A (Mis)Guiding Vision(continued)

[Felypsa]

Stone, of course, completely missed the entire episode. He turned around, paused in the act of hurrying down the slope. “What are you waiting for, you slowpokes!” he called back, for all the world sounding like a pup who wanted to race. He was giddy with the nearness of success. “We’re almost there, then we can get out of this gods-forsaken place. Let’s go!” He resumed his eager pace down the sharp incline. “It’s soft, like walking on snow, but without the coldness,” he called back to his companions. “This place just gets stranger and stranger.”

[Wyndbain]

Despite the situation and grim reality of the spiritual world, Stone's excitement seemed to be contagious as a smile formed on Shrideth's expression. Her eyes shone with a light Age was all too familiar with, one that she assumed when Shrideth felt she was being presented a challenge or an opponent of some sort. She increased her pace in his brief pause, running past him with no warning and only stopping briefly to shout back, "Slow am I?"

From up in the air, Age let out a soft sigh, for he had flown up not far above them when Shrideth had suddenly run off. It was very much a pain for him to hold on without hurting her when she was gallopping so, not that she had ever complained about his sharp talons.[/color]

[Felypsa]

Stone had been going down the slope at a swift but steady pace, so he didn’t lose his balance and tumble the rest of the way down. His practiced caution was wiped away the instant Shrideth raced past him, yelling something that reminded Stone of a challenge. He grinned, not to be outdone, though he knew Shrideth could easily beat him. “That’s what I said!” he shouted back, and began to run. He half-ran, half-fell down the sharp incline, trying to catch up with Shrideth. It was easy to forget where they were and what was at stake. When Stone had nearly drawn even with Shrideth, he flashed her a wild grin. The ground was zooming up towards them, closer, closer…unless he braked soon, his momentum would make the impact very awkward. Yet Stone did not slow. He let out a joyful laugh, a sound unheard of in this place of despair.

[Wyndbain]

Unlike Stone, Shrideth took note of the closing distance between themselves and the leveling ground below. She slowed momentarily before putting down her paws completely and even going to the extreme of using her nails to help stop her speed. So while Stone raced on, Shrideth had simply and suddenly...stopped. While Shrideth loved competition, she did not enjoy being put into situations that could end out making her looks rediculous, awkward, or as she liked to bluntly put it, weak. And crashing into the ground below was not her idea of a fun time, despite how much she had been enjoying their small race.

[Felypsa]

Stone only realized what his danger was when Shrideth disappeared from his side. He looked ahead and tried to stop, skidding along the smooth, soft ground…too late. He landed in a heap, luckily able to keep his head above the crash. Strangely enough, there was no burn from friction, nor was there a cloud of dust that lifted when he landed. He just…crashed, and he didn’t even get hurt. It was like landing on a cloud.

Stone shook his head, though he was hardly disoriented. He looked back up where Shrideth had safely stopped and grinned mischievously at her. Clearly even his crash-landing didn’t dampen his spirits. “Guess I won,” he said lightly. “Though, that was quite a good race.” He laughed to show he wasn’t being conceited. Then he picked himself up and continued to walk along the base of the valley. “I see the Hole,” he said, his voice full of wonder and excitement. “It’s smaller than I expected…just big enough for each of us to fit a paw into. Or a talon,” he added, nodding up at Age. “I wonder how we’ll fit…well, she didn’t say it would make sense.”

[Wyndbain]

Shrideth's expression was that of irritation, then again, it was an expression that matched almost perfectly the one she usually wore.

"You can't win a competition with only one participant..." She murmered softly, out of Stone's range of hearing. Despite this, she allowed him his moment of glory, her attention span for the brief race lost as she slowly moved after Stone, staring ahead at the small hole he had mentioned.

"Nothing in this world does." She complained, looking up to Age as he made a comment that was lost in the distance he had created in his flight. She glared up at him and decided that what Age had said was of no importance for him to repeat, so why bother telling him to fly closer and repeat it?

[Felypsa]

Stone smiled at Shrideth’s remark, for he agreed with her. But it didn’t have to make sense, necessarily…it just had to work, so he would find his father. “I guess I’ll go first,” he said. “To make sure it’s safe and all.” He was pretty sure Shrideth wouldn’t appreciate him trying to protect her from harm, but he felt it was his duty to go first. After all, this was his quest, he was going to find his father…if there were risks, he should be the one to take them. He took a deep breath. “Wish me luck.” And then he put his paw in the Hole.

The reaction was instantaneous. Immediately a whirlwind leaped up from the small Hole, twirling high into the sky, growing bigger and bigger, though its origin was still at the Hole, where Stone’s paw was. Or had been. For the instant the cyclone had appeared, Stone was dragged into its swirling void, without even time to yelp. If Shrideth or Age peered closely enough, they might see the body of Stone, being tossed at the winds’ will.

Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the tornado flew back into the Hole—taking Stone with it. Stone’s vision of a whirlwind had therefore come true, like the others. It and Stone vanished into the tiny Hole. But the spectacle wasn’t finished yet. As the last of the cyclone disappeared into the Hole, the Hole itself began to close in on itself. It shrank and shrank until it, too, was gone. Completely, utterly gone. There seemed to be no way to follow Stone.

And that was when the walls of the valley began to shudder and shake and shrink. Apparently it, like the small Hole, was going to close up on itself. And when it did, it would crush anything still living inside it. Slowly but surely, the valley was collapsing…

[Wyndbain]

Age balked in his flight, surprised by the sudden phenomina occuring before them, giving a slight cry that was in unison with one that Shrideth had let loose as Stone had suddenly disappeared into the hole. She had begun to run towards it, when it had simply closed on her, disappearing with no trace as everything around her became a danger. Age gave another shriek of his falcon vocals and called out to Shrideth.

"The whole valley is closing up! Run now!!" The bird began to spiral down towards the wolf, thinking that she hadn't heard or felt his cry, because she hadn't responded.

"But...Stone!" Her instincts were telling her feet to run from the valley as soon as possible, her emotions however, caused her to stand in place, fighting an inner battle to save her own tail or try to follow Stone. With the time she was taking to pause and decide, soon enough even with running it would be too late. This factor was what Age now noticed.

"SHRIDETH FLY!!!" The falcon gave one last yell before wheeling down to try and provoke her further. Though now that he had thought of this solution, although she did posess wings, he had never actually seen her use them aside from short glides down hills and during leaps.

At Age's yell the wolfess was snapped from her confusion, deciding that it was better to survive now and work out things later. Besides, if Stone's father was the one who had sent him these visions, then why would he let his own son get injured or worse, in the process of their reunion? She then turned and started up the valley at a fast pace, slower of course than when she had raced with Stone as now she was heading uphill instead of down. Age slowed his decent and looked on in worry. From his vantage point in the sky, he was well and safe while Shrideth continued to run and fight her way out of the dangerous hole. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why Shrideth was so against flying, it certainly would have been quicker and less dangerous. Taking to the sky would mean instant safety from the ominous valley. It was beginning to become clear that at her current speed, making it out would be near impossible.

"Fly Shrideth! You have to fly!" Came the bird's cry yet again, zigzagging across the air waves from the stress of the situation. Age continued to fret, all the while wondering why she didn't just flap those...small...he'd never noticed how small they were...unusually small wings. His were small too of course, but that was just his body size...Shrideth however, was much bigger than her own wings. He'd never really thought of that, how the wing size would have to be in comparison to one's body in order to obtain flight. This must be...why...how could he not notice as her familiar...

All the while Age was pondering and worrying, Shrideth had reached the end of the large valley, working and pulling herself out and over the edge onto land that, for the time being, appeared safe. Turning back and staying quite a distance, panting and glaring, she watched the procession of it's closing all the direction her frustration elsewhere by thinking how much of an idiot her familiar was. Age came down slowly, softly landing on the ground before his misstress and looking up at her large figure in comparison to his own size. He chose this instead of his usual perch on her shoulders because something eminating from Shrideth simply bothered him.

"Shrideth?" Age spoke softly, pulling in his wings and moving closer, all the while wondering why her head was turned away as it was. At that angle, he couldn't see her eyes.

"Stupid...idiotic..." Shrideth's voice was soft at first, but increased in volume as she continued on. Age had no idea if she was calling him stupid for his mistake about her abilty to fly or if she was blaming Stone's own reasoning for getting caught up in that whirlwind. Whatever the reason, Shrideth's eyes suddenly came into view and gave Age the shock of his life to the extent that he flared his wings to keep from falling over in a faint.

Tears had welled up in Shrideth's blue-grey eyes, staining the fur just below the blurry pupils. She had always managed to put up a shield during harsh moments, battles, anything of the sort that was thrown there way. This was the first time ever, that Age had seen his friend break down as she was now. He didn't know what to say, how to comfort her, to help Shrideth emotionally...it was simply alien to him.

"He should have...waited for us..." Shrideth's faint voice came again. "Of all the stupid...idiotic...stupid things to do..." She turned to the bird, looking straight at him now.

"Ever since then...since...that time we were appart..." Shrideth continued on, Age wondering where she was going with this as he inched closer, laying a talon lightly on one of her front paws. She didn't pull away.

"I worry about him Age! More than anyone! Even...even..." Her gaze moved lower, towards the ground but stopping on her little white familiar. "I just...want to be there...always, to protect him..."

Had Age had the ability to show more emotion than his eyes, a smile would have been apparent, "You're...just a little selfish."

[Wyndbain]

(I didn't notice until I posted but...holy crap! Big one!!!!! XD )

[Felypsa]

oOc| lmao...wow, that was a big one...xP

There was no more valley. There was no more Hole. There was no more whirlwind. There was no more Stone. The near-featureless grey Land was spread out around them. It wasn’t even clear which direction was back to the wall of flame that they had entered by.

And then the spirits appeared. Thousands and thousands of spirits, so frail and translucent they seemed little more than breezes. They arranged themselves in a massive circle around the frustrated figure of Shrideth and her falcon Age. They had no color, no substance, no light in their eyes as they gazed expressionlessly at the two living creatures. They seemed very different from the first spirits they had encountered, the ones who could not face Stone, Shrideth, and Age because they were blazing with the light of life. These spirits stared at them, seemingly unaffected. They did not move.

There was a gust of what seemed like wind, and then Amata materialized. Beside these feeble dead ghosts, she seemed so much more substantial, though it was clear she was intangible and dead. Yet she had color; her violet eyes glowed hypnotically as she watched the two, silently judging the emotions Shrideth was displaying.

At length she spoke. “You need not fear for Stone, for he is perfectly safe.” She smiled, but it no longer seemed as friendly. “It is still yourself you must worry about. For you are still in danger.” She took a step closer. “You should not have come. Stone belongs here, don’t you see? He should have died that night long ago, with the rest of his family and his pack. He has returned home at last. But you do not belong. You should not have come…” She took yet another step closer, her eyes glinting dangerously. Wordlessly, the army of spirits behind her also took a step forward when she did, closing the area around them.

Amata grinned. “Did you hope to win Stone’s love? It was not his to give away.” And then she laughed, a high-pitched, faint, chilling sound that sounded like metal grating against rocks.

[Wyndbain]

Another rare moment occured as Shrideth's heart lept into her throat. What more could go astray? The barren lands had made her forget that spirits may invisibly patrol the areas. Nothing more than an active gray landscape without a soul to see her break down in a moment of weakness; at least in the living sence. Anger tried to push away the fear that was gathering from her scene, from the new knowledge that Stone was no longer under her protection.

She was silent, staring down Amata with emotionless eyes. Words that she wanted to speak were caught in her throat...for once, she didn't know how to counter, what to say...what to do...but it wasn't Shrideth who rushed in, taking action first before thinking things through.

Age's wings opened up partially at his sides, increasing his small appearance as he stood before Shrideth as if to shield her from these menacing ghosts. If birds could show more emotion, Age was certainly furious as he spoke out the words he felt had collected in Shrideth's mind.

"How certain can you be that he should have died when fate has kept him in the living world?" The falcon took an uncertain step back as the spirits moved closer. He suddenly wondered if it were possible to run through ghosts in the spirit world.

[Felypsa]

Amata had a little smirk as she met Shrideth’s impassive gaze squarely. Despite the wolf’s expressionless face, Amata, who knew quite a lot about passion, could tell that emotions conflicted inside Shrideth. Even as Age spoke out angrily, Amata did not look away from Shrideth, her rival. If anything, the smirk seemed to stretch, increasing in snideness.

“Fate did not keep him in the living world,” she answered, her gaze still locked with Shrideth’s. Her purple eyes blazed. “He barely escaped fate that night. He has never been fully alive since then. Or haven’t you noticed? Hasn’t everything he’s done reflect the night he lost everything? Has he ever been able to move on?” She shook her head firmly. “If he truly were alive, if fate as you say kept him in the living world, why did he come here seeking his dead father? And didn’t he want to come alone?”

She gestured at the crowd of spirits that encircled them. “This world is where he belongs, with those companions he had before. There is no room for you in his world. I tried to tell you, even before you came here; the strange incidents at the river and in the cave where my doings. They were meant to discourage you from coming. But you persisted. And now you must suffer the consequences.” Her voice had grown harsher, more contemptuous. “There is no room for you. Didn’t he ever tell you?” She gazed off into space, off into nothingness. “Back when his pack was still alive, he loved only one wolf. He and that wolf were to be mated, and they were to become Alphas after his parents. That bloody night separated them, but not forever. Stone has come home to his beloved…and they’ll finally be united for eternity.” She smiled sweetly at Shrideth, then barked at the throng of spirits. “Take their brightness.” A moment later, Amata disappeared.

Now the dead ghosts moved towards them, menacingly. If they “touched” Shrideth and Age, they would acquire some of their life-force—their “brightness.” If enough of them crowded around them and touched them, Shrideth and Age’s lives would be sucked away by the phantoms.

[Wyndbain]

Something in Shrideth's gut suddenly burned as Amata spoke on, a fleeting feeling that left Shrideth even more in a daze than she already was. Was that the reason they had come? He had been so excited to see his father again, and perhaps another...

"Shrideth!" Age's sharp call snapped her back, brining her around to the situation at hand. The falcon jumped up to her shoulders, wings settling down and gazing fearfully at the surrounding ghosts. Shrideth's gaze became harsh, eyes slanted as a fire seemed to burn behind their pupils.

"Why would I care about that!?" She yelled angrily at the spirits, "I JUST WANT TO PROTECT HIM!!!" She lurched forward suddenly, to Age's surprise and horror, at a fast gallop towards the circle of undead.

She was simply reacting on her usual instinct, charging down an ostacle in her way. "Other way!" He yelled out in hopes of confusing her thoughts. At times when Shrideth went berserk, she would simply run wild. Age found it amusing though that she appeared to listen to simple orders given by himself on the sidelines.

Shrideth's ears twitched, but the wolfess suddenly struck a claw to the ground and turned on a dime, heading in the other direction, but not as close to the previous line of ghosts as they had been. Now they were simply heading towards the other ominous collection of spirits.

She can't fly...but there is that... Age narrowed his eyes at the oncoming soul, pushing his concious into Shrideth's as he forced her to comply to his thoughts through their magical bond. As they drew nearer, Age waited until they had nearly colided with the barrier that blocked their escape, yelling out, "JUMP!!"

And to Age's relief, Shrideth lept into the air, using her trained leg strength to practically soar over the creatures that blocked them. Shrideth's wings, despite being small, caught the little wind created by their leap and carried them over the crowd of ghost. Though Shrideth was quickly loosing altitude, as she never really could glide for very long.

[Felypsa]

The spirits were confused by the onrush of what to them was only a beacon of blinding light. They shrank back briefly, fearful of such horrible light, forgetting that they could steal that brightness for themselves. Without a leader, the mob wavered, uncertain, ready to dissipate. But Shrideth’s sudden turn and leap over the first ranks of ghosts aroused some of them to their task. They chased after the gliding Shrideth, trying to spread out beneath her, so that wherever she should land, she would be beset upon by some phantom or other. The spirits themselves were chained to the Land forever, unable to fly—at least, these particular ghosts could not fly. But these were only minions, the spirits that have been dead for millions of years, who hardly remember life, and whose brains have deteriorated over the many millenia…

Their only strength was in their sheer numbers. Would it be enough…?

Meanwhile, there was a faction attempting to surround Age, who was more adept in the air. Still, his brightness still stood out, but it was just smaller and therefore probably less of a risk. The spirits made a small circle beneath him, hoping that he would eventually come to the ground, to their domain.

[Wyndbain]

Age's main concern, was keeping Shrideth ahead of the spirits. He was unsure of the harm they could cause, but loosing their light as Amata had commanded those others to take didn't sound like a good thing; thus touching these things was most likely bad. If only she could fly, it would have been more comforting for him to glide along next to her as he was doing. Unfortunately Shrideth's path was dropping slowly, her mind waking up as battle instincts began to fade. The closer she got to the ground, the more Age added on to his panic.

He suddenly turned in mid air, well above the heads of the crowded ghosts and took a dive towards Shrideth's lowering form. He shot past her rump and caught a hold of her upper back in his talons, tearing into the fur as his grip held and propelled her forward from the force of the dive.

Shrideth started running as soon as she hit the ground, her tail whipping to the side as it just avoided touching a pale muzzle by mere inches. She could hear Age give a loud sigh from her shoulders, feel him spread out with his wings limp on her sides and the gash created by his talons that was now bleeding freely. She would ask him about that later.