Septiezal peered into the small pool of water. His reflection stared back at him with disapproving eyes as he examined the burnt scales on his snout. His unruly element had charred them black as punishment for being so careless. It was nothing a good shed would not fix, but the aftermath still was painful. Septiezal would have rather let that rat tear is scales over and over than have his own element turn against him. Irritated at how his face bore his failure, Septiezal turned away from the puddle and slithered toward the field of bones. He hated the fickle nature of the searing flames, yet he yearned to master it. The only way to do that was to spend time with it. He had to practice.

The pride burnt python flicked his tongue over the dry bones as he searched for the perfect one to test his magic on. A creamy white humerus caught his eye. Septiezal grabbed the bone tightly with his jaws and lifted it from its dusty pile. Determined to tame the flames within, he focused passionately on the savage heat building up in his black stone. The scales around the onyx glowed brightly as tempted the magic into obeying his command. He braced himself for a repeat of of last time, expecting his fire to scorch his scales off. However, to Septiezal's surprise, the bones surface blacked and turned to ash into in his mouth, crumbling away beneath him as if it were dust.

He did it. He actually did it. He not only scorched a bone, he turned it to ash. Pride, as warm as a tamed flame, seeped through his scales and filled him with confidence he had never known. Septiezal lifted his head higher and scanned his surrounding excitedly.

Did anyone just see that?

Giddy with excitement, he returned his attention eagerly back to to the pile of bones to pick out another target. Septiezal wondered if he could do it again.



"Speech."
Thoughts...

Canis. Another room in Origin Cave that Tukluk had not yet explored. Before he’d left the safety of his home in Eridanus, he’d filled his new bag with fresh moss, packing it into the container to protect whatever he might fill it with. Then he’d set off in a new direction, something he did quite often. He was no longer afraid of everything that moved, despite being only a cycle old still, and only four and a half inches tall, minus his tail. He weighed only three ounces, and yet he felt as he were as big as an elephant — at least for now.

And what was this? Tuck had heard something nearby in the bones and gone to investigate. Truth be told, the pile of bones here kind of freaked him out, especially when he saw the glittering of gems in some of them, which suggested that some had once been as he was — that is, Gembounds. What in the Cave had caused such mass destruction? Clearly there had been many who had lived here a long time ago. Had they all died at once? Or had they died off one by one, falling atop one another eventually and slowly causing this great pile of long-dead creatures?

The appearance of the snake did not make Tuck feel much better. Snakes weren’t exactly cuddly, and seeing as he was so small, this snake might very well eat him. Though technically they had been near each other once before — both had been present during the escapade with the rats — Tuck did not remember the snake, and so greeted him as if he were truly a stranger. “Hey,” he said in the Gembound’s general direction. And that was all he said.

Words: 290 @Septiezal

Septiezal stretched out his jaws and grabbed another bone, this time a rib. The snake summon his magic again, attempting to recreate what had happened to the other bone. His scales sensed tiny vibrations padding over the cave's surface, a few of them actually, but one was distinct. Despite its peculiar gate, he brushed it off as an injured mouse. Lucky for those mice, he was not hungry right now, his mind was elsewhere. It was not until he sensed a voice call out to him, that he turned his attention away from the bones.

Septiezal snapped his head around, the old rib in is mouth slowly charred as he scanned for the source with his eyes. He dropped the blackened bone with a clunk that echoed through out the lifeless cavern and slid his tongue out, tasting the air. There was something familiar about this scent, he came across it before at the Canis entrance when the rats attacked. "Hello?." He called back to the voice, slithering towards were he thought he felt it. He followed is tongue until he came across one of the smallest heat signatures he had ever experienced. This creature was almost as small as a baby mouse, a bite sized snack. Lucky for it, his stomach did not command him to hunt. The young python lowered his head and slinked his body between the bones to get closer.


"Speech."
Thoughts...

@Tukluk

Tuck didn’t know why, but this particular Gembound, with its long body that slithered on the ground and its forked tongue which it flicked out at him, severely frightened him. Perhaps it was an instinctual thing. But, then, he hadn’t been all that frightened of the panther Nassir, and he was a lot bigger than this snake. Maybe Tuck just didn’t like snakes. But it’s not as if he’d met very many of them. The only snake he’d ever come across had been the one in the tunnel with the… rats… “Heeeeeyyyy,” Tuck drawled out. “I remember you now! You were in the tunnel with me and the others when those rats attacked us!”

Tuck had barely paid any attention at all to the others in that attack, too focused on saving his own life to notice them, but he’d seen them all when he’d first entered. “Hey, how did the fight go for you?” he asked, noticing for the first time the burns across the snake’s snout. “Did you get hurt too badly?”

Words: 174 @Septiezal

What a tiny monkey..

His memory rang true. It was the same Gembound from the tunnel. Septiezal was so busy saving his own scales, he had hardly taken note of how small the marmoset actually was then. He slide is sooty pink tongue out again and took in the musky scent of the moss the monkey carried with him. He tasted like he was one with the plants or something. Septiezal did not care for the taste of leaves.

"It.. could have gone better." He replied awkwardly, turning his head slightly away to protect his embarrassingly blackened snout from the marmoset's prying eyes. The python then lowered his head to the ground and drew nearer. His ember eyes snuck a glance a the bag and the moss inside, then returned to the small Gembound, flickering with interest. "Hey, aren't you that plant monkey? You're a lot.. smaller.. than I remember."

"Speech."
Thoughts...

@Tukluk

Tuck noticed the way the snake turned his head away, trying to hide the burnt scales on his face and snout. He studied the reptile for a few moments, contemplating something, but was interrupted when the Gembound spoke. He puffed out his chest at being called ‘small.’ In all honesty, he was growing increasingly used to the word and his association with it. Still, he always felt the need to prove that, despite his size, he was still useful to the world and those in it. “Hey, I may be small,” he began, using a phrase he’d used countless times before, “but I have skill in Magic! I can heal Gembounds and grow food right out my own body!” He stuck out his lower lip, still thinking about something…

“Hey, if you want, I could try to heal your burns a little bit. I can’t really… make the marks go away, but I can stop them from getting infected and I can give you something if you’re feeling pain.” Anything to try some more Magic, really, is what he was after. And to prove himself to this snake. But, in his heart of hearts, the selfish little monkey was starting to find his true calling — being a healer. And that made him happy.

Words: 213 @Septiezal

Septiezal didn't know what to think of the monkey's offer. He did not even know his name yet and he was already insisting on healing his scorched scales. Although the offer seemed kind, suspicion roused in his scales. Why would he want help him all of a sudden? A serpent who could swallow him whole without remorse. What was in it for the marmoset? Surely he wasn't helping out of the kindness of his own heart, otherwise, he was one foolish Gembound, a kind, but foolish Gembound. Septiezal drew his head back to his body and tuck his coils in tighter around him. "I..I don't know." He said, unsure. The burns do still hurt a little bit. The python contemplated.


He finally caved in."Well.. I guess something for the pain wouldn't hurt." So far he every Gembound he decided to trust hadn't turned on him. Maybe this one was no different. Besides, he might as well take something for the pain while he can. "I'm Septiezal, by the way." he added, stretching neck out towards the monkey.

"Speech."
Thoughts...

@Tukluk

Tuck nodded when the snake finally consented to at least have something for the pain. Tuck, who was definitely playing Doctor right now, was a little disappointed that he didn’t want anything to keep the site clean and free from inflammation and/or infection, but he would give what he could. He was about to concentrate on his Magic, but the snake finally told him his name, which broke his thought process. “I’m Tukluk,” the marmoset replied. “But just call me Tuck. Everyone does.” Almost as an afterthought, he took off his pack, not wanting it to interfere with the plant he was about to grow.

Once again, he closed his eyes, and felt the bloodstone in his collarbone warm up as he accessed his Magic. A small branch of a Tamusen bush began to grow from his back, which he then realized was a horrible place to have grown it because he couldn’t properly reach it there. With a sigh, he opened his eyes again and looked at the snake. “You’re gonna have to just eat the leaves off of me, I guess, cos I was being stupid and didn’t think about where to grow the branch, and now I can’t reach it. I’ll turn my back to you. You should see red leaves growing off of the branch. Just take a few and chew ‘em up. They don’t taste very good, but they should numb your pain after a while.”

That said, Tuck turned his face away from Septiezal, trusting him not to do anything bad while his back was turned — like trying to eat him.

Words: 268 @Septiezal

Septiezal crinkled his snout in disgust when Tuck told him he had to chew the leaves. Not swallow the leaves whole like a mouse, but chew them. He already hated the bitter taste of plants, so these leaves with be worst without a doubt, but he did ask Tuck for something for the pain, he couldn't back away now. Septiezal drew his head closer to the plant sprouting from the marmoset's back. He did not have to taste it with his tongue to know that they were gross, he could practically see the bitterness.

He eyed Tuck, the monkey had his back turned on him. From this angle he looked like mouse, a mouse with revolting red leaves growing off its back. Septiezal could easily grab him from this position. He must really trust him, the python kind of felt touched by this. The least he could do was try to pick the leaves gently off his back. This would be a difficult task with out limbs, no doubt.

"Okay, I'll try " He finally said. Septiezal angled his head to aim at the red leaves. "But I have no grabbers, besides my mouth, so I can't guarantee you'll come out unharmed. " He warned Tuck before his mouth split open to reveal a cave of sharp, menacingly hooked teeth. His mouth tugged at the leaves, but they would not come off their perch, and his teeth, designed to grab flesh, not plants, would shred through them without effort. Frustration bubbled in Septiezal's veins. Looks like he could not be as gentle with this as he wished. He was going to have to do this the old fashioned way.

Sorry Tuck.

Septiezal lurched forward and bit down on the Tamusen branch. He could already taste the bitter juices invading his mouth. Not knowing his own strength, the python fought with the plant, until it came off with a snap. He recoiled his head and stabbed at the Tamusen with his teeth until he felt the revolting juices spill out. Septiezal forced himself to swallow it, and was immediately met with regret as the plant scraped down his down his throat. He squirmed uncomfortably, face contorting in a snake equivalent of pain as his muscles pushed it towards the bowels of his stomach.

"Speech."
Thoughts...

@Tukluk
OOC: -Rolls to eat Tuck-

Tuck nodded at the snake’s words, now feeling a little more tense than he had before. For some reason, he trusted the reptile enough to believe that he wouldn’t try to eat him, but… the idea that this might hurt anyways was rather frightening. Still, he couldn’t back away from this. He needed to prove his usefulness in whatever way he could, even if he got hurt. Had he been any younger, he might have felt differently and run away, but, even at still only one cycle, he was growing up rapidly.

— Tukluk let out an ungodly screech when Septiezal ripped the branch off of him. It snapped off at the root, which was underneath his skin, and he screamed as it tore through his flesh. He immediately fell over and curled into a ball, the curving of his back only causing more pain. Tears stung his eyes as he rocked and tried in vain to touch the spot that was now bleeding. This had never happened before! He’d always just let the spell die, which in turn killed the plant, and it would wither away and fall from his body without hurting him! What the hell had happened? He continued to screech mutedly, gritting his teeth together, now ignorant of the snake still in the room with him.

Words: 219 @Septiezal rip Tuck XD