? He hopped miserably along the ground, his wings too drenched to fly, and heard a sound up ahead through the mist. He squinted his tiny black eyes but that didn’t seem to help. He had no control over the mist, and he couldn’t fly above it, so he was stuck with hopping. He really needed to go find dryer places, like where he had been born. With its tall blue rock-thing and its dry ground and air, and the surge of magic that seemed to flow through his body when he was there.

There was another noise up ahead, and he impatiently flutter-hopped his way closer to it. Finally, he could see what had made the crack-splash noise. It was another Gembound — one who was much bigger than him. And it seemed to be having trouble now. Its legs could not hold up its weight, or something. He jumped closer on tiny little feet. With a warbling, high-pitched voice he said to the creature, “Come on, you can do it! Try harder! Everyone can walk!”

Words: 201 @Tallulah