The Ghost's Bleeding Heart

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Black scales seemed to gently shimmer in the soft sunlight that drifted through from the trees of the forest. His ghostly presence wasn't know by many, only the select few he decided to cast his presence on and even then... he tended to disappear into the midst of things before any could approach him. The soft aura that seemed to flow from his body was somewhat an eerie thing, but to those who were used to the devout auras of the white deer would be used to such an eerie look.

Silver eyes gently scanned the area, the blood that slowly drifted down his muzzle and the long fur that flowed from his chin seemed to be getting soaked with it... when looked at closely. Most would see that the scaled hide, furred chest and even his antlers... all had a bloody sheen to them. A soft sigh escaped his lips, Maliran gently walking through the ruins in silence. He always spent most of his time here, there weren't many stags or does around to see him... and most of the fawns feared the place. Silver eyes drifted to a side, it seemed once again Maliran was alone at the graves.

Hooves, silent in step, moved along as he wandered slowly towards the back... walking past the graves to one in particular. His head lowering into a bow of respect to the grave before him, tears softening to display a certain sadness he held about himself when it came to these visits. His ears perked slightly when he noticed... the poppies adorning the grave, and he chuckled his eyes softening "Mikhaila, you went out and gathered poppies today?" It was like he was talking to himself, and really he was. The grave was that of his sisters... dead from long ago, when they were fawns.

"They would look so pretty in your hair if you were..." A choked out sob came from the stags lip "Still around..." Maliran's distractions kept him from realizing anyone was around. He lowered down, pressing his face to the grave as he frowned more "I often wished the gods had chosen you than me... brought you back and not me. I live with the guilt, I live with the memories... of you... of us... our deaths..."

There was a sound though, a pair of gasps and Maliran's head quickly snapped up as he turned around lowering his gaze almost immediately to the two... stags that happened to wander nearby. He wasn't showing aggression at all, rather... fear, had they heard? When did they get there... how long were they there? He lifted his head, eyes casting between both before he turned to try and bolt for it like he normally did just this time...

"Wait!"

Maliran stopped, almost mid leap, landing down on the ground as he glanced back towards the brown stag who had called out. Was he truly a stag, he looked rather beautiful to be one... but... Maliran wouldn't say anything. It was then that it dawned on him, the third horn... the coloration... everything, he'd seen this stag before. And he took a step back turning to face both "Yes?" He let out softly.

"I-I just... w-wanted to th-thank you..."

An eye gently quirked up as he looked to the other "Thank me?"

A nod "F-For laying with me... and watching me sleep..."

His eyes drifted into a softer expression, that's right... he had seen the other before near the ruins. Seen him with another group of deer, and despite everything, Maliran had gone over and rested with the under until he had to depart for the night to go and be with his sister's grave "You... are welcome." Maliran let out and gently bowed his head down before he raised it back up. And then, once again getting ready to go before he saw the other coming in front of him, watching the other with a curious look before he saw him heading towards the grave he was just at... biting his tongue really.

"S-Someone you l-loved?" Revtheyr let out softly, reading the name on the grave even as Nathan came over to stand beside him.

The scaled stag was still biting his tongue... he shifted and slowly was starting to back up... questions, no one knew about anything of his existence, what happened... why he was around and why he looked this way but... the ghostly stag fought the urge to run... fought it off as he slowly, came back over and looked to the grave with a sorrowed look upon his face "Mikhaila, my... sister..." Maliran let out softly before he slowly lowered down to lay... looking to the two stags there who were looking at the grave.

"I'm... s-sorry for your lose."

"It happened a long time ago..." He replied softly "When we were fawns."

Rev seemed to jolt at that, turning his attention and looking to the ghost with a widened expression "O-Oh no... that's t-terrible..."

Maliran's gaze lowered as he sighed softly "I know... but I was blessed..." A pause, he saw the confused look being given to him by both, a questioning of why... rather a what... what did he mean.

"We heard a bit of what you was saying..." The soft voice finally rose, as Maliran's silver eyes met those of the magpie pelted stags, a frown... "Something bad happened to you two... but, just what exactly?"

The black and white stag was backed into a corner with the question... how did his answer. A frown, gaze lowered before slowly... Maliran stood back up, motioning for the two to follow as he walked along, hearing the hooves as the two behind came up beside him and were walking along with him. He was slowly leaving the graves, the ruins... heading down the hill that slowly lead to the pond as he sighed deeply "It happened so long ago, we were both still fawns... still young, enjoying our youth and playing like most fawns did." Maliran started, moving along and under a willow as he came down towards the lily pads, glancing out towards the water before looking to the bright, sunny green clearing "Me and Mikhaila were playing, our mother laying down watching from the grass... we romped, jumped... had fun until we heard something. It was a sickening thud and when we had turned our attention back, our mother was out cold on the ground in a heap with a large stag hovering over her."

He frowned, gaze lowered as he moved out into the water glancing down "We had been playing in the waters when it happened, didn't see him until it was too late and when our mother was hurt we just froze up. Mikhaila, she tried to run... but he... he chased her, knocking her to the ground with ease and then the hooves." A grimace, a soft mellowed whine escaping his lips as he choked back what seemed to be tears "She didn't stand a chance... she was dead long before I got to her."

Those silver eyes, they were so focused on the water as he sighed, the red drifting around from the blood that dripped from his face "And then, his sights set on me. I was still in the pond, frozen in fear as the figure of my father came up... those scales... those red eyes, everything... I wanted to run, but I was too afraid to. And I fell to the same fate as my sister... shoved to the ground, hooves pummeling my body, my head... everything." There was a gasp, and Maliran's attention turned towards Rev and Nathan, seeing the two gently backing up "I died with my sister then, watched as our mother grew up in misery and watched as she never trusted many stags who held scales like our father."

"Who... might your father be? If you don't mind me asking."

"He goes by the name King Iviran..." There was the sharp gasp that came from Nathan that made Maliran turn his head to a side in confusion "You have met him?"

"O-Only once..." Nathan's gaze turned into a mixture of feelings "He... does feel guilty for what he has done though."

"He does? He never showed it back then when he killed us." His tone seemed a bit cold, but he was a spirit... one that wandered... a sigh though as he shifted in the water "I was blessed by the gods when they brought me back... I just wished they had chosen Mikhaila instead of myself... she was so innocent, so... loved... I live with the burden of knowing I watched her die while I stood frozen in the pond in nothing but fear. Just watching as our father crushed her defenseless body under his hooves." There was a shudder, scales shimmer before... his head jerked sharply... he felt... nuzzles, and his gaze turned towards both the stags that he was talking to. Gently feeling them nuzzling into his neck fur before he frowned and lowered his gaze... nuzzling down into Nathan, and then Rev before shifting and glancing back "Thank you..."

The two gently bowed, before coming back up and... Maliran's presence wasn't there it seemed. Nathan tilted his head to a side, there was some minor blood tangled with his hair, and his blue eyes drifted towards Rev's face... blood there as well "It couldn't have been a dream... could it have?"

"I... I don't kn-know Nathan... but... I-I feel so-sorry for him..." Revtheyr let out softly "A-A story s-so sad... h-he must f-feel so h-hurt..."