Completed Pursuing The Horizon

[Noaru]

Winter 10, 514 A.V.

The new dawn was here. Noaru glided silently through the forest which praised the arrival of the sun. The warm embrace of stellar body passes quickly over the land, releasing the hold darkness held upon it. However, the deadly silence of the night remained—without falter. A beautiful morning was upon Noaru, as he thoughtlessly traversed through the forest with his daggers and soulmist trailing in the air behind him. He had grown accustomed to the deafening silence and maddening solitude that stalked wayfaring travelers like him. The spirit had spent five-hundred years in darkness and solitude, suffering as he did so.

How would these days of seemingly endless travel compare? Noaru catches a glimpse of a deer in his peripheral vision. The woodland beast would not have caught his attention, if it hadn’t suddenly started to flee for its life. Noaru couldn’t understand the strange deer; he clearly showed that he held zero interest in it. A whole herd of deer followed in pursuit, what was going on? Noaru lowered his two daggers onto the ground and levitated into the branches of a nearby tree. Noaru watches to see what beast would launch itself out of the brush. A wolf with pale-grey fur steps from the brush; it had several scars marking its face.

The beast had an odd look in its eyes, as aimlessly walked towards the tree Noaru had hidden himself in. There was a strange aura of melancholy around the wolf that Noaru could sense. Noaru levitates from the tree and onto the ground where his daggers remained. The spirit decided to materialize; his soulmist pulsed and glowed in response to his decision. The soulmist around him changed from transparent to infinite-black in color and swirled in a fashion that was reminiscent to smoke. Noaru stood in front of the old wolf as a shade.

“….”

The veteran wolf could sense that the entity before him had no intention of causing harm. He just stood there and stared in Noaru’s direction. Noaru lifted the two daggers with his soulmist and pointed them in the direction of the wolf. The wolf rested his body on the ground and stared at Noaru’s attempt to be threatening. He could see right through the entities façade and paid no attention to it. Noaru wondered why the beast hadn’t charged him. He wondered if this beast was a kelvic, one that had a powerful ability of insight. The spirit lowered his weapons but only slightly, as he did not trust the wolf entirely.

[Noaru]

Noaru felt that something was wrong. This wild being was one of the many beasts that chased him during the early days of his existence. The powerful, untamable wolf was a proud creature even in the last days of its life. Noaru levitated towards the creature, as it rests beneath a tree. Noaru saw this as an opportunity to be able to see the old wolfs memories. He would be able to obtain the body of a wolf and learn how to properly operate a body with four legs. Noaru approaches the old wolf which continued to stare at him with expressionless eyes.


‘‘I wish to look into your memories: to see what you’ve witnessed and experienced.’’


Noaru places his daggers onto the ground and raises his left hand. He places his hand above his companions head and concentrates. Noaru focuses on synchronizing with his host: rather than on total possession and allows his entire form to flow into the body. Noaru extends his ‘roots’ across the veteran wolfs consciousness to begin the slow process of assimilating his soul with his willing and calm hosts mind. An image of a young woman suddenly appears and Noaru recoils at the image, as feelings associated with the image overwhelmed him.

He could feel the joy this man felt when this woman held onto his hand. Noaru felt the heart within this man’s chest beating: rapidly, so vividly with emotion. Noaru took a moment to pause and noticed that he could feel… a heart beating. A series of images flowed into Noaru’s mind: memories, emotions, and thoughts came to him—all at once. However, the sensation of a beating heart within one’s chest and the memory of a precious someone was what connected to Noaru the most. This was life and love he was experiencing yet there was a bit of sadness that accompanied all of this.

The last memory was of the woman from before being burned in a fire. The young maiden had died; her heart was pure but not strong. Noaru felt despair take hold of the body of the man he was embodying, as the body of the man: whose life he was watching, lunges forward. He was desperately trying grab the hand of his lost love before the flames did. The man manages to do so before the flames of departure severed the bond. Noaru watched as this man, who he assumed was this wolf he was possessing, spent his days with his son.


‘‘...’’

[Noaru]

‘‘Vella, I can see and feel the love you felt for her and the pain that ensued after her death.’’

The old grey wolf and the ages old entity had something in common. The story of love and loss is what they shared. Noaru observed the world through his host’s eyes. He looks towards the horizon which was barely visible: thanks to the trees. He could tell that dusk was some hours away and the daylight was still his to spend. Noaru lifts ‘his body’ from the ground and walks towards the light that was peering through the tree branches. He walks faster and faster until he was actually running through the trees. A memory surfaces, as he did so, it was of a young wolf running through the forest. He raced towards his destination with excitement fueling the joy within his raging heart.

The wolf reaches a clearing where an entire pack of wolves greets him. There were wolves that jumped onto him and many howled in celebration to his arrival. Noaru knew where he needed to bring his companion at this point The claws on his paws dug into the ground to provide better traction. Noaru propelled his host’s body through the trees until a bright light appeared at the end of the tunnel-like section of the forest they inhabited. Noaru jumps and bursts through the light, he enters a slide and crouches to prevent himself and his host from falling.

A pack of wolves charged Noaru and pounced onto him. The pack was happy to see him, or rather the old wolf he was possessing. Noaru felt a sudden ‘change’ occur within his host’s body. The wolf’s body contorted and the bones shifted from their positions; fur changed to bare-skin and claws to nails. Noaru raised his left hand and clenched it into a fist--he'd brought his friend home. The wolf pack howled in celebration, reenacting the memory Noaru had seen before.


‘‘This was the place you were trying to reach, right? ’’


Noaru felt a series of wavering emotions within his host after he had asked his question. He tried to understand what this feeling was: it was alien yet familiar at the same time: a feeling of despair and crushed aspirations placed there. Noaru was silent, as the celebration went on outside his host. This feeling, he had to remember this feeling! Noaru dug deeper into his own mind until the memory of his near death surfaced. The old wolf had probably went-out into the forest to die.

Noaru couldn’t understand the wolf’s intentions, as he didn’t speak to him. The only form of communication he held with the old wolf was through memories and images of the past. Noaru leaves his wolf companions body and ventures off into the forest to reclaim his daggers. There was no need for further investigations…no matter how much he wanted to know about his temporary hosts life.

[Noaru]

Noaru had helped the grey wolf find his horizon. The time will come when he too would find his horizon: a place, or state of completion and equanimity. The forest seemed smaller now that he was outside his host: the grey wolf. Noaru had grown accustomed to this area and understood that the world was much bigger than him and the forest he currently inhabited. A long howl echoed through the forest. Noaru turns to see who had howled in his direction. A large grey wolf stood in the clearing; he stared in Noaru’s direction, as if thanking him with a gaze.

Noaru ventures off into the forest. There were two daggers waiting for him and a journey that needed completion. Noaru approached the area and noticed that his daggers were resting by the tree he had met the wolf. A moment ago he knew nothing of the kelvic but now he knew most of his life. Noaru lifted his daggers and in the blade of one of his daggers, he could see his reflection. A set a dark-crimson jewels peered back at Noaru with an obsidian pupil resting within each of them. Noaru lowered his daggers and levitated into the forest—there was much to be done.

Noaru went over the memories he witnessed within the recesses of his mind. The price of life had changed for him now. A life was priceless—life was precious. A delicate existence: capable of being extinguished with relative ease at times. The spirit traversed through the forest which gradually darkened as he entered its depths. He has never felt the weight of life on his hands but he has taken life before and ruined it.

Noaru felt the weight of every life he’s taken weigh down upon him. He now felt that he was no different than the monsters that roamed the darkened forest in the eldest days. Noaru disappears into the forest while enduring the harsh reality of his past transgressions.

[Orion Michaels]

mister ghosty
+1 materialization
+1 soulmist projection
+1 possession
+1 observation
+1 running

lore
Sharing in memories of loss
Accepting the weight of sins passed

Notes: Thanks for the thread, Noaru. Lots to think about for the old ghost. There was still some tense switching but it was better than previous threads so keep up the good work. PM me with questions and don't forget to edit your request.