A Tribute of Fish

Salt water clung to dense feathers, weighing down her pale coat as she drug herself up through one of the pipe entryways which lined Atlantis. A low huff escaped as she paused, claws digging deep into cool soil. A pleasant contrast to the humid air of the biodome. 

Aethia dipped her head back down, grabbing the cool thick manta wing in her hooked jaws and slowly hauling it up. With a final heave she drug it up onto land with a wet *flop*. A dappled parasaurlophus whom she had met outside, stood before her. Recoiling at the sight of the reef manta sprawled across the jungle soil.

“Are you sure they’ll-” Cinnamon tapped the manta with her hoof while wrinkling her snout in disgust, “like this?”
She finished with a shudder. She looked as if the very idea of presenting the catch, rather amazing catch thank you very much, to the courtly iguanodons. Aethia regarded her with an unamused look before shaking her salt ridden feathers, feeling water and bits of sand dislodge themselves with the movement.

“Can’t be certain of anything, but-!” teeth dug into the manta’s hide as Aethia heaved it up and tossed it back onto her spine. Taking a few moments to adjust herself to the weight before continuing, “I take it that they’ve never seen something like this before. So maybe, just maybe, they’ll be so fascinated that they’ll be impressed.” It was an evidenceless hope, but not entirely unreasonable. The citizens within the dome had never seen the outside world, trapped within their very own garden of eden. A humid damp garden that never truly allowed them fresh breaths of air. However, She had seen a few stop to stare at the places where the panels had begun to fall away and reveal the ocean beyond. Aethia had seen them staring into the seemingly bottomless blue ocean speckled with corals and curious schools of fish who swam closer to inspect the glass. Aethia had seen the fascination and wonder in the eyes of the iguanodons, for all they tried to be all stuck up. But they were still just… Creatures. Creatures with wishes, wants and flaws-

The crack of a branch alerted Aethia and Cinnamon to the arrival of another. Small and nimble amongst the thick brush that surrounded the edge of the jungle was a tiny green-blue oviraptor hatchling. In her dark colored beak was a fish, tiny and colorful against even her vibrant fluffy down. She looked up at them, golden eyes brimming with hope and delight.
Eira, a hatchling whom Aethia and Cinnamon had heard murmurs about, dropped the fish to speak.
“I have fish!!! Add fish to yours?”

Atheia pondered the request but she couldn’t think of a reasonable answer to decline…
“It could help your chances to have more to your catch, it will make you appear more impressive.” Cinnamon interjected with a nervous shuffle of her hooves, feathers ruffled with her unrelenting anxiety. “Having variety will also increase the chances of catching their eye…” She lowered a great head to look down at Eira’s catch. The small vibrant fish glinting in the sun. “Perhaps one of them will be enchanted with the colors.”

As Cinnamon said Eira lifted her fish in her beak once more, then stepped up onto Cinnamon’s lowered head. The parasaurlophus moved with great care before carefully sliding the hatchling atop the manta which rested on Aethia’s back. Normally she would have complained about the weight, but in all honesty the weight wasn’t that much of a difference from what she already had balanced there. It would be a long walk, but nothing she hadn’t already grown accustomed to while traveling with Haze…. Who was likely eagerly awaiting her return.
She would be back soon.

Eira carefully laid the fish on the manta, using her claws to maintain purchase on the rather slippery hide. “Why are you giving them big fish?” Questioned the wide eyed hatchling as she leaned forward to peer at Aethia’s face.

“I want… I want to show my friend that the iguanodons aren't as bad as they seem. To prove that they’re like us… If a little strange. How about you, little one?”

“I’m not little!” Retorted the oviraptor hatchling with a huff, before shaking her down covered body and answering. “I want to find my parents! Doe said that the iguanodons might know something, so we’re trying to earn their favor to hopefully get answers!”
Oh… That answer broke Aethia’s heart. She knew the struggles of being an orphan, of being lost and alone but to survive despite the odds. It wasn’t a pretty world… Especially while alone.
She would do whatever it took to help little Eira find solace.

“What about you?” Aethia spoke again after several heartbeats, eyes turning to Cinnamon. Whose eyes were scanning the underbrush for something. Likely trying to find something to offer up along with their fish.

“...I want to show that I can be brave.” She spoke softly, voice hushed and almost soundless against the rustling of leaves and chirping of the surrounding birds.
Ah. Maybe her reason wasn’t as noble as little Eira’s, however it was no less valid than her own reason.

“Well. How about we find something to help prove your bravery.” Aethia smiled at her sheepish companion, trying to show as few sharp teeth as possible.
“You passed through the jungle, right?” A slow nod in response. “Then let's use that!” The idea formed quickly as Aethia turned her head towards the jungle.

The trio worked their way back towards the jungle, careful not to enter, but instead working around the edges. Cinnamon proved to be especially knowledgeable about the flora, carefully selecting plants which while they looked cool… Posed no real threat to themselves or the iguanodons. She also managed to warn Aethia away from several reaching sundew tendrils, which had somehow began to peek from the depths of the jungle… They would have to warn other wanderers to be careful.

Aethia and Cinnamon worked diligently to wrap their selected vines and plants around the fish that Eira had selected and the manta that Aethia had brought. Hopefully the work and presentation would be enough to impress the court…