The horse explained what it was she had meant by the comparison. Yet it did little good. It had never done well for anyone to try and be better than their contemporaries or predecessors, you could only succeed when you tried to be better than yourself since all absurdity of conduct arises from the imitation of those whom they could not resemble. Still, Delphine revealed that it was their likeness in magic that had made her say such a thing, not that they shared anything more. Aleera was torn in both directions with this confession. It could be either a lie or a truth, but until the wolf pup saw this Raheera for herself she would never know. For the moment, she did not allow it affect her as it could have, for there was to much unknown to be certain of anything and instead let her mind wander from the subject as Delphine continued to speak. She said she had another friend who’s magic resided in the same element, but this revelation did not draw out an answer from Aleera. Mostly because she had seen others use this magic as well, but a ‘friend’ she could not say really had. Niru was perhaps the closest thing to that, but he too thought her weak and incapable of the most basic of things. Apricot eyes turned upon the floor, a mixture of anger and shame rising up in her chest. The mention of the dragon rose again but Aleera did not turn her gaze from the stone floor. How she choose to use her power? She knew how she would use it, but to whom would think her righteous or evil for doing so was the matter that bothered her so.

The final embers of her fire died off, leaving nothing but ash behind and Delphine made the comment of it being amazing, but Aleera was also unresponsive to this as well. In fact the young wolf did not look up from her handy work until the horse asked a simple, straight forward question. Did she wish to hurt someone? Amber eyes peered upon the larger creature for a long moment, but she did not give the other an answer. Instead she allowed the other female to ponder the answer herself and move on to the next spell she wished to try out. There was a moment of focus and the moment of the cast, but to Delphine’s dismay it backfired horribly when lacerations shot up her tone legs. Even Aleera flinched at the display of pain, and looked to the horse as if to ask if she was alright. Though the horse explain what went wrong it did not tell the pup if she was alright and so Aleera got to her feet, gently, as her paws were still sore from her own magic and came forward slowly as if to inspect these new wounds. ”Everyone who hurts me.” She muttered, but was certain the other had heard her before looking up to the taller female. ”I’m going to hurt everyone who’s hurts me.” She clarified.

The ebony wolf backed away then, facing Delphine still as she did so. ”You’ve practiced enough. And so have I.” Aleera could not help the horse with her new wounds, only leave her so she could not be forced to continue and hurt herself further. She had no desire to see someone suffer, but neither would she suffer because of it. She would right past wrongs but not avenge them. And she didn’t know whether or not her wanting these things made her a bad person or not…but if it did, so be it. The small pup backed away until her form melded with the shadows and the small passages under the rubble became her sanctuary once more.

Aleera Exits

table by Sara

@Delphine

There was a darkness that grew within the child. She could see it in her trepidation, see it in her haunts. Even as her words passed her lips, there was only a venomous truth to their beckoning for they all bore scars upon their persons and hearts yet it was how they decided to cope with said pains that spoke lengths of what was to come. She knew then her efforts to be failing when the pup spared her wounds a passing glance before hailing a quick departure. Even before the child had lain eyes upon the equine, she had rejected the notion of kindness and when such was all that Delphine sought to offer, theirs was a bond that would not be had. She could have, as much as she wanted, extended her promises of something better, something good but not under these circumstances. Help could only be held where it was wanted and it was not desired here. Her gaze dropped and her lips grew taut with a failure which she would strike upon her own flesh. It came in the form of the lacerations just below her knees, a cruel reminder of what passed this day. Silently she spoke to the ghost of the child's presence. "Good-bye Aleera." She prayed that the child would be met with the same armistice she had to offer, enough so that she would realize that this world was not so cruel a place. Yet there was a sense of foreboding that resided within her and when she looked to the empty shadows, she realized then that it felt as if she'd lost someone. That she hadn't tried hard enough to save a soul too young to have tasted such darkness. The worst of it was, she thought she could have done more for her, been more adamant perhaps on being something light for her to see. But it would not be had and instead Delphine wore her grievances upon her sleeve as she turned and ambled in the opposite direction, misery so clearly etched to her somber features. exit delphine!