"Tree!" "Tree!" "Bird!" "Bird!" "Moss!" "Moss!" The pair saunter their way through the dense foliage of a thick jungle. Aleph's scaly paws brush through the thick grass and tall ferns, with Lyly whistling into her threads as the dragon repeats, steadily learning a new language. The trees, though thinner than those above, are far more numerous with red bark accentuated by thick green vines and coated in layers of lime moss. The canopy bustles with life, small birds shoot between branches, and nimble critters bounce across trees. Sounds of singing birds and skittering rodents fill the air, accentuated by the occasional "Monkey!" "Monkey!" "Huu!" "Huu!" "Don't repeat the monkey!"

The sight of the monkeys appears more common on this layer, though whether that is because they live nearby or because they are blatantly observing the pair from a pitiful attempt at distance is unclear. Scales brush against leaves, claws dig into soil, and dragon mimics spider as the pair push their way through the jungle. Where a human would need to cut their way through the unruly terrain, Aleph simply powers through, using her weight to just shove away any obstructing plants. The occasional tough customer is still dealt with via a quick swipe of her bladed tail.

Sounds of life surround them as they traverse the thick terrain, crossing small rivers, spotting large animals in the distance, and passing by the occasional particularly large tree.

As they cut through a particularly rough patch of weird fungus-like bushes, the jungle trembles, cutting their gait short. The distant flap of countless wings resounds across the trees, warning cries and screeches of prey animals signalling the presence of an approaching predator. The pair pause their language lesson, Aleph flares her Aether, and... nothing.

The jungle becomes lifeless. Their observers gone, the birds silent, and the ambient scritches and skitters absent. They listen, watch, feel. Nothing. No movement, no sounds, still nothing. We're being hunted. Aleph warps her Aether bubble, expanding it from a thirty metre sphere to a sixty metre cone and sweeping it around herself. Where? It's nearby. I can feel the will of something pressing against my Aether, but... Where is it? Aleph lays low, waiting for any signs of movement.

Lyly glances around frantically from her perch, able to at least tell something is very wrong. Maybe it's not hunting us? Aleph takes a cautious, hopeful step forward, yet it is in this moment of inattentiveness, of slight distraction, where the silence is shattered with a crunch!

Pain soaks through her neck, blood dripping from her cracked scales as teeth bore into her and claws sink into her back from above, barely unable to make it through her hide and to her spine. Aleph leaps to the side, spinning herself to slam her assailant into the ground below. A deep, guttural roar is heard as teeth and claws are torn away from their grip, leaving behind harsh gashes and painting the ground below in crimson. Aleph takes her restored freedom and hops back, claiming distance from their attacker.

Before them stands a beast. An apex predator optimised by evolution for the sole purpose of hunting prey. Tremendous muscles ripple through the thick leathery hide of its limbs, condensing into pillars of force, adorned with sharpened quartz blades. Ragged stripes of scarlet and grey tatter across the scar ridden body of the beast, each old wound highlighting a battle hard fought, and won. A thick tail dances behind, poising and coiling like a snake eying its next meal.

Hungry fangs bare behind the silk wrapped maw, straining against the threads. "Chit-chi cheet!" The tiny spider chitters proudly atop the dragon's head. I think I'm starting to figure out what that one 'chit' means... A single claw is raised to its bound jaws, pulling at the offending threads. Failing to sever the threads it simply tears them off, skin and fur with it, now baring its unbound fangs, dripping with ravenous hunger and eliciting a shocked squeak from above. Ochre eyes glare with predatory focus. No anger. No hate. A gaze capable of perceiving only one thing. Prey.

Two apex predators stand off, Aura cascading forth in a hostile dance of strength. Lyly waggles her front legs, confident her next special attack will do the trick. Aleph pushes Aether to her wounds, pulling them shut to stem the bleeding. The beast growls, a deep, undulating sound, causing even the surrounding leaves to tremble in tune. Aleph responds in kind with her own... squawk? Hiss? What even... Lyly gives the freak a couple slaps, a clear signal to just shut up.

The pair don't let their antics distract them, as violet and cyan glares continue to match their ochre adversary. Bang! Whoosh! Clank! The beast pounces and Aleph flares her wings. Claws clash as the two predators lock together, wrestling against one-another's strength. Lyly hops to the beast's back, spinning a coil of thread, only to be slapped aside by the thick tail with a squeak. She'll be fine...

Through the eyes of a tumbling spider

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Gah! My ingenious plan thwarted! Guess I wasn't as beneath its notice as I thought. Or perhaps... it even views me as the greater threat? Fuehehe, clever beast. Lyla's tumble comes to an end, allowing her to skitter back into the fray. Bubbles of violet dance around the dragon's limbs as they press against the water coated paws of the tiger. Hah! Water vs water! Show 'em what your made of my dragon! Those purple things are just weird Mana water right?

Fangs dig into scales and fur, claws grind against claws. A bladed tail swipes at the tiger's side and whips of water cut into the dragon. The moment one blade obscures the tiger's eyes, Lyla jumps in, planting a thread on its skull and binding it to the ground. The dragon, seeing this, falls back letting the tiger slam head first into the ground as it tries to leap after. Not letting go of this chance, Lyla swiftly wraps its feet together. "Hah! Try tearing out of that one bastard!" Chomp!

The tiger tears its face free and bites down on the spider before it, almost swallowing her whole. "Uaaaah! Lemme go! Lemme go! It's gross, and sticky, and dark!" Teeth grind against chitin, finding no purchase in the Impossibly hard armour. The cracks of whips, splashes of water, and clanks of claws resound around her as she impotently flails her limbs hanging out the sticky prison. "What's going on?! Are we winning?"

Thunk! Lyla is spat out, bouncing across the soft floor as she regains her sense of balance. Glancing at the fight she sees the unbound leg, torn free from her threads, though left bleeding and trembling with small chunks pulled out. Blades of water shoot out at the pair as the tiger retreats into the brush. "Ah! No, it's getting away! Or is that a good thing? I don't really wanna fight it..." Lyla hops atop her perch as the dragon tracks the hidden beast.

Where did it go? Rustle. The dragon turns. Shuffle. The dragon shifts. Nothing. The dragon turns again. The tiger stands from the brush, exactly where the dragon had been watching, clearly deciding that attempting to hide was now failing it. "You can track it? Go bubble magic I guess?" The dragon makes to pounce, but instead leaps to the side, dodging the incoming spear of water. More droplets coalesce above the tiger, melding and forming an array of spears which shoot out, boring through scales as they graze the dragon.

"Ranged attacks! Use bubblebeam! You can do that right?" The dragon refuses. Or rather just doesn't understand a word she chittered, but all the same really. Does this dragon have no ranged attacks at all? You're clearly some kind-of bubble dragon, so use your bubble breath or whatever! Every dragon needs a breath attack!

The dragon crouches, breathes in deep... and tosses Lyla into the air. "Huh?" With a slap of its tail, Lyla is sent careening straight to the tiger's face. "HUH?!" With some quick, mid-air thinking, she pulls out a spindle of thread and smacks it on the stunned beast's face bouncing across its back and wrapping the other end around its tail. The tiger's head is pulled back by its own flailing, and a few resounding stomps later... Swish!

The beast keeps going, managing to sink its teeth into the dragon's leg, even as blood pours out from its neck. One more slam is all it takes to finish the job, rendering the predator unconscious and bleeding out.

"We won!" Lyla celebrates. "We won!" The dragon repeats. "Now never do that again!" Lyla slaps her pedipalps on the dragon's eyes, somehow managing to pout without cheeks. "Never... again? Ow..." "Yes! No throwing the spider!"

Through the eyes of a sorry dragon

Ow! What happened to just hitting my snout when you're mad? Why do you have to keep going straight for the eyes? Aleph winces at the occipital assault as she spreads Aether to close her wounds. I thought it was a really good idea too! Not like it would've hurt you...

Approaching their spoils, Aleph leans in for a bite. Not actually worth the Aether it has. More than the rock lizard at least, but this was way harder to- Ow! Another slap halts her approach as she glares up at Lyly, holding another voice harp. What is it this time? "No-whistle-cook-whistle click" Aleph rolls her eyes, pointing up at the dense forest around them. "Fire, forest" Lyly tilts, letting out a few confused chits. "Fire... forest? Forest-fire?" Lyly's eyes widen (somehow), realising the issue with starting a fire within such a dense jungle.

With a disappointed sigh Lyly hops off, claiming a paw for herself as Aleph begins wolfing down the rest. Why does she always go for the feet when it's raw? She eats the good parts when cooked, though I suppose raw meat doesn't exactly have any good parts... Maybe that's the point?

Finishing their meal, Aleph sits down, with Lyly claiming her spot between her horns. I should have enough Aether to start making some basic modifications to my body by now. First on the list should be healing and defence. If I alter my body structure a bit I should be able to better distribute Aether throughout and hold better control over it. Can't do anything fancy like manipulate DNA... yet. But it's a start. Shouldn't spook Lyly either this time since she can't sense Aether. I think...

Plan settled Aleph finds a comfortable nook beneath a large tree and lays down. Lyly nestles into her perch, falling asleep as Aleph begins to meditate.

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"King! King!" "What is it, young scout?" "The hidden beast has done battle with the emissary and the bright one!" "Hoh? That elusive beast made a challenge? And here I thought it a coward by now. Who won this exchange? How did it transpire?" "The emissary matched the beast blow for blow, their strength equal! Even the beast's great fangs of water could not stay the emissary's purple claws! Their even exchange was tipped however, by the bright one's tricky use of those sticky vines! The beast was slain by the fell swipe of a clawed tail while its neck was held open!" "How remarkable! Do they approach?" "No, they remain resting within the middle domain." "A shame. Even so, I shall eagerly await our inevitable encounter. "