Faelan entered Polaris with swift, purposeful strides.
He didn't spare a glance over the blue-washed scenery, as he might have any other time. Instead, his gaze remained fixed in the direction of the gem that had sprouted up during the Magicka Competition.
Ever since the faint singing of the crystals had begun, the lion had thought about the strange gem. It had once made sounds, words even. He, and many others, hadn't been able to understand them at the time, but he had been certain that they were words of some kind.
The crystals that were 'singing' now did not seem to be making any legible words either. They didn't look like the strange gem, at least not the ones he found, but he didn't think that mattered. The fact that both had made noises was enough for Faelan.
Whenever the deep green gem finally came into sight, Faelan slowed down and then finally stopped a few tail-lengths from it. His bright gold eyes regarded the still, silent pillar cautiously while his tufted tail flicked back and forth. After a moment of thought, the lion sat down. He wanted to approach it, but it would be better to study it before he jumped in.
He had tried that before, more than once, and he had ended up in some precarious situations.
@Elderberry
As he grew, Elderberry had ventured further and further from his home nest and away from his family's tight embrace... though never far enough away from them that he was completely out of touch from their roaming grounds. Although elderberry was beginning to explore the tight alleyways of Orion and the deepest crevasses of Polaris, he hadn't entered any of the other caverns for fear of becoming lost. Besides, he hoped to gain some favour with his parents by keeping close at hand to train.
He was growing older, his feathers beginning to moult in droves. Ridiculous grey tufts of down were beginning to give way to mottled brown tones and the beginnings of the sleek black feathers of his head and neck that were passed down from his beloved mother.
Today, Elderberry was exploring Polaris again, gently trotting his way down towards the crystal river to drink before seeking succulent mosses and water-reeds to satiate the appetite which came with roaming. Though he was content to roam on his own, his muscles were beginning to ache for tension and thrill. The youngster frequently stopped and scanned the horizon hoping to catch a glance of one of his siblings with whom he wanted to train and play.
This moment was no different. With appetite satisfied, he perched atop a rise with neck raised as high as it would go, Elderberry saw a figure settled some distance away. It was not someone he recognized, but he wondered if the stranger would possibly accept his challenge and help him train. But he hesitated; the feline wasn't of the family, and their mother had taught them that family was the only thing to truly trust. He paused, one forehoof raised. Hesitated. Then, he began to walk. If the stranger was hostile, then Elderberry would wear his family's name as a banner, and fight back just like Mother had taught him. So he approached, step by cautious step, green gaze wary, but clear. He said nothing, but stopped a safe distance from the lion and dipped his long neck in a polite bow.
"When I speak."
When I think.
@Faelan
Despite the fact that the lion's ears were hidden underneath a mass of hair, they had little trouble picking up the soft patter of hooves on stone. At first, Faelan didn't recognize the sound. He merely noted that something, or rather someone, was approaching.
Whenever the sound stopped, Faelan finally turned his massive crown toward the other Gembound.
The first thing he saw was the long, serpentine neck that ended in beady black eyes and the sharp beak. That alone made his spine go rigid with fear, and shock. It can't be, he thought as his heart began to pound. Then his golden gaze traveled farther down the creature, and came upon the sight of four, willowy legs.
None of it made sense to the lion, except for the polite bow that the hybrid executed. It was obviously sentient, he thought with some surprise, and it wanted to approach him. Faelan could think of a million things that could go wrong with that scenario, but he could also think of just as many that could go right. There was so much he could learn, especially the most important thing.
Was this...thing at all related to the pair that had attacked him before?
@Elderberry
"What is it?" Elderberry asked quite simply, his tone even, and voice a low honking sound. Introductions seemed irrelevant to the hybrid- who seemed focused only on the elephant in the room.
As he waited for a response, he cast his gaze over the lion, who looked like a strong, well muscled beast. Elderberry found his heart beating a little faster as he looked at his potential opponent. He felt that the lion could make for a powerful sparring partner, and a formidable opponent- something that thrilled him to the core. The youngling found himself almost overwhelmed by awe, and wondered if he’d seen many battles in the past. Elderberry hoped so. He thought the lion must have many tales to tell.
"You look very strong," He honked softly.
"When I speak."
When I think.
@faelan
Even though Faelan had invited the stranger closer, he remained wary of them. He watched their careful steps closely and was grateful whenever they stopped a short distance away. The space in between them was just enough for him to prepare for an attack, should one come.
Instead of violence though, he was greeted with a question. The lion slowly turned his head back to the gem, slightly wary of taking his eyes off of the stranger. However, as soon as his golden gaze fell upon the gem, his mind went back to his previous task.
Faelan paused to take a breath, and glance at the strange Gembound once more. The information didn't shake their cool demeanor, nor did it seem to excite them. In fact, he wondered if it moved them at all, since he could barely get a read on them. He wasn't sure if it was the small, sleek face, or the definite lack of features on said face, but it seemed impossible for the hybrid to express anything at all.
Whenever they made note of how strong he looked, Faelan tensed up. Once again, he wasn't sure what to take from the stranger, so he wasn't sure how to react. After a moment of silence, he finally offered up the only answer he could think of.
@Elderberry
Elderberry's gaze followed the lion's back towards the gem, though his ears twitched back towards the lion. He nodded slowly at first. Indeed, it seemed like an ordinary gem- although it still seemed somewhat out of place in Polaris. The lion went on to explain why, with a reasoning that seemed almost surreal. The hybrid turned back towards him, ears pricked, seeming to take a while to digest the information.
After a while, he gave a low hum of acknowledgement, clacking his beak thoughtfully.
Finally, he spoke again. "I've never heard of anything like that before," he said thoughtfully. He appeared to drop back into thought, turning back and examining the gem for a few moments longer, until the lion presented his question.
Without hesitation, Elderberry nodded vigorously.
"I do. Very much," the young hybrid said eagerly, but evenly. He looked up at the lion hopefully. He thought of the last time he'd trained against Mulberry and Huckleberry. Mother had seemed very proud. He imagined how proud she'd be if Elderberry found the opportunity to train away from the nest, and get stronger. Surely, training outside of the family would be even better? It would prepare him all the better for facing the wider caves and spreading the family name. With a twitch of his ears, he looked up at the lion. "Will you train me?"
"When I speak."
When I think.
@Faelan
The other Gembound didn't give Faelan any new insight into the gem situation. He hadn't expected them to though, so he wasn't disappointed. Just continually stumped.
This close to the gem, he could see that it held no resemblance to the strange gem that he had found in the tunnel near Cetus. Also, the chiming sound that had emitted from the other gem did not seem to be emitting from this one. It stood as still and silent as it had since the magic competition.
Faelan wasn't surprised by the stranger's answer to his question. It was easy to guess their line of thinking by their comment. However, he was wary of their intentions with their desire. Did they wish to become large and strong so that they could bully others, or did they want it so that they could protect those they cared about? The lion's stomach twisted whenever he realized that sometimes, those were the same thing.
The other Gembound's next question erased all other thoughts from Faelan's mind. He jerked his head around and stared at the stranger for a moment, his mind reeling. Part of him felt honored that they would ask, since it was possible that they truly did see him as something to aspire to. Another part of him balked at the very idea though. This creature, whatever and whomever it was, could very well be using this as a trick to fight him. Training could quickly turn into a real battle, probably when he was at the disadvantage.
Faelan opened his maw to tell the stranger no, and then paused whenever he thought of Sebastian.
The younger feline had helped him train with his magic, even though he was a big, scary stranger. Granted, Sebastian hadn't seemed to fear him whenever they met, which was naive, but that earned him a friend. Perhaps, if Faelan helped this stranger now, he could earn a friend.
@Elderberry
Finally, Elderberry looked up at the lion and shook his head.
Then he closed his eyes and felt for something, trying to feel for some kind of magic within, although he didn't know quite what he was looking for. Like most Gembounds, Elderberry was born with an inkling of what magic was and what it could do, but having spent his life among the Bloodberries, Elderberry had had little opportunity to ever see it performed or try it himself.
It took a few moments, but a surge of energy thrilled through his body, closely followed by a jolt of pins and needles. His feathers sparked and danced with energy. With energy still flowing and jolting, small arcs dancing between his feathers, Elderberry looked to the lion again, waiting patiently for his next instruction.
"When I speak."
When I think.
Faelan would not have admitted it if asked, but he was genuinely relieved whenever the other Gembound shook their head in reply. He already felt threatened by them enough, so it was good to know that he would have the advantage in at least one thing.
The lion was no expert with his magic, but he had learned a lot over the past few cycles. His involvement with the Children of Rot was by far his biggest source of improvement, mainly because it had pushed him out of his comfort zone. If he hadn't met Dragon after the magic competition, and traveled to the Eridanus and Cetus because of him, then Faelan wouldn't have experienced everything he had since then.
Just as Faelan began to think back over the past few cycles, a crackle of electricity caught his attention. He jerked his gaze up from where it had fallen to the floor, and stared in shock at the sparks that danced across the other Gembound's feathers.
The sight was so familiar that it ripped the lion straight back to the moment he had last seen it.
He was staring at a pair of young Gembounds, which he had approached in kindness. They shouted at them though, swearing violence and pain. Then the smaller of the two, a goose, flared their wings, which had sparks jumping across the feathers.
That had been the beginning of the pain and fear, Faelan thought with a shudder just before he shook his head. It was a feeble attempt to rid himself of the memory, but it worked. The vivid images faded along with the sparks, allowing him to relax a little bit. His spine was still rigid, but the lion's bright gold orbs had narrowed back to normal and he at least appeared calm.
After Faelan cleared his throat, he said,
As Faelan spoke, he mentally reached for the magic inside of him. It was surprisingly weak, considering he was in Polaris, but there was enough for him to gather and direct toward the rock. Just as the lion said his final words, the rock suddenly cracked. It wasn't a clean, even split down the middle like he had intended, but the crack sufficed to demonstrate his point.
@Elderberry
When the lion spoke, the hybrid's gaze didn't stray from the feline's face until he heard the crack of stone. When Elderberry turned, a nearby rock had split. He offered a nod, bowing his beak in acknowledgement. So magic was very versatile, capable of being used In a variety of different ways. That was fair. Elderberry would have to be stupid to not consider its uses alongside physical training, and its potential to make even the smallest foe a formidable force.
"I'll remember that," he acknowledged with a nod, the raised feathers along his back beginning to lie flat once more. He considered for a moment. "You seem knowledgeable. Would you spar with me? It would be the best way to put this training to use." The young one's honking voice was even, and not unkind. One wouldn't be mistaken if they thought they detected the faintest note of excitement in his voice.
"When I speak."
When I think.
@Faelan