Pride was, for once, just having fun.

It had started with his familiar. He'd been trying to graze at one of the swathes of grass Mercurius had grown in Orion, Mischief by his side. The white hare and white stag were both clearly visible against the green, but Pride didn't really mind that--he hadn't been attacked here since the whole Raheerah... thing.

Mischief had started interrupting him, at first. Bounding in, kicking off his leg, jumping for his back (and missing) while he was trying to eat. A few head-shakes, a few snorts, a stomp or two, and finally Pride gave up ignoring her. He gave chase, instead, a playful rush of hooves across dirt, but Mischief bolted out past the grass and into Orion proper. He gave chase, of course. She was weaving and dodging, far nimbler than he; every time he slowed to give up the chase she'd double back and leap off of him again with a little lapine attack. "Devil! Miscreant! Troublemaker!" he called after her, and sparked a little magic in himself.

At least, he'd meant for it to be a little.

Instead, his next leap clattered him to the ground and shot him skyward, so that he let out a startled shout as he was flung slingshot-like past Mischief. He sailed through the air, spinning, wide silver eyes taking in Orion flashing past, and a single soft swear escaped him.

The arctic hare, too, stopped to stare after him, sitting up with a quizzical expression.

I hope nobody sees this, was Pride's embarrassed thought, as the ground came rocketing up to meet him.

@Jenani

Jenani had spent the last couple of cycles as many mundane creatures may - surviving and little else. Hunting and catching food, finding shelter in their wanderings, and sleeping. It was a simple, mostly quiet life - a scuffle here, a disagreement there, yet for the most part it was peaceful. They already bore a few shallow scars, hidden under their thick coat of fur. Unfortunately being young and incredibly stubborn was not a good match, especially when up against some of the larger Lessers that couldn't settle misunderstandings with words. Not that Jenani would have chosen to do anything else then stand their ground.

But that life had grown boring. Lessers did not make good conversation partners, nor good battle opponents. The fellow wanderers they'd met had also been They found their surroundings growing dull and uninteresting the more they stayed in, relatively, the same place. So their wanderings had become more purposeful - walk in one direction instead of drifting, make sure not to turn around. Enter tunnels when they appeared. Find others.

And it seemed they'd finally found another, with the flash of pure white in the distance, bright against the gray and brown stone. They changed their direction, hoping this wasn't another drifter that would spare a word before carrying on. As they got close, they paused, because the larger white one had just shot off the ground! They watched as he arced in the air and came crashing back down.

Before they knew it, they were running, as fast as their stubby legs could carry them. They wouldn't be able to make it there in time to break the others' fall (not that they could, that thing was much bigger!), but they could at least help if it had gotten injure. "Hey!" They called in a gruff, scratchy voice, laced with concern. "Are you alright?!" They sure hoped it wasn't too bad, they weren't exactly skilled in first aid.

@Pride

He heard--a voice, at least he thought it was a voice, as he touched down. The touchdown, surprisingly, didn't kill him--didn't even hurt him, really, though he was most certainly not graceful. Slender silver-tipped legs were flailing as he landed lightly, flanks-first, on Orion's rock.

He hoped whoever it was hadn't seen too much... and hadn't heard his wordless shouting bleat as he'd careened overhead. But he had a feeling that they probably had.

Hooves scrambled at rock, and Pride came to his feet, head whipping up as he tried (and failed) to quickly regain his dignity. He stumbled a little, and his pale eyes flicked back and forth, looking for the owner of the voice. He heard a shuffling sound, and shifted his gaze that way, finally catching sight of the stranger: a wolverine, lumbering toward him at very concerned high speed.

Pride gave a delicate little cough. Mischief hopped out from the shadows, and sat up, watching him intently.

"Ahem. I--am fine! Yes." He blinked, swaying, struggling against the wave of dizziness that followed. "-Thank you for asking. I do not--I apologize if I startled you. Tumbling through the air is..."

He looked back the way he'd come, and blinked again.

"Not... my normal routine." His head swung back to Jenani, and he still couldn't quite process what had happened. Did my magic just backfire-? he wondered. "I am--that is--my name is Pride. It is a pleasure to meet you." Aside from the whole falling out of the sky, thing.
He cringed a little at the thought.

@Jenani

The young wolverine had thought, as they ran to the stag's side, that they'd be dealing with a creature in pain. Perhaps they would have to lend help to get him to his den, make sure he didn't fall on the way or offer a shoulder of support (well, they would have to stand on their hind legs for that). At worst, they'd be dealing with a broken leg or other serious injuries that they didn't have the skill to fix. They would have done their best, of course - they were the only one here, after all.

But to run up and see the stag not only unharmed, but on his feet, and shaking it off as if it were nothing at all, was not on the list of expectations. Jenani skidded to a halt in front of the beast and looked up, almost in awe. "You...aren't hurt at all?" They looked up at down, inspecting his spindly legs for weakness or his pristine hide for scrapes and cuts. Nothing.

How incredible, for this stag to bounce himself so high into the air in the first place, and then to fall without a single scratch! Jenani was silent for a moment, the gears in their head turning swiftly. Either someone had done that to him and he had incredible constitution or it had been some kind of magical spell that had backfired. No, the latter couldn't be it, he probably would have been hurt if he'd backfired. Jenani had already suffered their own failures enough to know that backfires of physical spells didn't come without pain. And if someone else had done it, the stag probably wouldn't be so nonchalant. Perhaps it had been too powerful then intended - that, too, they'd experienced. Either way, it was a feat of strength - physical and mental - the likes of which had Jenani burning with respect.

He looked back up at the stag with a new light in their eyes. "No. Do not apologize. Whether you intended or not, that was an incredible feat. Of your magic, correct? I don't know many spells, none that throw you into the air at least, but it was impressive, how high you went, and you returned to the ground unharmed." Perhaps it was strange, Jenani thought then, to be talking so much without being asked, but they pushed the thought aside. "I am called Jenani." They glanced down, at the rabbit that stood next to him. A friend, perhaps? "And you are...?"

@Pride

The first question was an excellent one, and Pride looked down at his slender legs. Lifted them, placed them back to rock, tentatively. No pain.

"I don't think so," he confirmed, his faint amusement clear. "It was magic, yes--and very unintentional. Normally it is, ahh... milder," he explained. Normally, I do not go careening through the air. "It is a magic that makes things that fall, ahh, bouncy. I hit the ground and went-... farther, than usual." Understatement of the year.

For a moment, when Jenani asked 'and you are..?' Pride thought they were referring again to him--and in confusion, he started to respond. Did I not already--oh! he realized, following the wolverine's gaze to Mischief. Despite himself he laughed, a little, albeit good-naturedly. "Oh, that--is Mischief. She is my familiar. She cannot speak," he explained. "She is friendly, though. That is magic, too, ahh... a way to bind to Lesser creatures, if you did not know-?" The question was polite; he didn't want the stranger to feel like he was talking down to them, explaining something they might already be aware of.

In any case, he was realizing (a tad belatedly) that this wolverine was both polite and very well-spoken. They seemed like they'd be pleasant company, and he considered for a moment. "It is good to meet you, by the way, Jenani. I live here, in Orion. If you'd like to talk for awhile, I do not get much company. If you are busy then I extend the invitation to another time, if you ever wish it, but I'd be happy to show you the magic I used to bounce, or simply to chat."

It was a little open, a little overly familiar perhaps, but there was no point in being shy when making new friends. Pride glanced to Mischief, then, taking in her state of being; she was relaxed around Jenani, despite them seeming to be perhaps a predator. "I think Mischief likes you."

@Jenani

Jenani rumbled quietly to themselves, almost as if vaguely annoyed at Pride's nonchalant refusal to take their compliment. Not that they particularly cared to stroke his ego, but they thought to themselves that perhaps Pride must not understand that what he'd done was impressive, even if it was an accident. "Intentional or not, your magic is very strong." They decided, then, to not pursue the subject further then that. There was a more important thing on their mind.

They shelved it for a moment, however, at Mischief's introduction. They watched the rabbit with wide eyes, as if analyzing every detail of her snow-white fur. Yes, they had, in fact, seen creatures running around that looked similar, not that they'd hunted many. They'd only just reached a size large enough to catch such nimble prey. But, of course, this was no longer prey - she was his familiar now. Another display of magic that Jenani had never witnessed or could even dream possible. Binding lessers? "I did not," they replied, eyes still glued to Mischief. "What do you mean...bind? She is attached to you? Physically...or magically?" Hunger for knowledge grew in their stomach. At last, someone they could talk to that knew things, that was experienced and strong and, of course, more then willing to talk.

They pulled their eyes away from Mischief, tilted their head up and nodded politely at the formality. "And you. I don't particularly live anywhere, nor do I have anywhere to be. It would be an honor to see and know more about the magic you have." And, there at last, the thought that had been growing in the back of their head, thrust to the forefront. They didn't just want to see, they wanted to learn. But they held back from asking anything of Pride yet - they'd only just met, after all.

Talking would be nice, for now.

@Pride

Pride dipped his head in acknowledgment. The wolverine's mild annoyance was wholly lost on him, and his "Well, thank you," was amusedly ironic. He was still imagining what he must've looked like.

But she was right; his magic was strong. Ego aside, he couldn't deny that.

"I'll tell you about it--about familiars, if you like. A good friend of mine has a little garden near here--soft grass, moss, we could sit on while we talk? Ahh--could I get you something to eat? If you don't mind telling me what you eat," he added. If it was meat, he could easily just form up a banana--the magical kind, anyway. Otherwise, Mercurius kept all sorts of goodies in his garden for herbivores and omnivores.

He turned, glancing back, the gesture an invitation to follow; but he spoke further, answering Jenani's question. "The binding's magical. I didn't discover it myself--I heard of a seer who'd done something similar, with a bird, and I only managed to replicate the act after quite a lot of trial and error. Error being hilarious failure," he added, amused, remembering all the Lessers he'd accidentally sent scurrying. "It's... sort of sharing your magic with one. It links you. I can feel her emotions, her intentions. I think it's enhanced her mind, a little. And she can sense mine. If she sees things, hears things--I get a sense of what she knows, does that make sense?" It wasn't a perfect window through which he could view her world, but the glimpses could be quite enlightening.

He paused in his speaking; he didn't want to overwhelm a conversation, to make it one-sided. But of course, he was happy to discuss more of his magic, as Jenani had wished--given time.

@Jenani

Jenani nodded, ear twitching with interest. A garden...they had never seen a garden before. "Yes, I'd like that. And, thank you, but I hunted not long ago. I am alright." They made to follow Pride, noting how short they were in comparison to the tall, regal stag - they barely stood at his knees.

Perhaps a side of their brain was envious of him - his strength, his body, his wisdom - but no, Jenani wasn't one to be envious, only curious to move forward. They were young, and had much to learn - one day, perhaps, they'd have that strength and wisdom as well. And they'd rather stick close to the stone beneath their feet, where they were surefooted and grounded.

As they walked, Jenani listened closely, ears perked up, eyes roaming from Pride, to where they walked, and sometimes glancing at Mischief. Storing away information, expanding on what they already knew. They nodded, understanding most of what Pride was telling them. "A magical bond. A spell. Interesting...so she is no longer a normal Lesser? Or do all Lessers think in some way?" That question begged other questions to surface - moral questions, on their own hunting patterns for one, although they tabled those questions for later, to ruminate on.

"Yes, I think so. Like a cave opening in the back of your mind. It leads to her and you can look through, or things come through to you, but you are not one cave sharing all, but two connected. Is that right?" That could be interesting and they found themselves distantly wondering what it took to learn a spell like that. "Would the spell work on a not-Lesser? I mean - creatures like us? It could be useful - sharing the world of someone close to you, or maybe spying on an enemy. Although I think if it worked both ways, that would defeat the purpose." Not to mention the further moral questions that brought up. Would it make someone else a Lesser? Or bind them to the caster in an imbalanced relationship?

Magic was so complicated, sometimes Jenani wished it were all as simple as their own rock-splitting power.

@Pride

Pride dipped his head at the mention that Jenani had already eaten. "Very well," he answered, easy-going. He didn't seem bothered by the concepts of hunting, or of meat. The realities of survival were what they were.

Hooves tapped a soft rhythm on the rock as he led the way to the little garden, to the soft mosses ringed with ivy, with flowers and ferns. He settled in, himself, as he considered Jenani's question--folding his legs down beneath him, laying in the grass. "That's a fascinating question," he mused, glancing to the wolverine. "I don't recall ever trying to read other lessers' minds, before, not directly. I suppose that I could try, and compare-?" Was Mischief different, now? Was her-

Mischief's mind cut into his thoughts, a haughty and humorous sort of of course I am, as she recognized his comparing her to others. She darted past, leaping clear over him, and he huffed laughter through his nose as he looked after her. "Well--she thinks she's better than others, but she has a sort of... sense of humor," he explained, amused. "I'll need to test that, though. It's an interesting question." This sentiment half-repeated, he fell silent and considered Jenani's other comments.

"Something like that, yes," he agreed, shifting a little against the moss. "Glimpses and shadows, but of course I can't simply walk through to her side," and he realized he'd sort of lost track of the metaphor. Ahh, well.

And would it work on a Gembound-? Pride eyed the wolverine, pleased with her intellect. This was an actual conversation, rather than the passing interactions he so often held instead, and he enjoyed it. "Yes, or something very like it. I'm linked to a close friend of mine, too. He can see what I see, hear what I hear, when we try; we can speak to one another, mind-to-mind. I do not think the magic is identical, but if I had to guess, it's very similar indeed. But it is, as you say, both ways. I can read someone's mind, pick their thoughts from their head--I don't, usually, unless I'm invited," he hastened to assure Jenani. "It's..." He hesitated--"Intrusive, I should think. And I need to see the one I'm reading; I can't sense their thoughts from far away, in other caves, as I can with Mischief or Mercy--that's my friend," he explained.

Curiosity flickered through him, and he nodded toward Jenani. "May I ask what sort of magic you hold-?" he asked, head tilting a little to one side.

@Jenani

Jenani took a moment, once they reached the garden, to look around. It was well cultivated, comfortable, and its tender obviously cared deeply for its growth. They nodded, sitting down in the soft grass and moss. "This is nice," they offered. A breathe in - ah, that refreshing smell of life that wasn't too obvious in some areas of the cave. They liked the rough, dusty smell of the earth, but this was nice and invigorating.

Jenani let out their own short snort at Mischief's response. "If I had to guess, I'd say she's right. She is not afraid of me - most rabbits would be. Although I suppose, with your connected to her, she has no reason to fear. If you test it, I would be interested to hear what you find." They found that they rather liked this, as Pride was - conversing, instead of just passing by. Thinking, wondering, questioning. It was tiring to think about, but the more they did, the more interesting it became. They found that they were more thirsty for knowledge then they had been before, wondering about the magic Pride had and, further, wondering about their own. Not just how strong they could be, but the applications of their magic. Would it work here or there, what spells could they discover, what could they do?

They hadn't expected Pride to answer that last question so easily - it did work on gembound, but a different magic. Again, the moral questions came up - but Pride said that they had a bond with someone else. Perhaps it wasn't a power imbalance but an open, even connection. Jenani wasn't sure that they'd ever be willing to have someone so intimately close to them at all times, but they supposed that it was a matter of preference, or getting used to the connection.

But they were more interested in what seemed to be a temporary version of it. Being able to read thoughts would be an incredibly useful spell, even if it was two way. Maybe there were techniques to shield one's mind from the other, or to do it quietly, so the other didn't know. "Interesting, it's like there's multiple different ways to use the same magic, in different circumstances. I wonder if it's like that for other things too, like using fire or water. But reading minds...that would definitely come in handy, especially if it wasn't permanent. Although I don't think I'd have the mental patience for something that delicate. They'd know I was there instantly, probably." They snorted again.

They blinked in surprise at the sudden change of question. "Oh, me? I don't know much myself, but I can split the earth. It's not very strong, but it's useful for making dens or getting obstacles out of the way. I could probably use it to climb, too - make footholds in the rock. But that's it, unfortunately. I would demonstrate, but I'd rather not destroy the garden's foundation."

@Pride