ORIGIN - it begins.

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Xervas hopped off of Dragon's back, thanking him once more for the ride and help. He would avoid the spiders... for now, at least. Slowly making his way over, he began to inspect the area. He couldn't see much here, thanks to the mist.

He began to make his way around, staying cautious. He hopped up onto one of the boulders, but made sure to remain close to the ground. He couldn't see very far, but being off of the floor made him feel safe- even if he knew it was a silly thought. He quite liked it here, really. Though the danger wasn't exactly a good thing.

He explored for a few more minutes- he had seen a few rats, thankfully no spiders- before returning to where he had last seen Dragon.

"Can I stay? You do not need to," he said. He was doing his best to convey his thoughts. He wanted to stay here, explore, maybe even live here, but Xervas didn't see why Dragon needed to stay as well- surely the other Gembound had places to be, more important things to do than look after a fledgling. "I will be careful and stay safe," he added, hoping to ease Dragon's mind. "Hunt rats, avoid spiders." A moment's pause. "Do not get stuck in web," he finished.

@Dragon

Dragon hesitated--something that he rarely did. It wanted him to leave--but it might get killed. He did his best to explain this.

"I had come to show you how to kill the rats, and to save you if they beat you. When I was young they near killed me--and the spiders! Are you certain you do not wish me to remain? For a single rat. If you can hunt it without my aid then you will survive alone! But if I leave you here alone, you may die. They are large things! Very ferocious!"

He considered, watching the lammergeier a moment longer. "I do not know what magic you have--we all have a stone on us, somewhere. From this we are granted a magic. Some with stone, some plants--some fire!"

He tilted back his boatlike head, attempting to demonstrate with a plume of fire into the air. Nothing happened--it didn't always come when summoned--and so after a moment of inexplicable tilting-his-head-to-the-ceiling, he looked back at Xervas.

"This may aid you in survival, once you learn to master it! The fish, too--in the water; perhaps you can catch them. Perhaps magic may be of aid. They are less dangerous than the rest!"

@Xervas

Yes, this did make sense to the bird. Seemed fair enough as well. If he successfully hunted a rat, he could survive; if he did not kill the rat, he would need Dragon's help. He was still small, not yet his full-grown size. A rat would be hard enough, but a spider? He would have to be careful.

"Fair," he agreed.

Xervas watched the great Gembound. Magic? He had magic? He began to wonder what kind. Fire? Plants? Stone? Are there more? He was curious to find out. Perhaps he could use it while hunting. Then again, he didn't exactly know what magic he had. He could maybe try it before hunting.

He watched the large beast raise their head to the ceiling. He watched them for several seconds. Nothing happened. Were they trying to do something? Were they trying to summon their magic? Did it not always work? Interesting.

The lammergeier tilted his head. Fish? Those would be easier to catch, but he did wish for a challenge of some sorts. "Sounds good," he repeated.
@Dragon

"That is wise," the alligator agreed firmly. He was pleased at this creature's willingness, and ability, to learn. Both would serve it well.

Dragon lifted his head again, this time with his boatlike jaws snapped firmly closed, and he focused. The head tilted slightly, and he sensed it: the faint, red-beating pulse of the creatures in the darkness ahead. The soft, unfocused glow of the spiders; the flicker of bats in the sky, the shimmer of a few fish--and there, a rat, staring out at them from the safety of the darkness beneath the crags.

"There," Dragon whispered, his voice roughly hoarse as he tried to keep it quiet. "A rat, beneath that grey stone, where it lies up against the darker one--see, at the center? It is there, it is large, but I will be here should it gain the upper hand. Go. I will watch."

How will he do? He appears strong enough. We shall see!

Dragon settled down to wait, and watch.

@Xervas

Xervas looked at the place Dragon was talking about. Yes, he could see the rocks; he could get an advantage if he headed up on one of the surrounding ones.

He knew that the rat was aware of him. There were two issues; it was not afraid of him, and it knew Xervas was there. Xervas slowly made his way toward the arch. The rat stared back at him, waiting for him to make a move. Threatening or otherwise.

Xervas, despite his eagerness to fight, did not think it was wise to charge right into battle. He could not attack from the air for a number of reasons: he didn't know how to fly, for one, and he also couldn't attack since the rat was underneath the two boulders. Perhaps his magic could help? Or maybe it wouldn't, but he could at least attempt to use it.

He summoned the magic, which came with surprising ease. He didn't know what exactly he was going for, as he still had no clue how exactly to control it- but he managed to send out a shockwave. The rat, unprepared for the assault, was flung back a few feet by the force. Xervas's magic was still weak, and could not send the large rat flying very far. But now he at least stunned the creature, if even for nothing but a few seconds. He rushed forward.

@Dragon

Dragon didn't intervene--not yet. There was no need to. Internally, a rush of triumph (mild as it was) struck him, the vicarious thrill of the hunt combined with some measure of pride in the new hatchling's immediate success. On the heels of this, however, came a closer attentiveness: now Xervas would need to close with his enemy, and it was at close range that these rats could be deadly.

One hunt, a quick snag and thrash of the back and they were dead. Another... and they could twist on you, rip into your face, your eyes, and before you knew it you were blind and bloodied and they were at your throat. The rats in the other caves had never given him this much trouble, being... normal, and small, but Cetus's massive monstrous ones--...

Dragon crept a few hurried paces closer. It looked stunned, but he wanted to be close enough, ready, to intervene should it recover before Xervas reached it.

Good, he thought, but he did not speak it aloud. He did not want to distract the bird at a critical moment. Good, you are moving right in-... Closely, he watched, focused intently on the hunt as it unfolded before him.

@Xervas

Yes, Xervas certainly saw why Dragon was there in case something went wrong- especially when a terrifyingly large rat isn't as stunned as it seems. He had tried to go for it's neck- only for the rat to whirl around and nearly tear Xervas's own neck open. He was lucky; the rat had missed, although barely. He had lost a few feathers from the close encounter.

He backed up, taking a defensive stance. The rat stared at him. He stared back. The rat moved forward; he moved back. Xervas wondered if he could summon his magic again and slam it into a wall. There were plenty of rocks around, he could probably pull it off. Assuming he could summon the magic, of course. That was the key factor there.

The oversized rat did not notice Dragon, being too focused on Xervas.

@Dragon

Dragon watched closely.

Well, this wasn't going well--not anymore. The rat was rushing Xervas, and going for his neck--chasing him; the lammergeier was backing up. Dragon did not want to interfere entirely--but perhaps he could weaken it for the fledgling.

He focused on his magicka, feeling it well up within him with a surge of heat. He could not simply blow fire at the thing--he risked hitting the bird, incinerating his feathers. That wouldn't do. Instead he aimed a precise glob of searingly acidic flaming lava-like goo at the the rat's flank, aiming to drive it back in pain, to injure it.

He watched it impact, watched the rat's reaction--and then spoke with an encouraging bellow, confidently cheerful.

"Now, Xervas! End it now." With luck, the spitfire magick would sear through the rat's side, causing it maddening pain and damage, Dragon's aim being to give the lammergeier the opening that he needed.

He can do this, without my further aid, I believe. The heavy alligator settled back to watch, though again, he was ready to help if needed.

@Xervas

The fire spell did weaken the rat- it let out a terrible screech, distracted almost instantly. It whirled on Dragon, though it was now considerably slower; being burned tended to do that. Xervas moved forward some. The rat looked back at him, glaring. The second that it turned back to Dragon- making sure that he didn't do anything else- Xervas lunged.

He didn't manage to kill the rat, but the rat didn't kill him, either. Instead, the lammergeier was left holding onto the side of the rat's neck while it twisted, trying to free itself from the attacker. He was close, but if he let go right now, the rat would get him; and he didn't have a good enough grip to kill it, either; it was slipping as the large creature writhed. It was soon going to be an issue.

He didn't mind Dragon's help, actually. Xervas, for sure, now understood the actual dangers of hunting these rats.
If the rats were this bad, and the spiders were worse? He'd be a goner for sure.
@Dragon

Dragon huffed as he watched.

"Good! Now tear at it! Control its head, and it cannot harm you--grip it by the neck!" He waddled a bit forward as the rat writhed, aiming to pin its tail with his heavy right foreleg's claws, into the muck. It would still be able to fight--but not chase Xervas, at least. He felt his foot find purchase over the squirming tail, even as it sank into the mud. He pinned it closely, wondering if it would turn and bite at his thick scales and claws--it would be largely futile, but Xervas may find it easier, then, he knew--if less of a useful practice hunt.

"Good, yes! You are killing it. It will die! A few wounds are nothing, so long as they do not get infected!" The scent of burning flesh, and seared fur, filled his nostrils. The squeaking of the rat.

Dragon turned his head to and fro to ensure nothing else was descending upon them--no horde of spiders, or army of black rats--and then looked back to Xervas.

He is doing well, he thought. Better than I did, at first. I think he will survive.

@Xervas

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