The young lion lay curled with his belly against the Blue Topaz gem egg he had found, and James helped him bring home. The tuft on the tip of his slender tail brushed up and down the side of the gently as his tail flicked lightly in thought. He wondered what was in the egg. The light glowing within the egg told him it was alive. Brilliant blue eyes that resemble the very stone he was curled around watched the egg shaped gem intently. He wondered why it had a warmth to it.
It didn’t seem to be alive, not yet at least. The young cub sat up, lifting a paw he placed it on the gem and gave it a soft nuzzle. The warmth from the stone resonated off into the cub’s sensitive nose.
Suddenly a loud growl rumbled within him, echoing off the walls of his new domicile. It was a small intact building with one large room and some strange smaller rooms. Aristotle however had taken up residency in the main large room at least for the moment. It was where they had placed the egg, and he wanted to be near the gem. He felt it was important in some way, even if James didn’t he felt something was special about that egg. Again the sound of a gurgling growl resounded off the walls. This time Aristotle’s brain processed that it was coming from his stomach.
Oh he was hungry. He realized he hadn’t eaten more than the few mice that ran into the domicile while he was there. He needed a bigger meal than just a few mice. Aristotle let out a soft growling whine, as he walked around the gem, his side rubbing against the gem as he left his scent and also showing the gem affection. He wasn’t sure if it was even alive, but he wanted it to know that it wasn’t alone if there was the possibility that it was. I’ll be back. He spoke softly to the gem as he nuzzled his cheek scent gland against it further leaving his mark.
With that the young lion walked up to the piece of cloth hanging over the doorway and pushed it aside and trotted off. He trotted past James’ home on his way. I’ll be back in a little while! Aristotle was unsure if his friend was home or if he had gone out as well, but he had marked his home well so anyone who came near it would know it belonged to him.
Aristotle slowed his pace as he moved deeper into the crumbled ruins. Walking slowly through the ruins the young lion made sure calculated steps as he made each step. He was sure to be silent the only clue that he had been there was his paw prints in the dirt. Keeping his eyes watching in every direction, his nose sniffing the air to catch any prey as he stalked through the ruins.
It didn’t take long for Aristotle to find the tracks of a cave rabbit in the dirt of the ruined buildings. Slowing to a near crawl the young lion lowered his body slightly crouching close to the ground he caught the scent of the cave rabbit. It was fresh coming from…
He paused looking around, his eyes falling once more on the fresh track of cave rabbit. There it was just up ahead. Lowering his body further to the ground he let his tongue slither from between his teeth and over his lips as he inhaled the cave rabbit’s scent. Slowly his tail waved from side to side as he sank close to the ground as he readied his muscles.
With one great spring forward, the little cub sailed through the air towards the rabbit. His forepaws were together as he aimed for the cave rabbit, his claws were sharp as he was still a young feline. He aimed to come down on the rabbits shoulders with all of his weight.
Aristotle’s aim was actually really good for once. He came down exactly where he aimed, both of his paws landed on the back of the cave rabbit. He felt his body weight fall onto the back of the cave rabbit. His body was now pinning the cave rabbit to the ground.
The rabbit screamed and struggled under the weight of the young cub. He was large enough that he could pin the smaller creature under him, though now he had a cream colored wisp of a mane falling in his face. However the only thing that currently mattered was the fact that Aristotle had breakfast pinned under his paws, wriggling to try and escape.
As the Rabbit screamed, it was cut short as Aristotle leaned down snapping the rabbits neck in his jaws. The young lion gave a hefty sigh of satisfaction as he looked down at the rabbit he had caught. He was rather proud of himself, he had done quite a good job this time. The tracking had gone flawlessly and the little thing never knew what happened.
With that done Aristotle picked up the rabbit in his jaws and trotted home to eat his catch. Though for once he decided to try something completely new. Extending his claws Aristotle attempted to skin the Rabbit to use its fur for later. Perhaps Elspet could make him a pouch if he could get it off in one piece.
Removing the skin of the rabbit turned out to be a bit difficult but he managed to get the skin off mostly intact though he had accidentally cut one of the leg wrong so it had a hole in it. He would use his claws to scrape it clean later but for now it was food time!
After finishing his food, Aristotle sat there like the bored little child that he was. Aristotle picked up the bones and scraps of meat, and took them out the back door flap. Here he dug a hole and placed the body inside the hole and covered it with dirt. Live again friend. He spoke softly to nothing in particular. Himself thinking that those he had to prey upon would one day return to this place in a new body. If that were not true then would he not have been born with many and not alone from a crystal. One would live again wouldn’t they?
Brilliant blue eyes shifted from the ground to the sparkling ceiling. It was beautiful and if there was such beauty as that and the gem egg, then there was a chance wasn’t there? Slowly he stood after paying his own sort of respects to the cave rabbit. Aristotle went back inside and scraped the remains off of the skin and found a good place to dry it.
That task finished, Aristotle decided that he would try again to use magic as Titanite had. But this time he would focus on attempting to grow the plants as he had by accident. Aristotle decided that the best place to practice plant magic would be outside in front of his own home. Standing there under one of the windows he placed one paw gently on the dirt. He closed his blue eyes and focused on passing energy from himself into the ground, he imagined it as a warmth from the ground one that he had brought to it.
As Aristotle inhaled deeply, he let it out slowly and let a warmth flow from him, down his forepaw and into the ground. There! He felt it! Something was tickling beneath his paw. Slowly as if he were afraid that moving his paw would break the spell,he leaned down and turned his paw to one side. Peeking under his paw he saw the tiny green shoot of a plant beginning to grow under his paw.
Aristotle jumped back rawring with delight as he bounced around. He had done it! He had used magic to grow a plant! Okay, okay he needed to calm down or he was going to hurt the little sprout. He instantly stopped bouncing, he took a deep calming breath and let it out slowly. There, he felt a bit calmer. Sitting down he looked at the tiny sprout. He had to try again.
He stood once more and placed his paw near the first sprout, though careful not to be on it. He closed his eyes and focused hard again. Once more passing the warmth of himself into the ground. He waited.
There it was he felt again. A warmth slowly flowed down his foreleg, and into his paw pads and out. Then a few moments later he felt that tickle under his paw.
Giddily the little lion danced in place at his accomplishment. He didn’t know what to call it, but he could make plants grow! Well not really grow, he could make them sprout! He wondered if James could do this too? He had tried to show Aristotle something a few days ago, but it hadn’t worked whatever it was he had tried.
Now was not the time to give up. He had to keep going until he couldn’t anymore. He felt a little tired, but not too bad. Taking a deep breath he calmed himself again, getting worked up would only work against him. He let the breath out slowly and closed his eyes once more. He placed his paw behind the other two little sprouts and tried again. Once more he focused on sending a wave of warmth down his leg and into his paw pads and forced it down into the ground.
Again, there it was! That little tickle under his paw! He lifted his paw and once again, there it was a third sprout! With this excitement once more welled up in the young lion! He could make plants grow if he tried! It wasn't just a fluke the first time in Titanites grove. He had no idea what to call it, or how it worked. Bit if he focused he could make things grow. Suddenly the world began to tilt. Oh that was a funny feeling, everything was all swimmy. The young lion stumbled back a few steps and fell back on his rump, he shook his head trying to make everything stop moving. Why was everything moving, it had been still before right?
Aristotle stood on four very wobbly legs, and used the wall of his house to help him make it the few steps to the doorway. Blinking once to try and clear his head, he let out a short huff. Perhaps three times in a row was not a good idea. With that the young cub stumbled over to the nest where Aristotle had made himself to sleep. Perhaps he would sleep for awhile. With another huff the young lion closed his eyes and quickly drifted off into a deep sleep.