The young fledgling couldn’t help the growing excitement welling up inside of them. Magic was a relatively new subject for them. Glory was also the only fire magic user that they knew of. It was clearly an impressive sort of magic. At the very least, it was more impressive than their own which seemed to be … sending their voice from a different point of origin? It was a confusing ability to have suddenly discovered. Lust made a mental note to explore much more deeply into that at a later point. Possible into whatever happened with the golem, though the chick was admittedly less excited about that prospect.

At Glory’s words of caution, Lust hopped back a few paces and moved behind a fallen stone. It was large enough to be protective but small enough that Lust could easily see around it. After all, they were an excited young chick who was just promised a show.

And what a show it was. After a moment of quite meditation, a burst of flames appeared engulfing Glory’s body. For a moment the pigeon simply started at him in wide eyed wonderment. Then Lust immediately squawked out in alarm, dashing from around the stone back towards the eagle. But the flames were very hot and the pigeon couldn’t get too close to him. The chick scrambled for a moment, hopping from one side of Glory to the other.

“Glory! Glory! OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH!” Lust rambled on, darting around in hopes of finding some source of water to put the flames out. Lust did not realize that this was part of the spell, that the flames were done on purpose. To the young chick, they were afraid that sometime went wrong and that Glory needed help. But nearby waster was not to be found. “OH NO OH NO OH NO!” Lust wailed in a panic.

And then, as suddenly as the flames appeared, they were extinguished. All that remained was a few billows of smoke. Not a single feather appeared scorched on the eagle’s body. Glory’s face was this perfect picture of calm and heroic. He did not appear to have faced any danger despite the fact that he was just seconds ago burning alive. Or, at least, so the chick had though.

Lust’s beak opened and closed a few times while words failed them. “Are-Are you okay?” The pigeon took a few steps closer to inspect the eagle. “Was …. Was that magic?” Lust had no idea that magic could be that intense.


"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

tags: @Glory
notes:

original coding by wulf for template purposes

Glory was a little surprised at Lust's reaction, but he should have probably expected it. They knew so little about magic - to see him burst into flames was a little shocking. Their concern for him was certainly flattering and swelled his pride even further as he gazed down warmly and amused. "Yes, of course I'm okay! That was one of my best spells - and the most dangerous," he added as a smooth afterthought.

He leaned over after taking a quick whiff and smelling a burnt feather. After a second, he located it and quickly grasped it with his beak and pulled it out, letting the charred, dead feather fall to the floor. He gave himself a good shake to make sure there were no other feathers that needed plucking. "It took me a while to do that without hurting myself. Fire magic is powerful but dangerous. When I engulf in fire, I can ignite anything I touch. Dangerous and deadly, especially if it backfires." He fluffed out his chest feathers impressively. "But I haven't damaged myself bad since I learned to do it!" He gazed down at Lust, his eyes twinkling proudly. "Now, I was going to teach you to fly, right?"

@Lust

Once Lust realized that what Glory had done was indeed magic, fear immediately became fascination. To think that magic could do something so stupendous! It was indeed an amazing feat to witness. Lust’s admiration grew at learning that Glory could preform such impressive and yet dangerous magic. A warm sense of safety swelled within the pigeon. With someone so powerful and brave, it was as though they had nothing to fear. After all, Glory had already rescued them once from the most terrifying creature they had ever seen. It seemed unlikely that there was a being in the caves that the eagle could not vanquish.

“That’s really amazing, Glory! You must be very powerful! And you’re so brave to! You’re a real hero alright!” Lust beamed at them. It was almost an honor for them to meet such a creature. If only they were half the hero that Glory was!

But then Glory reminded them of their earlier mission. When Lust had first entered the tunnel, they were full of gusto and fantasies of grandeur. They knew the dangers of Monoceros after having hatched there. Yet they were at a young age where bad things happened to others; that they were invincible. They were young for learning to fly but wanted to impress those close to them. Now….

Now those feelings had shifted some. They weren’t scared of getting hurt, per say. But they were scared that another of the rock monsters might be out there. Or something worse. The battle and then mental images afterwards had spooked the young chick. Now the idea of moving further away from the comfort of Orion seemed more unnerving than it had previously.

Lust spread their small wings, looking at them anew. Then pink eyes turned to the eagle to look over their mighty wingspan. “I … I’m not sure if my wings are big enough to fly after all,” they said softly. They felt bad at the idea of disappointing the eagle. After all, Glory had been impressed by the young chick’s eagerness to push themselves. But now their courage was faltering some.


"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

tags: @Glory
notes:

original coding by wulf for template purposes

Glory was a little surprised at the chick's sudden reluctance to flying. Hadn't they been so excited before? They had been so certain that they could do it! Perhaps this was another chance to be a hero, though. They obviously needed some kind of motivation from him to want to fly again.

He gave a huge shake of his head and let out a little chirp of surprise. "What? You don't want to fly? Preposterous! Even if your wings aren't big enough now, they'll surely get big enough to support you! You need to believe in yourself more!" He opened his wings and gave a few flaps to upset the air. They were slow and exaggerated, to show Lust the way they were supposed to move. "Just do this for now to build up your muscle if you're not comfortable getting into the air immediately."

@Lust

Glory’s confusion and disappointment in Lust’s change of opinion stung the small pigeon. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to fly. Truly they did. They still wanted to show Reseda and Envy how powerful and strong they could be; that they could be useful. But fear clung deep into Lust’s mind. Their brain pleaded for them to return to their nest in relative safety. After all, rock monsters wouldn’t go there … right?

No! That was a thought that couldn’t enter Lust’s mind. They had to have a safe place and that nest, near Envy’s den and near where Reseda had brought them, was it. Nothing could go wrong there. That had to remain like that.

As terribly as Lust wanted to return to their nest, though, they couldn’t stand the idea of disappointing Glory anymore than they already had. Not after risking wing and feather to save them from the dreadful creature. And surly the tunnel was now safe since the monster was utterly destroyed. And surly the grand golden eagle would be able to save them again if something were to happen. The thought sent a strange bit of warmth through them.

The pigeon gave a tentative nod before stretching their wings out. They were still small but larger than they had been last cycle. Lust’s gizzard confirmed his words that they would grow mightier in time. They thrust their wings up and down, much faster and more reckless than Glory had demonstrated. Lust was determined to make Glory pleased and proud once more.

“Like this?” They asked during a brief pause after a few test flaps. A bit of the earlier excitement crept back into the fledgling. It was exciting to start learning how to fly. This was a hallmark moment in a young bird’s life after all. “You said to move your tail too, right?” They asked, twitching their tail feathers back and forth.


"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

tags: @Glory
notes:

original coding by wulf for template purposes

Glory watched approvingly as Lust regained their excitement and he felt a ruffle of pride. He was truly inspiring and magnificent, wasn't he? Just the spread of his wings seemed to cause the smaller bird to fall into puddles of affection and awe. He hadn't given himself a proper look in a while - perhaps he should see for himself the glory that was his form.

He watched the bird's wing movements carefully. "It's a good start, but you want to keep it more controlled. Flapping around erratically isn't going to get you anywhere. If you can feel the air fighting against your feathers, you're doing it right. You want to lift yourself, not cut through with your wings." He held back a little chirp of laughter at the little twitch of the bird's tail. "Yes, the tail will help you stay in the air. It'll help with balance and keeping you steady. But it's hard to explain exactly how to use it when you haven't flown yet, so practice with your wings a few more times and then, when you're ready, try getting off the ground a bit."

@Lust

Encouraged by the older bird’s response, Lust felt invigorated with new in their desire to learn to fly. Emotions slowly began to level out from the extreme feel and then extreme excitement to something more serene. The flapping began to shift from its erratic thrusts into a more natural rowing motion. Instinct began to creep up and guide the fledgling in the motions appropriate for flight.

The pigeon was still too young for actual lift, however, the dirt and tiny pebbles around the bird shifted. A strange serene feeling fell over the chick as they felt the bones, tendons, and feathers of their front limbs work together naturally. Lightly closing their eyes, they could almost see themselves soaring high above Orion, the twinkling of the gems from the stalactites glittering around them. In their mind, they were the beautiful and powerful creature they wished so much to be, the kind of being they could so often see in others.

Lust opened their eyes and paused in their practice. Such imagery was almost painful to think of. They knew what a small and weak creature they were. To think that they could be anything more was almost too much for them. But it felt amazing to pretend to fly, pretend to be an impressive bird like Glory was.

He was indeed amazing. Lust couldn’t help but smile up at him, flushing a bit from both the joy of being trained by him as well as the training itself. “I like this,” They said to the older bird. “It feels … right.”


"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

tags: @Glory
notes:

original coding by wulf for template purposes

Glory watched Lust begin to truly work out how to use their wings. Pride filled him as he realized that he had just taught a bird the fundamentals of flight. It was an honor to show a younger creature a very important technique that would keep them alive. Birds were meant to fly.

He nodded understandingly. "That's your instincts. You were built for flight so your body wants you to fly. All of us birds have that knowledge inside of us. You must keep practicing until flying is easier then walking." He closed his eyes for a moment, getting lost in the feeling of flight, especially when he flew with the howling winds of Monoceros. "There is no greater feeling, nothing that fills you with more strength, then the feeling that flying gives you. You should look forward to the day that you soar the skies with ease."

He opened his eyes again and straightened up, glancing over his shoulder. The opening of Monoceros was not far away and he remembered what he was supposed to be doing. He had been collecting metal and gems for his projects. However much he liked talking and teaching Lust, he did have to get back to his work. "Well, did you still want to go and fly against the winds? My home is in Monoceros - I could take you there if you want."

@Lust

Lust was still a young fledging. The tendons of their wings had not yet strengthened enough to support them and grew tired easily. Lust took advantage of the chance to pause and simply listen to the older bird’s words. They had met others of incredible power and statue; Reseda and Envy mostly. It would be hard to measure against such alien raw talent. Glory was different. He was a bird as well. Lust could easily imagine themselves with such powerful wings, mighty beak, and terrifying talons. Perhaps not the beautiful coat that seemed to shimmer in the fire continued in their gem, as Lust did not see themselves as a particularly beautiful character.

The way he talked about flying …. Lust wished terribly to know that feeling. Glory made it sound so amazing. They remembered what floating felt like from the brief time they had been brought down from a ledge in Monoceros by Reseda’s power. It was a pleasant feeling of weightlessness. But flying sounded like much more than that. And deep in their gizzard, Lust yearned for that.

Then Glory mentioned Monoceros. The cave that was further down the tunnel, with its tornado and terrors. Lust had only been there briefly when they had first hatched. But the idea of going further down the tunnel and possibly encountering a rock monster or worse … The look of awe that had spread across the fancy pigeon’s face was replaced with one of unease. The pigeon looked away from Glory, embarrassed by their own fear.

“No…,” they replied, shaking their head. Pinky eyes wondered over to where the rock monster was before snapping back towards Glory away from such horrors. “I think I’ve had enough … excitement today.” Internally Lust grew angry with themselves for their sudden fearful attitude. But the images from the rock monster hung at the corners of their brain.

“But I’ll keep practicing!” they added encouragingly. “And later I can show you how well I can soar! And you can show me your home!” The words tumbled out of their mouth. Despite the fear that cradled in their heart, they did hope to see the golden eagle again at some point.


"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

tags: @Glory
notes:

original coding by wulf for template purposes

Glory nodded in understanding, but still felt a pang of disappointment. He had really wanted to take the bird home with him and show them how impressive his home was, the awesome and amazing forge he had built, and how amazing it was to fly through the winds of Monoceros. But, as they had pointed out, perhaps it was too much. Lust was still young and not ready for how difficult Monoceros was. When Glory had first flown there, it had been extremely difficult. Perhaps he took it too much for granted now that he was used to it.

He leaned down and gave the pigeon an affectionate nuzzle, realizing that he had become quite fond of them in the short time they had known each other. "I know you will. I look forward to see how awesome you get the next time we meet!" He had a sudden idea that, in his head, was absolutely brilliant. He raised a talon and stabbed it into the earth, pulling and pushing with his magic until a gem started to form. It was a sunstone, the same as his gem, and in the shape of a small feather, nicely crafted, although Glory knew he would be able to do it even better if he had hand forged it. Details were hard to do when using magic. But it was good enough for this.

Once it was complete, he picked it up and laid it in front of Lust. "If you ever need me and you don't want to go into Monoceros, just leave it at the tunnel. I can sense gems with my magic so I'll check for it ever day." He hopped back, his feathers ruffling proudly. He was so smart and thoughtful and he knew that Lust would be thankful for the little trophy. "I'll be seeing you later, then!"

With a flourish, he turned around and hopped forward, spreading his wings. He quickly gained height and raced towards the place where he had been scrounging for metal and picked up what he had collected in his claws. Turning towards the Monoceros entrance, he hauled his findings and disappeared through the tunnel.

*exit

@Lust