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The sounds. Beating drums. Hoofbeats. Horses running, urged on by their riders. Willingly, the beasts move forward. A darkness descends. Soft voices call out, thier forms unseen. Voices of the Mother. She cries and sings praises of her children and woes of pain. The warriors rise, holding themselves high. They become one with the horses. Both now the same, neither animal or man. They cry out together. Many die but many still yet live, continiuing their fight.After battle, their eyes sweep over the victory and cost they paid.
She dances to a sad tune. A song of memeories. Their smiles, their laughter. Their last sounds...their screaming. Now they are all free. She dances to a song of power. Her heart flies. Thier existence brought many happy times and their deaths bring many more. Praise be to those fallen fighting for the peace. Remember and honor. The past brings our future and we are only left with today. The drums beat heavier, faster. Their rhythm bringing joy and energy and spirit.
A woman dances alone. Alone with her memories. A place no one understands. Mystery is her darkness. She smiles and cries, feeling what exists inside.
They took the decision into their own hands. Free will was finally theirs. Many lost control and became confused. She was of another time. Another place. A place where freedom only you your choice. So many faltered. They became lost in the dark or blinded by the light. The few who broke away misunderstood the grey. They still saw black and white. Two sides, right and wrong. Neither was defined. So death they brought to each other. She watched them kill themselves over ideas. What they turned into beliefs. For them, it was dangerous to believe. She left them and hid in the forest. Far away. Her heart sad. She bore a son but never saw his face. Too old and weakened by her emotions she died. The baby boy was left alone. He grew alone in the endless woods. The plants, animals and insects, knowing his mother, protected and taught him.
He grew older, looking as a man and beast but with a soul that had never felt humanity except for his own. He understood the cycle of nature. He lived in harmony with himself and the things around. He was able to stay away from man, but man wasn't able to stay away from him. They sought more land. Blinded by their greed, they sought out to conquer and gut out the land the young creature called home. He looked less and less like a human everyday. On his head grew great antlers and a pair of horns. His body was bigger and taller than human men. His hands now had fingernails that resembled claws, thick and black. His skin was dark, almost black with lights of purple. His hair white, for years bleached by the sun.
When this creature's green eyes caught first glimpse of the humans, they widened in confusion, curiousity and fear. He would not be afraid though. He watched. A scream he heard. His ears, now very long and slender, twisted finding the direction. He hears a strange sound. Very dull sound. Over and over. The screaming! It would drive him mad! He gave only a grunt and ran to the sound. Another group of humans he found and roared in horror at the the massacre done to the trees. The humans screamed and pulled out weapons. Creature did not care. He killed them all. When their screams brought more, he killed them as well. He smelled them completely, inside and out. He smelled the air as he walked, searching for any that might remain. As he hunted, he passed many sites of trees fallen, cut near their bases. He wept as he hears the soft cries as they slowly died. The humans had done this destruction. Creature's mourning only brought more anger and hatred.
More humans came, searching for the ones that had not returned. The creature got his wish. He kept killing. More came and more. He killed every single one, not letting one escape alive. He began to eat their bodies, their corpses becoming so numerous they fouled the forest with their decay. It was his first taste of flesh.
Eventually, the humans stopped coming. The carnage in the forest kept them all hiding in fear with each other. Their villages and cities grew around the treeline but they dared not set foot in. Nature seemed safe again as peace seemed to return.
The creature remained watchful. He hunted no flesh but that of humans. Years passed on and his diet returned to vegetation |
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well, BeashaiBlue,
some story... I could hardly finnish reading it. It is heavy, strong.
can not read more, now.
- walk with god-ess, always ! / vic |
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Was a vision I had once...it flowed very easily, I almost couldn't write it fast enough to keep up with my own thoughts. I later expanded the story...I may share that here sometime..I've never truly finished it though... |
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You should finish and publish it. |
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bump for iceman...this is the one i mentioned in your st. patricks day thread.... i dunno...do you think it even relates to what you meant?  al i know is when i envision these things...the land around reminds me of ireland and scotland and norway and places such as these. |
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~~~~The Beginning~~~~
Aeily opened her eyes. She always drifted so far away into her memories. She was a woman of twenty-four now and her scars were still fairly new. She felt the burning sensation of her eyes as they wanted to cry but had been unable to since the death,...the disappearance of her father. That day long ago when she had waited for him to come to her.....
She sat beneath a willow tree escaping the afternoon sun. Her body sweated simply by sitting around. Muscles tensed and she rose to her feet, readjusting her clothes which as the summer went on, she wore less and less of. Her hair she tied back with rope. She'd become a creature of these woods and heightened her every perception to it. A few yards of walking and she crouched at the edge of a stream. Her eyes, ears and nose studied the surrounding area. It was not so much animals that bothered her but other people. Once in awhile farmers, hunters and even children would come upon her. She usually just ran. Her anger brought no desire to be among them anytime soon. Relaxing and sensing no threat she bent down and lapped up water. Her hands reached down and splashed the cool liquid on her face. Within a moment, she was in the middle of the stream, lying on her back, letting the water run alongside her. The tall trees provided shade from the sunlight in her eyes though the wind pushed them back and forth. Aeily thought of her plans for this day. For a year now she'd camped alongside the edge of the Dark Forest, the fabled woods of the brutal and savage creature that devoured any man who entered. She wondered if any stories had been spread of her as she noticed fewer and fewer people getting caught up in what she now called her "territory." Part of her understood why such a creature would want to be left alone, real or not, but another part of her was very frightened of it. Feeling she was refreshed enough, Aeily gathered herself and began her walk into the unknown.
Stepping into the Dark Forest her first thought was, "It's not really that dark. Doesn't look any different than the woods I roam through." She actually found it quite beautiful, if not more so than her own territory. The birds seemed to sing louder here, the plants held brighter colours. The feeling of the place seemed happier. Aeily found herself becoming light and loose. Her expression carved smiles that freely let out laughter. Sunbeams danced about the floor and she danced with them, swaying like the trees and blowing about like leaves. She quickly wore herself out however and just let herself fall to the ground. Thud. She lay back against a tree feeling it move about. She admired the trees. Despite the harshness of the seasons their branches continued to reach out as if in hope...trees seemed to always know more than they let on. Aeily often wanted to know what the trees knew. Her lids fell over her eyes and she listened. So many sounds, so many pitches and tones. Her eyes opened.
A creature, at least seven to eight feet in height. His body was dark, almost grey and his hair a brilliant white. His eyes green and narrow. He appeared...something like human but his muscles were unlike anything Aeily had ever seen. And his head, antlers grew from his skull! His hands contained the same digits as a man's but were much different in appearance and the fingers grew thick dark claws. Aeily stared in fear for a moment, frozen. The creature only looked at her his tail sweeping the ground behind him. Aeily dare not take her eyes from his, her periphereal watching his appendages for any sudden movement. Slowly she rose to her feet and the creature only seemed to watch curiously. She thought she could sense a wry smirk to his lips...but it was hard to tell. His expression seemed to remain angry. She could hear growls in his throat. She began to back away. The old tales of these woods rolled back upon her and only brought more fear. She did not want to die here. She kept moving backwards, eyes on the beast and eventually she ran and found herself home in her own familiar surroundings. It was dark, sun had set long ago. The cooling was welcome and Aeily began a fire. She was shaking from her experience and did not sleep through the night. Only when the sun did return did she find enough security to close her eyes. Her sleep remained light, listening should the beast decide to intrude on her.
She sighed and snuggled into the blanket of bear skin. She'd recieved it in a fight over the cave in which she lived. The bear lost and in it's accepted defeat offered it's meat and warmth to Aeily for her survival and continuation. She hunted other animals but only depending on what she neeeded. For small meals she killed small animals such as rabbits, squirrels or fish. Birds she never killed for hse depended on the messages and warnings they carried. For larger needs such as clothing, shelter, tools, she hunted mainly deer and young pigs.. Only once had she succeeded in killing an adult boar, a frightening creature in her opinion. Her nerves finally felt some kind of relaxation. The sun had set and gone as Aeily spent her off and on waking hours playing the image of the creature over and over in her head. Her belly roared in hunger and she tried to soothe and calm with a pat from her hand. It didn't work very well. Aeily sat still as she slowly awoke watching the trees around her. Finally feeling her strength she gathered herself and a few weapons and began a hunt for a very very late breakfast. She found herself venturing closer and closer to the border of the Dark Forest. Impulse curiousity. The forest itself seemed peaceful making it almost impossible to believe what she'd seen. Any edible creatures near by were safe today as Aeily lost interest and munched on the vegetation and berries she walked by. Her eyes stared onto the creature's territory.
Movement of something shiny. Aeily's ears perked, eyes focused. The creature appeared and carried what she swore was a grin, as if pleased to have her attention. She prepared to defend herself, an arrow ready and waiting to fly in the beast's direction. The creature only shook his head and leaves fell from his antlers.
"Do I frighten you woman?"
Aeily hesitated, unsure if to answer at all. The creature had spoken to her and he spoke well. That fact signified some intelligence, perhaps, even some humanity. "I've heard stories of you. Horrible stories." Her eyes watched to gather his reaction and it was nothing more than another smile.
"Oh?" What kind of stories?" He seemed amused. His voice was deep and raspy and his words seemed to roll at the ends. As if a lion trying to speak but these words were pronounced clear. His eyes shot straight at hers and Aeily noticed the sharp dark green of his iris. His eyes appeared human yet something deeper. Aeily felt herself shake. Even her voice shook a little as she spoke. "They say no one sees you and live to tell it. They say you murder all that enter these woods."
Creature's expression turned to puzzlement. "And you still venture forth onto my land?"
Aeily's knuckles grew white. The bow suddenly became very heavy.
"Drop your weapon M'lady, I wish you no harm."
Aeily obeyed then felt foolish. "I didn't really believe you were real." She blinked and the creature was in her face. A knife was in her hand and pressed against his throat. She could smell his scent, strong and musky, like incense her father used to burn. The size of his body made Aeily feel small and vulnerable. He must be at least eight feet tall, she thought. Angry and feeling even more stupid for being so naive she pressed the blade harder against his throat.
"No trust," replied the creature in mocking shame.
"Keep your distance from me beast."
"I only wanted to...smell you better." He pulled away, the grin still remaining on his face. Something seemed very wicked and Aeily felt violated though he had not touched her and had not, as he promised, harmed her. Only scared her. The creature's face curved and wrinkled in anger. He took a step forward that pushed his chest against Aeily's chin. A hand of claws reached around her waist, lifting her up. His mouth opened and he roared the most anguished cry into her face. She couldn't look at this black maw before the wind from his throat forced her to close her eyes and try to look away. He threw her to the ground.
"Beast is a noble name so do not speak to me as if it is shameful. I would rather be what I am than human like you."
Aeily sat confused slumped with her back against the tree. She dared not get up. "Why do you hate man so much?" Her voice was like a whisper. The creature snorted at her question.
"You hate them just as well otherwise you would not live alone out here as long as you have. Why do you hate them?"
Aeily's head swam in confusion. Was she really having this conversation with this thing? The creature sat on a tree stump, a sorrowful look on his face. He seemed to not notice Aeily anymore but lost in his own thoughts. His green eyes seemed even farther away. Sitting as still as he was, she saw him as a giant tree. His antlers were branches that reached out for hope. His hands held each other tightly and his hooves for which he had feet, seemed to permeate the earth. He seemed a wise oak standing strong.
Aeily fainted.
~~~~The Meeting~~~~
She awoke to darkness. The moon was full as she could see soft light and shadows mixed. She could make out the outlines of trees and bushes but nothing more. She recalled where she was and lay still. She listened but heard nothing. No animals, no wind, nothing. She felt a weight on her and exploring with her hands told her it was the skin of an animal. The fur felt familiar of her bear blanket. She pulled it tighter around her and curled her body together.
"Awake?" she heard the creature ask. A momentary pause and he spoke again. "You've been sleeping for only a few hours. I fetched your blanket to keep you warm." He appeared from the shadows, the lunar light gracing over his features and for a moment Aeily thought he was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. His skin was like a dark marble, solid and smooth lines. His hair covered his face but in the dark his eyes seemed to glow. He crouched next to her holding a small bowl in his hands. "Would you like some water?" His voice was gentle and sounded like a whisper breathed upon a wind. She felt like she was still asleep and dreaming. She raised her body feeling uneased but unafraid. She nodded and he handed the bowl to her which seemed to grow in size. It was larger than she had thought seeming small in comparison to his large hands. She lifted the edge to her lips and sipped at first staring into it's bottom. The cold water satisfied and she drank more. Finishing she offered it back to him. He accepted and set it to the side. They sat in silence for a long while, Aeily failing miserable to keep from making eye contact. The creature seemed to not care that he was staring so hard at her that she felt like a holes were being drilled all over her body. She pulled the blanket around her back, overlapping the edges around her knees. She stared at the ground though there was nothing really interesting there.
"I am Pyrium."
"Huh?" she asked, unsure if he had spoken or not.
"My name...is Pyrium. My apologies for not stating that earlier." Aeily looked at him with eyes of bewilderment. Was he beast or man? It seemed hard to tell.
"I am...Aeily."
Pyrium extended his arm toward her. The sharp tip of a single claw gently pushed under her chin, asking for her to lift her head. "Why do you not look at me? Certaintly I cannot be that hideous." Aeily complied lifting her eyes to him though it seemed a heavy job. She smiled at the comment of his appearance. No, hideous was not the word. She wasn't sure what the word was for him. Her mind searched for a proper description. His next question interupted.
"Why do you exist alone like you do?" His eyes seemed concerned but yet pleased. His expression seemed to show nothing. No lines of a smile and his lips remained straight and firm. Aeily began to answer but a sort of frustration swept over her mind. Whatever she was going to say became clouded with her own questions.
"Why do you ask these things of me? Who are you? Where did you come from? Why did you not kill me?" She felt her face grow hot and felt her eyes water from the heat of anger.
Pyrium gave a hearty laugh at her emotion. "Would you rather me eat you? I find you much prettier and nicer than the others before."
Aeily growled in her throat and threw the blanket at him. She stood up to walk away, angered that he had laughed at her. His tail was quick and wrapped around her ankle. A quick tug and she fell to the ground catching herself on her hands and knees. She turned, looking back at him. "What do you want?!" she screamed."Will you not let me go?" The tail tightened and pulled her to him. He pressed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her to a sitting position. "You can leave if you'd like. You're free to do as you wish...but so am I." The wink he gave her sent chills down her spine. She felt a fear again but couldn't move. "All I would like is someone to talk to. I've been living here for many many years alone. To have a conversation with someone would be nice. I've only ever spoken with the creatures that inhabit these woods you know."
Aeily felt touched within. "Have you been alone since birth? Surely you had a mother?"
Pyrium shook his head."No. She died shortly after giving me life."
"Was she like you? Or was she human?"
"From what I've been told my mother was human but did not carry the greedy spirit of one. I was told she was the lover of a forest god, my Father.
Gods. Aeily had never really believed in them. Her father had not been a spiritual man but carried common sense and a sense of values. He worked the earth and protected what he had. She'd never seen him pray or heard him speak of any gods.
"What of your parents?" he asked. He was surprised at her curiousity and flattered but thought she had wanted to get far from him. He smiled at this change in her. He relaxed his tail and let her go, hoping she would not run lest he have to catch her again. Aeily fumbled with her fingertips, obviously a little nervous. Her hair hung down hiding her face. His hand swept the hair to the side and she did not flinch. He frowned at what he saw. Her tiny face was twisted in what seemed like pain and felt hot when he touched. A finger gently curved beneath her eyes feeling the moisture. "Why do you cry?"
Aeily had to gather the breath to speak. She'd been trying desperatly not to give herself away, to not let the tears noticeable. Now, even in the dark she felt exposed. "I miss my father. It's been so long since I've spoken with anyone too. I miss father's conversations, the way he held me, the way he taught me his knowledge. I miss watching him work...I just...miss him." Pyrium nodded in his attempt at understanding. He had never really lost anyone but his mother and even then he was too young to really understand what he'd lost. He decided it best not to ask anymore questions and now was at a loss for anything to say. He'd never seen anyone else cry except for himself and the men he'd killed years ago but even then, there was no need for comfourting. A small fear struck within him and he had to ask.
"I ...didn't kill him did I?"
Aeily looked up at him as her hands tried to quickly wipe away the tears. "No. Not you. Other people did. The village where I grew up...they turned on us." Pyrium felt a relief flood over him. He would have hated terribly to be the cause of her sorrow. She sniffled and gave him a strong look. "Why did you kill those people? she asked.
"They were destroying my home. Killing my family. Trying to take away all that I know and have. I caught them cutting trees down trying to progress their villages.They used some of the wood but I saw alot of it go to waste. They hunted animals for food and sport, which I don't understand the fun in such a thing. I stopped them the only way I knew how." Aeily nodded to him.
"I cannot curse you for that. I have hated them for a long time now often wishing in my mind I could kill them all. They made you out to be the one doing wrong."
"Of course they did. But there was no right or wrong about it...only the wish of myself and my home to survive." He looked down to her and she shivered, from crying or cold he wasn't sure. "May I hold you Aeily?"
She eyed him curiously unsure if there were any hidden intentions. He seemed to read her thoughts and replied. "No. I will not do anything you wish me not to."
She smiled briefly and crawled into his lap. She felt fur mixed with flesh, something she had not noticed before. It grew all over his legs and lined over his shoulders and down his chest, a soft pillow for her head which seemed tiny against the broadness of him. Curling up she felt lost within his arms as they wrapped around supporting her back and sheltering her legs. He looked her over. She seemed like a tiny animal held against his large body. His tail swayed from side to side as he rocked her in his arms. He hummed a lullaby and she was actually surprised at the melody the deep primal voice had. She soon fell to sleep.
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Aeily let the bearskin fall from her shoulders. She felt a soft breeze ripple across her back. Her eyes closed and her chest rose with a deep inhale. The day felt light and seemed to surround her all over in the warmth of a hug. Her eyes looked straight ahead but she saw nothing before her. Her body sat still, her heart beat steady and slow. Her breaths were even and slow. She felt surrounded by a world of energies. Every object glowed so brightly they no longer held shape. It all became very dreamlike. A moment of fear possessed her. Was she asleep? If so, why did she feel so awake? Where was she?
A touch of warmth on her shoulder was all that reminded Aeily of her body that moment. A pinpoint of wind against hre neck. Trees returned along with leaves, rocks, bark, she could see the detail of the world around once again. It seemed the dream had ended. The touch still remained. Her eyes frantically searched. A dark hand and black claws appeared to engulf her shoulder. She jumped away from him and upon the realization that was naked, tok the blanket with her.
"Pyrium!!" Her eyes grew wide at the sight of her dress in his hands held out in offering. No panic this time, only anger. Her eyes narrowed and eyebrows curled together. The yelling and groaning that proceeded reminded Pyrium of a cub trying to roar as a lion. As Aeily continued her moaning at him, he rolled back in laughter, the furry tail curling around his torso.
Aeily was silenced. She felt a strange embarassment. Seeing her dress had been dropped in the midst of his enjoyment, she grabbed it up. Dropping the bearskin, no longer caring wether he saw her or not, she returned the dress to her body. She gathered the blanket in her arms and started walking to her home.
When Pyrium saw she truly was intent on abandoning him, the laughter ended. A few large bounds and he was walking beside her.
"Aeily don't go. I didn't intend for you to be hurt."
Her eyes focused only forward. Pyrium's eyes never left her face.
"How did I lose my clothes last night? Huh?! I know I fell asleep with them on!" At that moment, as she ended the statement, Aeily realized she wasn't sure if she remembered even falling asleep or anything from the night at all. Had she been poisoned? Her strides stopped. In a turn she was face to face with this creature. Pyrium noticed their lips were only moments away. A smile danced in his troubled eyes.
"I know you did something to me. You've done something wrong, I know it!" Her eyes began to water. She pulled a blade from her belt and threatened his throat with it. "Why did you have me naked?" Her voice was stern, no sound of whimpering or weakness. Pyrium found himself actually a little worried. He also felt shame. He didn't like her tears returning. His hands reached behind his back and held onto each other tightly. He had also become a bit frustrated at this female's reluctance to him. He leaned into her ignoring her flinches or the blade's pressure increasing against his thick skin. Aeily was intimidated at this. His skin seemed to be so smooth and fragile like her own. She had assumed it would be as easy to cut him as it was herself.
He breathed into her ear inhaling possibly the last close scent of her hair. "It's not like I've never seen you nude before M'lady." He paused a moment as if hesitant about what he would say. His breath returned warmer against her now, his voice deeper and his accent curling on every word. "The forest has eyes my dear."
Aeily pulled away. "Don't bother me anymore. I'm sorry for bothering you." She did nothing more than run. Run, run and run. She did not stop until she had arrived in her familiar enviroment. She crawled into the far reaches of the cave and hid herself and tears in the darkness.
Pyrium did not immediatly give chase. He had to fight back that instinct. He wouldn't chance making her angry again. At least no time soon anyway. He waited until night fall and followed her scent. He sat in shadows staring into the cave where he knew she dwelled. She was in there. His large ears were sensitive enough to hear the echoeing muffles of sobs and sniffles. His physical eyes saw from a distance but his mind's eye played over the night's events. Aeily falling asleep in his arms. The way she had talked to him, as if he were almost equal, though it was obvious she still held some prejudice. He remembered the way her body slipped so easily out of the dress. He'd not touched her in a rude way, only drew her with his eyes, soaking in the vision. He remembered the way her skin moved as she breathed. He had so loved the angry face that followed the next day. He chuckled to himself but a gasp of sorrow burst from the cave. Pyrium's thoughts went blank and his mind became void. He focused his senses on the female beyond the darkness. He would wait here and watch for awhile. |
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