Arboretum of Artemis. (Animal RP).

((Borrowed from the original for ease of mind)).

Lyea leapt out of the water, twirling in the air before diving back in with a minuscule splash. Vei cheered her for her excellent water skills. Lyea poked her head out of the water, smiling in joy. Skoi tried to hide behind a leaf as she looked at him. It scared him how weird she could be.

"Skoi! Come play!" Mhyri peeked beneath the leaf as Lyea called out. Skoi trusted her, because he knew she wouldn't lie or joke around. She motioned with her head for him to go out. He shook his head wildly and tried to curl up tighter.

"Skoi, just go and have a splash. You're disappointing everyone by being such a recluse." Skoi hissed at her for that. He despised being called a recluse, even though he knew it was true. He was just sick of the responsibility that came with being the only male. He was expected to do all the hard work, and give the colony new hatchlings. He thought about it, and slowly crawled out. Lyea splashed around in joy as he slowly made his way into the water.

"Just make sure you remember the time of day." Tyriia watched from the entrance to their cave as Lyea swam in circles around Skoi. He chose to let himself sink, beginning a game of getting him involved.

Klik sat at the bottom of the water, near a log. The dragons were singing. It was the only disturbance in this glossy sphere where all was provided for. What merciful sweet hands brought him here? But back to the dragons. He swam to the surface and loosed a hiss not unlike that of a crocodile, a sign of irritation.

Vei turned to look at the new arrival, lowering her spines in fear as she swam back. Tyrii stroked out towards him, keeping a safe distance but ensuring that the young ones would be safe. Skoi climbed out into the cave and vanished from sight. "My apologies, they were just playing. I do not recognise your species however. In the meantime, you may call me Tyrii."

The strange-fish-lizard was speaking to him. He had very few facilities for more complex speech, so he just grunted and raised his head to show the orange markings. He then turned and dove to the floor of the water, waiting for something little.

She shook her head as he left. "Obviously he's in need of some training." She swam back towards the young ones, letting Vei climb on her back. She recalled the times she had spent in the laboratory of one of the vets. He was the one who had taught her to speak, and when the shipment contained three of her own kind, she had taught them in turn.

Presently a fish came swimming by and he snatched it from in front of him. He swallowed it. That had fully sated him, and now he was ready to do anything, really. He resurfaced and made a guttural bark, almost as if to say hello. He then clambered onto a nearby rock, sunning himself.

Lyea noticed the return of the strange creature and slowly approached, playfully sneaking through the bushes. He was a curiosity certainly, probably more fun than Skoi and his shy nature. Jumping up to the rock, she rolled onto her back and stretched her wings.

Klik recoiled in surprise when the strange-fish-lizard spread her wings, then returned to his prior spot on the rock. He made a sort of deep hooting sound, like a bullfrog. He was content. The rock was warm, however, an he could not let his skin dry. He slid into the water, and diving as deep as he could, quickly rocketed up to the surface. His head went about five feet out of the water, enough for his tail to leave the surface. He made a large wave when he splashed down, disturbing a small turtle.

She rolled over again and watched as he performed a stunning leap. Rolling back on her feet, she clapped with a bubbly giggle. She was quite right after all, much more fun to watch. Lying flat on her belly once more, she dangled her head down towards the water, the long neck letting her peer under the lip.

He was sitting on the shore when a few humans in lab coats came an picked him up. Being warm and full he was relatively placid. They placed him in a small tank with a screen nearby. They left him in the new room.

She watched with great worry as her new friend was taken away by men in white bark without warning. Running after them, she eventually hit a large metal tree which she couldn't scale, no matter how hard she tried. Finally she gave up and lay there, greatly saddened by his disappearance.

He sat in the tank, waiting for something to happen. He heard noises from the men on the other side of the door. "Should we get the other one to teach it?"
"Intriguing, but unlikely."
"It's worth a shot."
The voices walked away.

The lighting in the dome was semi-artificial. Tristan produced a rather bright glow of it's own which messed with the sleep cycles of many animals. To compensate, the cover was only opened while Artemis was in between the planet and the star, plasma lights taking over in the meantime.

Natural nightfall was arriving soon. Tyriia left the others to sleep, covering the cave entrance under the water with some river weed, and ran off to find Lyea.

Soon enough they were at the same door where they had taken him through, arguing over whether or not to take the dragon as a teacher. Many decent points were made on both sides, but one drove it home. "The creatures are socialized. They'll work well together."

Lyea looked up as the people arrived at the door. She crouched further into the underbrush to escape discovery. Despite Tyriia's reasonable experience with them, she had made a point about never walking to them willingly.

Out of the dark Tyriia herself slid down beside her, pulling the plants tightly over them. "Why are you here child?"

He inspected his tank more closely. There was a fish lying on the bottom of the tank. He picked it up in his teeth. "Fish," the speaker system said, and an image of a fish flashed on the screen. He didn't quite understand.

Lyea winced. She wasn't exactly thrilled about explaining her concern for a creature she had just met an hour ago. "I wanted to see where they were taking him. He seemed nice and intelligent. Do you think he'll be alright?" Tyriia closed her eyes, letting memories flow back.

"I assume so. He is an adult, it is when the young ones are taken that I worry. But that is not a concern for now, just be careful." Leaving the cover over Lyea, she sprinted back to the cave to resume guard."

He tugged on the fish again. The speaker repeated itself. He began to see some connections. The swimming things which were good to eat we're called fish. He attempted to speak. "Esh." The speaker now said, "Say it better."

It was some time before Lyea found herself dozing off. Wasn't like it was her first night sleeping under the stars anyway, they were large enough to deter most predators. Any wounds healed quickly so she didn't mind a scrape if she survived in the end.

The biologists slowly opened the door.
Meanwhile, in the lab, with the help of the speakers Klik had learned fish and been rewarded with one. He was now on "wood." He had some difficulties with this one.

She shook herself awake as the low pitched squeal of the door opening caught her attention. The men in white bark again. Huddling low to the ground, she did her best to avoid being spotted, lowering her body temperature like Tyriia had instructed to avoid detection by 'thermal scanners'. She was yet to ask about them further.

The scientists looked around. They weren't very bright, but they knew the little dragon could understand language."We need your help." They opened the door further. They crept out an began shining lights around.

She continued to shiver. Never trust humans, never trust humans, never trust humans... The words repeated over and over in her head. The one benefit she knew she had been given from them was communication, something that was actually relayed through Tyriia. But what if they would take her to her friend...

"We have another creature who needs help being taught. Please help us." They continued searching. They shined the lights into cover read now, mostly checking logs and clumps of algae offshore.

She let out a sharp breath silently. The temptation to go with them was growing strong. But she wasn't a very good teacher, she enjoyed playing more than recital. Her head began to throb with the conflict playing out. She owed him nothing, yet wanted to help him however possible.