Envy felt a fierce pride seething through them as Alnitak noted Dezba's absence. The little weasel pulled back their lips in a grin, and they tittered triumphantly. "I guess I finally scared her off," they said to Alnitak, folding their paws and nodding certainly. "Took long enough!" The great bird's acknowledgement of their 'feat' filled them with glee, and the little creature couldn't help allowing themselves a little hop, their tail twitching and flickering.

"Stupid wolf..." they muttered under their breath.

They followed the bird's attention towards Dragon, their ears twitching in curiosity. He was asking what lay outside of the caves; something that Envy themselves had never considered before. Architects and affinity, creatures from somewhere beyond; it was a lot to take in. The weasel had never considered the possibility of anything existing beyond the caves where they'd been born. Were there other caves? Envy twitched their tail. They looked up, and around. These birds could fly! surely flying things could go anywhere, right? Besides, these things barely even looked solid. "Can't you just fly out?" they asked the birds pointedly.

"speak."

Alnitak shimmered, his attention stuck on Dragon, and thrust his wings even higher at the question. "MUCH," he exclaimed, "And not just on this rock, BUT ON MANY. THIS ONE WAS EMPTY, BEFORE."

The eyes of the bird wavered for a moment, Mintaka's neutral color forcing their way into the grips of Alnitak's bleeding red. "But as it is in all places, there was conflict. There is likely still conflict. Always, there will be conflict." The colors of the eyes swirled with each other, fighting. "We would not fit in the vents as a whole, and our individual forms could not reach the top," they explained to the smaller creature.

Alnitak's crimson hue succeeded then, gripping control of the Kings in a dominating flash. He focused, mind burning with the image of the scaled beast and the tiny, furry anger; they were engulfed in a similar red-and-black aura as last time they were enchanted with magic. Ethereal horns ghosted on their bodies, but would not fully form. "GO, AND SHOW THEM WHAT POWER YOU WIELD. CALL UPON THIS CHAOS AS A FIERCE DISPLAY OF TRUE ABANDON!" He paused, glare shifting between Dragon and Envy. "The magic saturated in this place will support the wings I have granted you for a brief time; BUT THERE IS PERSISTENCE IN DISORDER." His head turned upward, wings lifting; the aura surrounding him burst outward, dissipating.

In one fluid motion, the colors of the Kings swept from red to gold. Septiezal glittered in yellow light, ethereal golden plates forming along the length of his body, shining with the gleam of polished metal. They seemed to hover just above his scales, and yet, were a part of him. "With this, you may display your courageous and heroic strength to others; the more you hone your skill—magic, fighting, whatever you choose to pursue—the greater display this will show of it." Alnilam bowed his head toward the serpent. "You were told you would gain flight for the wings you were previously blessed with, and so, thank you," his voice quieted as brighter light swirled from within the Kings' body, "The magic saturated in this cave will support limited bouts of flight and gliding, but please take care to test it on short and shallow jumps first."

"Let them learn," chided a voice in the back of their minds. "They are the Gembound. They would survive if they fell." He chose to give no such warning to his own pledged.

"Hush," Mintaka scorned.

Alnilam was the grace of wisdom, however; the brilliant light that suggested he was present slowly fell away, and the cool silver-blue returned as the eye color of the Kings, their body deepening into the galactic starry indigo it normally was.

"We will wait here for the others to arrive, but you are not needed to stay. You may always find us here, or nearby; we would likely never leave Orion." With a settling motion, the large figure nestled over the scattered collection of dead stones and collected its wings to its sides. "Of course, unless you have any more questions..."

@Dragon @Envy (Dezba)

Haunted Chaos

Medium Intensity Transformation. Gain ethereal red bat-like wings that swirl with the black aura of chaos. Alnitak of the Three Kings of Orion has enhanced and morphed this spell, and it now grants limited flight. Your pension for disorder engulfs you in the black aura, horns of your inner conscious sprouting from your head; the stronger you are, the larger and more horns you will have to show for it.

@Septiezal

	Eternal Wisdom
	Medium Intensity Transformation. Gain ethereal golden feathered wings that shimmer with the gleam of wisdom. Alnilam of the Three Kings of Orion has enhanced and morphed this spell, and it now grants limited flight. Your loyalty shines with ethereal gold-plated armor, a testament to your faith; the stronger you are, the more armor you will have to show for it.

(Aztec)

	Spectral Balance
	Medium Intensity Transformation. Gain ethereal blue-white wispy wings that glow with the ambiance of balance. Mintaka of the Three Kings of Orion has enhanced and morphed this spell, and it now grants limited flight. Your will of what is natural shimmers around you, the fireflies a natural tribute to your aura; the stronger you are, the brighter aura you will have to show for it.

@Aztec and @Dezba have been granted their upgraded spells as well! They may post in Orion seeking the Kings within the Forum at any time to ICly claim their Spectral Balance and Haunted Chaos, otherwise it can be assumed it happened after the events of this thread/offscreen. Kera refused her spell upgrade.

The alligator listened intently.

"And not just on this rock, BUT ON MANY. THIS ONE WAS EMPTY, BEFORE." What the hell did that mean? The concept of planets was lost to the Gembound; it didn't occur to him that the world was a "rock," nor that others might exist.

Much lies without. I wish to see it! A brief, mournful bout of melancholy took him, but before he could dwell on it overmuch, he felt the rush of power as the knowledge of a new spell was granted to him. Or rather, as his old was... changed.

He listened closely to the warnings, even as he pulled his magicka about him. Persistence in disorder-... It would be chaotic, then. As to be expected, he supposed, from Alnitak.

Dragon focused, for a time, concentrating hard on summoning up the spectral wings from before. He thought it half-likely still to be a trap, a magicka that would ensnare his body and tear it apart and feed his magicka to Alnit--... Wait...

The great red wings at last, with effort, sprang from Dragon's back. They were vast, this time, and black-swirled, and horns jutted from his head and neck. The black aura shrouded him, and abruptly he found that he could move the wings--beat them--rise into the air...

The alligator did not lift off gracefully, like a true dragon. Instead he sort of lifted vertically, his heavy body dangling, his thick, ridged tail hanging. It felt a little constricting, but Dragon didn't notice--the thrill of suddenly being airborne shook him with a blindingly giddy thrill. He rose higher, the dragon-like wings beating, his magically-horned head turning to and fro in the black aura.

He forgot, even, to thank the Kings for their involvement. Instead he let out a bellowing roar, his dark eyes wide, and turned to fly away. He kept low for now, even in his joy remembering Alnitak's warning--and that of the other bird, whatever its name had been--and also wary of this whole "being in the air" thing.

He would show Father! How proud Aquarian would be! -Probably! The thrill overtook him as he began to fly out, still completely, idiotically vertical.

At last, the alligator's dreams had come true! A final roar echoed through Orion as the alligator swept out with a beat of magical wings.

"I... AM... DRAGON!"

exit Dragon