In The Dark Of The Night...

[Deleted]

It was deep into the night when Len awoke with a start. He flailed for a moment, confused and groggy, and not at all certain what had woken him so suddenly. But he was quick to get his wits about him, drag himself out of bed and dress, and go wandering off to where whatever it was, was tugging him. He had to assume it was some sort of death that had happened; he might be out of a job, but this was something he could still feel, and had to assume he would always feel. And it was just beyond him to not get up and see if there was anything to be done about it.

In the end, he passed through the tundra until he stepped on sand. Miles of desert stretched out before him, with bits of vegetation here and there, massive sand dunes, rocks and outcroppings, and a few stubborn creatures. It wasn’t exactly where he wanted to be, but seeing no other choice, he shoved his hands in his pockets and continued forward.

It was cold and unpleasant, but the cloudless sky allowed a moon to shine bright enough that he could mostly see where he was going. There might have been some tripping or stumbling, and some cursing about that, but no one was around to see. And, eventually, he found where he needed to be.

There were a pair of massive beasts that were freshly dead. He had never seen anything like them, but he moved over to the large gold one and nudged a paw with his foot. Frowning a little, he couldn’t really tell what had killed the creatures...frankly, he wasn’t too interested in getting too close to find out. But the Gold and her Bronze mate were very much dead, and Len didn’t see anything else to do here.

Until he accidentally kicked an egg and sent it rolling over and over before it disappeared into some underbrush.

The egg was probably still intact, and not really damaged, but Len still had to curse. It took a moment of concentrating, but once he was aware of it, he could feel that there were living things around him. More death, too. Perhaps some other wild animal had come and scattered the nest, or some other force of nature. Now that he was looking, the doctor was pretty sure he could see the tip of an egg buried in the sand.

Wonderful. There were probably eggs everywhere.

...And those were drums sounding. How in the heck did that happen?

Sighing, Len fished out a pack of cigarettes, pulled one out and lit it, and took a drag. He wasn’t too interested in fixing this mess, but he had to assume other people were about to be out here, in the damned cold, wanting to rescue things. Might as well stick around and make sure no one died. Shrugging to himself, he found a large rock to sit on, and just waited to see what would happen.

Rules
...Bring one character, or all of them. I don't care.
...If your character's first name is not the account name, please PM me with that name. Or if your character has weird naming rules (sorry again, RaeRae), let me know. This, of course, doesn't guarantee a bond, but it makes my life easier.
...Feel free to make up the surroundings. You’re in a desert at night, but beyond that, get creative, both in descriptions and where you’re searching for the eggs.
...You’re allowed to find an egg every TWO IC posts where you’re actively searching for one. You can pick the egg you found, or leave it to me to decide. What you do with said egg is up to you. Keep it, put it down and look for more, crack it open and eat it, whatever.
...Post as often as you like between rounds.
...There are obviously more eggs than whers. Don’t forget to read their information -- some eggs will never hatch, some will die right away, others will thrive. Saving an egg does not guarantee you will bond to what's inside.
...If you’ve got any questions or something isn’t clear, let me know. :)

Posting Schedule: Sundays, with some posts in between.

[Deleted]

9/10 9
Gold Iyrisk -- Meow Mix
Ruby Kisk -- Aurelir Citus
Agate Alicsk -- Alice
Sulphur Ophysk -- Ophyra
Sulphur Oosk -- Thane
Emerald Juaraisk -- Aurelir Citus
Sapphire Zyask -- Luna
Amethyst Meowmsk -- Meow Mix
Opal DEAD
Opal Oeztesk -- The Legion

Eggs 16/16 found
Frost Egg -- Found by Thane
Tiny Terror Gold Iyrisk
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Itty bitty. She’s probably going to be the smallest Gold anyone’s ever going to see. Thin, dainty, short, but not looking sickly, this lady can still kick ass and she knows it. She might be small, but she’s still dangerous and powerful. As a hatchling, she's going to be a more muddy brown-gold, but as she matures and grows, her coloration is going to change to an almost blinding yellow-gold. Her underbelly and feet will keep the darker gold, while some dark gold flecks can be seen on her wings. Due to a fight with a sister during her hatching, her left eye was blinded, and he will have scars on her tail and muzzle her entire life.

She will be obeyed. She might be the smallest Gold ever, but she's no pushover, and she wants things to be done exactly the way she plans. Which means she's loud. A chair sticking out wrong in her bond's home? Hissing fit. A flower growing in the wrong spot? She's going to destroy it and pitch a fit. Someone's not listening to her, or at least, she thinks they're not listening to her? Well, lets just say, there will be bloodshed and a full on tantrum. Life is just so hard for her rank, obviously. Woe is her for having to put up with all the idiots and those that are too stupid to obey her. Not that those that obey her are exempt from her fits or her teeth. Nothing can ever be done perfectly for her, and as such, she will punish everyone.


Smokey Egg -- Found by ??
Destructively Vicious Agate Alicsk
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There’s nothing special about her size or her build, for an Agate, but she is quite a show off in color. Her hide is a dark orange-red, with bands of ruby along of each of her legs and down along her tail. Freckles of white are spotted heavily along her muzzle, but fade as they go up her face and all but disappear on her head. More spots of white can be seen on here wings, both top and bottom.

Bossy and demanding, this lady won’t take to training easily. Prone to viciousness, she bites without warning or reason, and shows no guilt in the aftermath. She’s also highly possessive of her things, whether it’s a favorite toy, a special play to sleep, her food, or certain people, it doesn’t really matter. She’s definitely more of a bite first, ask questions later. It could make her a good guard wher, if she can be taught to follow even basic commands. She also is rather destructive of, well, everything else. She’ll destroy doors, eat furniture, go to the bathroom where she shouldn’t but where would be most problematic to people, and just generally wants to see things in shambles. Good luck.


Ruby Egg -- Found by Luna
Anxiously Friendly Sulphur Oosk
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Average in weight, but on the short side, this combination of things means the Sulphur will probably end up knocking over more people than he means to. He means no harm, but he likes to rush to people to greet them, and well, he definitely doesn’t understand his own strength. He’s not really much to look at, either, a dark, dull amber in color, with no other shades or tints on him.

Somewhat anxious, but quiet, and shockingly affectionate for a wher, the Sulphur rather likes to be around people and other shinies. Easy to train and eager to please, he might not be the smartest of the group, but he’s going to be one of the easiest to get along with. With a lack of any real aggression, he might not be the best when it comes to protecting the household, but there are plenty of things he’d be happy to do instead. Like greeting all your guests, or trying to sit in laps, or breaking into places to be where everyone is. He doesn’t like to be alone, can sometimes panic and get destructive when he is, but he doesn’t mean any harm. He just wants to be with his bonded or other people. Forever. Leaving him is not an option.


Twilight Egg -- Found by Yvalm
Bottomless Pit Sulphur Ophysk
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Dull and flat looking, his hide is a bland honey color. His belly boasts a brighter yellow, with the same coloring covering each of his toes and feet, like socks. Average in height, but rather on the soft and chubby side with small, deformed looking wings, he looks ugly but like a Wher you might be able to cuddle with. Which isn’t to say that’s a smart idea, or that there isn’t any muscle and strength under that layer of fat. His teeth and claws are just as sharp as any, though he’s probably more likely to sit on someone than maul them.

Super quiet, and more or less agreeable when it comes to obeying and training, this Sulphur is not at all that aggressive. He is, however, definitely lazy, and not one to want to go out of his way to follow orders or do what anyone wants. He may look sleepy and like he's not paying attention, but the moment someone leaves food unguarded, he'll move like the wind to claim it. All food belongs to him. All of it. Everyone may not know it, or believe it, but that's just too bad. It's probably not smart for anyone to leave this guy alone at all, because he's so going to get into everything. Break into food storage, refrigerators, closets, whatever. He'll destroy everything to get to the things he wants, and like magic, he seems to go deaf to any orders given to him at that time. Probably best to just hand the food over and save yourself from that destruction.


Sunrise Egg -- Found by Thane
Sweet Sadist Emerald Juaraisk
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Fairly average in size, but sleek and powerful, the Emerald is fast and dangerous. She may not have the bulk and weight as some of her siblings, but she’s got the stamina to make up for that. Her hide is a dark olive green, from nose to tail, but she's spotted and patterned with jade leopard spots. Her wings are tiny, useless, and patternless, and boast the same olive green on top, but jade underneath. Due to a fight with a younger sister at her hatching, her right front leg was broken. While it will heal, she will have a limp for her entire life.

Look at how sweet she is! Sure, it might be a little hard for any Wher to radiate sweet and loving, but somehow, this Emerald manages to do it. She doesn't growl at anyone, she doesn't seem to guard the home or her bond, and she all but invites anyone to come and love on her. But be aware, that is so how she's not. She waits until anyone gets close, or touches her, or isn't paying attention, and then she bites. A lot. She's rather on the vicious side, ready to maul and tear and cause all sorts of pain. She doesn't like many people at all, and will barely tolerate even her bonded. Training may help, but it’s unwise to trust her around strangers, and it likely is still unsafe to turn your back to her or think she’s your friend.

Ocean Egg -- Found by Thane
Dead!

Flame Egg -- Found by Ophyra
Big Baby Sapphire Zyask
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On the large size for a Sapphire, he's bulky, but graceful, although he really doesn't seem to understand his size or strength. Which makes things possibly slightly awkward or painful if he tries to climb in someone’s lap, or knocks into them, or anything like that. Dark in color, his hide is a midnight blue. There are accents of teal along his face and spine and tail.

Possibly the biggest baby that you'll ever meet, the Sapphire is a major pushover. He may look like he's about to take your head off, but no. No. He's more likely to roll over for bellyrubs than biting someone. Or he'll try to climb into someone's lap. Or beg sweetly for some treat. Whatever he's doing, he is super submissive, rather easy to train, and generally happy to be around everyone. But he's still a big baby. He needs to be cared for, probably couldn't survive on his own at all, and just won't be able to be trained for hunting or guarding. He’s better off as a house cat. That's what you wanted, right? The most he'll warn anyone about is when his food bowl is empty...by his standards, mind you. If there is no food in the middle of his bowl, then it's clearly empty and the world is ending. He'll also cry if something is out of place, or if another shiny won't play with him, or if another shiny does play with him, but too roughly, or whatever. He likes getting his way, even if he’s a huge pushover about things.


Galaxy Egg -- Found by Aurelir
Dead!

Moss Egg -- Found by Clarence
Dead!

Coffee Egg -- Found by Meow Mix
Idiotic Brilliance Amethyst Meowmsk
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Big and bright, she’s definitely not going to get lost in a crowd. She’s a little awkward for her size, often wanting to act like she’s smaller than she is. Which makes it interesting, when she’s trying to fit herself in small places. But hey, with her coloration, she probably won’t get lost often. Searing purple colors her frame, with tiny dots of ruby red sprinkled over her haunches. Dusky purple edges her awkward looking wings and also brushed across her face, like a raccoon's mask.

She seems almost shockingly smart for her rank, but be around her long enough, and anyone can see she also has a stupid streak a mile long. Give her some time to watch and learn, she'll teach herself to open doors (but get herself locked in rooms), turn on water faucets (and freak out when it’s running so much), and find out how to get to all the good treats (and tear around the home when the bag gets stuck on various body parts). She’s not all that easy to train, when it comes down to it. That smart streak means she tends to think for herself and wants to test limits, but at the same time, she needs so much repetitive training to make something stick. For all her issues, at least, she doesn’t seem to have much of an aggressive streak.

Sands Egg -- Found by Meow Mix
Skittish Sweetheart Opal Oeztesk
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Tiny for even an Opal, this little one is clearly the runt of the nest. Not as frail looking as it could be, the Opal does manage to keep a healthy weight on it, and beyond its size, it really does seem healthy for its rank. Too big wings make it a little awkward, throwing off its balance, but beyond that, it does rather well for its size. The Opal’s hide is a creamy white in color, with bursts of paler colors dancing across sit in the right light.

Incredibly shy, the little Opal is wary of every new person it meets. Submissive, but a bit on the dangerous side as it will show fear aggression, it can be rather unpredictable. Earn its trust, and it will be the most gentle and sweet wher possible. Thankfully, there is a quick way of winning it over: food. Highly motivated by food, it can bring the little Opal out of its shell, and get it to stop being quite so shy. It’s just a few good treats away from being someone’s best friend. And once it is, the Opal will slobber on them and love on them and generally just want to be an awkward looking lap cat. Loud noises and sudden moves might still frighten it, but it’s definitely trying. And will always seek out its bonded or someone it likes when scared.


Rose Egg -- Found by Ophyra

Cinder Egg -- Found by ??
Death by Crushing
Disobedient Brat Opal
Big for an Opal, but thin and skinny looking, it is never going to look quite right. Doesn’t matter how much you feed it, the Opal isn’t going to put on weight, and will have very little muscle mass to speak of. While it can still get into all the trouble it wants, it tires easily, and can often fall asleep in the middle of an activity. It’s hide is a dull, milky white, with only the faintest hint of a rainbow sheen over its shoulders and wings.

This Opal might not be the healthy sort, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be well behaved and always a joy to be around. There doesn’t seem to be a vicious bone in its body, but oh, the trouble it will get into. From getting stuck under things, to falling asleep at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way, from just blatantly ignoring orders, it’s going to be a huge pain in the butt. And its favorite thing to do? Knock everything down. All the things. Especially breakable things. Glasses, candles, your great-great-great-great grandmother’s priceless heirloom. Leave it on a counter or bookshelf or just anywhere, and crash! Down it goes. But hey, at least someone is having fun, right?


Storm Egg -- Found by Alice
Dead!

Rock Egg -- Found by Leonard
Cowardly Lion Ruby Kisk
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Cute and on the small side for her rank, this little female isn't ever going to be able to bully anyone physically. Slim and dainty for a Wher, her hide is very much on the dark pink side, with splashes of crimson on her chest and along her spine and tail. Her wings are large and awkward for her body, and edged in crimson, and yes, she's more than likely going to trip over them when she's rushing around.

Sweet for a Wher, the Ruby is rather motherly and nonthreatening. She'll take well to her bond, and to other whers and other shinies, and generally is not the one that causes problems. Or finishes problems. She's kind of a pushover, to be honest, and more or less cries or panics at a hard gust of wind. Strange sounds, strange sights, new people or shinies, furniture moved...the list goes on and on. All of these things are terrifying to her, like she couldn't just eat or smash any of them. She's obviously not aware of her own size and strength, and instead is just going to be a giant coward about all the things. She'll need her bonded to come save her from all the things. Everything. It's all terrifying. Doesn't stop her from fussing over random babies, but don't expect her to defend them if something dangerous comes by. Or a leaf blows past. It's every creature for themselves!

Sunshine Egg -- Found by Caliburn
Dead!

[Deleted]

“Just one more line there and… ah, that’s it.”

The priest sat back on his heels to survey his handiwork. It looked nearly identical to the symbol inscribed in the book sitting next to him, but it was hard to tell. The four candles cornered around it had burned low in their holders, puddling more wax on the floor than the light they cast around the room.

Wiping whatever questionable substance he used to draw the circle from his hands onto the front of his pants, Fr. Clarence eased himself off the floor and began chanting. A cold wind whipped around the room, extinguishing the candles as ghastly shapes began to writhe and form in the center. They weren’t anything the priest recognized. There were two of them: hulking and ugly and horrifying. Instead of two legs, they lurched over on four knobby ones. Gnarled, useless wings grew from their backs. And those teeth—

Wide-eyed, the priest scrambled backwards. In the process, he smeared part of the circle on the floor, sending whatever monstrous spirits those were back to where they came from. The desert maybe? The word was seared into his mind. Well, not the word per say. More like, the feeling of ‘desert’. Clarence wasn’t exactly sure those things knew how to speak. Part of him didn’t want to find out. The other part of him, the bigger part, was morbidly curious. He’d never brought back something that wasn’t human before.

Throwing on a thick wool coat— it wouldn’t do to run out into the cold in only trousers after all— the priest locked up and headed out into the night. He was somewhere in the tundra when he started to hear drums rumbling off in the distance.

When he finally reached the edge of the desert sands, Fr. Clarence stopped to catch his breath. It wasn’t exactly a short stop, either. He wasn’t used to all this activity. Sure, he’d go for a run now and again or something. But, that wasn’t hiking across a whole damned tundra. It wasn’t digging through a desert for deceased monsters, like he was about to do. Looking out at the sandy expanse, he didn’t even know where to start. It was silvery, rippling sand as far as the eye could see. The priest cursed softly to himself. This was a fool’s errand if he’d ever been on one. He was already here though, so he might as well take a quick poke around.

Literally poke.

Clarence slipped what had to be some kind of ritual knife out of his pocket and set off stabbing searching every suspect lump in the sands. Now if only he could find some kind of, like, trail of blood in the sands that would lead him to whatever those beasties were. Granted, they could’ve been buried in proper graves but those teeth! Clarence was convinced he’d find them in some kind of bloody monster mess. Now for the matter of what he was going to do if he found their corpses, he still wasn’t sure. He had plenty of time to plan that out based on how big this stupid desert was. 

[Deleted]

Ophyra was out and about for a couple of hours before the drums rolled. She had gone out to investigate the plants in what appeared to be her new home, so she could get some recipes for potions and salves and the like sorted out. She had travelled a little further than expected; out of the forest she had her hut stationed in, through a small patch of tundra, and was now in the desert. Although the previous two areas had plenty greenery for her to sift through, she kept being tugged out further, and knew better than to ignore her instinct. It turned out to be profitable, however, as she found a rare flower that she could never find in here home world but the desert seemed to be full of.

She was carefully gathering cuttings from a patch of flowers when her wolf strolled up to her. She felt his presence before hearing him. Whenever he was near, the kyorli's bond- as it had been explained to her- tugged a bit at her conscious. The elf still wasn't used to it, and she hesitated in her work for just a breath before continuing. Gaer zhah folbol dkinoss dos z'klaen xun doeb ghil. There is something else you must do here.

The witch cringed at his words. Not because of his message, but because he was speaking Drow, and she wasn't the fondest of that language- or, of the elven race it belonged to. "What is that?" she eventually replied, carefully putting the two cuttings she made in the pouch at her belt.

Before he answered, she heard drums being carried over to them in the breeze. She stopped what she was doing and sat back on her legs to listen. She hadn't deciphered out how to understand them yet. Gaer ph'eggs nindel ph'noamuth. There are eggs that are lost. Her mind immediately thought of the firelizards that she recently witnessed the hatching of, and turned to finally look at the ikal'daka. He was standing by her, still in the sand and not in the small patch of soil and grass she was in. His pupilless eyes looked sharp and attentive for his age, though she suspected he would live much longer than the normal wolf.

"The parent's should have kept better track of them, then," came her curt reply. Ophyra idly wondered if the creatures here always had these kinds of trouble. She continued thinking along this train of thoughts as she went back to her flower patch, searching among the roots for a fresh start she could take. Those thoughts were suddenly wiped from her mind as a startling image plastered itself in her conscious; bloodied, broken bodies of oddly shaped dragons. They were draconic, at the very least, with four knobly legs and short wings that clearly weren't meant for flying. They had large teeth, a stubby tail, and the token draconic snout. But they were lying at odd angles in the sand, their golden and bronze hides slashed open.

As she stopped what she was doing, resting her palms flat on the grass and closing her eyes briefly, Yvalm said, They are dead. The witch didn't ask why he reverted to common, but she took the hint. She began searching in the flower patch, carefully putting her dagger away at her belt.

[Deleted]

Drums. In the middle of the night. That was a bit rude, although Helen tried to be patient with the younger kids and remember what it was like to wnat to be up all night with her parties. Still, it was a bit odd not to hear any other sounds with it. No guitars, did kids not listen to guitars any more? They had their... whatever letters, the computer music. You know. With the beeps and the drums, still.

ATM music, or whatever it was called.

Anywho, eventually she got out of bed and slipped on her robe and slippers (they weren't her robe and slippers, but they were a pair of robe and slippers that were hers now, thanks to that nice lady in the market understanding that she'd bring some preserves as soon as she could) to see if she could talk to the neighbours about turning it down, only to learn that the neighbour was a very large... an ogre? An ogre with some very large drums. Who pointed in a direction.

And she left in that direction very hastily, because hell below she wasn't going to argue with him did you see the size of him! She was no fool!

Surrounded by a bubble of warm, still air, because if she was going to be out at night you better believe she was going to bend the weather to her will right now and not have a cold breeze lifting up her night dress you skeevy pervert, she saw a light in the not to distant distance and soon, the smell of

"Oh dear," that was not smoke. That was not tobacco smoke at all. That was blood. Poor beasties. It curled her nose unpleasantly, the stench of it, but that didn't mean she didn't feel sorry for them. Great big ugly-looking brutes they might be, nobody deserved being mauled to death without purpose.

Squinting, it looked like she wasn't alone besides the light and herself and the beasties. "What are you looking for?" she asked the other figures' backs, still standing by the strange dead animals, uncertain if she wanted to be finding something or not depending on what it was.

[Deleted]

She wasn't sure she was ever going to get used to this planet.

Ten minutes ago, Meow Mix had been walking through the haphazard little village that had sprung up around the crater she was coming to call home. She'd had a craving for a late night snack that her pile of pilfered crackers and potato chips wasn't going to satisfy. There was a mess hall, though, and a few scattered little restaurants, and one of them had managed to scrounge the ingredients from god-alone-knew-where to create an absolutely picture-perfect reuben sandwich. The corned beef was cut thick and dripping, the sauerkraut was tart and crunchy, the swiss cheese melted into every crack and crevice of the toasty rye bread... it was amazing, and Mixie cherished every bite.

And given that she had only a tiny rat-sized mouth to bite with, that was a lot of bites to cherish.

She'd started making a habit of heading out for a sandwich at least once a week, always paying with little trinkets or repairing something in the kitchen in return. She'd walked this route often enough to walk it blindfolded at this point, and yet, somehow, as she was heading back towards the tunnels that led to her workshop, she'd managed to get turned around. Instead of strolling across sandy floors, she was strolling across sandy... sand? Lots of it? With dunes and dead plants and scruffy little cactus-es and stuff? And the buildings were gone, and... she was in the desert now?

Oh... kay, then.

It was cold out here, with no campfires and no people and no volcano and not even any walls to block the wind. The sky was bright and clear, though, giving Mixie a good view of the unfamiliar stars... none of which were going to do a damned bit of good to lead her back to civilization, mind you. Given her experiences on this world so far, though, she wasn't particularly worried. Weird stuff happened here. Weird stuff happened here a LOT. But generally, if weird stuff was happening, it almost never happened to just one person... and sure enough, in the distance, Mixie saw someone sitting on a rock.

"Hellooooo~!" she called out, her suit's speakers distorting the cry a bit. "Is tonight being weird at you, too?"

Judging from the pair of giant dead animals involved, it was definitely being weird. Ergh. Something had clearly gone wrong out here in the mysterious desert, at least for those critters.

"Are those dragons?" she asked, getting close enough to poke one of them. It certainly was a, uh. Messy sight. Thankfully, rats in general are prone to having strong stomachs, and Mixie was no exception. There wasn't anything much worse here than you'd see at a particularly exotic barbeque. In addition to the smoking man on the rock, she spotted a couple other people wandering in from the desert- people she vaguely recognized from other similarly strange situations- and they were both hunting around for something... well, one of them was hunting, and the other was randomly stabbing the sand as if he had a grudge against it.

"What are we looking for out here?" she asked, not really expecting a proper answer. No one ever had answers around here. But, since 'looking' was the theme of the evening, she figured she might as well start at the source of the weirdness. Keeping her sandwich well clear of the mess, she used her free hand to start poking and prodding around the dead beasties, looking for anything that seemed out of place. Well. More out of place than a pair of giant dead beasties, at least.

Another human-type person soon joined them, and Mixie made sure to give the old lady a cheerful (if somewhat sandwich-burdened) wave. "We're looking for... I dunno," she confessed brightly. "But I'm sure we'll figure it out if we find it, right?"

[Thane Hampden]

Thane was relaxing on his bed when he heard the faint sound of drums. Getting up, he strolled to the entrance of the cave he called home and stuck his head out, listening. He had been told the drumbeats could be translated, but he had yet to master the language. "What's the message this time?" he asked, the question directed towards the large eagle settled further up the cliff.

There are eggs in the desert that need to be found. There will probably be an opportunity to make a pact with the hatchlings once they are gathered. I shall fly you there, for it is a long walk, even for you, Kalla replied after a moment. Thane grinned and hurried back inside to prepare, putting on his green and black flight suit and helmet to protect himself against the cool night breeze. The suits were designed to survive the vacuum of space, so he would be nice and warm during the trip. Unsure of what to expect, he clipped his combat knife to his belt before climbing onto the back of the waiting Arathli.

Thane dug his fingers into Kalla's neck feathers, securing himself as she took off, each flap of her massive wings carrying them higher into the night sky. As they rose above the rim of the volcano crater, he smiled as the landscape beyond spread out before them. "Wow..." he breathed, admiring the view. The bright moon shone off of the tundra that bordered the forest surrounding the volcano, and he leaned over Kalla's side to look at it as the eagle winged her way over it. Soon enough, the snow melted into sand that stretched to the horizon. Spotting people scattered over the sand, he focused on them, murmuring to Kalla to circle above them. She did so, and he watched. They seemed to be searching, probably looking for the eggs the drums had spoken of. Well, he certainly wasn't going to find any in the sky, so they might as well land.

"Let's go take a look," he directed, and Kalla obligingly circled down towards the nearest sand dune. Thane jumped off her back as soon as she landed and crouched, looking for another sticking out of the sand. Spotting a mound that looked promising, he walked over to it and began to dig. Hopefully it was an egg and not a creature that would bite off his hand.

[Deleted]

Through the underbrush crept a cougar, a creature so pale as to be almost blue in the moonlight. Grey eyes watched the world, committed it to memory. In some ways it very much reminded her of California. She’d made trips to Death Valley as a teenager, with school and with her parents, but she hadn’t been back in something like fifty years. The place had just never really drawn her back, even despite how long she had spent traveling, and certainly not in the five or so years she’d worked in Philadelphia. Now she found herself stuck in the Faewild (seriously, how did not one single fae she’d met understand the concept of portals? Weren’t they all supposed to be able to do that?) and prowling through an uncanny mirror of Death Valley.

On the one hand she wanted to go home, on the other hand she’d spent so long as a human that it kind of felt good to stretch her shapeshifting legs again. She’d been a cougar for almost a full twenty-four hours now. It certainly helped against the cold of the desert, and most things left her alone like this. Or at least most things that she had encountered so far, though she had to admit the absolutely massive bird-creatures that she’d seen fly overhead made her feel more than a little bit uncomfortable. At one point she’d thought she’d seen one of them creatures like the little firelizards, only very much larger. She did not have any desire to admit to herself that it was a dragon. Dragons were extinct, even she knew that.

A scent on the wind made her stop. Something like blood but… not. There was nothing iron in it, though it carried all the more subtle markings of being lifeblood. It smelled instead of pennies, not a scent she smelled often given she worked with larger denominations, but not one that was foreign to her either. After a few deep breaths curiosity got the better of her, and off she took across the sands, her paws beating to the rhythm of the drums.

It wasn’t long before she picked out a light, a small red glow, and even shorter still before she could make out the man smoking a cigarette sitting on a rock. Still out of his sight the cougar paused, shifted, and took the form of Alice once again, crossing the sands to join lizard by the source of the not-blood scent. “You got another one of those I can bum?” She asked, looking over the bodies of the beasts with a casual interest, “Or a portal back to the material realm?” She had taken to asking anyone that she met, not that it had gotten her very far yet.

[Caliburn]

tch

It was a scathing sound that Cal had intended, his steely hands gripped the black wooded cane in front of him his back hunched forwards as he put all his weight there and stared with hawkish intent at the bodies he'd hobbled up on. He'd seen something like this before as he'd wandered the desert. . .having scared a few of them off as well after some hacking and slashing. Where these two perhaps dead by his hands? he had no idea but he gave a little nod to the gigantic deformed predators in show of respect.
He'd ignored all other humanoids that had approached the bodies, or at least the few he'd silently arrived with, that being the old woman and the strange pile of junk whom spoke way too loudly in the dark of the night. He seemed to eye then sniff at the air, perhaps cold from the wind as he tucked the dark wool coat he wore about himself a bit tighter.
His cane dug into the sand as he hoisted it and hobbled closer to the dead metallic monsters, they where nothing like he'd seen before. He balanced himself on his feet and reaching out with the cane prodded one of the small useless wings that stuck out from its bulky frame. Where they even capable of flying? and what of the drums he'd heard earlier? did that have anything to do with this? He imagined so if there was these. ..things sticking out of the sand, he noted oval shaped things or at least one, but he lost sight of it just as quickly. If he saw it again he'd grab at the strange object, perhaps these two creatures had a nest of eggs tossed about?

killed them yourself eh?

His hawkish eyes roved back to the gentleman he did not see arrive, the one smoking his lungs away, he seemed scrawny yet Cal had seen much meeker men do fantastic feats.

[Deleted]

It was going to take Clarence a while to find anything interesting. There were plenty of mounds of interesting looking sand between the start of the desert and where all the drama had taken place. But hey, if the priest was determined, or just stubborn enough to keep going, he'd probably make it closer to where the gathering was, and the corpses of the dead adults. But luck would soon have it in for him, as a particular mound of sand was hiding a surprise. Of course, stabbing the sand might not have been the best idea in the world. The priest would find his dagger hitting resistance in that pile of sand, and promptly being stuck. The real question was, what in the world did he stab? Some random animal? Some patch of weird dirt or clay under the sand? An egg? Whatever it was, it was producing a foul odor. That probably wasn't a good sign.

Was there something in the flower patch? Oh, definitely. Was it what Ophyra was hoping for? Probably not. It wouldn't take too much poking around before there was some shaking of plants, and an angry gerbil looking creature hopped out. It looked almost harmless at first, with soft brown fur and small ears and a long furred tail, and it really wasn't much bigger than a large hamster. But then, you know, if bared it's sharp little fangs, and threw itself at Ophyra with an angry screech. So, hey, maybe it was protecting something shiny or tasty. Definitely worth a second look. If Ophyra could survive the pissed off rodent-thing.

Len was just kind of enjoying the chaos that was happening. He saw no reason to get involved, preferring to sit and watch things unfold. The drums did seem to be doing their job, bringing people here to look for eggs or whatever else might be lurking around here. Which worked. Meant Leonard didn't have to put up fliers or do something himself. But even so, he was maybe a little worried about some of the people that were beginning to trickle in. The old lady that showed up probably shouldn't be out here in the cold and dark. She could break a hip in the sand or something, and then Leonard would have to be a gentleman and carry her home. And fix her hip. And probably feel a little guilty about the whole process.

The walking suit of junk arrived about the same time as Helen, and the doctor could only shrug at it. "Every night is weird around here. Tonight's not that much of a difference." He answered Mixie, "And ya'll are looking for eggs. Or maybe babies? I dunno." Len told both of them, before taking another drag of his cigarette. "Pretty sure there was a nest that got scattered by whatever killed those things." He motioned to the dead Whers. "And no, I don't know what they are."

Where had the nest been originally, that would probably always be up for question. But something was still right around the adults. And if Helen or Mixie or anyone nearby were paying attention, they just might hear the sound of something cracking and a breathless little squeak coming from somewhere in the mess of blood and sand and disaster around the parents.

Thane's luck wasn't going to be quite so good, at the moment. The mound was, at least, a promising one, and after moving a few handfuls of sand, Thane might have caught sight of a colorful shell buried there. But in the blink of an eye, it disappeared, seeming to sink further into the sand. And, if Thane was paying any sort of attention to anything but the egg, he would realize he was also beginning to sink into the sand. Quicksand, magic, the desert just having it out for him? Who knew. Did it really matter? Probably not. What did matter, however, was the choices Thane had now. Abandon the egg to its fate and get away from the Thane-hating sand, or try to save the egg and then try to escape? Choices, choices.

Alice caught Leonard's attention pretty quickly, and he offered her a charming smile. "Sure thing. They'll kill you, ya know." He pointed out cheerfully, even as he pulled out a metal cigarette case from his pocket. He opened the silver etched case and offered it to Alice. "Need a light?" He certainly wasn't just going to give her a cigarette and not offer to light it for her. Her other question wasn't so easy for him to answer. He'd met a few people here that seemed to want to get off this planet and back home, wherever that was, and it was obvious to the doctor that he might be one of the few, at the moment, that didn't feel trapped here. He could come and go as he pleased, and this place was no prison. But could he take people away from here? Through a portal or his own magic, was it possible to bring people home, if they asked?

Probably. He saw no reason why he couldn't. But he had plenty of reasons to not do it. Whether everyone was here due to Fate and some grand plan, or it was Chance, or Bad Luck, or even Good Luck, the ex-reaper wasn't interested in messing with that. He was an observer, here to see how things played out, and to not get in the middle of it. It wasn't his place to get people home.

(Leonard was also a filthy liar, for if he was even somewhat interested in being neutral to the events happening here, he wouldn't be a damned doctor that worked on saving lives. But that was neither here nor there, and Len was forever going to ignore that bit of fact.)

"Nope." He finally answered, tone still cheerful. It was mostly true. He didn't have a portal, just, you know. Other ways. "Can't help you there. But everyone is more or less looking for eggs around here, so you could probably help them?" Change the subject, move on with things. Yes. "I think there's something around this rock I'm sittin' on." He offered helpfully.

He had noticed Cal's entrance, even when talking to Alice. The stranger was a weird one, and there was something different about him. But then again, everyone here was kind of weird, including Len, so he couldn't really judge too much. Human-ish shapes hid a lot of secrets, from magic to true forms to other, uglier things. He might have ignored Cal's poking and prodding of the dead adults, would have been dismissive all around if the man hadn't turned his attention to Len and asked a rather insulting question. "Like hell I did." The humor had bled out of the doctor's tone, and he just sounded annoyed and unimpressed. "I don't wander around at night, killin' anything that might live here." He frowned, eyeing the stranger with disappointment. "And if that's what you're here for, you can find someplace else to hunt."


(As a heads up, it may be next Monday I post, and not Sunday. I'll be traveling back from a vacation on Sunday, so I'm not positive when I'll be home or how I'll feel. However, I am going to try and do a small update on Wednesday, if anyone posts by then. :) )

[Thane Hampden]

Thane definitely had noticed the sand shifting around him as he dug into the mysterious mound, but put it down to loose sand simply settling under his weight. When he felt the sand slide ever downwards, drawing him and the briefly-glimpsed egg with it, he realized he had a problem. Freezing in place as to not quicken his descent, he thought rapidly. He could scramble away and leave the egg to the depths of the sand and certain death, or he could try and rescue it and possibly die in the process.

After another moment of thinking, he grinned to himself. Hell, he had nearly died once and had been saved. Maybe it would happen again. If not, he had his superior Coordinator strength and a giant eagle to pull him out. Focusing on the spot where the egg had sunk, he delved into the sinking sands, shoveling it aside as fast as he could. All the while the sand pulled him deeper, first up to his knees, then halfway up his thighs. Hurry, Kalla urged from behind him, edging backwards as to not be caught in the devouring sand herself.

"Got it!" he called as he hands hit something hard and egg-shaped. Bending slightly to grab it and sinking even further, he gathered the Sunrise Egg to his chest and wrapping one arm around it to hold it steady. His descent into the sand dune slowed as he held still, and he allowed the sand to settle before kicking hard with his feet and clawing upwards with his free arm, much as a swimmer ascending from the depths of the ocean might. Sand wasn't as forgiving as water however, so he didn't get far before he felt himself being tugged down again.

"Damn it!" he cursed, repeating the motion, but this time cutting into the side of the rapidly growing hole he was in rather than straining to reach the edge. The move brought more sand cascading down around him, but his flight suit and helmet provided a solid barrier between him and the shifting grains. Slowly, Thane dug/swam his way up the side of the sand trap, each time dragging himself further and further towards freedom. Finally, he rolled onto more stable ground and quickly stumbled over to where Kalla waited, her feathers fluffed up in concern.

That might not even hatch, depending on what species it is, Kalla informed him with a click of her beak. I smell Watch-Wher blood on the wind, and if this is a Wher egg, there is a good chance the hatchling inside will die.

Thane shrugged and looked down at the brightly coloured egg in his arms. "If it does, great, if it doesn't, then I just got my exercise for the day." Yeah, he'd be feeling the effects of that little adventure in the morning. Grinning up at the Arathli, he added, "Come on, let's go see if we can find some more!"

[Deleted]

There was a part of Meow Mix that was aware that the situation she was in should have been a lot creepier and more unnerving than it was. She'd been magicked into the desert in the middle of the night and was standing knee-deep in dead dragon, and whatever had slaughtered them was theoretically still out there. And yet, Mixie couldn't even find herself properly nervous. There were plenty of people around, the smell of cigarette smoke was comforting, and she had a fantastic sandwich. Life was pretty good, unless you were a dragon.

Life seemed to be pretty harsh, if you were a dragon.

"There are baby dragons out here?" she asked with a frown. "Well, that's sad. This doesn't look like a good place to be a baby anything." Reaching out, she tugged on a shredded, stubby wing, pulling it away from the sticky, liquid-soaked sand. "Are you sure there's even anything left? If something's chewing up DRAGONS, I'm sure it'd make quick work of baby ones."

... she might have been wrong about that, though. As soon as she started speaking, she spotted the bright-haired-guy (who was rumored to have his own mecha suit!) yanking what looked for all the world like a big shiny egg out of the quicksand he was slipping into. Whoopsie! Maybe there WERE babies out here!

Babies, and savage killer hamsters, too. Fun place, this Whazzit.

Even as she was watching Thane's struggle with sand and egg, Mixie found herself distracted by a soft cracking noise, and what sounded for all the world like a squeak coming from right near her feet. Pulling harder on the ragged wing, she yanked part of the mess aside, revealing the mottled brown surface of the Coffee Egg. Whether it was this she had heard cracking, or there was another baby hiding under there, Mixie wasn't sure- but the first step was clear. She wasn't gonna leave an egg covered in ichor. It was the work of a moment to scoop the egg, and cradle it in her sandwich-less arm. Had the squeaking been just her imagination?

"Anybody else under there?" she asked cheerfully, peeking down below.

[Caliburn]

Cal shook his head and stuck a free hand into his pocket,

assuming I'm a hunter eh? can't see very far past your own nose than can you

Smirking coldly back at the doctor Cal straightened his back and shoulders to stand more solidly where he was, his once perhaps valor glimmering in his eyes as he stretched up to his towering seven feet of height, but he didn't remain this way for long as he slowly hunched back over and shuffled to give more room to the rest of the crowd gathered there to look upon the sad remains of possible parents or so he suspected now watching as the young man he'd seen arrive with the strange hair struggled to pull himself free of a sandpit. If things looked to bad- oh, well the child was more resourceful then once thought, well done freeing himself indeed.

But what peeked Cals interest, was the egg the child returned with, so they where parents! it seems perhaps they struggled against something much larger then themselves, he prodded about the bodies giving a snort in agreement for the junk golem.

aye, and hopefully what tattered them is far off. . .I've been wandering this strange desert land. I haven't seen hide nor hair of beast or bird till now. For how long I've been walking I have no idea, merely that I have been for quite some time. Tis a strange place I've landed

Stiffly moving around the bodies Cal used his cane to sweep gently across the sands as he walked, he feared if the eggs had been buried as they where he might accidentally harm one by stepping on it. Hopefully if he was careful with his cane he'd gently bump it before than. Taking care to avoid any sandy pits like the strange boy he stepped down into possibly where the nest originally laid and poked about, scuffing a few bits of dirt and rock away as he did.

[Deleted]

At first Alice didn't say anything, just accepted the cigarette and the light both, inhaling deep and letting the smoke out slowly. It burned like home. Satisfied she shrugged at Leonard, "They've been trying to kill my kind since people started smoking them, haven't succeeded yet." She took another draw, relishing in the smoke and nicotine as the man gave her the answer that she had expected, he couldn't help her get back any more than anyone else that she had spoken to. The little niggling voice in the back of her mind got just a smidge louder, the idea that maybe this wasn't the Faewild after all and her chances of getting back were really quite slim. She didn't even know what existed, other than the Faewild. She didn't know where to begin.

So she began with Leonard. "Eggs?" She questioned, "You think these things laid eggs?" It would make sense, most lizards did. There were a few that gave live birth, and if you'd asked her out of the blue she probably would have hazarded that these brutes did. She wasn't even entirely sure that they were lizards, but they were most definitely animals. Beasts, if you would.

Cal's words drew her attention as well as they drew Leonard's. It caught her interest that the man seemed so adverse to the deaths of these beasts when he'd so casually mentioned her death just moments before, but she didn't say anything. She puffed quietly on the cigarette, listened to those who were about, considered the dead beasts and their eggs. She shouldn't care, survival of the fittest and all that. If the young were strong they would live regardless of the circumstances of their birth. If they were weak they would not. That was just the way the natural world worked, it was only humans who went to such ridiculous lengths to save every single life. A futile fight, as she had realized over the years.

But there was a pang deep in her gut, and subconsciously she thumbed the sapphire at her neck. Lost children thrown into a world beyond their understanding, abandoned by those that would guide them.

Alice sighed.

"Alice." She said to Leonard, snuffing out the cigarette butt against the rock, "Alice Noe. Thanks for the smoke." And with that she shifted, once more taking the form of the pale cougar. She padded across the sands to the dead beasts, getting a strong sniff of them both since she had no way to tell which would be the mother, and then putting her nose to the air. The residual scent of the parents on the eggs would help her track them.

[Deleted]

Aurelir fell asleep in the bed he'd finally given in and carted into a cave. It wasn't like it was doing him any good aboard the ship; it was solidly thirty degrees warmer in the cave, also. There appeared to be enough geological activity beneath this mountain that it was still active -- which wasn't optimal, obviously. Aurel was no engineer (he thought those might be the group that studied such things), but he wasn't sure that living in an active volcano was a perfect idea.

It was a lot warmer than the alternative though.

The desert he awoke in, suddenly flung from his bed? Not warm. Not bed.

The animal he landed just shy of? Very dead.

The turian stared blankly at the massive, deeply ugly beast for a long moment. Then blinked, and there were a half-dozen odd people and also the mech he'd seen around the caldera standing around the dead thing. Most of them were digging in the sand.

Perhaps he was dreaming. He'd been on the receiving end of some traumatic dreams for the last year, but this one was...odder than the rest? Aurelir collected himself, and stood, wishing fervently for his armor. If it was a dream, it could have at least supplied him with that, rather than his cold-weather thermal pajamas. His feet were quite cold, and humans and their ilk were generally unsettled by the talons he kept well-honed and in good keeping on his hands.

Well, one of them had just turned into a terran animal of some sort, four-legged and apparently more suited for the task at hand. Perhaps they wouldn't care so much about the knife-hands, dream or no. The sitting human-shaped one seemed to be the first one who'd arrived -- not the killer, if his words were anything to go by. "Meat is meat," Aurelir murmured, sidelong, at Leonard, shuffling sand aside carefully as he shifted closer. He cleared his throat around the sleep still trying to cling. "Do you think that they're edible? There are plenty who are hungry back at the camp."

It was true. And the beasts were dead already.

Also probably not meant to be eaten, but well. He had no idea whatsoever what the massive, ugly things were.

There was a bad smell about the place, though, even heavier than the metallic, coppery reek of the ugly creatures' blood -- "Are you sure the eggs live? It smells...wrong."

Aurelir was a pragmatist. Until it revealed itself a dream, he'd be cautious in his exploration of the sand (really, shuffling his feet and trying not to buckle under the frigid night air probably didn't much count). Did he want to know the source of the extremely foul smell the human poking at the ground was stirring up? Absolutely not.

[Deleted]

Thane totally managed to save the egg, and even kept himself alive. Good job! The sand didn’t seem to want to come after him any longer, as things settled and that patch of weird sand seemed to go back to normal. But hey, the Sunrise Egg seemed to be very happy about being saved. It started shaking a lot, and cracks started to appear along it’s colorful surface. It wouldn’t take but a few seconds after that before a green nose shoved itself through the shell. The Sweet Sadist Emerald was still mostly stuck in her egg, but oh, was she trying.

And oh, what was that? Near Thane, there was a small rocky area, and it sounded like something might be rustling near there.

The doctor had to shrug at Mixie’s question. “Dunno if they’re dragons, or called something else. I’ve never seen ‘em before.” Len’s gaze swept around the area, before he nodded at her next question. “Yes, I’m sure there are babies out there. I can feel them.” He wasn’t going to explain how, just that he knew. He could still feel all this life around him, but there was death, too. Lives beginning to fade. But people were working on it, and Len had hope.

But hey, at least Mixie got to looking for things, and ta-da, an egg! And the Coffee Egg was already in the process of hatching. It wasn’t where the squeaking was coming from, but the egg was definitely cracking, and rather loudly at that. Meow Mix wouldn’t have the egg in her suit’s hand for long before the Idiotic Brilliance Amethyst's head broke through. There was some unhappy hissing, as the hatchling worked on figuring out how to finish escaping the egg.

And still, there was noises coming from the remains of the parents. A squeak here, a hiss, some scratching. Whether it was eggs or a hatchling or a wild animal, that was anyone’s guess.

Leonard just scowled a little over at Cal. "You assumed first, pal." He pointed out flatly, not looking at all impressed by the stranger standing up to his full height. Len had dealt with badder things than him, that was for sure, and Cal was just not worth it in his book. He shrugged, and just dismissed him, not at all interested in seeing what he was going to be up to.

The questionable nest site was somewhat unstable and misshaped, with dark stains of blood here and there. It looked pretty bare, but there was a mound of sand near the side, and it seemed to shiver and tremble. A hatching egg, or some sort of hidden animal? It was almost impossible to tell at first glance, but whatever it was, it seemed to be quite active under the sand.

Leonard shrugged at Alice. "Somethin' laid eggs. Dunno if they belong to those things, or not. I might have kicked one by mistake." He sounded slightly sheepish, but, you know, whatever. "I can feel livin' things around here, too. Someone's gotta save 'em." He chuckled, as he smudged out his cigarette and pocketed it. Don't want to leave trash around here or anything.

"Leonard." He offered, as Alice was heading away. "Good luck." He was rather surprised to see her turn into a cougar in front of him, but hey, that was awesome. Len didn't envy her when it came to what she could smell -- the dead parents smelled horrible to him, so who knows how it would be to a cougar. But still. With eggs under the sand, and scattered everywhere, it might just give her an edge. Or perhaps she'd hear the scratching sound coming from somewhere nearby, sounding very much like something trying to claw through an egg...

Aliens just kind of falling from the sky was nothing Leonard was gong to get used to. Needless to say, Aurelir's appearance startled him, though he'd probably always deny it. He was the stoic ex-reaper who obviously didn't get caught off guard or anything like that. Really. He did, however, grimace at the question about eating them. "Wouldn't know." He muttered, fishing out another cigarette, because screw it, he needed another one. "Not a fan of eatin' meat. Don't think predators tend to make good food, though?" And with those claws and fangs, they were probably predators. Unless this planet didn't abide by those laws, and herbivores were the ones with all the sharp pointy bits. Wouldn't surprise Len, at this point.

"Somthin' is still alive. Something else is dead. Some are dyin'." The doctor replied, before taking a drag of his freshly lit cigarette. "You ain't gonna find anythin' by just standing there, lookin' pretty." He drawled, making a vague gesture at Aurelir. "Besides, that's my job." He winked, shameless.

[Deleted]

Whatever was squeaking around the heap of carnage here, it definitely wasn't alone in it's noisemaking. Meow Mix certainly let out quite the squeak of surprise as a giant bug alien came crashing down out of the sky practically on top of her. Okay, maybe not CRASHING. Maybe just landing there and then looking kind of confused. But still. Big sharp bug-alien-dude-thing just suddenly THERE.

"Watch where you're teleporting!" she chided Aurelir with a chastising shake of her sandwich. "There's EGGS out here. Baby dragons! You coulda landed on one!"

Almost as if it were trying to prove her point, the coffee egg gave a sudden shake and crackle, lurching hard enough that the startled Mixie almost dropped it. As it was, she hardly had time to tuck it securely against her chest before there was a delightful, jewel-toned little purple dragon head poking through it.

The next squeak was one of sheer delight.

"Baby dragon!" the little mechanic exclaimed, lifting the egg and it's wiggly passenger a little closer to eye level to get a better look at the awkward little creature. "Look, they are dragons! Oh, the poor thing," she added with a pitying tone. "If the momma was still here, she was probably gonna take care of them." She didn't think dragons had milk for babies, but in most cases she knew about, a momma that stuck around was one that took care of the young... and no momma meant no help for the little ones.

At least they had people to help them! And from the sounds of things, there were plenty more out here that needed help. While she was pretty sure the cracking sound she'd heard had come from the now-hatching egg in her hand, there was still definitely a squeak coming from around the carnage heap. Mixie wanted to keep probing to see if she could find the source, but... but... but one hand held a wonderful, juicy reuben sandwich, and the other held a wiggling hatchling that was working it's way out of an egg.

Oh, the sacrifices she found herself forced to make.

She hadn't even TASTED this one yet. Not so much as a nibble of the crust! Not a shred of sauerkraut! She hadn't even gotten to lick the grease from the corned beef off of her paws! What a shame, what a tragedy!

"You had better appreciate this," she warned the little amethyst, before filling that hissing little mouth with a gloriously succulent sandwich, thus freeing her other hand to continue to probe around the dead dragons. Tucking hatching egg and sandwich both securely close to her chest again, she turned her attention to the larger of the dead dragons. Was it over here she had heard the squeaking?

[Deleted]

There were many things Ophyra was prepared to encounter. Nothing was one of them, probably the most prominent. Thorns from the flowers was a close second, followed by the possibility of an egg- perhaps even a broken one. What she was not prepared for was an angry gerbil. She gave a slight "Iack!" when the small creature emerged, fangs bared. She cursed, and quickly leaned back as the thing screeched and lunged at her.

A spell tumbled from her lips as she forcibly swung with her full arm to knock the little guy off course. The spell she cast was a simple slumber spell, hopefully potent enough without the aid of her wand to lull the little monster to sleep. Of course, while she was doing this, the oh so helpful wolf next to her was huffing in laughter. "Shut up," she snapped at the kyorli, whom didn't bother to respond. He continued laughing in his wolfish way.

Should the spell not work, she'd quickly pull out her wand and try it again, with a little more oomph. Should it work succesfully the first time, or after the second time, she'd go back to inspecting the flower patch, just in case the fierce creature had been hiding- or perhaps guarding- something. "Warn me if it wakes up," the witch told Yvalm with a stern tone to her voice. Yvalm parted his maw in a grin but dipped his head in acknowledgement of her request. He padded around his bonded to be on the same side as the gerbil, gazes intently trained on it. Ophyra grunted at him and continued searching. Smart ass wolf.

Said wolf was picking up on the sounds that the others were making, possibly a couple of sand dunes over, near the parents. The elf hadn't noticed them yet, too distracted by killer gerbils, and Yvalm decided not to mention it until she was finished searching the flower patch. Perhaps they could search closer to the parents as well, though it would take some convincing to have her join the rest of the group. Even with such a short time with her, the kyorli knew she was very much an independent sort of person, preferring solitude to the company of others. But, if eggs were going to be anywhere... They'd probably be closer to the parents.

[Deleted]

There was something beneath his foot, and the reason he could feel that was because his feet were painfully bare. Shuffling sand and rocks away with the pad, rather than sharp talons, Aurelir eyed the ground. It looked grey-brown, like the rest of the ground. Little clumps of darker material clung together with droplets of whatever the big beasts had for blood. Grisly. Not the worst thing Aurel'd seen in the last few months by far. At least these animals seemed to be staying dead.

Maybe the Galaxy Egg wasn't, though, exposed to the cold air as it now was at the captain's feet.

After definitely not startling the human-ish looking man, Aurelir glanced sidelong at him, watching him light the paper-wrapped -- herbs? something botanical -- curiously. He was quiet a moment, not commenting on the flame, instead mulling over the tidbit of information. "Your people don't eat predators?" The turian wondered, after a beat, blinking. Making a thoughtful subvocal hum, he shrugged his mandibles after another few moments' thought. "Strange."

It wasn't something he'd run across, but then, he didn't know a whole great deal about other species in-depth. "Perhaps not, then." Asides from that -- "Augh!" The short mech was squawking at him anxiously, and when his hand came away from his back without his gun it was maybe for the best. Mechs. Yelling. Rarely a good combination. This one didn't seem to actually be one of the programmed ones -- he suspected it was the suit of somebody -- but. Well. "Spirits, mech!"

It was good that nobody around was likely to have knowledge of turian habits, because the way his voice broke, the metal-screeching subvocals, were terribly embarrassing. Child-stuff. Which was probably why Aurel ducked his head sheepishly, glancing down at the ground in a vague attempt to ensure he hadn't stomped on anything important. "I didn't intend to be here at all. I was asleep, a moment ago." An unflattering combination of stiff-stuffy-huff and embarrassed grumbling, truly, but the turian didn't seem to notice. A beat, and he sighed, a little less metallic-screechy. "Apologies." The mech had a tiny dragon to worry about, though; both were eyed with slightly widened eyes. Look at that.

That was probably as close to graciousness as it was gonna get, and brought in on a snort of pale amusement for the smoking human he turned his attention back to sheepishly. "Certainly better in your hands than mine, human." He didn't wink -- wasn't actually sure why the man's face had spasm'd -- but he did smile a little, mandibles flicking.

In spite of his assurance, the turian didn't actually...move much. He crouched, squinting at the sand and wincing a little. The cold on his joints was less than optimal. There was something here. It took only a few moments to get the sand fully away from the Galaxy egg, and survey the thing properly. "Even their eggs are ugly." Aurel murmured, scrunching his nose-plate a little. At least he hadn't stomped on it too much, probably. Well, whether it was ugly or not, it didn't deserve to be abandoned probably. "I'm not certain what I'm meant to do with this." He pointed out, rocking back on his heels a little and considering the heavy egg settled carefully out of range of his talons. "Is it going to be like that one?" Twitching a brow-plate up, he eyed Mixie's mech and her little companion, then the other currently hatched, huffing what might have been something like a laugh.

Or a constipated noise. Who knows.

[Deleted]

The thing about being able to turn into an animal was that smells were parsed... differently. She didn't know if it was a beast thing or a vampire thing, or even a little bit of both, but the smells that came to Alice as a cougar were more about information than pleasantries. She could smell life, and death. She could smell people and the odd mix of rodent and machinery that was Mixie. She could smell magic, and she could smell things that she couldn't really name. Things like good and bad lost their meaning in the wake of her transformation.

And she could also hear. She could hear faint cries and claws against eggshells, she could hear the sand shifting. She stopped and sat, cocked her head slightly, adjusting how the sound reached and reverberated through her ears. For a long moment she listened, pin-pointed the noise, and eventually she jumped. Careful paws landed on the deceased parents, two on each one, and bracing herself against them she pushed. Separating the parents and revealing what she hoped was the remains of the nest beneath them.

Once satisfied she could not move them any further, at least not from her current position, she leapt away. Landing and turning quickly back to the nest, her nose close the newly-exposed sand.