by .zyyat. » Sun Dec 23, 2012 11:14 am
Username: Eaglestar
Name of Vindex: Tarak
Gender of Vindex: Male
Story/Personality: The forest was ill. Tarak could sense it.
His delicate paws stepped lightly and he watched where they went while also keeping sure to not run into a decaying tree or get caught in a tangle of brambles. This forest had once been his home, his sanctuary from the outside world, filled with lush life and beautiful, graceful creatures. But now his whole world was crumbling down--quite literally, too--and he was scared, very scared. What was going on? Why was his beautiful home being turned to ruins? He knew it could not be a drought, for there had been plenty of rain for the plants to drink from. And he had not been aware of any sickness running through the animals and plants before today. So what was going on?
Sudden words floated through his mind, bringing his slow walking pace to a full halt. A light went off in his mind as his antennae twitched slightly. He remembered...an old tale, one he was told when he was still young. One of an Orb of Green, a mystical object that held the life of a forest within it's spherical depths. Supposedly there was one for nearly every forest, protecting the plants and animals and ensuring their safety and well-being. Could such a thing be true? It seemed so...far-fetched. Then again, so did this mysterious plague upon the forest.
So it was decided: Tarak would find this orb! But...where? It could be anywhere, for all he knew! But bits and pieces of the tale were coming together in his mind; it was rough due to his horrible memory. He could have swore there was something about a special tree...a tall one? A short one? He frowned and tilted his head to the side as he thought it over, ears drooping a bit. What had it been? It was so important, but the harder he tried to think about it, the further away the thought ran from him. Frustrated, he huffed and continued along his way to wherever it was he was walking. He had no idea where he was going and yet he knew the entire forest like the back of his paw. The trickling creeks, the swaying trees, that thundering waterfall that even now he could hear in the distance--
And the realization hit him so hard he stumbled over an exposed root and tumbled head-over-tail, rolled over a few times, and finally came to a stop on his stomach. But he wouldn't stop now, for he had remembered now where the location of the orb within this forest was supposed to be! The waterfall...yes, it was there. 'The Orb is surrounded by the three things plants need most to grow: soil, water, and sunshine and nestled peacefully within the heart of a tree.' There was a place at the top of the waterfall, a place that was said to have the sun shining brightest upon it. It had to be there!
Filled with energy and excitement, Tarak took off towards the waterfall, its thundering water leading him in the right direction. His tail was curled with how happy he was to have remembered and he couldn't wait to get there! His happy thoughts were tainted, however, as he wondered what it would look like when he got there. What could have happened to the Orb to make the plants this way? Had it been taken? Broken? He would only know when he got there, so he pushed his thoughts aside to keep from being distracted and ran on.
Soon he came to a stop with the loud sound of thunder in his ears and a soft spray of water drifting into his face. Before him stood the great waterfall, cascading down the side of a steep hill and down into a flowing river that would carry the water off to a lake, and along the way split into tiny creeks and streams that flowed throughout the forest. The Vindex's eyes looked upward to the top of the waterfall, narrowing some against the harsh light of the sun, but even that seemed to be clouded-over some by dark cloudss that most likely held rain and lightning. Tarak hated the rain and wanted to get to the top quickly, but the only way up would be to climb. He took deep breaths in and out to calm himself and prepare himself for whatever was at the top of the waterfall.
He first walked away from the waterfall, that way he'd be able to find some dry, solid ground to climb on. Lucky for him, the slope of the hill wasn't a sheer cliff, but still it was steep and would be tricky to navigate. But he had set his mind to his task and nothing would be able to stop him now. Twitching his tail, he sprung up onto the hill, digging his claws into the ground the best he could, and began to carefully make his way up the incline. It was rough and difficult, not something the creature was used to; he preferred the flat grounds of the forest to the unevene ground of hills. He pushed on and on, muscles straining, eyes set upon his destination at the top. The clouds were rolling in quickly and the sunlight was growing dimmer. Tarak let out a yelp as a rock he had braced his back foot upon came loose due to the loose, decaying grass and dirt and he slid back a few feet before catching himself again.
Finally, with his chest heaving and his heart working over-time, Tarak flopped down onto the ground at the top of the hill, trying to catch his breath and keep his heart from leaping out of him. He stayed there for just a few moments before pushing himself back onto his feet and shaking out his now-dirty pelt with scraps of dirt and grass stuck within it, especially at his paws and underbelly. He stood in awe as his eyes took in the scene.
Never before had the Vindex been up here, but it was quite a sight. There was a huge tree-trunks with branches hanging off of it, the once-gorgeous leaves and flowers now decaying and browning and falling off. Nestled at the top of the trunk, which was roughly five feet off the ground, was a nest of sorts, only it was made of dirt and decorated with pretty stones and small saplings trying to grow from it but were now dieing, not being given the chance to grow and flourish. Tarak figured that the Orb would mostly likely be there, but it wasn't. His eyes looked from side to side and he did a double-take when he did realize where the Orb was.
It had been tossed aside upon some rocks, the orb shattered and the sapling inside now exposed with dirt scattered around. The sapling was the only truly green thing around and Tarak couldn't take his eyes off of it. Slowly he approached it, afraid that stepping to roughly on the ground would make the up-rooted sapling crumble into nothingness. But soon enough Tarak came to a stop above the small growth and gently bent down to take it into his mouth within breaking into the delicate plant-flesh. He moved agonizingly slow to the tree trunk, half-aware of what he was doing, simply acting upon instinct and what felt right in his gut. He hopped up onto his back paws, leaned his front paws on the trunk and gently placed the sapling down into the dirt nest at the top of the trunk. His eyes were wide as he watched the roots twist and grow and sink down into the soil, causing the sapling to stand up right, but then it drooped to the side. Tarak panicked. What was wrong?
Looking up, he knew right away: there was no sunshine! Dark clouds had completely covered it and he could sense a storm was brewing. His heart fluttered in his chest and his eyes went back down to the sapling. No! It had to work, it had to! "I can't just lose my home!" he wailed in mourning. "Please! I need light!" As if on his command, the clouds above began to shift and part, and he watched with watery eyes as they drifted away far enough to create a hole within them, and the glorious sunshine shone through. Never before had Tarak been so glad to see the sun. He cried aloud in delight, filled with joy, and his eyes went to the sapling as it drew power from the sun's rays and straightened itself, and the green brightened noticeably to a beautiful bright color. It emitted a faint glow as an orb suddenly formed around it and a chunk of dirt, as well as a string suddenly manifesting and attatching itself to the newly-formed Orb of Green. Tarak stared in awe, dumb-struck by the brilliance of the mystical object, and blinked as the orb sat there, almost speaking to him, telling him to take it.
Acting upon a gut feeling, he managed to slip the string around his neck and suddenly shivered before relaxing as warmth and energy radiated through his body. And without him knowing it, new markings formed on either of his flanks; dark brown markings looking like knots and tree branches that extended from his shoulder to the back of his flanks. All around him, the plants and such took on a sudden green hue and sprung back to life with the magic now radiating through his body. At that moment, Tarak understood what his new purpose was: he would be the protector of the Orb, and in-turn the protector of the forest. "So long as I live," he vowed, looking down to the orb draped around his neck. "I shall protect you and this forest. It is my home and I shall not let anything happen to it." Smiling now, he turned and slid down the slope, the wildlife all around him returning to the original colors they had been before the illness had spread through them. The clouds had covered the sky again and rain came down, but Tarak did not mind. He felt rejuvenated and alive and he laughed to the skies as the rain came down and the life returned to the forest. His forest. His home.
Other: Don't really have anything to put here~ ^^;
Avatar (c) Xayaa on WHWhen you walk away
You don't hear me say
Please, oh baby,
Don't go.
Simple and clean is the
Way that you're making
Me feel tonight
It's hard to let it go.
- Simple and Clean
by Utada Hikaru
