[Kalandra]

Rock: Sedra ---- Alabaster: Rosto ---- Bronze: Taron ---- Marble: Ivmar

Note: only Taron can speak Human, so all speech done here is in...er...the Stargoyles' language.

Sedra

Ah, we've finally made it.  So these are the fabled Idalani Falls, I Sedra thought as he looked around.  Deep thumps sounded behind him as his friends dropped their loads and landed.  His own load lay on the ground to his left; the opening still tied shut and held tightly in his clawed hand.  In the packs that he and his companions had flown here with them were supplies for the trip they were on.  Lately the four Stargoyles had gotten sort of homesick: they missed being outside.  To ease that pain they were out on a camping trip, with permission from their owner, Kowei, while she was off elsewhere with her main three pets.

The four were certain they could fend for themselves.  They were tough, they could handle camping.  Certainly they didn't need all that extra stuff like tents and spare clothes that humans needed when camping.  A cave would do nicely, or shelter under a rock overhang.  At Sedra's signal the four took flight and made a quick loop around the valley, skimming over the ground while they looked for someplace to sleep.  Sedra looked back at the others as he flew.  They looked tired, and he couldn't blame them; they'd come a long way from the zoo pen.  His wings were getting heavy too, but they had to find a place to set up camp.

[Kalandra]

Taron

Aaaahhh...this camping trip sounded like a better idea when we were planning it back at the pen, Taron thought glumly as she followed Sedra around the falls.  What are we looking for anyways?  I'm not seeing a good shelter anywhere, and this pack is really heavy!  Trying to distract herself from her increasing weariness the Bronze Stargoyle took a closer look at the land beneath her.  

The falls themselves were spectacular, a maze of waterfalls that filled the air with mist and, when the sun hit them, rainbows.  The ground in the falls' immediate area was nothing but rock; further away though the soft ground was covered in grass and small plants such as bushes and ferns.  Many of the rocks near the falls were covered in moss, so most of the area was some shade of green.  It was beautiful, and Taron was sure she'd love the place once she could rest her weary wings.

Something flashed out of the corner of her eye and she turned to get a better look...and cried out.  "Hey Sedra!  Look right there, just to our right; it's hard to see but there's a small cave in the rocks right next to the falls!" Indeed, a bunch of rocks had fallen in such a manner that there was a hole, a cave in them.  It would be perfect as a campsite, for it was fairly high up which protected them from some dangers, it was sheltered from the weather, and it was very close to the main water source: the falls.  Oh, Taron hoped Sedra would like it so she could finally set down her pack and rest!

[Kalandra]

Rosto

It had taken about an hour of hard flying to get to the Idalani Falls, and now they had spent at least ten minutes flying around looking for a place to set up camp.  Ah, Rosto just wasn't used to flying so much, but then none of them were, not even the ever tough Sedra.  Just as she was ready to give up though, Taron called out, saying she'd found a cave of sorts.  Rosto looked where her friend had said it was and saw the opening and a question formed in her mind; would Sedra approve?

She glanced in front of her at the Rock Stargoyle and saw him inspecting the cave, pondering its suitability as their campsite.  After a moment though he seemed satisfied and waved the signal for them to follow him.  Heeding his wishes, Rosto and the other two Stargoyles glided through the entrance and landed on the small cave's floor.  Sedra was inspecting the walls, floor, and ceiling, so Rosto kept her grip on her pack in case he decided they should leave.

In the end the cave proved great and the four Stargoyles dumped their packs into the back.  Taron was eager to explore, but Sedra didn't want anyone going anywhere until they'd made some plans.  Someone would stay as a guard, to make sure their packs weren't stolen.  Rosto volunteered, and stayed behind as the others took flight, off to enjoy the beauty of the land and play.

[Kalandra]

Ivmar

Oh, this place was taking Ivmar's breath away!  It was so beautiful, he was itching to start sketching bits of it.  What could he use though?  There wasn't a patch of bare ground to be seen, save for the rocks near the falls, and a sketch on one of them wouldn't last; the water would erode the picture into nothingness.  No, there had to be something else...somewhere...

Ah, wait!  He could try taking a few loose stones and carve them into the little valley's likeness.  Once he got home he'd have to paint them, and then he'd have his own mini version of Idalani Falls forever!  Each and every single day he could gaze at it, get inspiration for his next piece when his creativity was running dry.  With these thoughts in mind he began to scan the ground for stones that he could use to make his masterpiece.  All the while he searched his excitement grew; and he soon had a nice collection to work on.  Deciding he could just as easily carve the rocks in the cave as out of it, he went to relieve Rosto of guard duty.

[Kalandra]

Rosto

Guard duty sure had its perks.  For one thing, now Rosto had a chance to rest and regain all the energy she'd spent hauling her pack all the way to the falls, and then to this cave.  Besides that, she was fairly certain there was a higher chance of meeting trouble out in the valley than in the cave.  Who or what besides the Stargoyles would want to come here?  The cave was remote, hard to reach.  Even if you could reach it, the entrance was not that big.  The Stargoyles had had to fly in single file, and even then their wings had brushed the sides of the opening.

No, it was highly unlikely that anything would happen.  She did see Sedra's point though: be ready for anything.  Just because something wasn't likely, didn't mean it was impossible and on the off chance something did happen...well, better to be prepared than caught off guard.  To pass the time Rosto began to unpack their stuff; or some of it anyways.  She had just finished setting up their beds (piles of leaves from just outside the cave) when Ivmar soared in and said he was taking over.  The second Rosto saw the stones she knew what was happening: another of Ivmar's art fancies had taken hold of him.  Well, if he was watching the cave then she'd see if she could find one of the others and explore with them.  She spread her wings and soared out over the valley, searching for a familiar face.

[Kalandra]

Taron

A group of Cobalt Albie were resting in the shade of a tree by the river that the falls fed.  Though it wasn't the first time she'd ever seen a Cobalt Albie, Taron was nevertheless thrilled.  She hadn't had the chance yet to study the behavior of a Cobalt Albie pack and was dying to study them further.  Much as she wanted to fly right down to them and say hi, she knew better.  Albie could be very aggressive, and against that many she didn't stand a chance.

Most were asleep, but one baby was nosing the leaves of a fern curiously.  It was so little, so vulnerable, yet so curious.  Taron smiled; that little one reminded her of herself when she was young.  After a few minutes the baby Albie got bored with the fern and started to tug on the ear of one of the adult Albie, probably its mother or father.  Chuckling very softly to herself, Taron settled down to watch the little Albie for awhile.

[Kalandra]

Ivmar

Rosto, what would we do without you? Ivmar mused as he set his stones down in the middle of the cave floor.  Sweet and considerate as always, she had taken it upon herself to get their beds made for the night.  He wasn't feeling at all tired though, not at all.  Ivmar grabbed one of his stones, the one that was to be the waterfalls, and went to the cave entrance.  If he was to make it a masterpiece, he needed its real live counterpart in sight for direction.

Once he had the falls firmly in sight he began to carve.  As he sculpted the falls he took great pains to have the water "flow", so that the full splendor of the falls would be captured in his piece.  A few times he had to take a quick flight over the falls to get the right perspective, but it was all worth it.  Finally that piece was done and he moved on to the next one, and so on until he had sculpted out a wondrous miniature of the falls and surrounding valley.  Pleased with his work, Ivmar set the stones carefully near his bed and then lay next to them.  It was his turn to rest.

[Kalandra]

Sedra

Just how dangerous was this place?  That was the question Sedra had set off to find out once Rosto had volunteered to stay behind and guard their campsite and supplies.  So far his scan of the valley hadn't revealed anything to worry about, but he doubted he'd seen half of what the valley contained.  He was soaring over a cluster of trees when he heard his name being called.  His first reaction was to look around for the source of the sound.

He didn't have far to look; Rosto was flying right for him.  Forgetting what he was supposed to be doing, Sedra met her halfway.  "What are you doing out here?  I thought you had volunteered for guard duty!  If you're not back at the cave making sure our stuff stays put, then who is?  Oh, Rosto, nothing's happened already has it?  What foul creature has chased you off?" He was chattering away at her, but a slap to the face shut him up.  He blinked at her.  She had actually slapped him?  Rosto, the pacifist?  It had to be important, so he decided to listen.

[Kalandra]

Rosto

It didn't take long for Rosto to find one of her friends.  Taron was sitting at the top of a tree looking at a bunch of Cobalt Albie.  Much as she wanted company, Rosto really wasn't in the mood to sit around staring at a group of sleeping Albie.  On she flew, hoping to catch a glimpse of Sedra.  Ah ha, there!  A flash of rock against the green of the plants, rock that was moving.  She veered in the direction of the flying rock, and as she got closer she found she was correct: it was Sedra.  

"Sedra!"she called as she approached him.  "Hey Sedra, wait up!" He looked around, and spotted her, and flew towards her.  Once they were in speaking range he started asking her a million questions, such as why she was there instead of the cave, if something had gone wrong, etc.  At first Rosto just hovered and listened to him, but as he kept going she slapped him.  The slap caught his attention, and the act, coming from one as peaceful as she, stunned him into silence.

Once she was able to speak, Rosto began to explain herself.  "Nothing has happened Sedra.  Ivmar took my place, it looked to me like he was going to work on one of his projects, and he was kind enough to relieve me so I could come out and explore.  I don't want to do so alone though, and I'd rather not join Taron.  She's off watching a group of sleeping Cobalt Albie, which is fascinating for her and dull for me.  May I join you then Sedra?"

[Kalandra]

Sedra

Hmm.  Sedra still wasn't thrilled that the guard had been changed without his knowledge, but it made sense.  Whenever Ivmar went on one of his art sprees he couldn't be stopped, and if he could do his art in the cave and thus do guard duty, there was no reason for Rosto to deprive herself of some adventure.  Sedra could sympathize with her about Taron too; he wouldn't care to sit around watching sleeping Albie either.

"I am taking a sweep of the valley to look for any possible dangers.  A second set of eyes will be useful though; mine can't possibly catch everything.  I have just one condition to your accompanying me Rosto: I want you to stay close.  There is safety in numbers, and we can help each other out should we get into trouble.  So, you can come with me if you'll stay within shouting range.  Otherwise, go back to the cave and keep Ivmar company.

[Kalandra]

Rosto

Rosto listened as Sedra stated his conditions.  If she was to accompany him she'd have to stay close.  She told him it was no problem, that she'd stay close, which was the truth; she had no intention of exploring the valley alone.  For her, that was just too dangerous.  If something attacked her she'd be in trouble, because they wouldn't just let her fly away, and she really didn't want to fight.  It was also her policy not to try and stop someone else from fighting if they wished, so if she was with Sedra or one of the others she had some protection from enemies.

And so it was that she found herself gliding after Sedra, scanning the ground below intently for the slightest sign of something that could be a threat.  After another half hour though, they had been through the entire valley at least twice and not seen anything that could cause them trouble.  "Um, Sedra, I think there's nothing here to worry about.  Shouldn't we get back to the cave, or try and have some fun?  This is supposed to be like a vacation for all of us, not just me, Ivmar, and Taron.  You should be relaxing too."

[Kalandra]

Sedra

Sedra grunted.  He considered himself responsible for Rosto, Ivmar, and Taron; he didn't want anything to happen to them.  Rosto had a point though; he was supposed to be enjoying himself as well.  After taking one last look around, he nodded and turned towards the cave.  Every so often he checked over his shoulder to make sure she was still following him.  He needn't have worried; Rosto had absolutely no intention of going anywhere else.  More than anything else she just wanted to rest.  There was always tomorrow for having fun.

On the way to the cave he kept looking for Taron, but there was no sign of her.  Apparently she had gotten bored with the Albie.  Sedra hoped that whatever else she was up to; she wasn't getting herself into trouble.  Knowing Taron though, she probably was doing just that.  A little further and they were nearly there...but then a piercing screech tore through their ears.  Sedra paused a moment, then flew towards the cave as fast as he could.  "Come on Rosto, the others are in trouble!  That was Ivmar, I would know that scream anywhere!"

[Kalandra]

Taron

Nothing was happening.  What was the point of watching the Albie if all they were going to do was sleep?  Taron yawned.  There had to be something more interesting to do, something else she could learn about.  Hmm...the cave might work.  She hadn't gotten the chance to look at the cave all that closely...there might be something of interest in it, besides Rosto.  Well, if there wasn't anything else there she might be able to coax Rosto into a game of riddles.  Rosto was the only one of the Stargoyles that would play riddles with Taron...

However, when she got to the cave she found Ivmar, not Rosto, on guard duty.  On the downside, she definitely wouldn't get her game of riddles, but on the plus side, Ivmar always made the most fascinating art.  In fact there was a collection of stones next to him that, when she looked closely, made up a small model of the falls and valley.  It was an impressive display of his artistic talent.  "Hey Ivmar, can you tell me about this piece you've done?  It's astounding!  I want to know all about it!"

[Kalandra]

Ivmar

For some minutes everything was peaceful and Ivmar was able to rest.   He listened to the sound of the water rushing and hitting rocks, the sound of the wind rustling the leaves of the trees, and the sound of a lone Garudor off in the distance.  The overall effect of theses sounds was to soothe Ivmar and make him quite drowsy.  A new sound caught his ears then; the sound of air rushing over and under wings.  Someone was coming.

It wasn't all that long before Taron flew in though, shattering the spell that the sounds have woven over Ivmar.  She proceeded to inspect, and ask question about, his masterpiece.  Usually her insatiable curiosity would annoy him, but as it was art she was inquiring, Ivmar was eager to answer.  "This place is so beautiful I just had to capture it in art somehow.  I gathered a bunch of stones and began to carve carefully.  This piece here, the falls, was hardest.  I had to cut the stone just right to make the water seem to flow.  Hmm...well, actually, the plants were pretty hard to carve too.  All those intricate details...and of course, I wanted it to seem that at any moment they will wave in the wind despite being made of stone.  You see this here..."and so on he went, telling Taron all about his piece.

[Kalandra]

Taron

Taron listened raptly as Ivmar started to explain how he'd managed to create such a fine piece of art.  That Marble Stargoyle never ceased to amaze her!  So, he had had to be careful when he carved the rock to give the water and plants life.  It showed, the water looked like it would start cascading onto the rocks at any second and the plants looked as if the smallest breeze would stir their leaves as it did with their living counterparts outside the cave.

Wait...the leaves outside were being blown awfully hard, as if by a powerful gust of wind.  There hadn't been a single cloud in sight, so there couldn't be a storm...but what else could be causing such strong wind?  Taron got her answer a split second later as a shadow plunged them into darkness.  Suddenly the owner of the wind and shadow made its presence known; there was a Garudor peering in, trying to figure out how to reach the two little Stargoyles.  Rocky as they were, they were still better than nothing in its stomach.  Taron couldn't help herself; she screamed at the sight of the monster.