இ Ѻur Ѻwn Ҟeepers இ (Semi-lit Post-Apocalyptic- Beasts)

[LittleStarWolf]

(I might join... keeping an eye out to see how it starts off. If I like it, I'll make a character or two))

[Resin]

((I'm going to be kicking this thing off either tonight or tomorrow, so get ready for it. (: ))

[Apocalyptic_Punk]

Yay can't wait!

[Resin]

((Here we go.))

~|Tenzin|~Co-Leader of The wise|~ Male Liger|~

With each step taken, the large, platter sized paws of the massive golden striped liger stirred up puffs of dirt and dust. The empty streets of the city echoed with every sound. He inhaled lightly, testing the air around him, searching for signs of life. He could smell the beast that inhabited the nearby buildings. The unmistakable scent of wild cats met his nose. Periodically he would smell canines, large and small. The heady, delicious smell of ungulates caused his stomach to rumble greedily. Tenzin, for that was the liger's name, was not out on a leisurely stroll. Duty called. And, since he was one of the two leaders of The Wise, his number was on speed dial.

Swinging his huge, maned head to the side, he fixed his golden gaze upon the silver wolf that loped beside him. Since the day that the humans died, she had been his constant companion. Rather than being the bloodthirsty beasts that humans had always thought them to be, the zoo animals were quite tolerant of one another. The wide open space of the abandoned city helped that tolerance, of course. As long as there was room to retreat and personal space was observed, animals could get along rather well.

Tenzin reflected. Times had changed since his days in the New Isolia Zoo. He had been an ornament there. Just another piece of the collection. The insignificance of his life weighed on him even before he became overly intelligent. He was a big cat. His large stature would have impressed all of the females had he been in the wild. The keepers at the zoo had provided him with a lioness, but she'd never had any interest in him and he had returned the sentiment. They tolerated one another at most and there were times where they would come to blows. Looking back on his 'simple' times, he felt slightly ashamed. That lioness still roamed the city somewhere and they were civil when they met, but they still held no interest for one another.

The echoing, barren streets of New Isolia stretched out before him and he continued to pad silently down Main Street. Again he looked to the canine beside him his dark amber eyes appreciating the flickering moonlight as it caressed her silver coat. She was large for a wolf, but his massive size dwarfed her. What she lacked in size, she more than made up for in attitude and confidence. He admired her immensely. Their joint leadership eased burdens for them both. Besides, they both believed that one being having absolute power would lead to corruption. Having two in charge kept a balance and things ran smoothly.

Tenzin spoke, his deep, soft voice rumbling free. "The subway is up ahead. It won't be long now." A nod was all that Oresia gave him in return. Her brow was furrowed. The situation that called the pair out of the library today was unsettling. A small black ferret had come to the building of books earlier in the day telling both Tenzin and Oresia a sad, almost unbelievable story.

The ferret had been frolicking about the subway, enjoying the dark tunnels as rodents are prone to do. He heard voices so he silently followed them. Creeping around a corner, the ferret saw four humans, spears in hand, standing over the dying body of a black leopardess. One human sent his spear through the cats neck and she died shortly after. The ferret ran for them immediately and shared his story.

The big cat and his canine counterpart left for the subways immediately. The leopard was dead by the ferrets account, so they moved at a gentle lope, conserving their energy in case it was needed down below. Others had heard the story which didn't surprise Tenzin. Weasels had a hard time keeping their mouths shut. Due to the spreading story, others had joined them. A giant white bear lumbered behind them as did a few spotted hyenas. A grey fox trotted at the head of the group as if leading the way.

Arriving at the large, dark mouth of the tunnel system, they all leaped down onto the track, walking in the direction that the ferret had given. The smell of blood hit their noses and Oresia growled low, the black blaze across her silver ruff bristling. "The small one did not lie." Around a curve they found her. Every inch of fur had been removed from the leopards body and pieces of meat were missing as well. Tenzin wrinkled his nose. Humans were horrible beasts. An animal would never waste a kill like this.

"We must take care of this." Oresia spoke and Tenzin nodded in agreement. Bending low, he took the bloodied body of the leopard in his maw. His wolfen counterpart asked the hyenas to run ahead and begin digging a grave. Since their intelligence spike, they had begun caring for their dead, believing that there was a life after this one. A body needed to be buried and covered with heavy dirt and stone so that, when the soul broke free, it could escape and not drag it's rotting body along.

Above ground once more, Tenzin was left with the bear and the fox for walking companions. Oresia had run ahead to help the hyenas dig. New Isolia City Park was their destination. A clearing off to the side of the large pond served as the cemetery for The Wise. They needed no headstones for their dead. Such vain markers were a human frivolity. The Wise remembered their own until the end of their days. That was all the marker that they needed.

As Tenzin placed the body of the leopardess in the hole, he heard Oresia behind him quoting George Eliot. "Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them." Though the situation was grim, a slight smile spread upon his maw. He returned the quote with one from Edvard Munch. "From my rotting body, flowers shall grow and I am in them and that is eternity." Flowers would indeed grow here and they would remind each beast of the ones that had passed.

The animals dispersed and Tenzin turned to leave, casting a glance over his shoulder towards the silver wolf. "Are you coming, Ora?" A shake of her head was the only reply given. He wasn't surprised. The female like her solitude. It gave her time to reflect upon events; upon life; upon herself. Nodding, he turned and continued back to the library that they both called home. She would return when she was ready.

~|Oresia|~Co-Leader of The Wise|~Female Cascades Wolf|~

Just as Tenzin had expected, Oresia sat beside the large pond, just outside the graveyard where the leopardess now rested below the ground. She reflected upon the meaning of death and took the time to send her hopes and thoughts to the ancestors of the cat, willing them to bring her soul home. She was prone to sitting and thinking, debating this topic and that in her mind. At times she was so deep in thought that someone could be standing directly beside her and she wouldn't know until they spoke. This happened now.

"Humans again?" An incredibly deep voice that put Tenzin's to shame broke the wolf from her thoughts. Blinking to wet her dry eyes, she directed her attention to the water before her. A gigantic, dark mass rested just below the water's surface. Ora cracked a small grin, looking at the water. "Yes. Humans again, Merikh."

As she spoke the name, the beast that it belonged to broke silently from the water and began pulling it's immense, scaled mass upon the grassy bank beside her. The crocodile, Merikh, dwarfed every other creature that Ora had ever known. His body full of armored scales glittered in the light of the full moon that hung heavy above them. The majority of beasts wouldn't come anywhere near this pond. Everyone distrusted the reptile that ruled here. Ora, however, had a soft spot for the crocodile. Though he was rough and brash at times, he was exactly who he portrayed himself to be. There was no lying in him and she respected that. The fact that he seemed to defer to her may have had something to do with her feelings for him as well.

"You're eating well, I see. Leave some for the rest of us, will you?" She joked, gracing him with a genuine smile. Since the near-extinction of the humans and the release and rise of The Wise, the ungulates had thrived. They bred all year long. Breeding seasons no longer existed. This area of the country was warm enough in the winter that very little, if any snow would fall. The conditions were perfect for birthing at any time of year and the hoofed animals adapted to that change quickly. Food was plentiful for the animals that chose to stay in the city.

"What fun would that be?" Merikh chuckled deeply, his bright green and yellow eyes sparkling mischievously. Ora huffed softly and shook her head. The huge reptile enjoyed making others uncomfortable. He was quite pompous at times. He was also rude and disrespectful for those that he felt were beneath him. Merikh thought of himself as a king, Ora knew. He could continue thinking that as long as he continued to show respect to both Tenzin and herself.

Yawning, Ora stretched, splaying her toes. Normally a full moon would give her energy. However, she'd been up all day and all night reading a series of books called The Lord of the Rings. She quite enjoyed it. Tenzin preferred biographies and histories, but Ora would turn those down any day for a good, well written piece of fiction. Losing herself in stories was one of her favorite pass times. Rather than living one life, she will have lived thousands by the time she joined the leopardess in the ground.

"Back to the library I go before Tenzin sends out a search party." Her comment was met with another deep chuckle. "Perhaps I'll see you tomorrow, Merikh." As she turned, the reptile called out to her before pulling himself back into the water. "Watch out for those humans. I'd hate to have to kill more of them." Oresia snickered, knowing that was a lie. The crocodile would absolutely love to kill another human.

[Soriams]

Calaphan
~<<<<<<<<-–—=:•:=—–->>>>>>>>~

Claws locked steadily onto the topmost branch of the oak in which he had spent the night, Calaphan cracked open one black eye to watch the dawn. From this lofty height, New Isolia spread out into the distance, dark and silent like a hibernating beast. It was twilight still, and the creatures of the night were returning to their dens, and those of the day had not yet begun to stir. Ravens had log called this time of change the hour of quickening, when the soul of the earth was closest to the sky, and thus why it always awakened the birds first. Already there was murmurs of their stirring, single songs ringing out and echoing through the stone towers that still stood. Happy chirrups of songbirds and the long, sorrowful notes of larks as they awoke. Even the random laugh of a mallard as they waddled towards the lake. It was like the sounds of spring, as each greeted the new day in their own way. It had only been since the humans had gone that such a symphony was heard in the city. While they had lived, the sound of traffic and the nattering of the incessant voices had filled up every inch of space, leaving room for no other song. He may have missed the easy meals they offered, but was grateful for the quiet they left behind.

Slowly, the light grew stronger, casting a rose glow across the underside of the fair clouds in the east, and while the raven watched, the golden disc of the sun peeked above the horizon. The normally grey city greedily grabbed onto the light, the broken glass and polished stone passing light from one another, setting it in a warmth and that dulled its harshness. This was now a place a peace, and he let out a contented sigh, taking it all in with his wizened eyes. However, the serenity of the scene was not to last, as the light also woke the flock of sleeping starlings in the bows below him. The noisy little birds all stirred at once, and began a cacophony of cheerful calls that droned out all the other combined songs of the park.

Tilting his head to the side, Calaphan looked down on them with a bit of distain. If ever there were a creature that deserved the name 'bird brain' it was that group of squawking passerines. All at once, they lifted up in a great flock of fluttering black wings, and the Raven let out an irritated squawk. They would be circling the tree for at least the next half hour, diving and chirping and basically making a spectacle of themselves, and Calaphan wanted none of it. Spreading his great ebon wings, he too took to the air, gliding through the cloud like a giant among fleas.

Flapping his creaking wings to gain enough altitude to clear the height of the buildings ahead of him, Calaphan instinctively banked towards the library. It had become his habit to look in upon the two who had taken up residence there, and today would be no different. He greatly enjoyed listening to them, even if he did not always join in on their conversations. Besides which, both were proficient hunters, and had provided him with more than one good meal in their time. However, it seemed as though today would be different, as before he reached the walls of the grand building Calaphan spotted the golden form of Tenzin as he walked down the dusty road. Something was afoot for the liger and his companion, the wolf Oresia, to be up and about this early, and Calaphan changed course to follow them.

Turning his wedge-shaped tail into the wind, Calaphan flew lazy circles above them, following their track to the black maw of the subway. Alighting atop an aging light post, he watched as they growled at one another, speaking of a scent that the raven did not catch. His nares were not so keen as the great terrestrial beast's snouts, and he had always wondered what it was like for them to be able to navigate the world by nose alone. Like most birds, ravens were very much visual creatures, their other senses paled in comparison, and as such, it was a nice stretch of the imagination to ponder on.

However, now was not the time for such ruminations, and Calaphan turned his attention to the beasts that stayed above while Tenzin and Oresia disappeared below. Not a one of them noticed his presence, as it seemed so few creatures ever bothered to simply look up, and he was able to easily catch the gist of their conversation. The few remaining humans had been at it again, and killed one of the great cats that stalked the night. Shaking his head, Calaphan could hardly say he was surprised. After all, it was in their nature to fear and kill, to take what they needed without thanks and leave the rest behind. Did the others now think so highly of themselves that they expected them to stop with the shock of a few words?

After a few moments Tenzin reappeared, carrying the mutilated corpse in his jaws. Together, the wolf and the hyenas bolted out in front of him, and immediately Calaphan knew where they were headed. With a grumpy harrumph, he took off once more, easily beating the others to their destination. Why they had taken to hiding their dead in the ground, he didn't understand. Tenzin had once said it was out of respect, but in his eyes, it was all one gigantic waste. Why not leave her for the scavengers as nature had intended? Let the legacy of her life feed those who would carry on her memory and send her essence to Mother Sky where it belonged, instead of giving it back to the greedy earth.

Still in silence, and unnoticed while the others went about their work, Calaphan watched from the top of a dead tree while they finished their grave task. It was his way to watch over them, and every day he did so, he learned more of their thoughts and minds. All of it he stored in his own memory, to pass it on to the other egglings in their own time. That stray thought brought a heaviness to him, and he shook his feathers, letting them puff out around him before laying them flat once more. The old raven was just that, a single, solitary raven. There would be no chicks, at least not of his blood in this world. It had been a long time since he had felt the loving preen of another, and it was hard to think of that time. Persephone had been his mate for only a few years until time took her. As was the way of birds, there was no goodbye, no mourning over a body as the furred ones below him now did. She felt her end was near, and flew away from him, disappearing into the sky never to be seen again. Still, he loved her though, and had never sought another. Ravens were meant to bond for life, and he simply couldn't bring himself to begin anew.

The Wise soon finished their work, and Tenzin turned towards home while Oresia took her leave and headed back towards the water. Deciding to follow the liger, Calaphan once again took wing and flew towards the library as well. The wolf would likely return later anyway, and he wished to speak with them both. With practiced grace, he alighted on the keystone to the wide arched doorway, hopping about so that he could wait for Tenzin. Though great in size, the cat seemed to be sorrowfully slow at times and the bird wondered just how they could stand plodding about on the back of the earth all the time. Whatever though, he would be there whenever the cat arrived Settling himself, he stretched out one wing, zipping each of the long primaries through his bill while he waited.

[Slayei]

◤--------------------◥

➳ Thayer

➳ Female

➳ Himalayan Wolf

◣--------------------◢

Drops of dew from weeds and grass that broke through sidewalk cracks welcomed themselves to the dull pelt of the female wolf that made her way down the street. Her paws formed to the roughage of the street with each step. Dark grey eyes pondered over the now unkempt city that laid before her. Not only was it far from what its previous glory had beheld it as, but it was now better. Now it could be restored to what it was meant to be. The home of the Wise.

The life she had once lived was one of seclusion and entrapment. Before she had escaped she had no name. She was called wild wolf, doggie, and extinct risk. She was fed from a fence by a mental contraption and roamed with other animals like her type, but not many. But now she was so much more than she had been then. Now, she was called Thayer. She was free, what she had always wanted to be. Before the humans began to fall she had began to try to escape the enclosure of wires and wood, then finally on a day like any other, she gained her freedom. That day she vowed that she would never live in captivity.

After escaping, knowledge began to pour into her more ever day, she was growing intelligent beyond others before her, until she came into her current glory. Now, as she made her way down the streets of the fallen city, she was part of a pack. A pack of animals that were called the Wise. These animals had developed past others and now lived in peace.

Gently, as she rounded the street corner, she arrived at her destination; The Grand Library. Here lived her leaders. The lion and the wolf otherwise known as Tenzin and Ora. As she made her way up the stairs she felt the eyes on her from the animals living in the buildings around. If she would not have important news for her leaders she would of never left her side of the fallen city.

Thayer walked through the doors and sniffed the air, there was nothing but the scent of books. They must have left some time ago, but she would need to wait. The information she held was life threatening and could cause issues with the Wise. As she waited she pulled a book from the shelf and opened it. She read the title 'Dante's Inferno.' As she waited she continued to wait.

[Resin]

((Your posts always blow me away.))

~|Tenzin|~Co-Leader of The wise|~ Male Liger|~

His pace was slow and plodding as he made his way back towards the building of books. Thoughts tore through his mind and he found himself quite lost in them. Something would have to be done about these humans. This was no longer their time. This was no longer their city. This was no longer their world. Tenzin was a cat of peace, so of course he attempted to think of a situation where everyone could live together in harmony. Had he said that aloud to Oresia, she would have laughed at him. He supposed that was why they made such a decent team. Their viewpoints were on opposite ends of the spectrum the majority of the time.

Could they speak to the humans? Wouldn't the humans have a sort of ambassador that would be willing to parlay? Tenzin could understand the fear that the humans had for the beasts that they once had kept under lock and key. There was still a great amount of bad blood between the animals and humans. Many remembered their mistreatment, neglect, imprisonment and starvation. He couldn't blame them for disliking the two-leggers, but he couldn't cling to that same hatred. If anything, he felt disappointment. He was disappointed that they hadn't accepted The Wise as sentient, intelligent beings.

In time Tenzin reached the library. As he lived in his mind, he almost walked right on by. Looking up to the tall, sprawling building, he smiled as some of the very first rays of light lit up the sky. There were windows on every side of the library, providing ample light for reading every hour of the day. At night it was more difficult, but he made due.

While looking up, he caught sight of the large black raven, Calaphan. The golden striped cat rumbled out a greeting and started forward, pushing open the main double doors with his large maned head. During the day they kept the doors open, allowing anyone to come and go as they pleased. With a few leaps, Tenzin heaved his heavy body up several flights of stairs, reaching their main living area. Off to the side was a set of very tall double paned windows. Moving to them, he pushed them open wide, allowing the raven inside if he wished.

Piles of books rested here and there. Tenzin made his way to a particular pile that rested near a large sprawling pile of pillows. The big cat gently placed himself upon these pillows and searched for one of the many books that he was working on reading. "Ah, Shakespeare..." he rumbled to himself happily. Hamlet was taking up his time. Ora was the lover of fiction, but every now and again Tenzin would find an author that caught his attention. Shakespeare was one of those authors.Gingerly and with careful claws, he opened the book to the marked page and began reading.

~|Oresia|~Co-Leader of The Wise|~Female Cascades Wolf|~

While Tenzin had been thoughtful and plodding, Oresia made her way back to the library quickly. On long, slender legs she ran through the quiet streets, the squawking of the birds and her paw pads hitting the pavement being the only sounds. The far off smell of rain met her nose and she made a small sound in her throat. Ora loved the rain. If it fell all night, she would sleep like a pup.

As she drew closer to the library, more animals came into view. They were making their way there as well and she was pretty sure that she knew why. They wanted answers the same as she did. They would want to know what she and Tenzin were going to do about the recent killings. The Leopardess hadn't been the first kill. There had been three all together. A hyena had been found murdered, a gunshot wound in it's side. One of Merikh's females had been killed with several gunshots to the head. They had skinned her and had taken most of her meat as well. Merikh wasn't happy about one of his ladies being killed. However, due to his great size, it wasn't exactly like he could go hunting the humans.

That was one of the ideas that Oresia had, actually. If they hunted the humans, they would be safe to live as they pleased. They wouldn't have to worry about whether or not they would be killed as they went for their daily walk. Parents wouldn't have to worry about humans stealing or killing their cubs and pups. This suggestion was sure to be brought up at the meeting that would be had whether they liked it or not.

Padding past the assembling animals, Ora loped up the stairs to the open middle floor where she and Tenzin spent most of their days. "They're already amassing." She spoke to Tenzin as she moved to the open window. "We may as well hold a council." Placing her paws upon the windowsill, she howled long and low, calling together everyone that wished to attend the meeting. This issue needed to be addressed. The sooner, the better.

Only when she turned once more did she notice Thayer. The orange tinged wolf had her nose in a book. "Ah, Dante's Inferno." Ora said, obviously pleased. It was one of her favorite stories. The big silver female seated herself, curling her tail around her paws. It was unlike Thayer to venture far from the corner of the city that she called home, thought it wasn't an unpleasant surprise. Oresia still enjoyed being around her own kind. The kinship between ones own species couldn't be denied. "Is something amiss, Thayer?"

[Wormgod]

The bright rays of sunlight woke Hapi from his slumber. He turned toward the open window from his position on a child sized hammock strung between two bookshelves. The baboon skillfully tugged on the blind's strings until pulled the blinds down over the window. Then he waited another ten minutes or so before climbing out of his hammock. This was Hapi's morning ritual ever since he came to The Grand Library. He rather liked it, waking to the Sun and not having to worry about his old troop leader's current mood. Sure, he had leaders now, but they didn't beat him for no good reason. In many ways life in the zoo was good, but it was also quite savage.

Finally Hapi found the energy to get out of bed. He carefully jumped down to the ground five feet beneath him and navigated the bookshelves toward the main hall, where Tenzin and Ora should be. His "bedroom" was in the Mythology section of the building, which was located in the eastern wing, where all the Nonfiction was. He liked it there. History was Hapi's favorite subject, with Science a close second. Hapi spent his days learning as much as possible, practicing his handwriting, and studying the current state of affairs. He knew this was a crucial point in Earth's history and he wanted to be a part of it.

Hapi reached the main hall. Tenin and Oresia were just entering the building. It seems Hapi (once again) overslept an important mission. He hoped it wasn't anything too grave. Matters involving the humans always seemed to be...unsettling.

Hapi loped toward the liger in the Shakespeare section to ask what happened. Ora whispered something to him, then went to the window to howl, the signal for a council to start. Oh dear. He thought. Something terrible must have happened. Hapi reached Tenzin. Standing to gingerly rap the big cat on the shoulder, he whispered, "What happened?"

[Slayei]

◤--------------------◥

➳ Thayer

➳ Female

➳ Himalayan Wolf

◣--------------------◢

As she heard the voice of the white leader enter her ears she looked up. Her mind had caught itself wondering in the world of the beautifully written pages once again as they had many times before. She glanced down to the book to check her place, then closed it and replaced it onto the shelf. Thayer stood herself up and allowed gravity to once again affect her. As she looked around she realized both of her leaders had entered into the building. Ashamed of herself for being so unaware at a moment like this, she shook her head, then turned to her leaders.

"There is trouble..." she said in a mild but dangerous voice. Her eyes switched around to view the bird that rested at the window. Quickly, her ears twitched around to check for others who had entered. When she realized there were no more she calmed herself and the fur that had raised on her back now lay flat. Her eyes twitched to Tenzin. He was such a diligent lion. He always held himself with such a majestic manner.

Then her eyes twitched to Ora she reexamined her. So beautiful and elegant. Most importantly, she knew she could trust her leaders with anything. The vibe that they radiated was one of protection and safety. As she looked between them both she came to rest her eyes on the window that viewed over the city. With a entitling sigh of her breath words of disappointment withdrew from her lip "My home has been taken by humans."

Just this morning she woke to the sound of the doors being forcefully broken open. Her eyes burst as she saw four humans enter the theater. She scrambled through the back exit and down the street until she was sure they were not behind her.

[Resin]

((We're going to need at least one or two human characters at some point if anyone would like to make one.))

~|Tenzin|~Co-Leader of The wise|~ Male Liger|~

Ora's words met his fuzzy rounded ears and the liger nodded, not even looking up from his book. He already knew what she was going to suggest. The longer he could distract himself from such thoughts, the better. Her howl caused him to wince slightly. Laertes had just leaped into Ophelia's grave, wishing to hold her one last time before she was buried. The howl matched the grief within the story and Tenzin shook his head, feeling the words in the deepest parts of his soul.

A tap upon his shoulder caused the big cat to jump, clearly startled. Blinking profusely, he turned to see Hapi beside him. Instantly he calmed. Perhaps he lived too much within his stories. Rounded ears swiveled forward, catching the baboon's question. There was a certain voice that he used when inside the library and he used it now. His deep voice rumbled out in a sort of soft purr. "A leopardess has been killed by humans in the subway. This has been the third kill this month." He searched the baboons face when he delivered the news. Tenzin quite liked Hapi and didn't like to upset those that he held dear.

Another set of voices caught his ears and his head rose, looking across the room towards Ora and Thayer, whom he hadn't known was present. More humans, it seemed. Would they receive no rest this day? The rust colored female had been displaced from her home within the Opera House. They were becoming gutsy, it seemed. Rising to a seated position, the large cat held his maned head high. "We shall sort this out and reclaim your home. Until then, you are welcome to stay here with us. There is more than enough room."

~|Oresia|~Co-Leader of The Wise|~Female Cascades Wolf|~

Silver ears flicked forward, catching each syllable that Thayer uttered. Before she even realized that she was doing it, a growl had begun to rumble in her chest. "Destruction and death is all that they know. Humans have no pride; no manners; no sense of self. They are heathens and they must be dealt with." Sulfur yellow eyes fixed upon the face of the wolf that sat before her. "We will reclaim your home. The humans will not be allowed to run rampant and do as they please."

Hearing sets of claws clicking upon the tile downstairs, Oresia rose to her slightly darker paws. "These heathens will pay for their trespasses." The last comment was made for Thayer alone. Canting her head, she motioned for the other female to join the rest of the group downstairs and seconded Tenzin's invitation. "Please stay here until we get this business sorted." It shouldn't take very long, she thought to herself.

Bears, hyenas, ferrets, rats, foxes, all sorts of creatures began to show up. Oresia directed them into the large lecture hall. It would fit them all comfortably and, thanks to the acoustics, every voice big and small would be heard clearly. They would wait for a time, allowing each creature to arrive. Some were much slower than others. As they waited, Ora made the rounds, greeting each animal, casually chatting and distracting them for the time being.