Do I even want to reflect on this past week? It was no more than madness and bloodshed. Tethering of flesh and bone, and unheard cries for understanding...
I understand that in a forest so blatantly ruled by the false gods, and their cultist servants who call their selves devout and light, those who understand the truth are fated to only be shunned and scorned. Where does the misery begin, and where does it end?
Father’s day had come and gone. I spent that day primarily alone in the birch forest. I couldn't even face Lagho that day. Heavy hearted, I brooded there for hours before wandering to the lake. It's funny in a way... One can come to the lake while it's abandoned, and sure enough a few minutes later it would be crowded. Virgil and some of his herd had come and joined me. My mind was elsewhere, and I didn't much pay attention to whatever conversation we had. We say at the bank for a while, until a permanent devout pelted stag... Wudin.... appeared heading our way. Virgil stood to converse with him, and I continued to brood.
I left the area, never minding Wudin's death happening perhaps a moment after I left the scene.
I had seen Wudin before, in many parts of the forest, but we never spoke. Perhaps its better we hadn't, anyway. From what I know, we were alike, yet opposite in many ways.
Two days later, the rain was drowning out any potential upbeat spirit. I scarce desired to so much as lift my head. My awareness drifted in and out for some time. I wasn't feeling quite myself... I was healthy, but it seemed the weight of the moon was upon me. Perhaps knowing myself as the father of a dead family has left a vulnerability... Bah.
I forced myself to stand and wander in the rain. I soon came upon a sort of gathering. A ghost, Yukon, was the first to greet me, and I gladly joined his company. Another stag, wearing the DotD pelt as well, joined us, and we wandered toward a portion of Virgil's group, regardless of the fact he wasn't in the ranks. I'm not entirely sure if any of them understood we had come in peace. We threw no threatening glances, taunted none, and never dropped our antlers...
But our presence was denied.
I was more confused than anything. Hadn't I already made a promise to not attack them again? Had I not tried to make things tolerable? I had been able to peacefully greet some, but...
Then there was Darcy.
Taunting and roaring, and dropping sharp antlers... much like my own, though intact. My company seemed confused by this as well. I sighed heavily, distantly watching him. "I come in peace!" I proclaimed, refuting the fight. He persisted. "No... Not today!" I sighed. Logically, this lot would be morning for Wudin...
I had my own deer to morn.
Was that too hard to acknowledge?
Anger began to seep thru my veins. Flooded out the sorrow.
Those lowered antlers...
Should be snapped off....
And their owner...
Ripped apart, to the bone...
I tensed, and roared out. "ENOUGH! I don't want to fight!" I shouted, one last time.
"What's wrong? Think you can't beat me?" He taunted. I snapped. In the minds eye, the rain was no longer that of water, but falling blood captured in a crimson mist. I lowered my antlers, then rose to my hind legs. Chains flew off the ground, free from potential snares. I charged.
Antlers met. Hooves tore at fur and flesh.
Feathers and another deer's hooves struck my side. I backed up in confusion.
Rowan?!
...
I would not fight her. I don't care how much she tries to attack. I can't harm a doe... Darcy continued to attack.
Soon Yukon tried to break the fight up, standing between me and Darcy. It didn't make much difference, though.
Soon Rowan turned away and began to cower from the fight, though she continued to show aggression. I tried to go to her, to show that I was not an enemy to her. She took an aggressive stance, and Darcy got between us, swinging his antlers at me. Rage gripped my throat, and began to melt away into an abysmal hate. "Rowan... I am not your enemy." I said one last time, then following Yukon away, letting Darcy and Rowan flee. "But that one..." I trailed off.
We went to the playground and sat upon one of the great stones, just letting our nerves calm. Eventually, my spectral friend drifted into sleep. I remained at his side for a time, then departed from the playground. I needed to see the ruins again. I needed to return to her, or perhaps this oncoming bloodlust would not fade.
I frowned as I reached the withering ruins.
It was just my luck. Darcy and Rowan were there. I still wanted to explain to Rowan that I had no malicious intentions toward her... but that didn't seem likely to happen. Burrow showed up, and I greeted him, but the rage was too much... and I cried out for one thing.
REVENGE.
I charged, while they were unaware. I unleashed a demonstration of my speed, and laid out a savage series of blows. Darcy was not a pushover though... in fact, his fighting mannerism was close to mine. Weaving between blows and striking. Running to achieve a better angle and momentum for a harder attack...
Rowan fled from the immediate battle ground, but Burrow joined. I was stunned, in a word. Burrow's antlers caught me in the fight, and he managed to force me back from the fight. I sighed.
We had worked together against Virgil's group before, with Baal and Walter...
Why was he now an aggressor toward me?
I shook my head. "I'm not fighting you Burrow. My target is only Darcy." I rasped wearily. I tried to calm Burrow down even, going as far as to nuzzle him while pricks of zombie antler were caught in my pelt, and Darcy's tines were catching me. He seemed to understand...
I fell back, and returned to the safe have that was the ruins. I only then noticed, Baal himself running threw the area. Had he been watching?
Burrow and I sat among the poppies, and he seemed to apologize for his method of breaking up the fight.
Darcy and Rowan didn't go far... they remained within eyeshot of us. We only sat, until Bastilion appeared. I was glad to see my now giant companion. His silent presence had a strange effect... it freezes the fire that usually brings me to murder. I can't act on violent impulse around him... I still don't understand what it is... something about those eyes. The haunting behind them, and the strength they carry. I respect it, and dare say I have come to understand the meanings behind at least many of his silent expressions.
He remained with me while Burrow took off. We watched Darcy and Rowan, and the others who joined them, for some time. Eventually, I began to collect poppies, and relay them to Lagho's grave. Catching a curious gaze from my companion, I allowed myself to explain to him this behavior... something I haven't explained to any other. Though her body lay buried under that grave, her spirit remained. I honor with poppies, for there are no roses to give. A few fawns came and went, one much stranger than the other. One antlered at the pagan idols, while the other ran about and danced like a child on far too much sugar.
At some point, I believe I noticed Bastilion even offering a few poppies to Lagho, even if she wasn't tangible to him yet. She seemed happy though. Slowly calming from the strain of this long day, I parted ways with my companion, and drifted off into slumber for the night.
That next day, would mark a much more... epic... battle between Darcy and I.
And it would become far more public. That entire day had been spent in combat...
Yesterday, I had a hard time figuring on whether I should be too injured to move, or if I wasn't as bad off as I seemed. I came to the lake and sat in the icy waters for a while, brooding once more.
I understood... this forest of cultists is no place for my type. But I couldn't leave... not until Lagho is free from this plane. I must be loyal to a fault... funny really.
Darcy once more appeared, and began to attempt challenging me. Again I refused, not because I was too wounded or down to fight... but because he brought along Kaoori. She had joined him in taunting and antler lowering.
Such a foul move...
I wouldn't fight, especially if he was backed up with one I would not harm. I did my best to ignore them. Over the course of the day, I had run into a stag, whose picto was almost an exact duplicate of my own... then, a fawn...
This fawn...
Calm natured, and quiet, willing to walk with me...
It's picto, also so identical to mine...
Is it possible... did they live past that wretched day, so long ago?
I never saw the fawns from my enlightened herd again after the battle with the Devotes... and Lagho's death...
Is it possible that they lived... and had families of their own? Had they thrived?
If so, why have I been so torn for so long?
But I could be mistaken. I won't get my hopes up.
Some time later that evening, I noticed a zombie pelted stag devouring a fawn by the lake. Gazelle antlers and skull mask. I grinned. I knew exactly who this was, and perfectly accepted him.
Janjaweed.
I approached him, and greeted him respectfully. It was good to finally meet the other cannible of the forest. Looking around, there were several sleeping fawns and an adult or two in the area... but there were some who were awake.
They began to hassle Janjaweed... forced him away from his meal.
Now, knowing how much I personally would hate being forced away from a meal... I slipped in between Janjaweed and the other deer, and began to beat them away. We soon left the scene when things grew a little too hecktic... but returned once those deer were gone, and had a minor cannable party, or sort. We ended it with a drink, then he left. I made way back to the ruins to call it a night.
[edit]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXqBCzpknns <- Darcy and Dark's epic battle, for those who missed it. =3
I also added more. Turns out I had forgotten to write about Janjaweed until after I posted. |D
This blog makes him sound
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The Dragonfly Deer's Biography
Pega's Forest Philosophy: "Look for Friends. Let Love find you."
"If you don't like something, tolerate it."
XD Very tired indeed. He's
oh, wait! He misunderstood
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I'm a little wolf inside a girl.
Lightbringer-apprentice to Yorres
Ah, it's very easy to
Dark was actually on the injured side too, and didn't feel like fighting anyway. |D