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Post by Xentus on Sept 17, 2021 16:07:41 GMT -6
> The Next Day...
It was time to get back at it with the magic lessons. As far as Xentus had seen, there two spells that the owl could perform. One was to summon lightning from her beak, as they'd been practicing. The other was to summon slicing winds from deft motion; her flight. The concept was much like the raw, powerful wind that she could physically beat from her wings, but with enhancement using her innate magics. Or so he'd come to think of it as. He'd seen her do it only once before.. It was a stormy flight through the forest, and and old tree had been struck by lightning before them. She saved them from certain doom by blasting it away with the sudden, summoned winds..
The leopard recounted the tale to the alurook through their mental link as he stroked her golden plumage. (Remember that, Mashi? Xentus wants that memory to take hold for this lesson), he told her, then began clambering up onto her back. "Watch us well, Akinai. We will take to the sky", Xentus told the dragoness before taking off into the air with the alurook. Akinai nodded and kept her eyes locked on the two, nervous about anything going wrong..
Mashiik; Magic:Ripcord Dance - 1 16
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Post by Xentus on Sept 17, 2021 16:27:17 GMT -6
The draconic was not flighted herself; bound to walk the upon earth or swim in its waters. Part of her was fairly nervous about her spell-countering capabilities from afar. Knowing the nature of wind, however, she felt there was far less danger about letting wind loose compared to letting lightning free. Wind into air would die down eventually, and if she was targeted again somehow, ducking into the water would save her. The worst thing that could happen would be Xentus falling off. The draconic's body shuddered at the thought..
{.. That was a frightening time}, Mashiik quietly responded once they'd reached soaring height. (Yes. We would not have survived if not for your resolve to action, however), the man noted as he nestled tighter into her back, (Concentrate on that feel of resolve. Let the power of wind flow..) Mashiik was nervous about this. Her flight wavered as she tried to concentrate, calling to the magic within. Shaping it as wind, the grace of air. It flowed between her feathers. Images of the tree illuminated by lightning flashed in her mind. Fear crept in, gripping at her core. The bird reeled back in flight, a desperate shriek escaping her beak as she released a wild gust of air into the sky.
Mashiik; Magic:Ripcord Dance - 2 17
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Post by Xentus on Sept 17, 2021 16:41:57 GMT -6
Her wings pumped erratically, letting more wild magic escape. Her eyes were blinded by the lightning, ears deafened by the toll of thunder. All imagined in her mind. The man's cries did not reach her, neither verbal nor mental.
(Mashiik! Snap out of it, Mashiik!) The leopard clung tightly to the bird's back, fearing that he'd get flung off with the flailing. Worse yet, they were losing altitude. Their flight turned to a flutter, threatening to falter. The man continued to call to the alurook, hoping that any single one of his words would pierce through. (Please.. Mashiik!) The storm she faced ravaged her mind. The magic called forth the emotions so strongly.. Choking the air from her. The alurook struggled to regain her flight through the winds. Falling. She could hear his faint call. Pleading. And the part of her that wanted to protect him surged forth. Resolve. She wasn't the only one in danger - her keeper was here too. His words to focus on resolve echoed through her mind. They'd made it through this storm before. She could do it again.
From her perspective down at the river, it seemed Akinai's worst fears were coming true. And she was helpless to do anything about it aside from trail after them as they plummeted toward the water.
Mashiik; Magic:Ripcord Dance - 3 18
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Post by Xentus on Sept 17, 2021 18:30:00 GMT -6
A knot tangled in the dragoness's throat as she swam upstream in hopes to make it near where the two were falling. She might not be able to save them from crashing, but she could prevent them from drowning. Her eyes were locked on the golden bird and its fluttering wings. 'Come on, bird. Make it through', Akinai pleaded in her mind.
Mashiik fought through the mental storm she faced, pumping her wings hard to level out. She clung onto the will to live and endure, even as another crack of lightning flashed before her in the imagery of her mind. The memory repeated. The boom of thunder. The tree threatening to swat them from the air. They would not crash here. She had to keep him safe. (Have resolve, Mashiik! Control it!), the faint words of her keeper cried out to her. The alurook's eyes glowed as she struck out with a blast of wind summoned from her wings. Strong enough to splinter the tree and save them from certain doom. The weight of the mental storm began to ease, letting the owl grasp firmly on the will to live. And allowing the fear to dissipate. With a blink, Mashiik found herself back above the river, steadily fluttering down toward the rapids.
Mashiik; Magic:Ripcord Dance - 4 19
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Post by Xentus on Sept 17, 2021 18:48:55 GMT -6
It took a moment for her surroundings to fully register, and another moment more to recall that she needed to regain control of her flight. (Mashiik..!), her keeper begged in her mind, his hands tightly clinging to her plumage. {Hold on! Ok!}, she managed to choke back to her keeper before flaring out her wings and tail to stabilize. Then, she pumped hard and fast, letting her climb back into the air. She could've sworn she felt a misting of water on her talons. That was far too close.
Akinai found herself holding her breath as she watched this all unfold. It was stressful even witnessing! She couldn't imagine what the two of them were going through. At seeing the bird rocket back to the sky, she let out the longest exhale.. And slumped down into the water for a moment. There had to be a better way to do this, right? Even she wasn't entirely sure. Learning pains were a tough one. -- Xentus and Mashiik were soon back on solid ground, both frazzled and exhausted by the ordeal. What felt like an hour falling through the sky was nothing more than a few moments. This would take some time to recover from..
Using Pellets (1 remaining) Mashiik; Magic:Ripcord Dance - 5 20
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Post by Jack on Sept 17, 2021 21:36:36 GMT -6
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Post by Xentus on Sept 18, 2021 16:56:49 GMT -6
- Intermission - > Later That Day...
The magic lesson took much more out of them than anticipated. It was good progress; the rest was to be done in the following days. For now, it was time to rest and fish. The leopard was settled on a rocky overhang looking above the waters. His feet dangled off the edge, barely grazing the surface of the water. Akinai lounged beside him, listening as he babbled about that book of his while he watched the fishing line. And Mashiik roosted quietly behind them, exhausted from the earlier events.
"And so, they then traveled into the core of a volca-" Xentus stopped mid sentence as something seemed to graze his line -- not a bite, but a disturbance. The water stirred as something large thrashed within. The man's brow furrowed as he peered into the river, leaning forward.. Then scampered back.
"Akinai this one did not know there were sharks in rivers!", he quickly and quietly hissed at the draconic, "Xentus could have lost a leg.." "They don't really come up unless.. Seeking prey", the dragoness muttered, then looked into the water herself, "Xen, look!" The hapless little seapony stood out with its bright colors. The two seemed to both come to the conclusion that the poor thing was the target of a somehow distracted shark. While normally he'd stand by and let nature take its course, who could let down those pleading eyes?
"Let us intervene, yes?", the man suggested, already making off to jump into the water to cause a scene. The dragoness followed in soon after, eyes glowing as she cast an illusion to disrupt the quarreling fish.
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Post by Jack on Sept 20, 2021 14:20:36 GMT -6
They scattered for a moment as the illusion took place, and the seapony wriggled its way over to the mammalian and the Draconic. The shark, however, had its eyes set on them now as well, and opened its mouth in a silent roar before charging right at them, with the other, darker fish right behind.
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Post by Xentus on Sept 20, 2021 20:07:26 GMT -6
Was this a good idea? Likely not. But the leopard did what he felt right. And he might garner the favor of the river for doing a good deed. Or gain its wrath for interrupting the natural course of things. The illusion cast by the dragoness did its job in distracting the predators for a moment, giving the mammalian the chance to see what he was faced with. A shark that was larger that he and an eel of sorts that nearly matched his size too. The bright sea horse sought refuge near him, inadvertently making the shark set its sights on them.
This was one tough spot wasn't it.. The leopard was unable to communicate underwater, eyes frantically looking to the draconic for her help. Akinai thankfully seemed to have an idea. The nanaiyesh hovered in the water in front of the mammalian and sea pony, calm and collected.. Her eyes remained locked on the charging predators before them, waiting for the right moment. Once the two were close enough, the dragoness opened her jaws and released a sparkling mist into the water, breathing awe. She hoped it would be enough to pacify the beasts - or if not, it might dazzle them for a little while.
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Post by Jack on Sept 22, 2021 18:48:08 GMT -6
It was almost like hitting a wall, they found, and, dazed, floated for a little while, unable to move. The seapony moved as close as it could to the mammalian and the Draconic, and looked at them with pleading eyes. They were all ripe for the taking, it would seem, if you were so obliged.
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Post by Xentus on Sept 22, 2021 19:21:31 GMT -6
In the back of the dragon's mind, she feared the predators would power through her dazzling awe breath and still manage to attack. Xentus behind her had no fear, she knew he trusted her. She just hoped she wasn't betraying this trust. The two fearsome fish thankfully seemed to come to a sudden stop upon entering the awe-filled water, pacified. It was.. A much greater relief to see than she expected. Akinai spun around in the water and proudly faced the mammalian, smugly awaiting her praise and congratulations for her work. The man had no words to speak underwater, but his face said it all. His eyes flicked between the two predators, then to the dragoness - he was elated! A grin spread across his muzzle to show his appreciation. He.. Wasn't really sure how else to thank his friend for defending them like this. He'd think of something. For now, he had to figure out what to do with all these fish. The sea pony he wanted to bring to a tide pool or something to keep it safe. As for the other two, however.. The slender fish could be netted, he supposed. The shark would be a problem. Maybe he could rope it up? Er.. What exactly does one do with a shark?! They did have a moment before the predators came to their senses though - this would be the prime time to take their leave from the waters. Xentus tried to scoop the seapony from the water with him, hoping it wouldn't find the air too uncomfortable..
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Post by Ashe on Oct 14, 2021 12:47:28 GMT -6
The seapony was easy enough to pick up, and further out, the shark and the eel floated around, moving just enough to keep water flowing through their gills. They were calm, feeling almost bliss as they hung out. Hopefully the effects would last long enough for the pair to figure out how to capture the shark!
[Congratulations, you have nullified the threat and managed to tame three creatures!]
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Post by Xentus on Aug 20, 2023 21:20:21 GMT -6
- Intermission Concluded - > The Following Morning...
Xentus' mind buzzed over recollection of the previous day. The dangerous flight, the perilous plight with those predators. He felt lucky that they weren't somehow taken by the night. Akinai lay coiled around the man, head resting on his lap. She could tell he was bothered. This was her attempt at comforting him without intruding or prying at his thoughts. A moment to relax. The golden alurook loomed nearby, preening her feathers. Yesterday's flight was already behind her - there was no use in having her mind in turmoil over it, unlike her keeper. (We should fly again), the thought was pressed to the leopard. He perked up and spun to look upon the owl in surprise. 'Are you certain, Mashi? You don't have t-' The thought abruptly was cut off.
(- Yes. I will control it. I must)
There was a stubborn resolve in the alurook's voice. One that Xentus couldn't refuse. He patted Akinai's neck and stood. "Mashi wishes to resume her lessons", he informed her, then went off to clamber onto the bird's back. The dragoness nodded and took on the job of watching over them. Soon, they were in the air, and the magic was called to wing once again.
24 Mashiik; Magic:Ripcord Dance - 6
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Post by Xentus on Aug 20, 2023 21:32:06 GMT -6
The sky was turbulent. Winds buffeted at Xentus' face, making him burry his face into the soft plumage of the alurook's neck. If not for their ribbon-link, it would've been impossible to instruct her. 'Stay over the waters for Akinai', he reminded her, only to be retorted at with a sharp 'I know'. For a moment, the mammalian thought the bird might be angry at him, perhaps for not trusting her common sense. But the murmurs of her mind told a different story, of anger at herself. To lose control of the magic. To nearly fail her keeper. It was unbecoming, and she thought far better of herself. The sense of pride was strong in Mashiik.
'Alright, Mashi. Feel the wind. Face the storm. Let the magic flow'
Akinai watched from below, swimming at pace with the owl in the river below. Part of her worried for a repeat of yesterday. Yet part of had faith in the leopard's pets. He seemed to believe in the bird, and so she would too. The alurook seemed to pick up speed and zipped between unseen obstacles, twisting and turning in the air with ease. Then the magic began to emanate from her. Swirling at her feather-tips, then taking form in the shape of dancing winds.
Using Pellets (0 remaining) 25 Mashiik; Magic:Ripcord Dance - 7
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Post by Xentus on Aug 20, 2023 21:57:53 GMT -6
The storm of the alurook's mind was raging, just as it was in life that fateful day. The crack of thunder. The flash of lightning. Wind howling. She had already conquered lightning - it didn't phase her. The winds, though. Its threat was invisible and spanned beyond the air itself. It shook the trees and spat leaves in her face. Soon the image of the falling tree returned. Threatening to swat them out of the air. She had the power to change that, using the very winds that swirled around them. The sound of her frightened keeper calling her name rang quietly in her ears. The will to defend him - both of them - burned strong. Xentus could almost see the flashes of thought in his mind as the two of them flew. 'That's it, Mashi', he encouraged her, 'Dance with the winds, unleash it'. The magic that had been channeled to her feathers swirled intensely, bolstered by her aerial agility, then was cast forward in the form of blades of air. In the owl's mind, it struck the tree that threatened their lives. In reality, the magic was shunted off into the sky harmlessly. Akinai watched on, seeming relieved that things seemed to be in control this time, letting out a long breath.
26 Mashiik; Magic:Ripcord Dance - 8
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