A wide open area of flat, grassy land and rocky trenches, supposedly a wide range of ancient civilizations once lived here. Species that like wide, open areas, such as Gyrophants, Serraptors, and Sahound, thrive here, though only the agile survive. (+3 Speed)

Moderator: Retired Staff

Return to Vast Plains

[* Mingling Blood [P] [Complete]

Postby Jaykobell » 12/28/2013 5:55 PM

Image
She woke up to the sound of a rooster, right as the sun broke across the horizon.

She didn't stir right away, but she was certainly awake. The rooster continued to sing outside her little wooden den as the first few sun rays started to break through the den. She was comfortably curled up in a ball, warm and cradled by the grass under her.

She was one of the special Paragon of the Dragon Hive. Although the majority stayed in their stony dens dug deep inside the mountain, the female Ambia was secluded. Oh, she wasn't a threat or unpleasant to her mates, nothing like that. She'd also chosen to live away from the main Hive, having done her nest and den just a little ways away from the mountain, deep inside their forest barrier. The reason for that was, despite the Hive having standard tasks to accomplish, the Ambia had a very unique and special task for her own to accomplish: supplying food. However, that was to say, not just any kind of food. The hunters could do that part quite perfectly on their own. No, her job was going beyond just wild prey.

While Paragon typically feast on meat, the occasional fish and the very rare plants, the fact remained that their diet was not very varied. Not only that, but some Paragon were strangely queasy towards raw meat, and preferred it cooked. Over time, the Hive had grown tired of the same foods, and wondered how they could find a way to spice things up. Spice things up they did, for some Paragon proposed to adapt a system similar to that of humans'. If they could keep some animals around, they could get different meats and new foods, like eggs. If they gathered up new plants, they could use them to, literally, spice up their common pork chop.

The idea had been quite a controversial thing to consider, and even more to implement. Raise and live with the animals that you would eventually eat? To most of them, it just sounded like an excuse to play with one's food, which just wasn't sanitary — or even fun. Given time, however, some Paragon did put their claws on the job to try things out. After a few years, the results were wonderful: the Hive now had an official Paragon cook, and also an official Paragon farmer. She was the latter.
User avatar
Jaykobell
Retired Staff
Retired Staff
Pets | Items
Keystones: 4511
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:33 AM
Status: avatar by sleepysparrow!

[2]

Postby Jaykobell » 12/28/2013 6:04 PM

While the cook hadn't had a very hard time establishing a name for himself, her own path to success had been a little more difficult to scale. Having animals stay close to a place filled with hungry Paragon was far from being a good idea. Many used that one argument to say it would be impossible to establish an animal-raising system because of it.

That was when they realized that the animals didn't necessarily need to be right in front of everybody, or under everybody's nose. They could be kept away, somewhere relatively far, where their scents would mingle with that of regular wild prey. If that were the case, the Hive would leave the livestock alone, letting them produce new foods as they wanted. While there remained the problem of having a Paragon to check and watch over those animals, it was the easiest problem to fix: just have a Paragon live with the animals. It was a known fact that not every single Paragon lost their mind over the sight of a plump chicken.

She'd always had a soft spot for smaller animals. She wasn't particularly social, either; she didn't mind the company, but doing without it wasn't difficult. Regardless of everything, she wasn't so far from the Hive that she couldn't visit. She was but a short flying trip away from it, making it possible for her to visit the main clan daily without wasting her day away in travel. A good thing, too, since she needed to deliver whatever produce she could make every day: whether they be eggs or milk or anything else, there was no point in harvesting anything if the others never got their claws on them.

That was what her day usually consisted of: wake up to the rooster, check on the animals and feed them, check the produce, and then deliver said produce to the Hive. It sounded like a short job, but one wouldn't keep the Hive fed with just a handful of chickens: a ridiculous amount of dozens and dozens every animal was needed in order to have enough for every Paragon.

Still, despite the amount of work and tedious it could get, it was still nice to know you were doing something special for your clan even if, at its core, you were just changing something as simple and fundamental as eating.
User avatar
Jaykobell
Retired Staff
Retired Staff
Pets | Items
Keystones: 4511
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:33 AM
Status: avatar by sleepysparrow!

[3]

Postby Jaykobell » 12/28/2013 6:15 PM

The hens had been particularly plentiful recently. That's what came to mind as she finally started to wake up a little more fully, her mind starting to itch to get the day started. Despite that, her body was comfortable and warm, so the two disagreed on what to do. The good thing about being the one and only Paragon in charge of this task was that she was her own boss. She couldn't quite stop doing her job altogether, but she could wake up and go sleep at any time she wanted. No other Paragon could tell her to get her fat tail out of her den, and no one could boss her around and tell her what animals to feed and how to collect their produce.

She took the chance to stretch, taking in the sounds of her little den; it was made out of wood from the forest trees in order to make it strong enough to endure the weather. The nice thing about it was that, unlike the underground stone dens of the Hive's mountain, she had an opening that lead straight outside to the wild, and she could hear the sounds of the forest, too. You couldn't hear the birds chirping in the dens, nor could you see the first rays of sunlight, either. She liked being out there, connected with nature, instead of being trapped underground with cold, wet stones.

Every morning, she could wake up to this. The rooster sang his song, and the little wild preys from the forest followed along. Since she had so many animals to feed and care for, her little farm — if one wanted to call it that — was right next to a small river that flowed gently over the rocks and pebbles. She was always surrounded by the wonderful white noise of nature, and she couldn't be happier for it. Other sounds included the cries and calls of her other animals, such as the distressing calls of her hens. It also included the ear-splitting screeches of hawks, and...

Wait, that wasn't it. She didn't wake up to those sounds.

The realization hit her like a rock. The Ambia's head shot right up, and suddenly her mind was jolted awake and alert. Her hens were crying in a panic, and she could definitely hear the cries of another bird that sounded like that of a bird of prey, like a hawk or a falcon. There also the sounds of flapping wings and abrupt movements, as if the animals were trying to get away from something. Had a wild hawk gotten to her hens?
User avatar
Jaykobell
Retired Staff
Retired Staff
Pets | Items
Keystones: 4511
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:33 AM
Status: avatar by sleepysparrow!

[4]

Postby Jaykobell » 12/28/2013 6:24 PM

The Ambia squeezed out of her den faster than a hummingbird's wings. Her heart was pounding at the idea of her animals getting attacked — eaten or killed, even — by a wild bird of prey, or maybe even something bigger. There was no telling if another predator couldn't have a cry very similar to that of a hawk.

Calling her home a farm was right: there was a lot of space for her to move, with every animal kept in little wooden structures for them to sleep and eat. They were all separated into different factions, keeping the milking cows together, the horses together, the chickens together, so on and so forth. She had to handle and harvest them all differently, so keeping them separated and organized was a good way to establish a routine.

The cries were coming from the little chicken coop, so the Ambia made a dash for it. Nothing looked out of the ordinary at first glance: no structure had been beaten up, no blood could be seen, and no bodies in sight, either. Whatever was causing a ruckus and a panic to her hens was inside the chicken coop. Only as she started making her way there did she realize that the rooster had stopped singing, and that the other animals were getting agitated. The closer she got to the coop, the louder the cries were. She was almost there—

As she stepped by the opening to the chicken coop, she froze as her paws stepped into something cold. Part of her was sick with worry at looking down, while the other urged her on, since she still needed to check on her chickens. The Ambia took a look down to see absolutely nothing on the ground — at least, nothing at first glance. She frowned in confusion, up until she brought the hand to her nose to smell whatever she'd stepped into: nothing. It looked like nothing and smelled like nothing. She wasn't so daring as to go as far as to taste it, but as she took a closer look, she noticed the grass at her feet being glossy and damp. That wasn't just morning dew: she'd stepped on wet grass. Had it rained overnight? No, not that she could remember. Her den was perfectly warm and dry.

But she had no time to dwell on how water could've gotten to the chicken coop. For now, she had to make sure her chickens were safe.
User avatar
Jaykobell
Retired Staff
Retired Staff
Pets | Items
Keystones: 4511
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:33 AM
Status: avatar by sleepysparrow!

[5]

Postby Jaykobell » 12/28/2013 6:35 PM

"My chickens! What's wrong?" the Ambia cried out to the birds as she stepped inside the large coop, filled to the brim with hens of all sizes and colors. The structure had been built to accommodate a great amount of chickens, so many turns and halls had been made to allow the full use of the structure. Rows upon rows upon many more rows of shelves inhabited the coop, and a Paragon who wasn't familiar with the layout could momentarily get lost. If anything, she could definitely get the feeling of being lost. As a result of this layout, it was impossible for her to see the entire coop from the entrance. "What has you so scared?" She wasn't expecting the chickens to answer her, but she hoped her voice and presence would help calm down some of them.

Once again, at first glance, nothing seemed to have been damaged or attacked. That was definitely a relief, but the Ambia didn't let her guard down. Predators could be clever, and assuming that the invader had already gone and left would only result in her getting knocked upside the head from behind. Until the chickens calmed down and she confirmed that there truly was no danger, she had to be on her toes.

Speaking of toes, she was surprised when she felt her feet stepping into something cold and wet again. It was inside the coop itself, this time, and it seemed like the water had also made its way inside. She blinked, now all the more confused. Maybe it had rained and she just hadn't realized it? Perhaps she was asleep when it rained during the night. She hadn't been woken up by any loud thunderstorm, but it was definitely possible that a light drizzle could've happened. If it were just some water, though, the hens wouldn't be flapping their wings and sending their feathers flying about in a panic. No, there was definitely some more to that water that had suddenly appeared by the coop.

Bending her head close to the ground, the Ambia followed the trail of water. It was a little hard to see it, but the smell of wet wood and the feeling of humidity and moist were easy enough to follow. She tried to follow the strange path quickly, but she had to be careful not to take a wrong turn, or to knock over some of the chickens in the process of moving between the shelves. Mingled in the cries of her chickens were the screeches of a hawk, proving that something was definitely inside.

Her heart was pounding hard and loudly as she reached the end of the water trail. She'd expected to find a hawk or another threatening predator, but that wasn't what she found. She raised her head, all the while keeping her eyes focused on the cause of the ruckus. "What in the world..."
User avatar
Jaykobell
Retired Staff
Retired Staff
Pets | Items
Keystones: 4511
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:33 AM
Status: avatar by sleepysparrow!

[6] [1]

Postby Jaykobell » 12/28/2013 6:54 PM

Image
It was hard to describe the little creature in front of her. It looked like a bird, but it had four limbs like a Paragon: making it look more like a quadruped than a bird. Still, the large wings, the beak, and the bird-like features all across its body screamed "bird" more than mammal.

It was strange in colors, even, with the body being a regular white coat, and with a little black rosetta pattern. The green and black wings and head, however, stuck out like a sore thumb against the otherwise standard and clean coat design. The small black feet were covered in black scales, a little tuff of fur sat at the very tip of its tail. It was like no creature that she'd ever seen before.

Despite that, the Ambia could tell it was not an adult — or even a threat, when you got down to it. Its eyes were still stuck close, much like that of baby birds that were freshly hatched. Size-wise, she couldn't judge how big or small it was for its species, but it looked small enough to qualify as a hatchling. The more she thought about it, the more she started to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

The bird was shrieking pitifully, echoing that hawk-like screech she'd been hearing this whole time. Not only that, but it also looked wet — the feathers and fur were glossy, and considering the water trail lead to the bird, it only made sense to assume it was the source of the stray water all around and inside her chicken coop. Had it been washed up all the way here by the river? While it was too little for a Paragon to swim in it, it was definitely big enough for a little bird like this. To add to the mix, it was shivering and shaking, presumably frozen, and it was blindly waving its arms about, as if looking for something. Perhaps it was hungry? Maybe it just wanted to latch onto something?

Whatever the case may be, the bird seemed to be far from a threat.
User avatar
Jaykobell
Retired Staff
Retired Staff
Pets | Items
Keystones: 4511
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:33 AM
Status: avatar by sleepysparrow!

[7] [2]

Postby Jaykobell » 12/28/2013 7:05 PM

"It's all right, everyone," the Ambia called out to her chickens, which were still flapping their wings and crying out in a panic. "I don't think this little... er," she paused momentarily, trying to find a good name for the creature without calling it exactly that, "... griffon," she finally settled on, as she figured the name would fit well enough for now, "wants to harm any of you." If it was cold and lost, it made sense for it to seek shelter. Perhaps it had chosen the chicken coop specifically because of the hens? As a bird, it would feel more comfortable and safer amongst its own kind. The same couldn't be said of the hens, which were probably aggravating the hatchling as much as it was aggravating them.

"What a loud mess," the Ambia mused to herself quietly, frowning a little before looking back down at the griffon. What was she going to do with it? Not only that, but what was it? Griffons were mythical creatures, much like dragons, but she'd never seen one in her whole life. No one at the Hive had ever mentioned seeing such a creature before, either. Was this bird a griffon, or something else entirely? It was impossible for her to say. She knew a lot about animals, since she cared for so many different species, but she couldn't put a name to a species she'd never seen before.

"I better bring this baby to Izotz," she mused to herself, having the tendency of talking out loud. Considering she was all alone, part of her mind, she figured, liked to hear the sound of a voice, any voice — hers got the job done. As a result, even though there was no one around who could have a solid conversation with her, it still did her mind good to hear her own voice. She sometimes interpreted the calls and cries of her animals, consciously fooling herself into thinking they were having a genuine conversation.

Now, bringing the hatchling to the Hive's leader was a good idea, but maybe not right this instant. She woke up before every other Paragon in the entire clan, and not only that, but the hatchling was freezing and wet to its bones. Flying would mean getting strong winds all over the baby, and that just wouldn't do. You had to be careful with babies, so as to not get them sick so young and so you didn't expose them to dangers while they were still defenseless. The griffon's eyes were still shut, so the poor thing probably didn't even know what was going on. No, before she could bring it to Izotz's attention, she would need to make it comfortable and to let its feathers and fur dry off.
User avatar
Jaykobell
Retired Staff
Retired Staff
Pets | Items
Keystones: 4511
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:33 AM
Status: avatar by sleepysparrow!

[8] [3]

Postby Jaykobell » 12/28/2013 7:20 PM

While that was a good plan of action, the agitated hens in the chicken coop weren't making her task easy. They were still crying out, but fortunately, the big majority had stopped after the Ambia had stepped in and spoken to them. Others, though, were still panicking over the presence of the griffon so close to their nests.

The griffon was just as agitated, screeching its high-pitched cry as if it were trying to tell the other birds to keep quiet. It still crawled about blindly, eventually getting its hands on some hay that sat in a corner of the coop. The Ambia watched quietly as the griffon frantically latched onto the hay, huddling into a ball over it, hugging some of it, and overall just hanging onto the hay for dear life. It wasn't exactly warm, but considering how cold the griffon looked, it probably did the job more than well enough.

It visibly calmed down, and the Ambia tilted her head. How was she going to handle this baby, now? Warming it up here and keeping it comfortable wouldn't happen in the coop while the hens were crying for dear life. The sun would also help the griffon dry off, so getting it outside sounded like the best idea. What remained was to figure out how she was going to get it out of the chicken coop. "Can I pick it up? Or... lead it? No, its eyes aren't open yet..." she mused quietly to herself, pondering all the possibilities. Would it bite her if she tried to pick it up? Would it try to run away? Worse yet, would it try to defend itself? It was still little and blind, and most likely lost and cold: it wasn't a stretch to imagine the little one trying to bite her and scratch her in order to fend off a predator. Picking it up, however, would be the fastest and best way to get it outside.

She took a few steps towards the hatchling, taking it quietly and slowly. Scaring it even more than it already was just wouldn't do, so she had to take it slowly. "Shhh," she whispered to the baby as she approached, trying to ease it into a better state of mind. "Don't be scared. I won't hurt you," she continued, thinking that the baby hearing a gentle voice might help it calm down. If she could make it realize that she wasn't here to hurt it, it might be more cooperative.

Upon hearing her voice, the griffon turned its head towards the Ambia. It focused on the Ambia, and while it initially looked hesitant, it eventually started to crane its neck slightly and opening its beak wide. It called out a strange sound to the Paragon, one that the Ambia didn't know how to interpret. Was it trying to scare her away, or was it asking her to come closer?
User avatar
Jaykobell
Retired Staff
Retired Staff
Pets | Items
Keystones: 4511
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:33 AM
Status: avatar by sleepysparrow!

[9] [4]

Postby Jaykobell » 12/28/2013 10:39 PM

When Paragon hatched from their egg, they were typically developed to a point where they could open their eyes and recognize their parents very quickly. Having spent some time in their egg, the body and brain got to mature before the hatching. In terms of this bird, however, the Ambia didn't know if griffons gave live birth or if they laid eggs. This hatchling looked somewhat developed, but considering its eyes weren't open and that it could only communicate with primitive sounds, her best guess was that this baby hadn't hatched from an egg.

That didn't help her figure out what that strange cry meant. However, if it had latched onto the hay, perhaps it was trying to ask the only other intelligent being to come closer and to help it. "Worst case scenario, it bites me or scratches me," the Ambia concluded, knowing that a small hatchling wouldn't be able to do much more to a grown Paragon her size. If it truly wanted to chase her off, then she would just have to show the bird that she wasn't going to hurt it.

She slowly approached the griffon, taking light steps. She noticed its ears swirling this way and that awkwardly, sometimes with one ear moving out of sync with the other; just looking at the awkward movements of the bird made the Ambia slightly dizzy. As she continued to approach, it continued to cry out to her, again with the same screech that wasn't the same as the initial sound she'd heard. Perhaps the other cry had meant fear, while this one meant help. Thinking back on it, it probably would've screeched out at her like a hawk had it not wanted her to come closer. Admittedly, for such a tiny thing, its lungs were ridiculously powerful to let out such high-pitched and loud cries.

Although there wasn't much space in the chicken coop, the Ambia tried to stretch one of her wings forward. She'd kept them tucked tightly against her sides this whole time, considering how awkward it could be to move around in the coop with them outstretched. However, considering the griffon was more bird-like, she figured that perhaps feathers would get a better reception than dragon skin and hands. It would probably feel safer if it felt feathers from her Angelic wings first. The actual touch would come after the griffon learned to trust her, even if only slightly.
User avatar
Jaykobell
Retired Staff
Retired Staff
Pets | Items
Keystones: 4511
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:33 AM
Status: avatar by sleepysparrow!

[10] [5]

Postby Jaykobell » 12/28/2013 11:37 PM

Ever so slowly, the Ambia stretched out her wing towards the griffon. The baby continued to cry out for the Paragon's attention as she did so, most likely because she hadn't spoken to it again. It couldn't see, so it probably only relied on hearing and touch to get around, for now. After a little bit of tense, slow reaching out of her wing, her feathers eventually came close to the griffon's face, where she let them touch the baby ever so gently.

The tiniest of touch was enough to make the hatchling react. It cried out even louder, crawling about and grabbing out to the feathers of the wing. Fortunately, no biting or scratching ensued, or any kind of running away in absolute fright. No, the hatchling seemed relieved to find something soft and alive to cuddle with, and the Ambia felt the baby tug at her feathers as it tried to get more of them. The touch admittedly made the Paragon cringe slightly, as the griffon did prove to be ridiculously cold and wet. It wasn't so wet any more, but the moist and the cold were definitely sticking to her wing feathers.

She let the baby tug at her feathers and rub against them a little in order to instil some confidence and safety. Since she needed to hold it, the calmer the bird would be, the better. Even though it felt like it would accept any kind of contact or help, she didn't want to stress it any more than it had already been scared. While the mystery of how this baby had gotten here and where it came from still remained, for the time being, she had to take care of it. Once it was safe, dry and a bit more secure, she would then take it to Izotz to figure out what it was and what to do with it. Surely this hatchling had to have parents, maybe a tribe, somewhere? Her landing in her chicken coop was obviously a strange, freaky event.

At some point, the griffon looked satisfied with the amount of feathers it had managed to tug. It was cooing quietly, still shivering, but seemingly soothed by the presence of something familiar. "Hit the nail on the head, eh?" the Ambia said, and while the griffon stirred and cried out a little sound to her, it returned to its cozy feathers almost right away. "Wanna come closer, then?" she asked as she slowly started moving her wing, the griffon getting dragged along as she did so. It quickly picked up on what was going on, but it still cried out sadly as it desperately tried to keep a hold on the wing feathers.
User avatar
Jaykobell
Retired Staff
Retired Staff
Pets | Items
Keystones: 4511
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:33 AM
Status: avatar by sleepysparrow!

[11] [6]

Postby Jaykobell » 12/29/2013 12:09 AM

By the time she was done reeling in the small griffon, almost all the hens had calmed down. All that was left in the background were the sounds and wing flaps of chickens which, in such a huge amount, were making quite an interesting cacophony. She could only imagine how aggravating the sounds probably were to the hatchling, which was another reason why she had to pull it out outside. It would be warmer and more comfortable for both of them.

It didn't take long for the griffon to reach the Ambia, still latching onto those feathers for dear life. It couldn't be happier when the feathers stopped moving, crying out to them as if it were pleading them not to leave it again. It was cute, in a way; it was interesting to watch small babies interact with a brand new world, but it was all the more interesting to see it happen with a species one had never seen before. It would see yet another aspect of the world once she managed to grab it in her hands to bring it outside. The baby looked rather calm now that it had been soothed by the feathers, so hopefully it wouldn't be startled by being picked up by strange scaly dragon hands.

"I'm going to hold you, now," the Ambia warned the little hatchling, although she didn't know if it really understood her words. It could certainly hear them, but whether or not it understood what they meant was a completely different story. "Don't be scared," she added, slowly reaching out for the baby's side. She realized, right there, that she would probably be able to figure out the gender of it once she got a good hold on it. For the time being, she focused on approaching her hands very slowly, up until when they were floating right over the sides of the baby.

The sudden feeling of things reaching out for it on its sides made the baby move, and it chirped in confusion at the new feeling. It didn't look or sound alarmed, but it had definitely picked up on the hands. The Ambia stopped momentarily, giving the baby time to get used to the feeling. It took but a few seconds for it to seemingly lose interest, going back to the wing feathers. While the baby had seemed to be agitated earlier, perhaps finally finding another living being had put it at ease. Maybe it could sense that the Ambia wasn't a predator, or if anything, not a being who wanted to hurt the hatchling.
User avatar
Jaykobell
Retired Staff
Retired Staff
Pets | Items
Keystones: 4511
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:33 AM
Status: avatar by sleepysparrow!

[12] [7]

Postby Jaykobell » 12/29/2013 12:21 AM

With the baby calm, the Ambia gently closed her hands against it, pressing them ever so slightly in order to have a solid grip of the hatchling. It moved its head about, crying out in surprise and in confusion at being picked up, but it didn't seem to be shrieking in fear. It was probably just wondering what was going on, and why the other creature was lifting it up. Could it even understand the circumstances that far? It was hard to tell just how much the little bird could understand.

The Ambia gently picked up the hatchling and brought it closer to her chest. The feathers and fur were moist and a little hard and messy because of the water starting to dry with the baby in awkward positions. Its little body was frozen, and made even the Paragon shiver just a little bit. The poor child, how long had been in the water, and then out of it, all alone in the coop? She hadn't been woken up by the chickens and the animals very suddenly, so it couldn't have been very long. Perhaps had stayed under the trees for a little bit before making an escape inside the coop? Maybe the rooster had startled it. "Where did you come from?" the Ambia finally asked, but of course, she knew the hatchling couldn't answer her. Maybe if someone came to retrieve it, or if it grew up to tell her what it was.

While it cried out to her question, the hatchling didn't do anything more. The body warmth had probably inspired some safety in the baby, despite the texture not being that of feathers or fur. The Ambia would've observed the baby some more, but the chicken coop was relatively dark. She would get a better look at the hatchling once they were out the chicken coop, so that was the next step. Tucking her wings tightly against her sides and keeping the griffon pressed against her chest, the Ambia made her way out the coop. That was when she noticed just how many feathers had been scattered all over the place, even more than usual. "I have enough to make you an entire nest or a dozen," she said to the baby, but again, there was only a little screech — hardly anything that could be considered a reply.

With the crises behind her, it didn't take long for the Ambia to find her way around and to leave the coop and the hens to their business. She could imagine the stress keeping some hens from laying eggs for a bit, but fortunately they'd been very productive as of late. Worst case scenario, the Hive would do without some eggs for a while. Speaking of the Hive, how would they all react to finding this griffon on their territory? That was yet another thing she would have to bring up with Izotz.

For now, she made her way to the small clearing in the middle of her little farmland, and settled down with the griffon. It was quieter, warmer, and definitely more comfortable than inside that stuffy and loud chicken coop.
User avatar
Jaykobell
Retired Staff
Retired Staff
Pets | Items
Keystones: 4511
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:33 AM
Status: avatar by sleepysparrow!

[13] [8]

Postby Jaykobell » 12/29/2013 12:51 AM

Just as she was, the hatchling seemed happy to be on more comfortable ground. It chirped curiously, using that same strange screech as it had done when first seeking her attention. Perhaps it was a call to its parents? Paragon didn't quite use single sounds like birds did, so deciphering their meaning was ridiculously difficult. The Ambia could only hope that she was guessing these somewhat accurately, and that, at the end of it, she was giving the griffon was it wanted.

It settled down on the ground and curled up in a ball, but the Ambia didn't want that quite yet. "Let me make sure you're all okay," she said as she settled down with the griffon and started spreading the bird all over. If it had been washed up in the river, there was no telling if it had been injured in any way. She would try to give it some medical attention if she found something, but she would also be able to check the gender of the hatchling. Hopefully they were easy to figure out, and not creatures that you had to sex only after they were at a certain age.

The griffon screeched in confusion and slight fear as the Ambia forced it out of its ball, but the Paragon ignored it. Any baby, whether this griffon species or a Paragon hatchling, didn't like being handled this way and that. She didn't know what kind of anatomy griffons had, so if the hatchling had broken bones or swollen muscles, it would be difficult for her to feel it. However, externally, the griffon didn't seem to have any kind of injury: there was no blood nor awkward patches or feathers or fur, nor any missing feathers that had been ripped or plucked. It was a relief to see that the baby was unharmed, and it was also useful for her to find out that the griffon appeared to be female. While it was physically obvious, buried deep under the smell of wet feathers and fur, there was the slight hint of a female scent as well. "A girl, huh? You're pretty lucky to have landed over here."

With her inspection done, the Ambia let go of the griffon, whom was obviously pleased with finally being free of the hands. It returned to its original ball position, curled up tightly to try and keep itself warm. While it remained close to the Paragon, it didn't latch onto her again. Admittedly, it would be uncomfortable for her if the griffon wanted to sleep in a ball.
User avatar
Jaykobell
Retired Staff
Retired Staff
Pets | Items
Keystones: 4511
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:33 AM
Status: avatar by sleepysparrow!

[14] [9]

Postby Jaykobell » 12/29/2013 1:07 AM

The Ambia settled down next to the baby, letting her sleep quietly. While it was definitely hotter outside, the baby was still shaking. The Paragon couldn't think of much to do to try to warm it up besides holding it in her arms or wings, two things the hatchling clearly didn't want to do. Still, it seemed like it hadn't been very difficult to earn the baby's trust, at the end of the day. She was probably so out of it and lost that any kind of presence, whether that of her own kin or not, was comforting to her. A whole cacophony of questions still echoed in the Paragon's head, but she would have to wait until later, when she could fly over to the Hive and speak to Izotz.

Perhaps she could take the chance to take a little nap, herself? But no, that wouldn't do. She had literally just woken up, so taking a nap was out of the question; she wasn't even tired. A little shaken and confused, perhaps, but definitely not tired. Still, she couldn't just leave the baby alone. She had heard enough stories from the mothers of the Hive to know that turning your eyes away from a baby was like asking for you to lose the said baby. Blink, and the baby was already gone. A magic trick the majority of Paragon didn't want to see happen.

Magic? Magic made her think of something. A campfire? Would that help the baby warm up? She was a Paragon: breathing fire was second nature. Would it scare the griffon, though? It might frighten her to hear and feel the Ambia breathing something dangerous like fire so suddenly. She was snoozing away, as well, so any little movement or noise would surprise her, and could potentially go so far as to scare her. But maybe the Ambia didn't need to breathe fire? Maybe she could just breathe a very warm breath over the griffon. Cold wind wouldn't dry her very fast, but if the Ambia could just breathe a sliver of fire in her breath, the heat would probably be enough to warm up the baby, as well as making it cozy and comfortable. That sounded like a good idea, if she could say so herself.

Despite the baby shivering, she seemed to be doing well. The animals had initially been anxious and worried about her presence, but maybe seeing the hens calm down and their caretaker come out with the griffon had managed to calm them down. Even the rooster went back to popping out a tune or two now and again, back on track with his wake up calls. Admittedly, the Ambia wasn't quite sure who they were for, considering she was wide awake, but it wasn't unusual for the rooster to sing past the rising of the sun.
User avatar
Jaykobell
Retired Staff
Retired Staff
Pets | Items
Keystones: 4511
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:33 AM
Status: avatar by sleepysparrow!

[15] [10]

Postby Jaykobell » 12/29/2013 2:55 AM

With quiet background noise behind them, the Ambia made herself comfortable next to the griffon, whom didn't seem to mind. She wiggled and made little chirping noises as she tried to fall asleep soundly, but otherwise, one could tell she was now safe from whatever ordeal had brought her here. To think her morning had literally just started, she was already over her head with a baby of a species she'd never seen or heard about. How was that for the start of a new day? Nothing was going to get done if she had to watch over this baby. Still, the next step was to show the griffon to Izotz: they would go from there.

In the meantime, the Ambia craned her neck downward in order to put her muzzle closer to the hatchling. She pressed her nose against the baby, which earned her the wiggling of the bird and an indignant screech at being bothered during her nap. Really, at that stage, any complaint from a baby was typically more cute than it was menacing. From that nose rub, however, the Ambia knew how wet and damp the baby still was. While the water on the exterior had dried, there still remained a lot of humidity and water soaked up in her feathers, fur and skin. Breathing and warming it off would certainly help the baby for the travel they had ahead of them.

Craning her head back just a little bit, the Paragon took a deep breath and focused her energy. She didn't want to breathe actual fire on the baby, only hot air. A spark or two of fire might escape and make their way onto the hatchling, but they wouldn't be dangerous enough to burn her or even hurt her. For the most part, she just wanted to dry her off as much as possible. Walking through the forest would certainly be a better idea with the baby, but it would take too much time to actually get to the Hive on foot. Flying exposed the griffon to cold winds, but at least the trip would be safer and shorter.

Once she had focused her energy on her breath, the Paragon bent her head down and breathed hot air on the baby. She let out a low sound as she breathed, her breathing vocalized. She could feel the hot air blowing over the griffon, the baby felt it as well. Her black and green head moved to be right before the breathing mouth, catching the blows of hot air right across her face and head. It was a warm and comforting feeling, especially considering how cold she was. She let out an ear-piercing screech, but one that seemed to indicate happiness. The baby even tried to crawl her way up to the Paragon's mouth, trying to latch onto the muzzle that was bringing her comfort.
User avatar
Jaykobell
Retired Staff
Retired Staff
Pets | Items
Keystones: 4511
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:33 AM
Status: avatar by sleepysparrow!

Next

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest