ORIGIN

Fire as an element was more often destructive than not. Most times he'd been lucky enough to avoid it backfiring upon him, but even successes caused their little harms. His voice hadn't always been so rough; expelling superheated breath from his mouth and rarely allowing delicate insides time to recover had left him with permanent damage. Even the minor act of converting water to steam had stung him repeatedly in the past, his paw not withdrawn quickly enough from its hover overhead to avoid surface burns. Therefore, Fahl decided, this demonstration would be small. Better to keep the situation relatively safe than catch two Gembounds in a catastrophic explosion.

"This may be hard to notice at first... but watch closely."

His paw, the usual conduit through which he channeled magic, he thrust above the rabbit's haunch. Far more subtle than the blinding flash and melting crystal of before, the space around this area shimmered. Should someone reach out to touch this distortion, it'd become apparent this was a telltale sign of heat's presence. Elsewhere on the dead prey was unaltered, the surrounding air's temperature indistinguishable from the rest of the cave.

"The warmth is restricted to one spot. You can do the same with a flame. Go after your enemy's weak points while min—mini—ah, making less the risk to yourself."

"Of course you can."

Living in a cave like Pisces required someone of a more cold-blooded nature learning how best to keep warm, otherwise the chill temperatures there would've frozen him solid long ago when he was but a mere hatchling. According to memory, the sudden jolt of being cast from the warmth of his chrysalis into that frigid climate had promptly awakened his connection to magic and acquainted him with fire's touch. First of all spells he'd discovered had been warming the surrounding air, and while more offensive uses of his element were flashier, the utility of this had served him well and often over the cycles. Though his pupil was quick on the uptake, already visibly demonstrating grasp of the concept asked by the increased illumination of his eyes, Fahl drew upon his own power to prove as much to himself as anyone else that he still had this control. Weakened, perhaps from its recent use, a similar, fainter shimmering of air gathered around the iguana, its presence rendering him mirage-like.

"Seems you've already figured it out. And it does work. But remember: the heat can only last while your own magic fuels it. Build your stamina, and you'll be able to maintain that longer if you have to."

Indication this younger Gembound would heed his advice meant Fahl returned Nikolai's nod with his own, satisfied someone at least was willing to pay attention when an elder imparted key information for success. Too often halting speech or the fact he wasn't the biggest, most physically intimidating creature to wander the caves meant his insights went ignored, others' self-confidence creating a barrier against common sense points. The lament was a hypocritical one, his own insecurity preventing him too from accepting certain criticisms well, but that was an issue that currently existed separate from this conversation. For the present he listened as the canine gave him an identity to remember, internally sighing in relief that the syllables sounded easy enough to pronounce.

"Well, Nikolai," he stated, a silent cheer ringing in his head at nailing the name on the first try, "if we do cross paths again... I shall hold you to that. I'm Fahl, named after the running waters of Pisces."

This explanation for his moniker was a blatant lie, the truth far less dignified. Blurting a noise in haste to a question he hadn't fully understood as a child had permanently saddled himself with it instead. None of that embarrassing origin bled through in his voice, though, and a chin lifted high did its utmost to sell his legitimacy. Whatever humble beginnings he stemmed from wouldn't matter so long as he convinced strangers otherwise. Good impressions were important, even during a parting of ways.