The rubble of the city splayed out below, and shadow seemed to creep like vines among the walls. Resting about seven feet from a stable spot on the ground was a chrysalis, purple and amber with cloudy quartz spider-webbing throughout it. Along the ground, there were shards of others, fully formed chrysalises of less fortunate gembounds who'd fallen too far and been forced to heal as soon as they emerged. Thankfully, fate was kind to the young, and was kind to their boundless magic and elastic forms. But from within this particular chrysalis, a faint scratching could be heard.

The creature inside had been cognizant for a few days. Aware of murky noises and vague seemings, and of his own self. Why was the neonate a he? The creature had no clue. What he did know was that his prison was cramped, and had been for some time. Perhaps he'd even been inside it for too long due to stillness, unwilling to escape -- but now he was sick of the claustrophobic surroundings, and hunger gnawed at him, for his magic could no longer sustain him alone. The scratching continued -- a mysterious sound, like nails against a chalkboard, and then a faint cracking began.

It was slow-going at first. Spiderwebbing across crystal, cracks began to form. A noise unlike any other grew louder and louder, until the translucent surface of the crystal was completely overcome with cracks, and then it shattered. Unfortunately, the first experience of the creature within would be falling about seven feet onto hard stone and rough shards, rolling off of some other poor soul's much smaller chrysalis and letting out a pained groan before he drew his first breath of fresh air.

The stone in his chest kick-started, beating like a fluttering butterfly in place of a heart, and he blinked bleary-eyed and confused into the sharpening shadows. He tried out his spindly legs, brown-and-white with hooves on the ends. His new muscles shook with the effort as he tried to bring them underneath him, and the new hatchling collapsed again, breathing hard. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt too badly -- minor bruises and an awful headache, but somehow, none of his thin bones had snapped. But now, a thought came to his mind -- who was he? He'd thought about what he was, briefly, before he emerged. Apparently, the answer was something long-legged, small, and furry. Finally, his vision seemed to sharpen, and he looked up slowly to see from where he had come.

Instead, he saw a sky full of stars -- or, rather, luminescent fungi and crystals embedded in the roof of the cave, beautiful and breathtaking. The creature tried to stand again, legs shaky and awkward but ultimately managing to support him so long as he balanced against the rock. Cautiously, he took a few uneasy steps forward, watching his feet as they moved. This was hard! Just a few steps later, he was already almost out of breath, leaning against the jagged cliff-face for strength. Stars spotted his vision, not just from the crystal above him, and he sighed. He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply and feeling the stone in his chest warmed by his blood and body heat.

"Tahi-shei," he whispered, the syllables falling onto his tongue was he felt the pulsing of the world around him. He'd thought them before, he was sure -- they seemed as though they'd always existed, just like the gemstone as his heart and the fungal magic as his breath. His life. He was decay and survival and whispers of something darker -- and he was Tahi-shei Deimos, and he had absolutely no idea what any of those words really meant.



@pride

Pride was, at the time of Tahi-Shei's hatching, not far off at all. Orion was at the best of times a quiet cave, its dust and silence speaking of ages long past. Other caves, to the white stag, often felt of the here and now--though fraught with memories of their history and the bones of the long-dead; but Orion felt as though it had stopped, one day, and never come through to this age. As if stepping into it was to step into the past, into crumbling thoughts of long-lost days.

The crack, then, of the chrysalis--and the muffled thump of a body hitting stone beneath--was just loud enough to hear from the Throne, and Pride's head lifted sharply from where he'd laid it down to rest. Ears flicked, and the quiet, brief clatter of rock (or was it hooves?) confirmed that he'd heard something.

Pride stood, wary curiosity driving him, and began a quick and quiet pacing toward the sound. He drew his magicka around him like a cloak, as he walked, a habit now of "just in case" defense. His nose caught the scent of the fluid of cracked chrysalis, and he adjusted his course to take him to it.

The fawn that he at last spotted in the distance looked all the smaller for the vast walls around it. And seeing it stirred memories within him: a similar fawn, tawny-coated, white-spotted, tumbling and staggering with the clumsiness of youth through this very cave. He blinked, and past became present, and an old friend was now a young stranger.

Pride paused a dozen or so yards away, and called out gently, his voice fluting, melodic. "Excuse me," he said, gently; "Are you all right?" And then--"May I approach?"

He sensed no other danger, close by--no scent of predator, or scuffing of paws on rock. There was no need, then, for him to rush; no need to storm close and frighten the child. He wasn't sure if it would grasp his words; some could speak, to some extent, and some were mute for a time. But if it didn't, he had other ways of communicating. The last thing Pride wanted, though, was to approach unexpectedly and scare the fawn.

@Tahi-shei

The sound of Pride's approach snapped Tahi into action. Who was this other creature? What did it want from him? As the soft clatter of hooves against stone turned into an approaching form cloaked in magic, tall and pale and with proud antlers and a body shaped like his own, Tahi-shei was at first confused and afraid. Every muscle in his body was tense as he stared at the other creature, unsure of himself and what this other gembound's intentions might be, but the glimmer of diamond at his throat and the similar-enough body shape was enough to prevent him from trying to run away.

Then, the proud creature was speaking to him softly. Tahi-shei's mind raced to keep up, blinking slowly as the sounds slowly formed into syllables and the syllables slowly formed into words, which had meaning and melody. He scraped for the knowledge he knew must be buried inside him somewhere. He understood Pride plenty, and was able to speak his own name, so surely he could respond. The words only just barely made sense to him, like speaking a language you didn't quite know through murky water, and he struggled to form a response. What could he say? Did Pride mean him harm? Why had the universe brought this pale creature towards him? But finally, Tahi-shei relaxed. Surely, if the other gembound had wanted to harm him, he wouldn't have asked permission.

"... Approach," the fawn rasped, repeating Pride's own words back to him for lack of anything better to use in its place. His voice was rough and new, unused and somewhat strained. He coughed a few times, and then let out a soft whistle that, in a normal fawn, might have been a call for his mother. Of course, Tahi-shei didn't really have a mother unless you wanted to count the formless fungal magic and the stone in his chest as parents, and certainly didn't need one to feed him. Really, he wanted to find some moss or something, but he didn't know what moss was yet and therefore could not articulate his hunger.

Then, he got an idea. Some amount of magic was prickling at his skin, and he scuffed the stone with one of his hooves as if foraging for something. His magic was still weak and it was anyone's guess if anything would sprout, but he was trying to make some nice, white mushrooms that he could munch on in the meantime. He knew what a fungus was, and he knew that, in theory, there were some he could eat!


@pride

The newly-hatched child repeated one word, and Pride, watching with bemusement, was unsure if it was blind parroting or a regal command. He tilted his head, observing as it scraped at the ground, and again he was uncertain how to interpret; was this fawn looking for something in the rock, or was it pawing a challenge across the stone-?

He concentrated, forming his magicka into words, thought, meaning; attempting to project the essence of what he was saying, slowly and clearly, directly into Tahi-shei's mind as he verbally spoke. The one who had found him, at his own hatching, had done the same and (despite her other failings) this had proved greatly useful in allowing him to grasp language and its concepts more quickly.

"My name," he began aloud, very slowly--his magic imparting the very meaning of 'name,' "is Pride." He paused, to allow a moment for this to settle, patient.

"Are you," (and the meaning of his speech came with it) "all right? Thirsty? Hungry?"

Still, he waited at a distance; polite, calm. He was in no rush, and there was no reason to frighten the child. The spell faded out faster than he'd have liked, before he could go on--but he hoped that this would be enough.

It was a start, at the very least.

@Tahi-shei

Tahi-shei scowled at his failure. No fungal sprouts came, but he could still feel some of his new magic diminish. It wasn't as though he'd cast the spell wrong, he'd just... failed to cast it at all. Disappointing. Perhaps it was the rock, he decided -- it was an unfavorable place for mushrooms to grow, so he hoped that at some point he'd find dirt or decay and get his snack after all.

As the words came, Tahi could feel raw power, energy and strength, as it slowly swirled around him and then the stag was speaking again, words forming more meaning now, something understandable and strong. He mulled over the word hungry, considering the meaning that Pride had given him. He took a moment to fathom its strength and the pull it could have before finally identifying the feeling in his belly. "Hungry," he repeated. This other creature's magic was strong, strong enough that he could understand the words, but he was still going to struggle with making up any of his own. For now, he was only going to be able to repeat words that had already been said to him. Then again, that was generally how learning a new language worked.

He looked the creature over, repeating the name under his breath. That was a word with meaning, not just a series of sounds attached to his being, and Tahi-shei considered what his own name meant. Finally, he decided to share it. "My name... is Tahi-shei." The second part of his name would come to him later, once his brain was a little more functional and he was a little less scared. For now, he was a newborn, rigid and afraid in this new, strange land. Surely, someone in need of protection.


@pride

He could see the fawn mulling over meanings--pondering, puzzling them out. Its careful response was clear: it was hungry, and its name was Tahi-shei.

"Tahi-shei. It is good to meet you," Pride said, and though he phrased it as though they were equals, his tone held a little bit of that unintentional condescension. That little twinge that said "caves, you're adorable." He was a father, after all; and he'd helped raise his fair share, too, of rock-born orphans.

A moment's concentration, and he thought of food. Some might have considered it a silly or frivolous magic, but the white stag had gotten mileage out of it, a great deal: many hungry children had been fed by this strange and magical bananas. They seemed to feed herbivore or carnivore, or insectivore or what have you, with equal nutrition. He had yet to meet a Gembound that disliked them, though he was careful to pull away the peel with his teeth before nudging it toward Tahi-shei. "A little food. And then I can show you where to get other food, if you like. That is a banana. -You will sparkle, for awhile after," he added. It usually only seemed to last a few minutes, at least.

He wasn't sure how much the child would--without the benefit of telepathy--understand. But the fruit, with its pulled-back peel, smelled good; and he hoped that food, at least, would thus be taken care of.

@Tahi-shei

Tahi mulled over this stranger, and if he noticed the twinge of condescension, he didn't seem to indicate it. Instead, he slowly echoed back Pride's own words, a soft "It is good to meet you." One way or another, some level of instinct had settled into Tahi-shei -- a recognition that they were similar, at least in shape. Truly, if it had been any other manner of creature who'd approached him, he would not have been so calm.

The fawn barely understood the pale deer's words, but lunged for the banana lest it disappear before he could eat it. He was able to attach meaning to the word 'food' after Pride spoke it, his mind working strangely -- Tahi didn't seem to be capable of using or understanding words until he heard them, and then he would be able to use them fairly well. One way or another, he ate the banana happily, and then took a moment to assess his... sparkleyness. He could live with this, if it was only for a little while. He was thankful for the help, but still -- he wanted more. "Where to get other food?" he echoed. The gembound stepped closer, ears twitching at the sound of his hoofbeats on the stone. That would be a sound he would need to get used to, but for now, it startled him slightly every time he heard it.

Somewhere beyond Tahi-shei's notice, fungal magic prickled at his skin, raw magicka begging to be released. A buildup of energy typical in a child, which threatened to spill -- but if the magic was able to catch against the stone and fate followed him, small mushrooms would begin to spring up out of the stone where he'd stepped. The first attempt to cast had been an unsuccessful intention, but this one was simply an accident, a child's seeming. Still, perhaps he'd show some proficiency with it -- or maybe he'd just leak magic into the air.


@pride

The white stag turned, dipping his head, and began a slow walk in the other direction. He reached his mind out, as before, attempting to echo his words mind-to-mind, with meaning.

"Follow me, and I'll show you. There are caves with more plants. This one--Orion--is not great for food." The words, the thoughts, were slow and careful, though he felt the link beginning to flicker out sooner than he'd liked.

He looked back over his shoulder, glancing to Tahi-shei to ensure that the fawn was following; he paused where needed, certain that a tumbling youngster would need time to adjust to its legs. No matter; Pride could carry him, if worst came to worst.

Ahh... "Your magic is--fungus," he noted, glancing at the fungal trail sprouting up behind him. "Maybe some of that might be edible... but it's unwise to test it, I think. Mushrooms can be dangerous." He wondered about this fawn--wondered if it might somehow be related to Astraea, the only other stag he knew of with fungal magic.

Hmm.

He led the way in a slow, carefully-picked path down the smoother areas of cave-wall rubble, then across the stone toward the few small gardens that various Gembound had planted around the ruined structures, over the years. Mercurius had grown one of these, he knew; the others, he didn't know about. But he called back to Tahi-shei, as they approached.

"Just there--just ahead."

@Tahi-shei

Tahi-shei's ears pricked as he followed Pride on shaky legs, though he was growing stronger by the minute. Fawns, of course, were resilient, and while his mental faculties were sufficiently impaired, his body was that of a normal fawn minus a few odd quirks. Therefore, he was gaining strength quickly, and Pride's promise of more food was more than enough to make him follow. He looked with Pride back towards the mushrooms, and his eyes sparkled at the word. Fungus. "Fungus," he repeated, sure of himself and proud. He liked the word, understood its meaning, understood the strange whispers of other breathing into him from the mycelium.

The fawn already knew that his mushrooms could be edible, of course, but he was glad to have words to attach to that. It was nice also to know where he was -- Orion. A cave, with beautiful stones on its ceiling instead of stars. He'd been unlucky to be born where he was, but now he could move around and see this beautiful world in its entirety. He wanted to run, he decided -- but for now, staying with a herd (that is, Pride) was definitely safer, and his instincts dominated his desire to have fun.

Pride brought them down to a flourishing garden, and indicated that the things here were safe to eat. Casting a glance back to him, he took the time to carefully pick through the various things growing here, deciding what he liked to eat and didn't like to eat while also satisfying his hunger. Not that he ate very much, because he wasn't very big, but the effort was still appreciated and it wasn't long before he was returning to Pride's side with an increased understanding of who he was and what he liked -- and, of course, what food looked like. That would be useful in the future, he imagined. Finally, now that he was fed and in the safety of something big enough to protect him, curiosity was starting to bubble at the edges of his mind. Clearly, this stag was knowledgeable about this place. Older, and magically powerful. What could he teach Tahi-shei? What did he know?

"Caves?" he finally asked, hoping that his meaning would be understandable -- that he was emphasizing the plural, rather than just saying the word. What else was there, in this not-so-wide and not-so-open world? What possibilities were there to explore?


@pride

The white stag watched over Tahi-Shei as he ate, observing his toddling steps and tentative nibbles (as he tested the various plants for taste) with warm paternal indulgence. Now and then his gaze swept Orion, calm but alert, ensuring the child's safety.

Eventually he folded himself down to lay at the garden's edge, along a bit of soft grass, his limbs tucked up against him; but he didn't let down his guard. When at last Tahi-shei had finished, and came to him with his single word-question, Pride considered.

The child wanted to know about the caves, then-?

I have two options, he knew; one, to try and show the child mind-to-mind what other caves were. Two, to try and display them via light-show. That spell was such a pain, though; always backfiring, always failing... But still, it would be less--intrusive.

Pride took a breath, and did his best to depict the various caves in images. Either way, his words came alongside, slow and careful to try and describe them.

The images that came were hesitant, flickering, but they were there, at least. And he began slowly.

"There are many caves. This one is Orion." And here, he displayed the dim cave, its ruins and its sparkling quartz, to give Tahi-Shei the idea: that he would describe, and display. A show and tell, sort of.

Then came a bright, glimmering blue crystal, dominating another cave, and the glint of water and stone nearby. "Polaris. Full of magic," he said slowly.

The image shifted: now it was green, all shivering plants and tangled trees, with birds of many colors flitting through their leaves. "That is Eridanus. It is not far. It is good for finding food." His explanation was kept simple, for the child's sake.

"Pisces," he continued, a great, sparkling waterfall crashing into a lagoon, rolling hills of moss off to one side. "Lots of water. Very cold. Tenzin lives there," he added, showing a great ice phoenix rising from the water.

Now a dry cave, near-bare of foliage, all reddish rock and a great and twisting vortex of debris, dust and wind. "Monoceros," Pride said, and then added, with intense focus, a couple dragon silhouettes in fleeting flight around the Twister. "The dragons live there."

The same, then, for the vast swamps, dim and dull, and full of towering trees. And the cave of bones, near-bare of foliage, all rock and empty death. And the vast, surging ocean, light dancing off its surface. And for each, Pride spoke in turn: "That is Cetus. The Children of Rot live there. And this is Canis, the Room of Bones, where the Bonebound live. Fornax--it is a sea of water."

He did not show Hydra--he had never been there; nor did he bother with all of the tunnels, particularly now that the magic was fully failing. He looked to Tahi-shei, and dipped his head as the imagery faded. "There are many places," he explained, "and each of them are different. Eridanus is the best for you, I think, if you want easy food. But if you ever wish to practice magic, Polaris can be useful--if dangerous, for that."

This last was said slowly. He didn't quite expect Tahi-shei to understand it all (though perhaps the little fawn would--he didn't know) but he knew that he might pick some of it up, and that was enough. Teaching was important, and this was how they learned, after all.

He hoped he'd be able to teach the child more, as time went on. For now, into the ruins they would go.

@Tahi-shei

Editing into an exit due to inactivity.