The sound of the imperial topaz chrysalis cracking echoed through the room of Polaris. It split down the center, peeling open. The two haves fell to the ground, shattering. The hatchling that resided inside came tumbling out, letting out a surprised squeak.

Two large crimson eyes took in a beautiful cavern, glowing with crystals, fungi, and artificial orbs. As Shadara took in her new world, the first thing she noticed was that it was vastly different than the red home that her chrysalis provided. She sat there in awe, not paying attention to the fact her awakening had attracted attention.

Those vibrations, they felt.. familiar. It reminded the juvenile python of when he broke free of his chrysalis under the bones of Canis. As a matter of fact, the sharp tremors that tickled his scales felt very similar to what he felt when the onyx shattered around him. Could it be, a young Gemound hatching? He had just ate a rat a few days ago, but a small, helpless, newborn Gembound would make for a pleasant snack. "I hope they're a mouse." He whispered to himself as he unwound his long coils and started towards where the vibrations had originated. He knew this was cruel, but sentient Gembounds tasted no different than lesser Gembounds, and snake's got to eat. Right?

Septiezal flicked his tongue as rounded a large, pointed crystal. This new Gemound did not taste like a mouse, but rather another reptile. Interest peaked in the snake and his intentions went from hunting to curiosity. What if they were another snake like him? The python poke his head around the crystal and his river stone eyes fell upon a creature he had never seen before, it wasn't a snake, much to his disappointment, but I did remind him of a lizard.

"Hello." He greeted the reptile as he slid the rest of his body into view. "Do you speak?" Septiezal did not forget why he came here in the first place. If she did talk, then he decided to spare her, since would be waste to gobble up another sentient, reptilian Gembound like himself.


"Speech."
Thoughts...

@Shadara

Shardara immediately turned, her eyes and the jewel on her tail glowing with fiery light, and shock and fear ran through her small brain.

She immediately performed a bluff, opening her mouth and letting out a hiss. Her tail lashed about. The crocodile watched as the interesting creature, scaled like herself, did not attack, but speak.

"Ssshadara," she squeaked out, shaking. "Sshaddara the cccrocccodile."

@Septiezal

So she did speak. "Sshaddara the Cccrocccodile?" He mimicked, adding his own serpentine flare. They were odd words, but Septiezal guessed they were good enough. He would not eat her. She seemed like a defensive one. It reminded him of his small self a cycle ago, when Egahi found him. The python spilled his body into a loose coil and flicked his tongue. She was probably scared like he was when he first hatched. This world was a lot to take in at one time.

Septiezal remember the words Egahi told him when she discovered him from the chrysalis. "Welcome to the big world." He found himself saying. A pang of longing struck him as he found himself missed the king cobra. Septiezal wondered if he would ever see her again. He shook the feelings away and focused back on the little crocodile who was shaking before him. She was so small, the lesser Gemounds could make a snack out of her at this size. Even he came here with the intention of making her snack, but it was different now. He found himself wanting to protect this reptile, like Egahi had done for him. Pity flared up in the serpent, but it came out like bitter annoyance. "Stop shivering!" He snapped. "There's no reason to be scared." As if he was suddenly aware of the mishandling of his emotions, Septiezal softened his appearance and tone. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Speech."
Thoughts...

@Shadara

"Well what do you expect? All I know is a shade of crimson and suddenly I get tossed out and shoved in front of large thin creature with only a head and a tail?" Shadara pouted, turning up her short snout. "And I'm not shivering, I'm s-s-s-stuttering." She lashed her tail, and her eyes began to dimly glow.

The crocodile opened her mouth wide and let out a hiss, accidentally attempting to summon immense heat from within.

---

Shadara felt extremely warm air slide out of her throat when she hissed, but she didn't care. Not like she could burn the snake, could she?

His slits narrowed at her mention of his lack of limbs. So, him having no legs frightened her did it? Anger gnawed at his heart. He has had enough of Gembounds mocking his form for one cycle.

Limbed ones are all the same..

Septeizal was about to open his mouth to give this little crocodilian a piece of his mind when he noticed at spell forming from her gaping maw. As the wave of heat rolled over his scales, he lifted a portion of his body to shield his face from the stinging heat. He felt his body temperature rise uncomfortably then cool back down as the spell passed.

She can control heat too?

Fury began to bubble in his veins, smothering his thoughts of admiration as he lifted his head higher into the air. How dare she cast a spell at him when he told her he wasn't going to hurt her!

"What was that for?!" He hissed violently, lashing out his tail in anger.

"Speech."
Thoughts...

@Shadara

"What, you afraid of me hissing at you? I thought that's what you do," Shadara mocked, mostly unaware of the spell she just cast.

"So what if I have a warm throat? All I know is that anyone, including you, coming around that bend, who gobble me up. It could be another snake, or something completely different. It could be one of me, who puts an end to me. Of course I'm gonna try to stave off the attacker."

Septiezal opened his mouth with a loud hiss, flashing his menacing teeth in hopes to make this little Gembound think twice about the words she spilled from her mouth. "I'm hardly afraid of your puny hissing!" He snarled. The serpent slithered closer to the crocodile, anger burning in his eyes. "I was offering to help you, to protect you, and what do you?" He coiled his thick body around himself and arched his head back in a tight striking position, flicking his forked tongue. "You cast a spell at me!" He hissed. "It's like you want me to eat you!."


"Speech."
Thoughts...

@Shadara

((OOC: sorry man, kinda forgot))

Shadara turned up her snout. "Well if I cast a spell, doesn't that mean I would be harder to swallow?" She turned away from the snake, continuing, "If you're not gonna help me, I'll have to help myself." She began to crawl in the direction of the Crystal River, which could be seen from there, slowly. "If you want to end my existence here and now it's not like I can fight you."

@septiezal

Septiezal rolled his eyes at the little crocodile's words. In all his life he has never met someone so dense, besides Mosi of course. "Where did you get that absurd idea? I just said I wanted to help! Crocodiles have ears, don't they?" He hissed at Shadara. The python watched the other reptile headed off towards the Crystal River. He didn't chase after her, or plead with her to stop. He was kind of disappointed to see her go. After having found someone reptilian and fire honing like him, he wanted to get to know her better, but know, after experiencing her infurating attitude, he wasn't so sure.

"Fine, Shadara, leave." He called out to her. Don't even ask me my name.

"But I promise you I'll be the least of your concerns when you attacked by a pack of cave rats."

"Speech."
Thoughts...

@Shadara