[certified]

-snip-

[elderling]

fable name: Gifted
answer:

When the kingdom of Dawn fell, night consumed the land. A cataclysm of horror, those who did not fall victim to the cloaking of darkness were still yet changed in unthinkable ways.

One such tale of this changing was a Fable named Gifted.

An ambassador from the lands of Gold, Gifted was said to be a Fable of brilliance, taught in the ways of grand magic and invention by none other than the seventh dragon Ashoun. A special gift it is to have a dragon's wisdom, but to be a dragon's apprentice is priceless. Word soon spread to the many kingdoms, Gifted's insight and ability to bring to life the wildest of dreams was sought after by even the most reclusive of kings. Gifted always answered his summons, finding a large, preening pride in being so highly regarded as a dragon's apprentice.

Among the many whispers said fearfully in shadow, it is said that the kingdom of Dawn fell shortly after a shining gold Fable brimming with magic stepped foot upon it's pavestones, tipping the scales of balance. Others contest this, saying that the Fable was enraged with the king's request, and split the sky in twain, casting the land in darkness and despair. Fewer tales speak of a greedy king who stole a dragon's gift, and the sky was brought down upon his land for revenge. Many rumors are discounted, but there always lies a grain of truth in every tale.

There may be only one who has it correct however, for legend has it, Gifted still roams the ruins of the Dawn, a captive to it's memory.



"He's still alive, I tell you! A great malice he has become, swathed in the very darkness that poisons the land. I thought I was lost alone, the moon my only guide! Her light shone through the tree branches, a goldblight butterfly landing on a moonbeam stuck in the ashen leaves that covered the forest floor. I was a fool to think I was alone, I never was. From the branching shadows that lay across the leaves, he rose! Darker than the sky itself, he clawed his way out of the shadows cast, and charged me out of the wood! Gifted no longer, I tell you here, he lost himself to the night!"

[PleaserOfCrowds]

fable name: Booker
answer:

You’ve heard ghost stories around this part of the forest before. Stories of a possible monster, lurking around in the darkest parts of the forest.

And tonight, you’re feeling brave. After taking a dare from some friends, surely it was all a tall tale right? It couldn’t have been possibly been true. Regardless, you take a step in and explore.

There’s little noise to be heard as the only sounds in this part of the forest; only the crunching of the leaf litter as you venture further and further in. It’s quite cold too, enough to see your own breath. You’re alone with your thoughts, aside from the trees this place seems devoid of any animals. It’s unnerving, and you feel like the further you go in the colder it gets. But, you swear you saw something out of the corner of your eye.

A butterfly, but not just any butterfly. You recall that the story told of the monster luring lost fables further in to their doom via spectral butterflies, and now this no longer seems like a good idea. You brush off your nerves, feeling as if it was your eyes tricking you. But as you turn around, you see another and you can’t seem to rip your eyes away from it.

The sight compels you to follow it, as it darts between trees as you carefully move through the woods. It swerves and flies in an erratic pattern, and eventually you loose it in the mist. The air seems to get colder, giving you a shiver.

And then, you hear someone speak to you from behind.

“Turn around.”

You turn around, and you see a dark fable with the spectral butterflies on him. You nearly jump at the sight of him just sneaking up on you without any indication.

He doesn’t seem to regard this, instead ignoring your reaction to introduce himself instead.

“I haven’t seen anyone in this area for a while, are you looking for monsters here? I haven’t found any here myself.”

“Uh… yes? Who are you exactly?” you ask the stranger.

“Booker, researcher of the supernatural. I take great pride in what I do, and I can’t do it without my companions.”

“Your… companions? The butterflies?”

“Yes indeed. They’re from these parts of the woods.”

You feel as if this Booker feller still feels off, there’s something uncanny about him that you can’t quite place. The fable seems to blend in with the mist, as if almost disappearing into it. But surely, he seems nice enough and you chat for a while and the tension wears off. You learn that he lives somewhere in here, but can’t really show you your place. It feels like no time has passed at all, yet he seems he has a sense of urgency after a while.

“Pardon me, I need to resume to my studies. I’m sure you’d understand. After all, it’s not exactly safe for you here in this particular patch of the forest,” he abruptly excuses himself. “Maybe we’ll meet again, but that’s depending on fate itself. Take care, friend”

And like that, he’s gone, disappeared without a trace or sound. And you’ve found yourself back at the clearing, when the dawn of the rising sun comes and you walk out of the dark forest.
———————————————————
By the next time you meet with your friends, they’re freaking out. Apparently you had been gone for weeks on end, and the others had tried to search for you to no avail. They thought you were a goner, lost to the monster of the woods. Just how long were you in there? It truly didn’t feel like that much time outside had passed. You think of Booker, the other fable in the forest you met. If you were in that forest for who knows how long, there’s no telling how long he’s been in there.

Although when nobody’s looking you try to enter the dark forest only to get turned back to its entrance, and you see butterflies that are like his yet at a second glance are completely mundane. You never do see the dark fable again, with no trace left of him or no one else who knows or remembers him.

While he had the description of the monster, you know that he wasn’t the monster and he had never seen any himself from his own words. But, then who or what exactly was he..?

[molotov]

friendly reminder that entires will close at 8 pm, eastern time standard, tonight.

[Discontinued]

fable name: Mavros
answer:



"Famine.

That was the moniker they gave him, marking his hide with a thousand tales to instill fear into the hearts of the north. Underneath the winter moon hid the creature of the dark, always lurking, always hunting. With a single breath he would sap the soul of any living thing, crafting with it a horde of flying specters, adorned in velvet blue and glittering gold. Hunger was all he ever knew, you see, lungs burning to filter out any light that dared to cross his presence. No amount of sage or basil could outlast his demands, no amount of blessings enough to sate the powerful desire in those hollowed out eyes."

The fable huffed out a sigh, turning her face away from the moonlight filtering through the leaves overhead.

"It was nights like this that he was said to lurk on the edges of one's mind, never to be seen until the moment you found yourself lost to his will," she continued, each step across the snow-covered path a reminder she was rooted here, in a reality that stung like a thousand nettles. "Forever trapped in the wings of a butterfly - left to feed on the fears of the next victim. But, what I tell you are all lies, crafted for the sake of creativity."

None of the stories were true, she was sure of it. Through her travels, with every teardrop that caressed the winter white, she was sure every word and record uttered were far from the truth. They were simple plagues of the mind, when the dark grew a little too unbearable. They had to be.

A voice piped up from behind her, nearly forgotten in her thoughts. The young foal remarked on the evidences gained through the herds across the lands, of the lost souls that littered the graves. It sent a shudder down her mane, ears pricked back in distaste. With every disappearance she found that confidence lingering in the darkness, haunting the shreds of hope she clung to desperately.

"No, it's all a simple tale to scare you," she tried to reply, stopping in her tracks. "To... keep young ones in their herds at night. If it were true, there would be others to worry about. Do you see wars break out, mass death across our lands, or even pestilence to suffer? We are safe, foal. The famine doesn't exist. It... never has."

With gentle blue she looked up toward the moon, her breath caught in her chest. A butterfly - lingering in the air like a flurry, spiraling forward in a dance meant for her and her alone. With a shriek the foal ran, yelling out words she long wasn't listening to. Her gaze was locked onto the creature as it fluttered closer, a silent invitation that tugged at something deep within her. It landed on her muzzle with a gentle touch, holding her close like a warmth she rarely remembered.

And in the dark those familiar golden eyes shone with starlight, his presence known only to her.

"Iníon, I... I've missed you."


♦ iníon (in-yeen) means daughter in irish gaelic

[molotov]

my goodness was this a difficult decision, after finally getting the chance to sit down read through all these entries i’ve settled on a winner! i will preface by saying i truly loved all your interpretations on this prompt, there were so many engaging concepts here.

the winner is Discontinued, an incredibly immersive read!

i would also like to give a ticket 🎟️ to the following ;
astral., kaju, ‪Messmer

thank you all for your entries and patience!‬

[kaju]

huge congratulations discountinued!!! and thank you so much for the ticket molotov, such a gorgeous fable and such a wonderful prompt <33

[elderling]

Massive congrats to Discontinued!! I loved reading everyone's stories so much, it was a huge treat to write for such a cool prompt and fable. Thank you!

[astral.]

congratulations discontinued! <3 loved reading your entry!! ;v;

thank you so much for the ticket, molotov <33 ;w;

[Discontinued]

aaa omg thank you so much!! I'm over the moon right now about Mavros - I genuinely can't wait to write more for his and Isobel's stories! Everyone's entries were so intriguing and wonderfully written that I honestly wish I could read more of them.

And big congrats to astral, messmer, and kaju for the tickets! ♡