The Tale rests below… Care to listen?

Calusa – A Young Rose…

The doe woke. Pink streaks of dawn tore through the gray sky. A low humming sound rumbled through the tree she lay in. Around her, the sleeping bodies of deer slowly rose and fell, peaceful in their breathing. She was the first to wake. Carefully, so as not to wake the others, she rose from her spot on the ground and tiptoed around her sleeping companions.

The sun’s light had not yet penetrated through the trees. The doe did not know why she woke without the sunrays waking her closed eyelids, but she did not question the reason, only acknowledged she was awake. She breathed deeply, inhaling the morning air. The night’s fog still hung in the air, not yet dried from the day’s arrival. It felt icy in her lungs.

Dew quickly hung on the doe’s fur. She shivered from the cold and shook. The water sprayed off her pelt and splattered to the grass under her hooves. Her pelt was black, but the pale dawn light reflected a blue shine like the back of a butterfly’s wing. The prongs on her head were black like her fur, but without its iridescent shine. She blinked her blue eyes, letting them soak in the sight of the forest. Flicking her tiny tail in the air, she cantered off.

The only other creatures early to rise as her were the birds. Their song rang through the air, bouncing and echoing with one another to create a melody no bird could ever create on their own. Something to the doe, to Calusa, was strangely blissful about today. Her entire body felt relaxed and serene. She was in no mood to jump and play around. She folded her legs and lay on the ground. Closing her eyes, she listened to the forest hum, the sounds spinning together and lulling her to sleep.

Time passed and the sun rose well over the tallest tip of birch tree before Calusa opened her eyes again. But the way she woke was different. It was not how she had woken before, slowly pulled from her night’s dreaming. This time her eyes felt forced open, like they opened because of another’s will and not her own. She stood and stared into the forest. Something was beckoning to her. What, she did not know. She did not fight the strange feeling and did not wonder it, she merely followed it.

At first she walked alone, but soon the sound of soft thudding hooves echoed around her. All deer, doe, stag, and fawn, had awoken from their sleep. They moved in one flowing motion, all following the same invisible path that called to Calusa. Calusa’s heart gave a thump, then two, then three until she was running, her chest thrumming as loudly as the hooves on forest floor. Excitement rippled through all deer as they ran for the same place.

The doe could see it through the trees as she neared: The Twin Gods Statue. Hundreds and thousands gathered around staring at the one spot that seemed to beckon. Calusa’s mind stopped and wondered. What force brought them all here?

Her question was answered quickly with the sight she saw. The Twin Gods Statue was gone, replaced by two, great stags.

The iridescent doe stopped in her running and stared fawn-eyed at the two magnificent stags. At one moment their pelts looked completely pure white, but changed when Calusa blinked her eyes to colors lovelier than flowers. In silence, all the deer stared at the two large stags. The two Great Ones gave each other a look and a smile passed between them. They turned toward the crowd and roared.

At first they were all stunned, but then joy flickered on their faces and each deer bellowed back in answering. Calusa realized that these strange stags were in fact the Twin Gods and happiness swelled through her as well. The stags ran off in playful chase and all followed, prancing and hopping around like star struck fawns.

Calusa laughed from deep in her chest and marveled at the scene in front of her. Flowers blossomed where they had not before and colorful stars exploded above her head. Strange two-legged creatures frolicked around her, draping their front legs around her in an embrace. Fire swirled around them all, but no smoke or painful heat surrounded them, only a gentle warmness that they could find basking in the sun.

The day continued like this, each moment bringing new things Calusa’s eyes had never seen, never experienced. Dusk fell across the realm and excitement and fun gave way to beautiful peace. The Twin Gods had nestled down in a field of red poppies, the herd of deer lying with them as they gazed at the spectacular sights above them. Colorful lights danced above their heads like shimmering water.

Calusa tore her gaze from the spectacular sight for only a moment to look at her companions. Pure bliss was blanketing their sleepy faces as the slowly nodded off to dreams. The doe’s gaze trailed to the two Great Ones, side by side, watching the spectacle with serene eyes. Something stirred inside Calusa at that moment. The joy that the Twin Gods created, that their mere presence evoked…

Someday… Calusa thought. I want to make my loved ones feel this way. This warmth that is spreading through me… I want to share it.

Calusa laid her head down, her eyes closing.

I want to make others happy.

She drifted off to sleep with one final thought: I want to become a God.

Firefly – The Dark…

The night was cold. My skin crawled at the freezing touch. I slept.

Well, not truly sleeping, but as close as I would ever get. Every tiny sound made me jump to my hooves and bolt. I didn’t have time to figure out what made the sound. Every noise was dangerous. Everything that made noise was dangerous. Nothing was safe.

No longer sleeping, I ran and ran until my ears grew deaf from the wind flowing past them. Stopping to catch my breath, I glanced around, observing my surroundings. I couldn’t see in the pitch blackness but I kept scanning, looking for the tiniest movement. Something that would tell me it was not safe here. I found nothing.

Cautiously, I lay down again. For a long while I lay down, still searching the un-seeable forest. I began to shiver from cold before I finally relaxed – somewhat. I closed my eyes and forced myself to continue listening. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t afford to sleep. Deer were being picked off left and right, one by one – I wasn’t about to join the ranks.

Nameless. My eyes snapped open and my hooves itched to flee just at the thought of them. Nameless were cursed deer. It’s unknown how they lost their names, whether they were born that way or had it taken away, but one thing I’m sure of is that you stay away from them at all costs.

Nameless is what I call the deer who died without names. Their spirits become lost without the Twin Gods leading them to the other side, so their souls return to their decaying bodies (or any dead bodies they happen to come across). But since their bodies are rotting, their brain and heart are too, and they loose themselves. They turn into horrifying zombies whose only instinct is to do one thing: kill and steal. Steal what, exactly? Obviously something they think will save them. The one thing they don’t have: a name.

Suddenly my eyes are wide open and I’m already running. I can hear the snarling and laughing. There are many of them. I don’t look back. Looking back means I’ll panic. Panicking will cost me my life. They’re getting closer. They laugh louder, sounding like a pack of hyena who have just stumbled on an easy meal.

Maybe they have.

To my right I can see one, its eyes reflecting the dim moonlight. Its shape is obviously a deer, but its movement matches that of a rabid wolf. It stares me in the eyes, matching my speed step-for-step, and smiles. Its teeth are sharp, crooked, and dirty with its own blood – its mouth wounded by its own teeth. My heart skips a beat and I stagger and stumble.

My face rushes to the forest floor and my mind becomes confused, trying to make out the burred shapes whizzing by. I hear a large crack and when I sit upright my head feels unbalanced. Everything is dizzy but I stand up anyways. I can hear the Nameless cackling all around me. I can’t flee. I must fight. Firefly was my name. They couldn’t have it.

I stand my ground, hearing them all around, seeing their shapes move through the shadows, smelling the reek scent of dying meat. One of them manages to stands where a small shaft of moonlight reaches through the thick pine branches. Its pelt is dirty and I can see fur and skin hanging off its hide, revealing irritated red flesh. The creature lowers its head and on its boney snout I see dried blood. My eyes narrow.

The mutant monster charges at me, head low. I change my posture, preparing to meet it full-on when another one crashes into my side and shoves me to the ground. Its broken antlers spear into my side and send searing pain through me. My belly feels suddenly warm as my own blood flowed over and stained my fur. I could feel dozens of hooves crashing against my body until one kicks my skull and sends me into an even greater confusion than I had been in before.

The rabid sounds of the Nameless are starting to contort and fade as if I was underwater. Whatever I could see was quickly blurring as my vision faded. They were still beating me. I could sense the pressure but I couldn’t feel the pain. I wasn’t grateful that my death would be painless.

They’re going to steal my name. My world was fading fast. Without my name, my soul will get lost. I have two options. Wander the forest forever, alone and frightened, or go back into my already decaying body and become what killed me.

There was no third option.

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These are versions of my fawns when they're adults. It is how I saw what their personalities might be when I first stepped into the forest. Who knows, maybe in-game their personality will be completely different. :3 Guess we'll find out.

Any feedback/advice is hugely appreciated! Thank you for reading!! <3

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