ORIGIN

Envy looked relieved as Amras promised to teach them what they knew about magic, only for that look to fade as the gryphon appeared to make excuses in preparation for failure. "Well, I'll be that powerful one day! I don't care if no-one else can do it, but I will! I'll take it from them myself if I have to!" the weasel stamped an impatient paw, longingly watching the bee.

Amras began to go into the technicalities of the magic that they'd previously demonstrated, and Envy narrowed their eyes, willing them to get to the point faster. they didn't need to think so hard about magic.Nerd. "Because it'd look cool," they finally answered the presented question. Truth be told, Envy didn't know why else they'd want something like that. After all, it didn't seem to do anything... useful. In fact, the more they watched the bee, the less they cared about it. They still wanted it, of course, but it didn't seem as cool as they'd first thought."Do they do anything useful?"

Noticing as they watched that the bee seemed to be drawn towards bright colours, Envy smirked, narrowing their eyes and baring fangs in a grin.

The weasel concentrated hard, watching the bee closely. It took a few moments but eventually a leaf-green tone crept through their fur before rapidly being replaced by shifting tones of yellow and pink. That was brighter than Amras, right. They eyed the bee hungrily, like a cat stalking its prey, although they obviously knew that they couldn't eat it. They would just prefer it if they were the focus of its undivided attention, that's all.

"Speech."

Envy's expression was a somewhat comical picture of glee and forced aloofness as their gaze trailed the ghostly insect that buzzed around them in slow circles. "Hm," they grunted although it seemed that a lot of Amras' speech passed over their head until the Gryphon was actually speaking from inside it, at which point the weasel's gaze snapped back onto the gryphon, their eyes narrowing. "Creating elaborate creatures, you say? And... under your control?" Envy appeared intrigued by that, at least. It certainly appeared more useful.

However, they didn't seem too impressed by Amras' show of arcane, either; again, it didn't seem all that useful to them, and with a twinge of jealousy they thought it seemed quite similar to their Empathy, in how it echoed words with feelings and more complex thoughts. Maybe a little less taxing on oneself, though, without the inevitable risk of disassociation. But it also didn't seem as rewarding; not as much an escape from their own woes. They huffed in apparent disdain. "I think mine is better," they said, puffing out their chest.

Amras seemed to know a lot about magic, and Envy liked that. They found themselves combing over ways that they'd be able to use him further. Envy had already demonstrated a lot of what they knew, but there was one thing they'd been trying to master for quite some time, something that had so far eluded them. Amras, himself, had demonstrated its destructive uses the first time they'd met... unintentionally of course. Since then, Envy had seen its power demonstrated again and again, by Imperia, and then by Dragon. Perhaps they could... 'earn' a few tips, so long as they didn't have to ask for it. Envy puffed themselves up, eyes glowing bright as they prepared for a show.

Envy heaved in a deep breath, trying to summon flames to spit out like Dragon had. They felt a burning sensation building in their chest, until it hurt mildly, and then breathed out... but the heat burned their tongue, and instead of breathing flame, they ended up hacking and coughing, metallic-smelling smoke billowing out of their mouth and the burning heat in their chest causing them to flinch and bounce, panting violently in an effort to cool it down.

Well... at least it was a show, not that Envy would see the funny side.


"Speech."

Envy was a little preoccupied with hacking and choking, their body trying to dispel the burning in their lungs the only way it knew how. Hacking and coughing quickly descended into violent retching. After a while, they paused in their efforts just long enough to gasp for air, until with one last heave, they felt burning, searing heat drying their mouth and searing past their fangs. A jet of fluid, boiling and glowing red with heat, shot out onto the earth, clouds of steam rising from the damp earth, marshy grasses shriveling beneath its touch.

Although they'd had some success with fire, the small victory was bittersweet.

Vaguely they were aware of Amras' words but, whilst they'd usually feed the weasel's ego, they had more important things to worry about. They only grunted in response, hot breaths steaming around their muzzle.

Wheezing with the effort, Envy poked out their tongue, wincing and gulping, breathing slow as the burning slowly faded. Not seeming to notice Amras, they pattered down the obsidian spire ad scurried off to a nearby pool of muddy water to wash their mouth. When they returned, slinking low to the ground, it was to their displeasure that they watched Amras performing a spell that they liked to think of as theirs.

"What? too much for you?" Envy asked sourly as they approached without fear, sitting back on their hind paws at Amras' feet and frowning as they were once again reminded of the gryphon's sheer size. Truly, he had everything. But they did take some satisfaction in knowing that Amras struggled with the spell that they'd possessed since birth.


"Speech."

Envy relaxed slightly as the Gryphon's magic gradually seemed to drain from existence, but the indignant look in Envy's eye never left. They eyed the ethereal smoke until they could faintly see Amras's form through it, finally shaking their head and turning bitterly away. "Different how?" they grumbled quietly, in a last-ditch hope that Amras would admit the magic was out of their league. But they doubted it.

Envy's rounded ears pricked, though, as Amras commented on the magic that they'd used, and failed at. they felt their fur prickling upright, skin hot with embarrassment. They'd hoped that Amras hadn't seen their 'show'. But at least they knew that they were capable of using fire. To an extent... "Hmmph. so you noticed, huh? Yeah... I mean... Not that I care. Almost dying only makes me stronger," Envy twitched their claws uncomfortably against their chest, driving them into the thin fur barely covering their bones. It looked almost like they were itching, but it was more a subconscious expression of discomfort. "Mmm? ...oh. Oh yeah. I did that... intentionally."

They bristled hotly, moving their scratching to their chin, as their tail whipped wildly.

Better remember that for next time.

"Speech."

Envy rolled their eyes, nodding slowly and occasionally mumbling a disgruntled-sounding "mmm-hm," or "sure". The movement of their paw calmed until they finally lowered their paws to settle against their chest again, tail flicking taking over once again.

They did however, seem relatively satiated by Amras' words, which they decided to take as compliments."Ech. Well we both know by now that I'm pretty much unkillable, in that regard," they said with a touch of pride. "No-one's gone through what I have. I can do anything, being careful is nothing to do with it." they rolled their eyes yet again as Amras warned them on pursuing a path to mastery. That cliche about it being about the journey and not the destination. "Yeah, yeah, I get you," they said, just to get the more experienced mage off of their back more than anything else. Though inside, they couldn't help but wonder the point of the sentiment; what was the point of the journey, if it weren't for the destination. But they kept these thoughts to themselves, perhaps out of begrudging respect for the older and more experienced mage.

They bristled slightly, as Amras stooped down in order to be closer to eye level, seeming slightly annoyed by the effort. They themselves tried to rise up a little higher, but there was no way they could compete with Amras' height. "So, fire. I've... seen a lot of Gembounds using it," the weasel commented offhandedly, glancing briefly away. "Seems... useful. Can you remember when you nearly killed me with it?" they grinned a little disconcertingly, baring pointed fangs.


"Speech."