Birth Grounds

--Chapter 1: Left in the Dark

My next conscious memory was dark, I thought I was still dreaming, or sleeping without one. I could not figure out what was happening, I waited for signs of life, I wasn't about to move after my latest memory. My inner focus lasted a fourth of a day from what I assumed, a line of light appeared and steps creaked.

Something slid in, I held my breath and noticed surrounding ropes binding me. A small clatter sounded from the other end of the room, and the figure left with the light and a slide-click noise. Before long, a scent caught my attention, sweet fruit, followed quickly by freshwater fish. Temptation and hunger bore through me, I moved against the ropes in hopes that I could get there. My silent struggle was interrupted with cracking, I froze as I heard thuds and splinters in the corner next to mine. "Don't eat me," my only thought, instinct taking over. The crashes allowed their producer through the opposing barrier with a shatter and a splash, water and, ice?

Exhausted breaths drawn, the newest guest slinked closer, glowing red eyes fixated. The gaze petrified me, nothing could move me, even if I wasn't already tied up. Those eyes grew, never faltering, peering into me, no, onto me. "Would I even taste good?" I was curious but not enough to test, it knows I'm here. I struggled more on my bindings, nothing more happened. I looked back to see two red orbs in front of me, almost waiting for something; the air was still.

"Don't..." I lost the words.

"What? Eat you?" The eyes spoke, he felt my arm, "I'd have a hard time getting through your scales."

I was relieved, I broke a sigh, "Can you help me out?"

"I can't, but it looks like you can," He looked up, seeing something I could not.

It wasn't coming to me, I could struggle but the bounds held me firm, I could swear there's nothing I could do.

One meal later, "Your fruit was good."

"I know you didn't," I barked, the sweet scent as strong as ever. An hour or so crawled by, I was at boiling point, hunger tearing at my insides, a stranger toying with me, and to top it, it hit me that I have no idea where I am and captive. This is what they want, even my cell-mate.

"Are you going to get out any time soon?" He asked.

Just like I thought, he's toying with me, "Well, I can't break the ropes, so I'd say no." "Really?"

I heard a small thud, his eyes disappeared, and sighed, "Are you serious? Can't you retract your tail?"

"I what my what?" I thought he was adding insult to the soon to be his injury.

"You are a Hybrid, right?"

"You are losing me." He came up close with another sigh, inspected me some, "Just, trust me okay? You should just, push your tail into yourself with just your tail, that should work."

"Really? Are you guessing?" I was not in the mood for games, but hunger reminded me that I should try just about anything right now.

I focused on my tail, taking it in, I suppose making it smaller too. After a couple of minutes, I felt no difference, except that the base of my tail was tiring out. I looked around, no red eyes around, did he go back in the water? I shifted at the thought, water, I'd like to swim. I shifted a little more and realized the restraints are at the tip of my tail, I almost lost focus with joy, I held on to my focus and struggled my tail out. I dropped to the floor immediately, the ropes loose around me.

"Finally out?"

"I think so, I didn't know I could do that," my hand reached for my tail, it was almost gone, "I won't lose it right?"

"Now that you took it in, you'll have to grow it back," he choked, "But it takes a long time and it'll be painful coming out."

I didn't like that, I love my tail, but food was the only thing on my mind right now. I crawled over to the fruit instantly, the scent unmistakable. I reached in a large bowl, and found a piece larger than my hand, almost twice the size and itself was bowl-shaped. Rending the fruit, it attacked back with a sharp sour taste, soothing quickly to the familiar sweet. Stopping myself wasn't an option, I swallowed down the four pieces the bowl once contained with great fervor. Silence stilled the air soon after; I've never had hunger set in so deep to forget my surroundings, it made things feel surreal.

His voice bubbled out to me, "You can really put it away, can't you?"

Sitting back at the comment, I could have another bo- wait, "What do you mean by that?"

"Just saying, with the display of your scarfing abilities," he laughed at me.

I swear he was smirking under those red orbs, is he captive too or just playing me? Right now I can care less, the fruit is drying out my mouth, and I'm sure he's at the water. I ventured over to his direction, now stepping on puddles to shards of ice. "~Aesk-~!" The floor disappeared and turned into water, I fell in like I tripped face first.

"Having fun?" His voice below me, I think.

I thought these words, 'Hardly, I can't see anything,' and gulped once before rising to the surface.

I looked around again, or didn't, no light in the room but the red glow beneath me. I climbed out, and sat with my feet in the pool, asking myself how to get out of the dark. Ripples and a small splash broke next to me, he asked, "Awake now?"

"Much, despite my dreams being brighter than now," I shrugged off the thought of being asleep, I don't want it, not now.

"Want light? you still won't see much," He warned.

"If you could, thank you." Light began to shine from the water, the source rose to the air to reveal his tail glowing. I flinched at the change in light, and turned to see the cell when I opened my eyes. It took a moment; the room was virtually bare: two stone doors that poorly camouflaged into the wall, the pool here in the corner, ceiling hooks where I'm sure I was, with rope still through 4 of the 7.

And back to the pool, to him, the light hit me again, but I fought back. He was stunning and had me jump, I'd never seen anything like him, a water serpent with beautifully glowing blue with yellow-green scales, two flat hair-like appendages from his head longer than I was tall. Not to mention he looked at least four times longer than I, ending with a brightly shining fan-shaped tail. One thing was throwing me off, he's big, I was thinking me sized, with his evident eyes only chest high in the dark before now. "I didn't see you there," I held my chest to calm myself and drew a breath.

He chuckled, "I knew you had some humor in you, you'll need some with me."

"I could have hardly guessed... Who are you, I mean, what's your name?"

"Me?" taken aback, but seem rehearsed, "How about you first, since I've served a couple of 'favors' already," moving his hair-arms down-up at 'favors'.

"I..." I couldn't say, I was supposed to have a chosen name back home already, "Yuxi..."

"You-zee?"

"No, I, don't really-"

"Ah, you don't have one selected yet, well, I'll advance you another. I'm Dowse Clairisnera, guardian of my now ravaged clan. We're going to have to get you a name soon."

"Wait, ravaged? Like gone? And you're a guardian?"

"I mean to say, I once was and yes, it is currently non-existent save the sole survivors like myself. I would wish my family and those left back and begin again..." I forced back more questions; his eyes grew heavy, looking through the darkening water. Dowse's pupils moved slowly, back and forth, smooth and with a certain rhythm.

I leaned back and fell flat on my back, "I forgot I don't have a tail now, umm, I'll ask in a bit," telling myself. I sat up; his eyes haven't wavered, but he was mouthing something, I couldn't tell because the room was so dim. "Dowse?" A bubble snapped in his head, back to reality, he shook his head and sent drops flying. "Are you feeling well?"

"Do I look it? I'm here, stuck, my family gone, for all I know, everyone else is know is dead or so far I can't get to, and to top it, you! I just can't win! Nothing stays good! I manage an escape, go back, no one is there, everything destroyed, I make everything nice, a repeat night, now I'm back here!..." His starting rampage stirred the water out from the pool in steady waves, nearly knocking me over. Dowse continued speaking jumbled shouts that I could guess was his native
tongue, it sounded like the 'words' tried to cover his anger. As soon as he cooled down, he made his way out of the pool and lay down along the edge, eyes closed.

"~Nullus~," I said quietly, "I've always liked how it sounds."

Dowse looked towards me, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but that means 'non-existent,' right?"

"Right, but it sounds like me, I was told I wasn't supposed to happen, because my parents were different from each other."

Dowse's color returned, he was obviously very interested now, "Different? Like they looked completely different from each other?"

"Yes, they were shaped like a 'pure,' sort of, but covered with different skins. My mom had wings for arms, a long and thin flowing tail, and has feathers, while my dad has his arms and wings separate, a shorter but still long tail that was strong, and is scaly, like me. I have my mom's color except she is lined with silver and I'm not, and I have dad's tail... Or I don't anymore, tell me it's not gone!"

"Oh, it isn't gone," Dowse faced away but still keep his eye on me, cracking a grin, "But you'll have to grow it back, and it come slowly, but painful. You will always feel it, and the scales can build up and start rotting." I wasn't liking the sound of it, but then I wasn't liking the sound of it when I caught him choking down laughs.

I went and sat on his neck, " Tell me," I demanded, no jokes on this subject, I like my tail.

"Wow, you're light, not like those of the ocean. Well, just pretend you're tail is still there but push it out, like how you did before but reversed."

I hopped off immediately, so I could focus on my task at hand, I shut everything out, and already felt progress.

"Nullus... I do find it fitting now, although some might think that you have no name, but it's there! It's funny; I hope nobody gives you trouble for it."

"I think I'll just have Nul for now," My focus was passive now, like I've done this before, "It's short, simple, and won't give much to lead on."

"I don't think anyone else will have it, ~nullus~ isn't a widely used word, and what it means isn't either. Nul, a unique and even soothing name."

I swear I felt a cool, nice breeze, but there wasn't air movement, "Thank you, I feel better."

"Don't mention it, Nul," Dowse smiled at me, sincere and calmly.

I walked over, sweeping my newly sprouted tail, and sat down next to Dowse, stroking his head. Minutes turned to hours, what felt like mid-day wasn't evidenced. I just noticed my wings were retracted, I decided against extracting them, can't fly here, not enough need space. The silence was actually calming, but being locked in made me frustrated.

I turned to Dowse, still under my hand, "Hey, Dowse."

"Yea...?" Stretching his mouth wide, Dowse let out a huge yawn. I swear he can eat me.

"I'm getting out, you coming with me?