ORIGIN

"Booker Speech" "Louie Speech"

There was a distinct cold from the dirt floor beneath his head, and he swiped a paw across his face as he made to get up. Days had blended since he had been playing father, his cabin fever was getting to him but he couldn't let any harm come to the children he that had birthed from his own spirit. Magdalena, while she helped, her interest in his blind son was minimal as she had no bond to it other than it was the half brother to her own kid. That borzoi woman had no interest in anyone that couldn't increase her own worth. A child after his own heart it appeared. Louie rolled onto his stomach and made to get up, smacking his head against the low hanging ceiling of the hollowed out cavern that lay in the back of the platforms. 'God damn it really.'

Outside, there was no evidence of the chill that had swept over Origin as the snow hadn't made its way to the barren landscape of Monoceros. A hefty exhale saw his breath become visible, the only real sign that there had been a change within their home. Something had changed when he had seen Booker, and once again he found himself moping by himself. With his supposed family around, he hadn't descended into madness. Everyone in Origin was going mad and he felt like the only sane one still left. His pessimistic attitude still remained, he wanted to see everyone burn and rid the caves of those deemed unworthy, but he wasn't going to do a thing about it with Hasira still stalking the caverns. Eventually, he would confront the beast. What he had overheard within Orion had only made him linger closer to home as his cowardice had seized him once again. He was weak.

But Illiad would be strong, make up for everything he had done wrong. The boy lay beside the opening of his den, it appeared callous that he wouldn't let him inside, but his size was worrisome. Gently, he pushed his nose into the fur of the hybrid, "Wake up Illiad." Magdalena had left with Odyssey, just as she always did, and he knew that the boy would be pining for his other half. But they also had things to work on.

Before he had even awoken, the hybrid child had felt the rope take up the slack as his brother made to move away from him. The bond was now stretched across platforms, changing in elevation as it did so. It was always a strange feeling, but in his blindness that was all he had to cling onto. Occasionally, there were glimmers as Odyssey's own scenery tried to flit across his brain. But he struggled to comprehend it as he had never seen before. All it did was give him a terrible migraine.

Something poke into his side and he stirred, sweeping his large fore paws across the ground causing his father to take a couple of steps back. Waking from sleep didn't really mean anything, he didn't have sightless eyes to blink open, his consciousness just turned on and then he was up. It was odd. Rising to his feet, he couldn't even speak to the man who had birthed him. All he could do was try to haphazardly transmit his thought process for the man to decipher himself... But it didn't work, and frustrated he could only huff in response to his father.

Yes, he was awake, but he wasn't entirely sure why. Sighing, he swept his broad, lengthened tail across the ground.

When I speak.

When I think.

"Booker Speech" "Louie Speech"
Though in his heart of hearts, he believed that Iliad would be his successor, he couldn't get past the disabilities that his son was suffering from. They were crippling, they brought shame to him, but he had to pretend like they weren't an issue. For the sake of his son and the sake of his own sanity. Lips pressed together, he watched as the boy stirred, sat up and huffed. It was oddly unsatisfying he couldn't even look into empty eye sockets. At least with his own eye, there was still a place to read emotions from. Express ones anger and make sure they were getting what you were understanding. A wobbly awkward smile crossed his face as he tried to relax. It was going to be OK.

"Hey umm, I was thinking since Mags went off with Odyssey. We could do our own training or something I don't know. We need to prepare you." Although he wasn't entirely sure what for, he needed to get him as powerful as he could be. In order to take over from him, he had to surpass him first. The original prokaryotic wielder, he had a legacy to uphold. But he wasn't aware of the agenda that Iliad himself would undertake. All he could see was a powerful sorcerer, not a strong individual who lead his own path of brutality and brawn.

Again, he brushed his nose against his son as he trotted over to edge of the platforms. It was a large platform, closer to the ground than the ones he had occupied as with the pair both being young, he had to make sure if they fell they wouldn't die or anything. That would be quite bad after all. "Just move out from the cave wall, and we can get started. Do you know of any magical abilities you do have?" There was the telepathy, and the white sense. If that was it he had already failed. Tensed and nervous, he waited for him to move out. Set up like a hair trigger, he waited.

Muscles creaked, as he was forced to pull himself upwards. The hybrid that shouldn't exist, as all his body was twisted and warped in such a significant way. There was no pain, but the discomfort from trying to move around and act as a normal creature was evident across his features. Only being comfortable slumped to the ground, he began to half-walk, half-pull himself across the ground in an effort to follow after the voice. Odyssey had indeed gone off with his mother, but he knew that Odyssey was preferred by the female woman. As far as he knew he wasn't even related to her, but her voice was so soothing. Something Odyssey had inherited, and he found himself clinging to every musical note.

On the other hand, his father's voice caused slight shivers of discomfort. There was always an edge of nervousness or anger to it, and it made him feel emotions that he wasn't happy feeling by himself. Brother where are you? Ambling away from the cave wall, he could feel the edge of the platforms through just having his palms pressed against the ground. As a mole, it was just an instinct he had and with his unseeing face, he stopped. Tail no longer brushing against the wall, he faced his father. By now, he was double the size of him.

Once again, he was met with silence. As his gemstone no longer wished to throw out the words he held deep in his throat. Again, another rumbling huff came forth instead. This was all useless to him anyway, he had no desire to become powerful. As it was, his magic was limited and he saw no reason to practice it. Frankly, he was happy being himself. Louie needed to accept that and he found his tail twitch, ears flick and a bob of his head to try and convey he wanted to do anything but this. All it did was remind him how incapable he actually was.

When I speak.

When I think.

"Booker Speech" "Louie Speech"
Deep breaths. It didn't matter that he couldn't talk. It was all fine. Just a learning curve for the both of them. One eye closing, he inhaled sharply through his nose and exhaled out his mouth. His own magic wasn't very special, a menagerie of different things with an emphasis on prokaryotic skill. If he couldn't get Iliad to tell him, he'd have to goad it out of him. "OK. I want you to try and attack me. We'll each get five moves and whoever comes out on top wins OK? I'll try and guide you to make sure that you get every opportunity to hit me if you can." Louie grit his teeth. Trial by fire was the only way to get him to actually listen. So far, it didn't seem like he was listening.

There was no use in waiting for a response, but he figured that the mole child would only respond with a snort anyway. Again he exhaled, and he tried his best to remain focused. Right now was about training. If he got hurt, it wasn't his fault, it was Iliad's for not doing his best. Magdalena had always coped with being blind, so surely his son could. "OK son. Coming at you." It had worked, feeling them being pulled out of the ground got his heart pounding, and as he sent them hurtling at his flesh and blood he felt no shame, no fear. If he wanted to live, he would retaliate and fight for his right to do so. Without eyes, he doubt that the glass and sand could do much damage anyway.

---

Round I of V
Attacks: Shard Storm to try and cut him up
Defense: None
Injuries: None

Iliad was tired, he hadn't wanted to wake up. Odyssey had said they would go out and explore later, so he wanted to keep his strength for his brother. Again, his tail swept across the ground as he opened and closed his mouth in an effort to convey what he was thinking. A strangled gurgled came out, as though his tongue was solid his voice box wasn't entirely broken. Just put under so much pressure from the heavy material pushing against the back of his throat. But his father said he would help him during the fight, Iliad wasn't sure how. Right now, he didn't even want to fight, and it was only through Louie's vocal exclamation of an attack coming that he had time to process what was coming.

It was a surprise, the shards bit into his flesh and tore away skin. The damage was minimal, but he cried out in shock and hurt. Iliad had never felt pain before, the blood that now tinted his orange and burgundy coat was the first. Though he had smelled the acrid stench of iron and fur before, it had never been on him. Only prey that his brother and parents had brought to him. Again, he tried to push his messages forward, the confusion and hurt at why his father had decided to turn against him. Why he needed to be strong. Odyssey had said he was perfect the way he was. He didn't need to change...

"Stop please father." It was spoken crystal clear, the sharp noise and the sharp clarity of his words was foreign. Only now in his desperation had his body decided to listen to a direction as he pulled in on himself. Sitting on his haunches, he pulled himself to sit upright, his front paws hanging down with the claws like talons scraping against the ground. Head down, he tried to continue while the connection was so strong. "I don't want to do this. I don't know what you want of me." There was a loud snapping noise as the magic fizzled out and the unseen connection snapped. The additional string in his head, connected to Louie, shattered and crumbled and his connection to Odyssey was the only thing that remained in his consciousness.

---

Round I of V
attack: none
defense: none
injuries: cuts and scratches

When I speak.

When I think.

"Booker Speech" "Louie Speech"

No, no, no. His eye narrowed as he watched his pitiful son just take the hits before sitting upright. No move to hit him with anything, magical or not. All he did was accept that he had been hit. The fox lashed his tail, his patience had already gone out the window. While he tried to make sure to give advantages to him, he couldn't accept that he hadn't even tried to counter it. "No. You need to try harder. You can't just take it." Breathing out slowly, he prepared for his next move, something that maybe he would be able to see a bit better with his limited abilities.

An anchor was hooked in the side of his head, where the connection was forged for the telepathic powers to work. Words began to train across it in single file as Iliad tried to talk to his father. The clarity was astounding, like he was talking directly to his soul, bypassing the need of ears. It was odd and as soon as it was over and it dropped he found his fur stop prickling with discomfort, his head felt considerably lighter and empty. But it was the words that infuriated the man as he snarled, "No. You need to get stronger! You can't sit around and expect shit to go the way you want it to. Considering your disabilities you're more of a liability than anything else. You need to get your shit together. Magdalena isn't impressed with you. I'm hardly impressed with you until you can actually prove you're good at something. But at least I'm trying to correct the problem." With that, he blew outwardly long and hard...

Microscopic creatures were called to him, they weren't deadly, but enough to cause the boy discomfort. Again, the lack of eyes proved an advantage to avoid the majority of symptoms. But his nose would run, and his throat would dry up and Louie just stared him down. "Fight back!" He growled.

---

Round II of V
Attacks: Micro Cloud to poison him and give him a cold
Defense: None
Injuries: None