---- Back to Shepherd's page? ----

---- Bonded at the Refugium ----

Shepherd the Vortigaunt and Pallienth the dragoness have visited the Refugium, a massive space station and final refuge for many near-extinct species, in a distant realm of space-time. Having travelled there under their own power, they are now ready to see their goals completed: a Myrmex queen named Gleam has allowed them access to her many egg sacs, and it is certain that a number of them will want to come home with the pair.

A number of others have arrived to this massive station as well, intent on this clutch of odd creatures. Some are familiar species to Shep and Pallienth, while a few are decidedly not human nor other familiar types. One of those in particular was of interest to the Vort: Enebris Toniata showed such adoration and generosity toward the others - even the eggs with their unborn dragonets. Shepherd among others was gifted a long scarf that the Qrrlian claimed would respond to vibration.

On testing this out, Shepherd discovered that his low-frequency voice could elicit delightful shades that, apparently, Humans could not see. If he got to Flux Shifting with Pallienth, however, the strands of the yarn glowed in patterns of pale gold and bright blue, delightfully putting a visual to their words. It could hardly be said to be a 'translation', but a meaningful pattern might be worked out if they did it just right...

Practicing with this on and off while the clutch developed within their egg sacs, Shepherd and Pallienth explored the space station's biomes with curiosity and the intent to learn how best to work with their new potential friends.

Shepherd knew the Grounds had some small amount of deep-underground fracturing, but would the area support full tunnels and inhabitation zones? Perhaps. They would certainly find out. If not there, they might pop over to the Ranch, and the Rookery's extensive cave system to expand there. Their exploration was cut short one day, however, as their beepers went off. The clutch was ready! Both Shepherd and Pallienth gave off keening howls: this would be a momentous time! They hurried down toward the main lifts and made their way back into the biome 'below ground'. Though Pallienth was a touch on the uncomfortably-crouched side, she was able to attend properly, with her bond. Though they were not very near the eggs, they were close enough that no one would be very disturbed by either her size, or the Vort's odd appearance.

They watched with very different perspectives: Pallienth saw the wobbling sacs begin to tear and disgorge their contents, but Shep saw the life-force glow from each of them. His third arm gracefully waved a bit and teased Vortal vision into clarity, as he saw lines of energy from so very many of those eggs, to the people assembled around the area. Brightest among them were those that led to himself and Pallienth.

---- From the Hatching by Bug ----

Pallienth was likely the largest candidate in the cavern, and she shielded her bondmate Shepherd from view of the others with one partially extended wing. Several eggs touched their minds before the hatching had even begun, eager and joy-filled at the thought of being linked vortally to another. The pair had chosen a spot that was convenient for Pallienth's size and close to the eggs that reached out to them. A grubbling stirred inside its semi-translucent shell, dug its claws into the skin and ripped it open. A gleaming white fungus spilled onto Pallienth's paws in a puddle of ooze.

There were no words needed. This was Rahd and it linked itself to Pallienth and Shepherd immediately.

:: You won't go without me! :: a mind voice shouted across the cavern. A red-brown soil marched indeterminately toward the dragon and vort pair, and instantly its name became Ksaa . :: I will dig many tunnels! The best tunnels! You'll see! ::

Something nudged against Pallienth's wing and she opened it enough to reveal a bright yellow nectar grubbling, crawling across her tail to hunker beside Shepherd. Shepherd reached down to stroke its head and its mind voice shivered through both of them, shy and nervous. :: You're for me... and I am Darh , and we'll be good together, won't we?::

A fourth mind voice blasted through them all, ferocious as an antlion. :: I will keep us all safe forever!:: it was a brown soil, but the grubbling headed straight toward a pile of food, already filling its mouth with everything in reach. :: I'm Dara , and no one will ever hurt you again while I'm around. ::
----
They kept the information sheet and pamphlet from the clutch, to make sure that anyone they encountered back at home on the Grounds would know where they were from!
Species: Myrmex
Classification: Dragon, bonding-type
Homeworld: Attarmyx
Size: Varies
Clutch Style: Oviparous
Diet: Omnivorous
Info: Myrmex can sense their bonds' minds up to a few KM away, but can't actually project thoughts/communicate with them at that distance. Communication can occur within a 100ft radius, whether or not objects are blocking line of sight. For myrmex going through metamorphosis, closer is better but they can handle up to that 100ft range.

They did not really waste any time on the Refugium after the hatching: though they said their good-byes to the few people locally that they'd gotten a little familiar with, and 'checked out' leaving their beepers behind at the relevant offices. Proudly they did display their young charges to whoever asked - though some of these little Myrmex were rather shy about that! Thankfully they could all safely remain on Pallienth's capable shoulders, and it was a wonder that Enebris hadn't knitted them an entirely new harness with pockets for the journey... In fact what if-- no, no, Shepherd chuckled to himself, that entity had more than enough to do now that they too had their own colorful pair of bonds! Since they were all still quite small (though still bigger than a Vortigaunt child; Pallienth clamped down on Shepherd's mental state once again - they were now caring for their own little family, there would be more Vortigaunt offspring at some point! There would!) Shepherd gathered them near himself, and bundled the long knit scarf around all of them. It stretched a bit, but he did still keep his arms around the group just in case.

Their exit was as abrupt as their entrance had been several weeks before. They knew the way home, they knew just where to go, how to appear in the twilight-evening sky over the Grounds coffee mountain, on the west side of it 'just in case' they were to be seen by any errant Scanners. Shepherd hummed deeply, Flux Shifting with the children-Myrmex to keep their minds safe from harm as they journeyed through the endless black of the Nexus. Only Darh trembled, their ear bobs laying flat against their neck. Dara struggled against the yarn and Shep's arm but failed to 'get a look' at the Nexus's great void - which was probably for the best. Ksaa and Rahd nested their muzzles together, patiently, though Rahd did peek into Shepherd's mind to get a filtered view of that same Nexus. Was it unafraid? Or did it merely not comprehend the nothingness there?

It felt like the trip back was shorter and somehow brighter than their journey outward to the Refugium. Perhaps that Vortal ley-line of knowledge; they had laid Vortal breadcrumbs (where they each might have learned the phrase, if they even knew its origin, who could say?) to trace their path through the Nexus. And maybe others might follow it again at some point. If not for another Myrmex hatching, there was always the possibility of another event there! That excited both dragon and Vort, and thus also excited the Myrmex young.

There was little fanfare in the Grounds below, apparently it was a quiet evening there. No carnival or group events were going on near the big top that was hidden below the canopy of Vortally-shaped trees, it was fairly quiet. Though they did hear a few voices carrying, laughter and someone playing a tambourine in one of the inhabitants' caravans. It was acceptable to both dragon and Vort that no one was waiting, that there was no one awaiting them - these little Myrmex grubblings might be introduced to them once they had a place carved out to call their safe nesting home. And as for that...

"Welcome home," Keenan said, appearing with his traditional green-glowing Vortal teleport. It meant he had been on-site, possibly resting in his library in the Mansion, rather than anywhere more distant. Shepherd waited for Pallienth to lay more fully onto the ground so he could safely gather the grubblings and put them down, but the moment they hit the forest floor the four of them assembled into a diamond-pattern. Keenan looked on with a mixture of amusement and impressed surprise, they were clearly intelligent and obviously hive-minded. One of them, the more brown shaded with a creamy splash on its face and ... rump? stood at the forefront of that spearpoint, sniffing the air and adopting a guarded posture that the other three clumped in behind. The other brown-toned one, more nutmeg in color with a pair of stripes along its body, stood slightly higher with its head up; the very bright white and red shaded one beside it equally looking around carefully in the other direction - they had their patterns and they knew how to keep each others' back safe. The fourth was a lovely pastel peach and apricot color, and remained very much wedged in behind its siblings, peering out only after both Pallienth and Shepherd asserted it was safe to greet this new person.

Keenan felt the emotions off of these small creatures, and was actually surprised at its intensity. They clearly did not come from the same dimension as this one: any intelligent life form with this much energy spilling into the Vortessence would have attracted too much attention from the Combine's sensors. But they would blend in very well here, hidden as they would be between two intense pillars of Xenian interference, as well as surrounded by dozens of people with similar abilities. They were not yet ready to be integrated into the rest of the Rookery's dragons, but it was very clear they knew those existed already thanks to the Flux Shifted information that came out from Shepherd and Pallienth.

"This one is pleased to introduce our new hive," Shepherd said, and in turn showed off each of the little knee-high dragons. Keenan had to admit they were incredibly endearing, in addition to being remarkably powerful Vortally. "They will be of best use below ground," the Vort said, moving his two-fingered hand to point at the hill behind and beneath them. "Perhaps ... here?"

With an introspective middle-distance gaze, Keenan appraised the situation. The area below the hill that he and his local 'twin' had moved would be good to hide people, but it could also be of use to connect the two Xenian incursion points - with defensive areas to prevent any unwanted further aliens from drifting into their safe spot. He indicated that the Hill would be connected to those Xenian areas at their whim, and Shepherd nodded enthusiastically.

"The location is of prime value and will provide not only a secure habitat for our new hive, but for their sustenance and livelyhood." The Vort proclaimed, and 'translated' to the young Myrmex what exactly it meant to have this location. They could get to it when they were stronger, older, slightly bigger. But for the moment - they had other things on their collective minds!

One of those things was 'what to eat', because they were hungry. Even Keenan sensed their ravenous needs. Though they had eaten promptly at the end of their laborious hatching, they would want to have adequate food to grow now. There was more than enough to go around, quite frankly, because the surrounding farmland was heaped with remnants of both harvests and pests. So for the first few days they were treated to the very best remnant goods that the Grounds had to offer: from the fallen leaves and wet undergrowth near the Cafe, to a calf from the now-feral goat herd that wandered a little too close to them. They did not stop with those things, no. Pallienth was the one who explained, or perhaps imprinted upon them, that certain creatures were not to be touched as food. She gave them images of the felines, canines, houndeyes, flitters, and other such 'pets' that lived in the area: those were off limits. They understood implicitly that the humans, other Vorts, and bigger dragons were definitely 'friend' and part of the extended hive they were integrating with. But with the farmland also came 'food' animals: headcrabs mainly, but also rats, raccoons, birds, non-tamed hounds... they learned to sniff out whether a creature on one list might be edible: if it had the scent of their Human or Vort friends on it, it was 'friend'. If it lacked such a scent directly, it became 'food'.

After the initial rush of learning and eating, however, they did slow down a bit. Each of the personalities of the young Grubblings started to come through their initial stages. Perhaps this would cause amazing changes, according to the information given to them and swapped with Queen Gleam, they each had the potential to become something more than merely cute gobbling bins of hunger and curiosity.

Name: Dara (guard) of QueenGleam
Caste: Warrior
Color: Soil (They are most at home underground and prefer damp, dark environments. Soils tend to be nurturing and kindly, but can often be overwhelming.) Brown, cream marked
Hatchling Height: 9" at shoulder
Adult Height: 8'2" s
Personality: A passionate and outspoken soil, Dara cares immensely for his bonds and is quick to come to their defense, whether it's warranted or not. All it wants is to keep the people it loves safe, and it can be ferocious in trying to achieve this task. It is always direct and to the point, probably incapable of subterfuge. 
Abilities: Telepathy. (Others upon adulthood) Adult: Teleportation, Terrakinesis, Summon Quake, Soil Sustenance (From info: TERRAKINESIS: The ability to move or shift soil, rock, sand, and ores using only the mind. (D, W) SUMMON QUAKE: The user is able to simulate an earthquake, causing fierce shaking and splitting of the ground. (W, Q) SOIL SUSTENANCE: The user is able to derive nutrients directly from the soil, no need to eat! (D, W, Q)

Dara is the one who would patrol with Pallienth the most often. Though tiny, it would ride on her head and learned the lay of this foreign land. Even if it would prefer to be underground, it knew that above was far more danger and adventure. It would always want to return to its snug dirt den, carved out by the others, and always enjoy that intimate contact and connection with Pallienth and Shepherd and its siblings. While it can certainly 'hear' and sense the rest of the Grounds' inhabitants, the extent that it utilizes this information is limited to 'is there fear in their mind'. And if there is? Its instinct is to head straight for it! Bold and somewhat intrusive, Dara occasionally interrupts sideshow practice with the Carnies... After all that Human woman is throwing knives at someone else! Dara definitely has had to be trained to pick out 'delighted fear' from 'real fear'...

When the time comes for it to metamorphose Dara just knows exactly what it will do. The best way to protect is to move quickly and act first - apologize later, if needed.

Name: Darh (light) of QueenGleam
Caste: Drone
Color: Nectar (They are industrious and hardworking, no matter the caste, and dedicate themselves fully to a single task before moving on. Nectars can also be somewhat shy and flighty when faced with new people and challenges.) Soft yellow-cream with pink markings
Hatchling Height: 1'2" at shoulder
Adult Height: 3'4" s
Personality: Shy doesn't begin to describe how much of a wallflower Darh is. While myrmex are social, Darh prefers to stick to its bonds for company and gets rather flustered in the presence of strangers. It wants deeply to be protected and cared for, and in turn, Darh is endlessly loyal. 
Abilities: Telepathy. (Others upon adulthood) Honey Skin, Summon Pollen HONEY SKIN: The user secretes a thick, sugary fluid from between their chitin plates. This substance is rich in calories and vitamins and will give an immediate energy burst when ingested. (D, Q) SUMMON POLLEN: The user summons a thick cloud of pollen. While this is often used by drones to help fertilize gardens, it can also serve as a means to blind or choke enemies. (D, W, Q)

A bit of an anomaly among the group, Darh would rather pick its way through a thicket or corn field and leave a trail of useful materials behind: that scarf that Shepherd wears is an example of what might come from their capable little claws. It doesn't need to be tearing through dirt unless there are shiny goodies to be found in it, and those are few and far between ... at least underground. But when Shepherd took it to one of the ruins surrounding the Grounds, it was fascinated by these human wares such as nets, fishing line, straw hats, and yarn... If only they'd had slightly closer contact with that being who created the scarf worn by their protector! But Darh would learn the ways of weaving and producing amazing work from one of the Pyrrhan dragons more easily after cocooning. Though they know they're a bit on the twitchy side around more than one or two people at a time, the Carnies, Hippies, and even the other dragons of the Grounds have become more family than strangers. It will always prefer the company of Shepherd and Pallienth over even other Vorts or dragons, but with all the people around... there will always be work to be done for them!

Name: Ksaa (confidence) of QueenGleam
Caste: Drone
Color: Soil (They are most at home underground and prefer damp, dark environments. Soils tend to be nurturing and kindly, but can often be overwhelming.) Nutmeg rust brown, dark brown, warm grey
Hatchling Height: 10" at shoulder
Adult Height: 2'5" s
Personality: Ksaa is self-confident and demanding , willing to do whatever it takes to get what it wants. And mostly, it wants to have a job worth doing and a nice hive to do it for. Very little gets in the way of Ksaa's desire to get a job well done and it will preen endlessly when its goals are achieved. 
Abilities: Telepathy. (Others upon adulthood) Terrakinesis, Soil Sustenance TERRAKINESIS: The ability to move or shift soil, rock, sand, and ores using only the mind. (D, W) SOIL SUSTENANCE: The user is able to derive nutrients directly from the soil, no need to eat! (D, W, Q)

Once they knew the lay of this land included the underground passages glowing with odd semi-Vortal stones and plants that seemed to blink, Ksaa had it in its head to carve the connections between both east and west Xenian sites, and make the interior of the Hill livable for anyone that could fit. Of course, Pallienth was a bit too big to come inside, but she always was able to connect Vortally, her presence was always nestled warmly among the grubblings minds. It was already making plans, but needed the guidance of its sibling Rahd to figure out specifics. Even as a little one, Ksaa built out of the mud and dirt, creating spirals of soil that made Shepherd's heart ache for a homeworld he'd never seen with his own eyes. It would build those hive structures, it would tamp the dirt and reinforce with moved stones, even those ruins would help provide building materials, can they please visit again soon? Pallienth could take quite a lot of bricks, used rebar, all those things left over from invasions and Portal Storms, and... and they could make a new home below the ground with it!

Name: Rahd (beauty) of QueenGleam
Caste: Queen
Color: Fungus (They are adaptable, pragmatic, and dependable. Fungal-types can be clingy with their bonds and despise being on their own. They're communicative and intuitive.) Brilliant white, strong raspberry red
Hatchling Height: 10" at shoulder
Adult Height: 16' s
Personality: A soft-spoken fungus who prefers to observe conversations than participate in them. Rahd is level-headed, if a bit clingy, and loves the challenge of a difficult task. It loves nothing more than being helpful to its bonds and thrives on praise.
Abilities: Telepathy. (Others upon adulthood) Mycilia Network, Spore Breath, Poison Skin MYCILIA NETWORK: The user connects to any nearby group of fungi and is able to give and receive information through this. They become instantly aware of anything occurring on or around the cluster. (D, W, Q) SPORE BREATH: The user coughs a cloud of fungal spores, which can be used to seed soil or as an attack against an enemy, infecting them with harmful fungi. (D, W, Q) POISON SKIN: The user secretes a poisonous fluid from between their chitin plates. This substance causes hallucinations, nausea, and partial paralysis when ingested. (W, Q)

Rahd would look over Shepherd's shoulder, perched and peering, as they traveled through the ruins, as well as spent days looking through Lane's extensive library for inspiration and information. Would it learn how to read English? Do advanced math? Perhaps! It wanted to make sure that the locations were secure, but also to make them pretty. For whose eyes? Well, there were plenty eyes to go around in their little hive! It knew from listening in on the Vortigaunts Flux Shifted communication that Shepherd was digging for visuals, for the look and feel of those old world structures. Fresher memories from the Refugium aside, anthills and Antlion networks alike contribute to their understanding of such a venture. Even the Carnies' tents: how they hold so many but are such simple creations of cloth and poles? Rahd knew that their sibling Darh would be able to pick up things they found to be colorful or texturally correct for this. Now to get it all organized... Now to make sure that the tunnels and inner spirals worked just... right...