[img]http://smithsonianscience.si.edu/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/DSCN2380x-1024x768.jpg[/img]

[b]The Soruli, The First Awakening[/b]

Light passes the leaves above to land upon the bodies strewn about on the dirt below, sprawled every which way in a clearing.

Tall lanky shapes, contrasting to the dirt with their grey flesh and clawed little fingers and toes. Manes of fur and the odd feather poking out here and there. 

Some lay together, couples or entire groups in what seems to be the quiet comfort of body upon body and body next to body in close contact.

Some are sprawled in midair from the odd branch in the trees above, legs or arms dangling down from the vines suspending them.

Some are curled into an opening within a large large tree, somehow burrowed out and massive enough to go beyond the tops of the trees that already tower.

There is silence then punctuated by a high-pitched vibrating noise.

A body twitches, stirring with life amidst one of the groupings of bodies. A low cluck of discomfort exiting a mouth of itty bitty triangular teeth. 

Two large orbs of deep blue open to take in the world.

A long leg laid over its chest, an arm wrapped around its leg and what seems to be drool forming on the fur of its groin from a head that rested there along with the utter shock of the sight it takes in keeps it from rising for a moment. 

The nature of a rainforest. Bright of greens, tall of trees, winding be its vines and plentiful its leaves. The flowers of all shapes and sizes, formations and colorations astounded.

Color. Color. Color. [i]WILD COLORS A SPECTRUM OF WONDER![/i]

Its mouth dropped open as it sat up and moved back on its hands and feet, allowing the sleeping companion that used its lower half as a pillow to flop onto the ground by the side of its face. The arm clutching its leg and the leg that had been on its chest both pulled away in an awkward motion as their owners stirred awake, making saddened clucking sounds.

The initial being to awake reached down to pet its companion’s furry heads, even that of the one so gone it kept drooling onto the dirt. Its eyes took in the world around, the bodies of partners together, the leaves, light, plants, air, the massive tree towering above all, thicker than all, encompassing enough to cast shade down upon the gathered Soruli below, its branches letting numerous vines hang to below. Blue eyes spotted the odd fellow somehow suspended amid the vines and with big yellow pools of space gazing downward.

“Je-re?” Our initial creature cawed, astounded at the display of suspension and mind boggled for a moment as to how one got up there to begin with whilst its taloned fingers petted and its caressed partners back to sleep.

“Imaaaa. I flyyyy…” After the warbled greeting, Je-re wiggled his body to make himself swing back and forth as “Ima”, as our main character in this moment of time shall be named, watched on.

“Je-re, you’re not… well, no you’re not but you’re…” Each thought seemed to be interrupted by the sheer motion Je-re was able to summon with his odd jerking and bending. Ima stopped attempting to speak to him entirely when vomit hurled forth from Je-re’s mouth to splash onto the thankfully uninhabited ground below.

Ima turned eyes away from the display, thinking it better it was better for Je-re to purge the…

The...

“...What spirits were taken within?” Ima mumbled, mind searching for the memories that told of what their group had consumed, but only recalled the bending colors, the movement of bodies in dance and in bliss. The cawing and drums that gave tempo to all actions and… everything else blank save the words that came from mouth, names of kin and common sense.

“Good stuff~” Cooed one of Ima’s partners, reaching a hand out to run the soft pads of the taloned hands along Ima’s fur and exposed skin, deep red eyes of space peeking up from a mane of light brown fur.

“Really good stuff~” Cooed another, tongue hanging out of their mouth as lighter red eyes with hair just a shade darker than its other cooing kin, looked upward and an arm attempted to wrap around Ima’s waist.

The Soruli with its head still resting on the ground made some type of garbled response to the dark dirt as Ima pondered all this, allowing its wakened partners to feel and pet as they wished.

A disappointed caw exited Ima’s mouth, “ ‘Good stuff’ that has left me without spirits still within as they continue to dance within others...”

Ima’s blue orbs took in the world around, paying absent attention to the affections of the partners. One taloned hand went through Ima’s head fur, a mane of creamy color speckled with silver feathers.

Disinterested in continuing merging of body and souls when such bounty that incited the natural curiosity lit a different type of spirit in Ima’s chest.

Taloned little feet cross the dirt below, eyes taking in the flowers, the life abound. Hours and hours pass.

[b]~Later That Day~[/b]

Leaves, vines and branches intertwining to create shadows in patterns to the flowering growth and the dark dirt below.

Heat. Breathing.

Some shadows fall upon a large mass, at first glance one large creature with a multitude of colors for its pelt and a hundred extending feathers drifting in some subtle breeze where its settled upon the soft ground.

Sleeping. Shifting.

A second glance. The creature writhes and moves gently in one portion or another, as if ever shifting in its sleep. No eyes open. No legs or arms or central mass conveyed amidst all the fur and feather.

Moon light.

A third glance. Soruli manes and feathers turned outward. Bodies piled on top one another to keep warmth close and make them look like some large beast. A natural defense from the smaller and weaker hearted creatures that would approach.

The pale shaft of light illuminates the very top of the mass, causing particular Soruli head to twitch and shift.

A singular section of pale grey flesh, one Soruli face, lifts toward the light of the moon.

One eye opens, a vortex of shifting blue and white that almost challenging the stars above in their brilliant beauty.

Silence. Shaking.

The Soruli's mouth spreads revealing rows of little triangular teeth and a thin tongue of charcoal.

In the next moment it releases a screech that pierces the ears of all near and the calls out toward the heavens.

Terrified. Terrified.[i] Terrified.[/i]