She had come back to Orion after yet another fruitless venture into finding a place to call her own. A place where she could hide her ugliness from the world, and no one could bother her. This morning, Aleera crawled out from the shadows of the fallen rubble carefully, taking a quick once over the general area before she pulled the rest of her still growing body out into full view. The black wolf pup stretched out her body, ignoring the slight pulling sensation it caused on her exposed skin. Unlike when she had been born, the deformed portion of her body where fur refused to grow had become significantly stronger, to the point it no longer tore at the smallest of movements. Beyond the deep indentions between the scale looking skin, she looked rather clean in terms of scratches and cuts. Though those that remained were small in number and quickly healing, it did nothing to help Aleera's mindset. Attacked and ridiculed almost everywhere she went because of her physical difference had left the young gembound fearing deeply most interactions, and the search for a new home in which she could hide away had been the only thing to move her in the past few days. Niru had come back into her life at least, though at the moment even he was somewhat welcomed as the ebony creature flitted across the opening of rocks back to a location fairly secluded where a pile of dry leaves and twigs hand been pushed up against one of the stone walls.

Today, she had suspended her search for a new hole. Instead, she'd woken up with a great desire to practice her magic. She had not really done so since the day she'd come across that feather for brains bird down in Canis. Instinctively her citrine eyes peered down to her side, looking at the very gash she'd sustained by that little jerk and a soft growl rose up from the depths of her chest. She was young still, but that didn't mean she couldn't do things. That didn't mean she couldn't take care of herself. Lately, ideas had been springing into her head about, why she must go and hide herself away. Yes, of course she didn't want to deal with others but...How was it fair that she must stay in the darkness, stay away, when everyone else could freely walk about as they wished. On several occasions she had tried to shake this thought, for it was certainly not the safest...But the more she tried to get rid of it the more it clung to her. The pup spread her legs out once more, getting a proper balance while staying about a meter or so from the pile of debris. Luminous eyes, even half blinded, could see the cracks along the floor and wall, and fancied it her doing though they'd been there long before she'd ever shown up.

"I don't want to hide forever." She muttered, staring at the pile as she contemplated the thought once again. If the world had no place for her, then she'd make her own place. The problem with that was that it proposed serious danger and she was still pretty young and inexperienced. She had seen magics far beyond her own be used and she had not hope of defending herself when the time came, not unless she practiced. She had to become stronger in her own right if she wanted to make her claim and have it legitimized, so today marked her training as she learned to live in the light. A powerful intake of breath was sucked in through her twisted jaws and held until she could sense the rising pulse of the crystal upon her forehead and then released it. It came out at first as nothing but her simple exhale, but toward then end as it had been doing out burst forth a wave of heat that pushed up against the brush and threw dust in all directions. "Ha!" Aleera barked with satisfaction. It wasn't great, but it was better than nothing!

When her priorities had been limited to healing and training in isolation finding the time to practice her magic and even physical fitness didn't seem such a difficult task but life had a way of pushing back. She'd gotten lost in the ebb and flow of events and situations, encounters and conversations. She reveled in her newfound company, basked in the warmth of consistency and because of it, she grew complacent. Only now, with time to maul over everything that had happened thus far did she realize just how much she'd been slacking with her training. The lack of self-discipline was a jarring wake-up call that she took with a grain of salt. There was no longer time to waste and if she'd planned to come back from it anytime, it would be now. Though she often preferred to train in Canis where the accidental destruction of things afforded less guilt on her part, the time it would take to get there would only serve as a distraction. So it was with some amount of effort did she swallow the rising sense of guilt and forced herself into Orion in search of a place where there was more space for her to practice. It hadn't helped that there'd been a small voice in her head constantly reprimanding her for being too weak when it mattered. It certainly seemed the case during the saving of the strange multi-eyed creature, the awakening of the phoenix and even the battle against the black dragon, Brug. She wanted to help, she wanted to do more but Delphine knew that to accomplish any of this required that she worked for it, so she would. It was entirely by chance that she came upon the scarred lupine practicing her own magic. She was struck by the coincidence of witnessing that moment when her own mind had come to the decision that she needed to do the same. Whinnying to announce her arrival, Delphine's voice lilted above the silence. "Hello, would you mind if I joined you?" She inquired. Her lips were curled into a welcoming smile and her entire approach wrought with an innate kindness that was born within her. "I'm a bit out of practice and I was just looking to try my own magic." She added.

The sound of steps alerted Aleera to the approach of another in the secluded area before she ever laid eyes on them. Her little body froze in it's battle ready position, the urge to run hitting her like a brick wall but the desire to keep to her resolutions strong enough to keep her planted firmly upon the ground. The wolf had never felt such conflicting feelings before and confusing rolled over her like smothering waves, until the one who approached came withing eye shot. The creature was larger than Aleera by much, with long slender legs and wrapped in powerful muscles. It's face was long with a mane down it's neck where green, brilliant horns grew from the back of it's skull in elegant spirals. It was as terrifying as it was beautiful, and words completely escaped the young gembound to leave her standing there looking rather dumbfounded. This creature, whatever it was, was the largest thing Aleera had seen thus far while traveling the cave systems and knew right away that if it probably wished, could smash her flat with those hoofed feet it had.

Aleera swallowed hard and did not move even still when the horse spoke in soft tones and began to close the gap between them. Instinctively, Aleera backed away, not entirely certain what to expect from such a large creature. Though fear gripped her, the ability to process what it was the large beast wanted was not lost, and quietly the black wolf pup assessed the horses desire. She wished to practice her magic just as Aleera had been doing, but up until now, no one had used their magic toward her for friendly, self improving reasons. They had attacked her, injured her, and at that moment she had no reason to think that this creature wanted to do anything else than that. It was clear in her stance and tensed form that Aleera was clearly at unease with this entire situation and still at war with herself. The desire to run and hide versus the desire to say and fight for her own right to be out in the caves, just as everyone else seemed to have. The creature though displayed no signs of hostility and spoke calmly, which did, if only a little, ease some of Aleera's anxiety.

"I-I'm Aleera." She responded with a bit of high pitched chirp in her voice. Quickly the wolf cleared her throat and looked back upon the strange beast. "I'm, sort of new to magic. I don't know how much you'd get out of me exactly...Besides, you're kind of...big." Though her words were quiet they were true to her own concerns for the obvious problems. If they were to use each other as partners to better understand their abilities, they would have to find a safe way to make sure Aleera and her tiny self wasn't trampled by the larger creature.

@Delphine

Never before had Delphine been perceived as an object of fear, not truly at least. There were times when newborn Gembounds cowered in the face of the unknown but outside of the initial apprehension, they were always able to overcome — fairly easily too — their doubts. This though, this was different. From the very first step she took into plain-sight, the sable hound had visibly cringed and backpedaled away from her. It was not a reaction the adolescent was prepared to address nor was she equipped with the proper reactions for upon her own delicate visage was an apparent shock at being received in such a manner. She felt not insulted but rather struck by the notion that she could be something to fear and perhaps seeing that hollow fright etched within the creature's eyes was a more startling wake-up call than anything else. Halted in her steps, Delphine reconsidered her overall approach and suddenly found herself conscious of every gesture that she made. For that reason, her head lowered in a silent demonstration of the peace that she brought with her but it seemed that such an action would not be enough even as the child introduced herself. The horse smiled hesitantly and bobbed her crown in acknowledgment. "Hello Aleera." It was a simple statement meant to reassure that there were no ulterior motives on her part but to practice alongside the Gembound. Except what Delphine intended and what the wolf had understood of her inquiry was entirely different and upon realizing this, she could not help but to let loose chime-like laughter. "Oh! Oh no, I don't mean to practice against me. I simply meant if I could join you in hitting stationary targets and perhaps helping one another along the way?" She added, laugh lines forming along emerald eyes and a softening smile to their misunderstanding. "Anyway, I might look big but I'm actually pretty squishy." Delphine muttered with a theatrical sigh hoping that the quip would give incentive for Aleera to trust her more.

Kindness was a foreign concept for the wolf. There had been but one creature who Aleera had interacted with that she did not immediately reciprocate with negative feelings. Niru however, was no where to be found. Though the young lion had invited the wolf to stay with him she had chosen instead to only bother him when it was needed, after all no one wanted someone tagging along everywhere they went. More over, these thoughts of becoming stronger had made up the bulk of the reason for her choice to stay largely on her own. Much of this stemmed from various interactions she'd had with others in the past, but not all so much bore an impression upon the wolf as the one she'd had with that eaglet named Ambrus. He had attacked for no reason at all, watched as she lay in pain upon the ground and saw fit to do nothing else than to laugh at her misfortune. She was not accustomed to compassion and over time it became quite clear. Call someone a monster long enough...and they start to believe it.

Aleera was a monster, or so the world would have her believe it seemed. She was not pretty and so she must be cast aside. Taken from the light and hidden in a hellish void where only darkness was her constant companion. The wolf pup did not have the fortune many did, such as Delphine before her now with her muscular yet somehow elegant legs. Strands of silk falling over of a curvaceous neck and a delicate horns made of the stone she embodied. This new creature came with a calm but it barely registered with the wolf pup, she remained apprehensive as past interaction had taught her. She was to be the one who remained in the background, who timidly hid from the world and backed away even from those who truly meant her no harm. Was this, to be the role her life had to play out? If she was not to hide in darkness and skulk about in holes, then she would remain apart of the faded background no one took notice of. Was that even a life worth living?

Delphine repeated her name, softly, with a careful intention to reveal that she meant no harm and reassure her...but it did nothing of such effect. Aleera kept her distance from the other, wary, an escape route already planned by the rubble should she need to run. Her little form could fit under the stones unlike the other, she would be safe there...or so she hoped. However, the horse who had yet to give Aleera her name seemed amused that she had thought to practice magic against her. The wolf was unsure if this was to again reassure her or to implicate the fact that the other did not think Aleera capable of protecting herself against the beasts magic. Perhaps this was not altogether untrue, after all, a stupid eaglet had made a fool of her with little ease...could not this creature do the same? Though Aleera did not like the implying nature of the beasts words, she supposed she could not be angry with the idea of avoiding pain and suffering. Her paws still hurt after her last attempt at using a new magic, a magic she hadn't tried again since...But this might prove a good opportunity for her. Assuming of course Delphine wasn't looking to harm her like so many others.

The other commented on despite her size, she was rather squishy, which made Aleera tilt her head just a fraction. "I find that hard to believe." She replied before glancing back over to the pile of debris she'd gathered to practice her magic since stones hadn't been the best of tools. "I guess we could practice together...But I don't know many spells yet. I've just been trying to get this one down before I move on." Aleera turned then to face the debris again, but was careful that the horse was never directly out of her sight. "Would you um...like to go first?"

@Delphine

Her eyes lit with a sudden realization and she smiled apologetically. "Ah, where are my manners? My name is Delphine." Yet in spite of it all, there would be no easing of tension between them at least not of the instantaneous sort. If the young mare at all hoped to bridge the space between them, it would be a slow-going process where each and every piece would be tended to with the utmost care. So she pinned her hopes on this very notion that so long as she was patient, the child would come to see that she truly bore no ill will toward her. That there was even so much mistrust born within the heart of one so young was disconcerting and she dared to wonder what could have led her to such means. Her sentiments, so easily felled by the weak and unprotected, flailed wildly for the one called Aleera yet she would not allow some such emotions to bleed across her features, still softened by an amicable smile. Undeterred by the wolf's statement, Delphine simply laughed and shook her head. "I suppose it is hard to believe." She returned before reciprocating in action and turning her attention to the pile of debris collected in a corner. "Oh it's fine, I've probably a few more than you but I've mastered none of them. My magic is a fickle mistress and it's backfired on me multiple times before." Delphine admitted with some modicum of shame, too easily quelled when a question rose between them. "Alright but I won't touch your pile or I'll try not to, it's... Hard to control. Here." She walked some distance away, making sure to stay within the child's line of sight before focusing her attention inwardly. POST-ROLL EDIT: Calling upon her magic had always required equal parts control and release. She had to give just enough before she could deign to take from her energy source but when it worked, it was a sweet release. Relishing in the rush of power that coursed through her, Delphine's one foreleg lifted and slammed upon the ground. If she'd failed, there would only be pain to accompany the momentous gesture but when she felt nothing but a surge of energy jolting through the ground beneath, she knew she'd succeeded. The space immediately around her trembled with the force of a light earthquake, weakening as it neared the child and her pile of debris not unlike a ripple effect. Her emerald eyes shot to Aleera, hopeful and expectant. "There, that's one of my weaker spells but it also fails a lot. Your turn!"

The beast was quick to reiterate her name. Perhaps this was due to Aleera’s lack of using it, she couldn’t be sure but what she was sure of is that the horse had already given it once before. However, rather than be rude and point that out the black pup merely nodded in understanding. The other peered upon her with concern displayed clearly in her eyes, but Aleera didn’t want her pity she simply wanted to be left alone. This did not seem to be the case, as it usually was. Perhaps it was good though, to test herself and her limitations against a verity of creatures, anything these demandable caves could throw at her. She would learn to be strong through struggles rather than let them eat her alive. The horse kept her distance which again, Aleera was grateful for, it made this interaction that much easier to mitigate but persistently still her kindness bore no weight upon the wolves perception of her. It would not be the first time someone had used kindness as a ploy to gain her trust, if only for a moment, and use it as a way to strike the pup back down for nothing more than a difference she couldn’t help. The world was cruel, and so were the creatures in it. That was the truth of it.

As the beast regarded the pile of debris rounded up in the corner she spoke, saying that although she might have a few more spells than Aleera, she wasn’t close to being a master over them. Delphine even admitted to having had her own magic back fire on her on occasion, which caused the wolf pup to tilt her head up in acknowledgement. So far, she had only seen herself fail miserably with her own magic, the pain on the bottom of her paws welling up to remind her of this. Though it hurt to walk, she couldn’t just sit around whining to herself, that didn’t help the situation at all. With a promise to not touch the pile Aleera had constructed against the stones, Delphine turned, certain to say within her line of sight and walked a few paces back before turning to face the wolf once more. The cavern became quiet as she watched the horse turn inward and become focused on channeling energy from her gem, the same way most everyone else did when they began to cast. Then suddenly the horse rose up a great leg and brought it down hard upon the stone floors, and from that simple movement the entire earth shook. Aleera’s paws instantly spread out to be certain to keep her balance, tail raising to assist this further though the majority of the spell had begun to fade. ”Earth magic…” She muttered to herself, dubbing it what she thought it should be called and glancing around as pebbles stopped their involuntary dance.

Luminous orange eyes turned back upon Delphine when she spoke, announcing that this was one of her weaker spells and it still failed a lot. ”Still good for tripping others up I’d imagine.” Aleera remarked with a curt nod, certain in the little spells effect. If used on someone who wasn’t anticipating such a thing it would be easy for them to lose their footing. The black pup remained in her stance and turned just slightly so she could better face the debris she’d gathered. ”Mine doesn’t work that often either, and it’s the first one I learned but…” Aleera cleared her throat, dispensing with the explanation. Instead she became quiet and focused on the gem placed in the center of her forehead and took in a deep breath. Her form was like steel, muscle coiled tight as she began to feeling burning sensation deep in the bowls of her chest. A moment later the wolf released her breath, and it was nothing more than that. A breath that reached nothing, right up until she began to lose the ability to keep breathing out in this manner and then it came out, much like a hiccup. A wave of heat washed over the area and threw bits of the debris about but it did little more than that. Aleera cleared her throat again, clearly not happy with the display her own magic had. "It's come out like that almost every time now."

OOC; Excuse the sudden use of the table, I’ve come to realize writing in the actual reply box is not a good idea. Keep losing replies that way. ;n;

table by Sara

@Delphine

'Earth magic...' In truth, she'd never given name to her powers before. It was something that had simply never occurred to her even as she bore witness to a multitude of magic that were unique in their own ways, hers as much as anyone else's. She nodded but once her approval of the child's terminology before settling back to watch her demonstrate her powers, deigning only once to interject with a comment, "Yes, it does bear with it an element of surprise but it takes an immense amount of concentration that when felled could just as easily backfire." It was one of the most fatalistic drawbacks to her magic, one she learned earlier on in her cycles when she'd efficiently fractured both her one fore- and hind-leg. Once in solitude and the latter in the presence of others. The failures should have deterred her from tapping into her source of life and energy as frequently as she did but the desire to master her magic easily eclipsed any and all thoughts of giving up. She fell to silence as the pup coiled and tensed, her jowls opening to exhale in a way that if Delphine did not narrow her eyes, she would not have caught the heated plume of air knocking aside the debris. Her brow arched and she shifted from one leg to the other, curious of the source of her powers. "You've a gift for fire, like the dragon that was in Polaris." The comparison was one that was badly made but it'd been born of good intentions for she saw and acknowledged the scars upon the child's body. She herself wore one upon her back, one that extended its cruel, pink edge along her back and shoulders. The only difference to distinguish them was that hers was the result of an attack and Aleera's, well she would have been presumptuous to assume anything of the child's situation but she imagined that much of her mistrust must have stemmed from her previous encounters. "I am not very familiar with your source of magic, how should it be?" She inquired. All the while, the young mare turned so that she was no longer facing Aleera and instead directed her attention to a cluster of rocks though her one ear remained perked for a response as she summoned forth her power. Often times, the steps were the same and the sensations not dissimilar in their execution. What mattered was the intention and when her eyes honed in on the cluster of rocks, her desire was made well and clear when her magic burst forth in an anticlimactic finish. The rocks shifted, tumbling and rolling over one another but in terms of what her initial purpose had been, it was quite simply a failure. Her lips pursed and Delphine cantered her head to one side, shooting a wayward glance to the child. "That wasn't what was supposed to happen." A small laugh drifted between them and her eyes lit with what was unquestionably embarrassment and amusement. "The rocks were supposed to break but ah.. Like I said, earth magic is quite fickle."

Delphine made it clear that Aleera‘s gift was for fire and compared her to ‘the dragon in Polaris‘. The pup looked back to the horse with a raised brow, that was the second time someone had said something about a ‘dragon’ whatever a ‘dragon’ was. The last time it had been about her deformities, now it was about her magic. ”I’ve heard of this dragon thing before…People keep bringing him up and comparing him to me, is he…bad?” Clearly what the wolf wanted to ask was ‘is he like me?’ but it came out differently because so much of her life was spent believing that she was a monster of everyone’s nightmares. It was why she opposed much interaction and even believed, some small part of her was as everyone said. She asked if he was bad because she wanted to know if yet again, she was being associated with evil in the world as so many had done before. Truly Aleera was not an evil thing but having suffered as she had from so many, a kind heart was hard to keep and there was little that promised the wolf to be that extraordinary exception. Quickly though, the horse divulged that she was not particularly familiar with Aleera’s source of power and asked as to what the pup focused on to make it happen. ”I learned it on accident by sneezing. I wilted a bed of flowers…” She remarked, looking away with slight embarrassment. ”After that, I just think of warm things until my chest starts to burn…But maybe that’s because I’m holding my breath. She tried to explain but it was clear the exact way in which the spell was being cast, even just barely, was lost upon her.

Delphine then turned from the wolf to face a cluster of rocks. It was clear in the beasts movements she meant to cast something more, and Aleera readied herself for it in case the entire ground shook once more. This time she made no sudden or clear movement that indicated the cast of a spell, but all the same the rocks she seemed to focus upon came tumbling down and Aleera relaxed, not as impressed with this spell as she had been with the last. Delphine cast her a glance, not pleased at all with her own cast either and explained right away that the outcome had been desired differently, that instead of the rocks tumbling apart they were meant to break apart. She even went on to state yet again that earth magic was fickle and Aleera could only cast a side long glance toward the ground herself. ”It’s not the only magic that acts that way.” She muttered, remembering the pain her newest spell had caused her and was uncertain if she even wanted to cast it again. There several long moments of silence as the black pup sat there, apricot eyes down cast before her chest expanded with a large inhale and stood back up. Thin legs where little muscle had begun to form just yet propelled the obsidian girl toward the debris pile, yanking out a few dry leaves and thin twigs. ”I don’t remember how I got this spell to work last time. So um…give me a moment.”

Aleera peered down upon the debris and took in a calming breath, thinking about warm things while also focusing on her feet as that had been where it had manifested before. Energy moved through her, through her gem and she began to feel it. She felt the numbing sensation followed by warmth, like a stone over a fire it took time to become to the degree she desired until finally the creases on her paws as well as her claws became aglow with a white hot intensity. It didn't hurt like it had the last time but regardless the pup touched the debris and almost instantly they caught on fire and began to turn to ash. "Ow, ow, owwww, ow." With her spell cast Aleera then engaged in an awkward little dance where her feet looked for the coolest portions of the stone, leaving behind black scorch marks in the shape of her paws until finally the glow dissipated and she rolled over onto her side, flailing her limbs in a dire attempt to ease the sting of the cast. Eventually the pain vanished as did the magic and Aleera got back to her feet. "I wonder if it would hurt someone else as much as it hurts me." She muttered, for if it didn't, then what good was the spell?

table by Sara

@Delphine

The question Aleera posed was one that bore with it far more implications than Delphine herself intended. Though she did not compare the child to the dragon on the spectrum of good and evil, she feared that her intentions would be mistaken as such. She could see the underlying thoughts passing behind eyes of fire and ember. "Yes, he is but that is not why I brought him up. I remember him because he is born of fire, just as you." She explained though whether or not the interpretation remained lost upon them was entirely left in the hands of the child. "I have a dear friend, a bird who also practices in a similar element." She paused and cast a cursory glance to the pup before choosing to clarify immediately then and there, "Do not mistake my words, I did not compare the dragon to you because I think you're bad, I did so because you both share a power that is beautiful but dangerous. How you choose to wield it is another matter altogether." At that, the mare sought to escape the subject altogether. It was not that she doubted the child but that the notion of good and evil was one she did not oft dwell on, not when her naive heart sought to believe in the good in everyone. To outright claim that anyone was born of chaos was to design a creation counter her beliefs and of her current state of mind, she preferred her oblivious nature. She smiled and wondered how she would have reacted had she sneezed and wilted flowers, she imagined her reaction would have been most convoluted. A mixture of shock, mesmerization and perhaps guilt. "I see..." Then Aleera stood and ambled toward her small pile, each action ghosted by Delphine's curious gaze for what would unfurl. And indeed, the child was one of many wonders. As she called upon her powers, the young mare felt her own react in kind but she was quick to repel its rising thrust when she caught sight of her onyx limbs growing white and just below, the debris catch fire. Delphine gasped wanting to display her excitement if not for the fact it seemed inappropriate when the act of casting the magic itself seemed to bear repercussions of its own. Aleera flailed and it'd taken everything in her power not to rush to her behest if only to make sure she was not wounded. Such an impulse would only scare her away and the fact that they were able to exchange words was a milestone enough. "That's amazing." She mused, her voice lilting with awe. But then another question was posed and suddenly, she found herself at a loss for words. "Do you wish to hurt someone?" Delphine asked softly but instead of dwelling too long on the matter — for she thought perhaps that her concerns were visible upon her features — she turned to face her own pile of rocks, hoping that this time around her magic would obey. Turning her attention inwardly, she tried desperately to assuage her mounting concerns that someone so young would aspire to inflict pain unto others. But it would be no avail when she expelled her magic haphazardly and instead felt a striking pain shoot up both of her forelegs. The mare shrieked and reared, kicking her bloodied limbs on high before slamming gracelessly upon the earth. Where once her legs were a sleek ebon, there were now lacerations light to moderate streaked below the knees. She shuddered and shot a nervous glance to the newly acquired wounds. "That... That's my fault, I wasn't concentrating." She mumbled with a nervous laugh though in truth, the mare took no amount of pleasure in failing so often as she did particularly not when she had audience.