aleera offered to travel all the way to eridanus jsut for plants with healing properties. i couldn't let her go alone, and i didn't want to leave orion either. what if cancer came back? i smiled at her, forcing it with sincerity in order to show her that -while the pain was excruciating- i could not ask such of her.
"don't you worry about me, miss aleera. i'll be alright."
my rump folded beneath me, sitting up on the rock flooring while we sat upon the cliff. jaded lenses looked back down over the edge. she mentioned her magic was fire, and mine was..air. i guess that was a good way to explain it. i shook my head lightly.
"there's more i can do besides control the winds, let us see if i can demonstrate."
and with that, i summoned the magic from my gem yet again, hoping to draw from them the disorienting vibrations. soon, the atmosphere around us began to vibrate and shimmer, and as i opened my eyes my vision was rather blurred and my mind became slightly disoriented. the nausea crept up on me so i released it, and heaved a heavy sigh.
"i'm still not sure if that only has an affect on me, or everyone."
i chuckled nervously.

i sucked in a breath again, looking to aleera.
"you don't have to travel to eridanus for me. the small pools around my tower make them feel much better, has even sped up the healing."
i smiled reassuringly, gesturing with the small flow of the head toward the direction of the tower.
"you'd quite like the tower."
i said as if i knew, when in fact i had no idea if she really would or not. tufted tassel flicked about with relaxation, haphazard and absentminded.

@aleera

Niru was quick to turn down her offer for aid. Perhaps this was because he did not believe he needed it, or because he did not think her capable of the journey. There was certainly no greenery in this place, but finding an adequate area with foliage would not be a troubling matter for the wolf, as many of those places she had already made mental notes of. Macabre maw opened to speak, yet her words died upon her lips. It would do little good to argue with the lion, she could not force him to accept her help if he did not want it. She knew that from first hand experience. Niru coiled to a sitting position and a flinch of pain ran through him, painful spasms due to open wounds that she wanted to take from him and throw upon others…It was to bad she could do no such thing. Then all to quickly he went on to address what she had dubbed his magic with a good amount of certainty, that it was not just the very air he controlled but also the atmosphere as he began to display for her.

The earth did not shake, but the world above it did. Everything felt like a sudden wash of numbness that hit Aleera hard, forcing her down to lay upon her stomach in an attempt to keep from vomiting. ”Eh, that’s awful.” She whined, shaking her head to rid herself of the feeling Niru’s magic had induced. ”Beats my stupid magic, if I had that gift I coulda made that dumb bird puke his guts out!” She exclaimed, rather upset by the sudden notion. Out of all the magics she had felt so far, Niru’s was by far the most aggravating and perhaps the most effective in distracting someone should the need arise…Which had been the majority of her life since being born into this world of caves and shadows. After a moment of calming her stomach down Aleera rose back up on her paws gingerly, after all, they were still healing from her encounter with Ambrus.

When Niru mentioned the tower, apricot eyes turned to the structure and observed it for a moment. ”What’s so great about it?” She asked, after all, it looked like nothing more that a large cylindrical rock to her.

table by Sara

@Niru

All was dandy, but her words struck me. What bird? Where? Brows furrowed and my head turned slowly, facing her to observe her. I felt truly terrible for displaying the vibrations, i guess that answered my question. It affected others too, but i didn't want aleera to be the subject to suffer. I grimaced.
"what bird?"
I asked impolitely, but with an ever loving tone as i would hate if something bad happened to the young wolf pup. After that, her attention turned back upon my beloved tower, and she questioned the reason behind my adoration. My expression softened and i smiled now, giving a small chuckle.
"oh its nothing too special. I like the height. I can see high above all the others. It's also a quiet place."
While i was not particularly anti-social, i did enjoy my soitude from fime to time.

@aleera

She had said to much. She knew it the second Niru turned around to face her. He felt sorry for her. But she didn’t want his pity, she didn’t want anyone’s sorrow for her. She was not some delicate thing that needed to be protected. She was as strong as anyone else, and it only made her grow angry the longer he looked her like that. Her anger stemmed from the fact that everyone thought she was weak because she was different, that she wasn’t ‘perfect’, failing entirely to recognize that his agony for her was nothing born of the sort. He was upset by the idea of her being hurt because Niru was a truly caring person, but as it had been too many times prior to now, the longer she was told what she wasn’t the more she felt the need to prove it. It took precious little effort to pain even an act of compassion as damaging. Finally his looks were born into words, questioning who this bird was she speak of. ”No one.” She muttered, looking away from the lion cub, her features hardening.

He remarked upon the tower again, but it wasn’t enough to distract Aleera from the anger waking in the depths of her chest. Orange eyes cast him a sidelong look, hardly friendly this time before she suddenly rose to her paws and took several steps back from him as she spoke. ”Then go enjoy it.” The pup continued to back away until there was a sufficient amount of space between them, allowing her to turn right then and there and dart off into some unknown part of Orion. Her dark form was lost among the shadows, the shadows where she was meant to be.

Aleera Exits

table by Sara

@Niru

oh no, what had i done now? i looked at her in disbelief as she began to leave, snarky remarks hanging in the atmosphere as she departed. i let her go, i wasn't about to go chasing after her - not in my state. however, i was rather genuinely concerned. my brows furrowed, and marred muzzle fell agape with the utter confusion at her irritation. what is something i'd said? i went back over the words i'd said. nothing seemed insulting to me, but what did i know. i simply watched her go in silence, and when i was sure she was out of ear shot, i muttered.
"until next time, aleera."
the temperate tones were soft, small, sincere and weighed down with melancholy.

tufted tassel gave a flick as i waited a long, long while before even standing to also retreat. as to where, i wasn't sure. maybe to the tower. maybe to the throne. anywhere but the cliffs. i descended the area with discomforted ease, practicing my balance as i then landed upon orion's main room's rocky flooring. jaded lenses looked about, heaving a sigh as i then looked about. something catching my sight, glinting in the distance. i began to investigate, walking slowly toward the area. a dark corner, in the most recesses of orion itself.

@aleera

-niru exits-