Ari

Hope is but a waking dream

The soft songs of the birds in the forest greeted the lion as he walked out into the humid jungle he had been born in. It was hard to believe that had been four cycles ago. The jungle hadn’t changed a bit and he hadn’t been able to find Aunty. He couldn’t help but wonder if she decided to go and sleep with her mate. If she did then it would be a long time before Aristotle ever saw her again. But as long as she was happy and safe, then Aristotle could live with that, he had to admit he did miss the large ape. He wondered how Titanite was doing, he hadn’t seen him since near the first time he had met James. That seemed like so long ago.

Large broad paws landed with muffled steps as the lion made his way through the underbrush. Today he was hunting, but not for food. He had gone to The Collector and was now on a hunt for Gemstones. But not just any gemstones, he was searching for gemstones with life in them. He had been tasked with finding five of them for The Collector. He wasn’t sure how he felt about sacrificing a life that hadn’t even had a chance to live yet. They were like Abraxas, but not like her. She had called out to him somehow, these he was searching for.

Finding a good high spot to perch on while he used his magic. The lion sat down on the rock. Closing his eyes the lion took a deep calming breath and pulled at the wellspring of magic within him and cast it out like a net to the surrounding area. And it took a little bit for a break in his magic to appear where it met anothers. The lion hopped down from his perch landing with ease and grace, then he took off following the tug in his magic.

Aristotle has discovered a pale green, glitteringly-translucent shard of Prasiolite, containing Pupil-level magic. It looks like it holds the shimmer of a sunlit, unknown sea.

@Aristostle

Ari

Hope is but a waking dream

The lion made his way through the underbrush of the jungle. He was following his magic this time. Something he had only done once before, but seemed to be doing alright with it. Broad paws carried him swiftly through the area as baby blue eyes scanned the ground. The closer he got to the hole in his magic a strange tickle formed in his spine that caused the muscles to twitch. It was as if he were a radar and the little twitches were saying, yes you’re getting closer. Because the closer he got the worse the tickle and twitching got.

And there, Something glimmering in the light in the grasses up ahead. If he hadn’t been paying attention he would have probably missed the little glimmer entirely. Gingerly the lion trotted up to the small gem. A bit surprised at the size, he would have thought it to at least have been as big as his paw. However it was barely bigger than his claw. Picking it up he used a paw to open the rabbit skin bag around his neck so he could drop it in.

With hope and eagerness in his heart, the lion smiled. Perhaps this task would not be as hard as he thought it would be. Closing his eyes the lion took a deep calming breath and once more dug for his magic, in order to cast a net. He ignored the hole in his magic net that was around his neck and instead looked farther out. It didn’t take long for the net to find yet another Gem just waiting for him to come and pluck it from its resting place. The lion trotted off in the direction of the gem.

The Tinzenite that Aristotle now came across held Pupil-level magic, as well. It was a cluster of bright and peachy orange rock, small, with ridges and planes in all sorts of directions. Where the first stone was only an inch or so across, this one was nearly four.

@Aristotle

Ari

Hope is but a waking dream

It took the lion longer than he thought it would. The tingle not exactly being a precise measurement for where the gem was. Last time had just been fluke as somehow the light had managed to catch on the pale green stone and cause it to shine. That had caught his attention. This time however it would seem he would have no such luck.

The lion let out a soft growl of irritation as he combed through the grasses and underbrush crawling around on his belly. He was determined to find the gem, he would make James' life easier and besides the stones were turning out to be beautiful in their own right. Perhaps he could keep looking after he found what he needed to pay off The Collector. Find a few stones for him and James to give life to. To start their own family. They could give Sun a few brothers and sisters, of course they had Abraxas already. Aristotle was sure that Sun would enjoy having some siblings his own age to play with. But that could wait till after the move. He could collect them now and revive them when James was feeling better and they were settled in their new home in Eridanus.

Aristotle leaned down and picked up the peach colored gem. It was lovely, such a soft and gentle shade. With a fluid movement the lion opened his rabbit skin bag and dropped the much larger gemstone inside. Giving a little wiggle to soothe his muscles that were wanting to run, the lion took a deep calming breath. Again he reached inside with his magic and cast out a net of his magic, and again he felt for the tug followed by the tingle that told him he was going the right way. And there it was a ways off this time. The lion wasn’t exactly sure how far his magic detection net would actually reach but so far it had been at least several hundred yards.

Aristotle let out a bit of sigh and began following his little magic radar tingle. It took him a bit to find the gem. It happened to be hidden under a tree surrounded by bushes. Without much thought the lion picked up the gem and deposited it into his rabbit skin bag.

Ari

Hope is but a waking dream

It would seem his magic was strong today. He wasn’t having very much trouble at all finding these gems for The Collector. He already had three, that meant he only needed two more. However he intended to keep looking for more gems after he found the last two he needed, he would bring home more babies for James and himself and siblings for Sun. A soft smile spread across the lion’s muzzle as he stood there for a moment. Hunting for gems was turning out to actually be kind of fun.

The lion turned his head looking around the densely wooded area he was in. He couldn’t help but wonder what creatures left these gems behind when they passed. The lion pulled himself from his own musings. He knew he needed to keep going and find the rest of the stones. Aristotle closed his eyes once more taking a deep calming breath, he reached deep into his own magic well and cast a net of his own magic out looking for a fourth stone.

It took longer than the first three had for his net to locate a new stone. This one seemed to be on the fringes of his abilities reach. It was farther than the others had been and the strange tingle in his back barely even an itch at the moment told him this one was going to take a while to find. Aristotle trotted off at gentle lope in the direction he had felt it. The tingle in his back growing to a full blown twitch as he approached a strange small alcove in the roots of a tree. The lion sniffed at the hole and gently dug with a single front paw. He pulled a few paws full of dirt from the tree's roots, and out fell yet another stone. Again in one fluid motion the lion picked up the gem opened his bag and dropped it in.

Ari

Hope is but a waking dream

Aristotle let a rather proud grin spread across his muzzle. Why shouldn’t he feel good. His magic was keeping with him, and had yet to fail him. Things were going pretty good and he would soon be done with his task. As he cast out his magic net, there was a near instant reaction against his magic not far away. The new magic from the stone crackled from it and into his own magic as they seemed to sort of mingle as one.

Aristotle started walking in the direction where he could feel the magic. HIs back already twitching and spasming as he walked. That part of his Detect Magic was a bit annoying, and he could honestly do without it. Being able to feel with his magic was enough but his back just had to act as a freaking radar.

It didn’t take Aristotle long to find the gem. It was on what could have been a pedestal made of thick vines with orange flowers blooming along their lengths. The stone itself was in a near empty small clearing save for the pedestal. The lion let out a pleased purr as his slender tufted tail gave a wave. The lion trotted up to the stone and plucked it free from its resting place as he again in swift motion dropped the gem into the bag with the other four gems. He was done with his quest. However he was going to keep looking for more stones.

Aristotle let out a huff and shook himself. His back felt weird, but not strange. It really bothered him but shaking himself out seemed to help ease it a bit. The lion shook his head and gave a rawr.

Ari

Hope is but a waking dream

Feeling much better Aristotle gave a big stretch to work out the muscles that had been spasming as a radar of sorts. Baby blue eyes cast around the small clearing. Noting the wild flowers that grew in patches around the small clearing. He would have liked to bring James and SUn here someday. Maybe he could bring James and Sun gem hunting sometime. Aristotle sagged a bit as he thought of James. His best friend at home with Sun and down with a broken hoof. He wondered if he was resting like he needed to.

Aristotle sighed, no use in worrying when there was nothing he could do. He had done all he could for James, now it was all up to him to listen to what Aristotle had told him to do and stay off his hoof while it healed.

The lion sighed heavily at his thoughts. However he took a deep calming breath to center himself, as he closed his eyes. As he reached for his magic however it would seem a wall had formed between him and his magic as it would not come as he called. Perhaps his worry for James was causing a blockage on his magic.

Ari

Hope is but a waking dream

Aristotle let out an exasperated sigh. His emotions were causing his magic not to be able to work. The lion let out an irritated growl. His worry over James was affecting him deeper than he thought it was. He knew James, there was no way without Aristotle being there that he would stay down and let himself heal. There was no way he would stay home either, the horse was stubborn and did as pleased even to his own detriment.

Again Aristotle tried to put his worry about JAmes to the back of his mind. There really was nothing he could do. He could have stayed home but he had no idea how long the contract between him and The Collector would last and what repercussion would happen if he broke the contract. Sun would be alright by himself in the house Aristotle had left plenty of food, water and things for the little gibbon to do while they were gone. The boy would be fine by himself for several hours at least.

Letting out another exasperated sigh the lion once more attempted to center himself. The lion took a deep breath pulling his thoughts together and calming them, he let the breath out as he cleared his mind. Once more he reached in for his magic, this time it came with a bit of a struggle. It took him longer than normal to find his wellspring of magic. The net did not come as easily as it had before. But nevertheless it came and he cast it out. As he cast it out he found a break in his magic where it met the stones magic. Trotting off in the direction he felt the magic it took Aristotle several minutes to find the gem. However he did find it in a bird nest within a bush. The lion plucked it gingerly from the nest and swiftly deposited it into his rabbit skin bag.

Beneath the trees, Aristotle finds a fledgling-level teardrop of sunstone. It's rather small - only a few inches large - but its smooth surface holds many shimmering inclusions.

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Buried beneath the roots of a tree is another fledgling-level stone: a tabular point of hambergite with slight hints of iridescence on its otherwise buttery-colored surface. It's about four inches long and one thick.

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Resting on the nature-made pedestal is a master-level, fan-shaped pumpellyite. The chartreuse gemstone is spiny and spans about five inches across.

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Aristotle steals an aqua blue topaz from a Rainbow Spinner's nest. It's a tiny pear-shaped stone containing fledgeling-level magic. The currently-absent Lesser must've mistaken the gem for an egg.

@Aristotle