Welcome to Gaia! ::

He sat quietly on a boulder in the middle of the stream, his legs crossed under him and his hands resting on his knees. He was a slight youth, at first glance a Kawani of his mid-teen years. But his skin was darker than any of the Kawani, and the hair that hung down past his shoulders was a deep red color, rather than the black of the Kawani. He wore no leather or skin garments, but his arms, legs, head, and chest were all adorned with burnished silver ornaments, studded with small blue stones. At his throat was a large blue jewel, and a silver key hung about his neck on a thin blue cord.

His eyes were closed, and he was at first, second, and third glance appeared to be deep in thought. And, indeed, he was!

The truth of the matter was, Regelus was at a cross roads. It had been some time since he had encountered any troubled souls who would benefit from his guidance. On the one hoof, this was a positive thing. If he felt no pull to help, that meant that the Soquili he had been passing by were at peace with the workings of Fate. As nothing was more important for Soquili than to accept things they could not change, this was great news. But at the same time, it left Regelus himself feeling oddly adrift.

At times like these, meditation and contemplation were Regelus' greatest comforts. He preferred to do his thinking in his human form, as it was an unusual enough sight to ensure some modicum of peace. So he sat on the rock in the river, trying to find his own acceptance. Surely there was another purpose for him, there always was. He just had to come to terms with the ways things currently stood; in the peculiar tongue of the Kawani, he murmured to himself, "Healer, restore yourself." He knew that things would work out; he would discover what purpose he was intended for, the purpose that explained this lapse in his usual routine. It was not his place to question or second guess the workings of Fate.

One slender hand lifted to gently stroke the key at his neck; it was his most prized possession, the symbol of everything he believed and trusted. It was rare that Regelus found himself in a doubting mood, but they were not unknown. He was no true god, after all, just a Soquili with a unique role to play. And that was what he needed to remember.

Abruptly, he opened his eyes, their ice-blue color in stark contrast to his dark skin and hair. As usual, this break for thought had been for the best, and he unfolded himself gracefully from the rock and stood up. Something important was going to happen, he could feel it. He didn't know what, exactly, but there was something significant that he was meant to do. There could be no other reason for this lapse, and he needed to find this new purpose, and embrace it!

He sighed deeply in relief, running both hands through his hair. He would just have to make a move, that was all.

He, smiled, at peace with himself once again. With that peace enveloping him, he tilted his head back...

And the boy was gone, replaced by a tall, brilliantly adorned angeni stallion.

Regelus craned his neck from one side to the other, working the stiffness that always came with a transition out of his joints. He followed up that stretch with a shake to his limbs, and a flex to all the wings on head, back, and feet. It was a reflexive action, but had the additional benefit of giving him a moment to gather his bearings. He knew, as all Angeni with the ability no doubt also knew, that he needed to moderate his time spent in human form; even if he didn't run the risk of losing the ability due to overuse, he would never want to overuse it purely due to the side effects of change!

But midstretch, something caught his attention: the scent of another Soquili, wafting downwind. Turning about, he looked upstream to see if he could observe the Soquili; it had been some time since he'd met anyone out here, and he couldn't help but wonder if this was it: his moment of purpose. A hint of a smile twitched his muzzle at the whimsy of his thoughts; how often had he reminded people that to expect instant gratification was to expect disappointment? Still, a fellow could hope.

He didn't see anyone, but there was a strand of trees at the bend of the river. Figuring it was as good a place to start any any, he trotted up that direction, settling his wings back with a slight tinkling sound.

There was nothing in the trees, nothing of a Soquili nature, anyway, but as he rounded the small grove he was gratified by what he had been hoping for: the sight of another Soquili. He had been expecting that. But what he had NOT been expecting was the four spreading back wings, the feathers behind the unique headdress. This was an Angeni, one as dramatically looking, in her own way, as he was himself.

How extraordinary.

Regelus was so used to his own apparence that it aways took him a moment to realize the reason when he was stared at. Then again, that seemed to be par for the course for the Angeni race; with their basic physical traits of large size and multiple wings, they were eye-catching even if naturally colored and bare. But there were few among the race that Regelus had met who fit that description; many of the Angeni were brightly colored, and many others sported dramatic ornamentation. Regelus himself fit both criteria, with his deep bloodred coat, silver ornaments, and electric blue gems. So it was only natural that he would be on the receiving end of a little gaping.

Not that the Angeni mare was gaping, by any means. Indeed, the mare was almost reserved in her manner; once her intial staring was over, she seemed determined to avoid looking at him for longer than a few seconds. He could respect that reserve.

Cordially, he nodded his head at the mare in response to her greeting. "Hello to you as well. I apologize for intruding on your solitude, but I caught your scent and was curious who else was around. It has been some time since I met up with another Soquili in these parts." And wasn't that the truth. He didn't feel any 'pull' towards this mare to indicate she was at a cross roads, so he would still need to watch and wait for the opportunity to be truly helpful. However, it was nice to know that whatever was provoking his dry spell, it wasn't due to a complete lack of other Soquili.

She was a very mild mare, Regelus reflected with approval. He had never been given to strong emotion himself, and while he was used to dealing with it in others, he enjoyed the opportunity for socialization that wasn’t…well, weepy. Or hostile, or angry, or any other such dramatic sentiment. He was a placid fellow himself, and he always enjoyed placidity in others. Indeed, this mare was already giving Regelus himself a run for his money when it came to nonchalance. Yes, he approved indeed, and he nodded his head slightly in expression of that approval as the mare resumed her drinking.

So she was a stranger here, then; a wanderer, but for what purpose? As far as he could tell, she was also a pure Angeni, which meant she must have some mission or duty of her own. Perhaps conversation would reveal that information; while Regelus had never met an Angeni, himself included, who wasn’t proud of their connection with the spirits and their special purpose in life, he’d never considered it good form to ask such things upfront. One could be proud and respectful at the same time, after all; furthermore, it was possible that in spite of her placid demeanor, she was one of the younger Angenis, still coming into her own and striving to develop herself and her abilities.

Meeting the mare’s gaze with equal calmness, he inclined his head. “I’m Regelus, and it’s a pleasure to meet you, Xolotlcoatl. I hope you have found your time in this region thus far to be pleasant. I myself am a rover, but I have been through this region once before.”

Regelus had always been a stable fellow, in terms of both attitude and physicality. Time and time again, he'd needed to stand his ground in rough situations; his special gifts could bring peace and calmness to others, but they could also easily provoke hostility in those with an axe to grind with the cosmos. He could take a lot without moving or flinching; strength and stability were as much a part of his body at this point as his spirit.

So as Xolotlcoatl first shifted, then stepped towards him, Regelus remained as he was; firmly upright, weight balanced evenly on all four hooves. He preferred to let others close the distance between them, if they were so inclined; being non-threatening was an essential part of what he did. Even with his gifts, there was no way he'd manage to get others to open up to him if they felt threatened by his person or his presence.

As she moved closer, Regelus studied the mare carefully. He still felt no 'pull' from her; if she was feeling any anxiety, it was something she was accepting of, not something she was fighting. At this point, their conversation seemed to be just that: a conversation, with no agenda. How very peaceful. It had been too long since he'd seen another Angeni, and the last one he'd encountered had been his little protege, Ausdauer, an exhausting creature if Regelus ever knew one!

Ausdauer was in the back of Regelus' mind at Xolotlcoatl's comment regarding the novelty of meeting another Angeni, and he smiled in his very slight, reserved way. "Well, Angenis are still somewhat of a rarity in these parts, I've found; pure-blooded Angenis even moreso. I've encountered a few others in the course of my travels, but it's been a while." Nodding his head courteously, he followed Xolotlcoatl's lead in looking around. It was easy, when you spent a lot of time in a place, to start to overlook its charms; Xolotlcoatl's remark was a nice reminder to take time to enjoy the world, as much as anything in it! "It is a very nice region, I do agree. If one is going to be traveling, it never hurts to be in a place so gifted in natural beauty. And on that note, a rover is a traveler, a wanderer. I keep no fixed abode, so I am, by definition, a rover."

Tilting his head slightly to one side, he asked, "But what brings you to this region, if I may ask?"