darkSpyro

Seeing as Skyward and I were losing this argument, I merely rubbed the back of my head sheepishly as I listened to Treetop. "Yeah, that's pretty much what he's saying," I explained to the dragon. "The chick will potentially learn from Austin if he raises it well. But it is a wild creature, so he's going to have to be careful with it."

"I will Shadmé, I'm good with pets" I said as the bird looked up at me "Hey buddy, I'm Austin and my friends and I will be taking care of you" I said, causing the bird to do its best at hugging me

Joannah was happy to find a berry bush after wandering for so long. They seemed so rare. The berries tasted amazing even though they did very little for her state of hunger. She had kept care to pick up the thing that had tripped her and carried it. She kept walking her mind screaming for food as she started feeling dizy and nauseous. She fell to her knees, tears pouring down her face. She felt so lonely. 'ki..... im so sorry....' she though, Jenny unable to calm her. 'i wanna go back.... but im lost.... i dont even remember how long its been.... i dont wanna be alone anymore....' Joannah thought before she blacked out.

"I've gotta find her, she needs to be with the group, who knows what's out there... I'm going to make this right" Ki said as he got up and ran back to the hole in the ground "I'm coming to find you Joannah!" He thought as he jumped into the hole

Ethan nods at Austin " Good but something nastier then the puppet snatched me here. But I feel a large quantity of dark magic deep underground, and you know what happens when dark magic latches onto me." Ethan shuddered at the thought.

Joannah laid unconscious in the middle of no where. She was miles away from where she had been and because of the time and the occasional wind her trail of scent was dissipating.

"I hope you can keep control Ethan" I said

Ki appeared near the pig-people town and immediately started to follow what little trail of scent there was, he looked up when the trail vanished and he saw a familiar site, vultures circling

It was back when he was 3, he was wondering around, thinking he was a monster, he had collapsed in a desert and was near-death, he saw vultures circling over him, he got up and kept going just to spite the birds, but he soon fell again, he knew the birds were going to eat his dead body, but he crawled until he was about to go unconscious, then he got lucky and it started to rain

He was able to avoid the vultures, but he needed to find Joannah before they were able to dine on her

The shrewd screeches of the birds woke Joannah and she looked up seeing them circling and she sighed. "maybe im supposed to die alone..." She said softly.
"no! Joannah you gotta keep going. You can do it! Your not alone! Im here..." Jenny said trying to comfort her but it was no use joannah just laid there watching the birds circle over head.

Ki ran over just as the vultures landed, he smacked them away "Joannah! Are you ok?" He asked as he picked her up

Joannah looked up at Ki and smiled a bit behind the mask before falling unconscious again in his arms.

Treetop nodded his trust at Austin. "Very well then. The chick's care is your responsibility alone, Austin." He said, then warned him. "But should it go feral in its adolescence, it is on your hands."
By then, twilight had cast its familiar shade across the land. "My, how time flies. Gather around everybody! It is time to return to camp."

Foxtail was ready to go, and looked back at Lotus with an admiring smile. She grinned coyly, running a paw through her pale blonde locks, but then gasped when she realized: something was missing. "My lotus flower's gone!" she said with surprise. "I must have dropped it back at the graveyard. Go on ahead, you guys, I'll catch up later." Foxtail nodded with slight unease; he knew her sense of direction was lacking. Would she be able to make it home in time?

Lotus scampered back to the burial ground. While it was true she had lost her treasured blossom, she also used it as an excuse to explore more- and maybe dig up another grave.

Ethan looked ready to go, his axe and spell book held in thier respective sheathes on his back and right thigh. Ethan looked at Foxtail,"Hello Mr Fox guy I never got your name." He said.

((Why is Ethan jumping from one group to another?))

Virtu was suspicious based on what happened earlier "Foxtail, I'm worried about Lotus" She said as Tembo lifted Foxtail onto his back "She dug up someone's grave when we were in that graveyard earlier"

"Ok course" I said as I petted the chick "What to call you?"

Ki lifted Joannah and started carrying her back to the hole they went through to get there

(Thought they were close. My bad.)

When Ethan heard dug up and grave he began to speak up."And let me guess she went back? If so she's in danger."

"I've got the feeling that if anyone can teach this chick to be nice, it's Austin," I added. "I don't think he's ever said a mean word in his life." I turned back to the dead bird. "We need a way to transport this and maybe make it last longer without spoiling, and then there's the whole feather-pulling-out… We're going to need some time. Think we should head back?"

"Thanks" I said with a smile "I guess we should head back"

Ethan nodded. But the dark magic underground was making him nervous.

"Not a problem!" Jenny said, hoisting the bird's body over her metallic shoulders, making sure to hide it from the baby chick's sight; she had the feeling it wouldn't react the best to seeing the group feasting on its dead mother's flesh.

Treetop nodded at the dragon. All things turn to waste eventually, and food was no exception. Thankfully, the brilliant squibbon had already begun formulating a design for an ice box to keep their meals fresh for longer. The only problem lied in obtaining the required components. With no apparent signs of civilization to supply them, how would they find clockwork parts to construct the refrigerator?

He was lost in thought for a moment, but then quickly returned to reality. "Ah, yes, we should return" he finally said, taking a glance at the sky. It would be dark soon. "Time to head back!" he announced, taking a head count to ensure nobody was left behind.

I glanced to the sky. Was it really growing dark this quickly? I was surprised. It hadn't felt too long ago that we'd set out on our exploration. But I wasn't one to be left behind, so I quickly began to follow Treetop.

I walked with Shadmé, holding the chick "What should this little one be called?" I asked

Joannah was completely limp in her unconscious state. She wasnt very heavy but her blanket added a few pounds.

Ki carried her back to camp "Please be ok" He said as he held her

Ethan began walking back towards the camp the others were moving to.

Treetop took note of how soon the day had given way to the shadows of night. He shrugged it off as natural, as autumn days typically have less daylight hours, thanks to the planet's tilted axis. But even still, the rapid approach of twilight was a concern. Time seems to flow differently here. The question had been plaguing him since his arrival. Where exactly were they? This world certainly seemed unearthly, even for a creature from millions of years in the future, such as himself.

"What!?" Foxtail was dumbfounded by Virtu's news. What had gotten in to Lotus? She wouldn't normally do something like that! The fox shuddered; had something in this plane had a negative effect on his mate's delicate little mind?

The vixen sprinted through the dimly-lit evergreen grove, looking back a few times to make sure the others hadn't followed. She knew what she was doing was a vile, heinous act, but she just couldn't help herself. Lotus's curiosity was a hungering beast that would only be satisfied by the secrets that lie buried six feet under. Upon reaching the burial site, without any hesitation, she dug her claws into the soft soil, tossing dirt aside as she excavated, until she happened upon something very strange.

It was an alien substance, a black, pulsating blob. It felt cold and slippery in her paws. Just looking at it made her uneasy; she could sense some kind of dark energy in the nightmarish liquid. Doubtful that she wanted anything to do with it, she pocketed it anyway; in a world like this, who knows what could be useful?

"I know, it scares me Foxtail, knowing she might be affected by this place" Virtu said as Tembo walked towards camp under Virtu's guidance

Joannah groaned waking to the dying heat of the day. She opened her eyes painfully and looked through blurry eyes at her surroundings. The familiar scent of a campfire and the sweet strange smell of kai's fur comforted her as she woke. She looked to kai and moved close against him feeling weak and dehydrated. Her throat hurt and her eyes burned. Every muscle in her body ached as she moved against kai.

Ethan sees Virtu as he walks to the camp. Suddenly he says to himself "Did someone just dig up some dark magic?" He hoped not.

"You must be thirsty" Ki said as he went over to the campfire and took the pot from it, he looked for some water and soon came back with the pot full of water, he started to boil it "You'll have your water soon Joannah" He said as I got back to the camp

"Hey guys" I said "This is my new friend" I said as I pointed to the chick, who was now sleeping

Virtu soon came over on Tembo "Hey guys! This is Tembo!" She said before Tembo gave a happy toot from his trunk

Ethan moves into the campsite and sits down near the fire.

Joannah groaned and curled up in her blanket around the box thing she had found.

After the water was boiled, Ki brought some of it to Joannah "Here, drink this Joannah" He said

Joannah looked at him and she did her best to sit up. She carfully took the water and let it cool before drinking it. It soothed her dry throat