Post by Cloudbat (they/them) on Jan 21, 2024 6:22:53 GMT
Written by Aileea and posted by yours truly!
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Auriel was close now, she could feel it. Hope and determination kept her trotting forward towards the place she had been told about where she would find the one thing that could bring her lost love back to life: a magical flower known as Resurrection Bloom that only grew there.
“I’ll bring you back, my love. No matter the cost,” she muttered, with every step feeling the memento softly bumping against her chest fur: one of Haldor’s claws, tied to a thin leather cord so she could always take it with her, a necklace made by a friend who had nimble hands and fingers.
Finally, Auriel reached a large stone gate, which bore the word “Endgrove” written above it. She stopped in front of it, looking up to the writing. As a creature of the wilds, she couldn’t read, but she knew that this was her destination.
Filled with fresh hope and determination, she raised a paw to softly touch the claw dangling on her necklace.
“This is it, Haldor. I’ll try anything to bring you back.” Without one more moment of hesitation, Auriel stepped forward, and the gate in front of her swung open like magic as she stepped through.
Behind the gate, which closed behind her just as magically as it had opened, lay a lush green forest. With a deep breath, the Ilyr took in the sights and sounds. It reminded her of the forest she called home, and it made her feel at ease and comfortable. But this wasn’t home. Auriel had to remind herself to be careful – who knows what was waiting here for her. So, on she went through the forest; the next thing to do was to find Blanca, the Endgrove’s caretaker. She didn’t know what kind of creature Blanca was or what she looked like, but she was sure she would meet her now she was here.
Suddenly, a screech pierced the air, and from inside the dark entrance of a half-overgrown cave Auriel was just about to pass, something charged at her. Something huge, larger than herself and about twice as long. It was only when she evaded the first attack by quickly leaping to the side that she got a better look at the monstrosity. The word “monstrosity” described it quite aptly, for it seemed to be a crossbreed between a venus flytrap and a huge centipede. Its head was formed like a trap leaf of the carnivorous plant, jaws wide open, with no visible eyes, while its body was long and plated in gray-green chitin like an insect, while its many, many legs looked like wooden sticks.
Having missed its intended target at first strike, it turned around to face Auriel again with a hiss.
The next moment, the beast attacked again.
Once more, Auriel quickly evaded the snapping jaws, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to do this for long – she’d get exhausted quickly. Her stamina wasn’t close to that of most Ilyr, who were born healthier than her.
No. There was no use running. She had to fight.
So she stood her ground and, in the short moment before the next attack, looked for any possible weak spot the creature might have. The heavy looking body plating would probably protect it effectively from claws and teeth, and the numerous legs looked pretty tough, too. That left the head as the potentially weakest spot. It didn’t even have eyes, so she could only hope that the green skin would be vulnerable enough.
The next time the monster attacked, Auriel turned to the side, her sharp claws extended, and swiped at its head in passing with a front paw. The impact almost made her lose balance but, albeit trembling, Auriel managed not to trip. The monster shrieked in pain; green blood dripped from the cuts across its face. But that still didn’t stop it – if anything, it just served to enrage it more. Hissing like a whole nest of snakes, it turned around and attacked again. This time, Auriel was not fast enough. Her weak ankles threatened to give way beneath her, and along with her poor balance, that almost made her stumble and fall. At the last moment, Auriel managed to steady herself and stand stable. Her heart almost skipped a beat.
If she fell now, it could mean her end.
The jaws came closer, wide open, lined with rows of pointy teeth, and suddenly, a flashback appeared before her eyes. The image of Haldor being grabbed and lifted into the air by dragon jaws as if he was but a rabbit… Reliving the horror of that moment for a brief second, she shivered and froze in place. The moment of hesitation made Auriel stumble again, and the flytrap jaws closed around one of her hind legs.
It didn’t even hurt as much as expected – those plant teeth were designed to keep prey from escaping, not to pierce flesh. But the grip was tight, and she felt herself be pulled backwards, which made her fall flat at last. The creature lifted her up by her leg and tried to pull her further into its mouth. Desperately, Auriel tried to turn her body around to claw and bite at the monstrosity’s head, but she couldn’t bend backwards enough to reach it with her claws and teeth.
No, that wouldn’t do it, she realized in horror. Her only hope was to use an Ilyr’s last defense.
And for that, she would need to take aim – but it was difficult to aim her horn at something behind her while she was dangling from its jaws. And now, heart pounding like the beak of a woodpecker on a tree trunk, she took a bold decision. Her only chance was to let the creature drag her into its mouth, and then strike from inside. And so, Auriel ceased to struggle, and the monstrosity tilted its head upwards and opened its jaws wide, so that the Ilyr fell into its maw.
The jaws closed around her, fully enclosing her in greenish tinted darkness. Shuddering, she tried not to think about the digestive juices that would soon start flowing in to digest her alive. But she wouldn’t let it get to this point. She closed her eyes, summoned the power in her electricity producing organs and set it free.
The flash of light was so bright that it pierced through her closed eyelids. Auriel felt herself fall and hit the floor when the monster’s jaws opened wide once more and released her.
Too weak to get up, all that Auriel could do for a while was to lie where she had fallen, trying to remain conscious with her last remaining strength. Using the blast took a lot of energy, and the scuffle before that had already taken its toll on her. After what felt like an eternity, Auriel finally managed to get up, her whole body aching.
She looked at the monster that had fallen beside her; its head was almost completely gone, and what was left of it was charred and still smoking. She took a deep breath of relief. It was over. At a distance, her electric blast was, like everything about her, weaker than that of an average Ilyr and not strong enough to kill, but in this case, she had fired it from inside the creature’s mouth, which made it quite a bit more effective.
A sudden feminine voice originating from somewhere in the surrounding greenery made Auriel jump.
“You did a good job in defeating that corrupted creature. Well done!” Startled, Auriel turned around to where the voice came from and saw a light-furred gazelle with mysterious green eyes step forward from between the bushes.
“You know,” the gazelle continued, “the Endgrove could need someone like you these days. If you would be willing to help me fight the corruption that is infecting this place, I have a deal to offer: a chance to win a bloom that has the power to bring back the dead.”
Auriel could barely contain her excitement upon hearing these words. This was the chance she had come for!
“I’d be more than willing to take this offer,” she replied. “So, you must be…”
“I’m Blanca,” the gazelle introduced herself. “The Endgrove’s caretaker.”
“Pleased to meet you,” the Ilyr replied full of sincerity. “My name is Auriel.”
“Welcome to the Endgrove, Auriel.” Blanca smiled… and then, right in front of Auriel’s surprised eyes, she began to change, causing the Ilyr to take a startled step backwards. From her quadrupedal animal form, Blanca rose to stand upright, taking the shape of an anthropomorphic gazelle creature that still had the same dark horns and long, tufted tail, but now stood on two hooved feet and had hands and long white hair flowing down her shoulders.
“Please don’t be startled,” she cautioned when she noticed the Ilyr’s surprise. “I thought it best to approach you in my feral beast form first, since you’re a quadruped too. Now, however, I need my hands.” She raised them as if to emphasize her point. “May I have this for a moment?” Blanca asked, reaching out a hand for the claw necklace, waiting for permission before touching it. “I need to put a tracking spell on it, to find and rescue you should you need help. You can have it back when it’s done.”
Auriel’s first impulse was hesitation – the claw was all she had left of Haldor – but untensed a moment later, remembering this was exactly why she brought the memento. She had been told about this. So, Auriel nodded, and Blanca took the claw in her hand, holding it for a few heartbeats while looking at it with her green eyes in a concentrated manner. Auriel was sure she saw a faint glow shine up around the memento on the gazelle shifter’s hand, a shimmer in the air. Then, with a content nod, Blanca handed it back to her.
“Now, if you follow me, I’ll show you to the Sanctuary, where you can safely stay while you’re here.” The Ilyr stretched her legs, feeling fresh strength and confidence at the caretaker’s words. “Thank you for the invite! I’ll do my best to prove myself worthy of the Resurrection Bloom.”
“We’ll see,” Blanca replied with an inscrutable smile.
And so, with renewed hope in her heart, Auriel followed Blanca to the Sanctuary, wondering who else she might meet there and what might lie ahead… and she was ready to face it all.
--
Auriel was close now, she could feel it. Hope and determination kept her trotting forward towards the place she had been told about where she would find the one thing that could bring her lost love back to life: a magical flower known as Resurrection Bloom that only grew there.
“I’ll bring you back, my love. No matter the cost,” she muttered, with every step feeling the memento softly bumping against her chest fur: one of Haldor’s claws, tied to a thin leather cord so she could always take it with her, a necklace made by a friend who had nimble hands and fingers.
Finally, Auriel reached a large stone gate, which bore the word “Endgrove” written above it. She stopped in front of it, looking up to the writing. As a creature of the wilds, she couldn’t read, but she knew that this was her destination.
Filled with fresh hope and determination, she raised a paw to softly touch the claw dangling on her necklace.
“This is it, Haldor. I’ll try anything to bring you back.” Without one more moment of hesitation, Auriel stepped forward, and the gate in front of her swung open like magic as she stepped through.
Behind the gate, which closed behind her just as magically as it had opened, lay a lush green forest. With a deep breath, the Ilyr took in the sights and sounds. It reminded her of the forest she called home, and it made her feel at ease and comfortable. But this wasn’t home. Auriel had to remind herself to be careful – who knows what was waiting here for her. So, on she went through the forest; the next thing to do was to find Blanca, the Endgrove’s caretaker. She didn’t know what kind of creature Blanca was or what she looked like, but she was sure she would meet her now she was here.
Suddenly, a screech pierced the air, and from inside the dark entrance of a half-overgrown cave Auriel was just about to pass, something charged at her. Something huge, larger than herself and about twice as long. It was only when she evaded the first attack by quickly leaping to the side that she got a better look at the monstrosity. The word “monstrosity” described it quite aptly, for it seemed to be a crossbreed between a venus flytrap and a huge centipede. Its head was formed like a trap leaf of the carnivorous plant, jaws wide open, with no visible eyes, while its body was long and plated in gray-green chitin like an insect, while its many, many legs looked like wooden sticks.
Having missed its intended target at first strike, it turned around to face Auriel again with a hiss.
The next moment, the beast attacked again.
Once more, Auriel quickly evaded the snapping jaws, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to do this for long – she’d get exhausted quickly. Her stamina wasn’t close to that of most Ilyr, who were born healthier than her.
No. There was no use running. She had to fight.
So she stood her ground and, in the short moment before the next attack, looked for any possible weak spot the creature might have. The heavy looking body plating would probably protect it effectively from claws and teeth, and the numerous legs looked pretty tough, too. That left the head as the potentially weakest spot. It didn’t even have eyes, so she could only hope that the green skin would be vulnerable enough.
The next time the monster attacked, Auriel turned to the side, her sharp claws extended, and swiped at its head in passing with a front paw. The impact almost made her lose balance but, albeit trembling, Auriel managed not to trip. The monster shrieked in pain; green blood dripped from the cuts across its face. But that still didn’t stop it – if anything, it just served to enrage it more. Hissing like a whole nest of snakes, it turned around and attacked again. This time, Auriel was not fast enough. Her weak ankles threatened to give way beneath her, and along with her poor balance, that almost made her stumble and fall. At the last moment, Auriel managed to steady herself and stand stable. Her heart almost skipped a beat.
If she fell now, it could mean her end.
The jaws came closer, wide open, lined with rows of pointy teeth, and suddenly, a flashback appeared before her eyes. The image of Haldor being grabbed and lifted into the air by dragon jaws as if he was but a rabbit… Reliving the horror of that moment for a brief second, she shivered and froze in place. The moment of hesitation made Auriel stumble again, and the flytrap jaws closed around one of her hind legs.
It didn’t even hurt as much as expected – those plant teeth were designed to keep prey from escaping, not to pierce flesh. But the grip was tight, and she felt herself be pulled backwards, which made her fall flat at last. The creature lifted her up by her leg and tried to pull her further into its mouth. Desperately, Auriel tried to turn her body around to claw and bite at the monstrosity’s head, but she couldn’t bend backwards enough to reach it with her claws and teeth.
No, that wouldn’t do it, she realized in horror. Her only hope was to use an Ilyr’s last defense.
And for that, she would need to take aim – but it was difficult to aim her horn at something behind her while she was dangling from its jaws. And now, heart pounding like the beak of a woodpecker on a tree trunk, she took a bold decision. Her only chance was to let the creature drag her into its mouth, and then strike from inside. And so, Auriel ceased to struggle, and the monstrosity tilted its head upwards and opened its jaws wide, so that the Ilyr fell into its maw.
The jaws closed around her, fully enclosing her in greenish tinted darkness. Shuddering, she tried not to think about the digestive juices that would soon start flowing in to digest her alive. But she wouldn’t let it get to this point. She closed her eyes, summoned the power in her electricity producing organs and set it free.
The flash of light was so bright that it pierced through her closed eyelids. Auriel felt herself fall and hit the floor when the monster’s jaws opened wide once more and released her.
Too weak to get up, all that Auriel could do for a while was to lie where she had fallen, trying to remain conscious with her last remaining strength. Using the blast took a lot of energy, and the scuffle before that had already taken its toll on her. After what felt like an eternity, Auriel finally managed to get up, her whole body aching.
She looked at the monster that had fallen beside her; its head was almost completely gone, and what was left of it was charred and still smoking. She took a deep breath of relief. It was over. At a distance, her electric blast was, like everything about her, weaker than that of an average Ilyr and not strong enough to kill, but in this case, she had fired it from inside the creature’s mouth, which made it quite a bit more effective.
A sudden feminine voice originating from somewhere in the surrounding greenery made Auriel jump.
“You did a good job in defeating that corrupted creature. Well done!” Startled, Auriel turned around to where the voice came from and saw a light-furred gazelle with mysterious green eyes step forward from between the bushes.
“You know,” the gazelle continued, “the Endgrove could need someone like you these days. If you would be willing to help me fight the corruption that is infecting this place, I have a deal to offer: a chance to win a bloom that has the power to bring back the dead.”
Auriel could barely contain her excitement upon hearing these words. This was the chance she had come for!
“I’d be more than willing to take this offer,” she replied. “So, you must be…”
“I’m Blanca,” the gazelle introduced herself. “The Endgrove’s caretaker.”
“Pleased to meet you,” the Ilyr replied full of sincerity. “My name is Auriel.”
“Welcome to the Endgrove, Auriel.” Blanca smiled… and then, right in front of Auriel’s surprised eyes, she began to change, causing the Ilyr to take a startled step backwards. From her quadrupedal animal form, Blanca rose to stand upright, taking the shape of an anthropomorphic gazelle creature that still had the same dark horns and long, tufted tail, but now stood on two hooved feet and had hands and long white hair flowing down her shoulders.
“Please don’t be startled,” she cautioned when she noticed the Ilyr’s surprise. “I thought it best to approach you in my feral beast form first, since you’re a quadruped too. Now, however, I need my hands.” She raised them as if to emphasize her point. “May I have this for a moment?” Blanca asked, reaching out a hand for the claw necklace, waiting for permission before touching it. “I need to put a tracking spell on it, to find and rescue you should you need help. You can have it back when it’s done.”
Auriel’s first impulse was hesitation – the claw was all she had left of Haldor – but untensed a moment later, remembering this was exactly why she brought the memento. She had been told about this. So, Auriel nodded, and Blanca took the claw in her hand, holding it for a few heartbeats while looking at it with her green eyes in a concentrated manner. Auriel was sure she saw a faint glow shine up around the memento on the gazelle shifter’s hand, a shimmer in the air. Then, with a content nod, Blanca handed it back to her.
“Now, if you follow me, I’ll show you to the Sanctuary, where you can safely stay while you’re here.” The Ilyr stretched her legs, feeling fresh strength and confidence at the caretaker’s words. “Thank you for the invite! I’ll do my best to prove myself worthy of the Resurrection Bloom.”
“We’ll see,” Blanca replied with an inscrutable smile.
And so, with renewed hope in her heart, Auriel followed Blanca to the Sanctuary, wondering who else she might meet there and what might lie ahead… and she was ready to face it all.