Enka walked through Eridanus looking over the plants and seeing how they were. She was still trying to get use to her new body; the longer tail and scales making her overall heavier than her old springbok form had been. Not that she felt any different inside other than a newfound need to be weary of some few, select creatures. She knew it wouldn’t be long before she had gotten use to her new look and was daintily prancing once more.

Before long, she got a spot that was more barren than the rest. “This would be a good spot to work on," she thought to herself. The grass here had been eaten away leaving little in the way of flora. It was by anything tragic, just simply nature taking its course. So, she too much allow her nature to take course. She eased herself down, folding her long legs beneath her and curling her tail around. Brown eyes gently closed to allow herself to better focus.

Her horn, a shimmering swirl of greens and cream began to faintly glow. Before her a few tiny sprigs of green began to appear. But Enka was distracted, her thoughts only partly on the work before her. She couldn’t help but think of the rush of events that had occurred recently; the battle and its destruction, the rebirth of her and others, the new form she and her father both now had. Despite the attempt to shift her thoughts away, they kept returning.

Enka opened her eyes with a heavy sigh and nuzzled the young plants. “It’s a start, young ones,” she mused softly to her new plant children.

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Tags: @Atinneas
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Atinneas was taking a walk to keep her mind busy in the life filled room. She felt a sense of belonging being in the Kingdom of Eridanus. All the life it held, and everything it stood for was so kind and peaceful. As she walked she felt her paw brush up against something and she immediately stopped, halting her movements completely. She gently felt, and realized it was young plants she was touching. The cub touched the plants gently, caressing them with the care a mother would to a child. What the small cub didn't realize is that those plants were Enka's, who had just grown them. Atinneas loved flowers and plant life, they felt so pretty. She noticed that someone was very close, so the blind lioness spoke. "Hello. I'm Atinneas, what's your name? The plants here feel really pretty. Sorry if I came too close to them, I'm blind. It doesn't bother me though! I just have to watch where I'm going." She waved her tail happily, hoping to learn more of who was there. "I like how flowers and trees feel, they feel really beautiful."

@Enka

Enka pondered how best to work with the plants and shift troublesome thoughts away with a bit of white came to her focus. She shifted her head to better seen in front of her to welcome the sight of a small bundle of white fur. The cub had come over to the plants and were now petting them with a surprising amount of gentleness. The scene warmed her heart enough that she simply watched for a moment.

Then the cub was once again young and full of spirited life. Enka couldn’t help but give the slight bit of chuckle at the young lioness.

“Hello Atinneas. My name is Enka. No fear, plants are often quite hardy things. They always spring back no matter what happens.” She attempted to cause more plants to appear about the cub, but her focus was elsewhere. Perhaps for the best as to not startle the young thing.

“They are beautiful to the touch, though not all of them are so nice. Some have thorns that can hurt. They don’t mean to hurt, though, that’s just how they protect themselves.” Her mind thought of the young bloodberries they had to deal with before shaking the thoughts out with a literal toss of her head.

“You’re the young cub who joined us with the Kingdom of Eridanus, right? I had to remember such a beautiful young cub,” she added with a smile that was reflected in her voice.

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Tags: @Atinneas
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Atinneas liked what she learned about plants, about them springing back no matter what happened. That sounded a lot like her! The little cub would remember to be careful when touching plants so she wouldn't get pricked at. Though Atinneas was careful with everything she touched. She brightened up even more at the compliment of being called beautiful. "Thanks Enka. Yes, that was me! I was really happy when Rift announced the start of it." Then her thoughts went back to the situation that had happened when she got there. "Um, Enka? Back when the kingdom was created, what was going on with the three gembounds who were in trouble? Why were they being held against their will? I tried to ask questions but nobody was listening to me." She sat on the ground as her ears dropped sadly out of concern on what had happened. The child simply wanted to know what the big deal was when she had arrived shortly before the kingdom's creation.

@Enka

As the lion cub asked her question, Enka gave a soft sigh and closed her eyes. The child had no idea how difficult and painful a question it was that was being asked. Enka had attempted to push away the thoughts of that fight, but it would appear that fate wished her to work through it instead. But how to explain all that had happened, let alone to a young hatchling?

With a deep breath, Enka turned once more towards the cub. If Atinneas did wish to join the kingdom, it was only fair that she knew the reasoning for its existence.

“We did not mean to upset you, young one. It’s just that … such a question is both difficult and painful….” She could not keep the hurt from her voice with those words. For a moment her heart beat quickened, remembering the moment when she thought that all was lost; that she and her family were truly going to die. The springbok now kirin shook the thought from her head, though, so she could continue. So, she thought back to what had happened, what she had seen and what Rift had told her long ago. Then she turned back to the cub with a soft look that hopefully reflected in her voice.

“Come, young one, and let me tell you a story to try and answer your questions.

Long ago, before I had even hatched, Rift was a small gem creature. Even then, Rift loved life of all kinds, but none more than his plants. One day met a terrible bird known as a goose, a gembound who wanted to cause destruction and harm whose name was Blackberry. She was his opposite, a shadow to his light. One day they met and Rift tried to stop her from hurting the forest. The two began to fight. It was hard to say who won, but Blackberry ran away that day, promising to never forget what happened. And Rift went back to caring for the forest.

After a while, both grew up. Rift found Sebastian and they became brothers. Then he found me and raised me since I was a young calf just a little younger than you. And Blackberry too found someone she cared about and started a family. But Rift and Blackberry are still opposites. Rift taught us to love nature, to help it grow. Blackberry taught her family to fight, to destroy. So too did their families become opposites.

Then one day Blackberry decided she could get revenge on Rift for the fight that happened so long ago. She and her family came to Eridanus to fight Rift. Many of us heard or saw signs of the fight and came to his aid. It was a terrible thing. Many of us on both sides were hurt, even bad enough to go back into our chrysalis to heal again. Some of us enough so that we changed. And one poor gem was hurt enough that he can never come back again.”

Enka paused for a moment, letting the words sink in to both herself and the cub. Her heart ached as it still felt so recent to her. It stung that so many were needlessly hurt. And her heart ached that her father had been damaged so much that his form had changed. That she herself was hurt enough to have changed from the fight. The very thought made her ache as a quiver ran through her body to end in a flick of her rump and tail.

“That is why,” Enka continued after a moment, “those three were locked away for a time. They are part of Blackberry’s family, part of the ones who hurt so many needlessly. We needed to make sure they were not like their mother, that they wouldn’t hurt others ever again. And that is why Rift made his kingdom, why it is so very important to him. He feels like he must protect those he cares about, and that includes the forest itself.

And, as part of the kingdom, that now includes you Atinneas.”

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Tags: @Atinneas
Notes: The hows and whys of war as explained to a 5 year old. XD

Atinneas was saddened to hear of what had happened prior to the kingdom's creation, and during it. By the sound of Enka's voice, she did not sound happy telling that story. Out of care for Enka, the little cub stood up and walked over to Enka. She rubbed up to her front leg, and wrapped herself around it like a kitten would when they were about to fall asleep. As she lay curled around Enka's leg, she spoke. "I understand Enka, and thank you for telling me." The little one really did appreciate Enka explaining what had happened. "Hey Enka, you think maybe when I'm bigger, I could help the kingdom more? Like help build gardens and stuff? Right now I'm just learning how to get around with my other senses, and try not bump into anyone, even though I can't help it sometimes." It felt comfortable being wrapped around Enka's leg like this. It was also a good idea to change the subject, and focus on helping out more in the kingdom. Now though, she needed to learn how to get around without her sight, and it was kind of hard doing it on her own.

@Enka

The springbok kirin smiled softly as the lion cub came over and circled around her leg. It was a difficult story to tell and, she was sure, a difficult story to hear. Though she had left out the explicit details of the fight it was clear enough for a young one that it was a bad time. She wished that she could purr like her father and uncle could. It was a gentle sound that was calming. Springboks did not often make much in the way of noises like her family did. However, they would nuzzle her and that was also a comforting movement.

Enka gave a gentle huff, lowering her head to nuzzle the cub as best she could without being too rough. Atinneas was just a hatchling, after all, and probably still quite fragile. It was amazing how resistant the cub was, so young and blind and yet managing as well as she was; even trying to comfort the other. “Such a sweet child,” she thought with a soft smile and a flick of her ears.

“I’m quite sure you can, if that’s what you wish. I think you’ll grow very big and strong. Plus, you have an advantage, little one, over most of the others of the kingdom.” She gave a small wink towards Atinneas before realizing it would be missed. “You have a secret weapon, all of your own. Do you know what that is?”

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Tags: @Atinneas
Notes: So cuuuuuute!

The little cub's ears flicked happily as Enka nuzzled her. Atinneas made a promise to herself that she would help to protect the kingdom, just like Rift was doing. Though she would do her best, physical combat would definitely not be her strong suit. She perked up when Enka said she had an advantage. Atinneas shook her head at Enka's question. What did she have that the others didn't? The white cub might as well take a guess. "No. Is it faith? I have a lot of that." Atinneas of course completely missed the wink that Enka had given her. Whatever advantage she had, she would use it to help those she cared for.

@Enka

She chuckled a little bit at the cub’s enthusiasm and response. Enka was pleased that the verbal bait she had laid was grabbed at by Atinneas. Just as the cub was trying to distract from the previous topic, Enka was attempting to distract from the emotions. It was also very amusing to see the young one’s enthusiasm. From her understanding, she had been much the same way when she was a young lamb.

“Faith is very important, yes. But that’s not what I mean. You have an advantage because you are already taking the very first step to working with plants, by trying to use your other senses to explore the world around you. That’s very, very important.”

Her gemstone horn glimmered and shimmered a bit as she tried to focus on the magic it contained. Yet she found it difficult to focus on both performing magic as well as teaching. Fortunately, Enka did not believe that others could sense when she would reach out to sense the plant life of the area.

“One of the first things I learned was how to sense the plants nearby, from the giant trees to the small tiny seeds. To feel them with your magic so that you don’t have to see them. After that, you can help them grow and bloom, even shape them as you wish. But you start by simply feeling them with your magic. Since you are already trying to sense the world around you without sight, you are a step closer to sensing with your magic than others are. Does that make sense?”

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Atinneas listened as Enka explained what her advantage was. Yes she couldn't see, but feeling and sensing without her sight made her better at sensing with her magic, and the plants around her. She nodded at Enka's question, indicating that she understood. "Yeah, I get it!" The cub unwrapped from Enka's leg and made walked to the front of Enka. She waved her tail as she asked a question. "Enka, I know that other people have magic. I'm trying to figure out how to unlock mine. What do you think I have?" She walked up to Enka and pressed her head on her leg. Then suddenly, that weird feeling came up again, and her mind went blank. The little cub went into focus mode as her mind played a memory. Only, it wasn't hers. She knew it wasn't, and finally, she got a clue to her own question. She had the ability to use the power of her mind.

@Enka