Awakening (Steel Quill and TennTenshie)

[TennTenshie]

The mountains rose high into the sky. Even this late into the spring, the tops where still capped with snow that just wouldn’t seem to leave. The bases looked almost like black fingers reaching out from the white sleeve of a man’s shirt in the morning air. The Biting cold had lifted into a more welcoming balm, encouraging people to once again come around the great mountains, into their forests, up their black sides and into the white snows that still lingered at their peaks. The forests around the mountain had begun to become green and lush, the smaller animals venturing out among the new growth while the larger ones had taken longer. Now within the heavy green leaves and flowers, the little creatures darted to an fro, with either young to tend or stores to rebuild. The goats and lions had awoken, had begun moving more comfortably as the spring life began to grow and bloom. She could hear one bleating at one of the larger entrances. From Deep within the heart of the mountains, Eva stirred.

Rising from her nest, easily 5 feet off the ground in a 10 foot room, she stretched the grey topped, to black tipped wings out. The speckled band in between the two colors thinned as her wings spread to their widest points. Then she refolded them, bent and pulled on a pair of leather pants, followed by the leather corset that covered her chest, belting her maces to her hips, she fingered the plain leather. Had she mated she wondered if she’d have been allowed to sleep beside him, or if she would have still been left the only awakened one. Lonely and unsure if her kind would ever awaken again. She dropped to the ground, tamping her feet into the leather boots before she kept walking. Her hair was short, a light grey in color. The grey head feathers rising to stand on each side before lowering into a relaxed state, following the lighter wisps of white back behind her head.
She looked down deeper into the mountain, towards the sancutaries, opening her wings she dropped into the hole, using them to slow her decent, she landed with a soft thud. Eva knew better than thinking her sounds would wake the sleepers, a few had died over the centuries, they’d get left in these sanctuaries, the rock would claim their bodies when the others awoke, She walked among the sleeping ones, checking to see if the glow had left the reflections, beautiful pools of water on the angled center of the sanctuary showed a glowing star between the eyes, invisible on the actual form, in almost any reflection it showed on any Avian, unless… unless they would never awaken again. She checked leather bindings that held her fellows wing’s to the wall, protected from damage, the mask over their noses and mouths, the belts that kept them from falling forward and injuring their wings or bodies. Made sure in all of the sanctuaries they were all still secure and seeing if any more hand gone to join the gods.

She left the Sanctuaries rising to the next level, she walked the empty halls looking at the tapestries that indicated who at one point had slept in each room before rising to the next level, here she could hear the goats Bleating more, the entry this creature was standing at came to the market, and central living areas. The Harpy just let it cry, it was probably encouraging a child or another Goat. Perhaps it was injured. She looked at the pit, she had food still in it, the low fire had died, so she started another to keep the pests away from her meat, but not to cook it too much. Looking around the empty stalls with items still hanging from their sides, swords, axes, other weaponry, corsets bracers, breastplates, boots, brushes, paints… everything was simply there.

She gave a small smile before she finally answered the bleats, heading for the entry that the animal cried from. She looked at the injured creature for a moment, normally she’d have killed it, eaten it perhaps, even just to put it out of its misery. But she was feeling lonely today. So she knelt, and pet the creature as it bleated at her. She looked at the injury, it appeared to be some trap, meant to keep the thing where it sprung, so a human had thought this cave merely a cave. Hadn’t explored it, but set a trap. With long fingers she studied the trap before figuring it out enough to release the Goat. That jumped up to almost fall back down. “Come on.” She told it softly leading it into the cave. Dripping blood on the smooth well walked surface. They’d cared for animals more than once, the goats had been a food source for years they wouldn’t let it simply go unaided. She found some bandaging cloth that had gone unused for years and ripped it. Binding the wounded leg up, “Poor goat.” She said to it petting it after she’d finished. “Little babe.” Now she knew why it had cried, the mother had probably left it. No matter, she wouldn’t mind some company. Though, she’d have to find some plants and bring them back, she did not eat plant matter. It would have to wait. She pet the little goat and blocked it into an empty stall. Moving on to the higher reaches into the mountain, to the temple and the four statues of the gods and goddesses, praying to each, before moving up to check on the royal rise. She then returned to the little goat and walked it out, carefully down the mountain to the grasses to eat, and drink, pulling bud-laden branches off to take back. When she was done she lead it back up to the cave entrance and inside, the goat following the sprigs she had. At least the next few days wouldn’t be so lonely.

 

[The Steel Quill]

Bander knew he'd have this mountain. He knew it when he'd first asked about it, months back at the roadside cafe. The chatty cook informed him that, to the best of his knowledge, nobody'd ever bothered to get past the forested area around it, much less bother scaling the steep, unforgiving, and untamed mountain. As far as the cook was concerned, trying to do so was tantamount to suicide, and, even if accomplished, would be an altogether empty and unrecognized accomplishment. Even the surrounding areas are pretty unoccupied, so it’s not like somebody would gain media attention or anything of value. At most, you’d gain a few injuries and something to feel nice about. A challenge without reward, and one with limited hope.

Which is exactly the challenge Bander couldn't resist.

Ever since he was young, he had to seek out bigger, more dangerous challenges. He didn't always succeed, but that usually just forced him to try again with reborn determination and fury. When he was younger, he'd climb trees or catch frogs. As he grew, so did his objectives, until they led him here, somewhere between eleven and twelve thousand feet up, trying to decide whether or not he should keep up his ascension, or spend a few hours finding a place to recover and repair some of his materials. When pick-head started to loosen itself from the handle, it seemed like the decision was made for him.

Fifty more feet up, he found what seemed to be a scraggly little goatpath, which was a pleasant relief for his arms. He'd been climbing the better part of the past week, and had been noticing a growing difficulty with continuing on each day. He was slowing down, losing momentum, and breaking equipment, so maybe a day or so to find a nice cavity or flat and set up camp is what he needed. He'd seen a few mountain goats on his way up, and some sort of big cat a few days prior, but wildlife never seemed to harass him when he was on an expedition. He liked to imagine that even the beasts could sense his determination and strength, and steered clear of it. More likely was the fact that he made lots of noise and most critters tend to avoid people when possible. Even natural predators have learned, with time, that anything walking on two legs had a tendency to be trouble, and it was true enough. If a mountain lion or a lynx decided to make a move, Bander kept a revolver on his hip, though he's proud to have never needed to use it. Despite his tenacity and powerful drive, he was really a peaceful person.

After following the goatpath a good 80 yards or so, he came upon what seemed to be a godsend: a large, dry, and surprisingly clean cave. A precise hand produced a flashlight, sending piercing light deep into the cavern. When it revealed, again, nothing, Bander let out a sigh, and he ran a hand through coarse brown hair, before allowing his bag to slip to the ground with a low thump in the corner. In order to ensure a wandering goat or cat didn't bother the place while he was out, he set up a few lengths of twine at varying heights across the cave entrance. They were very light in color, and very sturdy. It wouldn't prove lethal or harmful to anything moving at a comfortable speed, but it would certainly trip up any trespassing critters. Stepping delicately between the gaps, he took up his smaller pack and set out to see if he could find a mountain stream, or perhaps a few unlikely fruit bearing trees.

Despite being untamed and dangerous, this particular mountain climb was surprisingly gentle. The grassy expanses far outnumbered the rock faces, and if one knew the lay of the land, they probably could get as far much faster, and without as much risk. Risk, of course, was the main draw for Bander, so he didn’t mind. The plantlife was varied and unfamiliar, but some general knowledge and a little bit of luck usually kept him clear of poisons or rashes. After a few minutes of descending along safer paths and moving between various shrubs and stones eventually produced a light stream. It looked remarkably clear, and was probably quite clean, but when he lowered himself down, he still took care to pump his canteens full through a filter. When he finished, he took a moment to cup the clear liquid between his hands and rinse his face. It had been… nearly a week since he’d last bathed, and while this stream was nowhere near suited for bathing, it couldn’t hurt to rinse himself down a little bit. After a good amount of time removing the grit from his face and hands, he stood up and decided to follow the stream in hopes of finding food plants. He still had a good amount of food saved up in MRE packets and dried eggs and fruit, but something fresh would be extremely appreciated. He sampled a few berries as he went, but nothing really struck him as too appealing. He continued on like this for at least an hour and a half, before the stream disappeared into a rocky roadblock, and the path alongside it became less hospitable.


He got back to his cave and was glad to see that his precautions of twine were unneeded, nothing seemed to have gotten into his bag, and all the strands were still up. He undid them and left them hanging from one side of the looming entrance, in case he felt the need to put them up again. It was spring, and noon, so he didn’t feel the need to start any fire, though he did take the initiative to gather a few broken branches and memorized the places where he could go to retrieve larger logs and more long-term fuel later, for the night.

For the moment, he decided to rest. The cave offered decent shade from the sun, and the only noise were those unavoidable ones of nature. His shoulders were sore and he had just opened a bag of dried fruit, so for the moment, he was fine.

Unaware of the thin blood trail that meandered through his cave, but fine nonetheless.

 

[TennTenshie]

The little goat bleated again, shortly after the human had set up his camp. Bleating for Eva who’d gone to find more food, though she’d left through an exit higher up the mountain and on the other side, It wandered around the pit, bleating pitifully, then again young goats tended to call for their mother’s regularly. Hairline slits along the cave provided some natural light to the Room while the fire in the feeding pit provided a little More, Eva rarely lit the torches she’d never had reason to. As the goat called she swooped in from high above in another of the rises, drifting down the hole she landed almost silently. “Shh.” She told the little goat as she folded her wings behind her and walked over dropping the leafy limbs of trees, flowers, some of the berries from outside and grass down where it could come and feed.

It bleated at her some more as it hobbled to the Avian woman, Beginning to eat. She’d brought in a large bowl of water earlier, setting it where the goat would have no problems finding it. She pet the little things head. “Soon you’ll be well again.” She whispered. As she listened, with spring came other animals to the caves, with most of them sleeping, the only thing to be expecting where Harpy Eagles, her breed. The Emperor hawks, the mighty birds of war where roosting high inside the mountain, they’d yet to awaken, much like the rest of her kind.

Bander was going to be in for a surprise. Swooping into the cave with a shriek was the first of many Harpy Eagles. White headed with grey feathers sticking out above where the ears would be, massive grey wings with the speckled line and black tips, the Large bird called its joining out into the cave letting it ring across the hollows. It glanced at Bander for a moment, landing above him on one of the few roosting points shrieked at him and then continued on into the larger reaches of the cave where there would be outcroppings shaped like trees for the larger Raptors. It called periodically as it swooped in, landing on the Woman’s shoulder and she stroked its jaw. “Welcome back.” She told the great bird. The goat bleated and she pet it, the Eagle took off landing High above on one of the roosts. Giving another call before silencing and beginning to preen. She smiled, ah springtime, the eagles would return to roost, and soon the little goat would be capable of leaving again. She supposed it was just how things went. Standing again she began to light some of the torches creating a little more light in the room, the little goat close to the Harpy’s tail feathers.

 

[The Steel Quill]

There are some things that will catch any man by surprise. Things that, when seen, felt, heard, or experienced in the right situation, will leave you breathless, and speechless. An obscenely large bird screaming at you as you gently drifted in the lightest reaches of sleep is one of those things. It would not be the last one he would experience today, though.

His eyelids rapidly parted and his hand went for his gun, but when his gaze me the bird's dark, inquisitive eyes, he froze. His breathing slowed from the panicked gasps, and his pulse slowed to a steady thumping, a pleasant relief from the rapid pounding that it was a moment ago. The bird, however noisy and intrusive, meant him no immediate harm.

After a moment, supposedly getting enough of an answer to feel safe, the bird screamed again, and flew deeper into the cave. Bander knew the cave extended further in, but how the bird knew, or why it felt compelled to enter, was completely beyond him. Of course, he couldn't have possibly known the reality of the matter, but at the moment, he couldn't even come up with a rational explanation. Still, his curiosity was struck, and an explorer's spirit awoke in him, so, after a few more moments of careful consideration and calming, he decided he'd descend along after it. Gathering his flashlight, a length of rope, his harness, and a particularly long, sturdy limb from his timber pile, he made his way down the cave.

As the gentle light streaming in from the entrance slowly faded, he began to utilize his flashlight more. Sweeps along the stony walls, the solid ceiling, and down what was quickly becoming a tunnel revealed an interesting geographical feature. Aside from the extremely smooth, almost worn, path beneath him, Bander noticed tiny holes and cracks along the edge of the walls, letting in thin beads of light. What’s more, the tunnel didn’t seem to grow much narrower or shorter, it remained lofty and roomy, almost as if it were formed for the accommodation of weary adventurers and wayward birds. Little rocky outcrops along the top edge looked like they’d make good perches, and a few of the larger, higher ones that he couldn’t make out as well probably served as roosts and nests, which explained why the Harpy Eagle had decided to enter. Though the winter was only just behind them, there was surely more wings and talons than just his friend he had met earlier.

After about twenty minutes of walking, Bander was totally engrossed. Though the light that streamed in naturally wasn’t anything close to the output of his flashlight, he felt comfortable enough that he flipped the switch into the off position as he continued along, using the pole-like stick he had brought with him to tap rhythmically as he went along, in an effort to warn and draw out any birds ahead of him. Flipping off the flashlight proved to be a mistake, though, for a surprising ledge and a steep drop took Bander by surprise, sending him sliding down, a solid 20 or 30 feet, where he crumbled nosily into the middle of a room which, once his sense recovered, would leave him breathless for the second (if not last) time that day.

 

[TennTenshie]

He’d fallen into the first of many sanctuaries. Dimly lit, with the soft trickle of water into the central basin, filling up the pools that faced sleeping Avians, projected from them, was a colored lit star that coincided with the colors of the avian, if the wings hadn’t been bound to the walls with leather, the stars would match the color of the feathers on the sleepers. Legs stretched into the center of the room, and arms against the leather case that held them still so they didn’t hurt someone or themselves. The lighting from the stars and water was almost eerie casting dancing shadows across the 10 bodies inside, only 9 where lit. The other was simply there.


Up above, Eva blinked, hearing the sound and the Harpy shrieked again. And she hid the little goat, and gave the Harpy a look that told her to leave it alone and then she ran, pulling the maces from her waistband and jumped into one of the closer drops, into a different Sanctuary starting her way through them systematically to find the person who’d invaded. It would take her almost 10 minutes to get to the sanctuary he’d landed in, giving him time with the avians, though unless he was going to go peal one free of a wall, all he’d be able to do is tell which was male and which where female, and maybe see the muscle structure.

When she entered through one of the darkened cave entrances to the hall she stood, barely any light coming, though the water picked up the reflection of the star on her forehead and her eyes, both gleaming in a grey light. She blinked seeing the human, both maces in her hands ready to kill whatever had invaded but she paused, no human had even found the entrances to the caves above, how in the world had he managed to get down here. “Human.” She said putting one mace back in its place at her ample hips. “How did you get down here?”

 

[The Steel Quill]

The first thing Bander did from his new location on the stone floor was realize how much pain he was in. Sure, the fall was mostly a slide, but the distance was still pretty noticeable. Ironically, the shooting pain in his leg and back served as a temporary shield from the shock that hit him as soon as he was able to appraise his surroundings. His eyes took a second to adjust to the dim light, at which point they were able to roam about the sanctuary he'd fallen into.

Said eyes were immediately forced shut. After a quick breath, he risked opening them again... nope, there was no mistake. This place was far from natural. He didn't move from the place he had stumbled to, for he immediately realized he was not the only person to have set foot here. Shadows flowed eerily all about the room, illuminating a number of what must have been sculptures along the edge. The room felt very... sacred. Ritualistic. Bander started to become dizzy, something that made him realize he was holding his breath. He let it out in a slow, ragged panting, and, with some effort, drew it in again. Breathless was an understatement, he was completely paralyzed with shock and confusion and... awe. He sat, paralyzed for what felt like several eternities, but what could only have been a few moments. Gathering his breath, senses, and courage, he stood up to further examine the chamber.

The more he looked the more amazed he was. The basin of water in the middle seemed almost decorative, and yet, was not the focus. The focus of the room was, by and large, the ten statue-like figures which formed a strange perimeter around him. With tentative steps, he approached one, to examine it closer. It seemed to be... covered. Restrained. Straps and harnesses held it to the wall, and it didn't seem to be in any sort of natural position. It was very realistic, but awkward. He stepped in once more and suddenly stopped. It wasn't a statue. It was very, very real. He stumbled backwards, tripping over his heel, confusion and panic and fear rising up in him, preventing him from noticing the further details, though perhaps it was for the better. Phantom stars hovering in the reflected water and dynamic wings would surely have only magnified the panic and confusion. His breath had started to become ragged again, and he struggled to his feet again. These... things surrounding him, they had once been living, breathing beings. He was in a mausoleum.

"Human." The voice called out from behind him, freezing his heart in his chest. He turned slowly, carefully, to face a powerful figure, a winged woman who stood with a brutal weapon and an equally brutal gaze. The best rationalization his mind could put together was that it was some sort of an angel, or some similar product of his shock-stirred brain, his knees hit the ground with a slight thud before he realized she had posed him a question. "How did... I..." His lips moved without voice, and it took him a moment to remember how to speak. "I... um, fell. Climbing, and... there was a cave, and... I," He struggled with each word and thought, his tongue just one of many muscles still suffering from shock, "Fell down a hole." He finally managed. His breaths came in short bursts, and his eyes didn't move from the figure before him. Already on his knees, he collapsed further, to his hands, and managed to spit out "Please don't... kill me. I'm... sorry." Tears, a rare addition to his face, began to form, and he waited, tensed, for the deity before him to pass judgment.

 

[TennTenshie]

Eva stared at him. He’d fallen? Fallen into a Sanctuary? He was also terrified it seemed. Climbing, someone had been climbing the mountain? It was easily 500 feet from the base of this mountain to the first usable entry, after all… the avian’s flew. “You fell human?” She repeated as she walked to him the other mace joining the first on her hips. When she reached him, she glanced at the Avian he’d been examining. She smirked slightly, Black as a crow could get, wings and hair almost blue it was so dark. Rave would have been amused to know he’d startled a human. She grabbed him by the shirt yanking him at least back to his feet, and dragged him outside of the sacred sleeping area. “You’re not to be in there, human.”

She looked back into the room, one of them was lost, one of the weaker ones finally letting go of the dreams, the memories, the world. She looked at the human she had by the back of a vest maybe? She dragged him under the hole he’d fallen through, large wings opening she tilted her head. “Hold tight.” She then brought her wings down once, twice, three times and they lifted into the upper current of air through the Sanctuaries and back towards the level he’d fallen from one of the few tunnels that wouldn’t have first stopped him at the nesting chambers. They rose in a circular rising pattern, mostly gliding on the updrafts that where almost invisible outside of the tunnels. She didn’t just drop him back at his pack at the entrance, she turned into the cave and a few quick beats had her flying back to the center, the market place, where the food was kept safe and the goat and Eagle where.

She landed, just before the feeding pit, dropping him unceremoniously on the ground beside her. “Why where you climbing the mountain?” She asked, expectantly she watched him. The harpy he’d seen earlier lifted from its perch to come land on Eva’s bare grey shoulder, leaning in inquisitively to this human who’d been brought before it again, The little goat peeking out and coming to her as well, hobbling. She waited, hands on her wide hips. The maces easily reachable if she needed to remove the human who’d begged her not to kill him when he’d fallen to his hands.

He was in the social center of these creatures, The massive 30 foot room narrowing with the slope of the mountain was beautifully carved, the Roosting points visible due to the tourches Eva had finally lit, and the small central fire in the feeding pit, with the dear carcass she’d been working on for a few days. The smell of the decomposing animal didn’t phase her or the Eagle too much, with the other harpies beginning to join it’d be gone within a day, nothing but bones left in the pit with the rest, breaking down slowly into the fine dust that covered the edge, it would normally have been used in corsets and other items such as hilts of daggers, decorative points on other forms of weapons. But for the past few centuries, they’d just been allowed to break down.

Around him, the rock stalls, carved into the outcroppings of the mountain housed still useable weapons, mostly useable leather items, Eva knew how to make what she wore, most of the avian’s made their own corsets and pants, the boots she took the utmost care of, as she was a poor cobbler. Another Harpy was swooping in from another entrance Shrieking its arrival, it ignored the human, landing on the dear in the pit and ripped up its first meal taking to the air again to find a roosting point to eat the mass of meat.