I See You (Attn: Sil)

[• Aerys •]

Chris couldn’t decide if he was more pissed off or excited about the fact that he had been dealt an opportunity to walk back into the link room. He had been apprehensive about the entire process at first, years of training and reassurance from his peers aside, and had more or less conquered that trivial fear after bumbling around in the training facility located outside of the compound, but he wasn’t entirely sure that the remaining hint of hesitancy would ever fade. He could feel the butterflies slamming around the inside of his stomach when he stepped into the massive circular chamber, his smile not as strong as it could have been when he flashed it to the woman sitting at the console in the center ring.

“Going for some more training?” The woman had a sickeningly strong southern drawl, her voice decidedly bored. Chris headed for his station and logged the time and generic purpose of his expedition, toeing out of his shoes as he did so.

“I have to retrieve some samples,” he answered as he opened the link bed. “Someone…disposed of them earlier. So Malandra is sending me out to get some more, since it has now become my problem.” Annoyance just barely colored his voice, but Chris did well to not let it show too much. He was an inherently placid person, levelheaded in the best of situations even if said situations were tipped well out of his favor. Grudges weren’t something he clung to, and considering being an avatar driver was what he was here for, Chris found himself unable to complain…too much.

“Security escort will be waiting,” the woman responded mechanically, her fingers dancing across the translucent blue screen. “You have two hours until curfew.”

“I don’t need a security escort,” he protested as he settled into the bed. “I’m just going right outside of the compound to get something.”

“Protocol states that no one is to travel alone, even if it is just outside of the compound.” Chris flinched at the emphasis on the last half of the sentence and conceded with a sigh, laying back and pulling the neural net down over his chest. He had never considered himself claustrophobic either, but when the attendant came to his side to begin the process, he felt a familiar heavy weight pressing against his chest. The woman, while seemingly unconcerned, unfortunately didn’t miss this.

“Relax, rookie,” she said, reaching down to give him an obnoxious pat on the cheek. “You’ll get used to it soon enough.”

Chris opened his mouth to object, but abruptly lost his voice when the top of the capsule began to lower and the sequence began. The instructions that had been all but ingrained into his mind prompted him to relax and close his eyes, willing the tumultuous thoughts, humiliation, and nervousness away. Deep breaths eased the knot in his stomach and lessened the invisible pressure, and before he could even slip into his self-taught method of meditation, he was…gone.

The inky void of unconsciousness lasted for only a few moments before Chris felt himself gasp and snap out of it. A vaulted wooden ceiling met his gaze when his eyes flickered open, and, upon sitting up and chancing a look around, he was relieved to see that the procedure had worked. Not that he expected it not to, since it had been a relatively stable system, but, again, the latent fear lingering in the farthest depths of his mind made him second guess even the soundest of proven facts.

As with his first connection to his avatar, Chris was a little unsteady on his feet, vertigo making the world spin for a few long moments. He clung to a support beam driven into the floor, his tail flickering uncertainly, ears laid back, eyes shut.

I really hope that woman is right… he groaned inwardly. It took some time for him to grow accustomed to the difference in height, but once the worst of the adaptation process had passed, Chris set to gathering supplies necessary for his brief venture out beyond the fence. He packed a beaker and collection tube into a satchel, and after stomping into some boots and slipping into some provided pants and a t-shirt, Chris left the hut and crossed to the western gate of the compound. Few avatars were out and about at this hour, since it was nearing dinner, but a handful of guards in exopacks stood around one of the smaller gatehouses, air rifles slung over their backs.

“I’m just going out to collect a sample,” he explained after the interrogation had begun. No one seemed particularly inclined to accompany him, considering their shifts ended in ten minutes and they were well and ready for dinner. Chris wasn’t particularly fond of the guardsmen—human or avatars, it mattered little to him. Even though the expedition had been funded solely by private investors in the scientific community, Chris couldn’t help but wonder what threads RDA still had bound to this planet. The men watching him looked like ex-military soldiers, scarred and hardened by war, and had a distinct lack of approval for the nerds running around and hosting this operation. He knew RDA had volleyed for a hand in this, and he knew that the heads of this trip had resolutely refused any of their service.

Whether it was sheer laziness or that disregard for the scientists, the men didn’t press Chris. They let him out without much of a fight, something that Chris was undeniably grateful for; odds are he’d be able to get his task taken care of faster if alone than if he had to wait for a human to keep up with him.

So, it was with curious eyes that he set off towards the edge of the forest, face tilted skyward to admire Polyphemus filling the vast canvas of a deepening indigo above him. He pulled his bag more securely up onto his shoulder and brushed at the strands of hair falling into his face, a sense of complacency finally making him feel at peace. Alone in a foreign territory riddled with potential sources of danger should have frightened him, but Chris couldn’t bring himself to be afraid. Ears pricked, he soaked in the landscape decorated with vibrant vegetation, the trees that twisted like ancient spires into the canopy above, the general aura of calm that seemed to radiate from every corner of the woodland.

“This is beautiful…” he murmured to himself, cyan fingertips brushing along the length of a shimmering fern-like plant. It was silky to the touch, nestled at the base of a vine-covered rock. Chris leaned over the wide leaf and was tugging it down a bit to get a better look at its interior structure, when a group of lizard like creatures sprang away and skittered across the forest floor. He couldn’t help the grin that claimed his lips, especially when he caught sight of a disturbance several paces to the left of the rock. Prolemuris materialized out of the sea of hanging vines, a group of twenty or so that seemed intent on migrating from their current position.

Bingo, Chris thought, picking up a brisk jog and following in their wake.

[Silmaneero]

The trees at the very edge of the forest, where the land began to melt into the wide, rolling, purple grassed plains, were smaller than their aged counterparts deeper within the jungle. That did not keep them from towering over their surroundings, however, including the strange series of unnatural looking buildings that the humans called home. They also provided the perfect perch for any would-be spy, though Koamalu had been disappointed at first to discover that the Sky People had built their home far enough away from the trees to keep anything (or anyone) from dropping over the tall fence from above.

And so his observations were forced to be from afar, though he had a feeling that, if he were to approach the opening in that strange, holed metal wall, they would perhaps let him pass. Koa had approached the gate before, had crept dangerously close to peer inside, and while the guarding humans had looked at him warily, they had otherwise let him be. Some of the other humans, the ones interested in their studies and the like, seemed please by his presence, even going so far as to speak with him. What conversation had occurred had been brief, mostly an exchange of names, of tribal relations... curious though he was, Koamalu wasn't about to spill everything he knew just because it was asked of him.

The day's observations had been interesting, if nothing terribly outside what he was becoming accustomed to thinking as normal for these beings. People came, people went, both humans and dreamwalkers. The latter were something Koa was particularly interested in, but they almost never left the Compound alone, always accompanied by others often toting what the elders of his tribe described as bows that shot arrows of fire and destruction. He had seen them in action once, when a research team had been attacked by Palulukan. One of the men had shot, and while his bow did not spout fire, whatever hit the great beast was enough to make it stumble and fall within a matter of moments. They had left it there, and when Koamalu had gone to tentatively investigate the Palulukan, it had appeared to be asleep and unharmed. Fascinating, that they could do such a thing...

He was about to return to Hometree for the night when something out of the ordinary happened. The gate opened, and one of the dreamwalkers emerged... alone. None of the warriors followed him, which was not only odd, but dangerous. They looked like Na'vi, but they knew little about being Na'vi, which meant they were vulnerable. For this one to wander off on his own, apparently enraptured by the beauty of the forest around him... Koamalu didn't think, simply rose from his perch and began to follow. He remained in the trees, but slowly worked his way downward, closer to the forest floor.

Wildlife abounded, though the dreamwalker seemed equally fascinated by the variety of plants he encountered, as well. It was only when a group of Prolemuris emerged from the canopy that he began to move in earnest, however, trailing along behind them rapidly. Puzzled, Koamalu finally dropped to the forest floor, creeping easily behind the strange being, watching as he watched the creatures. They had stopped in the limbs above, calling and sounding vigorously as they relieved themselves, an act that Na'vi quickly learned to avoid. There was nothing quite so ignominious as being splattered by urine or scat from above simply because you were not paying attention to your surroundings.

Oddly enough, even as the lemurs began to move deeper into the jungle once more, the dreamwalker remained behind. He was crouched down, his strange pack open next to him as he examined the dirt that the animals had soiled. Wrinkling his nose slightly, Koamalu quietly slipped up behind him, wondering what could possibly be so fascinating about sodden, soiled dirt. There was nothing out of the ordinary about it that he could see as he peered over the avatar's shoulder. A curious frown marring his brow, Koa crouched down, careful to avoid the other man's excitedly twitching tail as he leaned forward. There were but scant inches between their bodies, and yet the other still did not seem to know he was there, leaving the Aylukana Na'vi free to observe what the scientist was doing, ears twitching intently as he lifted one hand and braced it against the tree to help keep his balance.

Scat. And urine-soaked dirt. It was the latter that the dreamwalker was focused on, carefully collecting the most sodden soil he could find into a strange, clear container. But why?

[• Aerys •]

The terrain was proving a little more difficult to traverse the farther Chris ventured into the jungle, and while he was vaguely aware of the dwindling light supply, the last thing on his mind was the general stupidity of his decision. His primary concern rested with the pack of strange creatures flitting through the trunks of the trees and an endless struggle to keep himself from face-planting as he hurried after the Prolemuris.

The creatures seemed inclined to stop after their brief foray, plucking oddly shaped fruit from one of the trees while others relieved themselves. Chris abruptly crouched and watched with eager eyes, waiting in patience silence until the lemurs had moved away before finally approaching the soaked earth. Then it was simply a matter of pulling out the necessary utensils and carefully extracting the sample into his designated beaker. How someone had managed to gather an entire pitcher of it was beyond him, but Chris had no intention of stalking a group of monkey-esque aliens around in the dark. Malandra would be content with what he had, he was sure.

So engulfed in his work, Christopher was unaware of his audience until he sat back on his haunches and went to place his items back into the bag. He turned his head and promptly jerked backwards, falling unceremoniously onto his behind...right where the lemurs had taken their ample piss break. Regardless, a soaked bottom was hardly notable, considering he was staring into the face of a native.

Sprawled out, eyes wide, he couldn't help but gawk at the Na'vi, his breath seemingly stuck in his lungs. He was beautiful; even crouched and apparently relaxed, he looked every part a lethal hunter, the strong lines of his body hardened by his time spent in the forest. The deep, rich color of his skin was nearly fully exposed save for the traditional loin cloth strung along his hips, revealing a muscled thigh and hundreds of shimmering diamonds. Large amber eyes were watching him with curiosity and confusion.

His brief stupor was short-lived, and with a brusque shake of his head Chris sprang back to life. Carefully lifting the wet seat of his pants, he stood up and arranged his bag slowly, his tail undulating with his own caution.

"’Awve ultxari ohengeyä, Nawma Sa’nok lrrtok siveiyi," he murmured a little awkwardly, extending a hand towards the Na'vi.

[Silmaneero]

Koamalu rocked backward on his heels to avoid the dreamwalker's sudden flailing, and could not help but wince when he fell back into the lemur's latrine. His clothing (strange things, human and dreamwalker clothing; how did they make it so that it wrapped around the entire leg like that? Wasn't it uncomfortably hot?) would need a nice long soak with ample flower petals to rid it of the smell. And undoubtedly there would be much scrubbing required, a backbreaking task when one had to hunch over the water's edge for hours on end.

He rose when the other rose, in one quick, fluid movement. The avatar was shorter than he was, Koa noticed, though that was not so unusual. There were normal Na'vi who were shorter than he was. This dreamwalker was different in other ways as well, however, which made him easy to tell apart. His eyes... they were different. At first, Koamalu could not place how he knew, or what was wrong, but once it came to him, it seemed obvious. They were smaller, not as wide or round as regular Na'vi eyes. His color was the same, the faint stripes, the glittering markings that flashed surprise at seeing him, and then twinkled with something that looked like eager pleasure.

The slight smile on his lips widened at the formal greeting. Ah, this one spoke Na'vi! So many of the others he had heard spoke only English, and while Koa understood some of it, there were far too many of their words that he still did not know. Though he seemed hesitant, his pronunciation was clear, but before Koamalu could respond, something else caught his attention.

The hand.

He had seen this peculiar human greeting before, and knew the proper response. One should take the hand on his own and shake it, which was... well, odd. What purpose did it serve? That was not what had made him pause, however, what made his eyes narrow as he stepped forward. Reaching out, Koa carefully took the dreamwalker's index finger in hand, using it to lift his arm upward so that he could see it better. He lifted his right hand then, taking hold of the last digit of the avatar's hand, using his grasp to gently pull, spreading the phalanges apart.

One, two, three, four...

Five.

A curious frown marred his brow, head tilted to the side so that he could better examine this strange phenomenon. His left forefinger slowly ticked across Chris' fingers, starting with the thumb and working his way across the other four digits, mouth moving slightly as he counted. Fascinating. The humans had five fingers, yes, but Na'vi possessed only four. Why was it that these beings had five when they were supposed to look exactly as Na'vi did? Gently, Koamalu pressed their hands together, palm to palm, fingers parallel, watching the way their digits spread slightly at the pressure, how they looked so similar and yet were so different.

"I did not mean to startle you," he said quietly in Na'vi. "I am simply curious... what are you doing?"

[• Aerys •]

Chris couldn't help but stare when the Na'vi took hold of his hand, bronze eyes shimmering with curiosity. Unbidden, a shiver of...something, echoed down his spine, a warming sensation trickling from the crown of his head down through his veins, parting his lips in a quiet sigh. He couldn't rid himself of the tension that clung to his shoulders, though, of the tight sensation in his chest that he was actually this close to a native.

His arm remained pliant in the other boy's grasp, and it didn't take long for him to ascertain just what it was the stranger was inspecting; the differences were intended to be so subtle, but being so close to one now, Chris could see the lighter hue of his skin tone compared to the true Na'vi, the slightly larger eyes watching their joined hands, the addition of a finger on his behalf. The botanist glanced to the point of interest, felt the familiar warmth radiating from the other boy's palm. It was such a human sensation...

Blinking, Chris glanced back to the taller Na'vi and found himself reluctant to pull his hand away. It curled slightly as it retracted and disappeared into his bag, producing a translucent screen a moment later. Beyond formal greetings and a few casual conversation starters, Chris' skills were anything but fluent in the foreign tongue, so he thought he'd try relying on other resources. Like the portable computer.

"I, uh," he began awkwardly in English. He lifted the screen and clumsily activated it, bringing up a holographic image of the lemurs. Brightening slightly, ears perking forward, he showed it to the Na'vi. "I'm studying them. Collecting samples." In his other hand he produced the beaker of neon yellow liquid.

He wasn't entirely sure if the boy understood him, but judging by how tame the native seemed to be, Chris was inclined to believe that he did. It was no question that he was of the Aylukana tribe, the forest tribe, and Chris had heard of a few friendly and inquisitive Na'vi venturing close to the compound. Just who this one was, however, he didn't know.

"My name is Chris Bristow," he said at length as the Na'vi studied the screen. His tail undulated slowly with a sense of caution, belying his attempt to keep his exterior placid and calm. This was definitely not the right time to have a moment. Not in the middle of a foreign jungle with an alien armed with poisonous arrows standing in front of you. "What is yours?"

[Silmaneero]

Curious. Nervous. A little bit wary. Koamalu read this all as easily as a human reading an article on a datapad, each emotion a subtle shift and change of the bioluminescent markings that decorated the dreamwalker's face. It made him smile a little, ears twitching faintly. This one was apparently an excitable sort, it seemed. He couldn't recall having seen him out of the compound all that frequently, and he was certainly not one of the few that Koa himself had come into contact with already. In spite of the fact that they had just met, he found the other to be somewhat endearing, in an awkward, gawky sort of way.

His grasp of English was mediocre at best, and so Koamalu understood very little of what the human said in his native tongue. 'Samples' was familiar, a word the scientists used frequently and generally with great interest, and even though he didn't quite know what exactly 'samples' were, Koa could surmise that it had something to do with the... ew. Why was he collecting lemur urine? It smelled strongly and distinctly unpleasantly, prompting the Na'vi to wrinkle his nose slightly and draw back just a bit. This one seemed a bit clumsy, and he had no desire to end up getting splattered with piss should that strange glass container go flying.

That held his attention barely for a moment, however, wide amber eyes immediately flickering to the holographic image being projected by the data pad. Koa's jaw dropped open slightly, and he slowly reached up to touch the miniature lemur, only to make a soft, startled sound of surprise when his fingers passed right through the translucent image. Again he tried, and again was met with the same results, the light playing in odd colors across his azure hued skin, flickering and glinting.

"Kr... Krees?" the Na'vi echoed, his tone distracted. The first name was easy enough, but the last... 'b' was not a sound he was familiar with. "Krees.... Reestow."

That was it. Koamalu had to examine that strange glowing box more, and so without preamble, he snatched it deftly from Chris' hand, turning to stride away a few steps, utterly oblivious to the sounds of distress now emanating from the avatar as he reached for the datapad. His fingers passed through the tiny glowing lemur once more before Koa turned inquisitive eyes to the pad itself, one finger hovering uncertainly before tapping the screen. A delighted sound of triumph passed his lips, and they curled into a wide smile when the image changed from a lemur to an Ikran.

"I am Koamalu of the Aylukana," he finally answered the query, tapping the screen again and watching as a hexapede appeared to replace the Ikran. Turning back to the avatar, Koa finally noticed the anxious way Chris was staring at the datapad. With a sheepish grin, his ears flicking back apologetically, he (somewhat reluctantly) carefully returned the object to its owner. "I apologize, Krees Reestow, but that is a most fascinating object. What is it? How does it work?"

[• Aerys •]

It took a good deal of self restraint to not cry out when the Na’vi filched his datapad, his golden eyes widening as he flung an arm out to retrieve it. The native moved, though, taking the several thousands of dollars worth of machinery with him a few steps across the forest floor, and Chris couldn’t help but wonder if he was going to take off with it. The thought made him nervous, considering the thorough briefing the scientists had all undergone before getting to use such advanced equipment. It hadn’t been quite a threat, but the guys back on Earth had made it abundantly clear that they were not to damage or lose these materials. Not to mention he had a good deal of information stored on the little device already.

The divulgence of a name prompted Chris’ brows to rise; during their meetings prior to training on the planet itself, those in charge had outlined several of the key figures of the nearby tribes, including that of the Aylukana. Koamalu was part of the clan leaders’ family, if he remembered correctly, which was a surprising revelation. Even though he was not a direct heir to the proverbial throne of the tribe, he was an esteemed member of it nonetheless, and straying far from Hometree, unattended, and mingling with a potential threat was an extremely audacious move.

The Na’vi seemed comfortable with avatar drivers, though, friendly, if a little overly curious. He couldn’t bring himself to be too upset, not when Koamalu returned the computer. “It’s a computer,” he explained after a moment. He surmised that the native didn’t understand him very well, but decided it was better than offending him by butchering his own tongue. Chris lifted the device and pointed, ears perking. “Computer. It helps me with my research.”

As if to demonstrate, Chris approached a massive Lucinaria fibriata, removing a small needle affixed to the datapad. He knelt beside the deep violet, fringed plant and gently eased it into the thick roots, glancing back to up Koa to show him the reading flashing across the screen. “Instead of harming the plants, or taking samples, I can do it right here.”

As predicted, the plant flashed a vibrant shade of navy when Chris inserted the needle, those around it following suit, before returning to a mix of aqua and purple when he pulled away. His gaze slid up the length of the plant, his head shaking. “This is amazing,” he murmured, more to himself than to the Na’vi at his side. “They’re like…warning beacons for when danger is coming. And do you see how they all react simultaneously?” There was a distinct edge of excitement to his voice as he scooted away from the first, hand trailing along the dirt between it and a second plant. “It’s like the planet is connected, one big living, breathing organism, empathic and alive.”

He stopped when he realized his overzealous behavior was confusing his companion, and rose to his feet with a grimace. “I study plants,” he tried to explain, gesturing out to the Binary sunshine and the rest of vegetation around them.

[Silmaneero]

Koa's ears pricked forward as the Avatar spoke; he understood less than half of what Chris was actually saying, but was able to pick up on the intent and emotion behind his words through the gestures he made, the expressions on his face, and most importantly, the constant shifting of the bioluminescent markings that decorated his skin.

"Com... poot-er," the Na'vi echoed slowly, reaching out to gently tap the strange device again. Com-poot-ers were, apparently, a tool that these scientists used for their research, which was a term Koamalu had become very familiar with since humanity had returned to Pandora. It meant they wished to study and examine aspects of his home, a pursuit he found worthwhile and even commiserated with. He himself could be considered one who undertook research on a regular basis, and to find someone who shared his passion, his curiosity, his drive and need to know...

Well, why not give him a hand? Koamalu had been born in this forest, raised in it. He certainly knew more than Krees Reestow about the native flora and fauna, so who better than to help him with his studies? It would also occupy his time, and perhaps let him study these dreamwalkers in return.

"Penghrrap," the Na'vi said, reaching out to touch the Lucinaria plant they were standing next to. Koa would have to be blind to miss the excited shimmers that all but rippled across Chris' body as he spoke of the reaction the plant gave to being disturbed. It was nothing that Koamalu was unfamiliar with; he had helped to transplant some of these penghrrap along the path. They helped to warn of danger, reaction to hormones in the air and changing color accordingly. If they were soothing in hue, then all was well, but bright, vibrant shifts in color indicated hostility, and these amazing organisms had saved the life of many a Na'vi over the years.

Even if he didn't completely understand what Chris was saying, the eager interest and excitement that flickered across his body was enough to clue Koa in on just what he was speaking about. Gesturing to the other boy, Koamalu turned to head off of the path, taking a few steps before he realized that Chris wasn't following right away. Grinning, hoping to put the dreamwalker at ease, he reached out to gently take his hand and tug him forward, releasing him a moment later to gesture again.

"Za'u," Koamalu urged him, slipping off of the path again. "Za'u, Krees Reestow."

The path he took through the forest was quiet, made with the easy progress of one who is utterly at home with the land through which he traveled. Occasionally, he stopped, waiting for Chris to catch up to him before continuing again, which made the trip to his desired destination just a little longer than he had anticipated. Koa felt it was well worth the delay, however, when they stopped in front of a strange, woody plant. Almost immediately, the oddly shaped leaved turned toward him, and then toward Chris when the Avatar stopped next to him. They tracked him as he slowly circled the plant, doing so in order to show the strange phenomenon with his new companion.

"Pamtseowil," Koa said carefully, gesturing to the plant. "Ting nari."

Gently, the Na'vi reached out to cup one of the cat-ear shaped leaves in the palms of his hands. Taking a deep breath, he blew firmly across the leaf, angling the flow of the air until a low, fluting sound finally arose from it. The musical note made him smile, both eyebrows rising as he turned to look at Chris, as if silently seeking his approval for this new offering of knowledge.

[• Aerys •]

Rule number one, never follow a native into the forest unattended. Well, more specifically, never go into the forest unattended period, but Chris hadn't exactly stuck to that rule, now did he? The botanist hadn't planned on straying far from the compound, and belatedly he realized with one quick glance at his surroundings that he wasn't even within sight of the walls anymore. That and what little sunlight that had clung to the tops of the trees was now beginning to wane. Such facts would have normally sent Christopher sprinting back to the refuge of the lab, but a part of him, now granted the opportunity to speak first hand with a Na'vi, didn't want to leave just yet.

So, it was with a brief display of apprehension that Chris rose to his feet and shouldered his bag, following in Koa's wake. Traversing the undergrowth of Na'ring wasn't exactly a skill the boy was seasoned with, his stumbles and near falls more frequent than his sure steps, but then again, finesse on a flat surface wasn't exactly a skill he had mastered either. He kept his golden gaze glued to the ground ahead of his feet and did his best to keep up with the nimble moves of the Na'vi in front of him, nearly colliding with him when the creature abruptly stopped. He grunted and glanced up, eyes immediately settling on the thing the other boy was gesturing to.

He had only seen the plant in the database, a few plucked samples, and computer renderings, but never in person. It was a strange piece of flora, clustered on the side of an ancient tree, rusty in color and seemingly unremarkable...until the wooden leaves began to move. Curiosity danced across the markings on his face and arms, his ears perked as he took a step forward. The demonstration made him grin like a fool; it was one of the few plants on Pandora Chris had been looking forward to studying, given it's strangely animal-like qualities. It had been noted that the pamtseowll was used as a musical instrument and toy for the younger Na'vi, though undoubtedly possessed a greater purpose in the enigmatic ceremonies the scientists still knew very little about. Music was an important component of the Na'vi's connection with the animals and land they coexisted with, and in turn, with Eywa.

After snapping a quick photograph with his hand-held computer, Chris dropped his things and approached the strange plant, hands outstretched to gently cup one of the cat-like ears. Before his fingers could even make contact, however, there was a tiny hiss and a sudden explosion of color from the leaf, earning yet another indignant yelp out of Chris as he sprang backwards. The fan lizard chittered as it spun, its conical wings a dazzling flash of neon oranges and yellows, and as he stepped back, he could see several lazily floating upwards.

“Beautiful,” he murmured, recovering from his brief scare. In retrospect, he felt a little foolish after catching sight of Koa's small grin, but resolutely shoved his momentary embarrassment away. I'm still learning!

He was careful as he delicately plucked one of the leaves and brought it to his mouth, determined after several unsuccessful tries, and rather ecstatic when he finally managed to coax a soft, hollow note from the wooden plant. It was not until he was kneeling to place the specimen in a small container that he noticed the intensity of the markings on his arms and hands, his ears pricking, practiced routine suddenly taking hold of his thought processes. He tucked the item away and reached for the flashlight in the bottom of his pack negligently, pulling it out and flicking it on. The hard light sprang across the clearing, illuminating the way.

“Thank you, for showing me this,” he said slowly as he rose back to his feet. “But I should go back.” Chris lifted his hands and moved to gesture to the compound...only then realizing he had no idea where he was. And it was getting dark. Great.. “To my home. It is getting late.”