After the battle with Raheerah, Cancer had returned to nurse his wounds and turn his prize into a craft, and thus, into more protection. His fear of flame would serve as his inspiration and after a day's work, he'd crafted a fine shield to wear with his plated armor set. Someday, I'll make it a matching set. You'll rue the day you woke, Raheerah.

Now, suited up and feeling refreshed, he could attend to another, more pressing matter- his magic. The leopard picked his way through the cave and into the city proper, maneuvering through fallen ruins, silent and slow as not to let his armor shift noisily. Settling near the walls of Orion, hidden by the dark shadows cast by solid stone walls, he focused...

...and to his expectations, he found a few living lessers close by, like little pulsing blips in his mind's eye. The glow to his horns, his eyes, was minor, faint, compared to his more intense casts, and thus, no prey took notice.

Time to start.

"Speech"

Cancer picked out a specific blip before releasing his spell, and set to work. A cave rat. Simple, stupid and easy to kill. He'd not eat well, but at least his magic had a good focus. He found his victim, snuck close, and then, he narrowed his gaze, hunkered down, and focused...

...a squeal cut short and a rapid pulse beside his own steady beat, signaled his success. He clung to that, and with some effort, dragged the manged creature out into plain sight. It dragged against the stone floor, unmoving, suffocating. He could feel the pulse slow and after a moment, he shot forward and slapped a heavy paw over it's neck and head. Pinned, he released his cast and allowed the rat to breath. Stunned, it barely struggled.

"Speech"

He sat down, rat under his paw and wondered what next to try. He could hold again, but he wasn't sure he wanted to work himself down that quickly. Some smaller stuff for now. He watched the rat, it's bugged eyes staring seemingly at everything, its breathing rapid but movement minimal. He wondered for a moment... and then, decided on his spell...

...His horns took on a subtle red glow as he focused on the rat below him. A second later, he could feel it's pulse again- but this time, there was more to it, and no hold over it. He felt the rush of adrenaline- not his own- pumping through the rat's body, the cold horror. It was terrified. For a second, so was he. In the rush of it all, he released the spell and gasped for breath. Suddenly, he wasn't sure how keen he was on ending the cave rat's life.

"Speech"

He would try something else. Keeping a firm grasp on the rat, he once again considered his next options. He wouldn't kill it- not on purpose. It was simple, but it was alive, and as much as he needed to eat, he wasn't keen on rat meat anyway. The cat decided on another course of action- he focused again, this time on the rat's hide, its skin. He didn't want to suffocate it. He'd focus his hold on its nape....

...but too soon. His hold wasn't minor, it was extreme and suddenly, he watched- and listened- to the rat scream and its skin pinch together. The painful sound shocked him out of concentration and his hold expanded rapidly. To his horror, the rat all but exploded, its gore splattering around his paws and the stone there. He released sharply, his head throbbing with the sudden exertion, then back-peddled away from the mess, horror-stricken. Shit. He'd really messed that one up. Oops.

"Speech"

@Niru

{no table it's okay}



It hadnt been too long since I'd traveled a bit, but I always came home. I wasn't fretting over the possibility that cancer would grow tired of my adventures, but should the large cat ask me to stick around Orion only, I would. But as I came back into Orion from eridanus, I noticed the mighty king was practicing his magic. I sat back, watched for a moment as it seemed he was messing with a poor rat. I could not make out what he was doing, however I watched intently from my position behind him with the crane of my neck. What was he..what is that soun--WHAT THE?! The darn thing exploded. Blood spattered and I saw cancer step back from his no doubt accidental homocide. But as he backed away, I approached. My expression was sorrowful for the morsel, however, bigger things were at paw here. So my countenance quickly morphed from horrified to impressed. I wonder if I could blow shit up?

"you're so good at this. Mind if I try?"


I asked him, though like normal I didn't wait for an answer I knew would be "sure go ahead", or along the lines of it. Maybe one day I'll regret this jumping to the gun stuff, but until then, I'd tread on my own.



And so, as I've done only twice before, I pulled the energy from my gemstone, squeezing my eyes shut to see if maybe I could draw forth my disorienting vibrations. Alas! Soon, the area around me began to vibrate minorly, with such forces when I opened my eyes my view was blurry. It almost made me sick. I ceased soon after, breathing heavily as I looked back up at cancer with a small, weakened grin.

@Cancer

The sound of paw steps on stone was the first clue. Cancer turned to look as Niru walked in, his clumsily long legs and large paws making him look not unlike Cancer had around the same age. I... I actually feel old looking at him. What a silly thought.

"I'm not so great with the offensive spells." He admitted as Niru made his observation. "I'm better at tracking." It was an easy admission to make. After all the failed attempts in the battle with Raheerah, he'd realized his novice skill for what it was. It was time to practice- and his new ward seemed anxious to join him.

He watched, impressed, as Niru cast. It was a good one, with plenty of effect, so when he looked for that approval, Cancer grinned in return- he was nothing if friendly to those he cared about, and this cub was quickly becoming more than just some random stray.

"You're getting better." Then, it was his turn. He focused this time on himself. His horns and eyes would glow, then focused, he'd go for a color change...

...and with the minimal effort he put in, wary of putting too much energy into it, he managed a darker shade to his pelt. His barely visible spots became completely invisible as his main pelt darkened to match. He released it quickly, sighing out his nose and relaxing against the strain.

"When you train, you want to go a little at a time. Don't strain yourself too much, or you'll be ill prepared for the unexpected. Know self discipline, and you'll be in control." He lectured smoothly, patiently- not just for Niru, but as a reminder to himself. It'd be best to remember that for later. He had a habit of forgetting.

"Speech"

@Niru

I listened to him. He informed me of most important things, and I filed them away for safe keeping. As he attempted yet another spell, I could see a rather subtle change in his pelt color. Much like he'd shown me when we first met. Last time was stronger, this time was weaker, so that lead me to believe that not every time magic will be executed as successfully as I've been able to. I wondered, the more I practice, the harder of spells I could learn? And then I remembered, I still needed a name for my magic. After watching cancer, I grimaced and took a few steps away from him. Braced myself and focused on my gem once more. I wanted to try something different, not just my usual sea-sickness - my small vibrations. I wanted something stronger. But I was sure I wouldn't get that far, I was no prodigy. Once again, I focused.



After a few moments of patiently, anxiously waiting, nothing happened. One eye creaked open as I glanced at cancer. I waited some more, but still nothing. I sat, frowning.

"hm. I can feel something else, besides my vibrations, but it wouldn't come to me."
I spoke out loud, though was mostly speaking to myself to clarify my sanity. I was disappointed with myself. Would cancer be too?



@Cancer

He watched his young pupil focus again, but as he'd sort of been expecting, nothing came of it. The cub seemed strongly disappointed in himself- explaining his plight. Cancer shook his head.

"It's harder learning new techniques. Practice will help, though." He paused, then gave a heavy sigh. "We'd go to Polaris if I thought it were safe. The Spire gives off extra energy. Someday, maybe, the golems won't be a threat and we'll be able to train there instead." He raised a paw to brush it over his ear, a decision hanging on the tip of his tongue. "For now, we'll continue here at a slower pace." He stood and took a few steps away. There, he breathed deeply, willing away his headache. "Let me see if I can't find us another test subject."

A subtle glow to his horns, and he felt his senses sharpen- that inner eye focused on the heartbeats around him. Niru's was strongest, right behind his own. Then, others. Fainter. More rapid. One very close. He pointed it out with his ears and eyes, locking onto it, the tiny pulse.

"There. Behind that wall. See if you can catch it, alive, and bring it here." This would be a hunting lesson too, he decided. Niru needed to learn these things, after all.

"Speech"

@Niru

weeping shades of indigo

shed without reason

he instructed me to catch the rat just behind there, so i crept as silently as i could. little paws barely hitting the surface of the rock flooring with a sound, deadly as the grown lion i aim to be, i was. i kept low, kept quiet, rounded the bend and spotted my victim. but alas, he would remain alive -- assuming cancer didn't blow it up again. i wanted to snicker at this, but stifled it well. crouching low, my entire body was flattened against the flooring. ears swiveled and pinned, everything smoothing out. all in sheer instinct did this play out, and i watched the morsel for a few moments before attempting to catch it. rump rose upward in the air, wriggled a bit, before hind limbs launched the attack. fore paws outstretched and - yes! i caught it, it writhing within the confines of my claws and paws. i smiled wide, exerting a laugh as i then held it down firmly, but was sure not to ruin it in any way. adolescent jowls parted to grasp around the rat's midsection, bringing back the whirling creature to cancer, proud as ever. i was actually quite stunned i was able to catch it.

prancing around the corner, i dropped the rat before his onyx paws, keeping hold of it with my own tawny paws, so it wouldn't scurry away again. i looked up at him, proud.

"there's our test subject! by the way, how'd you know he was behind there?"

i assumed it had something to do with cancer's magic only, and that i'd never be able to do such a thing but that was quite alright. as long as he was with me, and i with him, i'd always go catch anything he'd sense. whether it be rats for spell practice or morsels for feasting.

"spoken words."

@tag
xxx.
muse.
some notes can go here.

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

@Cancer

Niru managed, with some childish wiggling, to catch the rat and present it at Cancer's paws. The leopard smiled approvingly, and at the cub's question, the smile grew wider.

"It is called Red Sense." He explained, placing a paw over Niru's and the rat to take over holding it down. "It allows me to feel around the room for heart beats and life signs." He looked upon the boy with a sly smile now. "It's also how I know when you're sneaking off." Although he was grateful the boy had been away during the fight in Monoceros.

He focused on he rat now, pushing those thoughts from his mind. He wanted to try again. This time, he gave Niru a brief signal with his tail to back up and be quiet. He needed to concentrate...

...but his concentration wasn't enough. The rat beneath him seized as he felt a hold over the blood inside it. He tried to release some of that hold, but the act only released the spell entirely. He groaned through clenched teeth as he ended the spell. It wasn't perfect, but at least he'd managed to cast it. Sort of. The rat below his paws seized again from the shock, and a moment later, he felt its pulse slow. It was dying. For the love of...

"Try parting the rat's fur with your magic. See if it has any effect." He stood and stepped away, leaving the rat on the ground, unmoving in its turmoil.

"Speech"

@Niru