ORIGIN

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Pride stepped delicately, each gray hoof clicking down with grace. His slender head was held high, the green weasel atop his head perched between his broad and branching antlers.

One ear flicked.

"Here?" he asked, in his musical, fluting voice. They were on the lookout for members of the Sinful Seven, members Pride could further tutor in their magical skills. He felt confident in his abilities--and he wanted to be sure that their members, particularly some of the younger or smaller, could defend themselves.

Given the recent threat posed by the foolishly-named Bloodberries, this was doubly important.

The white stag paused, peering about, and then sighed softly. "I will call for them," he told Envy quietly. He then took a breath, stretching forth his maned neck. He roared, a stag's bellow, but in his melodic voice it sounded more like an elk's bugle than a red deer's rough bark-roar. Following this, words.

"I seek those of the Seven!" he called. Then he paused, musing briefly that they were oddly-named, given their number.

Never mind that now.

"Come to the Throne, if you can hear me!" He paused, rolling his silvery eyes back to peer toward Envy as best he could. "Will that do, do you think?"

@Reign

From the day we arrive on the planetAnd blinking, step into the sun

Reign had been asleep.

But the bugling sound pulled him to consciousness, and he raised his head with a yawn. He stood and stretched in the way of a cat, arching forward and then back. His crown seemed to glisten, and he stood tall.

Where had that come from?

It sounded like it had come from Pride, and knowing Pride, it was likely that Envy was with him. And, knowing them both, they were likely at the Throne.

He moved at a trot, having not heard any alarm in the voice. But even then, he was still rather fast, despite his small size.

He neared soon enough to hear the deer's voice, calling out for them to gather at the Throne. It didn't take him long to get to the Throne, and he looked up at Envy and Pride. "Dost thou need something?"

@Envy
@Pride

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

There's more to see than can ever be seenMore to do than can ever be done

For the most part, Envy planned to take a back seat and let Pride do his thing. Their plan, of course, was mostly just to sit pretty and royal, and maybe steal-... er... well... learn a thing or two along the way. Pride's roar made them briefly wince and left their ears ringing, and by the time that one of their subjects had arrived, Envy had managed a straight face and regal stance, crown glittering atop their head. "Yes, yes! Any louder and that ridiculous goose will hear us," Envy half-joked.

Envy recognised them as the cat who'd known their mother, although the weasel hadn't seen them much apart from the initial formation. Envy studied him for a moment, tilting their head; a ripple of motion ran through their quills as he spoke. The cat's way of speaking irked them for some reason, although they couldn't quite pinpoint why. Envy, personally, thought it was ridiculous. But like the noble king that Envy knew they were, Envy squashed the feeling and grinned. "Greetings, uh... Reign?" Envy stumbled on the young one's name a little. Given that they'd only met once, it was only natural, they supposed, but even still the hesitation came with a stab of fear. They were sure that was right. It had to be right, right? Well, if it wasn't, they were a pretty shit king.

The nervousness intensified, quills rattling quietly against one another. They set about combing their chest fur with their paws. "We're going to be training each of the Seven in magic, so they- you- can protect yourselves," Envy explained, trying hard to make their efforts sound noble.

When I speak.

When I think.

________________

@Pride

To Envy, Pride spoke softly. "Let her come," he murmured, a soft, cold threat of murder in his musical voice. He then waited, and soon enough a cheetah--one he'd seen at the meeting, he knew at once--slipped from the shadows. Reign didn't seem to be trying to sneak, even; he was merely graceful in his movements, a predatory cat through and through.

Pride suppressed a brief, faint irritation at the stranger's speech patterns, showing no sign. Instead he politely inclined his head, careful not to displace Envy.

"Reign, is it?" he asked, his tone polite. He hadn't noted the stranger's name before, or if he had he'd forgotten, and he showed no unease about having forgotten it. He merely dipped his head again. "I do not think we have spoken directly. I am Pride. It is as our King says; I have come to offer training to those who wish it, as we have many enemies, and I am well-versed in magicka use and spell formation."

He paced a little closer, surprised at how big he was compared to the cheetah, though he quickly dismissed this thought as unimportant. It was more the fact that, as a fawn, all predators had been huge and set him on edge--wary of being hunted and eaten, though all had turned out (thus far) to be relatively friendly, instead. Now, many were... small, almost, by comparison--though, Pride noted with approval, the cat held himself with something of the same regal grace that Pride had, the sort that both granted and deserved respect, regardless of size.

The white stag pulled himself back to the present, flicking his grey eyes up from where they were running over the cat's coat, and instead focusing on its bright and intense eyes. "Would you be interested in practice? I do not know what you can do, but we can practice, or if you feel yourself more skilled, spar?"

@Envy @Reign

From the day we arrive on this planetAnd blinking, step into the sun

Reign looked between Envy and Pride, waiting to see what the pair wanted. The King, and the King's Puppet master. It didn't take a genius to see that Envy was a puppet-head. "Reign, yes." he re-inforced the King's learning of his name. "A pleasure, both of you."

Ah, so he was going to learn to use his magic? That could be very beneficial. But he didn't think either of them had the same Magic he did, so how could they teach him?

"I would very much appreciate if you could teach me. Anything you can teach me, I am willing to learn."

@Envy @Pride

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

There's more to see than can ever be seenMore to do than can ever be done

Envy nodded nobly at Pride's words, puffing out their chest proudly, and standing tall- all 6 inches of height not really adding much to Pride's comparatively colossal size. Their greenness stood out against the snowy whiteness and they made quite a dashing crown. They were also pleased that they'd gotten the cheetah's name right.

The cheetah's agreement resulted in a sharp-toothed little grin, Envy's tail curling upwards at the end. Their quills raised excitedly. "I am one of the finest magicians in the cave! If you would learn, I can teach you! ...And Pride." They looked down at Pride, worried for an instant that they had offended the deer. But a moment later, they straightened up. "What kind of magic do you have?"

When I speak.

When I think.

________________

@Pride

Pride lifted his eyes upward, and had he had eyebrows, they'd have been arched. He'd offered to train the others; Envy had not, at any point, mentioned taking part in this training. Pride was a little bit irritated; he didn't know how Envy might interfere, or what they might say or do. He was beginning to notice that the weasel was more than a little bit self-centered, and hoped that they wouldn't just waste time showing off spells with no actual lesson beneath.

He pushed the thought aside. Never mind it. We'll see what the situation is; no reason to get annoyed before I have even seen Envy's methods. He looked again to Reign.

"It would be useful to know how far along you are in your ability to cast. Not only what you can do--as our King wisely mentions--but how easy it is for you to do so. How long have you practiced? Into how many shapes are you capable of forming your magic? Does it take a great deal of concentration, and does it fail often? Is there anything, too, that you would like to learn, in particular, that you do not know already?"

Pride stood regal and patient after asking, trying to ignore the nervous energy that he swore Envy constantly gave off. Perhaps it was just in his mind, but he almost wished they'd just get down, already.

It was the first time that he had thought such things.

@Reign

From the day we arrive on this planetAnd blinking, step into the sun

Reign looked at the green weasel as he spoke, boasting about being one of the finest magicians in the cave. He highly doubted that - the little beast, he thought, seemed to be all bark, no bite. However, he still answered their question. "I am capable of electricity Magic, my lord."

Then he turned his attention to Pride, as the stag spoke. "Alas, I have not practiced my Magic much. As far as I am aware, I am only capable of one spell, and it is not very strong. I would like to learn how to use it offensively, as well as defensively."

He tilted his head thoughtfully, before adding. "And, if you are willing, I would like to learn how to fight without my Magic."

@Pride @Envy

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

There's more to see than can ever be seenMore to do than can ever be done

Envy fell silent, seeming pleased as Pride elaborated on their questions for Reign, even if they'd forgotten half the questions before Pride had finished asking them. The questions weren't directed at them, anyway. Reign's answer to their question sent their quills jerking upwards in a sudden motion- they seemed, shocked, maybe nervous for an instant, but they didn't show it, and allowed themselves a triumphant grin.

They knew- firsthand- that electricity magic was potent and unpredictable. it would be useful to have on their side, not only through reign, but by taking it, and learning it for themselves. The small creature shivered excitedly. Reign went on to speak that his magic was largely unpracticed- only one spell. Envy thought that they may be able to trade knowledge quite soundly- they knew one electricity spell. And they certainly knew what it could do. "Can you show us?" Envy asked, simple and to the point, lowering their spines back flat.

The cheetah also wanted to learn the art of physical combat. Envy let out a small breath of frustration- they could be no use there. They were small, and although quick and slippery like a snake, the weasel knew physical exertion could very well be the death of them one day. Most of the time, they wouldn't have the energy for it. Although they got by on magic alone- the lack of any physical food certainly wasn't doing them any favours.

When I speak.

When I think.

________________

@Pride

Pride, too, shook his head a little (Envy atop it, or no) at the mention of physical combat.

"A brute's purview," he responded mildly. "Though I suppose, perhaps, it is not a bad thing to learn to handle oneself when magic is unavailable, for some reason. But magic will always trump mere physical power." He flicked his tail, thinking. "But I am sure, as the King and the Advisor, we can find another in the Seven to train you in what you wish."

Pride stepped off to one side, so as not to be in Reign's way. He glanced over the cheetah as he did so.

Slender, with blunted claws and little true muscle to speak of; no thick coat or heavy skin to protect him. The jaws looked, too, relatively small. In combat with anything just under his size, or larger, he would be destroyed. This is not a creature meant for fighting.

Aloud, however, Pride spoke of magic. "For now, for magic, I can tell you this: it is a force within us, all around us. It takes concentration to shape it, and the will to form it into what you desire. Magic can do anything. You must merely believe, and focus. Do as our good King says, and show us your spell, if you please."

@Reign

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