Wandering, hiding, wandering, hiding, that was his lifestyle he had clung to after he had woken up. He had by now realized the terrifying spell that was cast over him whenever a female entered the room that made him a groveling mess, and he hated it. He suffered from constant paranoid fear that he would lose himself to that stupidity and the fear that the monster he had heard when he was little would come to get him. Any wolven sound terrified him out of his mind, and he shied away from interaction lest he become a blithering poetic idiot again.

He preferred to be by himself as he grew, practicing his magic slowly and over time, but he knew he would never properly learn if he constantly shunned others. He was starting to forget how to speak, and he was always lonely.

No more! He would properly seek out something, someone, to talk to. Someone would help to alleviate his constant fear, he was sure.

But perhaps he chose the wrong room to travel find them. The fog snaked around his paws, and he kept slipping into the mud, and he had the persistent feeling that something was waiting for him beyond the fog. This room was eerie, with its trees that reached to infinity and the damp silence that followed you everywhere. It was creepy. He walked cautiously.

@Vicktor

Bouncing through the underbrush of the Cetus he scanned the thick fog for any sight of a glowing apparition. For he had once again been separated from his tall ethereal friend. But even without her, the young cub was in a blissful state. Playing with twigs and rocks as he marched on through the wet terrain. Occasionally stopping to listen in on what was around him. Only to get distracted by a fire fly or two. Excitedly bolting after them in hopes maybe they will lead him to her.

But it should go without saying, the small and pitifully dull fire flys were of no help. They weren't HER fire flys and he grew to recognize that.

Stomping through the mud he froze under the sudden eruption of a growl. Though the source was his own body. Eyes widening he scanned the bushes around. He had to find food. He was a little bit hungry and it didn't FEEL like a big deal. But she had told him to eat as soon as he got hungry. Or things might go bad. He was one to listen and follow the orders of his tall ethereal friend. She loved him and he loved her very much. So he would do well to listen to her

Ears flickering he focused on a rustling bush. He could smell it, the small rabbit that hid within. He gulped deeply, mouth watering as he shimmied down into the loose earth. He was nervous, but he was focused. He knew what happened when he ate. But it was life, he had to survive. This was ok.

Watching the small round critter hop from its home it scanned the fog. Seemingly overlooking the dark cub that was in all honestly still learning. So his form wasn't completely hidden. But with nature on his side his unique coat gave him just the edge he would need for this learning curve. Finally the rabbit had focused on a few particular blades of grass. Fur on edge he focused. Shutting his eyes and trying to will it to happen. All he had to do was see it and it would happen. Will it, and it will come. Right?

Fur on edge, his entire coat began to bristle. He could FEEL it coming! A deep swelling within his entire being! It was hot and felt like the flutter of a butterfly's wing as it danced around his form. He felt energized but shortly he felt numb. The sparks dancing from every tip of his coat the lit him up like a firework! Finally it all shot out at the rabbit before him! Critical Success!

A loud ZAP CRAK'POP shot through the air, followed by a splatter from where the rabbit had once stood. Viscera had shot through the very bushes behind where the poor thing once was. From above it looked like a small smear upon the earth. Chunks of viscera laying about from what his success had done to the critter. Maybe he focused a bit too much? But that was the furthest thing from his mind. Mouth watering he ran over eagerly eating up what he had of the rabbit. Savoring every single bite, every loud crunch of the small bones that stuck out each red but surprisingly hot piece.

Some of what he ate was burnt, perhaps from his magic? It didn't matter, it was food and he happily ate everything. Bones and all he practically had the entire meal smeared over his face.

He was looking down and focusing on his footwork on the treacherous ground when something crossed his path. A mad dash, a blur, his eyes snapped up, his breath catching in his throat, his paws scuttling back in immediate fear - he was in such deep habits to avoid others that it was instinctual to run by now - and in the next half-second, a crackle and a bolt of lightning, so powerful it made everything dark in comparison, sucking the energy out of the immediate area, creating a sickening vacuum, and he saw it shoot straight towards the rabbit that suddenly ceased to exist as a result.

Basil felt like he was in shock; it hardly seemed real that a bolt of lightning would shoot across the ground, ignoring the fact that he only had the faintest idea of what one was, based on his knowledge of the word. Time felt sluggish, his eyes didn't seem to work after seeing the bolt so close to him, because he saw a black blur pounce at the bloody smear in the grass. It started to-- the crunch and pop of bones -- he started to feel sick, feeling bile rise to his throat.

Past the shock, he felt the little droplets of blood dripping from his whiskers and cheeks that had splashed on him from the death of the rabbit. He also vaguely noticed he was sitting on his rump, his legs too shaky and weak to hold him up. He also noticed he was going to throw up.

The black...cat? Jaguar. That was it. The jaguar was so young. A child.

His throat convulsed. He turned onto his paws and his stomach hurled out its contents onto the grass; bugs and termites he had eaten here and there. He could see the flash of energy against his eyelids, burning his retinas.

His solitude before had been so blissful and he had taken it for granted, he now realized.

Huffing, a line of spittle still attached to his lips, he reached for his magic to talk, since he was too shaken to do so.

"What are you doing?" His magic sent out his words without his lips actually moving, sending it towards the cat's ears. The whisper he sent was quiet, but he made sure it was clear. Quiet but clear, that's what he could manage thus far alone.

Having dispatched the rabbit and continuing with his ravenous appetite, he was nearly done. That was until something whispered. Stopping slowly, mouth full of rabbit flesh his ears flickered. Finally he had focused on the bushes before him. He could smell something? Or someone? He did not know, he was too young and too focused on his meal to know. Focused on the scent and taste of this meal's blood alone. Gulping heavily, savoring every inch of the meal as it slide down he smiled widely. Fully satisfied with what he had consumed.

He wasn't fully confident on who or where the voice came from. It was right near his ear? Maybe they were hiding! Maybe they were a friend! Looking around he smiled. "I'm eating! If I don't eat I go hungry! And that's not a good thing!" Corners of his mouth pulling upwards, teeth and gums a wet crimson. Tongue flicking in and out between them as he wastes not a single drop. Face and paws a sticky wet mess. Chunks caught between his nails, clumped to bits of his onyx coat.

He would get to cleaning the rest of himself soon, having replied to the hidden friend!

His stomach lurched painfully again as he saw the child smile, a grimsome thing with flesh and blood all over its face. This was the stuff of his nightmares, fears turned reality, the monster who howled consuming and tearing given resources to turn whole in his sleep.

And this was a child.

Again, he reached for his magic to speak.

"How disgusting." His voice shook with emotion, even through his magic. "You think murdering is okay?"

He got up on his shaky legs and moved past the scarce shrubs that partially hid him from view of the little monster. they were the same size, roughly, but as the jaguar cub was crouching over the carcass, Basil was little bit taller. He used every inch, and spat into the nearby grass.

He showed his contempt in his expression. Again, with his magic, without moving his lips, he whispered in the jaguar's ears, "You sicken me."

'How disgusting' the voice spoke, shaking in his ear. It was raw with an unknown emotion he had yet to understand. 'You think murdering is okay?' M-murdering!? His tall ethereal friend said it was ok! That he needed to eat! He didn't like that he had to do this! But it was apart of life!

"N-n-no! I-I don't like it! B-but I need to eat! " The young cub was confused. Why was he being yelled at for something he had to do. Something that was natural? He didn't understand! Shaking shrubs alerted him of the stranger. They stepped out from cover and stood before them. Blood splattered across his face, he approached. He did not look amused, nor caring in this light as he towered over the young cub. While this stranger's lips refused to part, the voice continued. He was unsure now. Lowering himself as he backed up. His belly rubbing the moist earth beneath. Ears flat and eyes wide he tried to express his feelings. That he didn't like this, but not a word would emerge from his throat.

'You sicken me'

Fur bristling along his spine he shut his eyes. He wanted this to stop, this had to stop! Why couldn't he talk now? He couldn't eveb barely force his limbs to move now. He couldn't even back up anymore! And now there was a tree at his back too!?

Lips parting he bared his teeth, expression pleading and he tried to intimidate the stranger back. But it was to no avail. Eyes shut tight and unbeknownst to either party, he was readying his defense. Bristled fur laced with energy lightly cracked and popped. Until it sent out a small shock to the aardwolf before him. Eye wipe he began to apologize "I-IM SORRY! You-you need to stop! I-im sorry I didn't mean it!! " He didn't want to fight, small yowls he began to unleash. Hoping maybe, just maybe someone would hear.

"Speech"

"Thought"

Basil's contempt disappeared after the cub showed fear and confusion over his whispered magic; just seconds ago Basil was angry about the childlike innocence he showed when eating a living thing - fearing it, hating it - but he didn't mean to be so terrifying. He wanted to change the cub's mind about eating meat; there were other options out there. Sure, if the child didn't like eating grass, he could understand. He himself thought plants tasted like dirt, but there was magic that could fix that. [/i]There were other options.[/i] But he had made the cub back away from him in fear. Only a child.

He opened his mouth to say something, to apologize, when all of a sudden a small shock jumped from the child to him. It sped through him, seizing his entire body. It was a small jolt, but a strong one. It raced through his blood and throughout all of his muscles like a sudden painful muscle spasm, making him breathless and leaving him on the floor.

Panting on the ground, Basil lifted up his head and looked straight at the crying cub, wanting to say something, anything. His mind raced, his voice weak, his ears picking up a voice in the distance, a female voice. As soon as he heard that, he closed his eyes, letting his head hit the moist grass. There was no point in trying when he fell under that spell again, he knew. All intelligent thought was lost. Such was his curse.

She was running."Pounce? Pounce, where are you?" She lifted her voice and tried to send it through the mist, hearing the echoing crying sounds of her child. She ran without care, slipping here and there into the muddy water, barely noticing. She tried to reach for her magic to break through the fog, her desperation rising. Pounce was crying for her. "Pounce!?" She cried out. The mist was swirling around her muddy ankles, clinging to her like ghosts determined to confuse her, and in pure defiance, she exhaled sharply, light swirling from her open mouth into a incredibly luminous balloon, so bright she had to look away with her good eye. The jealous ghosts shied away from its touch, and she ran again. With the light's help, she could see two shapes against a tree some distance away, and Pounce's poor voice became much clearer. "Pounce? What happened, my love? Are you okay?" She said, tears forming in her eye. The bright sun-like balloon floated somewhere behind her."Don't scare me like that, I--" She looked over to the slumped form of some small wolf-looking creature, somewhat between the mix of a wolf and a cat, who was staring at her with intent, if blurry eyes. "I--!! What in the caves happened? Are you alright?" "This is how I speak."

Small pitiful cries echoed throughout the mist. It felt as if time was at a stand still, he was panicking now. Afraid of both the stranger and what he had just done out of fear. If his powers obliterated a rabbit, then what did his shock do to this aardwolf!? He didn't mean to do it! Honest he didn't! What if they die! What if he really was a monster!

Her voice echoed softly to him. She was worried, frantic, searching for him. He cried out louder now, hoping she could hear. And within a moment's notice, she was there. A soft light he could see through the fog. That had to be her! He could hear her! The panic rising in her own tone as she sloshed through the moist and muddied earth.

There she stood just before the young cub. Tears forming in her eye, bright light shining behind her as if a halo. She was his angel in this time of need. She always was and he was thankful. Her ethereal limbs muddied and dark from the water she slipped through in desperation. Her voice clear, he was ok now. She was here and he was happier. But all he could was stare at the aardwolf that lay before them now.

"I! I! I am ok! B-But I shocked him accidentally! I didn't mean to! He was scary! There was a voice! That was yelling at me! It called me a monster! Because I was eating like you told me to! I'm sorry!" The young child was spiraling with anxiety. Would he get in trouble? What if she grew angry with him? What if that aardwolf tries to be mean to her too!? He stood there, eye wet, ear laid back and tail tucked as he tried to shrink his very being.

"Speech"

"Thought"

As he saw her come up, frantic and worried, he felt that familiar megalomaniacal mind grab hold of him again, ushering out intelligent thought....it was getting harder to...he wanted....apologize...

His eyes settled on her, impossibly tall from his view on the grass, graceful and lovely, light enveloping and coming from her and behind her. She was caressing the jaguar cub and whispering comforting words to him, like a beautiful angel. The cub was staring at him with wide eyes, sniffing and crying, but he couldn't remember why he should care when such a perfect lady stood before him. Basil slowly got up, coughing, ignoring the muscle spasms here and there. He was okay. Everything was okay now that she was here.

He reached for his magic, gathering the words he felt bubbling up within him, wanting nothing more than to whisper sweet nothings in her ear like she more than deserved, but as he pulled for the necessary magic, his whole chest clenched, and he gasped like a fish out of water. It hurt, it hurt, his whole heart hurt. His face scrunched in pain.