There was a legend of different races other than that of humans. Of course the young boy just walking through the woods didn’t believe in it. He whistled a happy uplifting tune as he made his way through the wood most would find creepy beyond belief. He had a basket filled with berries under his arm. His lips were stained with the dark indigo blackberry juice from the berries he had devoured while picking them. Suddenly, a sage bush to the right of the beaten road shuddered.
"Help me," a weak voice begged. Talen froze. A berry or two fell out of his basket. A rack of silver antlers poked out from the sage brush. Talen set his basket down and took a tentative two steps forward. The antlers moved. It was a brittle sort of movement, like an old man. A pale hand reached out of the brush and pushed a frail body from the ground. A blue band of paint ran across his eyes and into his long white hair. His green eyes glittered brightly. Blue bands were also painted across his wrists and the bottom of his legs, and right above his hooves. Hooves? Talen’s blue eyes widened in shock. He stumbled backwards almost tipping his basket over.
"What are you?" the boy yelped.
"What are you?" the deer man retorted. His grin was sarcastic, but friendly at the same time. Talen blinked in shock. Bells tickled from the tail and ears of this strange figure. "Can you please help me?" the thing begged. Talen just stared.
"What’s wrong?" the human finally managed to gasp. The stag man laughed again. He slowly raised himself to his light silver hooves. His black hide looked smoother in the sunlight. White skin and ebony fur, what a combination!
"Well, I’m starving and I’m in need of water. Do you have any to spare? Please? I’m begging. I feel so weak…." He trailed off into a forlorn silence. The sparkle seemed drained from his eyes. The smile faded away. Talen reached down for his basket of berries. With shaking hands, he offered it to this strange being.
"I’m sorry," the brunette boy squeaked, "I have no water." The empty water skin hung at his side. A newfound expression of joy spread across his face. "Thank you!" he sang stuffing a few blackberries into his mouth. One wasn’t all the way ripe, but he didn’t seem to care. "Who are you?" the boy suddenly asked.
"Um…" the stag muttered, "I don’t have a name. I’ve been alone for so long now. I was lucky to find you. Who are you?" he asked with a mouth full of raspberries and blueberries. "Talen," the boy answered, "Talen von Lumier." He held out a hand to be shaken, but the strange taur just stared. The bells jingled as he cocked his head to the side. Talen retracted his hand.
"We need to give you a name. I can’t really talk to you without something to call you by. What do you like?" Talen stiffly stated.
"I like to sing. And I like bells. You humans make very pretty bells!" Talen cupped his chin with a hand in thought. The taur had almost had his fill of the berries. His smile was now stained a very odd red-like color.
"Requiem. That will be your name from now on. Do you like it?" Talen decided. The only answer he received was a wink from the stag before the black and white shadow bounded back into the trees, a new energy in his leaps. Talen stood there, almost frozen-like, until the sound of singing bells vanished too. He then mutely picked up his woven basket. He needed more berries now. Still a bit numb from this strange encounter, Talen turned and headed back to the berry brush deep within Requiem’s wood.
"Help me," a weak voice begged. Talen froze. A berry or two fell out of his basket. A rack of silver antlers poked out from the sage brush. Talen set his basket down and took a tentative two steps forward. The antlers moved. It was a brittle sort of movement, like an old man. A pale hand reached out of the brush and pushed a frail body from the ground. A blue band of paint ran across his eyes and into his long white hair. His green eyes glittered brightly. Blue bands were also painted across his wrists and the bottom of his legs, and right above his hooves. Hooves? Talen’s blue eyes widened in shock. He stumbled backwards almost tipping his basket over.
"What are you?" the boy yelped.
"What are you?" the deer man retorted. His grin was sarcastic, but friendly at the same time. Talen blinked in shock. Bells tickled from the tail and ears of this strange figure. "Can you please help me?" the thing begged. Talen just stared.
"What’s wrong?" the human finally managed to gasp. The stag man laughed again. He slowly raised himself to his light silver hooves. His black hide looked smoother in the sunlight. White skin and ebony fur, what a combination!
"Well, I’m starving and I’m in need of water. Do you have any to spare? Please? I’m begging. I feel so weak…." He trailed off into a forlorn silence. The sparkle seemed drained from his eyes. The smile faded away. Talen reached down for his basket of berries. With shaking hands, he offered it to this strange being.
"I’m sorry," the brunette boy squeaked, "I have no water." The empty water skin hung at his side. A newfound expression of joy spread across his face. "Thank you!" he sang stuffing a few blackberries into his mouth. One wasn’t all the way ripe, but he didn’t seem to care. "Who are you?" the boy suddenly asked.
"Um…" the stag muttered, "I don’t have a name. I’ve been alone for so long now. I was lucky to find you. Who are you?" he asked with a mouth full of raspberries and blueberries. "Talen," the boy answered, "Talen von Lumier." He held out a hand to be shaken, but the strange taur just stared. The bells jingled as he cocked his head to the side. Talen retracted his hand.
"We need to give you a name. I can’t really talk to you without something to call you by. What do you like?" Talen stiffly stated.
"I like to sing. And I like bells. You humans make very pretty bells!" Talen cupped his chin with a hand in thought. The taur had almost had his fill of the berries. His smile was now stained a very odd red-like color.
"Requiem. That will be your name from now on. Do you like it?" Talen decided. The only answer he received was a wink from the stag before the black and white shadow bounded back into the trees, a new energy in his leaps. Talen stood there, almost frozen-like, until the sound of singing bells vanished too. He then mutely picked up his woven basket. He needed more berries now. Still a bit numb from this strange encounter, Talen turned and headed back to the berry brush deep within Requiem’s wood.
