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Barely days old, and she was already exploring.

Soft body covered with brown quills of downy texture, Exodus's bones had been ignited by the everlasting fire of curiosity and the need to explore the world she was destined to conquer wih tooth and claw one day.

She had wondered far from the nest; abandoning the haven of velvety feathers and moss and egg shells half consumed by her ravenous siblings. She had travelled from sandy shores to touch ground of rocky skin. Exodus had abandoned her soft ways (at least she'd like to think) and explored the world unnatural.

The world. New. Captivating. Vivid.

She dared go where no one else went. She touched grounds that none of her siblings had dared traverse.

In reality, she had only found the dome because she had followed the scent of the travelling typhooners. They had all been flocking towards something. And that was all she knew.

And so, tiny clawed feet pattering against stone and earth, she made her way deeper into the gentle sigh of darkness.

The tunnel was alighted with crystal blue. Roiling waters, like the boundary that she had seen chase away the sand.

Shadows of colossal, foreign creatures floated above the glass. Shadowing her. Exodus gawked, inquisition within her burning yellow irises. Yet she did not hesitate or stumble before their sight. She felt no fear from these creatures she did not know. Felt no uneasiness or wariness. And in her brave and boldful youth, she let out a challenging roar more akin to a pitiful squeak than anything.

Curiosity edged her forward in the end, drawing her towards a room with a floor draped in the sable fabric of night. Her tiny claws dug into the soft material beneath her, head craning forward as beady eyes narrowed and a crest lifted itself from her head. Exodus had no knowledge of such gatherings. It was a peculiar thing indeed.

But she knew one thing for sure. That Pincher sat tall, elevated upon his throne of glory, and how the typhooners seemed to direct their attention towards him with reverence and respect. His aura seemed to command attention, and Exodus was instantly drawn forward.

Not to listen, no. But to inspect him. See what made him so special.

The little girl scrambled forward on gangly legs. Exodus had gotten a better sense of balance since her birth, yet she was no further closer to grace than the moment she had tumbled from her egg. Awkward limbs carried her torwards the captain, announcing her presence with a short, gleeful cry. Attempting to crawl onto his throne with the intention of slipping behind them, weak and underdeveloped limbs would reach outright, attempting to tug herself onto his tail. From there, the reptile would clamber onto his spine, dangling precariously from the fifth limb like a vine.

She would climb and conquer this mysterious beast, if it was the last thing she ever did.