ORIGIN

The reaction was to be expected, but beak still clenched as the wolf began to run off with his wrist still in tow. Amras knew that most other creatures were deceptively heavy for their sizes; he'd figured that out the first time a stunned deer turned out to be not-so-stunned and took him for a short ride before he managed to put the thing down for good. That still didn't make his inability to brace himself from being carried away any easier or the punctures in his wrist hurt any less.

Despite the wolf's blindness it had guessed perfectly correctly and tossed Amras directly over the lake's surface. That was it! He'd lost! The gryphon fell closer to the water's surface when in an unconscious attempt to stabilize himself he unfurled his massive wings and gave them a flap, giving him just enough lift to avoid the water's surface and take to the air. As always with his weight to wing ratio the liftoff was surprisingly quiet, allowing him to ascend with Xireidi below looking confused at the absence of a splash or a thud.

Was he cheating? He hadn't specified that flying wasn't allowed. Did it really need to be stated though with his opponent having no wings? Xireidi didn’t have magic either though, and had been the one to insist that it was oaky to spar. Still this didn't seem sporting. Amras strafed around back to shore, still keeping within the glowing line once he passed over land again. In his mind he had probably lost, and he wouldn't argue it if the wolf thought so as well. Xireidi might also argue that he was acting within his abilities and rights though and see stopping now as an insult.

A feeling of competitiveness rose within Amras. He didn't want to lose. If he conceded now he would definitely have lost he match but if he continued on there was still a chance that the wolf would accept his victory. Perhaps this opening would allow him to pullout a move so spectacular that Xireidi would have no choice but to call at least a tie.

He'd already shown most of his hand, but there was one more trick he hadn't ever shown the wolf before. one trick he hadn't ever even tried before. The theory of the new element. With adrenaline pumping and magic coursing through his consciousness this was as good a time as any to try it.

Though his wrist hurt he held out his right talon and began to gather magic in it, leaving a protective shell as though preparing for a smolder step. Energy shifted from white to pale yellow to orange as it built and twisted and intensified through the elements. Finally when the energy was as intense as he felt he could charge it before it tried to manifest on its own Amras directed the protective shell to completely envelop the energy, containing it inside. The energy strained against its new cage as he caused the barrier to shrink, moving it to the tip of two outstretched fingers to help focus the shield's integrity until finally the brilliant orange color shifted all at once to a bright yellow. The shell stabilized as the energy within seemed to stretch out into long thin lines racing around its perimeter, looking for some exit.

Seeing the spell complete Amras pointed the enclosed orb toward Xireidi, took a deep breath, and attempted to manifest the tightly shaped energy.

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Take hold of the power within
"And shape the fabric of reality around you"
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Amras nearly lost his composure as the spell went off beautifully. He'd done it! perhaps it had been beginners luck or perhaps all the work he'd put into his fire spell had paid off. If he hadn't discovered and strengthened his barrier technique the kind of compression of an already raging force would have never been possible.

Unfortunately the wolf did not appear to share his enthusiasm, having taken the full brunt of the electrical bolt. Had he gone too far? This was a sparring match, he'd only done what had been allowed within the rules. Well perhaps bent the expectations a little but that was still fair, right? Now was not the time to consider that though; somehow Xireidi had locked onto him and was heading his way.

Obviously no matter what kind of injuries he sustained the wolf was not going to give up. If they kept going at this rate he doubted they'd be able to end the match without one of them getting seriously injured. If Xireidi couldn't see the line how could he know if he'd won or lost? It had been fun but it was time to end it.

Using both hands to build up raw energy Amras prepared one final dispel, not to send the wolf flying but rather to just stop him in his tracks. Then he'd have time to try to figure out how to clear its vision again and they could end the match for today.

But boy did he hope he hadn't scared the wolf away from future matches. This had been about the most fun he'd ever had!

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Pouch 3: Quartz sphere x1 (large, soft glow)

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Take hold of the power within
"And shape the fabric of reality around you"
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Only now that the last attack had been flung did Amras realize just how winded he was. Even if he hadn't had to exert as much physical force as the wolf had using movement and magic and trying to concentrate all at the same time was more taxing than he had thought it would be. Luckily as he had hesitated for a couple seconds after stopping Xireidi's attack the wolf did not try to double down on the assault but instead went ahead and backed down. Surprising, but fortunate.

"It was a close one though, I was certain I'd lost when you managed to throw me." he said between labored breaths. How was Xireidi not completely exhasted after all that? He seemed to be breathing a bit deeper than normal but despite everything looked ready to keep going. Amras noted that he'd have to try to avoid any battles of attrition with this wolf.

"Here, let me see if I can get rid of that white line on your face." he added, wanting to make sure he didn't get bitten again when he touched the wolf.

The gryphon folded his wings once more and fell to forelimbs as he approached Xireidi. Theoretically he had created the lines, so if he just used the spell with intention he might be able to erase them? Amras brought three fingers on his right hand together and lightly touched Xireidi on the side of his face, beginning the build phase for his spell. His fatigue got the better of him though, and as he began to shift his concentration to twisting part of the energy his hold on the structure fell apart, resulting in all the magic manifesting at once. A soft shockwave exploded outward, ruffling Xireidi's fur and sending his head reeling to the side as though he'd gotten slapped.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Amras exclaimed immediately in a panic. "I still seem to be a bit tired, the spell got away from me."

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Take hold of the power within
"And shape the fabric of reality around you"
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Still a bit flustered from his botched attempt Amras sat down and took a few deep breaths, waiting for his heart rate to slow back down to a normal level.

As much work as he had put into perfecting its usage, magic was inherently a chaotic thing. From the most basic blunt shockwave to the intricate shaping involved with his new bolt spell there was always a chance somewhere for the energy to jolt in an unexpected direction and escape outwards. Luckily when magic failed it was usually only on a small scale, resulting in a shower of sparks or a weak gust of force. Sometimes though it failed catastrophically, and those were the times he really had to watch out for. At least a couple times during his training the magic surged unexpectedly and covered his entire form in a fire that might have been dangerous had he not been near a lake. Such extreme incidents were rare though, nowhere near frequent enough to discourage his pursuit of the craft.

His heart calmed now Amras brought his hand up again, this time keeping it a short distance from Xireidi before he even started to build the magic. The spell started up fairly well, but with the adrenaline of battle wearing off the pain in his wrist was really starting to become noticeable. Without wasting a second Amras brought the spell over and tapped Xireidi on the cheek again, willing the existing line to fade away into full transparency. Technically there was still magic embedded there and would be for a few days, but now it produced no color or light that would interfere with the wolf’s vision.

While he would have like to have done the treatment on the rest of the line the gryphon decided to withdraw the spell once the area directly around Xireidi's eye had been affected. He wasn't about to risk more than that at the moment.

"That should do for now." he said with some relief. "How are you feeling?"

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Take hold of the power within
"And shape the fabric of reality around you"
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The gryphon's expression of relief deepened as Xireidi's face softened, restoring some of the youthful attitude he had shown before. He'd been worried that he'd gone much too far, that he'd lose a potential friend because of the spar. Instead Xireidi seemed to be taking it all in stride.

"I'm honestly as surprised as you are about the dust. I thought once wood burned it wouldn't burn again. I made the mounds to act as another layer of difficulty to overcome in my spell but it seems they have properties other than just making the wood harder to ignite."

There was a pause in the conversation as Amras considered all the possible explanations. The wood was blackened, but a much darker color than he was used to ash looking. In addition with the exception of the black wood that got crushed into a powder when Xireidi and the force of the dispel crashed into it most of it was still in whole pieces. Were the large chunks flammable as well or just the powder? He'd have to do some more research on that later on.

But first to attend to some of the wounds he'd incurred. This could be a good example of what non-combat things magic could do if he managed to pull it off without failing like he had a moment ago. Holding his forelimb in a manner Xireidi could see it Amras began to channel raw energy into the puncture wounds in his wrist and burns on his palm. This spell was one that required almost no shaping in the traditional sense, but just the barest grasp of magic and pure intention. It was a wonder he'd taken so long to stumble upon it, but as simple as it was it did require a slightly different way of looking at the basis for weaving a spell.

The pain in his wrist began to dull as the wounds closed themselves, still visible in his flesh for now but no longer causing so much discomfort. The burns on the front of his talon started to fade, leaving only a patch of discolored skin that would heal over the next few days on their own.

"Unfortunately this is magic that can only be used on one's self. You should be able to do it if you try, but first you have to get used to the presence of magic itself."

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Pouch 2: Black talc dust 15 in3

Pouch 3: Quartz sphere x1 (large, soft glow)

Pouch 4: Quartz spheres x10 (small)

Take hold of the power within
"And shape the fabric of reality around you"
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