ORIGIN - Fight song - Crafting, Writing

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The girl was so energetic and lively and perhaps, overly trusting. She taught him the trick to it without hesitation. The cub mumbled a "Thanks!” and set off to work immediately. He moved his furry paws over the metal like she did till he felt something sharp prick him. Then, he gripped the old leather between his sharp teeth and bore the sharp end of the metal chink through the leather. Being old and stretched around the area near the hole, the leather gave way and he pierced the metal string snugly into the leather. Following that, he used his paws to clumsily twist the leather into the metal so that it would not dislodge from the chain. Usui plodded to the other side and did the same thing with the other hole. It was done then, and the cub proudly stepped into the metal and used his paw to shift it comfortably across his torso and to the right side of his haunches. It was a little large for him. In fact, the bag seemed to span three quarters of his body. It was okay to him though. It would fit more comfortably when he grew to Makyna’s size, and would be perfect for adulthood. For now, the boy would just have to be careful not to overload the bag with too many things.

The boy gripped the arrowhead he had found with his teeth, then used his nose to nudge open the flap, toss in the arrowhead and close the flap again. Ideas flashed through his mind. He could use this satchel for pebble stories, or for collecting odd bits and pieces! "Quix,” he began and was promptly cut short by her. The girl was calling him a dirty lion and was especially ecstatic about something. The boy scowled at the insult and replied her grumpily (with half a mind to forgive her since she had been such a great help thus far). "Whatchu talkin’ ‘bout? You’re as dirty as I am.” This girl was rather ridiculous. Did she live in the clouds? They were all in the same room coming into contact with the same dirty, dusty stuff. How could she claim him to be dirtier than she was?

Quix grinned, absolutely tickled by the lion’s reaction when he scowled and questioned her matter-of-factly. “That’s ‘cos Usui can’t see,” she replied in a sing-song voice. He was hilarious! Thinking he was all so smart. Who had found him his bag? Quix. Who had found him the handle? Quix. Who had taught him how to thread the bag? Quix. The girl eyed the cub with a smirk. “You’re such a stick in the mud,” she commented through slitted eyes. The little Gembound was growing impatient with this stoic, matter-of-fact lion. He might as well still be stuck in his chrysalis now if he were going to be so dull.

“See,” she began, “There are itty bitty things that you can’t see but I can, when my magic works. Good ones, bad ones. They can make you sick or make you feel good. Right now, your paws need a washing.” She chittered then, a sound like chattering laughter, and walked over to Usui who carried his satchel with pride. “I can make good itty bitty increase in you.” She sat inches away from him, and titled her head to the side, baby blue eyes looking triumphantly at the lion. “And what can you do big boy?” She disturbed him, daring him on.

OOC: Usui thinks he has broken his leg. Actually it is twisted and trapped under the rock.

The girl began by saying he couldn’t see. The boy blinked at her, his mind a blank. Could not see…what? It definitely did not refer to the sense of sight that all but blind Gembounds had. What was it that he could not see? The boy’s curiousity started to grow as the fennec fox continued elaborating. "Well you din’ hafta throw’ a personal insult,” he retorted as she continued with an injury to his ego. He sniffed, a useless action that indicated him brushing away the hurt that she had caused with her comment targeting his sense of intellect and level-mindedness which clearly seemed boring to this brat. Once again, this was water under the bridge when Quix fuelled his understanding with facts. "Itty bitty stuff huh.” These things were too small to see. The only reason why Quix could see them was because she had the magic to do so. Now, he knew that gembounds with such power existed. The cub felt it interesting and useful. To own the power of sickness and health in one’s paws! That was an ability which he would have grabbed if it came freely to him. However, his calling had not been towards that area.

Quix asked him about his power now. The lion gazed at her for a while, and deciding that he could trust her, spoke quietly. "I sense anotha’ by reachin’ out ma’ mind. I see the colour of tha’ gem. I know where they are.” He paused, and thought again. That was his neutral power. He still had abilities he had not told the fox. "I can split rocks and a bit of earth.” Silently, he attempted to cast his spell. If it worked out, the rocks near to him would shatter. If he wasn’t successful, then even Quix would not have guessed that he had tried and failed.

Unfortunately, it all went VERY wrong. The cub gulped as he heard a sharp crack overhead and dust fell over his pelt. He whipped his head up towards the ceiling and yelped in terror. A couple of stone staircases from the top were already halfway falling down onto him. No! Quix! The cub whipped his head around and dashed to the young fox and, gripping her roughly around the nape, used his muzzle and paw to push her under his chest. He shielded her from the onslaught of shattered rocks. The rocks came crashing down over the boy and hit his shoulder painfully. He howled as he felt iron-hot slashes across his body. Then, his mind went blank with shock, and the pain registered in his left hind leg.

The shower of rocks ended. The boy lifted his head from beneath the rubble and coughed desperately. The thick dust clouded his lungs. "Quix, are you okay?” he spluttered, uncurling his paw and letting the fox scramble out from beneath his chest. The boy twisted over to look at his body. Blood streamed down his sides, but most of all, a large piece of rock had fallen heavily, obscuring his left hind leg. He pulled forward but winced and howled in pain immediately. "I’m broken. Broken. No good. Help!!” he started sobbing from the pain, mixed in dust and blood.

After arriving in Orion, the bear wasn't really intent on leaving. This was his comfort place, under a twinkling gem ceiling, in the cool air of a broken city. Hidden from the rest of the world. Except for Zetos, but the leopard knew nothing of what had happened beyond that room. He found comfort in that fact. It was good having a fresh face, someone that didn't know every detail of your life; at the same time, it reminded him terribly of Makyna. He'd been younger when he found her, but they were... so alike. The bear would grumble and shake his head, he would chase away the thought so that it didn't plague him any longer. He'd come out here to get away.

While he'd been exploring down one long, broad dusty street, he felt the ground shake beneath his paws. It was a gentle quaking, but the bear had been near enough to the tunnel's entrance to feel it. His ears twisted and he raised his head, for a moment hesitant. What did that mean? What had happened? His brows furrowed; yet, tuning in, he could just faintly hear the cry of another Gembound. Leon's eyes widened. Somebody must have been in pain. He glanced around, looking for Zetos - but the cub was so dark in fur, he couldn't pick him out from the nearby shadows, even if he was there. He'd be fine in here if Leon just left for a little while... The bear huffed and turned, galloping towards the tunnel entrance.

He passed by looming dragons, sneering faces decorated in quartz watching him run through the cavern. As he neared, the scent of dust was heavy in the air. He sneezed, wrinkling his nose as he tried to navigate his way through the cloud of debris. Somewhere in the heart of it all, a small creature was trapped beneath the rubble. Leon blinked, then narrowed his eyes, trying to pick it out. Small, feline body. Tawny fur. Makyna? His heart jumped; a brief lapse in that cold wall he'd placed between them. Worry. The bear moved closer, only to realize this lion was but a child, smaller than his friend... and male. Tiny relief wormed through him, but the issue remained that this little lion had gotten himself stuck in a rockfall.

Leon coughed, clearing the air with a fore-paw. "Are you alright?" He called, stepping closer to the babe. Trapped beneath the rocks, he could see the child wasn't going to get out any time soon; the boulders pinned him down. The air still fizzled with powerful magic, sharp like the steel of electricity. If this was caused by magic... no, there was no way the golems could have detected it. But even if they did, he had to get this boy out fast. "I'm gonna help you get out, okay?" Leon looked down at Usui, searching for his gaze. His own, warm and orange, tried to offer a gleam of comfort. The bear then stepped back, placing his front paws on the boulder. He gave a heavy push, but it wouldn't budge. A corner of the rock was jammed up against another fallen boulder. Leon rumbled and quickly tried to think of what he could do, mind racing. Maybe... he had an idea. The bear reeled back, summoning all the heat to his chest...

Post Roll Edit:
But the panic inside of him prevented it from brewing. Instead, his heart raced; there was no heat, only nervousness. Damnit! He shoved forward again, slamming his front paws against the rock and trying to budge it with brute force alone.

The boy continued to whimper in pain and tears trickled down the corners of his eyes. He wasn’t scared for the avalanche was already over. It was the pain that got to him. The boy attempted to push his upper body up and out of the rubble, but the movements only cut up his paws further. He sniffed and cast his sad, pale green gaze around the room. Quix was nowhere to be seen. Poor fox must have been scared and dashed off to hide. He didn’t fault her for leaving him. He firmly believed that the girl should seek her own safety first, and that he could handle himself…or not.

Plopping back onto the ground, the boy gave a few desperate mewls, hoping that someone would come to his rescue. It was hopeless. This area was huge. How about he be found? Alas, the cub spotted a large figure coming towards him. He felt his heart stop as a sense of familiarity overwhelmed him. He had seen this bear somewhere and although he did not know his identity, the lion had an uncanny feeling that this beast was the one who had suffered in pain because of the two felines. The bear was kind. He cast his warm gaze at Usui to reassure him. The boy sighed and mumbled, "Thanks,” as the bear decided to use his brute force to shift the rock where he had failed in magic. Usui scowled at himself. How could he pale in comparison to this fine beast? He had to try his magic again. Concentrating, the boy attempted to shatter the boulder blocking his left hindleg.

It worked! The rock rumbled and shattered abruptly as leon pushed it away. The boy tried to stand up but fell back immediately with a shriek. His boyish vocals had twisted into a shrill yelp. The cub noted that his leg was not broken, but was twisted and probably sprained. It was hopeless, he could not even drag himself out without yelling all the way home. With a sigh, he turned to the bear and cast an imploring gaze for the other to haul him out of this mess.

Quix gave me permission to do this have Leon carry Usui~

The instant his gargantuan paws made contact with the rock, it shattered, causing Leon to suddenly fall forward. He stumbled slightly, falling into the rubble. Leon grunted, trying to support himself before he actually managed to stand back up again, then stepped back. He hadn't been the one to shatter that rock, had he...? The bear was momentarily stunned by what he perceived to be his own strength. He gave a great shake of his head, turning his attention back to the lion and blinking. The boy appeared to be in great pain, but Leon couldn't blame him. He'd just had a pile of rocks fall onto him! His heart thumped in his chest, and his eyes flickered back to the leg crushed by the stone. It was definitely messed up... For a brief moment, he feared that it would befall the same fate as Carrie's.

Leon panicked, looking back at Usui. The lion tried to move, but couldn't. His leg must have been weighing him down. No... Leon couldn't do this again. He couldn't handle having to sever Carrie's leg, and that was even with Makyna. How was he going to do this? ...He wasn't. No, there was someone else out there that could, though. Someone with a lot more experience than he. "We've gotta get out of here. I'm gonna take you to someone that can help you, okay?" Leon took a quick glance around. For the moment, they were still alone, but he felt an impending dread that something may happen upon them if they didn't move soon.

The bear inched closer to the little lion, shoving his snout under his chest. Being far larger and older, Leon had little trouble worming his head under the lion, elevating him onto his neck, sliding him down his shoulder (on the right side, avoiding his obsidian stone) so that the lion lay along his back. "Hold on tight." Leon said over his shoulder. He turned and fled from the tunnel, carrying the weight of the lion on his back.

exit Leon

The boy performed his magic and everything came to a slow. The rumblings began, he dragged her under his body, and then the world collapsed over him. She heard his yelps and cries, and when he released her, a thick cloud of dust surrounded the area. Quix coughed out the dirt and shot away from the lion, scared for her own life. The girl was so very young and had no idea what just happened. Her world spun. She crept behind one of the rubble and whimpered softly, tiny body tucked between one of the crevices where no one would be able to spot her. Here, she assessed the situation.

The lion cub seemed to be stuck but well. Blood trickled over him. This was bad. Scared as she was, Quix had to help her friend! From the safety of where she was, the fennec fox drew upon her power…But she failed. Perhaps too many germs hung about in this infested place and she had no control over them. What was she to do! Her body was too small to haul him away from danger, and she could not be so irresponsible as to leave him alone. Thankfully, a large bear came then. The girl cowered in terror. He was huge compared to her. He didn’t seem bad though, and the cub and him conversed and worked together to loosen the rock. Not wanting to make a scene, the little fennec fox scurried away quietly, heading home to sleep and forget everything.

-Exit Quix-

The boy’s world spun. He was feeling faint from the dust and grime. Not to mention the terrible shock which he had just received. Hence, he did not really care when the bear hoisted him onto his back gently. Even the slightest movement sent him whimpering from the sheer pain. ”Mm thanks.” The cub replied the other hoarsely, and brought his paws forward to grip onto the bear’s large gem just in case he slipped off. His pale green eyes scanned the place as he had left it. Such a mess! Dust was everywhere and the staircases were mostly broken nearer to the top. Then, he looked towards his body. The satchel, with its tarnished metal string Quix had helped him with, and his precious shiny metal arrowhead which he had found were safe with him. At least this experience was worth it. The boy sighed and snuggled onto the bear’s back, glad for the peace and rest. It had been a long day and his use of magic had taken its toll on his energy. The boy fought to stay awake but failed. With a loud yawn, his consciousness slowly faded to black and he drifted off into an exhausted slumber.
-Exit Usui-

Since their awakening and escape from the room of bones, the raptor squad had been simply wandering and scavenging to some food. Of course, they had found some, but it was all scraps and chunks of what once was a proud feast. However... today was different. The primordial beasts stalked through the tunnels, carefully avoiding dull metal objects on the floor and sticking to the shadows. Predatory eyes narrowed to slits, peering deep into the half-light. It was the scent of blood that excited them and drove them into the euphoric rush of the hunt. Perhaps this time, they would not fail. Perhaps... they would get a meal out of this.

The alpha gave little more than a small growl, the others filing into a line behind him. The group would move in complete and utter silence, save for the gentle rise and fall of breaths.

The Raptor Squad is now following Usui.

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