Lonesome Princess - 800 Buttermilk

[DarkestWerewolf]

K H I O N E

Some say she was born from a special egg in a glacier. Some say she was an abandoned experiement that scientists no longer wanted. Some even say she was just a myth - not real. Either way, all added up to something similar. Reports of a bovine-like animal spotted amongst blizzards all around the world. A chilling moo could be heard faintly in the howling winds. Glowing blue eyes would float emptily in the storm. There was something in the snow and she is on the hunt.

Khione was in fact a bovine. She does have blue eyes and she also moos to the howling winds. She is definitely searching for something. However, it had been misinterpreted. Khione was a poor heifer who had been misunderstood for several centuries.

She was born into a regular farm, the farmers were earning enough to just get by. Everything in the barn was old and nothing was out of the ordinary. Khione’s planned life was to be born into a farm and be raised as a dairy cow. That was what she would’ve been for the rest of her simple life. However, fate had other plans for dear Khione.

Right off the bat, Khione was already a calf that stood out in particular. For one, she was born in the dead of winter. Food and water was scarce then so when the sudden birth and appearance of Khione appeared, it sent the farmers into panic and confusion. They did what they could to provide her the care she needs but they weren’t expecting this sudden heifer to last through the freezing winter.

[DarkestWerewolf]

V O I C E

Unfortunately, the farmers’ prediction were right. Khione fell gravely ill 2 weeks after birth. It was certain that she was already at death’s door. Her helpless mother and herd could only look on, unable to do anything. The farmers were trying hard to do whatever they could but it was impossible to get a vet up into their area with such a thick blanket of snow.

Each passing day looked grim. Khione eventually stopped eating and drinking. The farmers knew that it would be Khione’s last day. She probably wouldn’t be able to make it through the night. They did what they could to make her comfortable. She was placed in a stall by herself, full of hay bedding and a heater by her side. Khione was wrapped thickly in layers of blanket and yet, she was cold to the touch.

Night soon came and with a final look into Khione’s stall, the farmers heaved a sigh and left. The calf was tired, cold and numb. She could barely feel anything. Even the heater and blankets weren’t doing much. It was miserably. In her mind, she was hoping for death to come soon and remove her from her pain. Khione closed her eyes, ready to embrace what was to come.

All was dark but Khione heard a voice. Melodious yet haunting at the same time. It called and beckoned for her. The calf didn’t know what to think. Was this a dream? Was this how death would be like? The voice echoed loudly. Khione wanted to respond but she felt too weak. However, something was telling her to try. Khione expected barely anything audible to escape her mouth but to her surprise, she was able to speak out and well.

Khione.

My dear sweet child.

You who fell from the grace of fate, already at death’s door when you had just started life.

Khione didn’t say anything, what she said seem to be true. She was dying but she had just started living not long ago. Why was she played in this cruel fate? Why was she dying?

Child, I can sense your passion to live. I too, want you to get through this. I shall bestow you a gift, if you’d see it that way.

With that, a bright light glowed, blinding Khione’s vision. All she could see now was white. She could hear extremely strong gusts of wind, the prickling pain on her face from the billowing snow.

“Wait. Who are you?” Khione yelled.

She could hear faint chilling chuckles.

I am the voice of winter.

Khione immediately woke up. She looked around, she was still in the stall. The heater was still on and she was still wrapped in blankets. Faint morning light could be seen peeping in from outside. Khione was alive. At least, she thinks she was. An hour or so went by and the farmers came in, expecting to see Khione dead but she was standing up, alive and looking right back at them. They cried tears of joy. It was a miracle.

[DarkestWerewolf]

G I F T

Khione was now known as the miracle calf. She survived when everyone thought she’d die. No one knew how or why but they were just glad that she was around. Back then, a cow was considered very valuable and losing one at any age was a hard hit.

The calf was normal. Maybe the voice just helped her recover from whatever was ailing her. However, over the weeks, Khione was slowly but subtly turning slightly blue. It was hard to notice since there wasn’t any camera or device made for photography back then. By spring, it was very clear that Khione was blue. However, she was acting fine so no one really bothered to call for a vet or question it.

The next winter came and the land was once again, a thick blanket of snow. Khione, now more grown, had a thicker fur, much thicker than the regular cows. Though puzzled, the farmers didn’t seem to question. A hormonal change perhaps?

Many winters went by and Khione was a full grown heifer. She had the grace and elegance of one. Khione has the presence and air like that of a royal princess. Thus, she was coined the nickname “princess”. However, as the years went by, Khione seem to notice she stopped ageing. It began with subtle compliments like how she look so young despite her age. At first, she didn’t think of much until the compliments became genuine confusion. Why wasn’t she ageing?

One fine winter day, Khione discovered something even more shocking. She was out in the snowy pasture, head titled up, breathing in the cold wintry air, a sigh escaped from her mouth. A breath of ice escape, freezing part of the branch of a tree she stood under. Khione was extremely taken aback by it, fearful. She swore to herself to keep it a secret.

[DarkestWerewolf]

C U R S E

Years flew by quickly. Khione saw members of her herd age and slowly go, including her own mother. Her years had been nothing but heartbreak. Even looking at her farmers and how they’ve aged broke her heart. She was the only cow from their original herd that was left. She did see the condition of the barn slowly get better over the years but the void in her heart still grew bigger.

Everyone was ageing and leaving her. She still looked young. It had been nearly 30 years. Aside from her immortality, Khione discovered even more powers over the years, all attributing to winter. She could project an icy aura so cold it would freeze all within a 3m radius. She was able to conjure little snowballs and form shapes made out of ice. However, she still kept the knowledge of her powers hushed.

Ever since her brush with death when she was a heifer, she never heard or dreamt about the voice again. That day was still fresh and etched in her brain, something she could never forget. Decades went by and it came to an unfortunate end when she overheard her farmers talking about plans to sell the farm because they were too old to care for it. Khione was heartbroken. She spent so long here and she’s already lost so many loved ones. This property was one of the last place she had left.

In a fit of uncontrollable emotions, Khione let out a large magnitude of icy aura. When Khione opened her eyes, she couldn’t peel her eyes away from what she’s done. Its effects were devastating. Everything in sight was covered in a blanket of white, up to her knees. Gentle snow rained down lightly but it was in the middle of autumn. The farmers and cows all around her were frozen solid. Their life stolen away just like that. What had she done...

Khione ran away, far up into the mountains, as far away as she could from anyone.

[DarkestWerewolf]

A L O N E

Khione fled far and hid herself away in the mountains. She stayed around the higher altitudes of tall mountains where it constantly snowed. The heifer remained inconsolable for a very long time. The voice never came, just the chilling touches of the howling winds.

It felt like time stood still for her. She was trapped in this time of nothing but tears. Countless nights of passing out crying. It was tiring and yet, she still did it. She couldn’t wipe the image out of her mind. Khione didn’t know how long had gone by. Time was an irrelevant concept that she had long abandoned.

What she didn’t know was that she had been crying for decades. 2 decades to be exact. Khione eventually got tired and ran out of tears to cry. She stopped mourning. Her heart had started to grow cold. She wanted to do more than just cry for the rest of however long she will live.

The heifer picked herself up and left to find civilisation again for the first time in decades. She instinctually headed back to the barn. When she got there, Khione was shocked. The building still stood, now upgraded with other facilities. Not daring to go nearer, she stood where she was. The people and animals were different. It was already a new place but it was still the ground she was born and raised on.

Finding some closure in it, she decided that maybe civilisation might not be the best option for now. Khione wanted to hone her powers. There was no way she wanted to let another accident happen. She needed to learn to keep her emotions in check and exercise her powers. That was the only way she can continue.

Day after day, night after night, Khione practiced. Her determination and perseverance pushed her. Up in the mountains alone, Khione stood as she practiced. After growing tired of one mountain, she would travel far to reside in another unknown territory. She needed to be one with herself. She needed to be alone.

[DarkestWerewolf]

J O U R N E Y

Khione spent years travelling the world in solitude. She trained hard to control her powers, whether it be conjuring snowstorms, freezing bodies of water or even the finer details like producing a single snowflake in a particular shape. Khione learned to control her emotions better, often meditating for days on end.

Decades had passed since Khione had went on her journey to better herself. She never kept track of time. It was pointless since she doesn’t age nor will she die anytime soon. The heifer avoids any form of contact or civilisation as much as possible, fearful of how humans will react. However, traipsing the high mountains had led her to the occasional encounters of hikers. Some had collapsed and was on the brink of death. Khione took pity on those and would quietly but quickly lead them to a lower altitude or somewhere that is known to be more popular for hikers to walk by.

Aside from her fleeting encounters with humans, she’s never had a friend. Khione had felt extremely lonely. She had wanted to search for friends but spending majority of her time at frigid high altitudes narrowed her chances of finding anything that’s practically alive.

Despite that, she would try and call out to try and look for a friend. Her chilling moo carried by the winds often fell on deaf ears. However, Khione never gave up. She had wandered to lower altitudes in hopes of finding any signs of life but they’re often fearful of her. She was certain that there were creatures like her. She couldn’t be the only one like that on earth. There had to be other cows or creatures that had powers or immortality like her.

Thus, she’s been on a journey to look for a friend since. Khione would continue to hone her powers and emotions but she’s also constantly on the look out for friends whenever she travelled. It had been centuries since but Khione had still yet to find someone she could call a friend.

Maybe someday...