Open Chronicles The fey beasts, the mane of the Unicorne

[Niðþern]

Art by Eyvind Earle

The sky was a gradient from deep periwinkle to rose pink, while the soil was as dark as coal.
Many beasts lived here, many those magical and many more not. This forest was not an ordinary one.
If one smelled, they'd be engulfed in the refreshing scent of mulch and wet moss.
If one listened, the twitter of birds was a grand orchestra of its own right. The call of the Buzzards, the lonesome hoots of the owl and the chirps of the greenfinches, starlings, robins and tits.
They were the loudest in the eve when the crickets joined their grand song.

But among the deer, the aurochs, bears, kitsune and wolves was the fairest of the fair beasts.
The elusive unicorn.

Like a shining light, glistening in pure white, a fair beast walked across from it's shady grove to the woodland lake.
Lowering its head, it took a sip from the mirrorlike waters below.
Only here, everyone could see the beast as it truly was.

 

[Vittorio Vespa]

He swore he'd walked to the Falwood.

But this.
This was unlike anything he could have hoped for. Birds looking down at him thanks to his attachment to nature with welcoming gazes. As did the many other scurrying creatures amidst the woods. This couldn't be real. He was in love. He'd been quite lazy about his Dreadlord duties as of late and this motivated him to fix that none at all. Vittorio could live here.

The smell, the colors, the aura. It had to be the afterlife. If it was, he'd kill himself where he stood if it meant this was his eternity. And then it caught his eye. The creature; one of heavy myth. A unicorn. He was shocked into nigh paralysis. He set his notebook in his belt and knelt to see the creature just exist.

He did not deserve to see such beauty this day.

 

[Niðþern]

The water was not disturbed by a single sip.
Like a mirror, it kept reflecting the above, from the twinkling stars to the violet sky and it's many water birds.

The king of the beasts, of the wild ones and forest denizens was of beaming, pristine white fur. It held a certain kind of eminence or glow to it. A soft beard graced the unicorn's chin and while the unicorn was shorter than it's more common cousin, the greater false unicorn, it was as told by legends, cloven-footed and lion-tailed.

Their horn submerged deep into the waters. The pristine alicorn was of curved nature and grew horizontal from the forehead.
The unicorne briefly stilled its breath, it's eyes set upon a human.

His head rose.

 

[Vittorio Vespa]

Vittorio could barely contain his excitement but did all he could to preserve this moment. His eyes matching the stare of the mythical beast before him. They twinkled in wonder as he tried to hold back tears of joy from this serendipity. He set his hands gently in his lap as birds and squirrels and foxes took seats next to him. An aura of comfort extending from him to the nature around him.

How was he to approach it? Did they speak? He did not desire to ruffle the situation. But he wanted the experience, he wanted the knowledge.

 

[Niðþern]

Unlike the frightful doe or stag, the unicorn did not run. Not sprint or gracefully leap into the nearby bush.
no, he lowered his head and his tail swiped left to right and from right to left.

Was it accepting? It was not frightened nor disturbed.

 

[Vittorio Vespa]

He supposed that sitting and watching would not yield anymore results than this. He stood up, if slowly, and wandered over towards the creature. Upon reaching a respectful distance, he unveiled some basil from his pouch and extended his hand outward.

"Are you communicative?" Vittorio asked with a warm smile. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

 

[Niðþern]

As the human neared, the unicorn was unbothered and undisturbed. IT's black, reflective eyes, full of life blinked slowly. It's eyelashes too now were visible.

"Are you communicative?"

The fey king of the beasts rose his head high, his face pointing at him.
It's tail flickered once.

He neared the hand, barely touching it, and inhaling the scent of basil.
It was too intense for him.
»It is not a common day when a human walks this forest.« His eyes then gazed directly at the man's.
Like a mirror, they were reflective.

 

[Vittorio Vespa]

His eyes lit up in wonder. He couldn't believe the creature had actually spoken to him. It was not something he had genuinely anticipated despite the rumors of unicorns being highly intelligent. Nature once again proved itself of higher caliber than mankind ever could. Vittorio's heart was beating out of his chest with excitement. He removed his notebook from his belt and drew and ink and quill from his pouch.

"It is not a common day when I find places like this, either. I feel blessed to be here." He dipped the quill.

"What is your name, great beast?"

 

[Niðþern]

The small fey beast rose its head, snorting air out of its equine nostrils.
He took a respectable step back.
»This is my home, every beast large and small is welcome here. Though humans and elves have long left this place alone. You are the first here since the departures.«
»My name is not one a human can speak or I can convey in a manner you might understand, let alone feel or sense.«

The unicorn craned it's neck and stepped forward within reach once more.
»While I know the name of each blade of grass in this forest, your's escapes me.«

 

[Vittorio Vespa]

As he should've expected. The languages of beasts were often not meant for the ears of men. Nor their tongues. He let the ink drip to the page as blotches, for he was far too enamored with the creature in front of him.

"I am Vittorio Vespa. I come from Vel Anir. What are these departures you speak of?"

 

[Niðþern]

»Vel Anir is no place of love for these forests,« The unicorn remarked, quietly, perhaps surprised that the first visitor would be from there.
Was there an agenda for destruction? The unicorn felt it not in his heart.
His tail swooshed gently, on its own or perhaps on the wind's suggestion.

The mythical beast gently drew a line across the pine debris with his alicorn.
»Once upon a time people visited these forests regularly, it was many...many years later and ago from now that war had sparked between the elves and men. Only the kitsune still remain, unbothered by the troubles of the humanoids.«
The drawn line turned to scribbles as the unicorn rose his head.
»The forest wept from fire and steel and accepted no elf nor man on its soil anymore. With the very soil rejecting them, the departures soon followed and no person was to be seen here ever again.«

»But... «

»The forest is healed, and it seems it has...forgotten its wounds.«

 

[Vittorio Vespa]

Vittorio was unsurprised by this notion. Vel Anir harbored so much hate in its heart for the nature of things and Vittorio could never agree with it. His duty as a Dreadlord always got in the way of his love for the world of nature and he could not bring himself to find a balance. It was either he betrayed his morals or betrayed his home. It was never an easy thought.

He listened so closely to its words as they were entrancing to him. He wanted to know this tale deeper. Its roots.

"Was this the Anirian's doing? Are we responsible for the forests suffering?"

 

[Niðþern]

»Have you not always?« The unicorn tilted his head, tapping his front left hoof across the floor and kicking some debris behind. »Is this a surprise?«

 

[Vittorio Vespa]

No, he knew the truth of this. Perhaps there was a small glimmer of hope in his heart that Vel Anir had left its hands out of this. With Himmary and the young mage he'd met, he knew there were humans that respected the nature around them. That number was staggeringly low though.

"What can I do? I wish to ensure the safety of this place."

 

[Niðþern]

»You? Nothing a single person can do but stirr the consciousness of the many, if that is the approach you desire.« The unicorn turned his back on the man but still gazed back with an arched neck.

»There is always a will in nature to survive, a will to save the other is inherently a selfish act as well, not selfless. What act done by thee today will prevent the many of tomorrow to burn the land for farmland and cut the trees for ships or beams?«

The fey beast shook his head.
»As destructive as those forces are and come. The beautiful terror of nothing is never achived. Life will find a way, this forest will find a way. May we even walk a thousand miles to find new woods and we shall prevail even when the very farmland reject the seeds of grain upon it.«

 

[Vittorio Vespa]

"You speak too me as if I am not of nature's birth. My very existence is the product of what we see here today, an extension." Vittorio smiled and stood firmly, his fingers elongating slowly, as were his toes. His appendages expanding to impossible sizes and carrying him around the forest. Crawling upon what looked like twenty thin limbs and his height growing to outrageous numbers. Yet, he still lowered himself to the beasts level as he spoke again.

"I harbor no love for the city. I harbor no attachment to my corrupted coil contorted by the doings of civilization. I do not deny my selfishness, nor my corruption. Yet I offer it to you nonetheless. Would you rather wait for the next burning to come in its full ferocity, and ruin what magic lay here? Is it selfless to let others suffer because it is how it has been before? And is the selfishness of a desire to help inherently wrong?"

 

[Niðþern]

»Then will you not return to your city of o mortar and metal?« The unicorn shook his mane, observing Vittorio's display. His voice sounded solemn.
»You harbour so much hatred. I am angry not of the cities, anger is a path that leads to damnation. Yet nature is not a passive observer either. Would you have rather be born a doe or cub? Follow me.«

 

[Vittorio Vespa]

Vittorio has had the thought before. The desire to do away with his humanity. These cumbersome emotions that keep him further from the world of beast. What pleasure it would be to have an opportunity to live on as something different, humanly woe free. If this was in the realm of possibility, he would take it with a smile on his face. He reverted his limbs to normal and nodded towards the beast, following it closely.

 

[Niðþern]

The unicorn quietly whistled, gazing back to see if the man followed. From the rim of the pond to the dense, tall trees and the thicket. Many young pines gave way to a mazelike bramble.
The unicorne was harmed by no prickly leaf nor thorn. The forest seemed to give way to the passengers of here and now.
Even though the unicorne was quiet, the forest was not. The crickets of the eve and the birdsong of high above, the distance barking of roe deer and the calls of the pond frogs filled one's ears in almost disjointed harmony.

 

[Vittorio Vespa]

Vittorio stayed close behind the king of beasts, letting the thorns pierce his skin as he meandered through them. He could have easily hardened himself and broken the plants but he intended to do no harm to the nature around him. He could only guess as to where the unicorn could lead him. Wherever it was, it was where he wanted to be.

 

[Niðþern]

The bramble felt quieter, drier and the air felt chalky if only for a moment. »There may be possibilities for one of your skin to join the life of the other, « The unicorne continued to pave the path through the thicket.
»But such magics remain obscured if not even outright loathed. You perhaps may be acquainted with various witches tales? «
The unicorn gazed back at him.

 

[Vittorio Vespa]

He shook his head. "My answer to that is unfortunately no. My studies have included that of plants, and animals. I studied magic that only I needed to to attain my position and my freedom." He elongated his fingers once more.

"I loathe most magic. I think it is often used for the wicked. But if it may help me return this body to a state closer to nature, I will let it take its hold."

 

[Niðþern]

»Most, would humans call it; Obscene, perverse, unnatural, as if they knows of it. The arcane is the highest perversion of magics.« The unicorn further mused. »A polymorph is temporary, and a witches' goetic curse, while closer to natural, can be broken. But of course, some are satisfied to merely pretend. Would you?«
The tranquil beast nodded, after a lengthy hike, he stood before a thick curtain of vines. It was impossible to see past them. »I do have a third option, you might find highly repulsive.«
He locked some vines behind his horn, pushing them aside to reveal a portal stone. »It all depends on how far you wish to go. Would you rather return home, or see a witch?«

 

[Vittorio Vespa]

It would be... Temporary? Vittorio did not know how he felt of this. To pretend was not in the realm of his satisfaction. To be forever attached to nature. And caused by a perversion of nature itself? He should have known this to be too good. For truth, and for himself.

Vittorio shook his head. "Not like this. This isn't what I want. I think I may have to wait for rebirth."

 

[Niðþern]

The unicorn seemed to shake for a brief moment, his scarce mane fluttering. »And Indeed...Rebirth I can give you, but I fear it is not a path you are willing to take. «