ancient beasts, ament had seen great prehistoric dragons with wings and fangs and the from big enough to block out the sky. Had the honor to call one mother, but it was time to come out of the shadow of memory. Lucifer's shadow, the vernadi's shadow. ament was his own, for the moment - packless and the thought hurt, it was a horrendous and painful - a need burning under his feathered hide that couldn't be itched because he was alone.

but he wasn't was he?

he had the golden one- arurum - who was far away and across the sea, he had his home, tied to memories of his long lost pack, his long lost mother - he had a duty, to watch it. To guard what was his- his home, his clan. Until his bones returned to the ground to join the rest of his brethren that have been there for eons at a time.
his clan, the typhoon - will be safe. From the Pitt, from the rage- static in his bones, from any other thing that could do it harm-

crabs

Crabs were the enemy, the raptor knew. From a young hatching - the raptor remembers the feeling of a crustaceans's claws piercing his noes- his sister's piercing scream; a battle cry. A declaration to the world that the venandi- and in return him - had tied to the fate - of a war with the crabs.

ament was older, he was alone - without his pack. But here between hushedsound and the open sands of the typhoon, the beast - the sole omegan verandi remembered his oath, his war with the true enemy; crabs. And he was ready.

/ament hates crabs, so much.

Nervousness was not new to ament. Between excitement, curiosity, greed; it was almost welcome – almost. Nervousness when approaching a predator, especially one so instinctual to the predation upon others – was a mistake. One that was mostly fatal to anyone who faced the raptor. It made the other prey, in the eyes of ament. Excitement bubbled within the raptor, tension fleeing from being next to so many other animals – and replaced with the excitement of the hunt.

Many tried to hide their nerves behind blundering arrogance, with chittering words and bravo. Like predators would hide their claws and teeth with gentle soothing croons and fill his mind with static-

Ament knew exactly, the kind of damage wrought by his own claws. Alone, he was mighty – but he was alone. There was a reason that ament was the omega of his group – of his pack. He needed to be commanded, needed to be grounded and without it he was without direction, he was unleashed violence waiting to happen to the typhoon – to any clan. There was no holding back him beside his hunger.

Brilliant blue eyes stared down the bird. Curiosity- hunger – instinct pulling at him to destroy it, watch it wither and scream. His history told him that if he caught it – he could eat it, and this thing – who allied itself with crabs – a glance at the skittering crustaceans at the prehistoric creature’s feat told the raptor so-

Keona was a welcome distraction, ament remembers the little one. curious and frail and so so powerful. even as a child, unseeing the world, Keona would walk towards ament and his sister's without fear - with curiosity. ament admired them, still did. watching them walk closer and closer to the gathered group- a small purr settled in their throat, and even at the slight it was to watch the other’s nerves flourish into fear under ament’s provocation – Keona not only moved towards the group but in their direction.

It couldn’t be helped, the bout of pride in being remembered. It comforted them to at least see someone familiar, in a place like this – without his sisters, his pack. Some things were still the same. The raptor turned around to face the petite feline – so frail, still so tiny. Ament has grown in his time. Standing five feet on his feet, bright blue eyes and briliant feathers – ament reached down and let out a low chuff in greeting, letting out the huff of air just above keona. Kind, gentle in comparison to the hunter he was seconds ago jittering for a chance to hunt down a crewmate.

The sound was unfamiliar, and caught the raptor’s attention away from the newcomer – the familiar face of better times – and the nervous ticking of the strange bird that reeked of prey. For a moment longer ament watched hushedsound, the one who was nervous and writing into the sands and ignoring him – slashing throuch crabs with a sword – ament took it as a challenge. – and also , an ally.

It was different than what he expected, this crew – this clan was his, but to find allies – to help him in his war when he was now alone- it was monumental. And with a shriek – partial joy, partial hunting cry – ament lept into the fray.

Dark brown feathers were quick to dirty, the first pounce landed in blue blood splashing the sands, and in quick succession the raptor went to snap at another. The enemy grapping onto the side of his jaw and pinching - twisting painfully into it’s death grip as ament crunched down. Blood brilliant blue dripping from his jaws as he dropped the body – launching to the other with vigor.

It was a game; this war. Crabs were nothing, they were not even fit to be prey. Just sand under the lone vernadi’s heel. Ament treated them as such, their bodies nothing, left twitching in the sands or simply broken pieces. The trail of blue leading to ament – who was crunching a few between his jaw, shaking their death grips along his face or wings free with a whole body shake.