Welcome to Gaia! ::

”What do you mean not here,” Sam hissed, his voice low and straining and dangerous as he glared at the sleek autumn-colored Khehora across from him.

Derilae blinked, her confusion and concern clear, though the tendril of annoyance at Sam’s tone that sprung up in her did not go unnoticed. “I don’t have any of your eggs,” she informed him, struggling to remain patient. “And I never did. You and Levi took them home with you, and I haven’t seen any of them since.”

A corner of his mind whispered that she was lying. Lying because she didn’t want to give his baby back to him. Levi was obviously very good at not telling the truth, and he had to learn that from somewhere. He felt a snarl rippling from his throat as he glowered at her. She and her son were close. They had to be in cahoots with one another.

But her eyes.

Worry, concern, question. She was a mother. She’d never seemed the type to mean ill-will to her son’s mate. And she hardly seemed the type to want to take children from another parent. Yes, she was completely devoted to Levi, but she was also… more morally inclined than him. At least, Sam assumed she was. Already, he felt the bile rising in his throat, a sick, vile taste that seared through all of his body and burned like the flames from a Firani. ”Then he lied to me,” Sam murmured softly, too quiet for Derilae to hear. After he’d promised to be more open and honest and promised to discuss everything with Sam first. The Gaili’s tail flicked and his gaze fell. ”Thank you for seeing me,” He rumbled, and dipped his head quietly. He spun and crouched, ready to canon himself into the sky and back to home where he could simmer in his thoughts and plot what he would say, what he would do to his mate when he returned.

“Wait, Sam,” Derilae called. She nudged her head with his own affectionately. “Please let me know what happened to her as well.” Her voice was pleading, her eyes wide. She hadn’t spent as much time with the eggs as he and Levi, but they were still her grandchildren none the less.

Sam gave a tight nod before taking to the sky, fanning his wings and beating them with all the frenzy of the turmoil he felt. He was across the ocean and back to Eowyn before he was ready. Long before he felt he should’ve been there. He knew he should take the quickest route home and return to his children, but… He couldn’t see himself sitting about quietly and being a good parent for the rest of the day. Not like this.

((460/1000))

Suluksati had been tasked to take care of the babies while Samael went to check on something, and it was a task she took to with great gusto. She had always known that she was fond of children - even the little dragon hunters - but she hadn't realized just how much taking care of the little orakoi - who weren't even hers - filled something inside her.

She made a little light ball for Kekeovonnai - the little black one - to play with, and curled her tail around Vazarri, who was adorable even if she was a Diabi.

"Vazarri, do you want me to preen you?" she cooed, nosing at the Orakoi gently, watching from the corner of her eye as her light ball twitched away from Keke's eager paws, "I can do as good a job as your father, I'm sure." she said.

She didn't know Oblivion, Samael's mate, but she thought he had to be decent if he was lucky to land a powerful find like Samael and to find the darling nest they had adopted.

"If you don't want me to, I won't." she aquiesced, "But you have such lovely colors - we mustn't let them get dirty!" Of course, dirt showed so well on her white feathers that she frequently had to preen. Dirt and blood. Such trouble feathers were... such wonderful totally-worth-it trouble.

The mountains loomed closer, and still he wasn't ready to return. He doubted Levi would be there, but he could be. He could be sitting right next to Sulu talking about the hunt of the day while his Orakoi swatted a dead bouken across the floor. And Sam would fly in and... And what? Ruin all of that right there in the open? He doubted he could contain himself long enough to ask Levi to speak in private, burning with the desire for answers as he was... Still, it was wrong of him to leave Sulu there by herself. He really should return home as soon as possible.

The sheer force of his inner uncertainty must have summoned something- someone to meet him on his journey. Perhaps one of the gods had sent the orange woman his way just to deter him long enough to get a hold of himself. He sensed the powers of a Khehorian just as the sun glistened off of familiar orange scales. They hadn't parted on particularly favorable terms last time, or the time before that... He wasn't entirely sure if he should expect a pleasant hello or if he was about to be charged with Grrel's seemingly new found powers. ”Grrel,” he greeted with all the casual he could muster. ”You look.... well.”

~~~

Zarri twitched away from the strange female Khehora that thought she had the right to nudge her nose against Zarri's feathers. If she had words to describe how precisely she felt about the intrusion, it probably would've been a slur of curses and refusal and how dare she. But Zarri had never heard such words before. Certainly not from her father, so how could she know they existed? Instead, she bared her teeth at the Aedaun, her jowls parting slightly so the sound of an agitated hiss could slip out of her.

She clambered over the confining tail with only a bit of trouble, giving a last grunt of warning over her shoulder as she trotted over to Keke, turning her nose to the air indignantly. How dare this creature of light think she could do anywhere near as good a job as Pappy? Because she had feathers? Yeah, right. Lady didn't know anything. With a huff, Vazarri sat down near her brother. Not near enough that it would give the impression that she'd want to join him in his play (she feared that would please the Aedaun), but close enough that she felt comforted by his presence and far enough away from the vile white-feathered woman. The Diabi glowered at her new-found nemesis through slitted carmine orbs.

((897/1000))

"Suit yourself..." murmured Suluksati forgivingly, meeting the brilliant eyes of the diabi with her own calm amber. She made the light ball twitch again, amused. Just because the little one did not like her didn't make her any less cute.

She did wonder, though, where Samael was. Not that she minded her watching duties of course - it was a delight and a refreshing change of pace - but he had said he would be back soon. "Your father should be back soon." she rumbled, echoing her thoughts. She hoped so, anyway...

~~~

Keke was still very interested in the light ball, of course, but his sister coming over took precedence!

She was hissing at nothing worth hissing at, which meant she was upset. maybe her tummy hurt? He got upset when his tummy had hurt that one time, and she got upset over little things, so if her tummy hurt then she had to be very upset.

Either way, she needed his affection! He turned away from the light orb to her and yipped happily, giving her an undignified and adoring nuzzle.

Suluksati watched the interaction, tilting her head and purring amusedly. What were they doing? Were they planning some mischief? That would be incredibly adorable of them.

Oh, she wished she could have orakoi of her own. She wanted to have a nest full of little bodies to snuggle and adore and play with. She wanted to be a mother.

But, alas, she knew that was not to be.

She flicked the light ball closer, playfully, hoping to distract the two siblings from their plots.

~~~

Keke made a puzzled 'Crrow?' sound, looking at his sister in confusion. She was 'talking at him a lot'. What did she want... was her tummy very upset? That upset? Did she need help with her tummy? He was sorry he couldn't help her - he didn't know what to do about upset tummies. Whatever thing that would help, it was in the shaman's possession and the shaman was so far away from here.

He nuzzled her with his head, deciding to err on the side of comfort. Whatever she said. "Okay." he croaked, one of the few words he could speak in dragon (the precocious little brat), even though he had no idea what she had said, gave her a little 'Mrr' that meant 'I love you sis', because he did and prepared to...

Well, he had been about to play-bow at her, because play sometimes made things better (though sometimes not), when something very bright appeared in the corner of his vision. He jumped like a startled cat, spinning, his back arched and his tail raised and waving, to bare his teeth and mewl at the light orb, which had gotten surprisingly close. He frowned and batted at it cautiously.

How had it done that? He looked, still in his startled pose, at the alikhora, then back at the light. Maaaagic... Do it again!

~~~

Suluksati laughed in surprise as the baby khehora said a word. "I didn't know you could talk..." she said, standing up to walk over, dismissing her light ball, "That is very impressive... mmm... Kekeovonnai?" it was such an obnoxiously long name - very difficult to remember. "I am very proud of you." she sat there and looked down at the two of them. "Can you speak too, Vazarri?"

"You've polished your scales?” Sam questioned teasingly. Somehow Grrel seemed more like the first time he'd met her, rather than how she'd been in more recent times. He'd considered her a friend once, but after their partings of late, he'd felt less inclined to believe that was true... In any event, it suddenly seemed plausible again, like he'd been exaggerating lately about how ill-tempered she'd been. It was kind of nice to think back on simpler times. he shrugged nonchalantly at her. "Ah, well. I don't have time to stay and figure it out.” Sam fluttered his wings and moved ahead of her, giving a nonchalant shrug. "I've got to return home to my Orakoi.” His emerald gaze flickered back at her. "Perhaps if you aren't busy I can try and figure it out on the way?”

~~~

Zarri huffed and rolled her eyes in annoyance at her brother's actions. He really was very cute and very sweet and very smart, but she could tell by the look in his eyes that he just didn't get it. He'd probably croak and coo and rumble anything to try and please her, but no matter how the Diabi chattered, she doubted Keke would understand exactly what she was trying to say to him.

Her agitations were furthered when the shining female tried to distract her brother with more of her magic. Keke (being Keke, of course) was instantly diverted from Zarri's chatter, leaving the tiny Diabi girl to silently send a smolder glower at Sulu. The feathered fiend even had the audacity to insult her after interrupting her conversation with Keke. Obviously she could speak. Hadn't she been listening to Zarri talk with Keke? Must just be jealous that Zarri had nothing to say to her, nasty female that Sulu was.

((1223/1000))

How could glaring be so adorable? Oh, she longed for Orakoi of her own.

She moved the light orb again, playfully. “You should play too.” she commented to Vazarri, “Playing builds strong muscles and minds.”

She summoned another light orb – a bit difficult, and nudged it towards Vazarri. “Here. Try it.”

---

Keke bat at the orb, trying to make it move, when IT MOVED. He churred happily and followed it before looking concernedly at his sister.

What WAS the matter with her? He looked at her, then back at the light orb, then back at her. “Churr?” he said questioningly. Was the light what was bothering her? His sister had dark magic like pappa, so maybe that was why she was so upset.

Oh! It made sense now!

He strode over and opened his wing to block the light from her eyes. “Is good!” he chirped, feeling very pleased with himself.

She gave a happy purr and grinned up at Samael. "Yup! Took me two tries, but I did it! ... Ended up eating the magic. It's rather tasty... and a lot easier to absorb that way!" Anodyne had been much more helpful than Rhaze.. though maybe it was just that she'd done it before and had gotten to be powerful enough while the first time she'd been too weak?

"Aww, they sound adorable!" Grrel said as she pictured what Sam was talking about. Orakoi were just too cute! "What're their names? How large was the clutch? When did they hatch?" She burbled off questions happily. She'd always loved it when her clutch mates had nests... or her mother for that matter. She'd never had a clutch of her own, but she'd helped out her clan mates plenty of time. Maybe that was why she wasn't in a hurry for her own.. she got her baby needs filled by helping others....