This had not been a planned trip outside Orion. In fact, not a single feather had been set outside of that place of otherworldly gleaming lights before. He had merely stumbled beyond its bounds in hot pursuit of prey—a flying pitch rat, deceptively speedy given it was more than double his size. It'd been the runt of its colony, and having grown weary of subsisting off of crawling insects, he had decided to target a larger meal even if it was not one that could be swallowed in a single gulp. Once an opportunity to strike appeared, he had made his move and the chase began.

Still incapable of flying steady and for significant lengths at a time, following the critter through the darkness had been imperfect. Flight could be better described as a couple hops preceding the rapid flap of wings propelling himself forward. This was further complicated as darkness gave way to the soft touch of strung lights. Disorientation sent him careening down the tunnel, the wall carvings less a curiosity and more a textured blur; he was a bird with faulty steering. Still, the distance was finally enough to reach and snag at fur. Talons outstretched for a grasp at what might be his first substantial morsel of meat.

Nothing but air. He tumbled tail feathers over head and landed in a dusty heap. A panicked shriek announced his quarry's exit. "Rats," he sighed, as if a gravestone rested upon his chest. Mulling over the loss, East preened to make his muddy brown appearance slightly more presentable.

@Ketur

The dragonlike gembound had been.... exploring, lately. It was terrifying and they greatly wanted to return back home to Eridanus where they belonged. That was their home, this,,, strange place wasn't. It lacked the plants that Ketur ate, lacked all of the pretty features that the cave did. But... they also wanted to look around, even if their legs were demanding they go back to where they are comfortable being.

Something rushed passed their face.

Glowing eyes watching the dust that puffed up from where the other gembound ate dirt, Ketur wondered if they should ask if that one was okay.... No... but they would anyway.

"Are you alright?"

@East

"Other than a three-course meal of dirt? Yeah, everything's jake." The comment spilled out in a meandering path from his beak, reflecting the current absence of his mind. He took his time, making certain to fully straighten out the unruly feathers on both wings before lifting his gaze to greater heights. Yellow eyes panned over the scene—the wall carvings, the lights, and the very out of place pillars with clawed feet. The last were silently scrutinized.

Pink and washed out with as much grey as Orion's ceiling had twinkling decor, they appeared sturdy as their size promised. In accordance with the beast-like attributes, the surface gave the impression of scales. One might call the sight pretty and give them a curious peck if they were particularly lacking in bird brains. He just tilted his head back to where the pillars should have eventually ended; a solid wall of scaly flesh resided at the top. Unless the ceiling here could breathe, these were supports of a more living nature: legs.

He took the discovery as a cue to stand on his, straining as far back as he could for a glimpse of a neck or face. "If we're asking that sort of thing, same goes to you. You've lost your head up there by any chance?" Of course, there had to be something. There needed to be something in order to speak. But hey, what's the harm in playing the question game? And it'd be easier conversing if he could see the mouth that could swallow him in a single gulp.

@Ketur

Ketur also looked around, there wasn't much to see, really. Exept for the lights that dotted the place, that would keep the area aglow so the gembound could see. Ketur didn't have an issue with seeing in the dark, though. At least they hadn't just yet. Glowing eyes moved to watch the bird as he backed up and eyed at their scaled and feathered body.

Spines moved with their head as they leaned to put their own face near the bird. Almost being confused at the question.

"No?" They didn't quite understand what was going on, and wanted to go home. It was so much nicer at home.

@East

There was a stir of activity and a green glow bathed the rock above in a long, sweeping fashion. Then it swung down, revealing twin lights set within a reptilian face. Their peering cast a ghastly tint over his form. Fangs—long, polished to a shine—jutted from the creature's mouth, and many more revealed themselves upon its questioning answer. Mirror shards, they all displayed the same image: him, unkempt coloration at odds with his grooming and small in a predator's sights.

Crest feathers raised subtly, the quiet manifestation of an exclamation point. Otherwise, the bird wore an unruffled demeanor like a well-worn coat, casual in the way he rocked from foot to foot. He hopped a half-step closer, head quirking in lieu of a lopsided grin. "Don't sound so sure for a fella with two eyes, a mouth, and a nose."

That said, he hopped right back to his original spot. Distance didn't matter much for a neck of that length, but a couple inches might at least save him a bone-crunching if things turned sour.

"Say, you happen to know where the next bat colony over roosts? I'd ask for 'round these parts but they've likely found a permanent residence." East nodded in the vague direction of where the Gembound's stomach might be. "Big guy like you, probably licked the place dry."

@Ketur

Ketur watched the bird with a pretty bland expression on their face - granted they already had a hard enough time making any expressions with their reptilian face. It didn't seem to be expressful enough. Maybe that was just a trait of reptiles, or something. Ketur didn't really know and didn't entirely care to know if it meant potentially getting into a dangerous spot with someone. If Ketur had long ears, they surely would have lowered with the not being sure comment.

The next ones made the spines on their back prick - except they wouldn't have visibly moved. They didn't move on their own. Maybe it was just the gembound feeling what the hair on someone's neck raising would feel like. Except the spines weren't hair - and they only moved when Ketur's own body moved.

"I don't eat those." Ketur grumbled out, voice wavering if only a little.

@East

If their teeth flashed like lightning, their voice was the rumble of distant thunder. Judging by words, the storm didn't seem to be headed his way. Nevertheless, he preferred to reduce his odds of being a cooked bird.

"Oh?" The uttered syllable was tossed out to drift down with the settling dust motes, affording him a brief moment of shelter to gather thoughts beneath. He became a carved counterpart to the scaled creature's stone face, the illusion only broken by the shift of eyes linked to a working mind. A bystander might have considered them a charming, if odd, impromptu exhibit: the small, unflappable bird and the giant of debatable gentleness.

And then he lifted his wings in a shoulder shrug. "If you want to use all flats and no sharps, that's your tune. I'm looking for directions, not giving out an invitation to dine." He paused. "Seeing bats doesn't make you queasy too, right?"

@Ketur

Ketur had no idea why the other gembound would think they knew where the bat colonies resided. If they ate them, sure, but Ketur had no interest in keeping an eye on prey when they didn't want to eat it. It would just make their body scream for it more, and Ketur would go back to denying themselves and muching down plants. At least plants didn't have feelings, even if they also were living things. Eating plants and eating meat was different.

Maybe they could help the bird regardless. Maybe. Ketur wanted to go back to Eridanus... Maybe not.

"No..." The toothy gembound replied back. "I don't know where they are."

@East

Despite there being little meat to the reply, East had all the satisfaction of being plumped by a good three meals. He did a little skittering hop in place. It was a sort of exuberant thing to do, not enough for a dance but just right if you'd stumbled across a particularly shiny rock. In his case, that rock was a leggy Gembound with as much information to dissect from as a well-preserved Lesser corpse.

"With two brains, nowhere can become somewhere," he pointed out, "and you've got the neck to check the places I can't quite reach." A leap with wings beating rapidly demonstrated his disadvantage, feet barely clearing a few inches off the ground. "Scare them off where it's tight and dark; you can leave the chase to me. It'd be a quick job."

Plan proposed, another shrug rustled his feathers. "Course, that's your choice."

@Ketur

The bird, despite being a kid still, looked like he could take care of himself. Why he asked Ketur, the very, extremely obviously anxious gembound for help. Maybe it was because no one else showed up? Or was it that Ketur asked if the bird was okay before. Either way, they seemed like the wrong choice for something like that. Especially for something important as finding something to eat.

Could they refuse? The bird had said it was their choice - but now they felt bad for even wanting to leave in the first place. Especially since he asked them for help.

"I... okay. I can help." They replied.

@East