Dreams made of starlight

[narrow width=700]For as long as she could remember, she had enjoyed a nightly ritual of prayer beneath the stars. Houtu had been silent, as of late - as had much of Elysium, though she supposed it better than rolling turmoil. Annika had disappeared without a trace for weeks; a month, even; yet while the High Priestess had meant what she said in that members may freely leave at any time without penalty, she had feared the woman did not at least have the kindness to say goodbye.

Yet she did, after all.

Summoned by a low howl, the dark she-wolf had reappeared once again. The news was expected - anticipated, even - but Valeska held no ill will. Annika deserved joy, wherever it took her.

Rhelenso, too, had taken his leave, although it was well-warranted. He had really only been there for Valeska in the first place, but she wasn't so cruel as to needlessly string him along. Her heart belonged to Amaranth; she could not lie to the tired old warrior. He deserved the freedom to make his own choices.

She let out a quiet sigh, gazing back up into the twinkling expanse above. The little wolf closed her eyes for a moment, whispering a prayer to the All-Mother for them both - for their protection, for their happiness, for the fulfillment of whatever dreams they still held in their hearts.

She opened her eyes.

And then she gasped.

In the distant purples and blues of cosmos and nebulas making their turn about the star-dappled sky, they suddenly shifted, coming together like a painting brought to life. The shape they took - it looked like - it could not be -

Houtu?

Valeska was frozen to the spot, unable to make a sound at the great wolf who suddenly gazed down from overhead. Tears welled up at the corners of her earnest eyes, but she could not blink them away; like a lost child at last able to experience the embrace of its mother, all she could do was cry.
It came out as a strangled squeak, at first, but as the realization set in that they were truly not alone - that her faith in a higher power had not been misplaced, in spite of a lifetime of judgment and scorn - they gradually grew into great, body-wracking sobs, and she collapsed on the grass in a heap of silver fur.

When she finally managed to look up again, the stars had already returned to their station.

Her cheeks were wet, but she smiled, her golden eyes sparkling with a renewed joy.

There was a reason to it all.

Something rustled in the grass behind her, and she turned.

“A-Amara?” she sniffed, trying to compose herself once again. Valeska still hadn't turned around, but held her gaze up toward the night. “Did you also see it? The... the sky?”
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@Amaranth @Aulis
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Aulis had never seen a mountain before.

Much less climbed one. Luckily, he hadn't needed to. Though the longer the pup awed at them, the less he thought it was even possible to scale one of the massive hills. Birds soared high above at the same impossible height as if teasing him with their skill. But there were no birds out, not tonight anyways.

The pup had traveled a long ways since the plains—since he had last seen Jericho. The large, scarred wolf still lingered in his thoughts from time to time, but if he wasn't before, Aulis was certain he had made a wrong turn returning to the male a long, long time ago. For now, all he hoped to do was find a nice place to curl up to sleep off the stabbing hunger...

Stopping in his tracks, Aulis gave another heavenward glance. The mountains were much closer now, perhaps he'd find help there. Though something was wrong, the air seemed to vibrate. Above him, the stars began to change. They morphed and shifted into the frame of a large wolf in the sky.

Falling back on his haunches with a yelp, Aulis gaped up at the creature as it moved about the sky. "What...what are you?" The pup asked, but he would hear no reply as the figure vanished as quick as they had come. Here and gone in the blink of an eye. Sitting in the stilled silence once more, Aulis continued to oggle the sky as if waiting for it to move again. When he was sure it didn't the pup jumped to his paws and quickly continued forward, not sure what to make of what he had seen.

this post is ?? but she's here

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The night was her domain, a cascade of dreamless moments illuminated by the soft starlight above. Heavy lids remained purposefully opened, lavender eyes often drifting toward the edges of the shadows as she breathed softly inward and outward. For she remained alive and alert even in the most inopportune moments — even when she wished the grasp of slumber would take her cognizance away.

And Amaranth lay in a state of half-alertness, thinking about everything and nothing and everything again. Her body pressed gently against the soft, silvery fur of her lover ... a comforting blanket for those few precious moments before Valeska lifted. There was a softness to the way that smaller body rose, as if not to disturb the other. But she should have known. Amaranth was always awake. Always alert.

The silver woman drifted away, like a whisper on the breeze ... and it called out for Amaranth to follow. Ebony lips parted in a mighty yawn, her slender golden body rising from the dust and ash, stretching out the stagnation from her muscles as she, too, crawled from the den to bask in the silver light of the moon and stars. But something was very different about the pattern of the stars this evening. They breathed with more fervor, more life. There was something sentient about the very air itself, that swirling mist of midnight and lavender. And as Amaranth crested over the top of the hill, she was struck by the way the stars danced.

They formed a figure. A shape. A woman. A wolf.

She could almost hear the gentle chime of laughter that echoed from the heavens. It sent a wave of sensation rolling up her spine. Awakening her from the core.

And then it was gone and the night stilled. Quiet once more as the ethereal energy faded into nothing.

Amaranth moved forward, finding Valeska's silver-dipped form easily ... for her lover's own jaw was agape with fascination, as well. "Did you also see it? The... the sky?" A low hum pressed forth from her lips as she neared the other, lavender eyes locked upon the now still sky. "I saw it. The sky creature. Breathing," she nearly whispered, narrowed lenses scrupulously drilling holes in the constellations as if the answer would come to her. For how did Valeska see her apparations? How ... unless ...

The grass rustled again, and Amaranth peeled her gaze from the sky to the brush surrounding them. Her fur bristled, voice hushing. "Is it back? The sky creature?" Nostrils flared, testing and tasting at the air as her shoulder pressed softly into Valeska's.

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[narrow width=700]The golden woman had a peculiar way of moving without disturbing so much as a single blade of grass; sometimes Valeska wondered if her paws actually touched the ground, so soft was her approach. Amaranth would have been an excellent assassin in another life, but mercifully, her mind was too preoccupied with collecting oddly-shaped trinkets and generally unraveling the mysteries of the universe (along with the arduous task of being the mouth-piece of the Five *).

At one point in the distant past Valeska had found it unnerving how the mystical she-wolf would silently follow her from a distance - she couldn't so much as get up for a midnight pee without feeling a pair of burning purple eyes scrutinizing even the way she squatted - but now it was simply a matter of course, and she almost felt wounded if Amaranth failed to do so. Love had many languages, and the particular one they chose to express their fondness for each other was nearly impossible for an outsider to understand.

As her companion announced herself, the silver wolf at last turned to cast a familiar smile. Her lover's holiness continued to prove itself every day. How wonderful, how blessed she felt by the gods to have been set in this incredible creature's path, not only from a spiritual perspective, but also for the chance at love - at happiness. The stars coming to life above them was yet another manifestation of Amaranth's connection to the Five; such feats of wonder only seemed to occur in her presence, further deepening the belief that she was their chosen vessel, the diligent paws through which they worked their truth upon the earth.

Before she could open her mouth to speak, a noise startled them, and Valeska pressed her ears back against her skull.

'Is it back? The sky creature?

Possible, but no. This felt different. There was no feeling of elation, no soul-tingling sense of wonderment - perhaps it was a demon, lured by the scent of the gods? It wasn't unheard of - foul creatures were known to congregate upon holy ground, hoping to sully whatever purity might have been left behind. They were drawn like insects, hoping to taste a nectar which they might otherwise never possess.

Nodding to Amaranth, she lowered her body to the ground - and sprang toward the sound.

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* Unlikely, but if Valeska found out the truth, it would be terrible.
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The sounds of soft murmuring just barely reached the pup's ears. His mind was buzzing with the things he had just seen. What had just happened? Plodding along with his head low and brow furrowed, the pup continued on. Whatever it was, it was larger than he could ever hope to rationalize.

The grasses here were tall, but not as tall as on the wide expanse of the plains. Grass their was sharp and course in places, laced with sticks or burrs. But here? The grass was softer, cooler, but had the ripe scent of the mountainous terrain. Aulis tried to set his mind focused on such. The scent of water was not far either, it must be around here somewhere...

But Aulis' thoughts were cut off at a close rustling in front of him. Perking up, the pup froze in his tracks. Was the sky creature back? That was the question on all their minds, but this time, instead of the celestial being in the sky, Aulis saw a very different sight above him. From the darkness lept a wolf. They charged his way, and Aulis lept back with a yelp. Falling over the pup curled up defensively underneath the dame that had launched at him "Ah! Help!" He squeaked in fear, despite the fact that there was no one else around to help him.

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The two women stood, outlined in the soft glow of the moon that laughed at them. Two adults, nearly quaking at the rustle of a blade of grass; two pairs of eyes heated as they stared at an invisible monster that clearly sought them and drifted in their wake. Lavender eyes met gold, an unspoken language that was shared by the lovers as they told one another their secrets. Their plans. And then her counterpart nodded, stocky frame dipping low as if to stalk after the sky creature. As if it hadn't just dropped from the very womb of the sky — certainly, it would know where they stood and who they were.

But Valeska moved with an unforeseen poise, so delicate and agile on a frame so considerably stocky. That silver-dipped frame propelled forward with all the might her muscular legs could conjure, launching toward the grass talons first. Fangs second.

"Ah! Help!"

Amaranth, with far less flair but far more ethereal grace, stepped forward through the underbrush at the sound of fear. The voice was small, squeaking, and immature. And she knew immediately that it was the feral voice of a wild child. "Valeska," 'quiet your fangs,' she whispered quickly, hushed voice somehow nearly deafening in the late evening air. Appraising eyes turned toward the half-sized wolf cowering below Valeska's frame. Her gaze was warm as it evaluated him, scanning every feature of his smaller body. Funny. He wasn't the colors of the sky, and yet ... he'd fallen straight from the belly of the stars. Her golden brows lifted as she reached a paw toward him, shooing away the grass that attempted to protect him.

"Astraios — The titan god of stars and planets," she breathed, almost inaudible, pausing for a moment before continuing in a voice that rose in volume. "Where did you come from?" Eerie vocals escaped her serpentine lips, tongue rolling over her teeth. Her gaze shifted from the earthen-toned youth and tipped toward the midnight sky as if trying to ascertain how they could be connected. It didn't add up, and yet ... "Was that your mother, Star-Child?"

Of course, it wasn't.
But try telling Amaranth that.

Her gaze softened, almost feeling a sense of pity. Was he discarded from the sky due to his coat color? Had he not been gifted enough to dance betwixt the celestial realms of the heavens? Oh, poor thing.

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[narrow width=700]This was not the foul demon she had hoped to vanquish.

From what she remembered of her father's bone-chilling tales, they were colossal in size, towering dozens of feet high with claws like sharpened tree trunks and crimson eyes holding the fires of hell behind them; they were also infinitely small, able to compress themselves into the single shadow of a blade of grass. They could even take the form of a noble wolf, tricking the weak into dark, nefarious deals. Not once did he say they could be of the smallish-to-middling variety, nor that they might look so soft. This demon was clearly defective; the sniveling runt of its clan. Even the eyes were all wrong, they were blue. She was certain his devil-kin were very disappointed in him, thus explaining why they had sent the creature out as a straggler to die.

“Pray, tiny demon,” she glowered, opening her jaws to-

Amaranth's voice came floating up from behind the silver wolf like a pair of long, sinuous arms, wrapping ever so gently around her neck to tickle her ears as if in a soothing embrace. 

'Quiet your fangs,' came the ethereal whisper-wind. The High Priestess restrained herself, casting a wary eye back at her companion - what could this mean? Why should she not slay the beast that had been lured by the god-scent in a fruitless attack against them?

'Was that your mother, star-child?'

Valeska almost swallowed her tongue.

Twisting back to stare down at the prisoner betwixt her paws, the she-wolf's brows knit together in deep thought, etching a heavy line across her expression. Her head tipped one way - then the next - before leaning in quite closely to have a better sniff at the creature. The rage had cleared from her eyes and she was startled to find that perhaps this wasn't a deformed devil-midget, and might, in fact, be something far greater.

“I do not - who are you?” she asked, stepping off and away to allow the small wolf space. Had she made a grave error in her judgment? Amaranth seemed unnaturally interested in him, and the suggestion that he might have flown down to them from the stars didn't go unnoticed by the religious woman. Valeska reached out a paw as if to touch him - but then quickly withdrew once more, uncertain. He looked peculiar for a demon, and even moreso as a star-pup; all dusty browns and hazy creams blended together, with paws too large for his frame and fur that stuck out much like a bird's nest. If he was a gift from the sky, then Houtu had a sense of humor.

“Are you... alone, here?” Valeska continued, studying him warily.

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"Pray, tiny demon—"

Aulis held himself frozen in place as the dame pounced above him. He'd prepared for hurt, for pain...but none came. What happened? Daring to pry open an eye at another voice behind his assailant, Aulis looked up at the wolf above him. She had pulled away from his throat, her threat reined in by a strange voice from behind. Fidgeting nervously in the grass, Aulis' face continued to cringe in fear. Some demon he made.

He didn't dare to try to escape the silvery wolf's hold on him as she turned her head to peer over her shoulder. He supposed he owed it to their companion. Without her quick judgement he didn't know what would have become of him. Aulis couldn't see her, but her question rang clearly in the air. "My mother?" He echoed, testing the question nervously on his tongue. "I...I don't think so...It was huge and and it was made of stars! I don't think I'm made of stars...I think..." Aulis went on, trailing off into silence as he kept his eyes to the ground.

Valeska's reach out to him didn't go unnoticed. Aulis pulled away from her paw just before she retracted it herself. He was no demon—not one that would burn her to the touch. Frowning at the question the silver wolf posed, Aulis gave a shallow nod. "Yeah..." He responded, only offering as much to the one who had pounced on him.

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Upon her suggestion, Valeska's fangs retracted. The billow of (beautiful) anger that had swelled within her stocky chest seemed to release with a quiet exhale into the evening air. Valeska, the weapon, uncoiled — at least for now. The Star-Child at her feet continued to quiver, likely fearful ... for he had first fallen from the heavens, now only to be assaulted by two mortal women. How confusing, the poor child. But she could only wonder why he was left here? Why had the stars chosen to deposit him now, at this moment, before them? What was his purpose? What was their purpose with him?

Amaranth's eyes could have held the depths of the stars within them. Wide, mydriatic, and hungry. Had this baby actually been a demon, she could have consumed his soul just as quickly as Valeksa would have disposed of his new mortal frame.

But thankfully, he was not.

A nervous voice sounded after a few moments of heavy, enveloping silence. "My mother? I...I don't think so..." Amaranth glided forward, sliding her golden paws along the midnight earth as she made her way closer to the others. Silver and gold collided as she pressed up into Valeska's side, taking her place at the smaller woman's side. "It was huge and it was made of stars!" There was a thoughtful nod, there. Yes. "I don't think I'm made of stars...I think..." But you are, you are, you are! She wanted to tell him, but perhaps more verbal bombardment would not have done the two Elysium ladies any more favors. There were already doing very poorly at making a good impression on the star-born lad.

His light blue eyes trailed away from them, glowering almost shamefully into the ground. He seemed especially upset with Valeska, and it was obvious in the way he recoiled from her gentle touch.

Amaranth did not move toward him, but her neck craned downward, placing her more on his level without encroaching upon him. "You're lost and in an unfamiliar place. I'm sorry," Amaranth offered, her voice unnaturally soft and hushed as she blinked toward him. This infant, this child of the stars. He was confused, hurt, alone, and now frightened. Of course, he wouldn't remember where he came from! Perhaps the fall had wiped his memory clean! "It is okay not to remember. But I assure you, you are safe here." Her gaze turned softly toward Valeska, and it was obvious there was some fondness there ... but also confusion. What should they do with him? Keep him? Return him to the stars? How would they even do that?

She blinked, mindless, turning back to him. "Do you recall your own name, my Star-Child?"

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Curious. For a tiny demon made of stars, he seemed awfully mortal-looking, and even the fear in his eyes spoke of a grasp on reality that few immortals could mimic so expertly. She squinted, studying him.

Further, for a creature who claimed not to be made of starlight and heaven-dust, it still seemed very suspicious that he would fall from the sky and land in their midst anyway. Unknowingly, yet as if by some shared mind-like, she pieced together a similar conclusion to Amaranth. He certainly hadn't been in the area mere moments ago; perhaps star children were bereft of their memories from Before. Was this a punishment for the boy? Had he committed some great sin in heaven, forcing his kin to cast him out and learn the ways of mortals?

She opened her mouth to mischievously joke about 'finding the starlight in his blood themselves', but a quick look from Amaranth silenced her. The tall she-wolf was right. It wouldn't do to frighten him anymore, even in jest.

But the curiosity killed her.

As Amaranth flowed across the earth toward them like golden silk, hushed and sinuous, her words threaded between the pair like soothing music and struck away much of the tension that hung in the air. Valeska had calmed, and she glanced back at the child with wide, curious eyes.

“Well,” she began, weighing her words carefully. “I will not slay you, starling. Yet, do not know if you are able to return home.” The little wolf pursed her lips. It was insanity, but...

“We might... shelter you, if starling wishes it. Amara and I, we can hunt for you, give you rest. Let you grow until you are able to return to the immortal plane, with other celestial kin.”

Perhaps this was a test given to the pair by Houtu herself - a lost child to foster, to raise.

A test to see if they might one day be worthy of...

Valeska blushed at the thought.

“Amara? What do you think?”

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so sorry for the delay! life got hectic

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Safe. That was a word that rung in Aulis' ears.

He was safe here, so she said. With Valeska's fangs away from his throat, he began to believe it. He didn't believe he was a child of the stars, but he was decorated in speckles that might tell otherwise. With his gaze lowered Aulis eyed the spots on his tail. Maybe they were right?

Eyes lifting at another question, Aulis gave a nod. While he might not remember where he came from, his name was something he did remember. "I'm Aulis," He'd offer, turning towards the dames to sit upright now. Looking between them the pup thought he might at least try to act on good manners. "Who are you two? Why were you here too?" Hopefully they didn't stick around the area to hunt every movement they thought was a demon...

Head turning to meet Valeska's eye, Aulis blinked at her. Yet was not the word that stood in Aulis' mind, he implication lost to the pup. Though her next proposal made the pup light up. "So I can stay with you guys?" He wondered, looking between the silver and gold wolves before he would linger on Amaranth, "Oh, pleeaase?" He'd chime in afterwards, rising to a stand. It had been too long since he had had anyone hunt for him, too long since he had been in the care of someone who knew the land. His paws ached and he could only hope she would agree.

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@Valeska  @Aulis  I am so sorry. Life is wild, but my muse is back and I'll be posting more frequently now!! <3 Love you both.

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The child seemed to soften, realizing slowly that his mortal body was in no danger. Blue eyes wavered between the two women, and somehow that gaze seemed softer when it was directed toward Amaranth. She could feel that little gaze warm something deep within her, and perhaps it was easier for her to pawn that spark off as a tingle of curiosity instead of some unknown motherly instinct. Either way, she smiled, something ermine and toothy ... and greedy. She knew not the reason that the Star-Child had been expelled from his ethereal palace, but she knew now that his place was with her them, and that she and Valeska were destined to find him. Protect him. Keep him.

"Aulis, what a lovely name," she purred, blinking those hazy lavender eyes once as she continued to stare at him. The child then questioned them, asking who they were and why they were here. If he were anyone else, she would have recoiled with a delicate huff. But she wanted the Star-Child to know her ... to trust her. "I am Amaranth, and this is Valeska," she mused, glancing toward her silver-garbed mate. She was unable to hide the gentle smile that curled her lips upward as their eyes met. "We live here," she continued, gaze turning back toward Aulis. We wait and wait for gifts to fall from the stars.

Valeska spoke then, opening herself up to the child as well and going so far as to offer him shelter ... food ... love ... a life with them. Amaranth's head lifted for a moment, ears pressing forward as she eyed Valeska. The woman surely was inside of her mind. Protect him. Keep him. Together.

Were they ready for this? Surely, they were the most ill-fitting parents known to the entirety of this Purgatory ... and yet ... it felt like destiny. To find this piece of precious stardust and nurture it. Perhaps, with their help, Aulis could return to the stars from where he came. Amaranth knew nothing of how to educate one who came from the stars, but certainly, she could try. And she was almost certain that Valeska would know what to do when the time was right.



They seemed to stare at her in synchronous symphony:
“Amara? What do you think?”
"So I can stay with you guys? Oh, pleeaase?"

The child lingered on her, pleading. The warmth rose in her chest again, melting some of the ice that clutched her blackened heart.

"I would want nothing more than for you to stay," she said finally, her iced gaze melting into a gentle pool of molten purple. She lowered her head to reach her nose toward him, hoping, perhaps, that he would allow her to brush against his cheek. A gesture of welcoming. A gesture that promised the young boy that she would protect him ... that she would get him back to his family in the stars.

And if not, perhaps, he could stay with them. And be their family. Her family.

The thought made her smile.

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It didn't matter. Male, female, child, adult. Demon, holy creature. Even the gods-damned foliage probably had a fascination with Amaranth, and it came as no surprise when she caught the lingering glance their little star-orphan cast toward the golden woman. Valeska narrowed her eyes suspiciously - was he even old enough to have crushes? Would she even protest an immortal being descended from the heavens in forming an attachment to her gilded counterpart? - but held her tongue, deeming it not worth mentioning just yet.

They would return him to the stars before this ever became an issue.

He would fly.

An acre of silence sprawled before the trio as their unanswered question hung dangerously over them, breathlessly waiting for Amaranth's final return on the matter. She was more spiritually sensitive than Valeska, though it pained her to admit it - she was the tuning-fork of their faith, the detector of lies, the seer of truths. If Aulis was meant to stay with them, then she would make it so; Valeska would never dare intercede in the matters of divinity.

Amaranth was her Oracle.

"I would want nothing more than for you to stay," came her silken undertones, etched with golden embroidery and jeweled chalices. So it came into their charge to return this star-child to his home, to Houtu in the sky; a holy burden, but one that they would bear with dignity and pride. They would train him vigorously. This child - this eternal, star-flecked son of Houtu, birthed from the heavens and fallen into the mortal plane like some great shooting star - would be the first wolf to fly.

“Let us rest, Amara, and then we shall begin great work,” she stated ominously, turning back toward the dens.

“I will go and prepare the way... child of Houtu.”

{Exit Valeska}

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