Creatures

[tirgesfu]

Jinjiz hopped from talon to talon as if encouraging the cat and babe to feast. With bits of flesh still in his jaws he swung his head back and forth, back and forth, allowing the gnawing of his teeth to assume the rhythm and grinding of the leathery skin and hard shell of the now dead beast. He gave the brave cat and her cub the softer inners. It was now her cub, her child, her baby. She had earned that right or taken it. As Jinijz watched he could see that the new hatched one had made the choice almost as much as the cat.

Jinijz cawed again. This was a calmer low toned note that was held for a few minutes. It was intended to inform the cat that he would be right back. Opening his wings Jinijz used his thick lower legs to push away from the feeding and up into the air. His flight was unsteady. He limped to the right toward the side of his injured membrane. Pain shoot through his side and he let loose a small screech. It was not loud and not long but leaked a bit of his discomfort. Clumsily he landed on the ledge where his bag of eggs sat. Breathing hard Jinijz used his left talon to move the bag and check the contents.

He looked back to the feeding and the two who were taking their fill. Off in the distance he could see the movement of grasses. It was a slither as if water was shaking the twigs. The dead meat called more. Jinijz should take hold of his bag and leave. One egg was placed. He saw it alive. No more was needed. Or was it?

Something in this place. Something in the air. Something in the blood of the new kill awoke something deep inside Jinijz. For the first time Jiniz felt the small ting of doubt or question. Should he leave the cat and her new one? As he watched the sleek hunter tear and share the meat of their kill he saw a motherhood he had not expected. Could she help all these survive? An instinct filled him with the rightness of her place. He fell from the sky. She was there. The egg hatched. It was her's.

Jinijz took the bag in his mouth not trusting the pain in his wing to hold it. He leapt from the ledge and glided down resting his talons next to the open belly. He carefully lowered the bag and then sang. Bird like in the music his notes repeated over and over. It was his call, the song of Jinijz. He sang his name Jinijz, as it was sung in worlds of old. He sang it over and over. It was Jinijz introductions. And in his mind he was binding the cat to him.

Jinijz kept singing even as the feeders arrived. On the ground large forms slithered toward the exposed meat like large worms. They made no sound and did not seem to acknowledge Jinijz or his voice. They swarmed toward the corps. Jinijz did not find a threat in the squiggles but he did not feel they should be by the young one. With talons ready he changed his song to sharp caws again and began to pick the feeders up and toss them away. He stood beside the feeding cat, the mother and her baby, like the protector, picking up bothering invaders and throwing them away.

They still came. The call of food too strong for them to disregard. But Jinijz diligently kept them somewhat at bay until his new pack feed as much as they could. He would wait until the cat told him she was done. While picking the worms up Jinijz began to sing his introduction sone again. Over and over, Jinijz. Jinijz. Jinijz.

[Fallenreaper]

Her jaws tore the soft meat, gnawing it to mush in her belly as once more baby food was released right in front of him. It was a reward; the chick had caught on quickly with its nature to method of receiving a meal. Most babes died when they couldn’t find the corner of the mouth, slowly whimpering as they died of starvation with the parent unable to let loose the regurgitated treat. It hurt both the babe and their parent, a cold fact of nature in general. Luckily Nyr never experience this. This infant was her first kit, even if it wasn’t blood related or of this world. Her body lay close to the kitten as she let more red blood drip from her chin. Whiskers twitched as she watched him scurry and half fly up to the rock wall face; clearly the battle had left its toll on the both of them.

The chick squeaked, beak spit open longing for more to farther gorge itself. Her paws pulled her upright, the back leg’s pain had dulled enough for a short walk to be tolerated to the carcass. Her chick called for more. It was her duty to feed him. Once more tooth came to flesh, the loud ripping of flesh coming loose just as the strange creature came down. A bag, the large lump of eggs swung form his jaws caused her to glance in his direction almost expecting a large predator to be there. It was just Jinijz.

Something told the cat this was important, special to this unusual creature causing to listen to the first half of his song before once more the needs of the chick called her. The feeders, parasitic worms that if consumed or latched on a host the bacterium that they bore would have murdered the young one. He had not had time to adapt to this world’s danger. Nyr only paused to acknowledge the bird bat flinging the white wiggling grubs away and purred her gratitude, a minor gesture but meant worlds in her species. It was low with a gentle rhythm like a small generator. She approved of this action greatly.

At last, the kitten gave Nyr a curious look and simply fluffed out its hairs. Sounds of disturbed pebbles made her look to the grasses, their carcass was getting crowded and it time to go. Nyr intently at the chick’s now sleeping form. Black on white pupils took on a fierce look and turned to Jinijz, glided over his talons noting how the babe was small enough for him to grasp the kitten up in the single uninjured one or even his mouth. Could he move the kit? Was it possible even with that large bag of pebbles in his grip? Only one way to find out.

There was little reason to stay near the body, even as more intruders crept closer desperate for a meal. It was smorgasbord to most meat eaters. A little cry erupted, short, high pitched and distressed. Without giving him a moment to react Nyr lightly head butted Jinijz’s talon before rushing back to nudge the chick with her snout muscle, once more repeating the process over and over. She couldn’t move him. Her first attempt had failed; hopefully Jinijz had seen how her canines had hurt him. To farther this point she ran her sandpaper tongue about were the points had left slight wounds. The kitten just mere looked at her, huffed a wound down squeak before attempting to sleep.

Nyr didn’t want to fight over a carcass she didn’t need, not with many creatures dueling for the same right to survive. In hours this place would be a mass gathering of large and small creatures seeking to feed upon an animal’s reminds. Each one would fight, shove or kill for a savory scrape of meat and the ability to live a little longer. They needed to move and soon. In the end it looked like she has to carry them both, panicked energy began to travel though her veins. He needed to understand. Once her dance pattern continued until he either understood or forced her to find another way, the worms were merely the first to arrive as the scavengers would quickly become bigger.

[tirgesfu]

Between the tossed squiggly worm things Jinijz saw the cat feed her kitten. And he heard a low rumbled from the cat’s belly as it vibrated into its own song. The repeated long sound was soothing and approving. It sang of acceptance in notes Jinijz had never heard before. He almost stopped throwing the bugs to the side wanting to catch the sound of the cat’s song.

She moved. The rumbles changed and she backed away from the kill. It was clear she was done. She moved her soft fur toward his talon with a gentle nudge. She was not just moving herself she was moving him. Jinijz let the worms slither by and followed the cat’s slight retreat. Then she made the movements again. It was time to leave. Jinijz swayed his head understanding. He opened his wings and moved away from the worm filled carcass.

First he hoped over to his sack of eggs and warped the end around one talon. Twisting he looked over to the cat. He thought for a few minutes he would just fly away. The egg had life, the cat gave it that. He was no longer needed. But part of him could not just take to the sky and leave them. He was confused as to why. But he does not hold those conflicted thoughts long.

Instead he boded over to her. He swung his head side to side. In a swift movement he opened his unhinged jaw and quickly place the small hatched babe within. It might have looked as though he swallowed or bite the babe but he did not. He opened his teeth slightly as the chick squealed wanting it’s mother more than this strange cage. He felt some need to show the cat her small one was not harmed. With is other talon he nudged the cat telling her he understood it was time to move. So move. Move.

He did not know this world, these rocks, this monster. The cat walked the rock as if she knew her place among them. Jinijz would follow her. She would lead. And mother. And teach. Jinijz slowly nudged her again but this time his claw brush over her injured side gently. Once away Jinijz knew he could help her as she has helped him.

He cawed slightly through the slightly open teeth and the struggling baby a quick song goodbye and good kill to the forms he left behind. Then he turned to Nyr with her crying young one in his mouth and waited.

[Fallenreaper]

Jinijz’s moved exciting her as Nyr realized he was getting it, purring briefly as he went to pick up the egg sack. He seemed attached to that and it made her wonder, even the kit’s swarming about her paw didn’t tear her eyes away. Her head cocked in curiosity, a half tilt, brows pushed forward in a hard stare at the fleshy sack he so carefully held to. What was so important to cling to that?

Nyr’s body tensed up bounded in coiled anxiety that the bat stroke was considering leaving her. He couldn’t not when the baby was in trouble, danger of being consumed and killed in her world. She needed help. Whiskers twitched, once than twice as she turned from the kit to him, pleading with her eyes that he wouldn’t just fly off. The egg’s life would be forfeited as well as hers. No mother, no more babe. She yowled, nails on a chalk board loud, cracked the peace and drowning out the medium sound of feet approaching their position. More creatures, all shapes and sizes, flocked to the bulky carcass that was a beacon of life to them even other Nyrs. A scrawny, malnutrition female butted the behind of an equally feeble kitten, knocking it down in effort to get quickly to the meat. Nyr couldn’t watch, her thick cheeks twitched at the sight and brought worse tension from seeing the slowly dying state of the kitten. It was starving to death.

It took the squeals of her young one to break the spell, her head flicked to Jinijz gulping him down! Her claws switched out, thick and sharp black nails, just as her body twisted about to lash at Jinijz. It stopped in midair. Its head, unharmed and whining peered out of his maw as a cat’s breath of relief washed over her, nervousness fell from her should blades from her body. The paws touched the ground while she stared in awe.

Or several moments, it became clear he was waiting on her. His claws brushed, the body flinched at his touch causing it to seize up and withdrew even form the gentle touch. Before taking off, her blunt muzzle rubbed against the beak stroking Jinijz and her kitten encased in his maw. Then Nyr was off like a shot. Forepaws hit the ground once more, pulling back for her hind legs to balance, then also pounding upon the gravel landscape. It hurt. Each motion, the use of the dislocated hind leg was rubbing ligaments that should have aided in her flight. Now it gave her slight gimp, making it hard to keep the correct pace. Still she moved bravely forward. Leaving both the those crowding about the carcass and the small starving family behind.

The land changed quickly into a topical jungle, thick blue vines fell to the ground and yellow trees bleed red sap though tusk cuts of passing animals. Old and ancient made during the rutting seasons when primal needs were met easily, grazing animals and predators could be within range of one another without instantly laying waste to each other in the battle of survival, and DNA demanded the next generation. She was only one season away from breeding age but as a young female, she still attended the annual desire to seek a good mate. Often to watch the mating pairs court one another.

A male would approach a female, his paws low to the ground in a playful but unaggressive way, whip like tail held in his mouth. If the female like him, she would purr in response and place a paw on his head, her own muzzle bent over to give his ear a lick. That was a sign for the courting dance to begin. They would stare at each other, hunched down in a stalking posture as they circled each other, neither gave an inch. Then the male would jump forward, then back several times to prove he was a strong healthy male worthy of her attention. She would mimic, stating she was a young vigorous female able to bear many kittens with him. If at any time one would display a weakness or any sort of flaw than the courtship would cease, the offended party would dart away as a sign to the others that Nyr was unworthy and undesired. This was where they would stay for now, her body too exhausted to continue and the hind leg still throbbed painfully.

Not Nyr came for mating; some came for company and to rebound with their life mates. Some, like Jinijz’s Nyr, came to learn the dances and practice so when the next season came she could attract a mate while others brought their newly walking newborns. Nyr’s kind was able to walk in moments of their birth thus the reason evolution never have gifted them with the ability to carry their young, there was no need for it. That was the past. If Jinijz had any keen senses, his nose might pick out a faint scent of her species, his eyes the pounded paths of their courtships, his feet would feel the dried paw indentations left in lush dirt wet from a rain, or hear the echoes of their happy purrs. This was a graveyard of memories for her.

The only place that was safe at the moment. The trees made a dense covering from airborne predators while the thick brush of fern like plants were ideal hiding spots for both her and other small critters-not always harmless, her body flung itself near a electric blue water way that carved its path out though the middle of the jungle right by a flat exposed clearing small enough to home at least a couple of dozen Nyr easily. This clearing was where many of her romped and interacted.

[tirgesfu]

Where? Jinijz could not squawk the question or even sing loud enough to get the running cat’s attention. The little one within his mouth was making all the noise and moving around so franticly Jinijz had to struggle not to the bite the thing. A few times in frustration he almost spit it out. But the purring sleek slithering four legged cat didn’t notice. No, she was moving through the undergrowth with ease leaving Jinijz to follow clumsily.

Jinijz usually flew. He did not hop or slid or run through bushes and sticky prickly plants that pulled at his legs and cut his wings. He would have soared above the trees but did not think he could follow the fast moving cat. The growth was thick and lush and damp. Jinijz did not like it at all. And he didn’t enjoy the constant pounding inside his mouth.

For a moment Jinijz was sure the mother was leaving him behind with the baby. It did not feel wrong. She had given the chick the first foods of life. She owned them nothing else. This was her ground, her land, her world. Jinijz just ripped through. Still he had felt she wanted him to follow, at least at first. Now that he walked unstable through thick ferns, and leaves the colors he had never seen before, he began to feel he made an error. Maybe she was trying to lose him. If he had been alone he might have given up and taken to the sky. But the new hatched animal in his mouth would not give up so easy. It wanted the cat. It squeaked and cried for its mother, correct of not.

When Jinijz was reaching a point of total annoyance the thick greens opened some to an area with enough room for him to open his wings. As he did he saw the cat facing forward, away, but with her head turned back to look at him. She was graceful. She was silent, her body still as her eyes took in Jinijz awkward moves. She moved with the grasses like drops fall from waterfalls. This was where she belonged. Jinijz felt like a huge beast, not unlike the one they killed, among soft beautiful whispers of green. He closed his wings quickly.

He could not think of what to do so he opened his mouth. He let the bag drop and he lowered his form closer to the ground trying to fit into the sway of the brush. The little one wiggled free from the cage making sure Jinijz knew it did not take pleasure in that form of transportation. The small one had no concerns of anything other than making its way to Nyr. In a move that surprised Jinijz the chick leapt toward Nyr in half a jump and half a glide only to fall right near on its face. It picked its head back up and moaned a bit to Nyr.

The groan was a low rumbled not at all like Nyr but an attempt to copy the cat. Not like her purr but more like a sound the wind makes when to forces two limbs to rub each other. Greach. The child stopped the noise as soon as he realized it did not sound at all like its mother. Still in Jinijz mind the hatchling was now Greach.

Jinijz felt the eyes of hidden cats even before he caught their scent. Nyr had lead them to her den, to her safe spot. Not sure how to fit into the exotic forest Jinijz lowered his body even more and sat. He made his body smaller to show no threat to the others. He watched Nyr and stayed still.

[Fallenreaper]

If it wasn’t for fact the plants were poisonous when digested, this jungle wouldn’t exist. Eaten by herbivores and swarmed with the carnivores that hunted them, making this place a lost habitation for her kind. Still a few of them still lingered here as fern like bushes shifted, spotted fur seen though the shadows between the green with the intent of blending with light and darkness. Her eyes narrowed in search for the moving shapes as she propped her head up from her laid position but quickly her attention was captured by another. The young one attempts to mimic her glide. Silly fluff ball, it was too soon to try that she thought.

Naturally her instincts tugged and her heart leaped with both glee and worry at the chick’s endeavor to fly. She purred lifting herself, muscles protested but her mind too numb to care anymore. Smooth and easy motion as her body pulled itself up, the front paws first then the back slightly winching with the pain. A light tapping sound as her pads drew near; the sound rocked in her ears and fixed him with a name. Greach. He wasn’t sure of his own sound and didn’t realize she adored the noise as most as much as if it was another Nyr kitten. She slouched down with the small fuzz ball in front of her; paws walled him in on both sides. Out flicked her sandpaper tongue grazing the thick wispy fur against the skin. Greach just rattled his pleasure making her increase efforts of cleaning every inch hasten. A pleasant scratchy feeling that left tingles of clean where it passed, his head most sensitive to as he pushed it in front of the flat tongue's path.

It was her way of encouraging his sound. She noticed Jinijz’s discomfort as she chirped at him, a higher pitch then her meow and looked intensely at him. Her slotted eyes stared at Jinijz’s shrinking form, so much like a life statue to hide. Once more she repeated her sound when she wanted him to come, not the right sounds for this but maybe a familiar one might cause him to come to her. Then the others emerged that she hadn’t expected to be there.

There only a few cats left, the famine season had taken its toll as four lithe and slightly thin felines slowly moved out. One was a female, her mate nowhere in sight, likely killed, as a glanced back at an overgrown female kitten clearly too big to still with her. The other two worried Nyr the most. They were males, one very young one just fully grown while the other was slightly older. The young male was energetic and spring with each step, spoke of strength and youth. Yet something seemed off other than his very thin looks and her mind didn’t like the way he reacted, too confident and cocky which may have repercussions in the future. It screamed of recklessness.

The older male was covered in scars beneath the glossy hide, one eye closed by a healed over scar and his tail broken in one spot at the tip. To Nyr it spoke of experience in protecting what was his. Loyalty in a mate was ideal, age had very little to do with nature then passing on her genes to a new batch of kittens. Out of all that arrived, he was the most muscular of the group. It was a sign of a good hunter or scavenger of the time, a very desirable trait in a mate. Both males stiffen at the sight of a single female on the verge of the reproductive cycle of her life and wary of the thing between her paws. The female kitten hissed at Jinijz as its mother beckoned her to follow, the youngest was just one season shy of attracting the males attention completely. Nyr had been independent of her mother just three seasons before now.

This was one of the points that her species was adapting to the change. Usually they never hunted in pack; especially the males as these two seemed to know one another. The reason was the bigger prey meant more claws were needed. Also it meant more mouths to feed which sometimes defeated the purpose. The youngest showed his boldness as he approached. It seeemed her limp had made the older one draw back, uncertian if she was fit enough to court or lucked out in her recent meal. If Jinijz had any special senses they would be shouting alarm bells in his brain at the males, a very threat to her young ward’s survival now. Promise of her baser instincts being fulfilled would leave the chick motherless or a tiny snack.

[tirgesfu]

The strange sound Nyr made brought Jinijz ears to twitch. She was calling him. He raised his head slightly, then his shoulders, and his chest. With a few hops his was closer to Nyr and the little Greach. He could see they were finding each other again. Greach strange sounds muffled into Nyr paws and fur. The little guy wanted to be near her. Jinijz watched but kept a distance.

In his peripheral vision he noticed the movement of the grasses. Prancing through came other cats like Nyr. A few sets of eyes blinked through the weeds as thin cats of different markings and steps moved out into the clearing. Jinijz stilled. Most of the cats stayed further away taking note but not coming too close to Nyr and Greach.

But two did not pause at all. One with purpose and deliberate gate kept moving right to Nyr. Something sparked in Jinijz. He did not like the movement or the scent of this most definitely male young leader. The way his ears twitched and his tongue poked in and out of his mouth. Jinijz was not sure of the intentions or the order of this pack. But that did not matter.

As the male cat got close Jinijz jumped from his spot and sprang beside Nyr. Between the male and Nyr Jinijz opened his wings wide and made a screech of warning. It wasn’t overly loud but pointed. He opened his mouth to show his teeth, made his body as large as he could and hissed his caution. Jinijz could feel the aggression in him rise. Unlike the protection he attempted when the long legged beast attacked, this was more instinctive. In his cry he told the male cat to leave them be. Jinijz was making Nyr and Greach his own, his pack. In the instant he no longer felt the torn wing or the concern for his bag of eggs.

The other male cat hissed and slunk lower in the grass older form sliding around further from Jinijz but facing him. His eyes squinted and he circled. He was a cautioned fighter. The younger male cat was startled at first. A jump of fear crossed his eyes. But then as if the young male knew his doubt and weakness was something he needed to cover he planted his feet firm, crouched down and growled.

The sound was guttural and long. The young male cat stood lowered to the ground almost covered by the grasses until a loud cry sprang from his mouth at the same time he leapt, claws out teeth shown, and jumped for Jinijz. Jinijz snapped his teeth in answer. He shifted his weight and quickly turned his body with his back toward the attacker for just a second while the cat sprang almost past him before swinging his strong arm and wing. The force of the move caught the male cat right in the air at his shoulders, just away from his claws and teeth. The hit was strong enough placed unexpected that the cat fell swatted away. But after a roll the male sprang back up. He crouched again.

Jinijz flapped his wings spinning a bit to face the younger male. He glanced to the older one who sat ready but waiting. Jinijz lifted his body with his wings and from above the younger cat spread his talons and lowered stab at him. The cat spun in small circles and swatted back at the flying attack. Jinijz did not attempt to really cut or wound the male. He just needed him to retreat. This was not a kill this was a mark. Nyr and Greach were now his wards, his pack, in his care and these males needed to know that. After a few pointed hits, not deep cuts, Jinijz flew back to Nyr's side a stood.

He would harm them if needed but Jinijz wanted to give the young male time to reassess and move back. Jinijz glanced to the older male, whom in his mind might be the real threat. Would the aged one realize the battle? Jinijz did not know yet how pack like the cats were or how much Nyr was to this tribe.

Jinijz made his point proving he would fight but did not need to. Still in the aggressive stand Jinijz waited for their response.

[Fallenreaper]

She watched him, both Jinijz and the young male cat. Jinijz was hopping toward her but stopped short as if keeping his distance making her cock her head, ignoring the her kitten as her intense eyes rippled into Jinijz. Greach was nuzzled her, ruffling her fur and cooing in his windy little voice. He froze like her at the arrive of the males. One looked over eager to greet her until he caught sight of Greach, the little animal squeaked and tried to vainly bury itself into her board forepaw.

Males may hunt together but there was distinguished leader of sorts. It more like temporary truce with the more able fighter making the other submit, often tossing the weaker one on his back exposing the soft under belly. The male caught her eyes, trying to keep them as he stared at her before… there was large familiar looming shape that caught her vision. Her neck snapped to the right as Jinijz widen his wings and let out a screech, quick and short. White teeth bared in a universal signal of threat that she, the male cat and even Greach could understand. It took her a few moments to realize her pack member was warning the young male off.

Males, she thought as she licked her young one form quivering between her paws. The male jumped, startled and scared of this unfamiliar creature. This was new to him to find something not a cat attached itself to the female, and whatever it was. His sinew reacted, drawing his front body even with his chest, pressed deeply into the ground of smooth stone back legs spring loaded to throw himself upon the pest. Nyr watched the fight with both confusion and sharp eyes, any sign of weakness would scream to ignore the male. The male knew it.

The young cat didn’t like the fact of this winged beast strikeing him, several wounds coated his fur matting it in places and tinted the golden hair a bit red. In the end the young cat darted a few feet away, distancing him and the odd pack from him stopping just shy of the older male. The oldest one just observed the match, he didn’t desire a fight and if courting Nyr brought one then it was trouble best avoided. He drew himself up, slowly pranced away toward the mother and young kitten.

Nyr looked from the males to Jinijz then back, torn and halted in her grooming. Her body stood up, her body winched, making the young cat notice before he too walked away. She wasn’t fit enough and he casted her away turning a cold shoulder. Truthfully if Jinijz had waited longer, it would have ended the same in a much worse way. Nyr’s heart fell as she realized her mistake in standing, presenting a flaw in her body and liability to a possible mate’s survival. It was done and she couldn’t take it back. Her large ear laid back against her head in slight annoyance mingling with the hurt she experienced from her rush up.

Without warning, her paw came out and batted her ‘savior’s’ snout. There were no claws but the impact was a bit excessive as it was her way of being disgruntled at his actions. It wasn’t intended to maim, just warn, more like chastise on a kitten as she took the other and swatted him on top of the neck, likely pinned him down. To show her unaggressive intentions, her head bent to give the stork bat a sand paper lick across the forehead. A low purr as she grooms him much like her adopted ward, her eyes closed and her tail curls about the youngster, keeping him close to her body, listening to his Greaching coupling with her low rumbles. Greach wasn’t happy at his affections being taken as his eyes narrowed on Jinijz with great dislike. Nyr didn’t care as she repeated flattening out the fur and feather, lightly tugging it into place leaving it softer and clean. She paused only a few times to wipe her tongue across her paw pads.

If Jinijz moved, her grip would tighten and press him down more for his ‘bath’. If he was going to be with her, he would have to learn to stay neat and not rush into things recklessly. Her body tensed as the older male’s eyes still lingered on her from a ways off. He may have not engaged but his interest, mainly Nyr’s motherly instinct, had made him more enthusiastic to at least watch. He wouldn’t draw near or engage, merely observe for now.

[tirgesfu]

Jinijz was glad the male cat backed off. He wasn’t ready for another battle. He was almost to the point of total exhaustion. He flew through the rip of the worlds carrying a load for longer than his wings should have. He flew on pure will and necessary. As soon as he was able to rest the battle of the long legs happened. Then he kept the feed safe followed by showing the alpha cat to back away. Jinijz needed a rest. He felt his body weaken as he watched her limp. She was hurt. He was weary and she was injured. If he had more energy he would have been more worried about both.

But as soon as his body relaxed he was shocked by the soft smack across his nose. What was that? He did not feel aggression or an attack in the strike of her paw on his face. What was that? Yet it was a hit of some kind. As if to make sure he understood something he did not, she swatted him again. He was about to protest when her tongue wet his nose. What was that? He would have been more shock if he hadn’t been soothed so by her touch and even more so by the purring sound she made.

Jinijz allowed the low calming musical sound she made keep him still. In his travels he had never felt the rumble of pleasure that sounded through her. His tired form melted at her strange attention. He relaxed. When she slowed a bit done with whatever it was she was doing, Jinijz raised his head. In a sloppy attempt he made a low growl that came off more as a few small caws.

Slowly he raised his body as if to stand above Nyr. He opened his wings deliberately and then folded them around her back hip. It was the area he had notice brought her pain and discomfort. In a measured way he pressed the folds of his black membrane wings down to her injured hip. Heat from the wings enfolded the leg allowing relief. It was a deep throbbing warmth and Jinijz gave it, allowed it, sent it to the sore muscle around her injured joint.
Just as Nyr had forced Jinijz to stay still and accept her washes, Jinijz used his talons to kept her still and allow the warmth to enter her. It flowed from him to her for a few minutes. Just when Jinijz was about to release her, all his energy spent, the whines of the neglected Greach sounded. Jinijz turned toward the small one and with a pull of one wing brought the child to nuzzle closer to Nyr’s side.

Jinijz rose and with a tried heavy slow walk he when back to his bag of eggs, and curled around the bag. He watched the eyes that still peaked through the grasses even if they kept their distance. Jinijz tried to sing a few notes to tell Nyr to rest. He wanted her to allow the warmth to work. She should sleep. He would sit with the eggs and watch first. He wasn’t sure if his repeated soft song conveyed these thoughts but he tried. Go to sleep, Nyr. Rest. Go to sleep, His song repeated.

[Fallenreaper]

Her purring became louder, grateful he had stopped struggling and allowed his ‘bath’. When he cawed, Nyr immediately halted, her eyes blinked in a owlish confusion and stared. Her fur bristled as if expecting his snout to rip into her like the long legged beast, his body pulled higher then hers, fear laced her eyes at his new display but there was also curiosity. His wing enfolded about her hip caused her to flinch at the touch. Her emotion washed over the young one, his squeaks of panic and dislike at Jinijz’s actions towards life giver. Greach had doubled in size but was still no threat to the larger creature, the wing wrapped about her hind leg.

Nyr felt the sensation of heat, her body jerked upward only to meet his talons, quickly wafted though her hair into her muscles making them to relax, the soreness fell away slowly. The ligaments were mending themselves at least in her mind, truthfully the joint’s ache were simple side effects of being wrenched out of joint then popped back in. It left muscles sore being push so far beyond their limits bound to twist something. She felt a warm body pressed to her underbelly and the brush of Jinjiz’s wing.

Greach nuzzled deeper, nearly sending himself up into her ribcage while she slouched in a lounging posture. Her forepaws, toes pushed and pulled back, stretched and worked their kneading motion against the warmth filling her body. Her breath was soothing, soft breath while eyes drooped to the sound of her unusual pride mate’s song. Slow, gentle rocking rhythm in his voice and even Greach was long gone from the world of awareness in the one of dreams.

Nyr’s Dream

Shapes moved and shimmered, colorless but vivid pictures dances about her head. Creatures, big and small darted beneath her paws like little light spots of shapes, her forepaws moved like lightning against their vacant trails. Faster, faster, missed, hit and miss. The pattern was a fun little game to her as she swatted and batted at the mystical white lights that mocked her with speed and movements quicker than her eyes. Head swiveled as she slammed one paw against one direction then another. Erratic, unorganized and half hearted attempts she played catch, stopping the shapeless lights from escaping. She wasn’t hungry just playful.

Snap!

A sharp and unexpected pain traveled up from her tail tip, turning her upper body, eyes wide open, around to find what had caused such a feeling. Her motions of sleep ceased and horror etched into her features at what she awoke to. She lifted her tail as her small, over plump ward had latched its beak fully about the tip of it. Sometime during the sleeping time, her adopted kitten had became playful and rambunctious, exploring his surroundings where his still immobile body was while becoming entranced with her one flickering tip of the whip like limp. Nyr stared at it, her brain ticked and formed into the realization of what had happened: he was playing with her tail! Her tail…gnawing on it like some carcass bone, uncared that it hurt or it seemed like he was eating his mother alive. Nyr found herself let loose a low yowl at his game, warning against his behavior. Her plead was rewarded with another quick release and snap upon the ridged bone tied by the thin sinew that held it together, his head bobbed as if it’s maw held a great praiseworthy prize. It was mischief, childish mischief!

Her claw reached out as his body was flopped about, pulled by her own appendage right out of her grasp. Each attempt so close, then he was jerked out away with claws digging into dirt where his body had been. The impudent little creature had the brash idea to bite her? His fur allowed him to bounce and shift easily, harmless across the surface like a cotton ball off a string. It would have been fun if not for the pain she endured in this game. This was a wakeup call Nyr hadn’t expected or would forget. Just like the lights, her paws never reached him but unlike the dream, the agony was unbearable spur that pushed her pass limits. She sounded like a siren, loud and attention grabbing wail that seemed endless while she flipped about in circles. Right then left, left then right, back and forth over and over again in one single donut.