The snow fell softly against the already hard packed earth. A lone figure sat on the cold, frozen steps, his hands wrapped tightly around his shoulders, curling in on himself to drive out the cold. His body shook violently, but whether it was from the cold, or his violent sobs, no one could tell. A lone tear trickled down his cheek, and he heaved a long, drawn out sigh, his shoulders slumping, and his body going slack. Lifting up his head, his silver hair coated with a fine layer of soft powder, the young boy's aquamarine eyes scanned the horizon, seeing nothing but white.
It seemed like he'd been waiting for eternity. He leaned back on the palms of his hands, not really feeling the cold of the frozen stone steps beneath him. There was nothing out there but snow, it seemed, at least, nothing he could scent. He muttered under his breath, swiping at his eyes with the sleeve of his overly large black shirt. He wished Greymahlkin would return soon. He'd been sitting out here for hours. His skin was turning blue, and he could no longer feel his legs or arms. His puffy red eyes betrayed his tear shed, and the tear stains that ran down his cheek showed just how long he had been crying. What for? For something that did not exist, was never there?
He glanced behind him, eyes gazing at the large wooden doors with a steady, unnerving blue stare. After a few moments, he turned away, shaking gently from head to toe. He was so young, too young to have felt such sorrow and heartbreak. And now there was nothing left for him, it seemed. Nothing but his small, broken family; his brother, his trainer. He swiped a hand across his face, sniffling shortly, and hiccupped, looking like a lost child who had forgotten his way home. After a few moments, a soft sound caught his attention, and he glanced up to see his brother trudging through the snow, a small sack in his hands.
He perked up a bit, and wiped his eyes fiercely, not wanting his appearance to give away his tears. He didn't want his brother to see him cry. Greymahlkin's black hair and baggy shirt were a dead giveaway. His large, black eyes gazed determinedly ahead, and he walked with a slight limp from the long walk, his face hard and set. The young boy stood, and rushed to his older sibling, embracing him around his middle. Greymahlkin patted the young child's hair, and gently turned him around, steering him back towards the steps. "Sorry I took so long, Beecko,"he muttered. "It was kind of hard finding food up here. All this snow really makes walking difficult."he grunted as he pulled out a small loaf of bread and handed it to the boy.
Beecko took it happy, and bit into it, and Greymahlkin studied the large wooden doors with a solemn expression. So, this was the Basantha Shrine, eh? It was an ancient, imposing building, one he truly wished he did not have to enter. His eyes strayed over his shoulder, to where his brother was munching away happily on the bread, and digging around in the small bag for the strips of dried jerky he had brought to gobble down as well. Greymahlkin closed his eyes, turning back around to face the shrine. His lips were pressed in a thin line, and he paused a moment to collect his thoughts. Why was he here? To find a Hunter, for his brother. To find a guardian for the young Albie.
It was his sole purpose, this grim and cold day. He would not be around forever to protect Beecko, and now, with war looming on the horizon, Greymahlkin was certain he'd be dragged into it. In fact, it was only a matter of time before he found himself a badge, and joined one of the sides. But Beecko...He was too young. He did not need to see such destruction and pain. He had already lost two of the most important people in his life; their parents. He didn't need any more pain. Slowly, he reached out a hand, and placed his palm on the solid, ice encrusted wooden door. Sighing, he turned back to his brother. "Beecko,"he rumbled. "Let's go. It'll be warmer inside. We need to get out of this cold..."
And begin our hunt, he thought dully, pushing open the heavy door with only minimal effort. Beecko grabbed the bag, a piece of bread hanging from his mouth, and trotted after his brother, taking long, leaping strides to keep up with Greymahlkin's sure and steady pace. "Brother,"he called, after the two had crossed the large halls. The stone sentinels loomed before them, and Beecko shrunk back, before charging forward to grab a hold of the tail of his brother's shirt. This place terrified him. Why were they here? "Brother...Brother what are we doing here?"
Greymahlkin glanced down at Beecko, smiling encouragingly and ruffling his hair. "A few things. You'll know soon enough." They were nearing the end of a dark hallway, and Greymahlkin turned into a room, a great deal smaller than the main area. All along the walls, candles flickered and leapt, their tiny flames dancing in the darkness. It was quiet, with only the occasional trainer and creature murmuring something under their breath, and moving along the wall or out the door. Greymahlkin sucked in a breath, his eyes taking in the scene. He padded forward on silent feet, his black eyes soaking in the light.
As he reached a small corner of the room, he stopped. Beside the small candles were little matches, and he picked one up, striking it, and lighting two unlit candles. The candles flickered, and glowed brightly, their light illuminating his face. Beecko stayed close to his brother's side, but something off to the corner caught his eyes...Greymahlkin silently bowed his head, hands clasped in front of his chest. Quietly, he murmured a silent prayer, hoping they would find a hunter, and grieving for his lost parents. "I will give anything up for this Hunter,"he murmured into the ominous darkness. "Anything you ask, you can have. Even if it is my life, I shall gladly give it. Please, just answer my plea...Please. Not for me, but for Beecko. For my brother..."
Beecko, meanwhile, had strayed off to the corner of the room, where a large door rested peacefully in the wall. A strange symbol was etched onto the door. It looked like an odd arrow, with a circle beneath it. Tentatively, he reached out a hand and touched it with feather-light fingertips, his aquamarine eyes going wide with curiosity. "I wonder what you are? What do you mean?"he murmured, his voice so soft, it was barely audible. "What is behind this door?" He vaguely heard his brother's words, and before he could push the door open more than enough to fit himself through, he paused, one foot beyond the threshold, his face half shadowed by the unknown. "A hunter? What on earth is that?"
It seemed like he'd been waiting for eternity. He leaned back on the palms of his hands, not really feeling the cold of the frozen stone steps beneath him. There was nothing out there but snow, it seemed, at least, nothing he could scent. He muttered under his breath, swiping at his eyes with the sleeve of his overly large black shirt. He wished Greymahlkin would return soon. He'd been sitting out here for hours. His skin was turning blue, and he could no longer feel his legs or arms. His puffy red eyes betrayed his tear shed, and the tear stains that ran down his cheek showed just how long he had been crying. What for? For something that did not exist, was never there?
He glanced behind him, eyes gazing at the large wooden doors with a steady, unnerving blue stare. After a few moments, he turned away, shaking gently from head to toe. He was so young, too young to have felt such sorrow and heartbreak. And now there was nothing left for him, it seemed. Nothing but his small, broken family; his brother, his trainer. He swiped a hand across his face, sniffling shortly, and hiccupped, looking like a lost child who had forgotten his way home. After a few moments, a soft sound caught his attention, and he glanced up to see his brother trudging through the snow, a small sack in his hands.
He perked up a bit, and wiped his eyes fiercely, not wanting his appearance to give away his tears. He didn't want his brother to see him cry. Greymahlkin's black hair and baggy shirt were a dead giveaway. His large, black eyes gazed determinedly ahead, and he walked with a slight limp from the long walk, his face hard and set. The young boy stood, and rushed to his older sibling, embracing him around his middle. Greymahlkin patted the young child's hair, and gently turned him around, steering him back towards the steps. "Sorry I took so long, Beecko,"he muttered. "It was kind of hard finding food up here. All this snow really makes walking difficult."he grunted as he pulled out a small loaf of bread and handed it to the boy.
Beecko took it happy, and bit into it, and Greymahlkin studied the large wooden doors with a solemn expression. So, this was the Basantha Shrine, eh? It was an ancient, imposing building, one he truly wished he did not have to enter. His eyes strayed over his shoulder, to where his brother was munching away happily on the bread, and digging around in the small bag for the strips of dried jerky he had brought to gobble down as well. Greymahlkin closed his eyes, turning back around to face the shrine. His lips were pressed in a thin line, and he paused a moment to collect his thoughts. Why was he here? To find a Hunter, for his brother. To find a guardian for the young Albie.
It was his sole purpose, this grim and cold day. He would not be around forever to protect Beecko, and now, with war looming on the horizon, Greymahlkin was certain he'd be dragged into it. In fact, it was only a matter of time before he found himself a badge, and joined one of the sides. But Beecko...He was too young. He did not need to see such destruction and pain. He had already lost two of the most important people in his life; their parents. He didn't need any more pain. Slowly, he reached out a hand, and placed his palm on the solid, ice encrusted wooden door. Sighing, he turned back to his brother. "Beecko,"he rumbled. "Let's go. It'll be warmer inside. We need to get out of this cold..."
And begin our hunt, he thought dully, pushing open the heavy door with only minimal effort. Beecko grabbed the bag, a piece of bread hanging from his mouth, and trotted after his brother, taking long, leaping strides to keep up with Greymahlkin's sure and steady pace. "Brother,"he called, after the two had crossed the large halls. The stone sentinels loomed before them, and Beecko shrunk back, before charging forward to grab a hold of the tail of his brother's shirt. This place terrified him. Why were they here? "Brother...Brother what are we doing here?"
Greymahlkin glanced down at Beecko, smiling encouragingly and ruffling his hair. "A few things. You'll know soon enough." They were nearing the end of a dark hallway, and Greymahlkin turned into a room, a great deal smaller than the main area. All along the walls, candles flickered and leapt, their tiny flames dancing in the darkness. It was quiet, with only the occasional trainer and creature murmuring something under their breath, and moving along the wall or out the door. Greymahlkin sucked in a breath, his eyes taking in the scene. He padded forward on silent feet, his black eyes soaking in the light.
As he reached a small corner of the room, he stopped. Beside the small candles were little matches, and he picked one up, striking it, and lighting two unlit candles. The candles flickered, and glowed brightly, their light illuminating his face. Beecko stayed close to his brother's side, but something off to the corner caught his eyes...Greymahlkin silently bowed his head, hands clasped in front of his chest. Quietly, he murmured a silent prayer, hoping they would find a hunter, and grieving for his lost parents. "I will give anything up for this Hunter,"he murmured into the ominous darkness. "Anything you ask, you can have. Even if it is my life, I shall gladly give it. Please, just answer my plea...Please. Not for me, but for Beecko. For my brother..."
Beecko, meanwhile, had strayed off to the corner of the room, where a large door rested peacefully in the wall. A strange symbol was etched onto the door. It looked like an odd arrow, with a circle beneath it. Tentatively, he reached out a hand and touched it with feather-light fingertips, his aquamarine eyes going wide with curiosity. "I wonder what you are? What do you mean?"he murmured, his voice so soft, it was barely audible. "What is behind this door?" He vaguely heard his brother's words, and before he could push the door open more than enough to fit himself through, he paused, one foot beyond the threshold, his face half shadowed by the unknown. "A hunter? What on earth is that?"