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 Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 4:47 pm
 Bright. The sun was decidedly...bright today. Raken slowly moved out of his cave's entrance and into the light, a hand lifting to shield his eyes. It had been weeks now since he had returned from his trip, and days since he had seen the sunlight. The only time he had left the entire time back was to ask for the Guardians' generosity in regards to his power. One they had munificently given back. But too much time had passed since he last used it, and all his hard work, all of his efforts were...gone. Or almost gone in comparison to the power he once held. All his creatures were gone as were the ability to use multiple shadows at a time. He was essentially, back to square one. Worst yet, it wasn't just his power. It was his body, neglected and malnourished to half his former strength. He once was muscular and quick, making him one of the islands best fighters. Now? Now he shuffled his feet as he angled himself towards Fae Clearing, his old training location. He was weak and rusty. How had life become so wrong? He always put his whole effort into everything he did. From the time he was a child, he read daily in the HQ library. He should have had the knowledge to stop this. He should have been able...to save her. In the solitude of the forest, the demonic allowed emotion to touch his guarded heart as tears sprung to his eyes. Oh Mother...I hope the Guardians are watching your soul. She wasn't always the best caretaker, but she was always full of love and kindness. Never would he forget the stories she told of lands far away, or the bizarre songs she brought with her when she came to the island. Tartara didn't deserve her horrible, painful death.
But there was no logic in rehashing the past. After taking the bits of knowledge gained from hindsight, there was nothing left but pain. He could not rewind time; that was not his power. Even if it was, it was impossible to mess with events or the results would be execution worthy. The only thing he could do was pick up the pieces left to him and attempt to rebuild. It was disheartening. Lesser pae would look at the work ahead and be content with mediocrity. However Raken could never settle with that. Never had, never would. As the birds chirped over head, he briefly wondered a question many pae had thought before. What was it like to live such a simple life? Boring. He ascertained, his steel blue eyes flicking back down to the path before him. But complete. There were no goals, no searching for life's meaning. They need not prove self-worth for all thought and therefore all actions went into basic survival. A completely different life from his own, making it difficult to discern if it were better or worse. Simply - different. Seems my musings are done however. The demonic stepped into the clearing. It was a safe haven for fae, but the reasonings why he knew not. For him it was a peaceful clearing, perfect for his training. He walked to the center as he took a deep breath, collecting the darkness within his soul. Every pae had a scrap of darkness, some more some less. Some inner harbor of hate, self doubt or ill-will. It was what he and presumably Dyas used in his power. To the outside he was simply a pae enjoying the outdoors, but on the inside he was pulling those inner scraps and pulling them into an orb within him. As it formed inside, the shadows around him pulled from the surrounding forest to create a sphere in front of him. Now, to manipulate. Like molding clay he visualized himself crafting his inner darkness into a shape of a common cat. On the outside, the shadows writhed and resisted, trying to break free of his control. Sweat began to bead upon his brow. He would not relent. It used to be so easy, the animals forming almost from mere thought. Oh how far he had fallen. With one final grunt he snapped the last piece into place, solidifying the object in front of him. He exhaled loudly as he fell to one knee, his body glistening from his exertion. The shadow cat he once commanded began to play with the grass around it, completely ignoring him. When a shadow was tamed, it would sit at attention, patiently awaiting orders. "Alright...Alright. I summoned you. What do you require from me?" He panted out, thankful that no other pae were around to see him in such a vulnerable state. Like so many of his previous 'challenges' however, the cat ignored him. Would he have to guess it?
"You know...there is an easier way." The sudden voice was so surprising, he almost let his inner molding go. It would've severed the link and dissipated the shadow cat. The demonic looked at his mellon, plainly curious. He had never really talked to his mellon. Ever. Truthfully he often forgot it continued to float around his head 24/7. "Care to enlighten me?" The pride in him rebuffed the creatures help, but it was wiser to work smarter - not harder. "Getting the shadows respect does work, and you can certainly continue to do so. But you can save literally months worth of work by stealing shadows of existing creatures." Wait. What? The demonic blinked slowly at the mellon. He had never asked for advice before, and his mellon had never offered it. As such, he figured out a way to make his power work by himself. But there really was an easy way? The hours he had spent chasing his shadows, guessing names and fulfilling demeaning tasks...Could have been avoided. "So I can simply-" Like a rubber band the tie between him and shadow cat snapped. It had been too long out already. The male longed for the time where he could keep them out for hours on end. "...Your idea sounds more...efficient." Hopefully this wasn't a turn around in their relationship where the mellon suddenly felt comfortable enough to talk to him. He liked his silence. "Don't worry. I don't much like talking to you either." His eyes snapped to the creature, an eyebrow raising slightly. "I don't read minds. I did read your unhappy expression though loud and clear." A soft sigh slipped from his lips. He wasn't aware he had let his facial expression slip. Must be more tired than he originally thought. Already practice is over for the day... Disappointing. It was hard not to compare himself to what he used to accomplish. As nothing could help it however, the male stood and dusted his knee off. At least he could continue his little project at home; a bed for the baby.
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 10:22 am
 Just like every day the past week, Kaiden had risen early to continue his journey. His knapsack of water, some food and a knife swung behind him on a stick. After a few days from the Tree, the faun was already starting to feel a little sick. But this journey was one of importance, at least to him. Ever since his mother had left him at the Tree, he never really left. He didn't go more than half a days walk out from it so he could return by nightfall. As such, there was a whole world he didn't even know. Any good leader would say one needed to know their enemy, but Kaiden didn't know anything about any pae other than Faun. How was he supposed to protect his people while he was so unprepared? The answer quite simply in his mind; he couldn't. It also provided vital survivalist training and a valuable insight to how the island worked. He had always known of the various forest life by the Healing House, and of the aquatic life by the Pae'kippu Beach he spent days walking beside. But there was an area he had never seen before just a day back. It was like a creek had split multiple times, making the land very wet and humid. It wasn't forest, it wasn't beach, it was no meadow...he wasn't sure what exactly it was. He wasn't exactly one to look at maps. Though after this adventure, maybe I should... Hindsight was always 20/20. As it was, the male was more than happy to be back in a familiar biome. Forest. At least, he was happy. Until he came upon a gigantic canyon. He stared wide eyed at what was unbeknownst to him as Chai'en River, wondering how anyone could ever possibly get across. Bridge. There has to be a bridge! How else was anything supposed to get across other than birds? Silver eyes darted from one end to the other, looking for anything that spanned the two pieces of land. Nothing. "How can that be?" He muttered to himself, completely at loss for what to do. Was that the end of his journey? Beaten by terrain? "...No." Kaidens eyes narrowed as his ears flattened. No matter what, he finished what ever he started. The male turned back into the forest to begin his search.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vines, and plenty of them. Walking back to the cliff's edge he dropped another armful of the stuff. He had gathered for hours to make sure he had enough for his perilous descent down. Now it was time for the next phase of operations. Knife still in hand from cutting down foliage, he sat down to begin the tedious work of slicing each and every vine for the fiber within. It was a technique he had used for many of his snares as often he required rope. After gently pulling the fiber out of one vine, he began braiding it. The work was hard, as his knife was only sharpened stone to make slicing take twice as long. And the braiding was slow to come together. But thankfully he had patience when it came to safety, and was determined to make it to the other side. Unfortunately, it was immediately apparent that one vine rope wasn't strong enough to hold his weight, which meant braiding multiple fiber ropes together. Meaning even more time, and more vines. Sighing only once, the male began to hum to himself to pass the time as he worked. His mission was going to be successful. Something deep within him desperately needed to keep going...and he wasn't going to stop until that yearning was satisfied.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the time the green male finished, the sun had set. His numb fingers finally stopped working on the wrist-thick rope he had created, letting it lie on the ground for him to stand. In the morning he would put it to the test, but for now he had to sleep for the night. He reached into his knapsack for the piece of cooked fish, caught back in the strange creek area from yesterday, and plopped it into his mouth. Kaiden had eaten exceptionally light today in order to make significant progress in crossing the canyon, but it was necessary. It was why he hadn't simply tried to walk around. That could tack on days of his journey, a potentially life threatening addition. He did not know what happened when a faun stayed too long from the Tree. However, that was something he never wanted to find out personally. He tied back up his knapsack and moved into the first line of trees. Picking one at random, the male climbed up it to sleep off of the floor. Tomorrow was another big day. He needed to rest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the first rays of light pierced through the trees, they did not land upon a sleeping Kaiden. No, he had awoken a good hour prior to test his rope. He climbed a tree to tie one end to a branch before jumping back down. It was time to see if all his hard work paid off. He reached out to one of the footknots he made, and jumped forward while picking his feet up to swing. The branch above him creaked in protest, but the rope itself remained ungiving. It works! It really works! He hopped off, beaming now. This was the boldest, most daring thing he had ever done. It was exhilarating. He quickly climbed back up the tree to untie the rope. How many pae could honestly say they made a strong rope straight off the land? Not many he'd wager. The faun slipped back down before looking around to where he could anchor his rope for the main descent. Not far, a large boulder sat a few mere feet from the edge. Perfect. Rope in hand, he jogged over to fasten it to the rock. He gave it a little pat. "Thank Laisidhiel you're here." Kaiden whispered to it prior to tossing the rest of the rope down the cliff. Now his heart was beginning to race as he realized just how close potential death was. The male was brave, but not immortal. He swallowed hard as he got his knapsack, carefully winding a second rope around his arm. That would be for his climb up on the other side. What if Lira... He instantly stopped that train of thought. Lira wouldn't miss him, because he WAS coming back. There simply could not be any alternative to that. He was going to go back, filled with stories about how grand the island was with all it's wonders. He tied a much shorter, third rope around his middle before looping a very short fourth piece to connect his middle rope to the main rope. It was big enough to slip through the main, but small enough that if the hole became slanted -as in he falling suddenly- it would snag and hopefully save him from a bloody fate. He closed his eyes, allowing his spirit to calm so it could almost hum alongside the life around him. The spirit of the trees, of the animals around him, of the island itself...for a moment they connected and it lent him strength. It calmed his nerves and steeled his resolve. Today marked the day where he wasn't just some hunter for the community. Today marked the day where he placed his life on the line for the good of his faun. This journey would make him a wiser, stronger, more dependable male for the Tree and all it's pae. Silver eyes flicked open to behold the beautify of the forest. Today marked the day where he changed forever. He leaned back to trust his weight to the rope and took the first step down. One down; over a hundred to go.
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 3:01 pm
He was utterly exhausted from such minimal effort. The male shuffled back towards his cave, thinking about what was needed for the bed. Cotton for a pillow might be nice. And easier to collect in bulk than finding and killing a handful of birds for their feathers. But that meant a visit to the marsh. He sighed before lifting himself into the air with his powerful wings. It was always faster to fly than it was to walk, and the sooner he got the cotton the better. Ignoring his tired bones, he glided south. Perhaps there he would catch himself a fish as well. It was certainly plentiful still from back when it was a regular river, and it had been a while since he had fish. Lost in his thoughts, the trip went fairly quickly. All too soon he found himself approaching the canyon. Usually he flew over the deep crevice without much thought as it hardly concerned him. Such were the benefits of wings. But today, something tugged at him to look down. What caught his eye made him stop mid-flight. A faun? So far away from Laisidhiel? Raken was one of the first pae to know about the faun's appearance on the island, ever since Tartara brought back one of the precious acorns from that Tree. That faun had been the only one he had ever associated with, and it had been many a season since then. Faun's typically didn't venture this far away from the Tree. Curious, the male glided down into the canyon.
When hooves touched ground, a huge surge of relief flooded him. He cut himself free from the rope before closing his eyes to offer a prayer in thanks. He thanked the vines for holding his weight, he thanked the spirits for watching over him, he thanked...Silver eyes flicked open when all the sudden he felt eyes on him. He took a step back and looked around. It was a pae! He let surprise touch him only for a moment before gripping his knife tight. What ever the other was, he was not a faun. Which meant, potentially dangerous. There was a reason after all why the Chief didn't allow outsiders after all. They obviously couldn't be trusted. "Who are you?" His fur started to stand on end, feeling defensive with this new pae in unfamiliar territory.
He looked...familiar. Green. Like the faun he used to know. Raken shook his head. That was impossible. He finally saw another faun, and he was supposed to believe it was his long lost brother? The male softly landed a few feet away from the other, catching the defensive stance. Fauns weren't like Demons, Angels or Fae. They were...they were something else entirely. More animalistic. Unpredictable. "A passerby. Just trying to see what your kind is doing so far from home." Curiosity bested his apathy towards others. From all that he knew about their kind, this was highly unusual.
The other certainly wasn't making any threatening motions towards him. Kaiden relaxed enough for his fur to smooth out, but still gripped his knife. He still hadn't done the journey to get a power which automatically put him in a disadvantage if the demonic had one. "I...I'm just passing through. Like you." Sadly not like him however. Without wings, Kaidens journey was much harder than the blue pae's.
Faun were...short. The only faun he had ever known was a child, but this one appeared to be full grown and yet...still short. "Faun don't just 'pass by' around here. You're easily a weeks journey on foot from the Tree." He eyed the green pae, trying to get a hint of what was going on. A handmade rope? The other was surprisingly crafty. He wouldn't expect it from one of them. "Which means you're after something important. Now I can either help you, or stop you. But that all depends on why you're here." Raken was never one for Racism, but certain stereotypes tended to emerge from ignorance. He was better than most having once known a faun, but his kind and the others kind...they did not mix.
Well...he was in a bind. Trapped in a canyon, wingless, and powerless. For his advantage however, the other looked tired. He didn't like being threatened, which automatically made him dislike the demonic. Still, giving the other what he wanted may prove to be the wisest route. "You'll be disappointed to know it isn't for some grand reason. I just wanted to explore the land." The blue pae mentioned helping him. Perhaps he could salvage the situation some how? Swallowing his doubt, he relaxed a little further. "I don't mean anyone any harm. My name is Kaiden. I really am just passing through." It did look awfully bad for him when he thought about it. Here he was in the other pae's usual habitat, holding a knife. No small wonder why he was approached.
Judging from the others defense mode, Raken wasn't exactly expecting the other to answer his question. Yet again however, he was surprised by the faun. The answer was ludicrous, but something about the other made him believable. The next sentence however almost floored him. For a moment, Raken stared in shock at the other. The green fur, the silver eyes and...and the name. It was his name. One or the other was likely to be shared by many pae, but both combined? "...Kaiden...Did...did you know a red haired woman named Tartara?" It was unbelievable. Incomprehensible. After all these seasons, he actually bumped into Kaiden again? He hadn't even seen his close sisters, Dayht and Niday yet from his return to the isle, but he got to see the bundle of fur he barely knew from so long ago?
As soon as he said his name, the demeanor of the demonic instantly changed. Going from cold, almost smug, to slightly wide eyed and slack jawed. But he had just as surprising news as he did. "You know Mom?" Kaiden whispered, completely in awe. No one at the Tree knew his mother. No one. Some didn't even know what a 'human' was. "How? Have you seen her lately?" The hand with the knife dropped to his side, forgotten. Maybe this blue demonic knew where she was. Maybe he could find her and they could talk and be one happy family again. Maybe. Just maybe.
He said exactly what he could scarcely believe. Mom. Kaiden said mom. "Of course I knew mother...Kaiden you've grown so much... I barely knew you then, I was busy with my daughter." He shook his head slowly in amazement. The earlier urge to fly over...the bizarre pull to look down into the canyon... Guardians...Did you have something to do with this? Some sort of divine intervention had to have happened. The coincidence was far too high. "She was my mother too. We're family. I'm Raken." Which brought a sudden pain to his heart. Especially when all the tenseness left the faun to be replaced by pure, simple hope. And he was the one that had to kill it right before the others eyes. "You're...not going to be able to see her any more. She passed away a few seasons ago." The pain from Tartara's death was ongoing. The nymph had raised so many lives, offering a childhood filled with love. But thus her death touched many, shaking multiple pae's foundation.
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