Unknown2008-05-21 04:09:09
The dawn yawned against the horizon, its face splashing against the remnants of night. A lone bell resounded, its tone lonely in the awakening streets of Celestia. Catarin stood at the highest point of the city, staring out over the Golden Child of the Basin. Her face held years in its watch, quiet and introspective like a woman who's seen too much to not know better. Footsteps approached from behind, carrying with them a lingering perfume of rose and cedar. The footsteps stopped just beyond a gurgling fountain, as if waiting for her to turn and greet them.
"Yes, daughter. I know," she said quietly, her voice almost lost on a passing breeze that played benignly with her hair. She didn't need to look to see a mimicry of her face staring back at her. She knew it all too well. "You know I won't let you do this." Catarin added with another thought, pressing her will into the already full air.
"You don't have a choice, Mother," replied Metea, her face set in a stony and emotionless guise. Catarin swung around and grabbed Metea's wrist, catching her off-guard.
"I may not have a choice, but you do!" she screamed, her militia training breaking at the onslaught of a temper that had been roaring within her since the day Metea made her choice. "You're going to throw all of this away, all of our family away, just so that you can follow a vision you had?! Are you listening to yourself?!" Metea gave her mother an expression that a mother might give her daughter upon hearing she had found an invisible friend. It infuriated Catarin further, her hold on Metea's wrist tightening to the point that she could feel the beat of a pulse beneath her white fingers. Metea flinched beneath the pain, but she held her ground like a crazed martyr going to their last battle. Just a few days ago, Metea had come to Catarin at the city gates that faced the Serenwilde forest. Catarin could almost recall the conversation as if it happened just a few moments ago. She found herself staring back at the same face that had excitedly told her of a vision, one
where she was to give her life to save another. Catarin had thought Metea was suffering from a heavy fever, so she called the city's best healers. They had told her she was perfectly fine. She thought it had been sorcery that was controlling her daughter, so she went to the Aquamancers and begged them to intervene. They, too, studied Metea intensely but found nothing amiss.
"Mother, you have to let me go. Please," Metea whispered, her eyes filled with a silent plea. Catarin felt her heart breaking at the corners, being ripped apart, and she was totally powerless to stop it. Metea put her free hand on Catarin's, pulling the grasp from her wrist but held onto the shaking hand. A moment of silence passed, the dawn blooming on the horizon in its full splendor. Below, in an awakening city of angels and light, Catarin was saying her last good bye.
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A shadow passed the eyes of Barrin, causing him to flinch where he sat next to a towering maple tree. He looked up to the sky, reading the clouds and looking for omens. Even in winter, the Serenwilde forest was beautiful with differing colors and hues of green mixing with the crisp smell of snow that danced along a northern wind. Finding what he was looking for, he stood up and looked down to the sleeping form of Tsuki and Bea, sprawled on top of one another like a pair of napping cats that refused to give room to the other. He shook his head, the comical image causing his lips to curl up into a bemused smile. Bea stretched and yawned, her left arm flailing slightly and clunked Tsuki in the back of the head. A muffled curse, along with a sour glare, was traded in return for the rude awakening.
"There are easier ways of awakening people, you know," Tsuki spat, her large, round doe-like eyes glaring menacingly at Bea. Bea coughed apologetically, trying but failing to hide a bout of laughter. "Honestly, you're impossible."
"Now now, you two. Let us not awaken in a bad mood, shall we?" Barrin interjected, startling Bea who was getting ready to climb a nearby apple tree. Another muffled curse escaped the flailing girl, who found herself upside down and her skirt covering the upper half rather than lower half, which it was supposed to. Tsuki smirked to herself, exchanging a look with Barrin that said "She's your daughter". He didn't have to be reminded, but the reminder was more of a jab than a gentle word. If she became anymore like I was at her age, I'd have to be concerned. Or at least, put a chastity belt on her and hide the key. The latter thought made his skin crawl. Age was one thing. Being a grandfather was a completely different thing. As if reading his mind, Tsuki chuckled to herself while bringing two fingers up to her lips and gave a piercing whistle. From the underbrush, a long, wooden broom came whizzing towards Tsuki, who caught it deftly. She mounted the make-shift broom like a horse, before the broom and she disappeared into the canopy overhead. It is going to be another long day, Barrin thought sardonically to himself as he watched his daughter climb the apple tree again, only to find herself in the same position she was in just moments prior.
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In the distance, watching a man and a small girl stare up at an apple hanging gingerly from a branch, a white cat and a barghest stood side by side. The barghest's black fur contrasted strongly with the cat's white body like night and day. The cat's ears twitched, its green eyes glowing with a preternatural intelligence. The barghest turned and trotted towards the underbrush, vanishing into a swarm of shadows that grabbed hungrily at it. A hiss escaped the cat, its eyes on the girl in the distance. A disembodied laughter rang in the air about the cat, effeminate and cold, before its freezing presence passed from about the odd, white cat. It lingered for a few moments longer, tail swishing back and forth temperamentally, before it turned and walked towards a jutting road far off in the distance.
"Yes, daughter. I know," she said quietly, her voice almost lost on a passing breeze that played benignly with her hair. She didn't need to look to see a mimicry of her face staring back at her. She knew it all too well. "You know I won't let you do this." Catarin added with another thought, pressing her will into the already full air.
"You don't have a choice, Mother," replied Metea, her face set in a stony and emotionless guise. Catarin swung around and grabbed Metea's wrist, catching her off-guard.
"I may not have a choice, but you do!" she screamed, her militia training breaking at the onslaught of a temper that had been roaring within her since the day Metea made her choice. "You're going to throw all of this away, all of our family away, just so that you can follow a vision you had?! Are you listening to yourself?!" Metea gave her mother an expression that a mother might give her daughter upon hearing she had found an invisible friend. It infuriated Catarin further, her hold on Metea's wrist tightening to the point that she could feel the beat of a pulse beneath her white fingers. Metea flinched beneath the pain, but she held her ground like a crazed martyr going to their last battle. Just a few days ago, Metea had come to Catarin at the city gates that faced the Serenwilde forest. Catarin could almost recall the conversation as if it happened just a few moments ago. She found herself staring back at the same face that had excitedly told her of a vision, one
where she was to give her life to save another. Catarin had thought Metea was suffering from a heavy fever, so she called the city's best healers. They had told her she was perfectly fine. She thought it had been sorcery that was controlling her daughter, so she went to the Aquamancers and begged them to intervene. They, too, studied Metea intensely but found nothing amiss.
"Mother, you have to let me go. Please," Metea whispered, her eyes filled with a silent plea. Catarin felt her heart breaking at the corners, being ripped apart, and she was totally powerless to stop it. Metea put her free hand on Catarin's, pulling the grasp from her wrist but held onto the shaking hand. A moment of silence passed, the dawn blooming on the horizon in its full splendor. Below, in an awakening city of angels and light, Catarin was saying her last good bye.
--------------------------------
A shadow passed the eyes of Barrin, causing him to flinch where he sat next to a towering maple tree. He looked up to the sky, reading the clouds and looking for omens. Even in winter, the Serenwilde forest was beautiful with differing colors and hues of green mixing with the crisp smell of snow that danced along a northern wind. Finding what he was looking for, he stood up and looked down to the sleeping form of Tsuki and Bea, sprawled on top of one another like a pair of napping cats that refused to give room to the other. He shook his head, the comical image causing his lips to curl up into a bemused smile. Bea stretched and yawned, her left arm flailing slightly and clunked Tsuki in the back of the head. A muffled curse, along with a sour glare, was traded in return for the rude awakening.
"There are easier ways of awakening people, you know," Tsuki spat, her large, round doe-like eyes glaring menacingly at Bea. Bea coughed apologetically, trying but failing to hide a bout of laughter. "Honestly, you're impossible."
"Now now, you two. Let us not awaken in a bad mood, shall we?" Barrin interjected, startling Bea who was getting ready to climb a nearby apple tree. Another muffled curse escaped the flailing girl, who found herself upside down and her skirt covering the upper half rather than lower half, which it was supposed to. Tsuki smirked to herself, exchanging a look with Barrin that said "She's your daughter". He didn't have to be reminded, but the reminder was more of a jab than a gentle word. If she became anymore like I was at her age, I'd have to be concerned. Or at least, put a chastity belt on her and hide the key. The latter thought made his skin crawl. Age was one thing. Being a grandfather was a completely different thing. As if reading his mind, Tsuki chuckled to herself while bringing two fingers up to her lips and gave a piercing whistle. From the underbrush, a long, wooden broom came whizzing towards Tsuki, who caught it deftly. She mounted the make-shift broom like a horse, before the broom and she disappeared into the canopy overhead. It is going to be another long day, Barrin thought sardonically to himself as he watched his daughter climb the apple tree again, only to find herself in the same position she was in just moments prior.
--------------------------------
In the distance, watching a man and a small girl stare up at an apple hanging gingerly from a branch, a white cat and a barghest stood side by side. The barghest's black fur contrasted strongly with the cat's white body like night and day. The cat's ears twitched, its green eyes glowing with a preternatural intelligence. The barghest turned and trotted towards the underbrush, vanishing into a swarm of shadows that grabbed hungrily at it. A hiss escaped the cat, its eyes on the girl in the distance. A disembodied laughter rang in the air about the cat, effeminate and cold, before its freezing presence passed from about the odd, white cat. It lingered for a few moments longer, tail swishing back and forth temperamentally, before it turned and walked towards a jutting road far off in the distance.