Completed Are Those Stars or Are They Tears?

[Taurina]

Morning of the 20th of Winter 516

The storms had broken. Heat and humidity had returned, but at least the rain had ceased, lightning no longer threatened to strike, thunder had stopped its roaring.

Two days. The storm had lasted two days. Two days soaked in rain and fearing the Zith would make a reappearance. Two days of being unable to sketch or do anything other than curl up in a corner and try not to cry. Two so very long days.

It was no secret that the Ethaefal loathed storms. They took her away from Leth and they caused waves of panic that she could not control. Long storms stretched out endlessly and nothing the Ethaefal wished to get done even got started. To go out and even check on Melody was hard. Her limbs were heavy, her head throbbing, every fiber of her being would tighten and beg her to go back inside. During the night it was worse, she was worse.

Taurina wished things were different, that she did not turn into such a mess when the rains came. They needed the rain storms brought to replenish the water supply. Especially during the dry, hot season winter was turning out to be. The Ethaefal could not help it though, the separation was too much to bare. She could not think straight when her god was not there looking down upon her from the sky.

Even the new pavilion that surrounded Taurina now had not been much help in drawing her out of the lost state of mind she had been thrown into it. It was no fault of their own and oh how she desperately wished they had not had to see what a nervous, unhelpful wreck she was when the sky decided to cry. Leth. That is all she had been able to think about and until he returned to shining down upon her where she could see and be sustained by his light, no one could do much of anything to help her.

Leth was not shining now though. No. The rains had passed, but it was Syna’s turn to rule the skies. Her light should have been stretching out golden across the lands, but instead something else left by the storm had clouded everything over. A thick fog covered everything. It did not look too pleasant to be out in, but to Taurina, anything was better than a storm. Hopefully the fog would clear soon and leave just enough time for Leth to shine clear and bright before her tonight. Things would be right if that happened. If he just shined down upon her through the night tonight, things would be set right once again.

“There you go my darling,” Taurina praised as Melody allowed the yvas to be slipped into place without the usual fuss.

They were getting better, the trick Jasmine had taught the Eth last season was definitely still working. Melody enjoyed sugared treats and would even allow the yvas to be put on in order to get some. Taurina gave the mare a pat on the neck, scratching down beneath her mane before focusing more on getting the straps of the Drykas “saddle” tightened correctly. It was hard to see so Taurina took more chimes than usual to feel around and get things properly set up. Melody happily munched on the sugar cubes given to her, no longer being as stubborn as she once was towards this thing and not caring that her rider was taking more time than usual. Taurina had gained her trust and with that came the ability to do near anything.

Taurina took things a step farther by actually getting up on her mare which caused Melody to pause from her happy munching and change her attitude slightly. Weight was shifted and ears flickered, but Taurina was determined and resilient. Her hand reached down to stroke the base of the mare’s neck and slightly over what was left exposed of her withers, working to calm and reassure her.

“There, there my sweet. We have done this. You’re alright,” Taurina soothed, pushing away any sense of doubt and worry she had bottled up within her.

‘Horses sense that, they feel your fear. You’re scared, the horse will be too,’ one of the merchants from the long summer journey once told Taurina that and she tried to take the advice as often as possible. She was learning and it was a struggle for there was much, much fear within her.

After many moments and lots of stroking, Taurina felt confident enough to get going. She needed to reach the Lilacwind Pavilion within the bell to be on time and the fog threatened to throw her off schedule. She already was not much of a rider and it remained to be seen how well she would do with the thick fog. It had been hard enough to get Melody properly set up, actually riding was likely going to prove to be a much bigger challenge.

“There we go Melody, nice and slow. We’ll just take it easy,” Taurina kept her voice low, soothing.

The Ethaefal looked out in front of her, searching through the fog to figure out where exactly she was and which direction she wished to go in. Everything was blurred though and her usual markers were masked by thick clouds of grey. Taurina swallowed her panic and kept moving. The fog clung to everything, even her. It wrapped around her like an unwanted blanket.

“Just got to keep moving, I think this is the right way,” Taurina spoke to assure her mare, but in reality.. she was likely more scared than Melody was.

The pair kept moving, aiming to get to the Lilacwind pavilion where hopefully the fog would be left alone on the outside while Taurina was safe within the tent. She pitied Melody actually, the creature would not get to come inside but would instead be stuck outside. That earned Melody another pat across the neck. She would be alright. After all, it was just a little fog. What harm could a little fog do?

Taurina clicked her tongue softly and guided her mare the best she could. The pair continued on, moving towards the destination Taurina hoped was in this direction. The longer they moved though, the less sure the Ethaefal became. It seemed like they had been traveling for a long time.. too long.. and was it getting darker out? It was not nearly time for Leth to rise. Taurina’s stomach became uneasy as she continued to will her horse to move forward. It was the fog blocking out Syna, it had to be. Night was not due for many bells yet. She was fine, they would get to Lilacwind soon.

A screech vibrated through the air.

Taurina’s muscles contracted as panic rippled through her. Her gaze darted to the land around her, searching… searching… what was that?

Another screech.

Taurina felt her heart rate pick up and Melody was unsteady beneath her. It had strangely become very hard to breath suddenly. Why couldn’t she hardly see anything? What happened to the light? What was that sound? Panic swelled as the questions brewed. Fear stretched out its icy tendrils and began to take hold of the Ethaefal as the fog did all the dirty work. Taurina felt it, Melody felt it, the question that remained was: were they going to survive it?

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

[Prophet]

Out of the fog, a welcomed sight came into Taurina’s view. There were riders, three of them, atop of beautiful white horses. Each rider was slightly different yet wholly familiar. Each rider was the Ethaefal appearance of Taurina but just in a different season. The lavender-hued grey curls and white horns rode on the left while the crimson locks flowed around gold horns on the right and in the middle was the raven-haired beauty with green horns and each was smiling at the scared winter version of themselves. As the fog descended down upon them, the light of Leth became less and less visible until the only light that remained came from a pale luminesce which radiated from the trio of white steeds.

“Look, sisters!” The Summer girl spoke with glee. “It’s our Winter!” The Spring and Autumn women rode forward and arced into Winter so that the heads of their horses came together behind Melody’s tail. Each of the women reached out and began to stroke Taurina’s arms and play with her white curls.

“We’ve missed you, Winter!” Autumn explained.

“Ooo, I love your horns! That violet is so delicious!” Spring cooed. The woman was light in her yvas and stood up which gave her the reach to extend her face up near that of Winter’s cheek. Spring’s nose was cold but soft as she pressed into Taurina’s skin. “Did you miss us, too?”

All the while, Summer kept watch and observed her opposite. The face was one of sheer relief and joy in its expression but the eyes were darker than normal; almost stormy. The fog continued to lick and flow around the group and it’s opacity gradually increased until some of the wisps and tongues were nearly palpable. The weight of the mist could be felt on bare skin and it created strange figures and shapes as it danced with the light from the horses. Were Taurina to look up, she would find no trace of her god in the sky. It was as if she had been transported into some strange world or perhaps underground.

[Taurina]

Taurina felt suddenly heavy as the panic swelled within her. Her heart thundered with a beat worse than any storm and her breath trembled under the weight of it all. She questioned where she was, what they were doing. The destination had been the Lilacwind pavilion, but it felt as though she had lost her way there long ago. They should have been there already. When Taurina tried to look around, all she could see were swirls of darkness. No landmarks stood out, but instead there seemed to stretch out before her an endless Sea of Grass. That only brought on more panic.

“Come on Melody, we got to go home!” Taurina demanded her mare, squeezing her legs and trying to get the horse to move.

The colorsplash, however, was unwilling. Instead the mare kept throwing her head and stomping her hooves, she knew something was up. The fear dug its claws in deeper and deeper. Taurina could feel the talons scraping against her heart. A hand reached up and held her chest as if she was trying to relieve herself of the pain. They could make it, she was convinced that they could. They just had to turn back and go home.

“Please Melody, let’s go home,” the Eth begged.

The mare did not listen and the darkness got darker. Syna was gone and Taurina became Ethaefal in form as Leth graced the sky. It was not time yet, it had only been morning when she set out. Surely the day had not completely passed yet? Surely it had not been that long? Taurina’s gaze began to lift towards the sky to see him, but something else captured her glance first. There just out of the fog… there was something… something familiar.

The figures upon white steeds were coming towards Taurina, bathed in the slowly dimming light of Leth. It took the Winter Eth several moments to understand why the figures looked so familiar to her, but a bath of sweet relief washed over her when she did. The forms were her. Each a part of a bigger whole that made up her Ethaefal seeming. Spring, Summer, Autumn, and she completed them with the current season, Winter. Though they were surrounded by the fog and Leth’s light had dimmed so that the luminescence of their white horses shone brighter than her god, Taurina just smiled like a giddy child as the one who appeared as Summer called out to the others.

"Look sisters… There’s our Winter!"

Spring and Autumn moved towards her, locking her in place as their horses came together behind Melody. The mare did not seem to notice, but even if she had the winter Eth would not have listened for she was not even listening to the reason within her trying to scream and tell her that something was horribly wrong. Instead, Taurina took pleasure in the amount of affection she received from her Spring and Autumn sisters. They stroked at her arms, played with the soft curls that hung in almost shimmering white locks. Autumn insisted that they had missed her and Spring cheerfully cooed over the hue of her horns.

Taurina leaned into the coolness of Spring’s nose as it grazed her cheek with a feather soft touch and allowed her eyes to shut. A question was murmured and the first answer that came to mind was 'yes', but Taurina did not speak it. A piece of her questioned if the answer was genuine. Had she truly missed them? Yes, no. She adored all of them. Her Ethaefal seemings, the gift given to her by Leth. Taurina smiled and drew her cheek away from Spring so that she could reach forward and grab a lock of Spring’s soft, lavender-grey colored hair. She twisted the lock between her fingertips and nodded.

“Of course I have missed you too!” Taurina assured as she released Spring’s lock of hair and looked to each of them.

She would see them, each season as they came. It had been that way for nearly four years now. The next time Summer came to visit would mark the season of Taurina’s fall. With that thought, Taurina’s gaze settled on Summer. Perhaps she hadn’t missed Summer. It was the saddest season for her, the season that marked how long it had been since she had been parted from her god. Taurina sighed lightly, just gazing upon the ebony haired beauty. She watched as the heavy fog seemed to create creatures and dance around Summer’s white steed. What a pretty horse. They all had pretty horses. Pretty, white, glowing horses.

Taurina smiled a sad smile. The horses looked kind of like Leth. White with shadows making them grey in some places. Their light illuminated the air around them, just like Leth. Together they were very bright like him as well. Separated they were still bright, but not bright like Leth. Taurina glanced up, wishing to look upon her god. See him in the only form she was able to know him in now a days. When she glanced up, however, she saw something that made the fear return.

“Leth..” the winter Ethaefal breathed, sadness cracking her voice.

There was only darkness where her god should be. Not even stars lit up the night. In fact it was as if was not night at all, but some other world all together. Taurina only saw an abyss when she looked upon the heavens. Terror clawed at her chest and tears began to sting her eyes.

“Where did he go?” Taurina begged, looking to each of the Ethaefal who looked like her and called themselves her sisters.

Winter suddenly did not trust them so much anymore. It felt as though they had tricked her, stolen her away from the one she gave complete loyalty,

“Tell me, where is my god?” a demand, a plea, a simple wish spoken in a fear filled voice, “please… bring him back to me.”

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

[Prophet]

“Take her!”

Summer’s voice was as cold as the Frozen Wastes. Autumn and Spring each took hold of one of Taurina’s arms. Their faces were hurt as if it pained them to do it more than the firm grips hurt their sister, Winter. The white horses continued to shine in their dull brilliance. The more the bone-colored light touched Taurina’s eyes, the more it would begin to sting and create a dull ache in the back of her skull. Summer edged her mount closer, the black hair whipping about in an unseen wind that was both slow and sporadic. It was as if the fog was playing with her tresses. The mirror image stared at Winter with stormy eyes that held a question; one that plump lips soon released.

“Why do you ask us where your god is when you killed him?” The last few words were barely a whisper –a scraping of dead leaves as they brushed the branches on their way to the cold ground.

“Why did you kill our lord, Taurina?” Summer repeated.

“Why?” cried Spring.

“Why would you do that?” echoed Autumn.

The three faces wept but their expressions hardened as did their grip on Winter. The three white horses began to glow brighter almost obscuring parts of the figures that rode upon them. Summer reached out her hand and took Taurina by the jaw being intentional about the excessive force with which she squeezed. Melody was pinned in as Summer forced her steed’s neck over the strider’s mane. The other two wrenched their holds on the woman’s arms as if they were trying to pull her asunder.

“Now that Leth is gone, we have to fend for ourselves.” The dark-haired beauty stood up in her saddle and leaned forward while pulling Taurina’s face closer to hers. She planted a kiss on the lips of her sister in something of a bandit fashion where rough and rugged segwayed into something of raw passion. The ticks long embrace was ended when Summer cast Winter’s face away and released her grip. Autumn also let go and the two backed their horses away leaving Taurina alongside a confused and scared Spring.

“We draw our power from our own, now. We must sacrifice those like us to manifest the spell that gives our horses this light.” Summer spoke in a matter-of-fact tone that completely ignored any of the previous events. Autumn’s face seemed to say she understood all that was going on while Spring’s was the opposite. The gentle soul still held onto Winter but it was more a cuddle of fear rather than a grip of oppression. “Winter, you are our sister.” Autumn nodded. “Kill Spring and take her horse. The three of us will be unstoppable.” An ecstasy echoed from Summer’s voice and it seemed to tickle the other versions, even Spring who had just been condemned. The fog whipped up around each of them with cool fingers and tendrils that massaged stress and seemed to nurture the thoughts brought on by the demand of Summer.

Spring looked to Winter and smiled a frail grin with her eyes closed. “It’s ok, sister. I love you and want to die as my god did…”

Spring’s eyes popped open. “…at your hands.”

[Taurina]

“Wh-what?” Taurina’s voice shook as confusion mixed with fear.

It had all happened so fast. Summer’s demanding power forcing the other girls to grip onto the winter Eth’s arms, restraining her though Taurina was too stunned to pull away. Summer rode towards them with a gaze that induced pure terror. She looked so much like how Taurina knew herself to look during the summer season, but those eyes… so dark and practically feral… Taurina knew that those were not her eyes.

An indigo gaze lifted to Autumn and then to Spring, seeing the pain in their faces at the same time as she felt their grips on her arms. It was like Summer had gotten control over them and they could do nothing to stop it. A dull ache had at some point formed in the back of the winter Eth’s head and looking at the white glow of the horses made it worse. She could feel the pain behind her eyes each time she looked, but it was impossible not to look for Summer was forcing her steed towards the other three and the light that came off her horse surrounded her as well.

“-when you killed him?” was the whisper off Summer’s lips that was echoed by the other two and Summer herself.

“I didn’t do anything!” Taurina insisted, feeling the sting of tears in her eyes.

Her god was gone, but she knew it was not her fault. It could not be her fault for there was no possible way. Leth… he was a god and one who had not visited her for a long time. Even if she had wanted to -which would have gone against everything she believed in- she physically could not have killed him. Yet, Summer insisted that she had. Summer blamed Winter for the impossible.

A strangled cry of pain came out as Taurina felt her jaw taken by the fierce grip of Summer’s unforgiving hand. The others pulled tight on her arms, releasing another cry. Tears began to fall, streaming hot and heavy down her cheeks. ’Why?’ That is all she could think. ’Why?’

The kiss came unexpected and full of something the winter Eth was unfamiliar with. Summer was wild, rough, and something wholly unknown to Taurina. The kiss she gave back was out of instinct, surprise, and it was weak compared to the raw energy Summer poured out. When she was released, all Taurina could feel was the sting of the tears on her cheeks, the soreness of her released arm, and an unexpected tingling sensation over her lips. Her mind did not get long to digest any of it however, for she remembered what Summer had insisted just before the forceful kiss and Taurina did not agree.

’Leth isn’t gone, he cannot be gone. He just can’t! He will come back, he has to come back!’ Taurina’s thoughts were desperate and wild, but she never spoke them for Summer had moved on.

Spring was the last remaining that held on to Taurina, but there was a shift in her grasp. The exact shift was unknown to the winter Ethaefal and she did not get long to think on it for Summer was speaking again… and she was asking the unthinkable.

“Sacrifice… kill Spring and take her horse… the three of us will be unstoppable.”

Taurina could not believe what she was hearing. Kill Spring? But Spring was apart of them, they needed her to complete the cycle of the year. She was next, after winter, she would come next. The winter Eth realized suddenly what had changed in Spring’s grasp. She was no longer aiming to harm Winter, but it was more of a plea for protection. A grasp of fear rather than a hold meant to harm. Taurina went to promise her protection, to tell little, nearly trembling Spring that it would be alright. She would not let it happen, though she was unsure on how she would follow through on that promise. So many things in the mix, Taurina was not sure if she was strong enough to save Spring. The promise did not make it out.

“No Spring, it’s not okay. We need you… I need you…” Taurina insisted, her words coming out in a raspy breath.

The winter Ethaefal did not know how to fight this. Summer was relentless and would likely take Winter’s life in exchange for Spring, Taurina could see it. Her sense of self-preservation told her to just do it. Take Spring’s life, move on. Do what the enemy was telling her and just give in. A feeling within her even encouraged her to do it, to give into Summer’s outrageous demand. Taurina reached out, however, and took both of Spring’s hands and pushed that feeling with those thoughts aside. Spring’s eyes had opened, she was telling Taurina that it was alright. That she wished to die at her sister’s hands just as Leth had.

“I did not kill him…” Taurina insisted once more, “I promise… I didn’t. Just like I’m not going to kill you.”

The winter Eth took a hand back and reached forward, stroking it through Spring’s soft lavender-grey curls and smiled softly. She always loved the form of spring. It always felt like new life was just around the corner when spring came, hope, and that hair color was her favorite out of them all. Taurina released Spring, looking from her with an almost loving gaze before she turned to the other two. How Autumn just stood by and accepted what Summer had demanded was beyond Taurina, but she did not wish this upon the darling that was Spring. Summer was going to have to find another way. Taurina just prayed that that other way was not her.

“No, Summer. No. We need all of us,” Taurina insisted, voice trembling. The claws of fear could be felt scraping against her heart once more,“Another way must be found. Leth himself must be found. You… a spell.. we can save him. We just have to find him!”

It was a hope, a prayer, a fool’s errand. It was all Taurina had.

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

[Prophet]

“You don’t have a choice, Winter.” Summer chided. Autumn laughed.

A soft blast of breath pushed Taurina’s hair from the direction of where Spring had been. When Winter turned to see her scared sister, those eyes would look peaceful as the life fell away; its light dissolving into empty blackness. The body of the Eth faded away into a million tiny sparkles leaving just a plain looking horse staring up at Winter. The glittery specs floated about for several ticks until they began to collect into the horse that Taurina sat astride. Soon, the mount beneath her transformed into a glowing specimen like the ones that Summer and Autumn rode.

In the light of the magically blessed creatures, Taurina need only look to her hands for an answer to the question. What happened to Spring? A long dagger, stained with fresh blood the color of Spring’s horns, rested in the girl’s palm. There was no denying its weight. There was no way to ignore the light coming from her horse. Taurina would feel a flood of memories wash over her and drown out the cawing laughter of her two remaining sisters.

“Sacrifice… kill Spring and take her horse… the three of us will be unstoppable.” Summer explained.

Taurina could not believe what she was hearing. Kill Spring? But Spring was apart of them, they needed her to complete the cycle of the year. She was next, after winter, she would come next. The winter Eth realized suddenly what had changed in Spring’s grasp. She was no longer aiming to harm Winter, but it was more of a plea for protection. A grasp of fear rather than a hold meant to harm. Taurina went to promise her protection, to tell little, nearly trembling Spring that it would be alright. She would not let it happen, though she was unsure on how she would follow through on that promise. So many things in the mix, Taurina was not sure if she was strong enough to save Spring. The promise did not make it out.

Spring looked to Winter and smiled a frail grin with her eyes closed. “It’s ok, sister. I love you and want to die as my god did…”

Spring’s eyes popped open. “…at your hands.”

Winter nodded then leaned forward into her successor. The white hair mingled with the ashen locks and for a moment in time, the fog seemed to hang in place. From her belt, Taurina produced a dagger that was elegantly made. The blade was long and straight with a tang running clean to the bottom of the hilt. The handle was carved bone that had a soft shadowing which made it look like Leth’s face. “I’ll miss you, sister.” Taurina whispered then she plunged the blade deep into Spring’s chest and held it there as she held her for several ticks.

When Taurina looked up, she would hear Summer saying “You didn’t have a choice, Winter.” Then Autumn bowed her head in a welcome.

She was then returned to the present where she sat atop a glowing white horse with a blood-stained dagger.

[Taurina]

The light became dark and the dark became stars. Spring was no more.

“No…” Taurina choked out, tears streaming down her cheeks.

A nebula of sparkles drifted towards her, but they were not focused on. Instead, her gaze found the blade in her trembling hand. Blood the color of pearls stained the otherworldly weapon with a hilt colored like Leth. The laughter of her “sisters” could be heard in the background, but the winter Eth was taken to another place. One of the past filled with a single memory. The memory of Spring’s end.

Something wholly worse than fear took over Taurina as she relived the murder of Spring. Sorrow, guilt. She had known guilt before and even known sorrow before, but this was deeper. This had happened at her own hand and it could not be denied. The dagger was in her hand, the memory etched upon her mind. Spring was gone and it was her fault. Where the “sisters” right? Was it her fault that Leth was gone as well?

“No… no… no… how could I?” Taurina whispered softly as the guilt began to eat away at her.

Her hand trembled as her gaze lifted from the dagger towards the two filled with cruel laughter. They had wanted this. Summer had caused it. She was a cruel mistress and Autumn had done as she wished. Spring had been the sweet one and Winter had been the cowardly fool. A fool to believe she could have changed anything. Even now she felt powerless against the begins who laughed at her pain and Spring’s demise.

“Why Summer? Why have you caused this?” Taurina demanded with a voice so choked by sobs that it barely rose above a whisper.

Taurina’s gaze fell back to the knife in her hand that had become more steady with time. The blood still caused the blade to glisten in the light thrown off by the horses. The hilt looked like Leth’s face which struck another chord of sorrow within the winter Eth. Where was her lord? Why had he let this happen? Was he really gone from her forever? The more she stared at the knife, the more she questioned. The more unsure she was that she was innocent. That Leth still existed, that Summer had controlled her to kill Spring. Despite everything, the knife was not uncomfortable in her grip. It felt like once it had likely belonged there somehow. Had she caused the world to be thrown into darkness?

The knife thudded dully against the grass covered ground after Taurina lost her grip on it. Trembling hands gathered up the long mane of the luminescent horse that had somehow replaced Melody before her body leaned forward. The fear had come back and replaced the guilt. If it was her fault… if it was all her fault… no… this had to just be a dream. Leth did not die. Spring was a form, not a separate person. No one had been killed. She had killed no one. At least, she tried to convince herself of that.

A gaze full of hate and hurt looked to Summer. Taurina was convinced that she just had to find Leth. She just had to search for him, bring him back. Summer was not going to help her, she had caused the winter Eth to kill Spring. The ebony haired season was not in the business of finding their lord. Despite the fears that clawed at her heart, the fear of failure and the fear of death, Taurina was. She felt like if she could just find him… things would be made right again.

“I’m going to find our lord again Summer and I will show you… I will show you how wrong you are..” Taurina’s voice shook with terror, but her grip on her steed’s mane held fast.

The winter Ethaefal was going to go. Go and find her god and hopefully… hopefully be proven right.

Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'

[Rufio]

　　　

g r a d e

xp

Horsemanship +1
Riding, Horse +1
Investigation +1
Observation +3
Interrogation +2
Philosophy +1
Rhetoric +2
Persuasion +1


lores

Taurina: Fears the storms that shroud Leth from her
Taurina: Faces fear alone
Melody & Taurina: Trust is shared
Horses sense fear & will pick it up from their rider
Fog Hallucination: Haunted by her innermost fears made manifest in her seasonal forms
Taurina: Summer is the saddest season
Taurina: Loves her form in Spring
Philosophy: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter – all are vital
Spring is a season of new life & hope
Taurina: A promise to seek Leth

If you feel I missed anything shoot me a PM.
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