[PLOT] Katya + Eligor

[Doof]

A fire-hued demon wandered the halls glumly. The faeries were small enough to easily miss while rushing through the halls, and it was her misfortune to have almost knocked over one named Hania, who then sternly ordered her to stop flying through the halls.

Yes, she'd been flying. Inside. Hania had told her that at her age she shouldn't even have been fluttering, then noted her frail constitution and restricted her to walking for the rest of the day to 'build character'.

"I should probably practice my power." She muttered out loud, then added slightly sarcastically, "Oh that's right, I don't know what it is yet." Turning a corner, she came to a window and looked outside. It was getting cloudy, and the sun hung low in the sky. She thought that a late afternoon rainstorm could be a possibility, not that she'd be out flying anyway. Dinner would probably be not far off, which the bored demon was looking for more than ever, it seemed.

Katya stared out at the vista for a minute before she heard a muffled thudding sound. In fact, a lot like a book being clapped shut. So many of the children in this castle were more studious than her, and she wondered which one was passing time in this wing of the castle reading books. She approached an impressive set of double doors and pried them open a crack, peering in.

"Oh. So THIS is where the library is." She commented, unintentionally louder than she'd have liked, sticking her head in to see who was inside.  

[Teigra]

Eligor paused, a stack of books in the crook of one arm, the other hand resting on the volume he'd just replaced on the shelf. He turned his attention towards the voice with a frown, wondering who could have...

Ah, yes, another of the Chosen. What was her name again? Kat...something like that at least...Katya, maybe? He'd not seen her around the library that much, at least not as much as some of the others. She seemed to prefer spending her time outside, rather than in. Surprising, considering she seemed to have trouble keeping up in morning exercises... So what was it she spent so much time doing out there anyway? He'd have to find out one of these days.

For now, he had to wonder what she was doing, if she hadn't meant to come to the library. Wandering aimlessly? It was true, there wasn't much for them to do some days, especially while they waited for their official training to start. That was why he'd started his own study regimen, but perhaps that wasn't for everyone.

Turning towards the door, Eli set the stack of books on the edge of a reading table. "Why yes, so it is. With so many books stored here, they just decided to go ahead and rename it," he offered, attempting a joke. He hesitated a moment, however, wrestling with a frown. Perhaps that didn't go over so well...

"Err...could I help you with something?" he asked quickly to cover.  

[Doof]

Katya's blank look at the other demon's comment remained for a second or two until she realized that it was in fact a joke, whereupon she let out a short, awkward laugh. Oh by the Guardians that was a BAD one. She hadn't seen Eligor at first, indeed she was so awestruck at the sheer number of books there that she had forgotten her earlier mood.

This one, she knew, was named Eligor, and she never really saw much of him at all. On reflection, she realized that he might have spent most of his time in here. A place she had never been to.

Katya thought for a moment about a response to Eligor's question, but she never came up with a good answer. "Well, in all honesty, I'm probably beyond help." She wandered in and closed the door behind her. "Like for example, it took me until today to realize that this was where the library was."

"Eligor." She nodded in greeting towards him. "I'm guessing you spend a lot of time in here, 'cuz I never see you outside."  

[Teigra]

His sad attempt at a joke brushed aside, Eligor seemed to regain some of his composure and nodded in casual agreement. "Yes, I do spend a lot of time here, I suppose. Not much else to do until our formal training begins, so I preferred to get a jump on our studies. Research some topics of my own interest at least, even if we don't cover them in our classes, perhaps I could have some questions for the instructors to inspire further discussion," he nodded sagely, never imagining that this line of thought would be any less exciting for others than it was for him.

He half-smiled at her self-depreciating remark, and shook his head with a chuckle. "Perhaps so, but perhaps not. Afterall, that's one more thing you know now that you didn't know before. You're still making progress, which is always the sign of self-improvement. Only when you cease making forward movement, then perhaps, you're beyond help, for then, you've given up."

He finished putting the books away that were in his arms, then glanced around before brushing off his hands. "Well, since you're knew to this section of the world...any questions I could help with? Or maybe, any subjects you're particularly interested in? Could always get in a little study time before dinner." Afterall, who wouldn't jump at the chance for that?
 

[Doof]

Subjects? Katya's mouth stretched to a thin line. She hadn't been expecting to find a library, indeed she hadn't ever thought about studying in her spare time, so the question found her quite unprepared. She had to agree with Eligor; she had the same idea about self-improvement, but the young demon had simply never considered it with reference to her studies. Her efforts had tended to be more intensely focused towards her air-time, and her spare time, well, she preferred to keep it spare.

The demon strode casually over to Eligor, her eyes wandering over the seemingly endless various records and tomes piled into the shelves. She was sure there was some sort of order to those books, but she couldn't figure out what it was just by looking at the titles. "Supernaturals?" What was that, a book about superstitions and magic, or a compilation of excellent natural remedies?

"Er, well I appreciate the offer, but I didn't really come in here thinking about what I wanted to learn." It occurred to Katya that Eligor might have a different perspective on his priorities, but she wasn't about to damage her mood more by trying to cram some knowledge into her little mind. "Say, why don't you tell me what you're studying right now?" She asked, genuinely curious. "Is it history or magic or what?"  

[Teigra]

Eli watched his fellow squire as she moved, her eyes casting about the room. He knew, he just knew, that with only a glance, the library would capture her interest. It wouldn't be long before she was diving headfirst into some tome of knowledge. Perhaps, she'd ask for his help in finding something. He did know the shelves pretty well by now...

But, Eli was to be both surprised and disappointed. One came to a library NOT wanting to learn?!? How? Well, she had gotten lost, apparently...

Hiding his disappointment, he turned to the other demon and nodded. "Of course. I'm studying magic; it's a favorite subject of mine. Fascinating topic, with enough branches to fuel a lifetime of study." His eyes seem to glow at the prospect; years upon years spent perusing ancient tomes, the studies of wise ones gone by, testing one's own theories, documenting the results...

To keep his mind from wandering further, he quickly continued, "I've studied the most basic forms of magic, now I've moved on to the different types, or fields, of practice and their practical uses. I figured, when I started, that if I kept this up, maybe one day I'd find my own special talent; but of course, it's a valuable journey in itself, even if I don't." Knowledge was the true treasure, even if practice would be nice too. Even if he didn't find his special talent in the process, as he understood it, they were to be taught general magic as part of their training as squires. Perhaps he might have a headstart...or have some questions ready for their instructor by the time classes started!

Of course, he had finally found one branch of magic that had worked when he'd tried it.

"There are elemental spells, evocation spells, charms, potions, even summoning rituals, which I just finished reading recently." The demon's golden eyes took on a rare mischievous sparkle and he lowered his voice as if sharing some great secret. Nevermind that no one was nearby to hear anyway.

"Wanna' see something cool?"  

[Doof]

Magic. Katya figured it would have been for the best if she let him do most of the talking, lest she make a fool of herself by misquoting yet another element of arcane theory. For that matter, perhaps I should let him do most of the demonstrating too. In truth, Katya was probably equally inept at both combat and magic, but she found herself hanging around magic users more often than the fighters. Fighters tended to scare her a little.

Katya marveled at Eligor's passion for books. By the Guardians, did he love books. If she spent as much time in the library as she suspected he did, she would feel so very alone. Yet, she could respect that thirst for knowledge, even if she didn't share it. She recognized it as one of their society's nobler pursuits, one that could yield great benefits far beyond the lifespan of any pae.

Eligor managed to grab the female demon's attention with his final question. Cool was definitely in her vocabulary, and her favorite kind of magic was the shiny kind. Heck, she might even learn something. "Ooh, I'd love to!" She replied, wandering closer and grinning as she took up a position right by Eligor's side.  

[Teigra]

Eligor chuckled, the enthusiasm contagious. "Okay, lemme' show you what I learned then." He stepped back so that he had some space in front of him, brushing against Katya's arm as he did so. A tingling feeling, like static electricity, passed over his skin, but he only blinked and attributed the odd feeling to such. He held out one hand, muttering a few words under his breath. The words weren't actually all that important, he'd learned, but the meaning behind them was. As long as his thoughts were focused on his intent, the words were only a channeling element. The only important word was the last one to pass his lips.

"...Amaros."

There was a flash of light, then it seemed to swirl and condense, forming a concrete form. Eligor grinned, expecting his familiar to take his usual form, a small feline creature, or perhaps one of the others he'd seen him use before, a small bird or even a rabbit. As the growing form drew more and more light to its shape, however, Eligor started to frown. Something was off...

Before the pair, a giant cat formed, with paws nearly as big as their faces, fangs as long as their fingers. Eyes wide, Eligor backed up, wings flaring and instinctively shielding Katya behind him. The beast shook its fur, still shimmering as a beast of light, then let out a fearsome roar that shook the walls of the library.

Eligor hesitated, swallowing hard, then called out warily, "...Amaros?"  

[Doof]

Katya wondered if Eligor could sense her anticipation, and she twitched at the touch on her arm, grinning broadly to herself. The red demon watched intently while he began his incantation, almost seeming to will his familiar into existence herself, so eager was the expression on her face.

Katya squinted at the flash of light when the spell manifested, looking away slightly while she blinked away the white in her vision. And she continued to blink as her eyes readjusted upon the magnificent sight before her, the feline form of her friend's familiar.

And then it roared.

Behind Eligor, Katya gave a sharp and somewhat embarrassing squeak, instinctively making herself small behind the other demon. Given her already diminutive stature, she practically disappeared behind the leathery spread of his wings. For a while the little demon found herself recovering from shock behind the taller boy before finally hazarding a peek over Eligor's shoulder. Her eyes stared, wide and unblinking at the great cat before them, its regal coat of fur and powerful, thick muscles projecting an aura of power and majesty. Eligor's familiar was an awesome and terrifying creature to behold.

Katya had never guessed Eligor's magic could be so powerful. She'd always assumed he was the studious and quiet type, not a contender for the most powerful summoner-mage she'd ever known.
"Eligor, he's amazing." Katya said breathlessly. "... Does he bite?"  

[Teigra]

The feline familiar's head swiveled, eyes fixing upon the pair of teenage demons. A low growl issued from its mouth, almost sub-vocal, but it made no move to attack. Only watched them.

Eligor relaxed only a fraction when the beast seemed to decide not to shred them on sight. This was...not what he'd been expecting. "I...don't know," he answered honestly. "He never has before. But uh...he's never been this big before either," he admitted with a shrug and a brief glance over his shoulder at Katya.

Turning back to the feline, he forced himself to lower his wings, remembering a book he'd read once saying that animals often tried to make themselves look larger and more intimidating when looking for a fight. He didn't want to issue any such challenge, and he could only hope that the rules applied to animal summon spirits as well. "Amaros? Buddy? You alright? You're looking a little...large and ferocious today?" He tried to keep his vocal tone even and soothing; wouldn't do to provoke the spirit beast if he were in a volatile state.

The pair's eyes locked for what was mere seconds, but felt like an eternity for Eligor. Then, the beast huffed softly, its hackles lowering as it dropped its haunches to the floor and calmly started to clean itself.

One hand resting on Katya's upper arm, Eligor let out a sigh of relief, his posture slumping a bit. "I think we're alright. I'm not quite sure what's going on, but we should be fine. I don't know why he's not talking though..." he trailed off, frowning in concern.  

[Doof]

Katya didn't take her eyes off the large feline. As Eligor withdrew his wings, her own fluttered nervously. She was always more of a 'flight' risk than a 'fight' risk in a tense situation. The little demon cautiously edged out from behind Eligor and regarded his companion "So, he has more than one form? He doesn't usually appear this way?"

With a smirk, Katya nudged Eligor's shoulder. "You didn't have to pull out all the stops to impress me, you know." She seemed to miss Eligor's point, or at least she misinterpreted how his power worked. "In fact, I can't wait to see what you can bring forth once you've completed your traning."

She figured it looked a little less intimidating now and a little more... cuddly. Though not nearly enough so for her to approach it. The great cat looked horribly out of place in the quiet, perfectly kept library, but it seemed docile enough.

"Amaros, was it?" Katya asked. "Is he good company?"  

[Teigra]

No, no, no, no, no...this was all wrong! What in the Guardians' name was going on here? Eligor shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and figure this out. Katya gave his shoulder a light shove, accompanied by another of those odd static shocks. He blinked, taking note of this curiosity, then noting what she said, shook his head again humorlessly. "That wasn't me," he admitted with a shrug. "I just summon him to this plane of existence. I don't determine the form he takes, nor how big he is. I don't think, anyway. I mean, from what I can tell, either the form is his choice, or determined by some other outside factors I have yet to determine."

Eli didn't like that he didn't understand what was going on here. He rubbed his arm absentmindedly where he and Katya had touched, staring at his familiar. "He normally is, yes," he answered Katya finally. "Somewhat talkative at times...unlike right now. Though, I've not really introduced him to anyone else before. You're the first," he admitted, shooting Katya a sideways look. "Maybe he's shy?"

One look at the large cat dispelled any thoughts that 'shyness' was the problem here. "Amaros?" Eligor tried again, taking a single step towards the large familiar. "Buddy? Uh...you feeling alright?"

The cat looked up with sharp eyes, locking on the male demon in silence. A low growl proceeded a single word. "Fine."

It wasn't much, but it was enough to cause relief. At least he was talking. Sort of. Eligor sighed softly, relaxing a fraction. "Good. You had me worried there. You're awfully uh, 'large' today. Do you know what's going on?"

Another steady, piercing look. "Don't know. Hungry."

Hungry? Could familiars get hungry? Did they even eat? What did they eat?

More proof that one always had more to learn.

"Well, this is interesting," Eligor muttered, a complete understatement as he reached to lay a reassuring hand on Katya's arm. Receiving another light jolt, he pulled back quickly, shaking his hand. "Lots of static electricity about today," he grumbled to himself.  

[Doof]

"I noticed." Replied Katya, rubbing her arm and shoulder. "Is a bit sparky, but..." She eyed Eligor and Amaros. "I'm starting to suspect that it maybe might not be static. It feels different, and, well, I haven't zapped myself on anything else yet." The red demon hugged her arms around herself, suddenly very aware of her surroundings, and taking particular note of all things metallic. She also took a couple of steps back from Eligor, watching him warily. Her imagination pictured arcs of electricity coursing over his skin, not a long stretch considering the power of the summoning spell she just witnessed.

For her part she dared not address Amaros. The familiar was not behaving as she expected one to behave, and Eligor's hesitation was a little infectious. In fact, she found herself not even looking the summoned animal in the eye.

"Eligor." Katya said, wondering aloud, "Maybe that static you felt, it was something to do with Amaros, yes?" She nodded towards the great cat. "He's not what you expected, bigger than what you're used to. If you're using much more magic than usual, you might be generating some sort of feedback which zaps me when I get too close."  

[Teigra]

He'd not entertained the thought before. Eligor blinked at Katya, questioning, "You think so? But why? Why now? It's never happened before. I don't feel like I used any more power than usual to call him forth." If he'd needed more power, shouldn't he feel drained or tired? Far from it, he felt energized...he felt like running out to the courtyard to run laps.

Why?

Couldn't say he'd ever been seized by that random urge before.

But what made this different? His friend's enhanced size had to be the result of some change to the equation. What made this time different from any other time he'd called Amaros forth before?

Then, it hit him. His own words echoing back from a few minutes before. 'Though, I've not really introduced him to anyone else before. You're the first.' Was that it? The lone variable?

He blinked at Katya again, working it out in his head. "It's you," he muttered in disbelief. Was it the presence of another Pae'il that affected his familiar's appearance, or was it her in particular? He couldn't think of a reason why his familiar would be affected by the presence of another, but...he also hadn't known that summon spirits could get hungry either until today, so apparently, he was still learning. Still, it was a working theory...

"Katya? What exactly is your ability?" he asked, growing suspicious.  

[Doof]

Katya's head tilted in what could only be described as a cute manner. "Mine? I don't have one. I mean, I do have one, but I haven't figured it out yet." The short demon shrugged. "Although not for lack of trying, really." She held her hands up in a somewhat exasperated fashion. "Why just yesterday, I tried to repair a table I'd just broken to see if my special talent was in carpentry. This after the whole cottage cleaning incident which you might have heard about. Or smelled."

Katya paused as though thinking before she cracked a slight grin and wiggled her wings, half-looking back at them. "Well, and then there's these babies. I mean, I don't think they count as my special power, but I won't complain if that's all it turns out to be." For a moment a look of simple, honest happiness crossed her face. "So long as I've got my wings, I don't need anything else to be content." The young teen shrugged her shoulders. "Can't levitate, I can barely wield a weapon, I can't cast energy of any magical or non-magical kind, I certainly can't summon... I've hit a stone wall on the subject for now." Her voice sounded resigned, but an undercurrent of frustration suggested that she felt more strongly about her block than she was letting on.

After her brief ramble, Katya turned her attention back to the other demon in the room, who had an awfully suspicious expression on his face. "Honest, that's all I can do. I'm not holding out on you." She remained oblivious to the revelation that seemed to be coming over her compatriot, as her gaze once more roamed over to Amaros, who was looking very bored with the proceedings.

Truth be told, she was more than a bit worried. Her life had been devoted to the Guardians thus far and yet even the strongest devotion wasn't of much use without a practical skill to use in Their name. She hoped she could find something worthy soon...

The female demon suddenly snapped her gaze back to Eligor. Why HAD he suddenly taken an interest in what her power was?
"Eligor," She began, "You've got a strange look on your face." Her gaze remained fixed on him as the gears in her head turned. Finally, after some seconds, it seemed she'd figured it out.

"Oh I get it!" Katya exclaimed cheerily. "You want to help me figure out what my special talent is right? Katya and Eligor, special power discoverers, Yeah!"