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 Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2016 6:55 pm
It was the afternoon. With the sun high in the sky, rays of light shot though the dense canopy onto the decaying leaves below. The mottled brown and green sea of the forest floor was broken by golden capped mushrooms, lazy streams and thick tree roots. The trees themselves rose high into the air, blocking the sky and surrounding everything and anything below. And hidden within this mighty forest was a small sparkling gem. It blended perfectly into the ground, hidden next to a circle of mushrooms on a long dead, fallen tree. Only when the gem stirred did the translucent wisps encircling it become visible. The wisp shifted from the undergrowth floating through the fungi, broken branches, and shrubbery. He knew he shouldn't stay there long. His home was not alone among the mushrooms and decaying detritus, but with something... Wandering had brought him to this place, the steady pull of powerful mana pulsed through the earth and infused the trees, fruit, and animals with its essence. Mana drew many creatures to its source but it did not fill the void in the little wisps heart. The missing piece, that something, was foreign to him, and he wasn't sure what he was searching for. Regardless it was not this. The wandering had come at a great cost. He had left the safety of a den, though he couldn't say whose, but it was cozy, warm, and for whatever reason, familiar. As he floated, almost ambivalently and slightly regretfully, the wind picked up. Tree branches shook and a strong breeze funneled through the massive, ancient tree trunks tossing the wisp through the air. He spread out the little ethereal arms that surrounded the gem and did his best to control his trajectory. Tilt to the left, spin, flatten, spread out. After a few minutes, he got the hang of it and graceful, albeit a bit comically, tumbled through the air at the speed of a summer breeze! Exhilaration filled the heart of the little wisp as he controlled the chaos that was the wind. The future was unknown and if it was half as much fun as dodging trees, it would certainly be a delight, he thought to himself. As he blew through the air, cottonbuns gathered to watch from a distance. What the little wisp didn't know was that he was spinning in circle, caught in a weak vortex of wind. What seemed like a high speed adventure was nothing more than what leaves experience on flat land. The rodents watched, but gradually lost interest. If only that silly little thing had eyes, it could see where it was going, they agreed and then promptly hopped away. When the wind began to die down, the wisp drifted to the ground, exhausted by the energy spent navigating what he thought was a treacherous forest. The little glen that he had whirled around in was the perfect place to rest. Soft moss and lichen covered the rocks and broken tree trunks below. Tree branches wove together in a tight mass creating dense canopy that completely obscured the sky. He nestled into a patch of particularly fresh moss and let his mind wander. The wind had brought the rain and little drips ran through the dense canopy and pooled in between the moss. With the ambient noise and a soft bed, the wisp went still, into a state that could almost be described as sleep. The rain pattered throughout the night, filling the glen with the scent of fresh grass and damp soil. The wisp gently waved in the wind, weighted by the sparkling central gem. Little drops of dew intermixed with newborn dewtles and as the sun began to rise, the creatures of the forest stirred. Rest had done the wisp well and had jogged his memory. He distinctly remembered the warm breath of something larger and the comfort and safety that came with the creature. But this was not the only change. His wispy arms were much heavier and less ghost-like than the day prior. It would be much harder to drift through the wind with such a weighty body, even if he was rather small. Several etherquails ran through the forest, just barely missing him with their clawed feet. He paid no attention to the near miss and lounged in the moss, soaking up the warmth that came with the morning.
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2016 4:10 pm
The wisp had wandered through the forest for several days, perhaps weeks, soaking up the energy and lounging in moss. It was not an uncomfortable existence, but it was lonely. After a long night of rest, the wisp awoke to a new sensation. His ghostly arms were no more. Instead, his body felt heavy and solid. He cracked his eyes and for the first time truly saw the forest. It was blinding and with weak eyelids, the forest disappeared beneath a veil of black. Struggling, the newborn tried to sit, but it was difficult. As a wisp, he was practically weightless, but this body was ungainly and required significant effort to move. Never before had that distant memory of the den been so appealing. Several days passed. the newborn tried to eat something. He quickly decided that grass and leaves were inedible but fruit was okay. Longing for something better, he stumbled through the undergrowth, searching for anything, or anyone, that would offer some help.
Pitifully, he sat and eventually drifted off to sleep. He was abruptly woken from his slumber by the sound of something crashing through the woods. As the sound grew closer, he wormed his way into the undergrowth and let his tan back hide himself among the decaying leaves. Apex predator or not, anything bigger was a threat. The footsteps grew closer and with it the feeling of being watched. The hair stood up on the back of his neck. Stay still, he though, but it was to no avail. In one swift moment, the newborn went from hidden to found. A larger elykosi had gently grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, suspending him in the air. He tried to protest but the only thing that came out of his mouth was a gargled yelp. But regardless of the struggle, strangely, he did not feel threatened. It was almost familiar, the presence of the larger creature. .
"I've been looking for you," the older elykosi said through clenched teeth for the adult was still carrying the child. "Honesty Carus, you probably floated away the second I went to sleep." With a sudden rush, the newborn recognized who the newcomer was, his father, Titan. His soothing voice and smell was the same as ever. Carus relaxed.
Titan carried the little one for miles until the sun started to set. The swaying motion from being carried had lulled Carus to sleep. He woke to dirt hitting his face. With the sun low in the sky, Titan was busy expanding an old, long forgotten den. Dirt flew through the air. Carus turned his back to the den to avoid being hit in the face by more debris. After a few minutes, Titan picked him up, plopped him on the ground of the den and curled up for the night. Carus rested his head against Titan's soft fur and drifted off to sleep with not a care in the world.
Weeks pasted and Carus was getting used to his new surroundings. Titan had carried him all the way back to his den on the outskirts of the forest. It was a far cry from the lush world surrounding the World Tree, but he loved it. Most of his time was spent trying to imitate his father, but everything he did was awkward and forced. His walk was a ambling plod, his stalking was more like crashing through the grass, and jumping usually ended poorly. Regardless, with each passing day there was improvement.
Fall was starting to set in and Carus had grown considerably, but was still rather small for his size. He blended in with the early golden leaves quite well but still lacked the fineness to be any sort of predator, sometimes even for plants. Titan watched as Carus tried to tear open a seed pod that had fallen from the tree above. "He is trying, though trying is the operative word here," he thought to himself. Carus' baby teeth hadn't managed to open the pod, but they had dented it. He gave up and chewed through the casing to get to the sweet seeds inside. It was slow work, but the pink seeds were reward enough to keep working. With a final triumphant CRACK!, the pod broke open. It took only a split second for the seeds to be devoured.
As Titan's eyes fixed on a disembodied noise, Carus took the opportunity to slip away into the den for a much needed nap! It was likely nothing and his dad would certainly take care of any threats, he mused. Just as he was settling down for some shut eye, a mass of fur plopped on top of his head. It was heavy and he struggled, nipping at the disturbance. The mass of striped purple fur swatted back playfully. Titan's prone form watched from the den opening and chuckled quietly. With a good shove, Carus shifted the large creature off of him and assessed it. It was cat-like in both appearance and demeanor. It tried to bat at his tail in between some playful romping.
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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2016 7:56 pm
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