The world was dark.

...And then it wasn't.

The thick skin of the chrysalis split. It was a wet, fleshy sound that may very well have made the child sick had she been able to hear it. As it was, she was born blind and deaf. A small ball of wet, grey fur slid from the cocoon and onto the chilly, root strewn ground. A tiny, pitiful mewl burst from the minuscule wolf's lungs and she curled in on herself. Why wasn't it warm anymore? Why wasn't she being cradled and comforted? A few more soft whimpers were released before a decision was made. She couldn't go back... so she would go forward instead.

Uncurling herself from the little ball that she'd been, the diminutive beast began crawling, or rolling, ever so slowly across the terrain. Sharp little claws scrambles for purchase, pulling her over the smaller roots. After a time, however, she became stuck in a deep bowl of earth, the curling, tentacle-like roots forming a tall wall around her. Unable to see or hear, the child curled inward. Movement was exhausting and, though she'd only gone several feet, she was already worn out. Balled up in the bottom of the rooty oubliette, the girl whined softly and soon drifted to sleep.

The splitting of another nearby chrysalis prompted the yellow casing to induce in its own hatching. Within its fluids was a creature which resembled a canid of some kind, silvery in color. Soon, a large crack scored through the gem’s surface, sending echoes throughout the dark cave. Chunks of yellow stone began casting off, until finally the chrysalis broke into pieces and released the creature inside of it.

Sliding into existence, it was a rush of cool air against the warmth I had only known, and it made my limbs curl even further into my scrunched body. My forepaws searched my face, slipping with the goo clinging to each fiber, but was pricked by the dull edge of a … stone? One eye peeled open, but what I saw was...well, nothing. An ear flicked, fluid sprang from the tip. I struggled, but soon enough instincts took over. My paws collected beneath me, rising my adolescent frame into a stand, though my body was far from ready to be moved. This was no matter, however, as I was coming to, I realized I was not alone. From sound alone, I discerned the presence of a nearby creature. To remain silent, or to call out? Futile, was it not? The opposing force would know about me already, certainly coming out of that thing wasn’t a quiet ordeal.

It wasn’t long until deciding to release a small ‘woof’, puppish and boyish in all its splendor, to whomever lay on the receiving end. My eyes searched the darkness, attempting to find something, anything. One paw after another, wobbly steps were taken. I didn’t make it far, though, before having to regroup and rest. In the meantime, I hoped whoever was near me would call back.

How one so new could dream so vividly was a mystery. Bright flashes of color soared within the girl's mind. Shapes danced, bending to and fro. Sensations filled her skull, titillating her senses. In sleep, the pup began to wag her short ashen tail. Since her eruption from the chrysalis, the child's coat had dried, shifting her from a wet, dark grey mass to a medium grey puffball. She was small now, but her paws were large, indicating a massive growth spurt in the future.

The child had no clue that another was near. She could not hear his sounds, nor could she see his approach. Had she been awake and paying attention, perhaps she could have smelled him. Instead she stayed curled and immersed in the world of sleep, oblivious to the world around her.

@Makyna
@Leon

Being in Cetus had helped to ameliorate the feelings inside of her. Not to mention having a group at her back was a comfort that she'd long been without. For some reason it just felt natural to be surrounded by a lot of different gembounds rather than just solitary. So, she trekked now through the darkness of Cetus, the fog enveloping her as she patrolled the area. She really was just searching for something new, something that could possibly be used as a den in this place. Her and Leon always required a large den as they tended to adopt a fair amount of hatchlings, plus, the lioness always liked to decorate her den with flowers and other such pretty things.

So, as she traveled, head in the clouds as she pondered over what all she would do with a new den she heard something. The telltale sound of a cracking chrysalis. Her ears perked as she came to a halt, head turning towards the source of the sound. She walked forward, paws sloshing in the marsh as she eventually caught the scent of two canines. Her pawsteps hurried as she drew first upon a small female pup, ashen colored and trapped within a tangle of tree roots. The lioness peered down at her, nose sniffing as she tried find a way to scoop the pup out.

A tiny "woof" briefly drew her attention away, blue eyes looking vainly into the fog to try and discern what she knew would be another little pup. "Don't worry, little one, I'm coming for you as well!" Her voice was soft and kind but she briefly wondered how she would handle two pups at once. Her mind reached out subconsciously through the link to get a hold of Leon and beckon him to her if he could. Surely he would love to see two new pups!

She turned back to the pup fallen into her little root-tangle and began to reach out to her with her mind. Carefully she curled invisible fingers around the little canine in hopes of pulling of her and hopefully depositing her safely on the ground outside of the roots.

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words: 361
tagged: @Leon @Resin @WhiteTimber
ooc: ---
muse: 5/10

"Talking looks like this!"
"Thinking is this!"

First I heard the approach, and then a voice. She said to not worry, she'd come for me as well. But I was more interested in seeing what was holding her up, and what else was with us. With each careful paw step, I began to advance toward them. Every few steps I'd trip or fall, running into the many obstacles before me. I didn't matter to me though, I simply stood right back up again and kept trying. I expelled another little woof, signaling my approach.


In the darkness, I was unable to see and ran into a tangle of roots. Oofing with the impact, I took a few steps back, raising a paw and feeling the tree's roots for myself. Odd. In this moment, I decided to sit and wait. I knew I was close, I could hear them, smell them, and even 'feel' them. I let out a decisive, puppish bark while too large of ears swiveled to and fro, catching all the sounds they could.

@Leon @Makyna @Resin

A soft growl was given as she felt the heavy presence of a large creature standing over her. She was small. That was supposed to be her reaction. The growl reverberated through her skull and she blinked in surprise. Wait... she blinked? It seemed as though the mucus from inside of the chrysalis simply had to wear off. The pup blinked several times and looked up, but could see nothing. Something within her brain fired and BAM! She could see the tall creature that stood above, looking down at her through the tangled roots. Ears were already glued against her skull or she would have done so herself. The beast was large and very intimidating. Other than muffled rumbling, she could hear none of the creatures words.

Suddenly, she was being lifted by some invisible force. Panic took hold and the pup kicked and squirmed, but she was so small that it didn't make much difference. The girl whined softly and closed her eyes. Might as well keep them closed anyway as the light that had shown her the beast above was gradually diminishing. The pup curled in on herself, forelegs wrapped about her muzzle. What was this thing going to do with her? Eat her? She shuddered and awaited her fate.

@Makyna @Leon