Xevire would not let the words of that arrogant creature wound her. Magic here was not a parasite. It was the life force of the caves, and the life of the proud gembounds who lived here. The young calf walked into Orion, knowing that the creature's hate was wrong. She needed to speak to someone, get if off her chest. That creature was public enemy number one. Xevir would not allow that creature to destroy gembounds' lives, all because it hated them and their magic. Magic was right, filled with life, made for the creatures here. Now all she had to do was make it to four cycles. Then she would be a better adult than that shameful creature ever was.

@Azizos

Of all things to do for magic practice, Azizos was skipping stones across one of Orion's pools. It was a simple bit of magic, but endlessly helpful for focusing his attention and working on precision (rather than accuracy.) Repeability was key when it came to magic use. It wasn't worth it to focus on hitting the same mark every time, so much as a consistent group of them.

So far, a number of pock-marks were set into the wall opposite him. They were of varying sizes and depths - he couldn't hope to land on identical pebbles every time - and somewhat erratically placed. A cluster of marks had started to form, at least, which was Azizos's aim. Pale eyes narrowing and hoof clicking against the little rock, he sent it careening in a clean line across the pond. It skipped only twice before smacking solidly into the wall.

The kirin's tail waved eagerly, if only for a moment, as he spun in search of another pebble. He didn't notice Xevir, completely engrossed in his own practicing.

@Xevir

Xevir noticed what looked like a mix of a deer and a lion. It seemed so regal and so dignified. The young calf didn't think it would hurt to discuss and talk about whatever. Especially about that creature who tried to kill her. She trotted over to the older male, a bright smile on her face. "Hello! My name is Xevir. Who are you? I bet your time is going a lot better than mine is." Her conversation with that creature was stuck in her head. She could not forgot the truth it spoke to her.

@Azizos

His hooves clattered lightly on the stone as something came into his periphery. It was more of a polite shock, suddenly acknowledging that someone was there. "Ah! I hope I haven't been ignoring you," Azizos interjected quickly before the calf started introducing herself.

"Well, hello, Xevir," the kirin smiled awkwardly, shuffling on the spot and trying to figure out what stance to adopt (so he didn't look so awkward and interrupted.) "I'm Azizos and -" He cast a side-eyed glance at the stone-skipping he'd been doing, antlers slicing through the air as he turned back to the gemsbok and blinked.

Azizos looked down, uncertain of how to answer, slowly blinking and offering gently, "I'm just practicing magic, but - ah - you wanna talk about it?"

@Xevir

Xevir nodded her head. Sure, she wouldn't mind talking to Azizos about what she had learned. "Long story short I learned from a creature who hated gembounds, that there was a different way for gembounds to reproduce, aside from using magic, but their bodies. But she didn't state how. She said that if gembounds were to reproduce that way, the children would die. It seemed she witnessed it before. Not only that, she said she hated gembounds and the spire, because it was sucking the life out of something called a planet, and killing the creatures of this planet. I don't know what a planet is, but I do know it's a place far from the caves. So because of this, she wants to destroy all gembounds." There, that was it. She waited for Azizos's reply.

@Azizos

Azizos felt like he needed to settle down, and did so just in time for the gemsbok to drop quite a bit into his proverbial lap. The kirin listened attentively, large ears swiveled forwards and pale eyes watching right until Xevir was done. He worked his jaw a little, chewing his cud and flicking his tail in consideration.

Initially, he'd been prepared to tell the calf that there were just some misanthropes in the world, creatures that felt so scorned by existence. Yet, there were other details added. Reproduction without stone (and life) and the thought that the Spire was a parasite. Azizos's mind flickered dully to the sight of the crystal, immense and towering, crackling with so much energy that it was untouchable. There was the thought, too, of planet.

The word was singular, implying more, but what were they, exactly? Another name for caves?

It was troubling - to say the least - but the lion-stag didn't want to make immediate conclusions. His tail flicked to the side, "I always believed that the Spire was a conduit - or perhaps a generator for magic - like the pillars in Tunnel M, but -" Azizos paused mid-thought, and asked gently instead, "who is she?"

@Xevir

"I don't know, she never gave it to me. But she looked weird. She had the body of a horse, with claws on her feet instead of hooves. Attached to her body, was an upper torso with arms with claws for hands. Her head was feline like. She had no fur, and some scars. Most importantly, she carried an arrow, with bows. And the tips of those bows, looked like the gemstones of other gembounds. She hates all gembounds and the spire." She shook her head in dismay just thinking about it.

@Azizos

Strange-looking was a moniker that could be placed on a number of Gembound in the caves — Attikias could fit under that classification for his flat face and hands and strange feet that he always wore "shoes" on.

But, six limbs? He hadn't seen much of that except for hanging limply off of some jungle deer in Eridanus. They weren't particularly useful and seemed more of a hindrance than anything, spawned from spontaneous mutation during… whatever it was the Lessers did to reproduce.

She carried weapons — clearly, at least, clever and intelligent enough to craft things to compensate, maybe, for a lack of teeth or horns. Azizos wasn't aware of what a bow or arrow was (Attikias hadn't, at least, shown him what those were, if he knew) but the idea of using gemstones as means of attack was a little… disconcerting.

That did not mean, at least, that Azizos couldn't try to consider all of this, thinking aloud, "the Spire is a powerful thing — it is the veritable source of magicka, at least, but we have to transform it from a raw state to use it. But… perhaps, magic must originate from somewhere. The Spire — again — could just be a catalyst. A conduit. I've felt the influx of magic from the pillars unearthed in Tunnel M. They lie dormant now, without magic to flow through them and be amplified." Thinking back to stories of Khloros, the kirin considered gravely, "perhaps, she is right. It would otherwise be an elaborate lie to concoct."

Abruptly, his gaze shifted worriedly, and he stood. "Ah - ah, no, I'm sorry, Xevir. You shouldn't be worrying too much about those things. Go grow and play with other children and make lasting relationships."

And with that, the kirin stood and meandered off some way.

Exiting due to inactivity

@Xevir