Prologue

In the shadows It watched them, studied them, and on some small scale envied them-- these strange anthropomorphic bipeds. Bipeds with such unbounded promise and yet such simple and small minds. They were the ones who had taken away Its purpose, Its life, Its love and damned it to this abyss of nothingness. The Small Ones.

It was surrounded by inarticulate life forms that were far more caring and worthy of respect than these creatures of fate that had brought them here. But It did not allow them to instill itself with their anger, their hate, their narrow minded and arrogant view of the universe around them. Instead It ignored them, dismissing them for the foolish and undisciplined children that they were.

Overtime It had watched them as much as It was able. Some had come to see the truth of the universe but It was not enough to reawaken Its desire to serve once again. They were still too primitive despite the technical achievements they had made. Still to barbaric. They were undeserving of Its concern.

It had survived in the darkness and cold nearly Its entire life with nothing but loneliness as Its guide and the small hope that one day It would once more see the stars before passing on. As time moved inexorably forward so too had Its hope diminished and with it the siren song of Its species. It had forgotten when it had last made the Song, forgotten what life was like for Its kind, but It listened and waited.

It sensed the presence of the others once more. The Small Ones. They came to this place at regular intervals, though It did not understand why. At every such gathering groups of the Small Ones varying from a single individual to a dozen or so would approach Its resting place, only to die in one fashion or another. It seemed pointless and foolish. As such, It turned inward allowing only the cursory awareness of what they were doing to occupy Its mind.

Someday They would come. Someday. For now the beast turned inward and continued Its long sleep.


*****

Tukani ruffled his reddish scales as he eyed the deep expanse before him. Inhaling deeply, he allowed the soothing scent of the salt air to assuage the nervousness he felt within him as he clutched his tochka pouch to his abdomen.

"Praise the Night-Mother, my son. The Deep is calm." A familiar voice warbled beside him.

Tukani flattened his golden whiskers in a smile as he turned to the leader of his Water Clan and his Nest Sire. Bowing his head respectfully to the slightly larger male, Tukani could smell his Sire's approval and felt a surge of pride within him at this knowledge. "And honor shall belong to the Glitter Sand Pod, my Sire."

"No." Yukani corrected, his gills and whiskers quivering in apparent annoyance. "The honor shall belong to all the Obari. You have heard the Siren's call and the Beast awaits you in the Deep."

"I shall find the Tears, my Sire." Tukani swore solemnly.

Yukani fluttered his eyes several times, trying to keep his emotions from showing. But Tukani saw it and was humbled. Few Sires ever took an interest in their offspring save those who had attained the Predators mark, as Tukani had a cycle before. But his Sire had taken a keen interest in him after he had become the youngest to participate in a Hunt and yet again the youngest to make a kill in a Hunt.

Finally he saw his Sire settle and clasp his right shoulder with a clawed hand. "I see an Obari before me, but I see not the teeth of a Predator."

Tukani bared his razor sharp teeth in mock offense at this childhood game his Sire now played. When but a mere child he had been unusually peaceful and restrained, unlike his siblings who had constantly nipped and gnawed on one another. Often ridiculed by others for his lack of aggressiveness; his actions were seen as a sign of one who was not of the Obari, the Chosen.

They all had learned soon enough that he was one of the Chosen. What he lacked in overt aggressiveness he had made up for in ruthless cunning and intellect. Few of his rivals had survived his machinations in his thirty cycles of life. It was the primary reason he lacked so many of the scars of his fellow Obari and his scales were as smooth as a hatchling, a major source of his peer's envy as evidenced that his seventh nest would soon hatch.

"What does the Deep care of the sharpness of one's teeth when it is his stroke that must be sure and strong." Tukani replied, earning a ruffle of approval from his Sire's whiskers.

"Well spoken, child." Yukani agreed, nodding his head in acknowledgement of this sage wisdom. One of his green eyes glanced towards the sea, the sunlight highlighting the golden flecks therein. "The Deep is calm today but the Beast seems restless. Do you feel the Night-Mother has favored you this day?"

Tukani wanted to sneer at the apprehensive twitch in his Sire's scales but honor and blood demanded otherwise of him. Instead he turned his eyes towards the inviting sea before them, flexing his taloned feet into the rocky sand of the shore as he regarded his upcoming challenge. "If it is my time, then the Night-Mother be praised." He replied evenly. "We shall rise from these earthen eddies once more, my Sire. I have seen it."

Yukani shuddered visibly at his offspring's words and made a gesture of supplication towards the awaiting waters that crashed upon the shoreline. He eyed the younger Obari with trepidation, knowing such bravado and arrogance had been the downfall of so many of the Chosen before him. Though as Sire and Clan Leader he should have felt the same to his entire Pod, Yukani was willing to admit to himself that Tukani had taken a special place in his hearts.

"Beware the tides closely, my child. The Night-Mother be praised." Yukani warned.

Tukani bowed his head respectfully, clicking his teeth together in acknowledgement of his ill chosen words. "The Night-Mother be praise, my Sire. But I speak the truth as spoken to me in the other realm." He replied, flicking his eyes up to meet his Sire's own. "I have seen what will be and accept Her will. As must we all."

The pupils of Yukani's eyes flared briefly as understanding dawned. Scales and whiskers rippling in a mixture of pride and sorrow, Yukani grasped the younger Obari's shoulder, digging his claws into the outermost layer of his offspring's skin. "May your song be heard for a thousand cycles, Obaricho."

"And yours, Obarioro." Tukani replied, acknowledging his Sire's honoring him with the title of Obaricho, the First Striker, as he reluctantly pulled away. For the first time since he had attained the status of Obari he felt a thread of fear enter his hearts. No matter whether he succeeded or failed, the results for him were the same. The Night-Mother would embrace him.

"Go, my son. Return us to the Deep." Yukani voice broke the younger Obari from his reverie.

Hearing the confidence and pride in his Sire's voice, Tukani strengthened his resolve and began his run down the long winding trail to the sea below, never once looking back.