He wasn't sure if leaving Cetus had been a good idea. The strange creatures he had met, the dampness and the mist, the darkness--it had been full of both trembling fear of the unknown, and easy hiding places. Every moment the rat had spent crouched in the darkness had likely been one of safety--yet one of horrid fear, uncertain what might emerge from the half-visible strange beyond.

This place... this was different. He wasn't sure yet if better, or worse--but different.

It was bitter cold, for one thing--he didn't like that--but it was bright, and full of crevices. He could see far, and scurry into hiding. But it might perhaps have been a tad too bright--a little overwhelming for his dark-accustomed eyes. And the constant dripping of water and whistling wind kept his nerves on edge; he was never sure when a sound was truly dangerous, or only atmospheric noise. It kept him on the jump, though not as much as before.

He'd found, too, the tang of salt-scent on the air, here. Archimedes now crouched along the ice-slicked wall near the Pisces entrance, perched on a stone in a cluster of similar rocks--a tumble that had fallen some years ago, all relatively small but a climb for such a tiny rodent. Water ran in rivulets down the icy stone, and he'd found by licking the more dry sections of rock that a delightful, salty taste could be had, there.

He sat there now, oblivious to all else, one tiny pink paw braced on the cave wall as the rat licked diligently at the salt.

It had been cycles since Flit's wings had finally dried, and he had grown into them now. He was still small, but he found it much easier now to flit and flutter from flower to flower as he drank nectar, and moreover, he rarely needed to land. Eridanus had become his paradise; in Rift's garden he had made his home, weaving himself a nest with small and delicate paws. Day by day he became more adventurous as he became surer of himself, and ventured further and further from home.

He'd become lost then; the cavern was so big that Flit feared he'd never find his way home.

That was when he'd found the tunnel. He'd perched on a branch overlooking it, and watched for a while. Eridanus had been his entire world; Flit had never considered that there might be anything beyond it.

Flit had been fearful of the thought of leaving; but something kept drawing him back, insatiable curiosity bringing him ever closer to the hole. And now was to be the time that he finally dropped from hsis lookout branch and fluttered out into the tunnel. The untrained eye could have mistaken him for a butterfly, escaped from Eridanus' confines. Occasionally he'd stop, perching on a rock or ledge upon the wall, to glance back and ahead, and keep look out. It was a lot less colourful out here; and the timid little creature felt his anxiety mounting. There were fewer places in the tunnel for a mouse to hide.

More than once, he considered turning back. But surely, at the end of the tunnel, there had to be more than just stone?

It was as he alighted on a jutting stone on the tunnel wall that Flit saw the rat, and swayed; fragmented vision taking in every little detail. Flit had seen the occasional rat on the forest floor before- but he'd never seen one up close. He'd never considered talking to them- but then, most creatures didn't consider talking to him, until he spoke first. Little wings fluttered, bringing him closer. The rat looked familiar; with little pink paws and a twitching, whiskery nose. Flit was entranced by the sight of the young one licking the wall, but something akin to fear kept him at bay. Some instinctive part of him knew that he'd be barely a snack for a hungry cave rat. But this one was smaller than the ones he was used to seeing.

Was there food there? Did the walls bleed nectar? Flit hadn't realized just how hungry he was becoming. He'd left Eridanus some time ago, and he hadn't seen a flower since.

Flit fluttered onto a lower ledge, the orb on the end of his tail tinkling as it struck the cave wall. His ears flattened fearfully against his head and he alighted. He folded his wings against his back. Now there was just a small mouse's face peering down at him, feathery antenna waving.

"E-excuse me?" the little mouse began timidly."Can you talk?"

"Speech."

@Archimedes

The rat startled at the sound of a voice, leaping two feet into the air before springing back. He skittered behind a rock, then thrust his head back out, whiskers twitching and eyes wide--would he need to run for his life..?

But no, the thing there was smaller than he, and meek--it made him think, in fact, of food. A faint hostility came over him, and in surprise he examined this, but could find no reason for it. The creature seemed... friendly, very colorful, and afraid.

Relief washed over him, driving the aggression away. He forgot it in an instant. Here was a creature who spoke! Fear struck next--what if it was just another mimic, another creature speaking words it did not understand?

What if it thinks I can't talk, and leaves? Another spike of fear, and he hurried to speak.

"I speak! I can speak--are your words... echoes? Do you know what you're saying?"

The last speaker he'd met had been another rat, but she was an Echoing Gray and had merely been parroting words back to him--things she didn't understand. The experience, the horror of going from relief at finding another Speaker to terror at the realization that here was an empty vessel sent by a large and unknown monster (the Greater she'd been bound to, though Archimedes did not know this), luring him out--that had been unspeakable, and haunted him still.

Was this one different..? Could this one truly understand?

@Flit

Flit startled in a similar manner to the stanger- as he sprang away and fled, Flit shot straight upwards, catching himself with his wings, and quickly perched on a higher ledge, looking down with whiskers fluttering. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he squeaked hastily. "I didn't mean to frighten you!" Flit had never scared anyone before- he was unprepared for the guilt that flushed through him, following closely as soon as he'd made it to safety himself. He was so small- how could anyone be afraid of him?

The rat's initial fear response would have suggested that they couldn't speak- but as the rat did, the small one's relief, and joy, were tangible- even if the question was very, very strange.

"Yes! I do! Of course I do!" he said, just as quickly. He flittered his wings as he turned around and leaned over the edge of the ledge which was, perhaps, four feet off the ground. He hesitated, then, cautiously, as though worried that this was a normal greeting, repeated the young one's question back at him. "Are... Are yours?"

He fluttered back down to the lower ledge, still clearly nervous, but pink eyes bright with curiosity.

"Speech."

@Archimedes

The little rat let out a squeaking twitter of relief, bounding back out again and stretching up as high as his hind legs would let him. Never mind, now, the faint instinct of a rat to kill a mouse--there was, instead, the incredible relief of the realization that he was not alone in the world. Another instinct, perhaps--that of the social being with a fear of being stranded alone--trumped the distant savagery.

"Truly?! Oh, oh! I had thought I was alone," he near cried, waving his paws as if trying to be nearer to Flit. Trauma tremored in his tone. "The others, they did not speak! In the Den-Home! And then the one who came--it was terrible--she spoke but she did not know what she was saying and the creature who came behind her was large, and frightening--..."

Archimedes broke off, glancing around with wide eyes.

When the rat familiar with its Greater master had caused him enough fear--staring at him with silent eyes--he'd fled back into the rat's nest in Cetus. There he'd hid for days, until he was certain that they were well and truly gone; and he'd been near-emaciated by the time he had come out, having eaten only what he'd managed to steal from the nest's hoard. His entire early life had been defined by these moments of fear, and the relief at seeing a new friend--and a bright pink, harmless-looking one, at that--overwhelmed him. He began to chitter in soft, high-pitch tones, perhaps a rat's only analogue to weeping. As if to calm himself he lifted his forepaws, rapidly brushing them through his whiskers, grooming himself frantically for a moment before turning his attention sharply back to Flit--as if afraid they might have vanished.

"Where do you live? What can I call you? This place doesn't feel safe," he added, with a furtive, worried glance around.

What if the echoers came back?

@Flit

The rat's excitement helped to soothe the nervousness that still lingered. As he scampered over to the ledge, Flit leaned further over, and it only took a fe moments more of listening and consideration before he fluttered down to meet him on the ground. The rat towered over him, even as Flit folded colourful moth-wings at his back and sat up, small pink paws folded against his chest. "Oh, no! How awful," he murmured, clasping his paws to his chest. The rat's mention of the den-home- a strange word for a place he'd never seen- filled Flit with a strange apprehension. "Others?"

He thought back to Wrath, and Rift- whose faces still didn't fail to bring a twinge of apprehension- but whose voices and words set the mouse's mind at ease. "I've met large creatures before- frightening- but they've never been unkind."

Flit perked up as the rat asked about where he came from. "My name is Flit! I come from... Eridanus." That was right, wasn't it? "It's a massive place, full of leaves and flowers, and wonderful smells! I made my home there! This is my first time outside. I... don't know if I like it so much." The fluttermouse, too, glanced around as the rat did. There were few places to hide here, only bare rocks. Should it come down to it, Flit could fly away- but he was fearful of what would happen to the larger and more grounded rat. "It also has lots of places to hide!" he added.

"Speech."

@archimedes

The stranger smelled pleasant--bright, somehow, not the rank odor of the other rats. Archimedes found that he appreciated this quite a lot, though he couldn't quite say why. He himself had the distinct odor of a male rat, and found himself wishing that he did not.

He listened closely, whiskers twitching, still sitting on his hind legs. The floor was cold, and the less of him that came into contact with it the better.

"...What's an Eridanus?" he asked, at length. It sounded like a place, but it wasn't a word that he knew. "I come from a den-home. In a place that is very dark, and full of cold wet air." He paused, thinking. Was Flit saying that Eridanus had hiding-places? That sounded--well, good, to put it simply.

"I don't like being in the open."

Archimedes dropped down and came closer, glancing around worriedly. He thought about what Flit had said--his name, Flit--and considered. "I--know words that mean "me," but I do not... know if they are my name? Archimedes, and Rat."

After a moment's consideration he sat back up again, shivering a little, peering at the tiny fairy-mouse. "Is your home better than this place? Do you know someplace better we can go?" It meant leaving the salt behind, but that was little price to pay for safety.

@Flit

"Oh, Eridanus is lovely! It's a place full of flowers and plants bigger than either of us! There are so many different colours and smells and nectars to drink and fruits...! You'd love it." The den-home didn't sound nearly so appealing. Flit found himself wondering then, if there were different kinds of rats and mice from each room. Was that what he was? Perhaps there were other fluttermice and rats or... something! It would explain why Flit was so much brighter and had wings and ate nectar. "It doesn't sound anything like the den-home, though."

The fluttermouse pattered closer, pink nose twitching and feelers waving almost close enough to tickle the rat's belly. Then he was sitting up too- thick yellow mane puffing up. He looked up at the rat with bright pink eyes and his nose wrinkled as he took in the rat's... unusual smell.

The fluttermouse considered the rat's explanation- the words that meant 'me'. He looked thoughtful, tipping his head to one side, ears perking forward. "Well... I also know 'rat'. I've seen rats before, I think, and others have said the word. But I've never heard-- 'Archimedes', before. So that must be your name!" It was a very long name, and a bit of a mouthful. From Flit, to Wrath, to Rift, Flit had never really dealt with long names before. "I didn't know the word 'mouse' when I was first born, but that's what others compared me to." He couldn't help but wince at the memory of Rift's comparison, showing little yellow teeth. The big cat had- unwisely- noted that he used to eat mice. And that had been a harsh reality check for the little one.

"Yes, of course! Eridanus is much better than this place. I'd love to show you it!" The little Fluttermouse backed away, and then flitted up into the air, alighting a short way down the tunnel. Then he turned back towards the rat. "That is, if you want to come!"

"Speech."

@Archimedes

That faint twinge of savagery came again, distant and small but bewildering for a moment, at the mention of the word "mouse." Archimedes regarded it the way one might stare in surprise at a snarling dog racing by--equal parts surprise and horror. But he didn't dwell on it overlong, instead pushing it aside and looking to Flit, blinking. Flit was nice; Flit was kind, and could speak, and was helping them. There was no reason to be mean!

"Archimedes, then. Please--yes. I would like to see all of the colors, and smell all of the scents, and-..." He hesitated, blinking, though he moved to follow Flit hurriedly.

"What is a--nectar?" He broke into a bounding run to keep up, glad to be on the way to someplace new, hopefully away from the cold, and even farther from the silent cruelty of his once-family of rats.

@Flit

The little mouse nodded, folding his wings back once again as he waited for the rat to catch up. "I flew here- so it might be quite a walk," the fluttermouse said as the rat caught up.

It had been a fun venture- the fluttermouse now knew that more existed outside the boundaries of their home cave, and he was ecstatic at the thought of having found Archimedes- like himself in so many ways, and yet so unlike him, too. But he was hungry now, and homesick, and he was excited to be returning home. Really, he'd wanted to for quite some time- it was bleak, cold and lifeless out here- and he didn't like it that much.

Surely there had to be more- but for now, just knowing there was a world out here was enough. As the rat caught up, the fluttermouse set off ahead in a slow waddle before fluttering ahead by a few paces. His crawling pace was awfully slow, even when compared to the rat's normal walking pace, more like the walk of an insect. "Oh, nectar is the best! It's what you find when you stick your head far enough into a flower. It's like water, but very sweet and sticks to your whiskers!"

He chuckled, using little paws to demonstrate a grooming motion over his face. After a moment he fluttered on, but only by a few inches.

"Speech."

@Archimedes