I: Duty | Autumn

Iaurdagnire's picture


I - II - III




There are only four voices who say my name in such a way. But no rhyme follows, and I cannot place this voice to the one who should be calling it. I see the deep red of the tree; I see the pool of the fallen underneath... But I do not see her.
As the crisp air whistles and cuts through to my skin, I am suddenly awake to her image. That blackened oil-slick of a year ago with eyes that burned my very insides.

Perhaps this voice is mere trickery.
Perhaps that bellow of freezing wind was a taunt to lure me closer.





A reply was almost instant, eager, as if whomever it belonged to was desperate for me to not think of them as Autumn... Yes, they sound knowing of me.








Hm-hm... Winter once said this to me. But it was not Winter. They sounded kind in quite a familiar way; no hint of aggression or malintent. I didn't know what its intent was at all, and the knot of not knowing took a deep seat in my stomach. Was this a real wolf of the mind; no shape, no form, no name?





They replied just as swift - indeed they were connected, but I could not work out how. Somehow, they were special in this seasonal pantomime.





Only them? I was going about this the wrong way. They were one voice, but one of many that were given permission to speak. Because of her, it said...



















No... No, it is because of Summer that I need her to be here. How could she be gone? Perhaps the Gods work against me... they have dominion over them after all; my words could have meant nothing to them-
Wait.
The voice said when Autumn returns...







































But my own voice fell on seemingly deaf ears.


It is days, weeks before I hear the voice again. I thought perhaps my mind was playing tricks with me. I was with Kaoori, next to the God statues when I heard it... faintly. I thought it was the fleeting voice of Cry' and his rejection of my company. But it came from a different direction.
"... Kaoori? Can you hear it?"
She seemed confused at my stop starting, but followed me... the voice leads me to the same place I first heard it, and I am drawn to the perfume of decaying leaves and the soft fluidity of her form.

And then I disappear.















I ducked my head suddenly - something shouted, screamed, just for a moment and then it was gone. It spoiled the mocking bite at my captor, who had somehow bound me to this tree. My legs felt heavy, and I could not step out of where the tree roots ended. Something... almost ethereal made my body quiver, and I was taken aback by what I saw when I looked down. My legs - my entire body - had been bleached a bright lustrous white, save for the red markings on my face.



Looking up, I could see right through the burning blaze of her eyes into the dead and colourless waste of whatever lies in the center of a Spirit. The feeling of half-accomplishment of what is essentially a God moulding only what it is given and allowed to have dominion over. 'Spirit'. Their word for something that isn't quite a God of All. As I stared, the black tar trickling up and down her legs slowed, only growing erratic when she had to move and slither across the dead leaves.
I saw her smile.
I wish I hadn't.







One of her ears swiveled pointing into the tree canopy she was standing in. Just for a second, I saw that disgustingly sticky smile disappear as she maneuvered her nose to rest underneath a dying leaf. I watched...
There was an audible snap, and I bucked my head again. Why was everything so loud?

As soon as the leaf's stem separated from the branch, Autumn let it waft gently to the floor. It was eerily beautiful, witnessing that departure that is seldom seen unless forced. But I came to my senses and answer her question.







There was that smile again as she slowly turned her back, the globules of dark ooze stretching and dancing as she did so.






























































Of course... Of course that was the answer. Even after everything I'd done, the pride I threw away-

-... Kaoori.
"Kaoori!"
But she couldn't hear me, or see me. I stood close... I could feel her, but she could not feel me. It was true; Autumn had brought me into her realm. We are one of the same.





That voice... I want to know them. Why are they helping me?

Kaoori had distracted me from Autumn; she had vanished, but the tree I was standing under now burned red with the crackle of falling dead leaves. She had "finished" it... but why did she leave me here?

I can hear faint whispers. I'm... desperate to break from here, see my friends. Virgil has returned to the forest, and is isn't long before he is near me. Could my presence be felt, or did news just travel fast when my name is involved? I could see that he was aware of what had happened here... Though, I laughed when Ben decided to come and play.
It-
-"Ngah!"



There was a high pitched cry, and pain shot through my temples like a speeding bullet. I recoiled in an attempt to shake it off, but it was just like before.
Here one minute, gone the next. Though, I think... I think I heard words.
It sounded like "Please."

When Ben left, Virgil hesitantly came closer and stood directly in front of me. He even looked - stared - directly into my eyes, but to him, he was simply looking through the gap in the trees.
"Virgil... The forest has been empty in your absence. I, for one, have missed you."



First one brother, and then the other. It was growing dark, and I didn't even notice that he was close until he stood right in front of me.
"This time is different, Saosin. There is no log for you to push..."



... The whispers, shrieks, they're becoming clearer as I am now listening for them. They are... sad, pleading, angry words spoken by a sorrowful heart.
I... I know what they are. I remember her words.

"If only the likes of you - the beings with hearts - could hear the sound those trees make when I tell them their leaves must die. T'would break you all."













Iaurdagnire's picture

This blog will contain the

This blog will contain the Autumn season event. Summer has not yet been concluded because something has changed, and I want there to be an air of mystery before I reveal what transpired between Dag and Summer.

Stay tuned (:

Tracking of course. These

Tracking of course. These have always been wonderful (: ♥
Starling's picture

This must be tracked.

This must be tracked.

Tracking.

Tracking.

(No subject)

<~twack~>

J!n's picture

!

!
ocean's picture

Track. o3o

Track. o3o
Spyrre's picture

(No subject)

<3!
*track*
Kaoori's picture

a wild track has appeared.

a wild track has appeared.

fksjsdffff -foam-

fksjsdffff -foam-
Calinka's picture

... *sneaks up.* *fangirl

... *sneaks up.* *fangirl squeal* TRACKERTRACKER!

Edit: ZOMFG! I'm right beneath SarieBearie.

&hearts;!

♥!

Haru's picture

*rolls in and leaves a track*

*rolls in and leaves a track* :3
Munkel's picture

*_*

*_*
Hraeth's picture

Rahhh~

Rahhh~
Fincayra's picture

Track~ o:

Track~ o:
Seed's picture

Intriquing indeed...

Intriquing indeed...
Pegasicorn's picture

I love how the words look

I love how the words look like they've been carved into a tree. */disguised track*
Iaurdagnire's picture

Thanks for tracking everyone

Thanks for tracking everyone (:

This will be untouched until after halloween. I hope everyone will be able to participate ♥
Freyja's picture

..../track~

..../track~

I'll do my best to have

I'll do my best to have either Queze help out or if all else fails, take part as Teradeer. I wouldn't miss this chapter for the world!
Reyy's picture

Oh my god...

Oh my god...
Pretzil's picture

numnumnum I wanted to track

numnumnum

I wanted to track this earlier, but I got distracted 8D
day4's picture

/trackk These are amazingg.

/trackk
These are amazingg.

Wow. The leaves on that

Wow. The leaves on that tree. <3
And I love how you wrote those words.
Verycrazygirl's picture

Tracking to read later

Tracking to read later <3

OokamiAzura's picture

Nn....&hearts

Nn....&hearts
Nix42's picture

To be able to fully

To be able to fully understand, I read all your blogs concerning the seasons and I LOVED them. Now I will be tracking this.
''A spark neglected makes a mighty fire."
Iaurdagnire's picture

Hello Nix42! Wow, I'm

Hello Nix42! Wow, I'm honoured you went back and read them all. I'm excited to try and involve new players in this one (:
Reyy's picture

That kind of reminds me of

That kind of reminds me of Ravyn... That's so neat, haha.
Godddd I love everything that you do. Love reading all of it. <3
Munkel's picture

So that's his sudden

So that's his sudden disappearance x'3 &hearts
And omg you involved my little... pathetic Cry? ;; fff &hearts


(and sorry about that btw, CB did mean no harm... he's just, yeah)
Kaoori's picture

gdfjksghdfjkgh I KNEW

gdfjksghdfjkgh

I KNEW IT

Kaoori has been attacking the tree, rofl.
Iaurdagnire's picture

Ravyn - I've gotten better at

Ravyn - I've gotten better at drawing does since I last drew her; I think she looks better here than in the first one (:
Munk - Haha, I hadn't planned for it to happen today. But it seemed right that Autumn would be callous enough to take Dag away when he is needed *mean*
Kaoori - Kao-Kao is now Dag's mini side-kick in this whirlwind adventure. No escape.

Pretzil's picture

8O I could swear iko is in

8O I could swear iko is in the last SS edit! kfdlskjgssg ♥ It could be highly coincidence... but that really looks like her >3< But I have seen her before iko was born so it's not her TuT

omg that last picture is

omg that last picture is amazing Shocked
Chickenwhite's picture

tracking for confuzzled

tracking for confuzzled awesomeness and your ability to ninja away our icons XD
Trickster's picture

asoidufad your. Edits. Are.

asoidufad your. Edits. Are. Freakingamazing aosudfoaiusdf *frothdroolgone*

And of course, your plots. Holy wooowzah. All over this, that last one is gorgeous ♥ Such interesting concepts I totally can't get over oasudfoiua

KEYBOARD SMASHING IMMINENT.

oiadusfoiausdfou 8D 8D 8D

So Autumn appears again...

So Autumn appears again... She was ruthless last year.

I wonder how things will go about this time ♥
Nix42's picture

Autumn is so epic somehow,

Autumn is so epic somehow, she looks awesome. I really wonder what the voice meant with 'a promise to her masters'.
''A spark neglected makes a mighty fire."
OokamiAzura's picture

Funny. Lacie likes hanging

Funny. Lacie likes hanging out in the center of that formation. It looks like a square.

Guess she won't be hanging there anymore 8'D
Iaurdagnire's picture

Pretzil - Afraid not, as that

Pretzil - Afraid not, as that screenshot was taken whilst not connect to the forest (:
Paz - Thanks c:
Chickenwhite - It's okay to be confuzzled, because I've purposefully left a gap in the previous season shindig so that even people who know Dag's story won't fully know what's going on in this one >)
Zebbie - LOL every one of your comments makes me physically laugh 8D 8D 8D ♥
Panda - *Dramatic music*
Nix - Oh-ho-hooo, that is an important note, keep a hold of that (;
Azura - Awh why not? ;; Please do, I'm not turning it into a "bad" place, you'll see ♥

(No subject)

<3 tracking

Snowsauria's picture

Oh my, Autumn is so awesome I

Oh my, Autumn is so awesome I almost died. D:
gone's picture

I love how you write... The

I love how you write...

The pictures are awesome too...

And I LOVE the plot.
*goes off to the tree and does her part for Dag*
OokamiAzura's picture

Well, she'll be staying clear

Well, she'll be staying clear of it for a while. Maybe visit it on occasion to bark and bite, but that's pretty much it.
Seele's picture

Ah, totally amazing, loved

Ah, totally amazing, loved the images, the writing, everything o_o You're a master at this.
Seele's picture

Where do these double posts

Where do these double posts come from? o_o'.
Iaurdagnire's picture

I think this is the last

I think this is the last update for this part as I won't be around for a day or two. I'm working on the actual community part now, so sit tight (:

If anyone has any questions or doesn't quite understand something about what has happened so far, do ask. It's meant to be a little ambiguous, but not completely un-followable. If you ask a question that I can't answer due to it being a spoiler, then you are right to wonder and not understand it (;
Nix42's picture

I really wanna know who that

I really wanna know who that voice is. Damn. I really can't put my finger on it.
''A spark neglected makes a mighty fire."