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09-21-2013, 03:22 PM
One step forward, two steps back. Oh yes, it was how it always went. Just when he thought that he was on to something the trail ended and he found himself forced to return to where he had started. Only, this time the return had somehow sidetracked him, shipwrecked him on an island in the middle of the sea with no way of knowing in which direction he should start swimming.
A deeply frustrated sigh made the leaves on a nearby bush flutter as the tall creature came to a halt. A deep furrow dug its way into the face between the arched brows as he looked around the forest, too utterly perplexed to even want to admit it to himself. There was definitely something strange with this area. He had been walking for what felt like the greater part of two days, and yet the sun had not set. The moon had been his only guide for a long time, visible only here and there through the heavy boughs of evergreen trees. The shadows on the ground were thick and felt almost solid, a cold mist that chased away what should have been a balmy summer evening and turned it to something that more closely resembled spring. The leaves of the trees contrasted this however - they were large, well developed, their branches bowing with the beginnings of fruit that would ripen come fall...
"But not without sun they can't.." he muttered and reached out a muscled arm to gently pluck a green fold from its place, suspiciously holding it to the nose as he rolled it between the fingers. The scent made him none the wiser; only the fresh, green scent of chlorophyll reached him, and with a discontent snort the centaur continued forward again, lifting hoofed legs high over rocks and roots as he went.
He was tired. The road behind him had been long and arduous, and it was becoming increasingly hard to remember exactly what he was doing. The overall goal was clear of course, he had to find his kin, find out what happened to them and discover why they had simply up and left their home - without leaving a trace of panic, illness, war or even a sign that they had left at all. It was impossible to forget. Even after the three years that had passed since he finally left to search for them the memory of the empty landscape was vivid in his mind, like a waking dream too horrible to close the eyes from. Sadly, the clues as to where they could have gone were desperately few. Like chasing shadows, trying to catch smoke, Kelec ran from guess to guess without allowing himself to rest, driven by the need to know, to understand why things had become the way they were.
As the road grew longer and more arduous, it became more tempting to give up. Especially now after this trail through unnatural darkness he found his thoughts turning foul, gloomy emotions smothering the determined blaze that had driven him on in the first place.
"Maybe a sign would be in place" he hummed aloud to himself, a habit developed over years of maddening solitude. "Should I take a break? I'm tired, my feet are aching, I have very little provisions left... If it's meant for me to stop now then give me a sign."
Again he stopped, head jerking to fling the long mane of red hair away from the face as the young stud scoured the surroundings, blue eyes sharp as they searched for something, anything that was out of the ordinary.
Just then, as though called by his uttered words, something drew his attention upwards, beyond the canopy. A soft, pale light had begun to brighten the sky in the east, and with widening eyes Kelec stared at the rising sun as though he had never seen it before. A faint breeze pulled through the top of the trees, tugged at the long locks and teased the tassels of the crimson tail. He barely felt it. Too transfixed by this the most magnificent of displays, the centaur felt how a deep sense of awe spread within the depths of his chest.
This must be it. The sign he asked for. How else could the sun had risen just when he needed it the most, just after his voice had disappeared into the silence of the night? He swallowed thickly, gripped by a tidal wave of mixed feelings. Regret, relief, sorrow and longing, all too tangled and deep to separate - it threatened to chose him, made lights dance before the eyes. He took a deep breath, suddenly realizing that he had been holding it for some time; and with a soft chuckle he gave a small smile and pulled a hand over the hair, steadying himself as he looked around with renewed interest.
"A yes then... Thus the search ends. Sorry mother - I tried to find you" he whispered to himself. "Guess this will be my home now... wherever this is." The gaze turned skeptical as he turned the head back and forth, taking in the meager soil and the towering trees. It would be more than just hard to eke out a living in this forest. While a decent hunter he couldn't live on meat alone, and even though his kind was resilient and could endure the seasons, shelter was still a necessary part of survival. This particular area... was not suitable.
Shrugging slightly the red-haired male extended furry legs and carried on, heading steadily towards the light of the swiftly rising sun - for surely, if he just walked towards it long enough he would end up where he was supposed to be. Surely.
A deeply frustrated sigh made the leaves on a nearby bush flutter as the tall creature came to a halt. A deep furrow dug its way into the face between the arched brows as he looked around the forest, too utterly perplexed to even want to admit it to himself. There was definitely something strange with this area. He had been walking for what felt like the greater part of two days, and yet the sun had not set. The moon had been his only guide for a long time, visible only here and there through the heavy boughs of evergreen trees. The shadows on the ground were thick and felt almost solid, a cold mist that chased away what should have been a balmy summer evening and turned it to something that more closely resembled spring. The leaves of the trees contrasted this however - they were large, well developed, their branches bowing with the beginnings of fruit that would ripen come fall...
"But not without sun they can't.." he muttered and reached out a muscled arm to gently pluck a green fold from its place, suspiciously holding it to the nose as he rolled it between the fingers. The scent made him none the wiser; only the fresh, green scent of chlorophyll reached him, and with a discontent snort the centaur continued forward again, lifting hoofed legs high over rocks and roots as he went.
He was tired. The road behind him had been long and arduous, and it was becoming increasingly hard to remember exactly what he was doing. The overall goal was clear of course, he had to find his kin, find out what happened to them and discover why they had simply up and left their home - without leaving a trace of panic, illness, war or even a sign that they had left at all. It was impossible to forget. Even after the three years that had passed since he finally left to search for them the memory of the empty landscape was vivid in his mind, like a waking dream too horrible to close the eyes from. Sadly, the clues as to where they could have gone were desperately few. Like chasing shadows, trying to catch smoke, Kelec ran from guess to guess without allowing himself to rest, driven by the need to know, to understand why things had become the way they were.
As the road grew longer and more arduous, it became more tempting to give up. Especially now after this trail through unnatural darkness he found his thoughts turning foul, gloomy emotions smothering the determined blaze that had driven him on in the first place.
"Maybe a sign would be in place" he hummed aloud to himself, a habit developed over years of maddening solitude. "Should I take a break? I'm tired, my feet are aching, I have very little provisions left... If it's meant for me to stop now then give me a sign."
Again he stopped, head jerking to fling the long mane of red hair away from the face as the young stud scoured the surroundings, blue eyes sharp as they searched for something, anything that was out of the ordinary.
Just then, as though called by his uttered words, something drew his attention upwards, beyond the canopy. A soft, pale light had begun to brighten the sky in the east, and with widening eyes Kelec stared at the rising sun as though he had never seen it before. A faint breeze pulled through the top of the trees, tugged at the long locks and teased the tassels of the crimson tail. He barely felt it. Too transfixed by this the most magnificent of displays, the centaur felt how a deep sense of awe spread within the depths of his chest.
This must be it. The sign he asked for. How else could the sun had risen just when he needed it the most, just after his voice had disappeared into the silence of the night? He swallowed thickly, gripped by a tidal wave of mixed feelings. Regret, relief, sorrow and longing, all too tangled and deep to separate - it threatened to chose him, made lights dance before the eyes. He took a deep breath, suddenly realizing that he had been holding it for some time; and with a soft chuckle he gave a small smile and pulled a hand over the hair, steadying himself as he looked around with renewed interest.
"A yes then... Thus the search ends. Sorry mother - I tried to find you" he whispered to himself. "Guess this will be my home now... wherever this is." The gaze turned skeptical as he turned the head back and forth, taking in the meager soil and the towering trees. It would be more than just hard to eke out a living in this forest. While a decent hunter he couldn't live on meat alone, and even though his kind was resilient and could endure the seasons, shelter was still a necessary part of survival. This particular area... was not suitable.
Shrugging slightly the red-haired male extended furry legs and carried on, heading steadily towards the light of the swiftly rising sun - for surely, if he just walked towards it long enough he would end up where he was supposed to be. Surely.
