Nox was still rumbling quietly as she made her slow, slow way back home, at a pace she hoped that the little one could keep up. It was a nearly excruciating journey, her skin forming tendrils that coiled and wrapped around one another and slime droplets gooey and viscous by the time the tunnel opened up into Cetus. She ached to pick up the pace, to break into an undulating loping run and dive back into the murky depths of the swamp from whence she came, to soothe the chill that had penatrated to her core.

She could feel the jewel she'd swallowed, heavy in her gizzard, and longed to find somewhere she could put it down. Its warmth soothed her, but it brought discomfort too, edges pressing into her from within.

But her writhing skin was the only sign she gave of her discomfort, and she knew that she had to stay until she had escorted her charge to the swamp's edge, deep within the choking mist. There, she could watch over him, making sure that nothing from the depths of the swamp could hurt him as he grew. As they entered the marsh, cool water welling around her paws wherever she stepped, the draconian dropped her head to look beneath her- parting her jaws to check that the young one was still with her, however slimy he might be.

@Hikari

The little peachick had tried his best to avoid the slime, he really had. But there was simply too much to avoid, and he couldn't spend all his time looking up at the great creature's underbelly- he had to follow her somehow- meaning that when the two eventually reached the area the creature had referenced as her home, a few trails of the stuff had drizzled their way over him, leaving him, yet again, a sticky, slime-covered mess.

He continued to follow, looking around the new area as best he could, taking in what sights he could see. He let out an undignified noise of surprise as, suddenly, his feet sunk partway into the marsh, slowing his progress. He could feel cold water welling around his feet, colder than the cool presence of the slime on his back.

Despite the inherent danger of the slime, he found himself getting used to it, and even enjoying it. After all, it cooled the heat from the burns on his back, injuries sustained by the burning cave where he had entered the world. Even though it felt nice to have slime draped over himself like that (he wondered what it was like for the creature to be constantly covered in slime?), he knew that he should probably wash himself off sooner rather than later, lest the slime hurt him in some unknown way.

@Nox

Nox's skin rippled to the noise he made, her eye flickering over the little one's blackened form, crisscrossed with drips of slime. She dropped her nose down towards him and nosed at the marshy ground, blowing a few water droplets- and looked at him. She had thought the small one would be light enough not to sink- after all, she could walk on this ground safely. Perhaps, though, he had chanced on a tiny puddle or sinkhole- there were a lot of those, in the marsh. After another glance, a quick flicker of her catlike pupil, she closed her jaws and nosed at the feathered hide- hoping to help him up- he was so covered in slime that although she felt nervous about touching him, she felt it necessary, and more-or-less harmless, at this point.

It was then that a feeling of warmth flooded through her- an odd feeling, the likes and intensity of which she'd never felt before. More emotional than physical, Equinox felt it sweep through her, a contentedness and happiness, spurred on by contact, perhaps? She'd never been able to touch others, always feared it. She worried, too, for the child she cared for now- and such worry brought her to a lucidity she'd felt disconnected from for many cycles. Her skin rippled to the feeling, culminating finally in the gem she carried in her throat- the one that had chimed and tinkled so beautifully. She shivered, hidden spines trembling for a moment.

Although Nox didn't know it, such was the feeling of magic.

The draconian raised her head, taking careful note of the noises of creatures and water moving in the marsh. Already the mist was beginning to shroud them, and they weren't far from the entrance. That gave her hope that this place would be more suited to the young one's needs than Polaris.

With a soft gurgle that rattled the gem buried in her throat, she began moving again, pressing on towards the central marsh.

He started at the sudden sensation of the lightwalker's cold head nosing him up and out of the water. The little chick gave her a grateful chirrup as he managed to regain a foothold. To his surprise, the ground in front of him was not as deep, and although he could feel a faint dampness surrounding his talons, it was far better than the deeper part of the marsh he had been stuck in.

After getting himself situated under the great creature again, he turned his head upwards, looking curiously up at the draconian's head. He wondered what she was looking for- although the marsh looked devoid of all other life at first glance, looking closer, he could spot faint traces of life. A ripple in the water here, a movement among the trees, just barely out of sight. The marsh was full of life, even if it didn't look like it at first, and Hikari found it fascinating.

Suddenly, she began moving again, and all thoughts of wonder were quickly moved to the back of his mind as he focused on keeping up with the lightwalker.

@Nox

Equinox felt another dull throb of warmth brewing in her chest as the tiny noise of gratitude reached her. She responded to the noise with a low gurgle and kept moving, pressing deeper and deeper into the fog until what little light that penetrated through was grey and pale. She could hear the soft churning of water through the bog, the soft singing of frogs somewhere in the mist. And occasionally, they passed by the shadowy pillar of a great tree.

Finally, Nox came to a halt. The edge of the marsh lay just beyond, the ground dipping low. The earth here was dotted with marsh plants and reeds that had taken root on waterlogged patches of earth. Nox sniffed the air, skin smoothing. No sign of any predators. She hoped that perhaps, the marsh-dwelling creatures would have left some old burrows behind for the young one to hide in, too; the gentle incline to the water's edge would hopefully be dotted with those. Provided that the young one was a plant eater or insectivore, there should be plenty for him to live on here.

But there was still one problem.

She rumbled in preparation to speak, her throat contorting the sound into words. "It'ssss dark. Issss it enough?" she asked them, dropping her head down to look at the peachick once more, her beak parting and eye flickering with concern as she searched for him.

@Hikari

The young Gembound looked around. It was darker, now- he could see the light fading, being swallowed up by the trees, leaving only dim, faint beams.

He looked over at the lightwalker as she spoke. "I- I dunno," he replied, looking carefully out at the world ahead of him.

He squeezed his eyes shut, and took a small step. Then another. Then yet another, and then he dared to open his eyes. He looked up, seeing stone above him instead of the creature's underbelly. Panic flooded through him for one fearful moment, before the Gembound realized that he wasn't burning. The light couldn't get him, here.

Was this the sanctuary all the other Gembounds stayed in? He thought so. With the threat of the light lifted, suddenly, there was room for curiosity. He walked away from the lightwalker, too absorbed in this new world to even give a moment's thought to staying with her. What was that, over there in a particularly thick group of plants? What was rustling in the bush? He peeked into it, looking for the source of the sound.

@Nox (gonna request a GM for a lesser Gembound, see what happens)

Within the bush, a pitch-black bird was flipping mud here and there. Some sprayed back, even, toward young Hikari.

At his intrusion it turned, letting out a loud and haunting cry of surprise, hopping back--but it was, for the most part, trapped within the bush. Judging by the small and torn-up clearing beneath the foliage, the bird had been foraging.

With a single crimson eye it stared at Hikari, beak half-parted, tensely awaiting their move.

@Hikari @Nox

Nox rumbled a soft encouragement, watching closely as the newborn took their first steps out from under her. She kept her close eye on them, twisting her head upside down, peering out from the back of her throat. She'd make sure of where he was before she thought of making a move. The draconian watched as the little one tottered away, and, raising her head back up to her chest, she returned upright and followed, with strides slow. She paused several metres behind him, long neck curved elegantly to her chest.

She saw the bird- a hallowed caller- as Hikari did, although with slightly poorer eyesight could only make out the vaguest of shapes. Nox dipped her head towards the chick she'd been taking care of, and held it above him, meeting its gaze with her own glistening crimson eye. She was uncertain what a bird like that would do to a newborn chick- if anything- but she wasn't about to take any chances. She rumbled softly, letting Hikari know that she was there.

@Hikari

There was a bird in the bush. He blinked, taking a step towards it, before it let out a haunting, almost scream-like cry. The Gembound moved back in fear. What was this thing? Why did it sound so scary?

He bumped into the lightwalker's leg unexpectedly. He looked up at her, taking comfort in her soft rumbling sounds. She was there. She would protect him.

Ever-so-cautiously, he made his way back towards the strange bird, still scared but comforted by the draconian's presence. "H-hiya!" he said, quietly, unaware of the fact that it wasn't able to respond.

@Lesser Gembounds
@Nox (if you want her to respond)

The Caller at first seemed unlikely to attack--afraid, perhaps. It simply regarded the smaller, chick Gembound with its single eye. However, when it suddenly perceived the big black creature above it--when she revealed herself--it began to shriek. The sounds were still haunting, but accusatory--as if Nox had killed this bird in a former life, and it had only just remembered.

With a flutter of feathers it plowed out of the bush and took flight, rapidly starting to divebomb Nox as it shrieked, aiming sharp blows of its little beak at her oily hide.

It was strange behavior; perhaps someone observant could try to find a reason for it in the swamp around them, if not deduce it outright?

Sidenote, just put in a GM report whenever you want it answered! A tag to the account won't work, sadly.

@Hikari @Nox