ORIGIN - A Little Magic

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The pain of Pride's backfired spell had slowly cleared, so that as he stepped delicately into Pisces, it was with a soothed head. He'd become aware while still in Orion that Amazon had lost consciousness; he didn't think she'd actually died, or at least he hoped not. He was moving slowly, carefully, so as not to accidentally dislodge her; every ginger step was calculated so that if she began to slip, he could rapidly adjust.

Slowly he came to a stop before the lagoon, the roaring of the waterfall only a little distant. For a brief moment he gazed up at it, its rushing waters sparking and dancing in the play of light that filtered down from overhead.

"Amazon?" he called back, softly. "Amazon? Are you awake?"

@Amazon

Throughout most of the journey, Amazon had slept. At first it was simply because of her sickness overtaking her, but eventually she had drifted into a more peaceful sleep, conserving her little energy for whatever she would have to do next. She needed everything she had if she wanted to enjoy this trip.

The roaring of the waterfall had slowly aroused Amazon from her sleep. In her half-awake state, all she wanted to do was drift off again and ignored that sense of adventure that had sparked so suddenly in her, wanting to instead fall back into the lazy lull that had plagued her for cycles. But Pride's voice reminded her of what she was doing, why she was doing it, and where she was. Her eyes slowly opened and she glanced up. Her vision was blurry for a second and the roaring sound was hurting her ears. She blinked it out, silent for a moment, before things began to clear.

Her jaw dropped open at the sight of the waterfall and the lagoon. She didn't care at all about the pounding headache, instead taking in this absolutely wonderful sight with every ounce of strength she had. "I'm awake," she squeaked as she continued to stare at the waterfall. "That's...that's incredible. Where does the water come from?"

@Pride

Pride listened, carefully still and turned a little to one side so that Amazon could see past his neck and head. His ears remained swept forward, and he stayed quiet for a moment before responding.

"I don't know. I do not know this cave well," he admitted softly, his voice barely audible over the waterfall. It was, he reflected, beautiful; he really ought to come here more often.

"I am also unsure as to where to seek the phoenix. I know that he is said to dwell within the waters, but which waters, or how to call him, I also do not know." The stag at last turned his head, peering back at Amazon on his back with one silvered eye. "Shall we get closer? You could drink from the pool, if you wish, or we can try to call for the phoenix."

Pride did not know that the ice-bird could actually do all that much to help Amazon... but it was worth a try. The Elders, he knew, tended to hold power far beyond what normal Gembound carried--but what sort, he did not know.

@Amazon

Amazon's gaze followed the waterfall up to where it disappeared and tried to think about where on earth it could even come from. Pride had mentioned something that the Three Kings had told him. "Maybe it comes from the surface? It must fall a long way."

Amazon held on tight as Pride shifted to look back at her. She looked down at the ground and realized how far away it was. She wanted to slip off the side of Pride and plop on the ground so she could get to the water but now that she saw the distance, she wasn't sure she'd be able to survive. "Yes, please. I'd like to see the water up close."

@Pride

Pride inclined his antlered head once more, and turned. He made his way with a careful, gentle step all the way to the water's edge, where he slowly knelt. Pristine white knees met the cold, wet rock, and he shivered a little as he folded himself down to lay at the shoreline.

"It's very cold," he warned Amazon over the din of the falls.

His gaze swept over the waters, and after a moment, he called out hesitantly. "Is there a phoenix here, formed of ice?" A brief silence stretched--or, at least, a lack of response past the roar of the water into the lagoon. Pride shivered again as the spray of the falls accumulated on his white coat, chilling him. He couldn't imagine how much colder Amazon must feel--did reptiles feel the cold, even..?

He watched the lagoon, for a moment, then peered up at the crescent-shaped hole through with the water poured. "...Perhaps it does come from the surface. I don't know--nor do I know if there's a way to find out," he added, thoughtfully. "Perhaps should it ever carry something from above--a stone, or the like--I can try to view its past through my magic."

@Amazon

As Pride laid himself down, Amazon gratefully made her way down. The fall was a lot easier then it would have been and she plopped harmlessly to the ground. The air around here was chilly, yes, but the rocks at her feet felt like they were freezing. To be honest, it was actually a relief. She had constant hot flashes, probably because of whatever sickness she had, and the cool touch of the stones was a god-send.

She hobbled to the waterline and reached forward, holding carefully to the rocks on the edge. She'd fallen in the river in Polaris once. She didn't intend on doing that here. A few laps of water was all she needed, but she found herself in love with the cool, crystalline clearness of the lagoon. Is this what I've come to? Impressed by a different kind of water?

At Pride's suggestion, she peered into the waterfall, trying to discern something, anything, that might fall. And, to her delight, she watched as a stone as large as her drop down the falls and land in the lagoon with a large splash.

She reached forward with her claw. "Did you see that, Pride? A rock rode down the waterfall! Do you think you can use magic to see it's past?"

@Pride

Pride flicked his gaze toward where Amazon was calling, and peered down as the rock plummeted into the lagoon. Quickly he stood, andtried to flare out his magic--to snag it, to carry it back up against the current and the icy flow and to bring it to lie before him.

Neatly the stone lifted from the water, streaming droplets from it as it seemed to float toward the air and settle gently before his hooves. He offered Amazon a gentle smile, as best a stag could smile.

"Ahh, good catch," he praised her softly--referring to her spotting of the rock, of course. "Well, I can certainly try. It isn't a magic I've used very much, but I do know how--just give me a few moments, please," he went on.

He took a breath, letting the remnants of the telekinetic magic fade, so that he could focus more clearly on looking into the stone itself.

Distant voices stirred him from his meditative rest.

Though he remained still, shrouded in the thin shell of ice that had accumulated around him over the last few cycles, he turned his mind upward.

Two gems shimmered there, through the clear dancing of the waters.

Are they here for me? Distantly, past the rush of the waterfall above, he heard a call. He felt the touch of magic, though he did not know what it was that was being done.

It was best, perhaps, to check. Maybe they needed him, the way Nassir had come to him. Quietly he began to stretch his icy wings, the shell slowly cracking around him, its glinting shards drifting free.

Deep within the cold lagoon these shards sparkled as they floated away, visible perhaps to a keen and attentive eye.

@Amazon

Amazon watched with amazement as the gemstone was lifted out of the river by an invisible string. She glanced at Pride, unable to contain her envy. She had always been jealous of creatures with magic like that, never having fully grasped it herself. Envy had showed her the many different spells they had accumulated over the years and Amazon found herself wishing that she had taken the time to learn them. Although...it was too late now. She would never learn any more magic.

She looked back at the lagoon as a small sparkle caught her eye. While she waited for Pride to look into the past of the stone, she noticed small bits of something floating around the surface of the laggon, appearing, apparently, from deep within. She blinked, wondering if she was seeing things, but they were still there when she had opened her eyes again. "What is that?"

@Pride

Pride was so focused on the stone--on touching his nose to it, on extending his magic into it--that he wasn't even paying attention to the lagoon. He did not notice the glimmers within, not until Amazon called his attention to it.

"I see... a river, but--I think it isi still the caves. Something blue--" He paused and glanced up, blinking, as Amazon drew his attention to the icy waters.

Leaving the stone behind he stepped forward to peer down into the depths, tilting his antlered head with curiosity.

"I do not know," he admitted. Perhaps it was the phoenix, after all..?

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