ORIGIN

The lion padded into Polaris to practice his magic. It had been a while since he’d returned to the heart of Origin – Polaris, a most magnificently lit area with dazzling outcrops of quartz, crystals and mosses. The youth tilted his head back and scanned the ceiling. Glowing fungi covered the wall in a random assortment of dots, marking the ceiling very beautifully. This was a place from which Usui could draw inspiration. With a gentle hmph and a swing of his tail, Usui padded closer to the crystal river and stared into it. His reflection stared back at him. Handsome chiselled face with a wide nose and jaws and much more fluff stared back at him – like a Makyna but broarder, sturdier and smaller. He gazed at himself for a moment more, then turned around and walked a couple meters away from the river.

This was where he’d had experienced his first fight and tons of memories flooded him. Such victories weren’t so easily claimed and the lion knew that his actions had not been right. Consumed by a desire to fight, the inner beast in him had emerged and he’d been reckless in his actions, choosing brute strength and calculation over true compassion and understanding. The cub lifted his paws and flexed his sharp claws - they grew larger, more compact and more powerful by the day. ”What if this power consumes me,” he whispered and his thoughts rang back to his bone interpretation session and what Giggle had said. Power did come in different forms but in his current physical form, he would rank among one of the stronger creatures on this land. “Why a lion? Did they give me this form that my wisdom should so be tormented?” he spoke wistfully and lay down with a huff, then rolled to his side and stared at the cave wall, soaking in the magic in the area and feeling soreness roll over his shoulders and back. A long sigh escaped from his lips following which he promptly fell into a deep sleep.

After a short rest, the lion awoke and rolled back onto his belly and paws. No one was around. The cave was still and peaceful apart from the gentle swaying of the river and tiny whoosh of wind if one listened very carefully. The big cat batted his large paw onto the ground playfully and then remained still, enjoying the peace and calm that washed over him. Usui remained like this for a moment, then he got up with a groan and walked towards the river. Swimming in the river would probably soak up the ache and the constant movements would prevent his muscles from becoming too stiff. Even though he did not fancy swimming, the lion was wise enough to discern what was good for himself even if he may not like it. First, Usui tested one paw in the water. It was cold but he’d adjust after a couple of minutes. Slowly he slid himself in and landed with a gentle plop, the swooshed around in the river gently, half-floating and half paddling with his paws while his tail flung out like a rudder behind him.

The lion felt the gentle aqua wash over his shoulders and withers and felt much better. He continued his laps back and forth the edge of the river, not wishing to contact with the currents further down. Then, when he felt that he was much better and ready to begin his magic practice, Usui placed two paws upon the ledge of the river and leaned his upper body weight onto his forepaws, then kicked out behind him to launch himself back onto shore. There, he shook himself all over thoroughly and flung water everywhere, fluffing up his coat and leaving little darkened spots onto the cave floor. Usui then padded away from the mouth of the river and assumed a fighter’s stance – neck tucked in, shoulders squared and body kept in balance while paws felt the ground beneath him firmly – and imagined what it’d be like if he faced a land-born opponent in front of him. The boy inhaled and exhaled steadily, ready to make a move. It’d be a magic training session he decided.

The lion’s eyes darted towards the crystal on either side of the cave. They were perfect if he were to use them to craft armour, but the energy expenditure would not be worth it, for it drained an immense amount of his power, perhaps 55% to 85% of it depending on how much and how detailed the craft was. Using his body as a magnet to attract metal armour still seemed the best option to him. Usui recalled the ability of arcane and energy users. They could shift things with their mind or dispel items in the air – and this proved to be effective against a fire-earth user such as himself. The boy thought hard. If he were to “outwit” these creatures then, he must not carry to large a piece of armour for that could be used against him through mind control. Rather, his armour would have to be made of many smaller pieces of metal such that the numerous pieces of different properties would hopefully overwhelm the enemy and they would not be able to channel any one piece to the detriment of his body. An armour might turn against him instead. Keeping this thought in his mind, the boy took a deep breath and channelled the magic through his gem which now glowed a ghastly black shade, readying himself to extract the smaller to tinnier pieces of metal to coalesce around his body to form a shield/armour of sorts. He cast his magic, focusing the magnetic properties of his bodies upon his forehead, back, limbs and chest.

He felt the connection with the metal around him then. It was faint and slipped his grasp for a moment. Using immense concentration, Usui forced his will onto the metal and minerals in the area and tugged with his mind, forcing the pieces to yield to his command as an earth magic user. After some psychological struggle with the many metal bits that surrounded Polaris, they lifted up and started filling up the spaces and shapes which the lion pictured in his minds’ eye. The palm-sized pieces formed around his back and feet like overlapping scales, while the smaller substrates formed around his forehead, joining together tightly that no elements like fire may pass through any tiny gaps to singe his fur. The armour was definitely not a pretty sight – not particularly well-formed and appearing more like a random mass of leftover junk clinging onto him. However, their use was practical and aesthetics would not seem to have an effect on battles based on his experience. Usui was now armed with the armour. Now, he took a jog around the Polaris grounds, wanting to train himself to get used to the weight and adjusting to the minor restrictions in his movements. The lion was growing into 2 cycles old and could now train to carry the weight of armour. In fact, Usui had plans to craft himself a nice full set but only when he was older. Like a horse breaking into its saddle, the lion circled the area and zigged zagged or came to complete halts, throwing in all sorts of actions to analyse how his muscles jammed up or twisted awkwardly in accordance to the armour. Usui could feel his muscles bulging against the metal at times but it was not painful and he was very mobile for he refrained from adding armour to areas like his belly, nook of his elbows, joints or haunches. Feeling pleased, the lion purred then trotted back to his starting position and squared his body, ready to face his imaginary enemy.

Usui had put on his defensives – armour, stance to protect his vitals, and a steady tail behind him to provide balance to his feline physique. Now he imagined receiving an energy blast, similar to that which he’d received in his fight with Kerberos. Usui contemplated this from a defensive position. He had two options – block or dodge the attack. From an offensive position, he had two choices – dodge and attack, or accept the damage and counterattack. Dodging the attack seemed easy enough. The lion growled and curled his toes upon the ground then rested most of his weight on his hindquarters. He imagined the blast coming towards him. With a low growl and snarl, he twisted his body to the side and pushed himself out of the line of fire to the right side whereupon he dashed forward using the momentum, curved in onto his imaginary enemy, raised a paw and slashed down through the air and onto the ground. Usui paused, inhaling deeply and exhaling carefully to regulate this sudden exertion. Yes, that would work, if the opponent did not turn to blast at him. The lion trotted back to his starting point and thought again.

How else could he dodge the attack? His pale green eyes scanned the room and he looked at the gems. If he were able to summon one huge gem with a reinforced center with a sharp, arrow-like projection to pierce through the center of the spell, it was likely that the sides would shatter and just barely scrape his skin while he would be safely hidden behind the middle piece which would effectively shield him to some extent. Although this technique was not tried and tested, Usui had some faith in it. Still, it wasn’t very foolproof and it’d be difficult to summon the strongest gems on the spot – not to mention the immense amount of energy it took to craft such a huge piece.

Usui now shifted his thoughts to a different perspective. What if he were able to absorb the impact and not crash, or else, crash into some soft mud behind him so that he would be uninjured? The lion pondered hard upon this new perspective and looked behind him. He was an earth user but he could not summon mud. Perhaps he would find a new power for it sometime soon, but not today – he was injured and weak. Unnecessary action was to be avoided.

For now, he’d tried one method and that was enough for him. The lion did not know who was watching him, but he was not foolish to lay out all his tricks in one basket. He imagined now that he’d successfully sliced the enemy and dashed back to his spot of safety, and now, he’d try his magical attack by summoning an earthquake. Exhaling sharply, Usui felt the cool earth beneath his paws and forced his will to seep into the cracks to shake up the earth in his vicinity, extending to the opponent’s area.

Immediately, the ground rumbled in his vicinity. It shook with a dulled mutter, creaks and cracks shaking. Usui attempted to allow the earthquake to rumble on for a while more, pushing his power and energy to the limit within the confines of the spell. The ground continued to quiver in Usui’s eyes and he felt some magic drain from within him. The lion stopped then and stared ahead seriously, imagining his enemy confused and tumbling over its paws and onto its belly. If it were airborne, then it would have taken flight by now and the lion was smarter than to use such earth spells with regards to flying creatures. So assuming it was a fallen land creature although hypothetically it would have shot back some attack, Usui crouched down, then looked high up at the ceiling. There were several clumps of rocks clinging onto the uneven surface of the cave. He attempted to do something which he’d only done eons ago. Usui gathered the magic and mentally pushed for the rocks clinging onto the ceiling to come clattering onto his fallen target, his intention to wound, disorient or knock out the imaginary opponent.

The ceiling rumbled cooperatively, and an extremely large piece able to cover a large lion from head to tail tip dropped down onto the ground with a heavy clatter – followed by several earthen, rocky stalactite features that came piercing downwards around his imagined enemy. Usui stumbled backwards, stunned by the sheer force of his spell. If he had been this successful on an unsuspecting creature, it was highly likely that he might have even crushed its bones or killed his opponent. The lion shivered, awed and pleased by his own power but also filled with a certain fear that crept into his heart. No creature should have to face such wrath. But now…he was alone, and those scenarios playing out in his mind were all hypothetical. With a satisfied nod, Usui once more concentrated his balance upon the earth and got ready to practice his next move.

The imaginary target was now a four-legged creature with claws, spikes and a sharp row of teeth. It was a reminiscent of a dragon but with softer, wider features and green shiny scales. Physical attacks on such a creature might prove less effective than using the magic bestowed upon him. Usui shifted his stance, this time getting into a half crouch, tail lashing out behind him, green eyes fixed upon the target. He had to increase his speed in dodging attacks. It had to be a couple of leaps, this way and that, if he had to dance over several coils. The lion waited for his imagination's dragon to huff a thick smoke of air, then it l lunged for him, snaky body weaving forward side to side not unlike a snake, its jaws wide open as it aimed to clamp its jaws around his head.

Usui held his crouch in. One, two...three! He jumped to the left and felt a jarring thud on his left shoulder. Without hesitation, he pivoted on that paw, twisting it and bringing his hindlegs down upon the earth for a second before recoiling his muscles and kicking up again, pushing him into an energy-conserving, compact pounce over and above a scaly coil he imagined. He could see it curling around him now, head aimed from behind. Once again, he pounced forward, claws scraping against the ground as he gripped onto the floor and swung his body around to face his foe head on, and then gathered the heat inside his belly and waited for the opportune moment to blast his fire into the dragon's open mouth.

Alas, the heat refused to be drawn out from within him, and the mouth would snap him up in a mere few seconds! Usui immediately veered to his right, jamming his weight onto his right haunches and paws, leaning in that way to swerve and then dash forward, tail lashing out behind him as he led the dragon's head away from him. He dashed in a wide circle in his training area, kicking up his paws beneath his belly and gaining momentum as his lopes increased into a full out run. His movements would be predictable if he continued dashing in the same direction! Abruptly, Usui came to a halt and twisted his body and dashed in the opposite direction, now going into a clockwise run. Sweat broke out along his fur and his tongue lolled out, panting from the physical exertion. Usui furrowed his brows as he ran. He'd have to think fast! If he tried the same tactic and failed, it would be game over but that was his best magic at the moment. The earth might disorient and be great for defenses, and fire was extremely destructive and a sure way to certain injury or death if executed properly. If done wrongly, it could be as destructive too but in this training session, the tan lion was not giving himself any excuses. Now he pivoted again and dashed towards the dragon's head, imagining little leaps here and there over the scales. Then he leapt up and gave a roar, insides burning with the firepower he willed to be released.

The fire power sputtered in his belly and refused to budge for a moment. Usui roared and concentrated his energy forcefully at his throat. A burning sensationw welled up within him and he felt cracks, or blisters, heating up his internal space like an inferno. With a snarl, he saw himself leaping towards the dragon's mouth with the faith he had within himself and then he opened his mouth and willed his determination into his magic.

Then, the gates of fire opened within him. A steady stream of about 1 metre shot out, not close to his usual glorious 3 metres, but it was okay. Usui was in close proximity to his target and so, this amount of success would be enough. As he soared forward with firepower, the lion stretched out his forepaws and then landed smoothly onto the land in front of him and came to a whirling halt. The fire disappeared then and so did the pain, for such a short and small glimmer of fire was within his resistant levels now. The dragon, he envisioned, had screamed in pain and thrashed about, then disappeared into thin air. His imaginary opponent was defeated.

The male padded to the river to take a break and have a drink, his sturdier muscles rippling beneath a mix of flabby skin and fat. He bent his head down and lapped at the water, eyes gazing into the water wistfully. It had been quite a taxing training session for it included both magical and physical capabilities, both of which Usui felt he was not fully satisfied about. Having taken his drink, Usui then padded back to the clearing and lay down, stretching and groaning, easing out the stiff muscles in his shoulders. He then shook his head and flexed his limbs one by one before shaking them, easing out the tensions. The lion then padded to the side of the cave and rested, lying on his belly and head above his paws, looking wistfully into the distance.

After a moment of lounging around, Usui floundered onto his side, then belly, then got up and padded around to gather some pebbles. He had trained himself regarding physical strength and magical wits - now he needed to stretch his intellect. The cub fondly remembered when he had gone around interpreting other gembound's deepest desires, honing his mind and heart where brute strength was not yet a gift. He would not wish to lose that aspect which was closest to him. If the boy had to choose, he'd keep intellect over his magic and brute strength any other day for it was with wits that he connected with nature and understood what made the world tick. This made him feel alive and gave him a deep desire to continue exploring the numerous caves in Origin just to understand their roots and uncover the many mysteries, especially since the world seemed like a very new place with only a couple of adults like Leon and Makyna. They must have been among the first but why? They did not know. No one did, and Usui wanted to understand this phenomena.

But those were heavy topics to be discussed another time. For now, the lion decided that he'd settle for something simple - writing. Since he'd last left off, he had learnt to decently carve his name, as well as the symbol for fish and water, almost like a prediction of his swimming lessons with Eeya the dolphin. Now, he'd create a symbol for his own kind, the lion. He nosed around the area and found a couple of pebbles lying around. He swatted at them with his paw, sending them skidding towards the centre. Once pleased with his loots, Usui padded back and lay down, then stretched a paw out and attempted to draw himself - an oblong face, two ears and whiskers.

His nail carved out the oblong face nicely, then followed by the two ears. But Usui had one problem - how many whiskers should a lion have? Should he draw whiskers? The boy lifted his left paw to fiddle with his own whiskers. It tickled and his muzzle twitched irritably as he stroked them and attempted to count. One, two, three, four, five..urgh, his clumy paws swept over several strands at one go then and he lost count. Would this mean failure in his task? Well then, how about just scratch three lines since it was a symbol, not a picture? Usui chuckled at his own silliness and continued to carve three whiskers on either side. Then, he drew his nose - a large, vase-like projection of two lines extending in a curved fashion above the eyes, down to the base where it widened in a gentle curve. Once he was done, Usui scooped up the pebble in his paw and squinted at it. It looked discernibly lion. He thumped his tail upon the floor and nodded in self-affirmation, pleased that his handiwork had turned out so well.