ORIGIN

The unpleasant vibrations of squelching flesh and crunching bone traveled up the epidote tendril to the crystalline dog's main body. It was too far gone to feel disgust, but instead a wave of desperation crashed over it. Look how the flesh made him suffer. Look how he was in pain It HAD to help him remove it!

Still pinned beneath the wolfdog, yet still making no attempt to move, Parthenium pawed at the bleeding wounds it created in Wulfsige's flesh! It did not seem particularly concerned about whether its paws themselves connected or not, but it was focusing instead on an invisible force. If it was strong! enough—enough that it would not fail! again—it could use its strength! to keep others from falling!!! as well.

To its DELIGHT!!! the magic answered its call, a cloud of bacteria rapidly converging between the two canines. They were its little helpers. They were here to help :) They were slow now, perhaps unnoticeable, but Parthenium could keep helping them out in turn, if its strength! persisted.

The wolfdog's weight slamming into its chest sent vibrations reverberating throughout its crystal body, but that was about all it did. Look upon it, and see how it had removed the source of all pain and suffering! Not to worry, it would share this boon with this poor flesh and blood canine as well.

Its stiff legs dropped away from Wulfsige's face and it twisted its head, snapping for the legs that had conveniently slammed into it just moments ago. If it could get one in its mouth and just start gnawing... it could work on giving the wolfdog the same kind of invulnerability that it had achieved. They could be strong. Together :)

In the wake of the wolfdog's brief spark of magic, another ancient urge reared its head. It needed magic. It NEEDED this! It needed to CONSUME IT SO IT COULD BECOME STRONGER! Its jaws stilled as it reached for its own. It longed for those sparks of energy from that blue stone, like the Spire itself. It longed for his magic, his STRENGTH.

There was a long and awkward stillness from the crystal dog's part as nothing happened. It seemed that it, too, was having trouble.

The epidote crystals practically quivered with eagerness. It could practically taste the magic that sparked and radiated from Wulfsige as he struggled to form wings. It wanted it, so badly. A hoarse whimper rose from its throat as it struggled underneath the larger canine, straining to reach for his gem. As it was on his back, it could not really touch it, but it stretched its magic all the same. A thin thread of energy began to flow into its own crystalline body, and Parthenium relaxed with a soft sigh. The taste of magic was like the barest sip of water in a desert, relief but not enough, never enough. It needed more. It hungered endlessly. It began to whine insistently.