HOME | DD

Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

I lay on the ground, at the foot of one of the large trees in my swamp. Quietly, the tranquility eased my burdened soul. It calmed and quelled my inner rage- soothing as if it were tranquil waters. Still, I felt something deep within me. An uneasiness. It made my very soul hurt with anger and upheaval. A strange feeling; almost as if my very soul was being wrenched from my body. I could do nothing but hiss in anger and contempt as I watched the waters rise and fall against the roots of the many cottonwood trees. At first, I did nothing. I continued to lay there and ignore this odd ‘pain’ that I felt within me. It was only when the pain became too noticeable. Firmly, I planted my feet into the soft mud and jumped up with a fierce hiss. My eyes narrowed as I scanned my forest for the source of the invader. There was nothing.

‘How strange…’ I thought to myself, inwardly, at first. ‘There’s absolutely nothing here. Not even animals.’ I continued on, but aloud this time. ‘As if there WOULD be any animals here.’ I scoffed with an inward grin at my own amusement. ‘But still… There’s usually… Birds. Crickets. Locusts. The swamp is usually buzzing with some sort of sound. Life. It sickens me sometimes, but now there’s absence. Absence of sound. A distinct lack of presence here at all. It is as if I am all alone. In my own solitude.’ I rambled on to no one but my own. ‘How was I ever to get THIS lucky?’ I questioned sarcastically as my eyes rolled to the side.

My head shook, causing a cascade of overly bloomed cottonwood fluff to fall into the water around me. At first, I scoffed at the fluffy droppage that now burdened the water. But then I cast aside my care and took a few steps into much deeper water. The gentle waves swelled up as the mud claimed my clawed feet. I could only grin at it’s desire and thirst.

‘Hungry, we are, hmm?’ I cooed to the mud, hissing in delight at the viciousness of the swamp as it tried to swallow me alive. ‘That’s just too bad… I have places to be.’ I murmured cheerfully as I pulled one of my legs up from the squishy mud.

There was a soft sigh that I gave up as I descended into knee-deep mud. My tail graciously suspended itself above the water’s surface, duckweed grasping lightly at the surface of the water. It tugged at the barrier that delved from air to underwater, breaking the surface tension to drag soft bubbles of surrounding oxygen under. I silently went about my way to survey the swamp around me. I was looking for the source of this wretched pain, and perhaps make short work of it. For what seemed to be hours, I looked. I covered every single inch of my boundary. I could find nothing out of the sorts. I could find no trace of animal or insect as I went about. Something was very… Off.

Suddenly, there was a stir in the water beneath me. It seemed like a whirlpool opened up with the way the water rushed around my feet. I reacted quickly and jumped back, but I was too slow. From the center of this whirlpool, a glowing light grabbed ahold of my foot and pulled me down into the dark depths of the void. I could only scream and snarl in sheer panic while I thrash about to escape the grasp. It was useless- utterly useless. There was no force that could pry me free of this deliberate grasp. So, down I went through the void that swallowed every fiber of my being.

Time. It seemed to be an illusion as I wait in suspended darkness, unable to see even the sheer reflection of my mortal being. Quietly, as if all the sounds in the world were swallowed in this dismal void. Is this what I had come to know as death? Had my suffering and pain finally been ended? Was I perhaps granted mercy and spared from this terrible curse that was bestowed upon me so long ago.

‘Of course not…’ I muttered under my breath as my eyes narrowed in the darkness again. ‘There’s nothing fortunate or lucky that I could think an end of my suffering to be. There never is. There’s only pain and agony in this world. So I’m sure there will be returned fate here, as well.’ I continued on, my voice echoing in the darkness around me. Heavily, I sighed in disgust while I waited for something different to happen.

Though, I wasn’t waiting very long… Soon there was a bright light, something that one would see at the end of a tunnel. ‘I suppose in the grand scheme of the cosmic universe, I should head towards the light. Pity. I don’t have the desire to do that.’ I hissed out as I watched the light grow in size. It was as if it were coming for me. Towards me. Somehow, I knew that if I wouldn’t go to it, it would come to me. And I was exactly right. Within seconds, the light surrounded me, illuminating the world around me. For a while, everything was SO bright. So bright that I couldn’t see a thing. Then, this strange light… Hole. Spat me out onto solid ground. I hit it with a loud thud and my body crumpled into the soft dirt under it. I snarled in agony as I glanced around for a moment, blinking as I gathered myself and collected.

‘Well isn’t this… Grand.’ I said as I stood up from the dirt under me. I glanced around and took a quick scan of the area around me. ‘I’m all alone on a… Hill? A slope? Some sort of mountain, I suppose? Or at least this sorry excuse of a wretched place is supposed to be. Lovely. Just…. Lovely.’ I stated with heavy sarcasm.

It didn’t take me long until I was able to recognize the place as within the mountain biome. Just beside me, there were a strange series of plants that I briefly recall hearing about- Hornwort. This species, though, looked like little tendrils of black reaching up towards the sky. Their black and purple tendrils only graced by the supple green leaves just at their base. I knew exactly where I was, having overheard some Esk at the conservatory giving lecture on some rare and exotic species of plants. My suspicions were only confirmed when I stood tall and glanced to find my tail, gone of course. My magnificent antlers were also gone. I looked like some sort of naked bird on four legs. I was hideous. ‘What a delightful waste of my time. Just what I always wanted; to be a naked ugly mess stranded on some forsaken mountain. Ohhhh, how I dreamed this day would come! Heavens me.’ I said as my eyes narrowed.

Suddenly, there was a sound. It sounded like a wailing noise and was utterly irritating. ‘Greeeat, I suppose I should venture off to see what all the nonsense is about.’ I said as I followed the direction of the sound. As I wandered down the path, the irritating sound only grew louder. This enraged me. It made my head throb, and it made the pain in my soul ache even more. It BURNED. My fury burned along with it. Soon, I was made to see what all the sound was originating from- a small token within this shrine.

‘A shrine… You have to be kidding me. With some token.’ I growled as I approached the supposedly sacred place. Again, my gaze narrowed and I glanced down at this token with my head held high above it; condescending gaze and tone to match as I spoke. ‘I was dragged away from MY home for this? To what? Mend this irritating little shrine. I think not.’ I said as my gaze shifted to the tree behind it.

For a while, the sound dissipated into the surrounding forest. There was nothing but this tree, the shrine, and this now pulsing token. Of course, my rage. I stood there, taking in all the sights and mulling over my options and choices. However, there was still the glaring problem that I was dragged from the one place I felt safest. I had just started to calm when the fact that In was ugly returned bubbling to the surface. I snarled and glared down at the token in the center of the shrine. All my rage focused with it, my anger and fury assisting. The token soon started to wail again- in pain. It’s scream in agony only grew louder, the tree behind it groaning in protest as I focused more and more. I had started to notice a rustling sound behind me as I continued. At first, it was an irritated rustle, one I easily ignored. So, I continued to cast my worry aside. I had intent now, and a focus. I chuckled darkly.

‘Oh? Does that hurt, my lovely? Poor thing. All alone here…’ I cooed out as I shuddered in sheer pleasure. ‘Defenseless.’ I whispered as I gritted down and pushed all my energy into the token. It shattered. ‘Ahh, into a million pieces. How delightful.’ I continued to say as I watched the dust fall to the ground and collect around the base of the shrine. The tree behind it started to wither away, groaning in agony like some piece of it was just uprooted from the ground and burned. ‘Perhaps think the wise before bringing me to a wretched place covered in filth.’ I said with a deep hiss.

Behind me, a large shadow emerged from the bushes. It happened to be the source of the rustling. I could care less for the animal, but just as it let out an angered shriek, the shrine and tree pulsed a dark energy. I was thrust off the edge of the mountain and propelled backwards into the canopy of the forest below. I could only watch the animal as I fell from the gracious ledge, an irrational anger held deep in its eyes.

Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

I lay on the ground, at the foot of one of the large trees in my swamp. Quietly, the tranquility eased my burdened soul. It calmed and quelled my inner rage- soothing as if it were tranquil waters. Still, I felt something deep within me. An uneasiness. It made my very soul hurt with anger and upheaval. A strange feeling; almost as if my very soul was being wrenched from my body. I could do nothing but hiss in anger and contempt as I watched the waters rise and fall against the roots of the many cottonwood trees. At first, I did nothing. I continued to lay there and ignore this odd ‘pain’ that I felt within me. It was only when the pain became too noticeable. Firmly, I planted my feet into the soft mud and jumped up with a fierce hiss. My eyes narrowed as I scanned my forest for the source of the invader. There was nothing.

‘How strange…’ I thought to myself, inwardly, at first. ‘There’s absolutely nothing here. Not even animals.’ I continued on, but aloud this time. ‘As if there WOULD be any animals here.’ I scoffed with an inward grin at my own amusement. ‘But still… There’s usually… Birds. Crickets. Locusts. The swamp is usually buzzing with some sort of sound. Life. It sickens me sometimes, but now there’s absence. Absence of sound. A distinct lack of presence here at all. It is as if I am all alone. In my own solitude.’ I rambled on to no one but my own. ‘How was I ever to get THIS lucky?’ I questioned sarcastically as my eyes rolled to the side.

My head shook, causing a cascade of overly bloomed cottonwood fluff to fall into the water around me. At first, I scoffed at the fluffy droppage that now burdened the water. But then I cast aside my care and took a few steps into much deeper water. The gentle waves swelled up as the mud claimed my clawed feet. I could only grin at it’s desire and thirst.

‘Hungry, we are, hmm?’ I cooed to the mud, hissing in delight at the viciousness of the swamp as it tried to swallow me alive. ‘That’s just too bad… I have places to be.’ I murmured cheerfully as I pulled one of my legs up from the squishy mud.

There was a soft sigh that I gave up as I descended into knee-deep mud. My tail graciously suspended itself above the water’s surface, duckweed grasping lightly at the surface of the water. It tugged at the barrier that delved from air to underwater, breaking the surface tension to drag soft bubbles of surrounding oxygen under. I silently went about my way to survey the swamp around me. I was looking for the source of this wretched pain, and perhaps make short work of it. For what seemed to be hours, I looked. I covered every single inch of my boundary. I could find nothing out of the sorts. I could find no trace of animal or insect as I went about. Something was very… Off.

Suddenly, there was a stir in the water beneath me. It seemed like a whirlpool opened up with the way the water rushed around my feet. I reacted quickly and jumped back, but I was too slow. From the center of this whirlpool, a glowing light grabbed ahold of my foot and pulled me down into the dark depths of the void. I could only scream and snarl in sheer panic while I thrash about to escape the grasp. It was useless- utterly useless. There was no force that could pry me free of this deliberate grasp. So, down I went through the void that swallowed every fiber of my being.

Time. It seemed to be an illusion as I wait in suspended darkness, unable to see even the sheer reflection of my mortal being. Quietly, as if all the sounds in the world were swallowed in this dismal void. Is this what I had come to know as death? Had my suffering and pain finally been ended? Was I perhaps granted mercy and spared from this terrible curse that was bestowed upon me so long ago.

‘Of course not…’ I muttered under my breath as my eyes narrowed in the darkness again. ‘There’s nothing fortunate or lucky that I could think an end of my suffering to be. There never is. There’s only pain and agony in this world. So I’m sure there will be returned fate here, as well.’ I continued on, my voice echoing in the darkness around me. Heavily, I sighed in disgust while I waited for something different to happen.

Though, I wasn’t waiting very long… Soon there was a bright light, something that one would see at the end of a tunnel. ‘I suppose in the grand scheme of the cosmic universe, I should head towards the light. Pity. I don’t have the desire to do that.’ I hissed out as I watched the light grow in size. It was as if it were coming for me. Towards me. Somehow, I knew that if I wouldn’t go to it, it would come to me. And I was exactly right. Within seconds, the light surrounded me, illuminating the world around me. For a while, everything was SO bright. So bright that I couldn’t see a thing. Then, this strange light… Hole. Spat me out onto solid ground. I hit it with a loud thud and my body crumpled into the soft dirt under it. I snarled in agony as I glanced around for a moment, blinking as I gathered myself and collected.

‘Well isn’t this… Grand.’ I said as I stood up from the dirt under me. I glanced around and took a quick scan of the area around me. ‘I’m all alone on a… Hill? A slope? Some sort of mountain, I suppose? Or at least this sorry excuse of a wretched place is supposed to be. Lovely. Just…. Lovely.’ I stated with heavy sarcasm.

It didn’t take me long until I was able to recognize the place as within the mountain biome. Just beside me, there were a strange series of plants that I briefly recall hearing about- Hornwort. This species, though, looked like little tendrils of black reaching up towards the sky. Their black and purple tendrils only graced by the supple green leaves just at their base. I knew exactly where I was, having overheard some Esk at the conservatory giving lecture on some rare and exotic species of plants. My suspicions were only confirmed when I stood tall and glanced to find my tail, gone of course. My magnificent antlers were also gone. I looked like some sort of naked bird on four legs. I was hideous. ‘What a delightful waste of my time. Just what I always wanted; to be a naked ugly mess stranded on some forsaken mountain. Ohhhh, how I dreamed this day would come! Heavens me.’ I said as my eyes narrowed.

Suddenly, there was a sound. It sounded like a wailing noise and was utterly irritating. ‘Greeeat, I suppose I should venture off to see what all the nonsense is about.’ I said as I followed the direction of the sound. As I wandered down the path, the irritating sound only grew louder. This enraged me. It made my head throb, and it made the pain in my soul ache even more. It BURNED. My fury burned along with it. Soon, I was made to see what all the sound was originating from- a small token within this shrine.

‘A shrine… You have to be kidding me. With some token.’ I growled as I approached the supposedly sacred place. Again, my gaze narrowed and I glanced down at this token with my head held high above it; condescending gaze and tone to match as I spoke. ‘I was dragged away from MY home for this? To what? Mend this irritating little shrine. I think not.’ I said as my gaze shifted to the tree behind it.

For a while, the sound dissipated into the surrounding forest. There was nothing but this tree, the shrine, and this now pulsing token. Of course, my rage. I stood there, taking in all the sights and mulling over my options and choices. However, there was still the glaring problem that I was dragged from the one place I felt safest. I had just started to calm when the fact that In was ugly returned bubbling to the surface. I snarled and glared down at the token in the center of the shrine. All my rage focused with it, my anger and fury assisting. The token soon started to wail again- in pain. It’s scream in agony only grew louder, the tree behind it groaning in protest as I focused more and more. I had started to notice a rustling sound behind me as I continued. At first, it was an irritated rustle, one I easily ignored. So, I continued to cast my worry aside. I had intent now, and a focus. I chuckled darkly.

‘Oh? Does that hurt, my lovely? Poor thing. All alone here…’ I cooed out as I shuddered in sheer pleasure. ‘Defenseless.’ I whispered as I gritted down and pushed all my energy into the token. It shattered. ‘Ahh, into a million pieces. How delightful.’ I continued to say as I watched the dust fall to the ground and collect around the base of the shrine. The tree behind it started to wither away, groaning in agony like some piece of it was just uprooted from the ground and burned. ‘Perhaps think the wise before bringing me to a wretched place covered in filth.’ I said with a deep hiss.

Behind me, a large shadow emerged from the bushes. It happened to be the source of the rustling. I could care less for the animal, but just as it let out an angered shriek, the shrine and tree pulsed a dark energy. I was thrust off the edge of the mountain and propelled backwards into the canopy of the forest below. I could only watch the animal as I fell from the gracious ledge, an irrational anger held deep in its eyes.