ORIGIN

James stared down as his hooves clicked on stone, head down rather than up as he trotted around and cantered, watching and listening as his hooves clip-clopped on the smooth surface, making a grin spread across his face. As he looked up, though...

Stars stretched nearly as far as he could see, or what he thought were stars, at least. His eyes sparkled as he stared up in awe, his ears straight up and jaw dropped. He looked around, seeing crystals and large outcroppings of slate-like rock, his eyes wide as he took everything in.

"... This is so... so beautiful!", he exclaimed with a startled laugh, blinking in shock as he stared at his surroundings.

He could only describe it as amazing, and it made him giggle childishly as he ran up to the nearest crystal and stood behind it, his face and body contorted weirdly as he practically oogled the thing. He giggled at his reflection on the surface of it, pulling funny faces that only made him laugh harder until he was cackling so hard he could barely breathe.

"Pride!", he said, breathless from laughter, "Look! I look so funny!"

He'd of course seen his reflection, and knew what one was, but didn't know how these crystals were making him look so weird. He just hoped it wasn't permanent.

@Pride

Pride strode along more sedately, though he drew up to a dignified halt as James became distracted by his own reflection. The stag smirked good-naturedly, and stepped a little closer.

"Your reflection-?" he asked, amused, wondering if James had ever seen it, before. A brief moment of concentration, and Pride was creating illusions: other Jameses standing beside the crystals, their own reflections bright. One was purple, one white. James himself, or at least his reflection, was now wearing a fuzzy red-and-white striped hat; and confetti-like splashes of color danced nonsensically around.

"How about that?" he asked, amused. And then, in case it scared the foal (as so much else seemed to)--"Just a little bit of illusion magic."

The stag looked around, then, peering at the distant ruins, at the tower, and the forum. Nothing drastic seemed to have had happened in the few hours of his absence, at least. That was always a relief.

@James

James' eyes widened as one of his reflections turned purple, and he let out a startled laugh before dissolving into giggles. He'd just managed to get a hold of himself as he saw Pride, and it was all over, the foal so hysterical he flopped onto the ground and cackled madly.

"I look ridiculous!", he exclaimed, before standing up and wiping his eyes on his knee.

He sniffled and shook himself out as the last of his laughter finally calmed, and he looked up at Pride, eyes gleaming, excitement in them, "This place... it's so beautiful! Are those really stars up there?"

He didn't know what stars specifically were, other than a word to describe dots of light in the sky (which in this case, was simply the ceiling), but that didn't stop him from asking. Were they really light? Were they more crystals? Who knew? He certainly didn't, but he wanted to learn.

"Where are the ruins?", he asked after a moment, head raised up so he could see further, though being as small as he was, it didn't change much. The rocks were still in the way.

"What will we do afterward?"

@Pride

"Stars-?" the stag asked, tone blank. He turned, peering up, then to James; the colored images gradually disappeared. The foal's amusement had him smiling, at least, but now this new word bemused him. "It is stone--all of it's stone, crystal, all across the ceiling, I believe."

He turned, and began to plod off toward the ruins. As he did so, he turned his attention briefly back to his magicka, to refresh and reinforce the shield he'd raised prior.

"The ruins are this way. We can chooes a place, first, if you like; and then see what we can do to make it more comfortable? And then, if you still have energy after that, we can train a bit. Or train while we decorate," Pride added, a bit of mischief in his tone, there.

He hadn't explained Raheerah, yet, and he didn't intend on full disclosure, really. But some explanation would be needed... "You'll find that parts of the ruin smell of smoke, and are blackened, charred. They were attacked at some point, by fire; it would probably be safest to pick one at the outer edges, and anyway, the outer ones are probably more intact, as a result."

He threaded his way along the rock, toward the crumbled structures in the distance--glancing back to ensure that James was keeping up with him.

@James

James oohed and cantered after Pride when he got too far, sticking beside him at a gentle jog, too excited to walk normally.

"Can we decorate then train? So that when I get tired I can just go sleep?", he asked, and galloped forward to jump up onto a rock, eyes widening as he could see over the plateau and towards the ruins.

"Woah... this is awesome,", he said, eyes full of wonder, "Was there treasure in there at some point? It looks like a place you'd find treasure!"

He jumped back down and ran after Pride before he lost sight of him, and slowed down, brows furrowing, "... Charred? What happened? Was that why it's a ruin now? Or was it a ruin and then it was charred?"

Jeez, you'd think he was cursed with something that caused him to explode if he stopped asking questions with how rapid-fire he shot them at Pride. It was nuts.

@Pride

Pride had raised two children, and sort of fostered many others. He was well-used to barrages of questions, and took them wholly in stride, hardly batting an eye at James.

"We can do that," he agreed, amiably; "I don't know if there was treasure. But I do know that a dragon burnt it--he is gone now, but dragons do love treasure. So, perhaps. The other dragons that come and go will not harm you," he added, though he wasn't entirely certain on that subject. They hadn't, so far; Dread had been tractable enough, but it didn't look like things would stay that way. "That was a couple of cycles ago, now. They have been ruins since as long as I have been alive, at least, and probably for many years before."

He led the way along the trail toward the outer edges of the ruins. Many, he knew from past experience, were crumbled in or shattered, barely walls at all. Others were still relatively intact, but in need of cleaning, nonetheless. "There were more who lived here, before the dragon. They hung lights around their homes, and made beds for themselves. We can see what we can do for you, but we will have to find a safe building, and clean it as best we can, first. Would you like to pick one out?"

@James

James listened intently, swallowing at the mention of dragons. These ones weren't like the Dragon he knew, definitely. He looked around at all the buildings, ears pricked upwards, his steps halting every so often to peer at the building intently.

He trotted onwards after being allowed to pick a building out and stopped in front of one that wasn't as crumbly as the others, with only a little dust and debris inside. He poked his head inside and looked around, nose raised as he peered curiously at everything.

"This one,", he said, and nosed at a few rocks, trying to push them outside. He managed a few of them by himself, before coming across one just too big for him to handle.

"Could you help?", he asked, looking up at Pride.

He was so excited to have his own home. It wasn't much right now, but it would be. He'd find soft things to put inside and find a way to light up the inside so that it wasn't so gloomy. He could barely even see in here.

@Pride

Pride followed patiently along, watching as James looked through buildings. He was curious as to what the foal would pick, and why, and whether he would be decisive or look to Pride for approval.

His decision, when it came, spoke volumes of him--at least to the white stag's mind. He'd chosen a sturdy one, and so Pride gauged James as practical; and he didn't ask a second opinion, or waver in his choice. There's a strength of will under the fear that he's not yet aware of. I think perhaps the same that showed himself when he scolded me for frightening him, the stag thought to himself.

"It is a good, strong-looking building," was all he said on the subject, approving of the choice without seeming to imply that permission was required.

"Very well, and perhaps now is good time for a bit of training. I will show you how I can move stone, or any object--as I moved you--with my mind. And the basics of magic: focus, concentration. Magic is... a power, within you and all around us; it is your will that shapes it into the form and function that you desire. And so I imagine my magic as a powerful grip, reaching out, lifting the stone..." Nothing at first happened, and Pride went on, assimilating this calmly into the lesson.

"Now, nothing's happening for me. It's important to stay calm when this happens, and just redouble your focus. Magic fails for even the best and most well-trained of us--you must remain in the right mindset, clear of thought and intent upon your goal, and simply try again. -Would you like to make a light source, perhaps--a wisp, just for now?--or try to move them with your own magic?"

Pride seemed to be in no rush, and he wasn't; this time was James', this training and clearing of this space his own. He knew this was likely to be a lesson--one of, if not the, first in the foal's life--that James would not forget; and he did not wish to miss any opportunities to do it perfectly.

@James

James blinked and watched Pride, fully expecting something to happen, surprised when it didn't. Huh... so adults weren't so powerful after all...

"... A wisp,", he said, "It'll help us see better."

He inhaled and exhaled slowly, and focused on creating the small ball of light he wanted to make, a soft purple color, washing over the room...

It flickered into existence, wavering for a moment, making him flinch and just barely catch it before it fizzled out, sighing in relief as it brightened steadily, and guided it up to float near the ceiling, lighting their surroundings up. Concentrate, and if that fails, try again, dedouble your efforts... well, it seemed to work, since he managed to save his spell.

"... Concentration, huh?", he asked, looking up at the wisp, "... And what if you're as scatterbrained as me? What then?"

A genuine question, under the accidental insult, just wondering what he could do to combat his thoughts that tended to run rampant around his brain, the fear, the anxiety. What could he do against that?

James nudged another smaller rock out the doorway, and walked back to Pride, ready for another lesson.

@Pride

"Scatterbrained-?" Pride glanced over at James, curious. He wasn't sure if the child meant that he was forgetful, or found it difficult to focus, but to the white stag there seemed to be one answer for whichever situation it might be. "Practice, I should think. Once you are used to it, it becomes second nature. One thing I might suggest is also practicing under more demanding conditions--in great heat, or cold, or wet, or when deeply distracted. It allows you to be prepared for those situations, while making it even easier to perform in normal conditions. Polaris is a good place," he added, again turning his own mind to the task of moving stones, even as he spoke. "Magic is more powerful there--more rampant in the air and rock--and it can be a challenge, but a rewarding one, to practice there." He nodded up at the wisp, as it appeared, in approval; and then turned his mind back to his spell.

When rocks still failed to move, he shook his head a little and moved in to physically roll a smaller one out with his knees. It was irritating, to have to resort to that, but it was what it was. "Regardless, magic will never be fully reliable; and you'll find that some sorts are easier to use than others. And some Gembound seem to have an affinity for one type--as if it's easier for them to learn, say, how to manipulate water, or light. My own specialty seems to be using my mind to manipulate the world around me," he added, though, with a wry smirk, he continued with--"but that doesn't mean I'm perfect at it."

@James