ORIGIN

Unlike any other cave, in Polaris, magic had a presence far beyond a mere tingling of scales or prickling of static through fur. It mingled with the air, enriching every breath and strengthening the myriad powers it fueled. During such a recent period of widespread magical renewal that even encouraged the mosses and flowers to thrive, this already heady mixture had only thickened more so until one could almost taste this difference pouring past their tongue. Lingering here at this present time threatened to push anyone onto the edge of a euphoric high. The conditions were perfect for a mage, novice or otherwise, to test their boundaries.

Therefore it would come as no surprise this opportunity couldn't be overlooked by a certain marine iguana. The multicolored glow of the surroundings reflecting off his currently blackened hide, he existed in a state of total concentration, gaze fixed on a small outcropping of crystals in the distance. One paw was raised, extended towards the target to better guide his aim. The stance, although entirely unnecessary, had served him well in past spellcasting attempts; with luck, it'd prevent any unfortunate accidents dabbling in unknown magic could cause.

He inhaled, felt the telltale prickle of magic in his throat. Then great effort gathered this charge and redirected it down his trembling arm. Warmth built inside the appendage rapidly. Worse, it was refusing to exit its confines. Each second stood in silence throttled the temperature higher and higher until finally Fahl threw his paw down with a scream one part agony and the other frustration.

"Fuck!"

He was on the cusp of a breakthrough, and yet a wall prevented him from advancing his actions to a satisfying conclusion. There was something he was missing, whether in motivation or method. The difficulty would be in determining which.

Managing to shut off the flow of his magic before it cooked flesh didn't save Fahl from less than pleasant consequences. Acute pain continued to radiate throughout his arm, taking its sweet time to recede to more tolerable levels. He shook it around while keeping his mind occupied by furiously muttering a litany of vicious swears, an impressive collection though they'd likely never rival his teacher's own extensive vocabulary. As per usual, such a failure tasted bitter on his tongue. Nevertheless he would try again; often a couple stumbles needed to happen before someone could finally learn how to walk. What a misery though when he'd rather jump straight to running instead.

"Again," he mumbled at last. "Just... another angle."

Perhaps his forceful nature needed to be tempered. While most successes did hinge upon making undeniable commands of his magic, more recent discoveries gave the impression that in some instances he almost needed to treat it as a separate entity. So much power gathered in one place, his body, had made it stubbornly refuse to travel along established rails to the intended target. A nudge might serve better than a push in propelling it forward.

Unlike the full shove of before, once he resumed his original casting stance, Fahl poked the coalesced energy in his preferred direction. A request rather than an order. The effects were immediate.

Soundlessly, blinding white light engulfed the crystal outcropping. Heat skyrocketed in the space surrounding it to a deadly degree, leaving no opportunity for any clueless nearby wildlife to vacate the scene. This happened in the blink of an eye and faded away in the very next, the results clear to any observers: a molten puddle where an example of Polaris's beauty had previously existed.

The results exceeded expectations, not that Fahl's imagination had ever anticipated such a tremendous light show to emerge from a concentrated dose of his power. At most, the thought had occurred to him that forcing his mastery of controlled heating to its highest limit would lead to a large eruption of gases, much like when he turned water to steam. Regardless, absolutely dismantling a crystalline structure until a glowing puddle remained certainly was a cause for celebration, and he did not hesitate in doing so. A strong golden hue suffused the iguana's scales, starting at his throat and spreading along his dark underside. He dropped his tired arm and expended most of his breath on proclaiming success.

"Yes!" Though Polaris's mosses absorbed the sound more than the barer walls of other caverns, the shout echoed throughout the area. A self-conscious wince seized his shoulders, and Fahl fell silent. But a moment later, still emboldened by his achievement, he allowed himself a rather Imp-like mutter of "fuck yeah."

Another rung climbed on the way to a true Master's title. So many more left to ascend.

His head fell as the sobering reality of the situation hit, remembering how low his magical status was compared to the formidable entities that held authority over the caves. His belly darkened a shade from the glimmering gold it'd become in reflection of this, threatening to turn a more solemn color. He couldn't dwell on this for too long, however, since a low voice interrupted the common refrain of these thoughts. The sudden announced presence of a stranger wiped scales entirely clean of a palette, washing them white, as he sprang to his toes and spun around.

What greeted his eyes, a young wolf much more grizzled in appearance than the only other one he knew, served to put him more at ease. Fahl's body settled into a comfortable mottling of gray, black, and red. Once he spoke, his voice was pitched down, smothering the alarm that'd briefly taken him. The uncomplicated nature of the question asked did well to kill most social anxiety.

"That?" he said with an outward puff of his chest. "That's magic, of course! Of the fire element. I've melted that rock by heating it far more than it could possibly stand. It's a hard task, much worse than boiling water... but I've done it."

Not too often did Fahl have the chance to take a trip down nostalgia lane. The last instance he could recall of doing so involved seeing another, far different youngster leveling a glare at a puddle in an attempt to will it to obey her magic. Back then that had invoked amusement at witnessing a moment of folly akin to one buried deep within his past. But this, the shimmering heat around a paw and the scorched ground beneath it, drew out a more personal feeling: the delight of meeting a fellow conduit for fire.

And, yes, perhaps a smidgen of mild shame followed too upon remembering his primary experience with this particular channeling of magic. His batgator mentor always did have a knack for knowing the exact way to shove a pin into his inflated ego. He addressed the demonstration given to him with a hum of acknowledgment, settled onto his haunches, and drew a deep breath.

"Ah, I know the other end of that sort of power well. Quite strong when in close contact with your enemy. A good burn... is one way to get someone to back off." Fahl paused, considering his next words. "For that though you'd have to become... adept at surging your magic there to do quick damage."

"I, personally, prefer to harm at range. Cast my intent and magic to a target instead of let them reach me. No one can hurt you if they're set ablaze first. Especially long before they're near enough to try doing so."