Kin-Kin plodded away from what was once her home, her paws heavy with fatigue. As she moved, she didn't look back. Not a trace of regret leaked into her motions. But a slight limp managed it, from time to time. But the wolf didn't stop. she was finally moving away from the place where she was born, a rare occurence in and of itself. And she would linger there no longer.

Kin-Kin had spent enough time in that room to last an entire lifetime.

Her claws clicked delicately on both ice and stone, something which had once caused her to trip and fall. Her ears pricked to the sound of dripping water. Her breaths steamed around her muzzle. Bright eyes gleamed in the flickering lantern light.

She'd changed since the last time she'd walked these halls; as her proud tail swished, her fur gleamed gilded gold and muscles rippled with trained power. Glancing around herself however, Kin-Kin slowly slowed to a halt, settling down on her haunches and bending her head to lick her wounds before she continued her journey onward.

---

As she bent, Kin-Kin let her brow crease gently at the ruffled, copper-stained fur around her gem. Hidden by fur, she played host to several shallow scratches and no end of small, irritating wounds. Unconcerned about the world around, for she knew she was alone here, Kin-Kin poked out her tongue to groom the ruffled fur around each of the wounds. She had to keep herself looking good, after all. With many licks, the cracked red specks pulled free, and her bronzed fur once more became bold.

As she groomed, the wolf thought about the battle that had left her with these 'trophies'. She'd won, of course; but it felt like she'd done so by a whisker. She remembered the magic of her assailant; their paws and maw bursting ablaze. Perhaps her memory was exaggerated, but when she thought deeper about it, Kin-Kin found herself comparing it to her own magic.

She could... make herself pretty.

Or make herself look like a coward.

That was it, really. Kin-Kin didn't feel as though she'd won the battle because of her magic. Quite the opposite in fact. As beautiful as she felt when her magic lit up her fur, she didn't feel as... powerful as she'd expected to. The thought of their burning flames filled her mind. hot, unpredictable... damaging. Sure, Kin-Kin wouldn't poke fire with a ten-foot pole if given the chance, but it was magic, and a powerful one. Not even if she was given the chance to learn it.

Fire really wasn't her.

Kin-Kin wondered what other kinds of magic there where in the world, and more importantly... whether she could make them her own.

---

Slowly raising her head as her fur finally seemed back to being its usual standard, Kin-Kin gave herself a quick examination for any flecks of dust or blood she might have missed, before slowly rising up onto her paws and stretching out, her back arching and tail raised.

Several of her vertebra clicked into place, and with a shake of her head, Kin-Kin pushed her cape over her back. She was sure she'd run into something. Or maybe, if it got too late, she'd seek it out. But if they were coming after her like they had threatened, Kin-Kin needed something more. She needed not only something to fight back, but something to leave them dazzled.

Maybe if she practiced and practiced, the answer would eventually come to her.

But what if it didn't. It might be a little harder than that. Outside of the light that made her golden fur gleam bright, Kin-Kin was like a fish out of water.

She was... out of her element.

She had to try, though. It would be a challenge, but maybe a challenge was exactly what she needed right now. Training by biting tree roots didn't have the same appeal now as it had back when she was a puppy; Kin-Kin needed a new goal.

Lost deep in thought, the wolf moved on, her head held high as she continued her journey towards Pisces.

~exit Kin-Kin~

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