That had been a nice rest.

And while he had slept, he had grown. His Chrysalis had protected him as he changed from a tiny, awkward cub, into a true monster of a tiger.

As a cub, he had been under a foot in both height and length. His... personality had far outgrown his pelt, and had forced him to sleep until he was large enough for it.

But now he was absolutely massive. From tip of his nose to the base of his tail, he measured well over seven feet, and his tail added another three feet to his length. From the pad of his massive paws to the rolling tips of his shoulders, he stood four feet tall. Muscles strained at snow white fur, rolling with every movement.

As he shed the shell of his Chrysalis, he stretched, arching his back and feeling it crack into place. His Gem gleamed with awakening, and then he stood tall. His jaw opened wide with a yawn, a low rumble that could be heard for miles echoing forth from his chest, testing his voice. Last to awaken were his eyes, blood red as though stained with the victims of his future.

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

The black dog paced. There was little happening in Polaris, at the moment; after Nemean's departure all had been quiet. The golems, too, no longer stirred--and Black could not help but wonder if that had been the Betrayer's doing. Had she riled them, perhaps? Coaxed them, somehow, into that mindless aggression? He had had to watch himself very closely for some time, cautious not to be seen or heard, or to use magic when they were near.

Now, however, all was at peace.

He made his way up from the river, having drunk his fill, and was halfway to the Spire when he heard a distant crack. He paused, one forepaw in the air, massive head tilted and ears pricked, listening; after a long moment there was a low, reverberating growl that rumbled with a bass strength through the very stone.

The dog turned, shifting his direction to head that way instead.

What he found, at length, was a huge white cat. It stood among shattered shards, shards that glowed and dimly reflected a deep blood red in the cave's light.

But Black's blue eyes lifted back to the cat, and examined him; there was no way this cat was a cub. No; it must have been wounded, he thought--like Fallah--and gone into its gem to rest.

He knew nothing of the hibernation of some, and with his typical detached concern--a sort of a sense of responsibility, as a cave "guardian"--he spoke.

"You have slept," he informed the cat simply, as if it did not know. Fallah, after all, had been confused upon her wakening. "Do you require aid?"

If it did not, he would move on; but chances were, he thought, it might be confused after its rest. And he was curious, in fact, as to what had befallen it: was there another threat somewhere, of which he was unaware? Had Nemean, or perhaps the golems, gotten this one too?

________________

@Bahamut

His body was waking up.

The tiger gave a low groan, rolling his shoulders. Oh, he could feel the power there, strong enough to crush a skull with a glancing blow. His claws, too, were massive, and he had clearly grown into his paws. He tasted the air, and listened, and found he could hear and smell everything for a fair distance.

So it was easy for him to detect the dog, known he was coming before he could see him. He turned his head to face the dog, rather amused to discover he now had to look down to meet the other's eyes. And they were quite opposite to his, a soft blue compared to his own harsh red.

And the dog quickly pointed out the obvious, and he sneered. "So I have," he rumbled and, wow, how deep his voice had gotten. It was like the rumbling of a avalanche, rolling deep in his chest, radiating through his bones.

He was a tiny little cub no more.

"Aid?" he repeated mockingly, as though the mere thought was too stupid to contemplate. "I should think not. However, might you tell me where this is? I have only ever known the swamps."

@Black

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.