ORIGIN

She focused on the branch rather than just the leaf and... nothing happened. She tried again, surging the magic power up within her but... nothing. The lioness sighed and held her breath, focusing intensely. She was starting to turn blue by the time she let the breath go and admitted defeat. What was the problem? Why couldn't she do this? It wasn't really hard! She had done it before. At the next moment on a whim she attempted again and... she did it! Yes! The branch gave a shake and a few leaves fluttered off. Dancing on their way to the ground.

The lioness crouched, wriggled her haunches and waited for them to come within reach. Then, she leaped and pounced on the leaves, playing and laughing like a little kitten or the cub that she was. It was all so fun! She managed to catch a leaf in her mouth, then another and another. How many could she catch? The lioness was about to test this when a beautiful flower caught her attention. It was a stunning shade of blue. Gorgeous! Oh. How beautiful would that look sitting in front of her ear? She had to catch it! The lioness crouched again, wriggled and leaped for the flower!

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Her fangs closed firmly but delicately around the blue flower. Gotcha! She thought triumphantly to herself. Perfect! She had gotten the beautiful flower!

She landed back on the ground and careful plopped down on her rump and held her paws up so she could deposit the flower there rather than in the mud. The lioness examined it carefully. The color was the exact color of her eyes. A shade that she actually found quite nice. Perhaps it was her favorite color. She'd never thought about it before but yes... this was her favorite color or perhaps... No. Her favorite color would be orange. Bright orange, like a certain bear's eyes. However, this color would come a close second so she would keep this flower.

Makyna used her paws twist the flower into the fur around her right ear. She wished there was something to look at herself in but she would have to wait until she went back to Pisces where there were pools galore. Ah well, she would do so later. Right now she was still busy. The spell had been successful but not as successful as she wanted.

The lioness lifted her head again with its newly adorned flower and focused on the limb again where there was still a few more leaves.

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The lioness felt a surge of magic, stronger than the last couple of times. The limb shook violently and dislodged the rest of the leaves! Makyna felt a surge of pride from within her as her plan succeeded. Time for more leaf catching! The lioness smiled and giggled as she began to bat at the leaves. Swiping them from the air with her claws and once all of them had landed all over the ground she stomped around on them. One finally leaf fell behind her and she pounced! She was about to shred the offending leaf when she realized something... This one was a beautiful shade of orange... Just like Leon's eyes. She stared at it for a moment before picking it up in her maw. She should keep it and put it on the wall in her den, that would make it pretty! Oh! She should get others things too and put them up on her wall. She could tack everything up with some sort of mixture, perhaps snail slime or something else like that would work.

Yeah! That would work perfectly. Time to find more things to grab and take home. Maybe she could find something for Leon too!

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The lioness searched around for something else to add to her collection. She looked under rocks, around trees, through the muck but she found nothing. She even climbed to the top of a tall tree in an attempt to to scout out something. The fog of course hindered this and she again wasn't able to see so she stopped her tree climbing and searched the old fashioned way. In her search she found a nest of badgers which didn't appreciate her disturbing them and chased her away. She found a bird's nest but would feel awful if she stole eggs so she left them alone. Next she uprooted a worm quite by accident and ran away squealing.

During her flight from the worm she managed to find her way to the south end of Cetus. Here she noticed the tall stones that looked like they'd be perfect for sharpening her claws. This was perfect! She'd have to remember this for whenever she made her trips up here. However, as nice as the stones were they weren't anything she could take back for her den. Ah well. The lioness reached up and began to sharpen her claws on one of the stones. Her claws creating a sound that wasn't very pleasant but since she was the one to do it it didn't bother her very much. She simply kept sharpening and sharpening, eyes occasionally casting around for something interesting.

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As she scratched her claws on the stone she saw something glittering in the damp trench nearby. Makyna narrowed her eyes as she tried to see it better but from her position it was impossible to see it clearly. The lioness finished up sharpening her claws and after examining them quickly for any imperfections. Finding none she continued on towards the trench, carefully she lowered herself down to the trench, paws splashing on the damp earth. Now she cast around, looking for the glittering thing she had seen before.

She was afraid she had lost it because at first she couldn't find it but then she saw it again. The lioness ran up to it and lowered her head to examine it better. The thing was a little gem, clear gem that shone different colors in the light of the mist. In short, it was gorgeous. She could sit it up on top of a rock in her den where it would catch the light! That would be beautiful! Oh, she couldn't wait to do that! It would be perfect! The lioness took the leaf from her mouth and tucked it behind her other ear, keeping it there to hold until she went back to Pisces. Then she picked up the gem in her mouth carefully. Now, she had all the treasures she needed.

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With her prizes she wandered out of the trench, using her claws to grapple onto the edges of the ledge and pull herself out. She felt yucky but she was happy. Today she'd explored and found presents and she was happy. Now she just had to get out of the place and go home. Which... Was easier said then done. As she walked back she realized how little attention she'd been paying to her surroundings when she had been hunting for something else to take home. The lioness' sense of direction was thrown off. Especially since she hardly ever came this way. She mostly just went to the Divine or the center area to practice magic or sing. Not explore the whole area with its fogginess that was hard to navigate. Uh-oh...

As she walked a bird flew by overhead, very low overhead, and with a whoosh of its wings made her leaf fly out of her tangle of fur. "Hey!" She yelled in dismay as the leaf started to flutter away. She had to get that back! She'd worked hard for that pretty leaf! So she leaped and tried to catch the leaf in one pounce with her claws.

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The lioness pounced and snagged the leaf in her claws with that one pounce. Got it! She thought to herself triumphantly as she pinned it to the earth. This time she wouldn't tie it so haphazardly, she would make sure it was snug before continuing on in case another bird decided to get brave. The lioness turned and grabbed her tail, tying the leaf into the long hairs at the end of her tail tuft. There! It should hopefully stay this time! Now she could turn her attention back to the road.

Now then... Which way? The lioness took one direction but ended up making a circle, then she took another direction and ended up looping around again. Great! Now she was lost! Or was she? She rather prided herself on knowing Cetus fairly well... It wasn't nice to be lost in this place and though it disheartened her it would be a learning experience. She'd find her way out eventually. Come on, Ky. You can do this. The lioness thought to herself as she tried to decide what direction to take next. After a moment of deliberation she took another path, hoping that it was the right direction. There was only one way to find out...

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After a moment of walking it seemed that the path was the same as before. The same tree, same rock, same moss on the same tree... It was all the same. At least she thought it was all the same as she squelched along through the mud. Paws were growing muddier and muddier by the moment but right now she didn't care. What Makyna wanted was to find her way in this foggy mess. She was ready for Pisces, she was ready to see Leon, ready to see her dear little sister Amaria. She had had enough practice for today. Enough practice for a couple of days really. Next Amaria would get her practice on how to be a productive feline. Hunting and sparring were important in their lives.

As the lioness walked along she noticed that the scenery was indeed starting to change... So she had gone the right way. Awesome! One step closer to getting home. Now... where would she go now. The squelching noises stopped as she peered up ahead. The path forked left and right and she didn't recognize this part. She really shouldn't get distracted again while in Cetus. This foggy place could turn you around quite easily if you weren't paying attention. Alright, which direction? After a moment of deliberation she decided upon the left path. Hopefully it was the right one.

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The lioness continued onwards, taking the left path and hoping that it was the right one. It turns out that it must have been for she made it to the heart of the place. Somewhere that she recognized. Perfect! The lioness smiled to herself for now she had discovered a new place, the stones where she could sharpen her claws.

She reached up to check and make sure that the flower was still sitting in front of her ear. The stone was obviously in her mouth and as she glanced around she saw that the leaf was there too. Perfect! Everything was in check. Good. Now, to continue on and--

Something caught her eye. It was the bird that had previously disturbed her when she walking. Perhaps she could do one last thing to practice her magic. The lioness focused on the bird and stared at, focusing her magic. The bird stared back at her almost with a mocking expression as if it felt quite haughty that it could fly and sit in the tree while she couldn't. As she stared at it she noticed that it had a gem for a talon... a purple gem. Perhaps this bird was so unintelligent.

Before she could completely concentrate on her magic the bird gave racous caw and flew away. Makyna could have concentrated and probably pulled him from the air but for what? She would feel bad for hurting a gembound so she just let it go. Content to know that it wasn't worth it. Instead she focused on the branch that he had been sitting on. There was a leaf there and she wanted to see if she could move it, not pluck it. Just make it wiggle.

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She stared and stared and stared at the leaf but nothing happened. She supposed she wouldn't get to wiggle the leaf today or at least not at this moment. Ah well, she could try again on her way out. Speaking of her way out it was time that she moved her rump again. The lioness moved her paws again and headed out towards the exit. Not quite leaving yet but wanting to near the exit. She would pause near the exit for there was treacherous ground ahead. The lioness looked at the ground and very carefully maneuvered way around a boggy area. Then she leaped onto a root and continued her way through this route. Walking on the roots was the easiest and less messy way to go so this was why she preferred it. Perhaps if she kept doing this she would be able to guide people through Cetus with practiced ease. That was a task she would enjoy doing. If only she could figure out the humming... It couldn't be natural but she had no idea what it was and there was nothing to hindsight to figure it out. After all, you couldn't hindsight bog, could you?

The lioness made it out of the less treacherous ground. The exit was in sight but she stopped... Was she missing anything?

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