ORIGIN

The seconds he waited for a response from the fisher were long and tortuous. He was afraid of what it meant if Fisher didn't answer, because that would mean he got hurt really bad, and Leon was not equipped to help someone who got hurt. His heart raced with uncertainty, only to calm when the fisher finally spoke, indicating he was alright. Leon exhaled a sigh of relief and let his shoulders fall, settling on his hind legs. Fisher then went on to tell him that he got to the top - Leon craned his neck back to see just how high the spire was again, and felt his heart quicken with nervousness - only for the spire to lash out and send him flying. But why! Why would the spire attack him? The spire always made Leon felt nice, why would it be mean to Fisher?

Maybe it was because Fisher had won and Leon didn't. Of course, the bear would like to think that was the case, that maybe he was the favored creature in this cave, but that probably wasn't it. "Good job." Leon finally mustered a congratulations to the fisher, albeit begrudgingly. "I'll win next time, you'll see!" The bear added a moment later and huffed. His attention was quickly taken by the red leaking from Fisher's paw, a sight that Leon didn't like at all. "What is that?" Though, doubting either he or Fisher would know, he cast a glance to the fox in search of the stranger's wisdom.

The fox had done well to fix Leon up, and he was starting to cast the same magic on Fisher. Meanwhile, Fisher was using magic to do something too - the bear couldn't see or feel its effects, but he felt the disturbance in the air, he felt the energy of his magic and knew something was happening. He wished that maybe he could do the same kind of magic, magic that would help others, but so far... all his magic had ever done was hurt him. The bear sighed again and idly scratched his chest. "How do you do that?" He asked the fox, wondering if maybe there was a way he could teach him.

Now, he was really exhausted and by the time he felt there was enough repair done he let out a huge yawn, the salmon pink tongue curling in aid as his eyelids drooped. The bragging began, but he said nothing as he blinked a few times to try and get a focus on either one of them. Drat. That wasn't what he had been hoping to achieve but he wondered if now he had assisted them just this once he would be better off for it. Despite their competitive attitudes, they appeared to be friends and Louie cocked his head in confusion at this display. Before they had been vying to see who was best but now they were OK with one having bested the other?

Woozy, when he pulled his paws from the tail of Fisher, he struggled to get them to position properly on the ground in front of him and almost went careening forward into the soft underside of the bear. Questioning the redness coming out of Fisher's paws, Louie couldn't answer that either but it was beautiful yet sinister in its own way. Trying to take a discreet sniff, his nose wrinkled but the iron stench it gave off was tantalizing. Yet to have had his first meal, he didn't understand the appeal behind the smell but he knew that these two were friends and wouldn't provide him what his stomach was craving.

Finally, the attention fell on him and he flinched backwards, glancing from one to the other. There was a magical feeling in the air, not just from the spire and he felt his fur along the the curve of his spine stick upwards as he bristled. All these strange sights, smells and feelings were overstimulating to the fox boy and he watched as those hideously long claws scratched the fur of the bear's chest. How had he done it?

"In my..." Unsure of the word, he just nodded down to this own chest, unaware that it was actually the stone nestled beneath the crevice of his neck and chest that was doing it. But he could feel the beats of his heart as he pumped the magic through so it was a logical assumption. "Friends?" Once more he blinked between the two of them trying to register their facial expressions as his doggish tail gave a few twitches one might construe as wagging.

Having blasted the fisher clear of its proximity, it seems as if the spire has been awakened from a long sleep. The eruption of energy from it to the Gembound seems to have stirred up quite a high level of unrest, for the gems within the spire are glowing at a brighter luminosity now. Flickering energy occasionally arcs from one gem to the next, illuminating the cavern ceiling with radiant light; but as soon as you blink, you miss it. Evidently, Fisher's tiny attack upon the spire has brought it to a state of awareness, and it doesn't look like it wants to return to a dormant state just yet. The crackle and rumble of the spire's energy is similar to a thunder storm, but somehow the sounds do not carry too far beyond Polaris.

Unfortunately, it would seem Leon wouldn't be learning those helpful healing spells any time soon. The fox gestured down to his chest as the place where his magic came from. Leon furrowed his brow slightly and looked down at his own, noting that nothing was there. His own stone stood firm upon his shoulder blade, a chipped and crooked obsidian. Maybe it would be something to look into in the future... when he had mastered his own magic, first. He was happy to be distracted by the fox asking if they were friends. The bear looked over at the fisher, uncertain of what to answer. Only when Fisher agreed they were friends, Leon grinned and gave a nod back in the fox's direction. "I'm Leon." He added. "What's your name?"

Now that the lot of them were on the ground and recovering from falling, Leon could find himself relaxing, the tensed muscles beneath his fur easing and the injuries that marred his skin beginning to fade away. It would have been nice to be able to sit and just talk, only the spire didn't seem to have the same idea. Upon thrusting Fisher from its peak, the glistening blue crystals continued to crackle, spouting arcs of white-blue energy from each crystal point. Rumbling thunder emanated from the spire, belching tumultuous rolling sounds throughout the entire room.

Leon covered his ears at the first low thunder, all his fur standing on end. "I don't like that noise!" He whimpered, looking between the two. "Maybe we shouldn't stay here. It doesn't sound like its very happy." It was only a suggestion, and he felt stupid thinking that the spire was alive, but from the sounds it made... well, he didn't want to chance it.

That strategy had gone fairly well and upon the confirmation they were indeed friends. Actually, it got better when the fisher creature said he owed him one, Louie let a coy smile cross his face as he nodded enthusiastically. Despite his initial wariness over the two creatures he had straightened up and felt more powerful than ever. It was him who had cured the two of their ailments and it was him who had restored them to their glory. Not too keen on giving his dubbed name, he just shrugged, "M'name Louie." Mostly, he was interested in the large hulking creature that stood near the Spire.

Actually, the air seemed to be full of a tingling feeling spurred on by the magic that the Spire seemed to be emanating. It as certainly dangerous and his new found bravo was beginning to fade yet again. Energy and thunder began to cause vibrations within the ground they were standing on as the ceiling was illuminated with plumes of silvery blue arcs. Leon immediately declared they leave, but the fox boy was drawn in and he had no intention of leaving something like this. Maybe it could be his friend too. With all the power it was just throwing around... "No leave?" It was asked as a question as he looked from Leon to Fisher. Both had been hurt by the Spire, it was capable of harm, but he had yet to be harmed and the stubborn and determined creature he was wouldn't let him leave the area until he knew exactly what was going on.

But he didn't make to move towards it, simply remained where he was as it crackled and fizzled. Despite his obvious fear, he didn't want to leave. All he had to do was avoid climbing it right?

The low rumbling intones of thunder persist, filling the room with the sounds of a storm. Nothing else happens.

The thunder peeled across the room, persisting as the three gembounds below waffled over their decision to stay or leave. Leon, however, had a feeling he knew what he wanted to do. Regardless of what these two guy were planning, Leon didn't want to stick around in case anything worse happened. The spire was already angry, and he wasn't keen on angering it further. While Louie argued against leaving, Fisher complained that he was sleepy. Leon couldn't blame him - after climbing the spire, so was he, but he wasn't going to sleep here. No way. "I'm leaving." He said with finality and looked between the two, then focused on Fisher. "If you're sleepy, you can come with me, we can find a safe place to rest. But I'm not staying here."

With that, the bear turned and made his exit. Every now and then he would glance over his shoulder, watching the spire continue its furious storm up above. Quietly, he wished the fox the best of luck in his endeavors, whatever they may be. Leon didn't care to find out.

Frustrated that neither Fisher nor Leon wished to stay with him, his tail twitched irritably but he said nothing as Leon made to move off without a goodbye. Whatever, not like he had just provided him with healing powers nope. Louie turned back to the Spire, and as it continued to rumble he debated heading off as well. As it were, he found this place creepy and inhospitable but he wished to know more. Without Leon and Fisher here though, he was all about useless in his endeavors.

Muttering under his breath, the fox decided not to follow in pursuit of them. They had been aided by him and so he could assure that there would be no harm brought upon him by these two. As the rumbles continued, he headed towards a tunnel, hopefully to find a crevice in which he could curl up and sleep as he debated his next move.