Pride gave Azizos a gentle nudge.

"Do you need more sleep?" he asked, gently. "It's time for our lesson." He didn't want to delay it too long--the light would soon be failing, the cave's evening coming on. Energy magic could be dangerous at the best of times, and practicing it in the dark would introduce a new element of danger that he didn't feel Azizos was quite ready for.

When the little one stirred (not so little, anymore, he reminded himself), Pride spoke again. "I thought I might take you to the water. The pools. They will show you more clearly the effects of kinetic impacts, even what's normally invisible to our eyes. If you're up for it?" Then he stepped back, looking over his son.

They had grown.

At birth, they had been small, clumsy things with bright wide eyes. They had staggered and scampered and played and their parents had watched over them closely.

At a cycle of age, both had been equally clumsy--nock-kneed and gangly as they began to grow toward their adult sizes. The stumbling had lessened, but not greatly, and their eyes had taken on humor and playfulness.

At two cycles, Pride thought he'd noted more intensity in Azizos's gaze, and more dreamy distraction in Arsu's. The two were fawns, cubs, colts--whatever you'd call it--taller, with legs too long for their bodies.

Now, at three cycles old, they were at last beginning to grow into their adult forms. The exuberance of youth was, he felt, somewhat fading--giving way to their individual interests and thought patterns. In Arsu this manifested in daydreaming, in longing ruminations and storytelling of his own--not unlike Mercurius, but without the bitter hint of past defeats. Azizos showed interest in his energy magic, intent and studious, carefully wording his speech and always deeply focused. He was, Pride felt, much like himself--but with a tendency to quickly grow discouraged, disappointed.

He hoped to rectify that, as well as teaching his son how to cast magic to the best of his ability.

He was proud of them, though--proud of them both.

They're good kids.

Some twenty yards off, under the cover of heavy brush, he could feel his familiar. The white arctic hare was washing her face, grooming her whiskers, and eavesdropping on his every thought. She couldn't understand words, of course--but she grasped his love for his sons, his faint worry for Azizos' self-defeat, and Pride's own pride. Her own thought--acidic as always, but humorous, playful--came back to his own mind, and if he had to put it into words it would have been: You're boring.

He sent back an amused acknowledgement, and stepped back, waiting for his son to fully wake.

@Azizos

As dignified as ever, Azizos was splayed out on his side, legs halfway strewn across his poor brother's flank. His mouth hung open, open to any flies. Feeling a nudge at his side, he stretched --- cat-like --- and rolled off of his innocent brother. Floundering back on his other side, he whined softly, "a moment, please." He hadn't even opened his eyes to welcome the dusk, preferring to just bury his face into his legs. Any excitement about any lessons was missed; he hadn't quite caught the last bit.

Wait, water? Effects? Silvery hooves click!ed against stone as he jerked to his stomach in record time. Azizos's eyes grew wide, tenacious. Oh, they had been planning on working on magic, weren't they? No longer a gangly fawn-cub, the morning star elegantly rose to his feet and nodded, "the pools sound nice." Water rippled in the wake of energy, much like how it rippled as one took a drink; or, as a droplet struck its surface.

Maybe, where he felt and saw nothing in air, the young one was mustering some magic in an aqueous form. Now, that was positivity --- or the closest Azizos could get to it. He considered it logic and thoughtful reasoning.

@Pride

Pride watched, gently amused. His children-... This one was more mercurial than he, but held his interest in magic, that much was certain.

"Take your time," he said with humor, noting the jaw that'd been gaping open a moment ago, the legs splayed every which way. Only once Azizos was truly awake did he turn, his own gait unhurried and stately as he picked his way from the grove and began to head down toward the Eyes.

The grasses and ferns lightly parted as he pushed through, glancing half-back once to ensure that Azizos was behind him. "I've taught you a great deal about energy magic, now. I've warned you of the dangers of it, perhaps too much," he added with amusement, remembering his perhaps too-graphic description of having temporarily blinded himself, and Aster's managing to shatter her own leg with the same magics. "I've taught you how to direct it, but it's hard to visualize. So we'll work on both precision, and power, today."

He picked his way down the ancient paths, the damp soil soft underfoot, the sound of a rushing brook somewhere not too far off a gentle gurgle in his ears. There was no sound that warned of danger; there was no scent that spoke of predators. Well, except for Azizos himself, but he was no threat.

"The water should allow you to see more clearly--without destroying anything!--how strong your push of magic is, how focused and precise. It should tell you the direction of it. It will also let you see how far it goes--both directed, and general magical shoves that push in all directions. Are you hungry, thirsty?" He'd warned Azizos, too, against practicing when hungry or thirsty--at least, at first. It would be useful later to get used to it, to adapt to it, but for learning it was certainly suboptimal.

Behind him he could feel his familiar debating whether to come along and watch, or to go back to sleep in her warm nest in the glade. He didn't mind either way--but if she came along, hopefully she wouldn't get in the crossfire.

@Azizos

Once Azizos had gathered the last shreds of his dignity and reined in his excitement to practice magic, he followed suit with his father: trailing with a delicate, graceful gait similar to the purposeful saunter of a predator. Each movement of the shoulders was blatantly obvious, head held at "half-mast" as he kept a close eye on his surroundings.

"I remember you telling me about Aster," the Morning Star mused off-handedly, indicating that he was listening --- as if Pride needed any reminding of how attentive Azizos was. It was also worth mentioning that "I've been careful when I practice by myself. I don't try anything too extreme or new, since you aren't around." At least, if something went horribly wrong but his father was around, the kirin-esque creature would be somewhat alright; in theory, anyways. Regardless, it was --- indeed --- difficult to see the flow of energy, despite having it be his most natural source of magicka. Plants and other things rooted the ground would stir in its wake, but that was it. He hadn't studied water yet, and most certainly not that of the Eyes.

He was quiet, though, on the trip. Azizos enjoyed the solitude of simply following his father, finding an oddly primal sense of comfort in the action. It was akin to how he had felt when "helping" herd the strange Naskital's reindeer back to his sleigh; weaving in and out of much longer limbs and finding safety in numbers. As things turned out, it was herd instinct that drove Azizos to feel this way. Safety in numbers, he mused, again. He was okay being alone, especially since he could now fend for himself with antlers and powerful legs; but, being with another, even in companionable silence, felt deeply satisfying.

Besides, Eridanus was just beautiful, even beyond his maned father's garden.

"The water makes waves, doesn't it?" Ever the studious one, Azizos had questions. Sometimes, he even had answers: "I'm alright. I ate and drank before I slept." Yes, before he had collapsed all over poor Arsu, the Morning Star had chased down an unsuspecting bird and sprung after it. He could have hunted one of Eridanus's many rodents, but that felt like betraying Mischief. The familiar was too near and dear to his heart to even consider such an action. Eating without much concern was downright disgusting.

@Pride

Pride inclined his head in agreement as he moved along, and then gave his head a thoughtful little shake. "Water is like air. It isn't the waves, exactly--imagine if you forced a powerful surge of energy straight down into it. You'd see it part, a hole open in it briefly. It'll be good for seeing your magic's direction and power--something you can't really see in air. And it'll give you an idea of just how far it really reaches."

Ahh--and here they were. Pride stepped out of the brush, picking his way down over mossy stones and thick, protruding roots, to the water's edge. Eridanus was loud with birdsong, always full of life, but the Eyes seemed to be empty and safe.

Good.

He turned, ears pressing toward his son as he spoke further. "So; here we are. I hope you'e ready--?" This came with a hint of playfulness. "Watch." The white stag then turned to the water, peering down at it and, for a moment, focusing deeply. His magicka flickered up--not a powerful surge, but that didn't matter, not for the sake of example. It blasted down and forward in a small, light dispelling of the air--and water--before it, and for a moment it appeared as though a large fist had punched downward a few feet into the water. To either side the displaced liquid splashed up and outward, and he felt the spray over his face and coat with the satisfaction of a spell well-cast.

"There," he told Azizos, turning as he did so. He regarded his son with steady, silver eyes, then backed away from the water. "I think it doesn't go quite so far when in water, as in air, but it should give you some idea. You try it."

@Azizos

Azizos's ears lifted, pride sparking in his eyes as his father agreed, then explained. It wasn't an unfounded observation, then, that water created waves — yet, there was more to it. A hole would be punched through it, if energy moved straight down into it. Curious. "I see," he noted gently, voice rumbling deeply in his throat. He fell silent again, preferring to carefully watch his every step and cast his hooves over tightly-wound roots and little brooks. As soon as water was left behind, Eridanus seemed to fall still. That was odd, considering how the Lesser birds sang constantly and water sang from some distant river.

He wasn't entirely sure how to feel about that — his mane pricked in anticipation.

"I believe I am ready — one moment," the lion-stag nodded, circling carefully around the eyes so that he was just to his father's right, peering down from a better angle. View unobstructed by shadows or glaring reflections, Azizos watched as energy moved through the air, then the water; then, it most certainly punched a hole into the surface, sending up quite a spray. He flinched, eyes blinking rapidly and scuttling backwards a few steps. "The water's very cold, Father!" Azizos laughed, lowering his head and moving back into position. Just as quickly as magic had moved, the Eyes were still again — intriguing.

Given some space, the young lion-stag peered into the crystalline surface of the water. Looking back at him was a perfect reflection. Fortunately, a big nose made for a very good target, and silvery-blue eyes immediately zeroed in on it. His tail wagged side to side, tassel slicing through the air and arcing over his head. Much like a cat, his haunches swayed, as if mustering up magicka from his rear. Once he felt like he had a good enough grasp on the most primal of energies, Azizos threw it out into the Eyes.

Latent magicka spiraled from his stone-bound horn, casting a rather small, but notable hole into the water's surface. As expected, the chilling cold splashed onto his face, sending him backwards with another laugh, "I saw it!"

@Pride

Pride gave his head a tilt of acknowledgement, but his expression--and his voice--were warm and approving, encouraging even. "Excellent job," he said, and then stepped down toward the water's edge again. This time, he stood somewhat away from his son. "One day, you may feel confident enough to fling the magic out in all directions--useful, for example, if you don't know from which way an attack will come, or if you have enemies on multiple sides. Watch the water, now," he cautioned, wading in chest-deep.

Damn, it's cold, he thought to himself, and the idea was troubling--Azizos was right. It wasn't just cold, either, it was bitter, almost unnaturally icy.

Shaking the thought away, Pride concentrated on his magic. The sooner he correctly formed and released his magic, the sooner he could step back out.

He glanced up at Azizos, making sure his son's eyes were upon him, before lashing out with his gathered magicka. It wasn't anywhere near Azizos himself, of course--he'd safely gained distance--but the spell's effects on water were impressive nonetheless. A crater of dry air briefly formed around Pride, an explosive splash audible as the orb of energy rocketed out around him in all directions. For a fraction of a second he stood as if in an orb of air, and the spell's effects were clearly visible as it pushed the water away--and then it was over, the lake splashing back in to fill the magically-formed gap. It took a moment for the ripples to begin to fade, and Pride looked to Azizos, stepping rather hurriedly back out onto dry (warm!) land.

"You could test all sorts of things, here. You can learn to freeze and boil water; how to form mist from it. You can learn to manipulate the water itself, or if you wish to learn fire--... Well, stay near water. That is also an unpleasant magic to have backfire on you." His tone was patient--he was in no rush. It was important that he teach Azizos as best he could. Arsu didn't share his interest in Pride's method of magic, and that was fine--the world could do with more like him and Mercurius. But Azizos did, and Pride knew damn well just how powerful their magic could be. The damage inflicted could be devastating on one's enemies--and, if not well-trained, even on oneself. In fact-... (And another thought occured to Pride)-- "Just be careful how deep you get. The last thing you want is to break your own legs, and drown from it."

@Azizos

His mane pricked, again — from blatant pride, this time — as his father praised his magic. The push hadn't felt too strong, and it most certainly had not pushed him back like some of his more successful attempts. Perhaps, it was best to focus on bursts of magic, and not the sort that knocked him off of his feet; or his feet off of him. Azizos gazed warily at the stag, watching as he waded into the icy waters. One splash had been cold enough for the lion-stag, and here, Father was far beyond ankles-deep in it.

He dipped one, lone hoof into the water, wanting to possibly join the stag. The Eyes sent a shiver up his leg, dissuading any further attempts. And, seeing as he was half feline, the idea of getting wet wasn't too appealing to him. Instead, Azizos paced about the water's edge, tail swaying to and fro. Silvery eyes remained locked on Pride no matter what, though. The lion-stag gasped as energy surged out, a bubble of air encasing his father and spreading. Water clung to its edges, scattering in cold droplets. Just as quickly as the event had happened, it was over.

Head tilted slightly to the side and tail raised, Azizos danced on the spot. "That was—" he paused, for lack of a better word than cool, "powerful, beautiful. It seemed like rain for a moment." Satisfied with his observations, he listened with wide, moonlit eyes. Plodding forwards, he made to give a couple of licks to Pride, hoping to somehow warm his father up from standing in all of that icy water. "I don't plan to get in that water— it is cold and I'd feel like a heavy lump with my mane wet," Azizos rumbled, humor lacing his voice as he shook his neck out.

Magicka ached at the base of his skull, distinctly seeming to originate from his stone itself. The Morning Star bristled slightly, and stared into the lake's surface. "I wonder—" he thought aloud, head moving up from his own reflection. Something within him was wound-up tight, begging to be released. Azizos spun in a circle on the spot, gaze momentarily leaving the Eyes and falling on a miscellaneous pebble by his hoof. With a careful, precise nudge, he placed the stone just at the lake's edge. Honing his focus on it, he lightly kicked at it.

Rather than simply rolling over, the stone flew in an impressively straight line across the water's surface. It left a lightly rippling trail as it skipped four times and inevitably sank. If he had to guess and knew about human units of measure, he'd say that the stone flew about twenty meters out to proverbial sea. Silvery eyes turned up to Pride, visibly ecstatic that he had thrown a rock at a lake. From a precision standpoint, this was an enormous step forward that even Azizos could notice it.

@Pride

Pride snorted in amusement at the young one's talk of being wet. He wasn't sure if Mercurius disliked water--the lion had not, so far as Pride could remember, professed dislike of anything. But the youth's words regarding rain were beautiful, and he gave a little nod. "It did look like rain, yes. Your words are beautiful, as well. Perhaps you ought to try storytelling, yourself," he added, thinking again of Mercurius. These were Mercy's children, after all, as much as his own; perhaps they would, in time, fill the caves with their own tales.

Then a stone was shooting off over the water, slapping off it, and Pride looked sharply to his son. "Was that magic--?" he asked, and his surprise was evident in his tone. He himself had never focused energy on an object in such a way--he'd used his mind, yes, but that was all.

Fascinated, he fished quickly for the falling stone, in the water, with his own mind. He couldn't find it, though--it had fallen too deep into the cold wet--and he turned, kicking lightly along the shore for a brief moment. There--he found another, and nudged it, looking with bright interest to Azizos.

"Can you do it again..?"

@Azizos

Azizos shook his head, a fluting laugh escaping his lips, "someday, maybe. I haven't seen enough — yet — to create a proper story." As far as he knew, there was far more to the world than just this cavernous green and the starry vault. There were great waterfalls, creatures in the deep, swamps that stretched for miles. What was to say that nothing lay beyond? Additionally, he didn't quite have the knowledge of people and things that he thought fitting of a storyteller; there were few Gembound that he had encountered and even fewer dangers. Naskital was one of the few others he knew the name of, and even then, the mysterious stranger was certainly an unknown. "Perhaps… I should get out more," the lion-stag added curiously, noting that for later.

Then, he cast the stone across the water. Large — but not oversized, now — ears swung forward, first toward the skipping pebble and then to his father, prompted by a surprised interjection. Azizos looked away from the lake and to his avidly curious father. Had he discovered something the stag didn't know possible? "I believe it was; I felt a strange surge in my chest and had to get it out — and I pushed it into that stone," he tossed his head, as if he were reenacting the scenario. "It was energy, I think. Once it flew, I couldn't control it." With a false sense of snideness, the Azizos smirked, "I suppose it's a good thing that I have excellent aim."

The lion-stag took his place, regardless, focusing on the pebble near Pride's hooves. "I will try," he murmured, already feeling energy pulse within his breast. Once it seemed near bursting from his ribcage like a rabbit, he lowered his head. One gentle touch from his nose sent the object careening across the lake again. This time, it skipped about seven times and nearly made it to the heart of the Eyes.

@Pride