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The morning was approaching, a singular ura lay curled up in a ball, his black making him almost invisible, if not for the glow of his blue patterning He lifted his head, waking suddenly, his side feeling cold and barren, the warm body that usually resided next to him was gone. His tail patted the empty spot, his mind blank from the shock. "Yang?" His sister never left his side, and never while he was resting. He looked around himself seeing very no sign of his beloved sister, Yang.
Yin pulled himself up slowly, unsure as if to look for her, she might have just been thirsty and woken to get water, it might be nothing to worry about. He decided to wait... and wait he did, until the feeling in his gut became impossible to ignore. Restlessly he sniffed the air, catching her scent and following it until it ended, she must have started to fly at this point, airborne scents were pretty much impossible to track, as even a gentle wind could scatter it, never to be found again. He let out a deep grunt, wondering how he would find her now, however he wasn't left to wonder for long, as he heard a twig snap as well as a semi familiar voice.
"Well good mornin there, aren't you uras just up and ready for the day today. How's it goin Yin?" A small yellow diesura asked from below, he was accompanied by his child, an even smaller Diesura, though this one had the common coloring, except for its red face.
He turned his head, blue eyes narrowed as he tried to remember the old creature below him, did it even have a name? It was unimportant however, so he quickly brushed it off. "I'm looking for my sister, I dont have time to chat." He spoke coldly, he was never the 'social' type.
"Oh reckon you mean miss Yang, I saw here bout a few hours ago, heading towards the flower cove I do bet." The Diesura pointed its muzzle in the direction of flower cove.
"Great." Was all Yin said before taking to the air, and gliding towards flower cove, the gut wrenching feeling only growing.
As the flower cove neared, his anxiety rose, he could see a large and long white shape in the distance, laying along the top if the cove, it's length specked with patches of red, he pretended he didn't know what it could be, feigning ignorance until he could no longer reasonably do so. Slowing his pace, he held back tears as he approached the broken and bloody body of his twin sister, her white and light grey pelt stained pink.
Placing a hesitant hand on her pelt, hoping it was only a joke, yet he knew it to be impossible, as did he know she couldn't be alive, still he tried. "Y-yang, wake up." He tried to shake her, but her pelt was so cold and stiff that she was practically frozen to the ground.
After staring at one of the few untainted white spots on her pelt, he finally brought his gaze upward, glancing across her body, tears flowing down his face as he took in the damages to her broken and bloody body, covered in several severe wounds. She had clearly been burned, probably by a group of sochuri, as they had wven reached her back. Her tender flesh had been torn into in several places, eaten and knawed at.
Yin raised his head up to the sky, tears flowing like waterfalls down his face as he let out a heartbreaking scream, continuing to do do until his voice grew hoarse, and even threatening still continuing until he just had no voice left to scream in, his head tilted in a silent cry.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~After having layed by the half eaten Corpse of his sister, yin dragged himself up, mindlessly attempting to pick up her body, and drag it away, though she was too heavy for him to carry, and he hadn't gotten far before exhausting himself. Eventually he gave up, defeatedly retreating, and floating without a destination in mind. His mind was in a Haze, empty yet full, and he lost sight of where he was. Once she snapped back into reality he could only hear hoarse cries, he didn't realize they were his own until he had to take a deep breath, coughing a bit from the strain, he'd been hovering, circling the air for who knows how long. He must have been up in the air for a long time, as his bones ached and he was so tired, and the moment he acknowledged this, he started to slip, falling to the ground. He hit the hard surface of the ground, definitely breaking something, bur he was already so numb and in so much pain that he didn't even feel it, at least not in that moment.
Yin layed slumped on the ground, refusing to move, not that his body would let him even if he so wished to, and he didn't wish two. Part of him wished it were him, rather than his innocent and pure sister, though he also feared death thus he had no intention of dying as well, the other part of him desperately wanted revenge, to slat those that had taken his sister away From him. However the biggest part of him wanted only one thing, his sister back, without her his world felt small and empty, left in a meaningless void unsure in which direction he should go.
Eventually, Yin pulled himself up, the pain from his broken leg now getting to him, he wished he was able to brace his fall a bit better, despite wanting to lay around and do nothing, he knew that he, himself had to live, it's what his sister would have wanted, he needed to live for them both, even if it was painful, it was for the best. He let himself forget about revenge and guilt, if only temporarily, as he dragged himself to the oasis in the desert, where the Healer lived.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~After a long journey, Yin finally made it too the oasis, feeling exhausted, maybe he should have gotten a bit more rest before moving again, actual rest rather than just laying slumped on the ground in a daze. The Healer had been waiting for him, sensing his plight long before the young ura even arrived.
"Well don't you look like utter shit... what happened to you?" The cranky old valkyrie, simply named Valk, asked with an annoyed tone. But when the young ura hadn't answered he grew worried. "Let's get you healed, and maybe something to eat, I have a few berries in my den." The valkyrie offered, gesturing towards his den.
"Yeah..." Yin replied with a nod, he really just wanted this pain in his leg gone.
Valk lead the way back to his den, before having Yin sit up, carefully lifting the broken limb with his tail, straightening it before biting down on it, the bone slowly starting to mend back together with the valkyrie's venom.
No one was sure exactly, but something about the Venom of the valkyrie caused thier bites to heal any injuries the moment they pierced the flesh, healing even thier own bite. Though no one complained about it, because it made them useful, and there were other creatures with similar abilities. But while the bite was useful fir healing, it was also thier greatest weakness, as they couldn't defend themselves, well unless they happened to be valk, the most violent of his kind.
Suddenly Yin was jolted from his thoughts by a hard slap to the face.
"Earth to Yin! Stop spacing out I'm trying to ask you something." Valk had slapped Yin with his tail, it actually hurt quite a bit.
Yin looked up "what..." he asked in an unsure way, his face stinging from the slap. Valk sure was a brutal old man, he didn't even bother to hold back with that slap.
"I got you some food, but I only have melons and cherries." He set a few pieces of fruit down for the ura to eat.
Yin ate part of the Melon, but left it only partially eaten, he actually really didn't feel like eating. "Yeah... thanks"
"Oh what's wrong with you boi, you're acting like someone's died-" he stopped, realizing what he said. "Did someone die?"
The ura sat up, pushing the Melon and cherry away, making his way out of the den, trying not to start crying again.
"Oh yin wait, what happened!" The old valkyrie tried to chase after him, but his old age slowed him, and the ura had already started to flew away, leaving the confused old man frustrated and worried for her young ura.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Yin had been circling the air, crying a broken song in his grief for the past few days however on this day, he was too tired to do such. The rumors of Yins lost twin had already spread across the mist of the island, and even if he tried, it was impossible to avoid overhearing the conversations and whispers. He'd heard many different takes of 'what actually happened' so much that he himself was confused. He'd finally found a quiet spot to rest, luckily no one was around where he had chosen to rest, or so he thought.
As he closed his eyes and started to drift off to sleep he heard a chattering in the distance, it sounded like two creatures, they didn't sound very big, but just in case, yin moved farther back into the den he'd found, out of sight.
"Hey have you heard the rumors" one creature asked
"Of the dead ura twin, of course!" The second scoffed.
"No of the mysterious object known as the revival stone or whatever." The first sighed, sounding annoyed.
"Ih that myth! Dont even get started, it's nothing more than a silly story!"
The second persisted, "buy what about elder moonelle, she lost her son, her only son, but suddenly she just stopped mourning and her son was fine."
"She lost her mind remember, her son probably never died, she was the only one who claimed her son to be dead."
"Then what of ruin, he was dead for almost a full season, but one day he appeared, and his brother was the one thst was dead."
"Well you know how those athulyth. They all look the same. Must have been a-" the twos voices faded off into the distance, and Yin moved to take a look at them.
Peeking out of the cave he noticed the creatures were just some pernirexs, nothing to worry about.
"A revival stone..." for the first time since his sister died, he felt hope, if such a thing existed, then he needed to find it. He'd only heard of this object once before, but it was told to be extremely rare, possibly a myth. But if there was a chance, even the smallest one, he had to take it.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Yin had traveled the island, heading to the oasis to meet with elder moonelle, however he'd learned thst she had died the year previous. Asking to speak with her son got him nowhere, as her son had long since dissapeared. Next he tried to speak to ruin, the athulyth, however the male refused to speak to him.
Yin refused to give up, Ruin was his last lead, and he was growing more and more desperate.
This time, however, he'd had Ruin cornered, the only place Ruin could go was up, but athulyths were notoriously slow creatures, there was no way the old creature could out fly the young ura.
"You need to stop this Yin, what you are doing isn't healthy. You don't even know what you are doing!" Ruin said with his back to the wall, large piller like tail twitching with irritation.
"Where can I find it. I want the stone." The ura said with a growl, he'd always been the more aggressive type, yet now, he seemed to be... different.
"Its not even a stone, it's a token, and it's dangerous!" Ruin spat, his golden eyes narrow in regret, beak snapping shut, but it was already too late, he'd said it, confirmed it. "You need to move on." He tried backtracking, but it was already too late.
Yin was now focused on what he had said, all his doubts and worries washing away. "So it's real! Where can I find it!" His dark eyes now suddenly filled with life.
"Y-you can't okay, they come to you." This was a lie, an obvious one, but ruin tried to push it off as truth, despite hid inability to lie. "So maybe if you... uh just be patient you can-"
Yin cut him off "You're still bad at lying, now tell me where-" a twig snapped behind him, cutting off his attention from the elder athulyth. He turned around to see the small and squishy body of a moonelle, mostly black with purple accents
"You're elder moonelle's son..." Ruin spoke dreadfully, he knew that the moonelle would give the ura what he wanted, and he dreaded the outcome.
"Follow" the moonelle's voice was small and weak, nothing more than a small squeak. "I can show uou what you seek, but I cannot give it to you, that is for you to find yourself." The moonelle then bounded off, dissapearing through the trees and underbrush.
Without hesitation the ura followed, leaving the athulyth behind.
Ruin called out desperately "you won't get what you want! Not without suffering! Everything has a price..." however his words had fallen on deaf ears, and soon, both had vanished completely. "Please..."~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The moonelle had lead the ura to a secluded place he had never seen, yet it had always been there, right beneath the volcano, a lush little cave filled with hot springs and plenty of plants. It was honestly stunning, though a bit to warm and humid for him. It seemed that the moonelle had been living here for a very long time.
"This is my home, please make yourself comfortable, there is something I must find." The moon had been moving and looking around the area it pulled out an odd looking stone, with a strange shape "are you sure this is what you wish for, if your heart is true then look into the stone. It should tell you what you need to know."
Yin nodded, looking at the object, he didn't even hesitate, but before he could look he was interupted.
"There is no going back from here." The moonelle warned. "These things don't come free, you may not come back with your life intact."
"I don't care." The ura then looked deep into the Translucent slightly rounded stone, before suddenly slumping to ghe ground as if knocked unconscious by an area sleep ability. His hearing slowly fading with the last words he had heard being "then your journey begins now..."~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Yin opened his eyes, he'd been left laying on the floor, the moonelle nowhere to be found, not even his scent remained, it was as if the moonelle had never even been there, but he didnt have time to dwell on such a thing, he somehow knew where he needed to go. He quickly made his way out of the cave a cold chill hitting his face, the outside suddenly looked, different, it was spring when he left but now, there was a thick coat of snow on the ground, and he could have sworn there were more trees when he came here. Nevermind that, more importantly he needed to get to the tundra.
The ura's bones ached, and he felt extremely parched, he moved back inside to the warmth of the Cave, looking for some of the berries that had once overtook the Cave, however most were dry and Wilted now, one bush, at least, still had a few good berries on it. He quickly ate what he could, drinking some of the warm water as well, he was still hungry, but he'd worry about that later.
He made his way out of the cave, moving slowly, realizing he felt a bit different, though he wondered if it was just his imagination.
Having made it to the Snowy mountains of the tundra, he looked around the pass ahead, searching for a cave, however rather than an opening, there only seemed to be a tree. Yin circled back and forth around before settling in front of the tree and studying it. He felt the entrance should be here. Looking closer he noticed that the tree's bristles looked warn and traveled through. "I see..." he narrowed his eyes, pushing his way through the brush, but rather than bumping into solid wall, he found the entrance to the cave, the low hanging tree was nothing more than a cover to hide the cave.
Yin sighed, feeling kinda dumb for not realizing until now, but also anxious dude to the worn path beneath the tree, this place should be secluded, yet there was clear signs of life. Sniffing the air, he caught an unfamiliar scent, this only made his anxiety rise more, though he hadnt the time to dwell on it. He pushed through the trees hanging branches and made his way down the winding path that led deep into the ground. The caves path was narrow and claustrophobic, but the ura ignored such unimportant details, he had a much more important mission he needed to focus on.
As he neared the end of the winding tunnel, an alarming scent hit him hard, causing him to stop, and hesitate, but after a few moments pause, he pushed himself forward.
As soon as his face hit the open air of the cave, he found himself to be surrounded by a pack of ferrah, thrre were about seven of them, however one hung back, looking old and smelling of sickness and death, a putrid scent that was so strong he choked on it, he almost retreated from the smell alone, but held his ground. Ferrah were fairly fragile creatures, but quick, if it came to a fight he'd surely find it difficult especially since he was still partially in the tunnel, his movements restricted.
"You trespass on our territory!" One ferrah spoke, growling as it started to move the others moving in sync, they paced back amd forth, glaring him down all the while.
"If you wish to come and closer-" one started but another finished "a price you must pay!"
"I don't want any trouble..." Yin spoke in vain, the ferrah cared not for his words
"Silence!" Ibe shouted and another interjected "we care not for the ill speech of the soon too be dead!"
"Prepare to meet your-" one of them started to poise for an attack, but the sickly and old one shouted, stopping it in its tracks.
"Silence! This one is a guest!" The older Ferrah was a female, with a raspy and drawn out accent that gave the ura the chills. She stepped closer, the stench of death becoming stronger and causing the young ura to flinch. "Isn't that right young one." It wasn't a question, but rather a statement, but she waited for an answer all the same.
He spoke carefully, knowing that if he gave any other answer he would likely die. "Yes, that is correct."
The ferrah seemed to smile, eyes glinting with malice, causing the ura to wonder if he'd responded correctly afterall. "There is... a price you know... of you wish to bring back the dead. Come in come in." She beckoned, her body tilting, pointing further into the cave.
Yin tried to back out, but his tail was nipped at, causing him to move forward. Looking frantically he noticed that one of them was gone, and at some point had slipped under him and gotten behind him. He was tempted to push it away with his tail, bit something was telling him he should move forward, so he did. "This price, what is it?"
"Silly silly boy, be patient." The old ferrah had made her way up a path that led to a small ledge that looked over the cave. "Now then, for your price!" Her voice echoed around the cave now, reaching every nook and cranny of, reverberating even inside of Yin's very core. "Hmm sit up let me see all of you!"
The ura did just as told, sitting up on his very most hind quarters, he felt uncomfortable exposing his vulnerable belly, but he feared what may happen if he refused to do as he was told.
"Yes yes. I see!" Sge grinned wildly, drool running down her maw. "If you wish to get your lost sister back and use the token, then you must sacrifice your flesh. Do not fret, we only ask for three things, your ear, your foot, and a Fang. Feel free to choose what of which you'd like, but all three must be ours."
"Wait, before I go tearing off my limbs... how do I know I can trust you, what's to say you don't even have this token I seek." His gut told him this was all wrong, yet also right, he knew this to be the right place, bur was unsure if these ferrah would even give him what he sought. He only needed to see the token in order to prove that what he was about to do was even worth it, if they hadn't the token then he'd of sacrifice his limbs for nothing, and he refused to let such a thing happen.
"Boys. Show him." She commanded, and three of the six stepped forth. Laying down a small thing on the ground before him.
He reached out to touch it but was immediately snapped at, deep growls emanating from the ferrah that surrounded him.
"Ah ah ah!" The female ferrah made a tsk noise and whipped her tail back in forth, her expression on of a parent scornfully scolding thier child. "No touching, but as you can see, it's the real deal, you should definitely know it, you can feel it right?"
She was right, he really could feel it, he knew this was it, but he still wasn't sure. "But this token, if I use it, will she really come back?"
"Of course, you've seen done of out friends who have cone back yourself, the moonelle, and even that athulyth! All were the work of one such stone as this. You can have your sister back, all for just some temporary pain." She smiled at him, her grin devilish and wicked. "But, if you turn away now, you forfeit your life, and loose the chance of ever seeing your sister again, afterallwe cant turn fiwn a free, easy meal."
He looked at the ferrah before him, some of them drooling, others licking thier maws in hunger. "Fine take what you want, I just want my sister back."
"Please, lay down, we will make it quick, and try to be as painless as possible." The ferrah spoke, her voice turning somewhat gentle.
The ura ignored the every inch of his body that screamed for him to run, and lay down, hoping it wouldn't hurt too much, though he could never have prepared himself for the feeling he was about to experience.
The three male ferrah tore inti his flesh, quickly ripping off his limbs, one of his middle feet on the left side, his right ear, and left Canine where ripped out, causing him more pain than he'd ever felt, his ears started to ring, and the sounds from those around him became fuzzy and dull.
"Quickly, get him into the water with the-" he faintly heard the old ferrah's voice commanding as he passed out, feeling his body become submerged in water.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Yin felt himself floating in what could only be described as an abyss, darkness all around, he felt everything, yet nothing. He was unable to move, his head still ringing, body feeling as if it was falling, yet rising, spinning our of control, yet still, an impossible feeling, yet he was still experiencing it. He heard a jumbled voice, consisting of many sounds all strung together at once, incomprehensible, but somehow he understood the question being asked and he answered. It threw question after question at him, and he answered each one honestly, though not with his voice, but with his heart.
[Isb]"do you wish to continue your life as it was before?"
[Isb]"do you understand things will never go back to normal?"
[Isb]"do you understand the consequences of your actions?"
[Isb]"are you ready to accept the fate before you?"
Such questions were thrown at him fur what felt like hours, years, and he answered each and every one of them with the same word, "yes."
After it seemed like things would never end, the final question was asked,
[Isb]"who is it who seeks new life?"
His heart ached as it answered, all of his sorrow and pain seemed to flow out of him at once, causing him even more pain that when his limbs were torn from his conscious body. "I want... my sister back!" He cried out, his raw emotion taking form, everything around him seeming to swirl and spiral out of control, as if a hurricane were dragging him along. All of his senses started to scream with the chaos around him, it hurt but felt relieving at the same time, all of his emotions hitting him at once until... there was nothing, just a calm and quiet, the gentle flow of water around him, the need to go above for some proper air, but he couldn't see, couldn't feel very well either. It's as if his nerves were shot. He hadn't even realized he'd surfaced until he'd smelled the caves air again, as well as the stench of the ferrah. While his eyes saw nothing ams his skin was numb, he found his sense of precence had amplified, as did his sense of smell, so he immediately knew when there was a familiar precence beside him.
Quickly, he turned and reached out, though he couldn't really feel it, he knew his hands had touched the familiar fur if his sister, he could tell by the way her precence flowed through him at the slightest touch. "Y-yang?" He gave her a gentle nudge, hoping that she was truly alive and that this wasn't a cruel dream.
The form moved, rising after a few prods, the aura of the creature taking on a confused state, it tried to speak but only managed to let out a dull croak, but through her precence he could tell what the ura was trying to say.
Yin immediately nuzzled into his sister "Oh yin it's really you! Dont worry it's me, Yin, you're safe now!" He was filled with joy as the sweet and familiar scent of his only kin filled his nose, blocking out the putrid smell of the elder ferrah.
"Y-yin." Yangs voice, though raspy and weak, it was definitely hers, ranging out as she delicately nuzzled her brother back. "A-are you okay... what happened."
She seemed to not remember dying, or being dead, but Yin was fine with that, she didn't need to know, her being here was enough. "Nothing important, let's just go home." He couldn't help but cry, but his reunion was interupted.
"Not so fast, you cannot leave yet." The elder ferrah butted in.
Yin feared that she wasn't done with them, maybe she wanted to tale something from his sister as well. "Haven't you taken enough!"
"Oh shut up, that's not why I'm stopping you! I am only trying to help!" She snapped, rolling her glassy eyes. "If you leave you will both die, you must stay here and ingest the water of life for at least two years, if you do not, both of you will die!"
"Two years..." he dreaded the thought of staying in this Ill scented cave another minute, but he didnt come this far just for both of them to end up dead. "Very well, but how do we know it will take two years? What if it takes longer?"
"Most of the time it takes less time, but it can sometimes take longer, two years is a safety measure. You will know when you no longer need the waters life." The ferrah explained, "fear not, no harm will come to you here, and you will have plenty to eat. Now then, rest up, and you best explain everything to the newly reborn, you aren't allowed to keep it a secret."
Yin sighed, looking in his sisters direction, a soft smile on his face "alright..." he teared up a bit and got comfortable, preparing to fill his sister in on what happened, keeping a few parts to himself.
The two uras lives would never be the same, for one had lost his sight and feeling, and the other her voice, nothing was the same, but neither cared, for they gad eachother. They also gained much more, eternal life, and a stronger connection that allowed them to communicate without words...