[dogshrimp]

marked

[cacticollie]

res with name sarafina ahhh
i'm so excited to make a form

[~Arrow~]

Most likely dropping out unless I find a better connection.

[Kenjaku]

Bovi, that's just gorgeous.
A+, blew me right out of the water.

[wind song]

Mark, oh my goshhhhh ;;; a ;;;;

I have laid eyes upon perfection
and I must have it <///3

[seijuu]

Prepare for the church of the sun to be erected in your honor, dear deer

*angry reserve with my deer*

[booklover789]

(Edited by me using picmonkey.com)



Name:
Alba
(AL-buh)

Name Meaning and Origin:
Dawn, Sunrise - Latin

Gender:
Female

Size and General Physical Description:
Feral
In feral form, Alba is much taller than the average deerssert, standing at five feet tall from the tips of her ears to her hooves - counting her antlers, she's five and a half feet tall. Her wingspan is sixty inches. She's about four and a half feet long, not counting her four-feet-long fur-tipped tail.

Anthro
Alba stands at thirteen feet tall in her Anthro form, and chooses to clothe herself with one of three options for clothing: her traditional white spring dress, her fancy white dress, or her golden-plated armor. Regardless of her clothing, her few accessories are always on her person; she'll never get rid of her sword and sheath, nor will she get rid of the silver bangle-like necklace that always adorns her neck. Her hair is in this style, but is more like this color. Depending upon the instance, she may have a tail, and if she does, then it'll resemble a lion's tail. In this form she has antlers and a section of scales that run from her flank up to her torso. Her wingspan in this form is approximately ten feet.

"Human"
While Alba can take a more human-like form, she is not technically able to transform herself into a full human. Pale white skin and white eyes with extremely small pupils that never seem to dilate are two distinct features of this form. She has the same clothing as a human as she does when in Anthro form, and her hair is the same as well. A main difference between her anthro and human forms is that in anthro form she has antlers and in some instances has a tail, and in human form, she does not have either. Instead, she always wears her favorite pair of antler earrings. Instead of wings, in the center of her back is a golden 3D tattoo of a pair of wings. In this form she has freckles that are located just below her eyes. She is definitely a looker, and is very attractive - though not as much as her younger sister. Curvy, but not fat, she is average in size.

Sexuality:
Asexual Aromantic (Virgin)


Common Offerings to Her:
Laurel
Dogwood blooms
Golden roses

Family:
Younger Sister - Orli, Goddess of Light

Birthday and Birthstone:
January 1 - Garnet

Seeing as she's a goddess, this deerssert doesn't technically have a birthday. January 1st is the start of a new year, and a new year sometimes brings light and happiness into others lives, so that is the day she has decided to call her birthday, even though she has no idea how she came into existence nor what date her entering into existence took place on.

Favorites:
Color - Gold
Day - Sunday
Week - First week of January
Month - January
Season - Summer
Weather - Sunny
Fish - Golden Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Lake Chub
Insect - Glasswinged Butterfly
Reptiles - Tautara and African Spurred Tortoise
Mammals - Ring-tailed Cat, Panda and Red Panda
Marine Mammals - Harbor Seal, Eschrichtiidae, and Atlantic Spotted Dolphin
Birds - Hummingbird, Water Kingfisher, Barn Owl, and Large-tailed Nightjar
Plants - Laurel, Dogwood blooms, Cardoon, Daylily, and Golden roses
Type of Eater - Herbivore
Meal - Breakfast
Food - Eggs (Sunny-side up, poached, or over-easy)
Fruits - Chinese Apple, Cloudberry, and Biriba
Vegetables - Lablab and Pumpkin
Desserts - Churro, Cremeschnitte, Philidelphia-style Cheesecake, and Sticky Toffee Pudding
Drink - Rose Water
Wristbands - Bright Idea, Double Dutch, Poet, and Challenger
NOTE: I do not own Zox, but I am a consumer of them. If you decide to purchase a Zox, please put my username - Trekkie66 - into the referral box when you make your purchase.

Songs
Theme Songs (Vocal) - Right Beside You and Open Heavens
Theme Songs (Instrumental) - El Dorado and Archangel
Songs to Prepare Her for War (Vocal) - Get Jinxed and Running Out of Time
Songs to Prepare Her for War (Instrumental) - For the Win and To Glory
Favorite Songs to Listen to When Relaxing - In the Arms of an Angel and Alligator Sky


Personality:
Alba cannot fathom a love of darkness. She abhors those who decide to go to the wrong side and choose to fight on the evil team, instead of staying in the light and enjoying the beauty it contains. She doesn't understand cruelty or deceit, as she doesn't partake in either of them. She's truthful by nature, and has never told a lie unless it was for the greater good (if her sister was injured and an enemy asked where she was, Alba would lie and give the enemy false information to save her sister).

Alba is very protective, and looks out for the creatures both high up in the sky and down below on the earth. Alba is very passionate about helping those who serve her - she loves her followers wholeheartedly and protects each one whenever she can. Alba is a kind and caring deerssert. She loves every being who loves her, and will protect them with her very life. She is a guardian by nature - she is very mothering and will follow those beings around whom she knows need her help. She is never too far away to not be reached, and will answer any of her subject's calls, though perhaps not right away - she can only be in one place at one time, after all!

Alba is a warrior. She isn't afraid to stand up for what she believes in, and doesn't back down from a fight if she knows she's fighting for the right thing. She is determined by nature, tenacious by choice. Once she sets her mind on something, she doesn't back down and pushes through any obstacles that may present themselves along the way. She wears armor at all times to help others remember her status - she is the head of an army, metaphorically speaking and literally speaking. In any war between the deities, she is the head of a literal army of soldiers who follow her every order and command. In the metaphorical sense, she is the head of an army of followers, those deersserts who worship her and swear oaths in her name. She knows they would do anything to please her, though she makes a point to not abuse this power. She doesn't agree with deersserts who start pointless wars, though she will fight alongside anyone defending himself or herself. She believes highly in self-defense, but disagrees with starting wars just for the heck of it.

Alba's nearly fearless. She fears only one thing: having her sister taken away from her. Her family is very important to her, and Alba's determined to protect those she loves over everything else. She's saddened when a follower of hers dies, but she isn't heartbroken, as she knows that the circle of life includes death within it. If she were to lose her sister, she would become desolate and recluse, shunning everyone away from her. Alba would spiral into depression almost instantly - her sister is her life, her one constant in an ever-changing world. She loves her sister dearly, and would rather die herself than see Orli die.

Alba can be harsh if she needs to be. While generally a kind and caring being, she can become nasty and hotheaded if you irk her. She can and will give out harsh punishments to those who earn her wrath, and for this reason, some of the deersserts of the world below do fear her, and rightly so.

Deerssert(s) I've Chosen to Interact With Her:
Caramel Crème Brûlée

Story:
TIME: MORNING
LOCATION: MEADOW
TIME-PERIOD: PRESENT-DAY
Caramel stood, nibbling the grass from the ground. Her white pelt stood out like a sore thumb against the greenery that surrounded her. She heard the grass to her right crunch, and her ears flicked over. Recognizing the breathing, she smiled. She swallowed the mouthful of grass and turned to the male beside her. “Good morning, Blue.”
“Good morning,” he said, smiling as he rested his head atop his sister’s smaller one. “How’re you today?”
“Fine, thank you. How did you sleep?”
“Eh, off and on. Haven’t been able to get much sleep lately.”
“I’ve been having insomnia troubles as well.” He lifted his head off as she spoke, and Caramel could hear his breathing get calmer as he stepped away.
“Hey, guys!”
Caramel instinctively stiffened. Her ears flicked wildly, trying to pinpoint what was running steadily towards her and her brother. She snorted, trying to scent the creature that she could hear getting closer with every step –
“Caramel? What’s wrong?”
The voice was closer now. With a sudden epiphany, Caramel relaxed. “Good morning, Glitch.”
“ ‘Morning! What’s got you so nervous today?”
“Nothing. Just couldn’t pinpoint where you were…or WHO you were.”
Blue turned to Glitch, and snorted in annoyance. “You know perfectly well that we’re both blind. In the mornings, our senses aren’t quite as alert as they normally are, and you know that.” He sighed before continuing, his head slightly lower as he spoke quieter. “Respect us. That’s all we’ve ever asked of you. Please, could you at least have the dignity to announce yourself when you come over?”
Glitch nodded. “Yes, of course. I’m sorry I offended you.”
“You didn’t,” he said, smiling as he flicked his ears. “I’m just making sure you know what to do next time. I’m not mad at all.”
“Good,” Glitch said, smiling. She then turned to Caramel. “So, Car, the website’s coming along well.”
“That’s great!”
“I just need some more info on exactly what you CAN see. What colors are there?”
“Colors?”
Glitch blinked in shock. “Do you not see anything? Like, shapes maybe?”
“Oh, yes, now I understand what you’re asking.” Caramel smiled as she looked at her friend. “I can’t clear outlines...it’s more like fuzzy blobs.”
“Do these blobs have color?”
“Some are darker than others. It depends.”
“Could you give me an example?”
Caramel sighed, nodding. “When I look at you, you’re dark. Not black, like the night, but dark. When I look up at the warmth of the sky, I see pure light. Light so bright that it’s unlike anything else.”
“So you see in shades of white and black?”
“I suppose. I don’t know any difference between the two.”
“White is light and black is dark.”
“Then yes, but there are things that are in between those two extremes. The grass is light, but not so much as the sun. The woods are dark, but not so much as you. Make sense?”
Glitch nodded. “I understand! Thanks for explaining.”
“How much longer ‘til the site’s completed?”
“At least a week. The majority of the coding is done, so you don’t need to fret about anything.”
Caramel smiled. “Thanks for doing this for me, Glitch.”
“I hope you like it when it’s done.”
“I’ll have to ask you read it to me.”
Though Caramel couldn’t see it, Glitch suddenly turned pale. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean - ”
Caramel chuckled, as did her brother. The doe smiled. “It’s fine, Glitch. Don’t worry about it.”
Glitch sighed. “I’ve known you for so long, and I still forget about that. I feel so stupid…”
“Don’t,” she said, smiling as she flicked her ears. “You’re still my friend, and that won’t ever change. Plus, I’m flattered to know that you don’t think of me as disabled.”
Glitch smiled, briefly resting her snout atop her friend’s head, being careful not to run into the dollop of ice cream atop her head. “Thank you. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”
Caramel smiled, closing her eyes as she suddenly felt a warmth surround her. “So,” she asked, turning to her brother once Glitch had backed off, “what’s the plan for today?”
“I don’t have any plans. Do you, Glitch?”
Glitch nodded. Her mismatched eyes sparked with a gleam as she smiled. “You can bet your last cookie that I’ve got one.”



TIME: UNKNOWN
LOCATION: CLOUD REALM
TIME-PERIOD: 4 MILLENNIA AGO
Alba turned her head, sensing the presence of her sister. She spotted her sister atop a pink cloud that was slowly being pushed forward by a strong wind. Alba stood, looking at the deerssert atop the cloud. “Sister?” she called.
“Yes, Alba?” she responded, looking at her sister with one of her luxurious black hooves raised in the air, an inquisitive look upon her face. The pale deerssert was counted as beautiful by so many. Alba often admired her sister’s simple gentleness and tranquility, as they were traits she wished she had.
“What are you doing atop that cloud? It’s ready to go out to the sunset.”
“I’ll be riding this one over to the other side of the planet for sunrise,” explained the thin creature, smiling as she looked at her sister lovingly. “I’ll be bringing light to them in no time. You’ll meet me there, won’t you?”
Alba smiled, all traces of concern gone. “Of course I will,” she said in a soothing manner. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like me to fly you there? You’d get there much quicker than floating.”
“If you finish your duties and have time to do so, pick me up on the way. For now, focus on what you must do first.”
“You’ll call for me if you need it?”
“I always do, don’t I?”
Alba smiled one last time and then turned to the dimming light. As her sister got farther away from the sunset, the light started to fade, though the sun was still present, illuminating the few pink and scarlet clouds that surrounded it. Alba’s antlers started to glow as she spread her wings and flew over to the sun. She landed atop it, slowly riding it down so that it dropped below the horizon. Trotting along the steep outer edge, she reached the other end of the sun, smiling as its warmth filled her. When she looked up, her white eyes flashed gold for a split second as the sunlight refracted off the Earth’s atmosphere.
Her sister was late.
Alba left the sun where it was and flew off in the direction her sister had left in. She found the younger deerssert staring down at the world, a gleeful smile on her face as she watched the scenery below her whiz on by.
“Orli!” Alba called, flitting over to her and landing on the cloud beside her. “I must take you to the sunrise, for I need your light.”
“Of course,” she said, smiling as her sister bent down to allow the smaller deerssert to climb aboard. Once the Diety of Light was successfully and safely on her sister’s back, Alba set off.
Alba’s sister cheered as the scenery flew on by, passing both deersserts in puffs of wind. Joy filled her entire being, and Alba couldn’t help but smile as she heard her sister’s gleeful cries of delight. They both arrived at the sun moments later, and Alba waited patiently for Orli to leap off. They both trotted in single file around the perimeter of the sun, stopping at the top. Alba bent her head, and her antlers glowed yellow once again. A rainbow-tinted magic aura surrounded the sun, lifting it slowly up into the sky.
Orli's eyes widened in awe as she watched her sister work. Her entire face lit up with a smile as she felt the sun beneath her hooves rise up, higher and higher into the sky. Once the sun was in place, she spoke. "Alba, it's beautiful."
Alba smiled, her antlers slowly dimming to their normal off-white shade. "I'm glad you think so, Orli."
"I never get tired of watching you do that."
Alba glanced at her sister, a mothering look on her eyes. "You're so sweet. Come, let's go home."

"Sister?"
"Yes, Orli?"
"Will we ever die?"
Alba blinked in shock. "Sorry, what?"
"We see so many down below die on a daily basis. So many lives, just...gone. Will we one day cease to exist as they do?"
Alba thought for a moment, and then replied quietly. "I am not certain if we are immortal. We can be hurt, as is evident by previous experiences we both have had...however, being hurt and dying are two completely different things. I suppose we shall see when the day comes."
"How would you like to die?" Orli asked, tilting her head as she looked at the fluffy clouds that were slowly floating by.
Alba lost herself in thought, and didn't even hear Orli's second question until she asked it again. Alba was startled. "Sorry, what was that?"
"How would you like to die?"
"I would not like to die at all, Orli."
"But let's say that we'd have to. How would you like to go?"
"I wouldn't mind dying in battle, fighting for my people. I also wouldn't mind dying for you, my dear sister."
"In battle, Alba? We haven't had a war in eons."
"I know...but we both know what happened in the last one."
Both became quiet, lost in the memories of the previous war.
Alba glanced over at her sister. "How would you like to die?"
"I'm not sure."
Both became still and quiet once again.
Orli eventually broke the silence. "Where do you think our parents are?"
Alba sighed, flicking her tail as she stood and looked to the east. Her eyes reflected the sun as she stared at it. "If they're still alive, they're chained up somewhere, prisoners of war."
"I know that...I'm just asking WHERE you think they are."
"I don't know, Orli. I just don't know." She snorted in disgust as anger suddenly overtook her. "Those menaces," she spat, pacing around the perimeter of the cloud that they were laying on. "They think they can just attack us and take those we love and destroy our kingdom? They think they can spread rumors and deceit and lies?! Well, they've got another thing coming, don't they, Orli?"
The sun erupted in a solar flare.
"We'll defeat them in a most glorious war. They WILL be punished for their transgressions against us, and I promise I'll make sure it's not a pleasant punishment." She stomped a hoof, glaring at nothing in particular. "They will PAY for what they did to us, Orli. I promise you that."
Another solar flare erupted from the surface of the shining object, and then all was still.
Orli looked down at the ground, and then up at her sister. "Alba, you know I don't like fighting...I'm not a warrior at heart. I'm a gentle deerssert, not a fighter. You don't expect me to fight at your side, do you? I don't think I could do that, my dear sister...I'd be far too frightened to be any use in a battle."
Alba sighed, composing herself. When she looked down at her sister, her white eyes blazed with determination. She gently leaned her head atop her sister's. "I swear I will protect you, Orli."
"Always?"
"Always."



TIME: UNKNOWN
LOCATION: CLOUD REALM AND MEADOW
1 MILLENNIA AGO
Alba rested, looking at the birds as they flitted through the sky beneath her. The clouds she rested on weren't as thick as the one's Orli did, and as such were slightly transparent. When Alba did have to rest upon the thicker, more dense clouds that couldn't be seen through, she could sense the creatures in the sky around her. Something about the calm, still air changed when a new creature came into her immediate vicinity - Alba could feel the air get warmer or cooler, depending upon who the being was and how it was feeling, and she could also sense what type of creature the being was instantaneously. If she knew the being well enough, she could even pinpoint a name and age for the creature, as she could for her sister.
With a start, Alba suddenly realized her sister wasn't around. "Orli?" she called, looking around at the clouds floating by. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on the energies in the sky with her...and she realized Orli wasn't anywhere near her general vicinity. With no answer from her sister, she spread her wings and soared higher into the sky, far above the realm of clouds and the earth below it, the upper atmosphere of the sphere of blue and green only slightly visible. She scanned the land masses, looking for her sister as her eyes reflected the stars around her. Up so high, one would think that she would suffocate, due to lack of oxygen - but Alba knew what others did not: the atmosphere of the cloud realm stretched far beyond Earth's atmosphere, and while it DID have a limit, Alba was no where near it. Also, she, being a goddess, didn't necessarily need air to survive, and as such, could fly as high as she wanted to, granted that the deity of the Lunar Cycle wouldn't have any issues with her being up there.
As Alba glanced about frantically, trying to pinpoint where her younger sister was located, she felt a tug at her heart. She gasped, feeling the familiar sensation of trust and commitment flow through her. Before her face glowed a series of words, cursive in font and gold in color. They floated in the sky, slightly transparent as they seemed to be written against the backdrop of stars. They read, "I swear by the Sun that I'm not lying!" She then felt the familiar feeling of betrayal - that feeling you get when you know for certain someone is lying to your face. Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the earth once again, her sister still a target, but no longer her main one. Suddenly, a blue dot lit up and started blinking on the earth, pinpointing the one who'd broken his promise. She snorted in disgust as she dove down, following the dot to its location: a meadow. When she landed in the woods next to the meadow, she concealed herself, folding her wings and dimming the glow from her hooves. Her metal armor clanked, but softly, so as not to disturb the scene before her.
"Mom, I promise you, I'm not lying!"
"I know for certain that you are!"
"But I'm not!" whined the deerssert, a young and rowdy-looking teenager.
"And it's your word against mine, isn't it?" she huffed, flicking her ears dismissively as she turned her back on her son.
"Mom, I swore by the Sun! I'm not lying, I swear!"
Alba's heart started to increase in palpitations, pumping faster and faster as she became more and more enraged at the ungrateful little whining creature before her, even the sight of him repulsive in her gaze. She could see he had the chance to change, but knew he wouldn't unless she showed herself. She waited, raging in her anger, for the opportune moment to step forward from the shadows.
"And that doesn't say anything. I've sworn by the Sun before, and nothing's happened to me yet, has it?"
"My point is this: if I swear by the Sun, then I'm not lying!"
"Not true," Alba interjected, stepping from the trees and into the sunlight, looking down at the young deerssert.
His mother's eyes widened in shock, but instead of fainting, she fell on her face, prostrating herself before the deity. "My goddess!" she managed to say before trembling so much that she couldn't speak.
"Rise," Alba said, smiling as she looked at the female. "You have favor in my sight, swearing by the sun only when necessary, and only breaking ties with those promises after asking for my permission. While you didn't always wait for my permission to do so, you still asked, and that is something I appreciate about you. You have kept most promises you made, and those you broke you apologized for profusely, offering to me golden roses and laurel. You have won my favor, and I shall grant you - "
"And who are YOU?" asked the teenager, rudely interjecting his two cents into the conversation.
Alba turned on him, fury rolling off of her in waves so fierce that the deerssert cowered before her, feeling the heat. "You are an ungrateful brat!" she spat at him. She would've snarled, had she not been a deerssert. "Your mother attempted to love you and bring you up in the way that you should go, and you turn around and disrespect both she and I! I am your family's deity - the one your parents chose to raise you up in. It is my words that they taught you, not theirs! Your family follows the light, not the darkness! Why is it, then, that you choose to lie to your mother about such silly things as reading material?!" she demanded. At his shocked expression, she continued. "Don't foolishly think that I know not when you swear an oath by MY sun!"
He looked up, tears in his eyes. "Please, forgive me!"
She glared down at him, her eyes white in the early morning light. "Fine. You seem scared enough for the fear to warrant punishment." She bent down, getting eye-to-eye with the younger teen. "But you had better not do this again."
He nodded speechlessly, his eyes reflecting fear as he looked at the deity.
"Say it."
"I will n-n-n-not d-d-do it again."
"I will hold you to your words." Alba turned to the mother, and smiled once again. "Now, as I was saying before. You have earned favor in my sight, and I wish to give you a gift." Using her magic, she created a solid gold rose before her in the grass, taking strands of light from the sun and minerals from the earth to create it. "This is my gift to you. Keep it with you always, to remember whom you serve and which deity you have won favor in the eyes of."
"And when I am gone?"
"I trust that your son will get my attention once again and give me the flower himself." Glancing back at the teen, who had stood up and was no longer trembling, she demanded an answer from him wordlessly.
He nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
"And I expect you to do that in a nice way."
"Of course, ma'am."
"Good," she said, nodding as she turned once again to the mother. She handed her the rose. "Never forget me."
"I swear by the sun that I shall never forget you."
Alba took a couple steps back as the sensation started once again. She felt a tug at her heart as the familiar sensations of trust and commitment flew through her once again. Before her face glowed a series of words, gold and cursive. They floated in the sky, slightly transparent as they seemed to be written against the backdrop of meadow. "I swear by the sun that I shall never forget you." Alba nodded, smiling. "Your word is your bond, my dear. Please, live a good life for me."
"I shall."
She nodded once more, turning her back on the pair as she flew off.

High above the atmosphere of the earth, Alba was searching for her sister once again. She slowly flew over the round globe beneath her, scanning the surface for any other blinking dots. The dots were present only in Alba's mind. Alba once tried to explain them to her sister by giving the comparison between her brain and a GPS, but Orli didn't know what she was talking about. "You simply are flying along, when all of a sudden, you're pulled off course."
"What do you mean?" her sister had asked.
"I can't control when I'm pulled somewhere - I have to follow the path that's been laid out in my head. The destination is a blinking dot, usually a different color for different genders. Like, a young boy would be bright blue, but an old man would be dark blue. A baby girl would be the palest of pinks, but an old woman would be magenta or brick red. A trans-gender is always purple, as are other non cis-gender deersserts. The lighter the color of the dot, the younger the deerssert, no matter what gender he or she may be."
"What color am I?" Orli had asked, tilting her head with a sly smile on her lips.
"I don't know," Alba had said, frowning in concentration. "You've never gotten so far from me that I've had to use that method of location to find you."
Now, Alba was having to use that exact method of location, and she wasn't very happy about it. "What was Orli thinking," she said moodily. "She KNOWS I worry about her when she goes off by herself! Oh, she could've been taken by the Trickster, or - " Suddenly a blindingly bright gold dot appeared on the edge of Alba's vision, blinking rapidly. "Orli!" she cried in joy, tilting her wings so she could dive down, headfirst, though the atmosphere and to the ground. When she landed, she looked around. "That's odd," she murmured. "It's nighttime here."
Quietly, she crept through the forest, glancing about for Orli, the ground and trees illuminated by the glowing from her hooves. Finally, she saw a pond up ahead, the water reflecting a small golden light. Alba smiled, trotting over to her sister. "Orli," she said quietly, "what are you doing here?"
Orli blinked, looking up from the pond. "I like fish."
"Sorry?"
"I like the fish," she said, motioning to the still water which she was laying next to. "They're calm, even if they do dart about ever so quickly sometimes."
Alba blinked in confusion. "You left our realm for FISH. YOU LEFT OUR REALM FOR FISH?!" she practically yelled, her wings spreading wide as she snorted in anger. "Are you crazy?! You could've been taken by some hooligan! We both know you can't fight, Orli! Why do you do this? Why are you so THICK?! Why do you worry me so? Can't you just stay put so I don't have to go searching all over creation to find you?!"
Orli blinked, eyes welling up with tears. "But...but...but...I..." The tears started trailing their way down her cheeks. Her light dimmed almost instantly, and it became so dark that Alba wasn't sure that Orli was even glowing anymore.
Alba sighed, trying to calm her nerves. Once she'd calmed down enough, she looked at her sister, sorrow in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I just worry about you being out on your own, without anyone to watch over you. If I'm not there to protect you...who will?"
Orli spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm trying to find someone to protect me other than you, so you can have fun."
Alba smiled. "Oh Orli...you think you're a burden to me? You couldn't be more wrong." She lay down next to her sister, spreading a wing over top of her back. "You are my sister. I love you more than anyone else in the universe. You know I would do anything to protect you. That's why, whenever you wander off, I worry. I worry because we both know that you won't protect yourself...well, you CAN'T protect yourself. It goes against your nature to fight back, even if it IS defensive."
"You don't really think I'm stupid, then?"
Alba chuckled. "Of course not. We both know that I get riled up when I'm angry, and sometimes say things that aren't true. I'm sorry for worrying you."
"It's fine. I'm sorry for wandering off."
Alba sighed, looking around the clearing that was slowly getting brighter as her temper faded and Orli's upbeat attitude slowly came back. "It really is quite pretty here. I can see why you wanted to come."
Orli looked at Alba, an odd look in her eyes. "Alba, the Goddess of Fate told me something today."
"Oh? What did she tell you?"
"That something noteworthy will happen in that same meadow you were in earlier today."
"How do you know about the meadow?" Alba asked, suddenly very suspicious of where her sister had been.
"The Goddess of Fate informed me of your whereabouts. When I left her I was certain to go somewhere dark, so you could find me easier. Plus, I like fish, so the Goddess of Fate suggested this place to me." Orli smiled, looking down at the fish in the small pond. "They're tired now, though. Not too active."
"It's night. They should be sleeping."
Orli nodded. "Shall we go home?"
Alba smiled. "Whenever you're ready to do so."
She shrugged.
Alba decided to continue the discussion. "What did the Goddess of Fate tell you about the meadow?"
"She said that something would happen there that would directly influence you later in life. She said it would be quite a few millennia from now, though, so don't think about it too much."
Alba blinked in shock. "I really should talk with her more. I need to make an effort to do that. She may be cryptic, but she's not the oddest deerssert around...nor the oldest."
Orli nodded, smiling as she cast a few glances around the dark forest again. "I'm ready to leave now."
"Then let's go home."
"Together."
"Yes, Orli. Together."

TIME: MID-DAY
LOCATION: MEADOW
TIME-PERIOD: PRESENT-DAY
"Glitch...are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Positive. You stand there and just look gorgeous."
"But I don't know how I look."
Blue rolled his eyes. "You'll be fine, sis. You've always been beautiful to me."
Caramel blinked, happy tears springing to her eyes. "Thank you, Blue." Using a hoof, she then prodded her brother in his chest. "But you've never been able to see! You're as blind as I am. We're twins, remember?"
He smiled, righting himself before he fell. "Just trying to make you feel better."
"You both are very good looking," commented Glitch, smiling as she looked from one deerssert to the other. "Now, let's get on with the photo shoot!"

Two hours later, Glitch had finished with the shoot and had raced off to first download the photos to her computer and then get the film developed. Blue and Caramel were grazing in the meadow, awaiting the return of their friend. Blue's head suddenly snapped up. "Caramel?" he murmured, stiffening beside his sister. His flank touched hers, and she realized he was shaking.
She frowned, righting herself and swallowing the grass. "What's up?" she murmured back.
"There's someone out there...and it's not Glitch."
"Bandele again?" Caramel asked, rolling her eyes as she scented the air, expecting to smell the liger that constantly wanted to play with them.
"No, no...it's another deerssert...but I don't recognize the scent. Do you?"
Caramel's eyes narrowed as she smelled the air again. "No, I don't," she murmured back.
"Let's get out of here," he said, slowly backing up.
"But Blue," Caramel objected, "we don't really know where we are. I mean, the forest is that way," she said, flicking her tail to the west, "and the farm is over there," she said, flicking her tail to the east, "but we don't what else is around us. We don't visit this meadow frequently enough to know."
"You decide for yourself, then. I'm going to get out of here." He turned and slowly trotted off in the direction of the farm.
"But the farm isn't the safest place to head!" she hissed, sighing in an aggravated manner as her brother went off without her. Her ears swiveled backwards as she heard the slow snapping of twigs in the forest. Her heart started beating faster as fear took hold of her body. Her limbs seemed to be stuck to the ground. Where do I turn? she thought, frantically trying to move her body, frozen in fear. Her ears were the only part that seemed to be working, as she felt her heart increase in palpitations as the snapping became more rapid.
Her eyes widened in fear as she felt breath on the back of her neck.


By animal lover1234

TIME: MID-DAY
LOCATION: CLOUD REALM
TIME-PERIOD: 400 YEARS AGO
Alba watched as Orli floated off atop a cloud that was shining with brightness. "Have fun!" she called out, trying her hardest to not show how sad she really was.
"You too!" Orli called back, settling down as she watched the ground underneath her pass by slowly.
Alba knew Orli would enjoy herself and tried to remind herself that her sister was old enough to go out on her own. After all, she thought, sighing, it's just a trip to see Australia. It's such a beautiful country, anyway - I'm sure she'll have fun. And she'll be fine - Australia's not in any wars at the moment, anyway. It's not as if she's going to Korea or Russia or China, or anything. She tried to convince herself that all was fine, but wasn't very successful. To get her mind off of her sister, she decided to search the skies for any flying creatures that needed her help. She first checked in with the bats, who were all sleeping soundly in caves or homes, as pets. Then she checked with the birds, who were doing just fine searching for food and making nests - some were even sleeping or warming their eggs. She then flew home, eager to try to calm her nerves. As she laid atop the clouds, an owl floated up to the air just beneath the clouds. Alba didn't even have to glance at it to know who it was. "Good day, Fervor. What can I do for you today, my lovely friend?"
The Northern Hawk Owl stayed hovered in the air as he watched the clouds float down. Soon, he was looking Alba in the face. "Hello, my goddess. I come to ask a favor."
"How is Hibiscus?"
"She's doing fine. Our chicks are almost ready to leave the nest for good."
"That's great! Give her my best."
"I shall. Thanks for asking about her."
"What favor do you wish to ask of me?"
"I ask you to give us your favor again, should we ever wish for children a second or third time."
"Of course! You shall have my favor always."
"I have something to show my gratitude."
"Oh? I don't you carrying anything in your beak."
"I left it down below. You do still accept offerings, don't you?"
"Yes, I do."
"One moment, please, my goddess."
"You are excused." She nodded once, giving her permission.
He dove down to the ground, and when he came back up, he held in his beak two branches of laurel. He set them down upon the cloud before her. "Please, accept this humble offering, my goddess. I praise you, for you have helped me though so many difficult times."
"Your offering has been accepted," she said, smiling as she picked up the twigs in her mouth and eating them. She sighed with happiness as she looked at her friend. "Thank you, Fervor."
"Thank you, my goddess. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a wife and children to get back to."
"Of course. Please, have a good life."
"We both know I shall. It's the least I can do for your kindness."

TIME: EARLY MORNING
LOCATION: CLOUD REALM
TIME-PERIOD: 400 YEARS AGO
Orli returned in the middle of the night.
"Welcome back," Alba said.
Orli was glowing with happiness. "Thank you for letting me go on the trip! I had so much fun."
"You're most welcome." Alba smiled, rubbing her snout against her sister's. "And you're back in time to help me raise the sun!"

Later that day, Orli decided to get some exercise by leaping from one cloud to the next. She tested the strength of them, and tasted the wind, calculating what speed it was at and what the chill factor was. She'd then report this back to Alba, who would help birds who needed to know which air currents to fly on to get to warmer climates for winter. Alba would double-check Orli's information with the Deity of the Wind, and if it was accurate, she'd inform the birds of which currents were easiest to fly for long distances on.

TIME: MID-DAY
LOCATION: FOREST
TIME-PERIOD: PRESENT-DAY
Alba landed, knowing exactly where the alter was. She found the crudely-made wooden sacrificial stand, and spotted a golden rose atop it. She smiled, taking the rose in her teeth and trotting through the forest, nibbling on the stem first, slowly moving onto the leaves, and saving the flower for last. It was how she always ate roses - she counted them so delicate that she felt it was the only proper way to eat such a treat. As she trotted through the woods, she realized suddenly stiffened, smiling as she nibbled. That was my 1000th alter this week! I've never had so much love and attention. Oh, my subjects must love me more than ever. Or perhaps...perhaps they're misbehaving more than ever. Thinking back to the last week, she realized that the latter option wasn't the correct one. Her subjects had rarely acted out, and were all following the laws of the land fairly well. She nodded, happy that her subjects were acting accordingly. Suddenly, she stepped on a twig. All-too-aware of the deersserts outside the forest, her head swiveled over and her eyes narrowed in concentration as she tried to backtrack. She only succeeded in making more noise, as the forest floor was littered with loose twigs and branches. She decided to apologize for scaring the deerssert outside, and stepped forth from the forest. She stood directly behind the white and orange deerssert, smiling as she looked down at the short female. When she breathed, the female stiffened.
"Please, don't be alarmed," she murmured. "I mean you no harm."
The deerssert in front of her seemed to have been brought back to the real world with that one sentence. She leapt forward and raced away.
Alba took wing and flew after her. "Wait!"
Caramel panted, having no idea where she was running. All she knew was that her head was telling her there was a flying deerssert after her, and she didn't know it, so she didn't want to stick around it. As she tore off in the direction of the farm, she sensed the ground beneath her. She dodged boulders and shrubbery with ease, almost as if she could see them. She somehow was able to sense where each one was. Her blurry vision became brighter, and she knew that meant she no longer had the cover of the trees that had surrounded the meadow. She could smell the wheat up ahead, and knew she was getting close to the farm. The ground became softer under her hooves, and she had to struggle to keep herself upright as she desperately raced ahead, faster and faster with each clop of her hooves.
Alba easily kept up with the struggling deerssert, and as she flew overhead she decided to let the deerssert run its course before attempting communication again. No use trying to talk with her if she's just going to run away. Might as well tire her out before I try again.
Caramel pounded on ahead, rapidly using up what little air was available to her. Her asthma kicked in, and she skidded to a halt, gasping for air.
Alba's eyes widened in fear when she saw what had happened. She flew down and landed beside the deerssert, who reared up on her hind legs, trying to get away but unable to do so without being able to force air down into her lungs. "Be still," Alba commanded, wrapping her wings around Caramel in a tight embrace. "Be still, my child of light."
Slowly, Caramel's breathing returned to normal. When she stepped out of the "hug," she looked up at the tall deerssert before her. "I can see you," she breathed, her eyes widening in shock. "Oh, you're so beautiful."
Alba smiled. "Why wouldn't you be able to see me, young one?"
"I'm blind, and have been since birth. But...I can see you. I really can see you."
"What do I look like?"
"Light. You look like light."
She smiled. "That would be my sister. I'm the protector of all flying creatures, and am a goddess of war and motherhood. I am in charge of the sun. My sister is in charge of light and warmth. We work together quite closely."
"Does she have wings, too?"
"No, our parents weren't both winged, so the trait went to the oldest - me - and not to the youngest - her." Alba shrugged. "She doesn't seem to mind, though. She's gracious, much like you, Caramel Crème Brûlée."
The deerssert frowned. "How do you know my name?"
"I was present at your birth."
Caramel scrunched up her nose in disgust. "Ew."
Alba chuckled. "Oh, it wasn't too gross." She flicked her tail with a smile. "Trust me, I've seen far worse."
"Was our mother blind?" Caramel asked, looking up once again at the deerssert before her. "She died before we ever knew."
Alba nodded. "She was."
"And our father?"
"No, he wasn't. The trait passed directly from your mother to both you and Blue, seeing as you were twins."
The younger deerssert nodded. "Was he present for our birth?"
"No," Alba said, sighing. "Your father walked out long before then."
She nodded. "After Mom died...well, we had no where else to go, forced onto a foster care system until we were old enough to fend for ourselves. But even then we were watched closely, as the foster parents we'd had didn't feel comfortable with us going out alone. Hmph," she said, walking off and flicking her ears indignantly, "it was just like they thought we were invalids. We're blind, not stupid." She sighed, calming her nerves. "I'm sorry, I don't normally get so bent out of shape. I suppose what happened did for a reason, and it only made me and Blue stronger."
Alba nodded. "I completely understand. I appreciate that you look on the bright side."
"Dwelling on cloudy days doesn't do anyone much good."
Alba smiled as she started to trot ahead.
Caramel quickly caught up to her, and walked beside her down the dirt road, finding that the ground easier to trot on. "Why are you here?"
"I came to help you. Your asthma stopped, didn't it?"
"Yes, you calmed my heart rate enough that it slowed and then went away entirely. I don't get bouts of it very often, but I haven't run like that in a long time, and I know the running triggered the asthma."
Alba nodded. "Sorry for giving you such a scare."
"It's not a problem." Caramel's smile melted away, suddenly, and a thoughtful look crossed her face. "You only dived down when you saw I had asthma. You came here for another reason, right?" she looked up at the deerssert beside her.
Alba glanced down, a contemplative look on her face. "I came to apologize to you for startling you in the forest. I was only checking up on an alter one of my subjects created for me."
"Oh, so that was the rustling sound I heard," Caramel said, nodding.
"Where are you headed?"
"To find my brother. He said he'd run down this way."
Alba nodded. "Well, I'll stay with you 'til you find him. Don't want you getting scared and panicking again."
"It's hard, sometimes."
"What is, dear?"
"Being blind. I can't see things, so I have to rely on my hearing and my other senses to figure things out. But, in the case you just witnessed, sometimes my senses mess up and tell me things that aren't true. I don't usually have this issue, but it's now clear that I can have it and simply have gotten lucky in the past and not had this issue before."
"Perhaps it was just because you've never encountered a goddess before."
"What?" Caramel asked, suddenly stopping dead in her tracks. "You're a goddess? I had no idea. I mean, you're all bright and shiny, but...aren't all deersserts like that?"
"No, we most certainly aren't!"
Caramel turned and saw her brother for the first time. Her eyes welled up with tears. "Oh, Blue! You really are handsome!"
He frowned. "What are you talking about?" he asked, trotting forward as he slowly sensed the ground beneath his hooves. "I don't know where that weird deerssert is, but I can still smell her." Suddenly, he stopped moving. His eyes filled with tears in seconds, and they poured down his face. "My sister," he murmured. "I can see. I CAN SEE!" he leapt for joy. When he landed, he frowned. "I can't see."
"What?" Caramel asked, frowning as she trotted over to him. Once she'd gotten by his side, her vision left her as well. "Well, back to fuzzy darkness for me as well."
Alba sighed. "I was worried that would happen. Sometimes my aura happens to touch deersserts in my general vicinity and it sort of gives them powers they wouldn't have other wise. Most get emotional powers - self-control and the like...though some do get physical powers, such as being able to tire less easily and such. But I've never seen someone get cured of blindness by just standing next to me."
Caramel smiled as she turned and looked back at the ball of light that was Alba. "Goddess, I am eternally grateful to you for saving my life. I know nothing of religion, but would like to learn more about you and serving you for life. I will willingly give my life to you to serve and praise you. However, I don't want sight."
Blue's head whipped around. "You used to say you wanted to be normal."
"I am normal, Blue." Caramel smiled, flicking her ears. "I just never realized that normal for me isn't normal for everyone else. And that's okay, because I'm me and I'm not them. I'm my own deerssert, and I don't have to live for anyone else but me."
"That's a good idea to have, Caramel."
"Oh, and the goddess, of course." She looked up over in the general area she knew Alba was still standing in. "What is your name, Goddess?"
"Alba, Goddess of the Sun. I am the sister of the Goddess of Light."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance." Caramel smiled once, blinking happily. "I have a feeling we'll be good friends."
"You are a good subject all ready - I think we'll have a marvelous relationship, once it takes flight."
"I agree, and thank you once again for saving me."
"It was the least I could do for a child of light. And yes Caramel," she said, throwing one last look behind her before she flew off, "you've always been one."


By Kydashing

ENDING

Over the years, Caramel learned about what she had to do to become a follower of Alba, and she did so without hesitation or resentment. She went out whenever she had time and picked flowers - she couldn't see if they were the right ones, but could usually at least find a rose by smelling around - and would put them on the alter in the woods. While it wasn't HER alter, the owner didn't have a problem with her using it when she asked him about it. Caramel even tried talking to her brother about it. Blue said he wasn't extremely interested in religion, but if he ever did get interested in it that he'd be sure to check out becoming a follower of Alba and her sister, Orli. Caramel currently is a follower of Alba, and gives her as many sacrifices as she can, as that is how she has chosen to show her love to the deity. She does acknowledge that Orli and other gods and goddesses exist, but Caramel has her sights set on Alba and no other deerssert.

Glitch heard about Caramel's new religious experience and is very happy for her friend, though she never promised to become part of Orli or Alba's religious group herself. The black deerssert finally finished most of the coding for Caramel's website, and it is currently up and running for anyone to look at. Even though the website sounds fine to Caramel, Glitch has assured her it is still a work in progress - particularly the pages about her favorite foods and favorite music, as those pages will expand with time as Caramel's tastes change. She promises her friend that she'll get it finished soon - though with Glitch's other responsibilities, no one really knows for sure when she'll finish.

Alba grew closer to her sister as the years past by. She was finally able to tell her sister that she loved her and didn't resent looking after her, and Orli decided to accept her older sister's words. From then on their bond grew stronger, and soon, they were inseparable. While Alba still hasn't gone to war, she knows that the time will come when she will bear arms for her people and her family. She doesn't fear that the day is soon approaching, but rather welcomes it and the peace it will bring upon its ending.

Alba looks over at her sister as they both stand on the clouds. Alba has just finished setting the sun, and is resting beside her sister. "Won't be long now, Orli."
"What won't be, sister?"
"The war. I can feel the tension in the air. It's very thick and heated."
"The deities seem to be getting along well, except for the Trickster."
"The deities appear to be getting along well. This does not mean that they are getting along well. Appearances aren't everything, little sister."
Orli nodded. "I agree. And when the time comes, you know you have my full support, even though I shall not be on the battlefield with you."
"I understand, and appreciate your honesty." Alba smiled, leaning her head against her sister's. "I'll love you forever, Orli. Don't ever forget that."
"I love you too, Alba. I always will."


By Zombo


By ♡ Nyrα ♡

[Chimericect]

Omg marking
If I find time this deersert is mine eve

[PerfectWorld]

markingg

[Bovidae]

i added some more lore to clear the distinction between light and sun. Read up and make adjustments as needed!