Welcome to Gaia! ::

Andre had thrived in his new business of leading people in the mountains, he loved his life and knew that there was no place where he could be happier. He packed his bag on one particular morning and got ready to go. He was leaving to be alone in the mountains for a few days. he had already told his family so if anyone needed him he would be back in 3 days. He often took these trips to be alone with himself and to test himself against the mountains. He liked to see what he was made of and often pretended he could talk to the spirit of the mountains. He wanted to keep his relationship with the mountains polite and good, he regarded them as a living thing and would let no one destroy new growth or hunt animals with young. because he knew the mountains so well he knew the breeding seasons and many a time he had refused to bring a hunter into the mountains because he knew it was a time when the animals were dropping and raising young. He held great respect for the life of the mountains and so often took small solitary trips to give the mountains and himself a break.

He left on his trip and headed for his favorite spots. Climbed rocks and trees, watched bears, and did everything he wanted. He survived off the land and made sure to note any geographical changes. When he came back home after 3 days he was restored. A big goofy smile on his face and happiness radiating off of his body. That was why when he met his father he was shocked. The man was haggard with worry and could not have been happier to see his son. "Andre, its your mother, she caught ill, your sisters are caring for her but I'm worried." Andre's smile faded and he made a bee line for his mother in the house. A sickness in a small town like this was indeed a big problem. They didnt have a permanent doctor living there so if she couldnt heal on her own she might not make it. he prayed that a doctor would pass by some day soon to get her checked. Sure enough when he entered the room both of his sisters were by his mothers bedside. one was trying to feed her while the other rinsed some cool strips of cloth to place over her forehead. Andre need not say anything he could see the changes on hos mothers face. She was sick, and his sisters were distraught. He left the room and went into the kitchen. There was nothing he could do! He didnt know how to care for the sick!

Andre did everything he could to help around the house, he mostly took over his sisters jobs. He did the washing and the cooking, he went for groceries and made sure that the garadens were kept. He saw little of his sisters since they were doing all they could to help their mother and his father and brother still worked the forge. But business was slack. It seemed that the sickness had not only appeared in this house but it had come and spread through out the village. many people were leaving or lay sick in bed. It was nice to have others in town to relate to and to ask advise from but it was a bit scary to know that everyone in town seemed affected y it. neighbors they had been friends with for years packed up and left. All the shops closed, and after a day of not seeing his sisters come out of the room he went to check on them. He found all three women now had the sickness. Andre was horrified! He arranged his sisters on the bed near their mother but all three were nearly half conscious and delirious. He tried to care for them. he told his father what he had found and both men were afraid for the first time in their lives, they were truly afraid. They did their best to spread the work of caring for the women between the three of them each trying to not catch the sickness but eventually it took Andre. He was the first of the men to fall prey to it. He collapsed outside one day and didnt wake up for days.

He had fever dreams that frightened him as much as they comforted him. Strange things came to him, the mountains, the animals all these things he saw and felt. He could feel the mountain calling to him to be a part of her and a few times he was tempted to join her. To be a part of the mountain and live as a spirit. But another voice always came to him, a female voice, it sounded like silk and it seemed to comfort him.

Andre remember your family, live Andre, .......live.

He strained to know who the voice was but it never came to him he was too delirious. But he followed the voice and he did his best to live, he had to live! he didnt know why but he clung to the idea and he did everything he could to wake up. He knew he was dreaming he had to wake up!

He finally awoke to a quiet and seemingly empty house. Andre groggily tried to get up but soon realised that would be a mistake. He didnt know how long he had been out but it was obvious it had been at least a few days if not more. His body ached and he was thirsty. He managed to stumble and drag himself over to the kitchen where he drunk water till it hurt. He stayed there regaining his strength, sleeping and eating mostly for about a day. Finally he knew he had to see what had happened. Was he alone? Was his family dead? He wanted to know but at the same time wanted too stay ignorant. these were not questions that could have good answers. When he felt strong enough he went to check on his mother and sisters.

What he found would haunt him for years. The three women were laying the bed but they would never move again. Their faces were sunken and pale, their clothing dusty and dingy. They looked like they had been dead for a few days and the smell! Andre slammed the door shut and stumbled into another room. He collapsed on the floor and cried long and hard for the first time since he was a babe. To see his family like that was much more than he could handle. He had expected all three of them to die at a ripe old age, maybe surrounded by family and long buried by now. But not this, he heard that voice again smooth as silk come to him and comfort hiim. he couldnt remember what it said but it was there and it made him feel less afraid and alone. He stood up and began to search the house again, he had to find out what happened to his father and brother, they had to be here too, he had to find them.

He found them both in the forge, it seemed they had gone there to stay out of the house but had caught the sickness anyway. Andre knew they were at the brink of death when he saw them and immediately got two strips of cloth and soaked them, he put the cloth in their mouths so they could get some water into their bodies. He cared for his father and brother as best he could and prayed that they would live. He often heard that voice and felt less alone. He thought the voice was that of the mountain goddess in his dreams and so he embraced it and often took its advise. Within a few days his father and brother came out of their sickness and he finally had other people to talk to. His brother seemed perfectly fine, nothing was wrong with him at all but their father had a problem. The sickness seemed to have taken a toll on the mans arm, he could not move it very well and it caused him much pain. The men wanted to try to bury the girls but it was impossible, the bodies were so far gone by now that it was torture to be near that room.

The men decided to burn down the house. They knew the forge would survive because it was made of stone and metal. Nothing could be done about the house, the stench of death had begun to cling to the walls and the sickness might still be there. So they gathered a little timber and lit the house ablaze. All three men stood outside and watched it burn with silent prayer. Once the house was only ashes and nothing was left Andres father and brother set about rebuilding. They still wanted to live here where they had for their whole lives, it was their home and it would be their tomb. But Andre didnt feel as attached to their old hime. The whole village had changed everything was different now. He bade his family farewell and set off into the mountains one last time. This time he would pass them and not look back.

Andre sat in the shadow of one of the school buildings, he back against the cool stones. Mia lay in the grass besides him, Andre looked at her and smiled, everything she did always screamed graceful even now as she lay in the grass she seemed to be posing. Of course she was doing no such thing, it would be silly but he smiled as he imagined it. He watched as people passed to and fro on paths not far from where he sat. It seemed that he was one of the few students at this school with a settled daemon. He had been half surprised when he had seen most students walking around with little transparent blobs hovering around them. He remembered no such stage and had looked to Mia for an answer when he arrived. She had simply told him that he had not wanted to be seen and so had hidden. It was a true answer and so Andre did not question it. Mia was secretive by nature and hard to get close to, he could sense that. But he also knew that she loved him and would remain his companion as long as she could. It was an interesting feeling to have such an aloof and yet loving daemon as a partner. He could only imagine if this was how others viewed him. Was he like Mia?

He let himself slide sideways off the stone and land silently on the soft grass so that he was now laying at an odd angle. He moved around to lay straight and looked up at the sky. Mia watched him and stood up to stretch before moving closer to her companion. Andre never moved, he could feel Mia coming towards him and so had no need to look at her and confirm this, his eyes wouldn't tell him anything new. Mia nuzzled Andres hand with her large face and allowed herself to slide against his body effectively rubbing her whole back with his unmoving hand. When she was satisfied she lay still next to him and both of them lay in silence.

Andre found his thoughts returning to how he was like Mia. He was indeed a loner like she was, after all here he was in an isolated place where he could watch without being watched. He wasnt off romping or trying to be social he was happy with Mia's company and that was all he needed. Liike her petting herself with his hand he knew that when he wanted something he found ways of getting it. She had wanted him to pet her but she hadnt asked she had just taken the petting. He smiled as he realized he was a ruthless opportunist, just like Mia and her petting he had taken to the forest and molded it into a paying job. He hadnt stuck with any other job because he hadnt liked it, he knew no one could rope him into doing something he didnt want to, he always only worked towards what he wanted. He could be kind when he felt moved to be and he knew he was tender to those close to him and he could be cruel. He turned his head so that he could see Mia's golden brown back. She flicked an ear at him but that was as far as she went to acknowledging his attention to her. Andre smiled.

"Mia what do you think class is going to be like?" he asked half expecting an answer. He could feel Mia thinking, the wheels of her mind always moved casually but with purpose. It was an interesting feeling, to feel someone thinking. Andre had to admit he loved to let himself stay quiet and try to let his being flow into Mia's. They had tried this on various occasions and it was one of the reasons they were so close. They were two parts of a whole but they were always one.

Mia twitched her ear and let the tip of her tail twitch as she wondered what to answer. She had never been a daemon of many words. The most she had spoken even to Andre had been when she had first manifested, but that was because he had needed her most and in her transparent daemling stage she had only her words to let him know she was there. Now she had a physical and pretty visible shape. She was still a little fuzzy around the edges since she was not yet a true form but she had less need for talking now.

I think class will be......enlightening Was all she could really think to say. She was one to point out the obvious if necessary but saying class would be educational was too obvious even for her. She had never been to a class before because Andre had never been. She could feel his apprehension at being in a small room with many people and she shifted her body to once again rub against him and comfort him. Both of them loved wide open spaces and they were most at home outside. But classes and other indoor activities were necessary, she knew this and she wanted what was best for her companion. She rolled onto her stomach and slowly stood up and moved so that her forepaws and chest were resting on his broad muscled chest and she was looking down at him. She looked at him like a proud mother, he was hers and that was why she knew he would be a great man one day.

Andre smilied as he fely Mia move and then saw her looking down at him from her new place on his chest. She always gave him extra strength and pride. He knew how she was looking at him and he appreciated it. If she wanted the best for him then he would do his best. He knew that Mia wanted a proud and powerful companion so he would provide that for her. They were the same, like two halves of a whole and both found complete happiness and contentment in that.