ORIGIN

Excitement tingled in Rift's spine as Enka began describing the sensing spell that he had so wished her to have. She did have the magic of plants, she did! Her love for the forest that she shared with him wasn't just a love - it was ingrained in her very gem. What he had to teach, it would be easier then he had thought. He had always tried to teach Sebastian the magic of the forest, but his element was so alien to that of the delicate growth of life that it had always escaped him. But Enka he could teach and pass his knowledge to.

His tail flicked with happiness and his whiskers twitched. "That's it! That's the one! You are blessed with plant magic! This is great news, yes, amazing! I can teach you so much about the forest and about your magic. Oh, this is so exciting!" He gave a small leap of excitement, wanting flowers to spring out of the ground, but he was so unfocused that his magic simply didn't work. No matter.

"So, Enka, where do you want to start? I could teach you to grow plants on your back or maybe awaken seedlings from the ground? Those are the easiest, but there's also moving plants to your will, growing flowers, and being able to digest them...although perhaps that last spell won't be of much use to you, since you can already digest plants, haha."

Rift laughed out loud again at Enka's response. She was silly and young and had much to learn. "I'm not a plant, they just started growing on my skin. But I would understand if you don't want to learn to do that as well. I can teach you to grow things outside of your body. Like this!" He tapped a paw on the ground and a few small sprouts poked their way out of the soil. "You like flowers and berries. You can grow those, sure! However, growing plants is almost like speeding up time. The longer time it takes the more difficult it is to grow. There are three levels of growing: the sprout, the flower, and the tree. The sprout is the easiest - you are growing seeds from the earth to the earliest stage of life. Once you have mastered this spell, then I will teach you to grow the flower, the second stage in a plant's life. The final, and most difficult, is the tree. I only call it that for lack of a better word to describe it. All plants have a 'tree stage' even if they aren't a tree. This is where you'll be able to grow berries and fully grown plants. It's a very difficult spell, however, so we'll just start with this."

He touched his nose to the ground and closed his eyes. 'If you think it will help, use your sense to locate the seeds within the earth first. However, this forest is abundant with life. There will always be seeds beneath your feet here."

@Enka

Rift saw that his words were confusing the young springbok. Perhaps he should have been slower or chosen his words more carefully. Or, perhaps, he should change the name of the third stage to something other then 'tree.' It seemed that he would have to explain this another time. "It's alright. Everyone struggles with their first spells. Now, just focus, focus on the ground and the seeds bellow. Forget about the flowers and trees and think only of the children you are raising from the earth. Tiny things, from seeds into small green plants. It is their first stage of life. They know where they are going, you are only giving them the energy to move along. That is what this spell is."

He took a deep breath and on his exhale, his nose delicately touched the ground as he did what he was telling his student. More sprouts emerged around him and he blinked open his eyes, smiling fondly. "The plants will thank you for giving them life."

@Enka

He watched closely as Enka stilled and concentrated. He was so proud of her, proud that he had a student that listened so well to the teachings he had to give, a student that understood, and, more importantly, appreciated the wisdom he had to give. She would learn well and there would be another acolyte of nature roaming the caves. Perhaps she would be braver then him, venturing out to spread the love of the forest to the other parts of the caves.

When the sprouts appeared, he purred loudly, his tail waving happily. "You did it!" His eyes shined enthusiastically. "You've helped them grow! I'm so proud of you, oh, so proud! When you practice more and more, it'll become almost second nature. Raising seeds from the earth will be as easy as breathing. Why don't you do it a few more times? It'll get easier the more you do it."

@Enka

Rift watched Enka with joy as she pranced around, growing sprout after sprout in a circle around him. It was one thing growing them himself, it was a whole different thing watching someone else do it, especially after his teachings. Every sprout, a new life bursting forth. Precious life, precious plant. Beautiful.

"Yes, Enka, you did it! And this is only the first step!" He also bent down to nose at the plant. It was young and healthy and would grow strong, assuming nothing came to hurt it. But who would want to hurt young plants like these? In that moment, Rift knew that the question had too many answers so he put it off so as not to become agitated.

Instead, he focused himself on Enka's question and smiled. "Everything starts small. These plants will grow, don't worry. Watch." He leaned over and gave a few of the sprouts a soft nuzzle and, at his gentle command, they began to rise and stretch, growing until there were little buds on the ends that got larger and larger until they opened into beautiful young lilies. "Even without my magic, they will grow into this, with time. This is the flower stage. You may try, if you like, but this spell is much more difficult to cast."

@Enka