Comet

Arctic Wolf

Comet allowed James to answer Pride's first two questions, and was surprised to learn that they would be moving to Eridanus. How fun! She explored there most often, so if that was where their new home was going to be, she would live in the place she explored in! Comet waited patiently for him to finish his answer before stating her own.

"Yes! I will work very hard and try my best." She wasn't sure why he added the 'careful' in his question, but she responded the same as she would have. The question after that was easy, but she paused before answering. This was it, once she joined she would actually be part of their group! Something about that hit her hard. "Yes." the wolf nodded.

Now, Pride asked her to show her skills. The ideas rushed through her mind of what she could show them. Not bubbles, although that was her favorite spell, it was too easy. Perhaps 'purify'? It was the hardest spell she knew, but there wasn't any water nearby for her to use it on. Unless... she summoned some. The spell was harder and not as effective in this area, as there wasn't much water here. But soon enough, it answered her call, and the water pooled at her feet.

"I also know how to sense, retain, expel, and fight with water. I can purify it too, but I had to summon some first to use it on." She hoped that it would be enough to show him the extent of her skills. Even though the invitation was already offered, she doing this would make him to regret it.

@Pride

The little subtleties in James did not go unnoticed. He was weary, frustrated, and it showed; Pride wondered why. Why, if Aristotle was ostensibly James' friend, was he wearing him down, so? He spoke on this mildly. "All the more reason to meet Mercurius, I should think; Mercy is excellent with children. Perhaps he could share the load, a little. Certainly Aristotle could bring them to meet him, too," he added. "Or would it be easier if I brought Mercurius to meet your family? -If you wished that, of course?" He did not know exactly what the dynamic was between James and Ari, but he knew that they'd been close early on. He worried that perhaps Ari was taking advantage of James' kindness; he worried about the word 'collecting' in regards to children. He'd known only two Gembound to 'collect' children, and--verbal misstep in this case, or not--both had been for decidedly nefarious reasons. He suddenly wanted to see Aristotle, to talk to him, to see that his vague fears were unfounded.

And--"A village, hm? I would suggest they speak with Mercy then, too, if you might advise them on my behalf? I hadn't heard, no; but he knows those who already dwell there and it might be best to ensure that no one's home tree is accidentally destroyed--plus he may be able to advise on the best places for food, water, shelter, and what have you," Pride explained. "Unrelated to meeting Ari, of course--but it's an idea."

Pride turned to Comet, then, giving her the benefit of his full attention. Forgotten, for now--or compartmentalized, at least--was Fireheart; it both helped, and didn't, that her element was virtually the opposite of what his had been. It wasn't as potent a reminder of fire and flame might have been, but it still reminded him from time to time. The same, but very different. His eyes, then, and thoughts, stayed firmly on her magic: on the water that appeared, pooling beneath her paws. "We would be glad to have you, then," he answered mildly, a tip of his antlers indicating his good nature; and then he focuused on her spell.

"Ahh, excellent," he said; "I don't think we have ever had someone focused in water magic, before-? In fact, I think I haven't even met anyone who was. Back up a moment, would you?" he asked, stepping forward to examine the water.

If and when Comet moved safely away, Pride reached out with his magic. He touched, with it--even as he stepped back--the pool, searing it in a brief, harsh boil into a hot steam that scorched skyward, and hung there momentarily as searing mist. "I have used water like this--a useful sort of offense, and if you do not know it perhaps I can teach it to you? We can, perhaps, go over your full skillset later on, if you wish. Is there anything else you would ask of me?" he asked, head tilted gently to one side as the last of the steam half condensed back to the floor, half faded.

@James

James needed to talk to someone. It was clear in the way his eyes were just slightly distant when Pride spoke, though they shone every time Comet said or did something. She was his little princess, and you were an idiot if you couldn't tell that he loved her with every inch of his being. She was so much like him, with her adept magic, her own vast wanderings, her little adventures. He couldn't be more proud to watch her grow and flourish under his careful tutelage and attention.

"I think having him come to us may be better," he said, smiling gently, "But I will indeed seek him out on behalf of the village. I know there will be children there and all of them will be willing to learn anything he has to offer."

The stallion looked away for a moment- just a moment, and sighed softly, "... We need to... talk, Pride, if you're available. After all of this. I might be in need of some consoling."

With a tired laugh, he returned his attention to Comet, his eyes on the stone in her head, replacing the soft ear that should have been there. He couldn't see magic, or really even feel it with a spell like Aristotle could, but it was there, and he could form the connections in his mind that allowed him to picture the flow from one's gem into the coagulation of mana and magic to form actions and energies. Making water appear from the vapor of their own breaths, from the air and the ground and the condensation around their noses that collected with each inhale and exhale.

James slowly stood up and stretched out his stiff legs, his muscles not particularly happy about laying own on a stone floor, even for a short amount of time. His ears flicked up as he watched Pride boil the water, and stepped back a bit to avoid steaming up his feathers.

"Pride... you went through one of those ah... trials? The ones supposed to make you even more powerful," he said, and looked towards him, "What was that like? I was... think that perhaps I could attempt that, if Ari let's me leave to go do it. I know Comet is always looking for an adventure too."

Worry struck at his heart and reflected in his warm brown eyes, the parental concern that never seemed to fade when Comet was involved. He never minded, for worry meant he simply wanted Comet safe, and he was careful not to stifle, but to encourage her growth. That one incident with the snake, though...

@Comet

Comet

Arctic Wolf

The pup watched and listened at the exchange between James and Pride. It seemed that the horse was sad about something. She didn't know what though. Hopefully the deer would be able to talk to him about it and help him.

Comet nodded at Pride's words. She knew that The Seven was the perfect group for her, and she doubted she would ever leave. Guess she was more similar to James than she had thought originally. Now that she had thought about it, she hadn't met anyone else who had water magic before. Plant, arcane, fire, and many others, yes, but never really someone with water magic.

That was strange. Was it really rare to have water magic? But that would mean it was even rarer for someone to specialize in it. Could she be the only one? That idea sent shivers down her spine. If she was the first to be doing any of these things, who would help her in case she made a mistake? There would be no one to guide her through it. It was an overwhelming thought, and she pushed it out of her mind before it got too far.

Comet backed up at the deer's request, and watched as he evaporated the water she had summoned from the ground. The steam momentarily obscuring his face. "Yes, I would like that!" she said. So Pride did know some water magic. That was good. Comet wasn't good at the offensive kind, even though she was a hunter. She found that she liked doing most of her fighting with her body, and she healed with her magic. The wolf pup shook her head, she had no more questions to ask the deer. She looked up at James, to see if he had any.

Sure enough, James asked about some trials that were supposed to make you more powerful. And he wanted to attempt it. Comet was immediately interested. She perked her ear. A trial that could increase her power even more? That sounded great! Maybe she could try it out herself. After all, if she passed she would be an even better protector of her family. It would be worth it. But she listened to Pride's answer, because things like that always had a catch to it.

@Pride

Consoling..? Pride's concerns deepened. James had clearly been through trauma--and the stag wondered, for a beat, why he'd taken so long to come to him with it. Was everything okay..?

He forced his attention down to Comet, his expression gentle. She'd accepted his offer, though she hadn't answered his question--about whether she had further questions--and so he put that aside, for now, as a 'no.' "We can speak more on that later, if you like-? To train together, perhaps?" It wasn't an assumption that the wolf pup's magic was weak, but rather an offer of experience--"When you've used magic as much as I have you tend to learn some creative uses for it--and interesting combinations. Perhaps we can teach one another."

Another glance, then, worried, at James. "James, I have a suggestion; why don't you find Comet, here, someplace to rest for now, and decide between the two of you when to bring her back for learning-? I imagine it was a long journey here--and then you might come back, and we can-..." 'Speak alone' sounded rude, exclusive; he reconsidered, rephrased, halfway through. "Catch up?" he asked, head tilting slightly, meaningfully, toward the Throne. It was an offer of privacy, a question, without outright dismissing the cub.

@James

James nodded solemnly and sighed gently, like a bit of weight had come off his shoulders, "That sounds nice. The walk here was tedious, I'm sure rest will be good for all of us."

He lowered his head to gently nudge Comet, "Come, dearling. I'll be just over here, okay? I'm certain that some rest will do you some good after our long walk. When you're up and ready to go again, we can all practice together."

He gently herded Comet over to a safe alcove where a slab of rock was leaning up against the wall of a house, and after testing it, he lead the pup inside. He flapped his wings once and grabbed a feather, leaving it beside Comet to allow his scent to remain and comfort the girl.

He lay down briefly and licked at her fur, gently pushing it back into place before leaving a soft nuzzle on her cheek as he stood.

"I'll be right back," he said softly, "I promise."

@Comet

"Yes! I want to do that." Training with someone who was as strong as Pride would be an interesting experience. James had taught her some things too, but that was hard to do if you didn't know water magic. She couldn't wait.

Comet nodded, and followed the horse to the alcove. They were probably going to talk about some mature stuff, so she wouldn't know what they were talking about anyway. She curled up on the ground, and the relief was immediate in her weary legs. "Okay." The pup licked him on the nose. It was a good thing they were in sight, so she would know if anything dangerous happened. Not that Pride would cause it, but she had encountered rats in this area before.

She rested her head on her leg, and waited patiently for James to return.

@Pride

Pride turned, watching James lead Comet off, his feelings at the moment mixed--not at her temporary departure, but at the situation as a whole.

He was pleased to see James again; pleased, too, to have a new potential member. He grieved for the memory of Fireheart, a memory that Comet's appearance so vividly recalled. And he felt concern--deep concern, and empathy--for James' apparent upset--and he felt, lastly, worry as to what it might be.

But the white stag was the stolid sort. He was hardly going to fawn and cry and ask what was wrong; he felt some obligation to be James' rock, to be someone to rely on, a wall the horse could come to for aid. As Nassir was mine, for awhile, Pride thought, and grief washed over him fresh.

He turned away, staring off into Orion. Trying not to think about how the light had glittered from Nassir's gemstone, and his pale, part-blind eyes, like the lights of Orion's quartz. Tried not to think about the sympathetic face, the gentle tone. Damn it, Nassir. You were never a fighter. Why did you go with them..? A shuddering, soft sigh escaped him, and he turned back, watching James and Comet (father and daughter, almost; perhaps not by blood or magic but it was the closest thing many of them could come to, in this place). He was glad to see that, at least: warmth, living Gembound, those who had pressed on and as yet survived, still granting the caves their light and life.

Yet... even at this thought, worry trickled through him; how long would it all last..?

@James (I guess we can go back and forth until Comet's retrieved?)

James snorted softly at the lick and bumped his nose against Comet one last time before returning to Pride, his chest welling up with anxiety all of a sudden. Problems he could never share with Ari (either because the lion either brushed them off and provided comfort before he could even work through his issues, or because he simply couldn't empathize) made his legs weaken for a moment, and he stopped to steel his nerves before making his way to Pride, stiffening his legs and remaining carefully turned away from Comet. He didn't want her to see his emotional upset, though it was perfectly okay for a person to be so, and he'd told her over and over, but the sting of dignity in his throat kept him from being truly comfortable in Pride's presence.

"Um...", he said intelligently, mouth opening and closing before it snapped shut, teeth clacking.

He wasn't sure where to start.

"... I broke my leg in a spar with another Gembound," he mumbled, before clearing his throat to speak up, "It was stupid. I tripped and hurt myself, and then when I attempted to recover, my magic... failed me. I stumbled on it and broke my leg, and I was so afraid I wouldn't be able to walk or run ever again, so I went to calm my nerves by walking- well, limping around, to try to let the air clear my thoughts."

"I encountered a woman atop one of Orion's cliffs," he said, his eyes drifting to spot it way off in the distance, "She was beautiful, and kind. She looked like she'd been grown from the trees of Eridanus. Sh-she asked me to step over a gap onto where she was, for she needed assistance."

His eyes grew dark and his ears pinned. anger surging up, an emotion he wasn't very familiar with, being a pacifist at heart, "The platform was an illusion, as was she. I fell- I-I fell and I was tricked by someone I didn't even see. They- they wanted my fur!! And they wanted to kill me for it in such- in such a horrendous way! I fell and I-I wished I had wings to catch myself, b-but I hit the ground instead, and I hurt so badly that I felt numb at the same time. I-I was broken, a-and dying, and there was no one but that wretched creature up on the cliff, still. Shouting at me for not dying on impact. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, a-and all I could do was pray it would be over soon. I-I thought I was dead. It seemed like an instant filled with nightmares of the fall, over a-and over, and my worries and insecurities welled up, l-like one great panic attack, and th-then I was awake again. With these."

Spreading his wings slightly, his lip quivered, and tears threatened to fall, his chest puffing as his eyes darted to and fro across the ground, "I felt... I felt so weak. I-I felt like everything was against me. I-I was so alone. It... put everything into perspective, in a w-way."

He choked on the last word and stopped abruptly, chest heaving as he fought to keep back his sobs, practically begging himself not to cry, for he was afraid he'd never stop. He'd cry a whole river, at this point.

sounds good!
@Pride

The way James returned was warning enough for Pride. His stiff legs, his careful angle. His faltering start only added to the stag's mounting worry, and that was before James began to speak. The more he told him, the more Pride's heart fell.

He wanted to speak up, at the first--to reassure James that a magic failure was nothing; that tripping was hardly stupid. But he did not want to outright interrupt. And by the time James had finished, he was speechless. His heart had fallen, deep sympathy and grief rising up in him, and concern. Behind it--waiting for the first to pass--was rage, at whoever had done this. That sense of murderous justice that the white stag so espoused. He said nothing of it, though.

He said nothing at all.

Instead, impulsive, Pride took several steps forward to come alongside James. In a distinctly paternal gesture, he moved to lean gently against the horse--despite weighing perhaps half of James' weight, being a foot or so shorter than he. And, animal-like, he moved to lean his head on the larger horse's back. It was a gesture of comfort, of fatherly reassurance as best he could offer without hands for a hug; despite the armor that clung to Pride, it was warm.

But he didn't say anything at all, yet. He wasn't sure James didn't have more to say; and nothing he could have said in that moment would have been good enough.

@James