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 Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2022 7:04 pm
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2022 7:08 pm
Nose up to the air, Morana sniffed deeply. The air was getting colder each day the past week but today it seemed like the temperature was just dropping by the hour. "Hmm it smells like a storm might be rolling in soon. How does the sky look?" She asked. There was no one around her so if anyone happened to pass by they'd think she was talking to herself.
"It's not dark but it's rather cloudy. Big grey clouds. They do seem to be moving and have almost covered the whole sky." A small voice replied after a moment. Some of Morana's hair moved and small rodent head popped out by one of her ears. A mouse was hiding in her hair by the ear. It was a purple mouse with a red bead necklace.
"Well then I guess the storm is coming in. It feels too cold for rain though. Maybe it'll pass us by." She replied to the mouse. She lowered her head and began to move through the forest. The mouse would call out directions or obstacles that would pop up in front of the Soquili. Morana was blind and her mouse familiar worked as her guide. The wind began to pick up as she walked following the directions the mouse gave to avoid trees, rocks, holes that appeared.
"On your left. Low branch that broke and is hanging in the way." Another voice piped up. Her hair shifted again and a bright red mouse head appeared on the left side of her head. "Sight Plague I thought you said you were going to keep an eye out for everything in front?! You didn't warn Morana about it."
The first mouse who was addressed as Sight Plague looked over at the red mouse. "I was getting ready to warn her about it. Give me a moment Red Death." Noise could be heard from the back of the Soquili. Two more mice popped out from where they were hiding in the hair that hung around her neck and near her back. One was black with white starry markings and the other one was a dark grey almost black and pale red/pink.
"Will you two stop arguing. We Plagues are here to help guide the Bringer." The grey and pale red one called out, "She's still moving so get to it!"
"Plague March, it's okay. They're still guiding me." Morana said pausing and turning her head as if she was looking at the mouse on her back, "Isn't that right Plague "Death to Sight" and Plague "Red Death"?" Both made affirmative noises and she nodded. "How are you doing Saint of Plagues "Valentine"? You've been pretty quite on this trip away from the group. You weren't too keen on taking it so I bet you're happy we're heading back home."
The black starry mouse named Saint of Plagues "Valentine" shifted on Morana's back. "I'm fine. I just know it's hard for you to travel away from your mates or family. A trip that should take a day or two ends up taking so many more when it's just you with us. We can only see and do so much to help you. If Fechin was here to help you'd be able to move so much faster." He replied his little bee wings buzzing for a moment making him hover for a moment. He landed back on her back and moved to hide in her hair. "It is getting colder so we better get a move on. Death to Sight and Red Death help guide Morana quickly. We might need to take shelter if we don't hurry."
All of the remaining mice called out an 'okay' and Morana began to move again. Valentine and Plague March both went back to hide in Morana's hair while Death to Sight and Red Death gave Morana directions. The group did pick up speed some but it wasn't enough to out run the storm. Morana was the first to notice as she felt cold flakes land on her back. "Oh! It's not rain. It's the cold stuff. Sight do you see it?" She said moving around a tree that Red Death called out.
"Yeah the white stuff is falling down. Uh.. snow. Right snow is falling and it's a lot. We're not able to see very far Morana. We need to find a place to wait this out. We're no where near any sort of caves so we need a thick area of trees and find a place we can bed down there." Death to Sight said looking around trying to see anything in the building blizzard. A bright flash of purple and yellow wings appeared heading straight for them. "Oh look! The Harbinger is here! Summanus! Can you find a place for us to shelter at?"
The raven circled the group taking in the growing whiteness as the snow began to fall heavier. "Glad I found you Morana and the Plagues. This storm is looking like it might be bad. I found a fallen tree you can shelter under. It's in a denser part of the forest. You know Angra and Bastion are worried about you. They won't say it right out but you can tell. Mayu can only help out so much."
"They're such worrywarts. I've always been fine when traveling. They know this. Summanus lead the way!" She began to walk following the instructions that the two guiding mice gave as they watched where Summanus was flying. It took some time as Summanus was going slow due to the low visibility and also because the snow was beginning to pile up even in the forest.
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2022 7:10 pm
They eventually reached the tree that Summanus had spoken about however it appeared they weren't the only ones taking shelter. A bright red pair were doing their best to clear out the space around the fallen tree, making a snow wall to keep it from falling in the space under the tree.
"Morana looks like we're not the only ones here." Summanus said landing on a nearby branch, "Hang on... Angra? No... that's not him. Tail isn't right... but they both look like him.... and Bastion." He was looking at the bright red pair, a Soquili and a wolf. He hopped down the branch he was on trying to get a better look. "Do you see them?" He called out to the mice. He wanted to check to see if they also saw the resemblance and Morana wouldn't be able to answer since she couldn't see.
"Yeah we see it." Death to Sight replied taking in the pair with Red Death. The other two mice couldn't see them just yet as they'd have to travel to the top of Morana's head and they weren't doing that right now as there was a two mice up top limit that had been decided upon amongst themselves.
"Oh someone is already here?" Morana said her head turning in the direction of Summanus' voice. She then turned her head in the direction of the noise the other two had previously made. "Hello. Do you mind if we also shelter here? Mostly small ones and then myself." She was directing it towards the new pair however she was looking directly at a tree and talking to it instead of them as they were further away from it. It seemed to throw the other Soquili and the wolf off as they both looked at each other and then at her.
"Hello! Um... we're over here." The red Soquili called out trying to direct Morana's attention to her, "I certainly don't mind you joining us! More bodies mean more warmth, right?" She chuckled a little and looked down at the wolf. "You don't mind right brother?" The wolf huffed but shook his head showing he didn't mind. "See Rashn agrees. I'm Angerona and this is my big brother Rashn! We were caught by this blizzard during our search for our parents!"
During this time the mice directed Morana to face the correct direction and also describe the two. Indeed the descriptions of the Soquili and wolf sounded a lot like Angra Mainyu and Bastion... and Angerona's name sounded so much like Angra Mainyu. Did the boys have a kid finally? She knew that they had been trying with the spirits help but so far hadn't been lucky. But it didn't explain why the wolf was supposed to look like them too. "Nice to meet you Angerona and Rashn. I'm "Bringer of Plagues" Morana." She replied walking closer, "The bird is Summanus "Harbinger of Plagues" and these are my Plagues!"
Angerona looked surprised and a little scared and took a quick step back. "Plagues?! Are you all sick?! Maybe.." She was cut off as Morana quickly interjected. "No no no no. It's just a family tradition on names. We're all healthy. The mice are called Plague "Death to Sight", Plague "Red Death", Plague March, and Saint of Plagues "Valentine". But there's no plague beyond their name." Morana explained. Angerona didn't seem completely convinced but gave a small nod.
"You said you were looking for your parents?" Morana asked, "Do you know anything about them? Where they live? What they look like? Their names? Oh. If you could verbally reply I'd appreciate it. I can't see and if the mice have to whisper to me everything then I or they might miss something." She figured she'd quickly bring attention to her blindness so it wouldn't hinder any conversation. She moved to settle down below the fallen tree and out of the falling snow. It seemed to be a signal as Angerona and Rashn followed suit. Summanus flew in and landed on the ground, hopping to get closer to Morana.
"Oh you can't see? Wait... the mice tell you things that you'd normally see? They're like your seeing eye mice?" Angerona smiled at that thought and couldn't help a small giggle. It seemed like such a strange idea but it must work for her. "Yes we're looking for our parents. I've never met them but Rashn caught a glimpse of them shortly after being born. Plus I think the spirits gave him a dream or a sign about them. Right Rashn?"
"Yes Angerona. I was too small to chase after them but one was red like us with black wings and white markings. The other was tan with red on the chest and black skeleton markings and a strange tail. I don't know their names but the spirits sent me a sign that I had a sister not too long ago and that our parents were near here." He paused looking at the Soquili he was claiming was his sister and then back to Morana, "I set out to find my sister and found Angerona. It was easy to tell we're related because we look so similar. I guess the spirits wanted to play a trick on our parents by making one of us a wolf and the other a Soquili. Ever since then we've been searching together to find our parents."
Morana listened to their story and nodded. "Yes the spirits do like to play tricks or so I've heard. And based on what Summanus and the Plagues have said about how you look... I may know who your parents are." She couldn't see the surprised looked on the red siblings faces but could guess that there was one there due to the sudden silence from them both. "If you want I can take you with me as I'm currently traveling to where they are. Well... once this blizzard passes."
The odd siblings looked at each other, a silent conversation seeming to pass between them, before looking back at Morana. "Yes please!" They both replied happy to finally have a solid lead on their parents.
(total wc: 1971)
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