Sage's wings had carried her long and far across these new lands she hesitantly called her home. It was a hard pill to swallow admitting that this new place might truly be her new home, but she swallowed it regardless and intended to make the most out of the situation. At least she wasn't alone. She had been able to find her long-lost brother and with him, had found some comfort, solace, and positivity in the situation. After scoping out a temporary residence up in the mountains in a cave that reminded her of home, she'd taken wing to fly and explore the rest of the Realm. She saw all sorts of biomes out on her adventures: a large swamp, jungle, a volcano, distant desert lands (which she happily avoided), several mountain ranges, and even went far enough north to feel the nip of frost eating through her skin. While flying, one thing came to her attention that made her heart swell with joy. The stars, the seasons, while they were not the same as her old world, they were similar enough that she could tell the harvest moon was coming soon.
Quick as her wings would carry her, Sage b-lined it back to her brother to share her discovery. From there, she shared her wants and desires: she wanted to hold a harvest festival that their parents and pack would be proud of for the creatures of The Realm. When he had agreed, she'd dove furiously into her work with eager excitement. It wouldn't be nearly as large or spectacular as that of their old world, but she would absolutely do her best to try and make it so. So, through the nights and days, Sage's paws went to work. During the daylight hours, she would scope the territories and fields to find various vines, flowers, twigs and the likes to create various foliage pieces she planned to hang around the area. During the night when she was confined to the cave, she would work tirelessly on trinkets and jewelry using and shaping the gems and metals she found near the cave to create rings, broaches, necklaces, bracelets, and all sorts of other bits and bobbles she felt inspired to make. When he offered, Sage gladly accepted Wroth's assistance with her endeavors, and in return assisted him with any of his own creations. When given the chance, she went out with Wroth to explore, both enjoying the sibling time together and feeling safer with her brother beside her.
One of the last tasks Sage had to accomplish was sending out birds, which was harder than she had expected it to be. Her prior pack had ravens trained and ready to fly with messages. Out here, she was not so lucky. It took some trading with bits of shiny objects and food for them to understand that she was a friend, and it took yet longer for them to trust her well enough to let her tie a small piece of paper-like material to their leg. Thank the stars that she had paid so much attention to the crafters of her pack. It had already proven far more valuable than any items she'd ever used. Items could be rebuilt if lost or broken, as long as she had the knowledge to do so. She was lucky enough to send out a good dozen or so messages across the Realm over the time period, hoping that at least some of the messages reached some of the wolves across
At last, the day had come. The sun had yet to rise, and Sage was digging through the stash of goods, wood scraps and planks, thatch-woven sheets, woven baskets, rugs, and the few cured pelts and parts they could gather in such short time. "Here Wroth, help me pitch this hut, would you? We've got three more to pitch in case one of the ravens we sent out returns with a merchant in tow." Sage was exhausted from the weeks of tireless work, but it was hardly evident with how much joy and pleasure she radiated.
This is an AW thread! The Valor family is essentially setting up a small trade-booth area for people to gather at and celebrate the harvest moon with opportunities for barganing, chit-chat, trading, and the likes! Feel free to have characters join to set up their own 'booths' or come by to browse the wears and spark up some conversation! Rounds are loose, so feel free to reply as little or as much as you like!
It was strange. For what felt like years, Wroth had found himself spirited away into different lands. The times that he had wandered about aimlessly seeing new faces and new environments was nothing new. If anything, he considered them temporary considering the next thing he knew, he found himself facing new challenges, lands, and faces. And that was how it felt like most of his life went. It was a series of changes and all he could do was move forward trying to find the good in his situation. This was just another chapter in his life. It was almost alarming at how much he had gotten used to it. But as he stared at the pastel and vibrant colors that made up his sister, Sage, he still couldn't believe his eyes. His one wish. His one desire that he had given up so long ago was now standing right here before him. All he wanted was to be back with his lost family and it didn't even matter to him anymore that it wouldn't be in their old lands. He may not have all of them here, but having one was worth more than all of the world's treasures combine to him. There were times he worried that he would wake up in their cave home and she would be gone in an instant, but as time went on and the two got acquainted with their circumstances and each other, her presence was as strong as ever.
Wroth, at first, had yet to truly call this place home. The only difference between before and now is that he felt a fresh sense of adventure and excitement at exploring these new lands with Sage. Some of the biomes he had visited felt oddly familiar even if the landscapes were different, but others did manage to surprise him. But things would change as, over the course of their stay, Sage's heart warmed the child-like spirit within him. While his protectiveness and worry did, sometimes, get the better of him, especially when Sage went on her solo adventures, he ultimately always appreciated the conversations that came with it. His eyes would beam with excitement and amusement as she eagerly rushed back to where he was. His face would lax into a lazy smile as he listened to her excitement, discoveries, and ideas. Her dreams and desires. It should have felt like old times, but there was a difference. Wroth had taken his old life for granted. A life that he had faint memories of now. That included his previous time with Sage, his family, and his old pack. Listening to her now made these little moments the greatest treasures of his life. New memories were being formed and ones that he vow he would never forget no matter how mundane they seem to be. And it was because of these precious gifts that Wroth could start to consider this land more than just another vacation. In a strange way, he was determined to do right by these lands just as he once would have done for his previous home. He wanted others to feel that special spark that had formed in his heart especially if more of their family ever came through. So, when Sage express how she wanted to create and host a harvest festival just like their family and old pack did, he was fully on board. They could start a new legacy here that would not only honor their family and old home, but they could celebrate it with the residents here. And whether Sage realize it or not, Wroth also considered it an official reunion celebration for them as well.
As days and nights passed, Wroth watched and assisted Sage with pride as she created her masterpiece. It didn't matter to him how large or small the scale of it was or how grand or simple it ended up being. He was simply glad to be doing something with his sister and sharing it with others. He knew that, at the end of the day, there was heart and soul put into it. Sometimes, Sage could worry him as she exhausted herself with her work, but there was no denying how much admiration and joy he felt as he got to experience a fresh vision of his sister's endless creativity and energy. It made him realize that he wasn't nearly as creative, but it wasn't like his ideas were too shabby. After all, no one can ever deny that an ocean aesthetic full of seashells and other goodies was always a good touch. The seafood, on the other hand, was debatable. And of course, gems were always a nice touch and the two often assisted each other with their gem creations when they could. Naturally, however, Wroth found himself at his happiest in his greatest role: a helper. Planning wasn't his cup of tea, so while Sage did most of the planning, Wroth was more than happy to follow her lead. It made him excited to see what she had planned next and that excitement became pure fulfillment and joy whenever Sage's visions came to life. But sometimes, even he had to admit that her dedication and creativity managed to turn him for a loop a few times.
One of, if not, the biggest one was the birds. Wroth had a soft spot for birds, especially ravens, due to their old pack having them around. But he guessed he never thought about taming, much less training them here. So, when Sage brought up the idea, needless to say, Wroth was a bit stumped, but eager to try it anyway. He wouldn't mind having some feathery friends around and figured it shouldn't be too hard especially given the birds' intelligence. It certainly wasn't. When he wasn't scaring them away with his size or some other reason, they were notoriously stubborn. In fact, his sister seemed to have a greater affinity with them thanks to her paying attention in her "How to train your raven" courses from the crafters. As a pup, Wroth was far more interested in daydreaming or exploring if he wasn't busy playing, socializing, or pestering his family, especially his parents. Unfortunately, honing his skills was not his greatest priority. So, Wroth found himself as more of a student in training carefully observing and learning from Sage with her training and assisting her where he could. Before he knew it, he would soon be watching those same birds fly off to deliver messages. It made him wonder if these feelings of overwhelming joy, pride, and nostalgia were shared with all parents when they watch their pups grow up and find their own way in the world.
Finally, when the day had come, Wroth's subtle nerves seemed to have exploded into a frenzy of anxiety. The little nagging in his head finally hit him like a bull elk that he had never hosted one of these before. In fact, he was far more used to going to others' parties and even then, he realize that his track record was low. From what he could recall, while he enjoyed the company, he wasn't exactly the life of the party and a good host should always be entertaining. He wanted this day to be special, both for the residents of the realm and especially for his sister and their family legacy. Would he be an entertaining host? How well would he do socially? Would he be too boring to talk to or? Before he could drone on mentally, he was snapped awake from his thoughts as Sage asked him to pitch a hut and commented about how they had three more before the ravens and merchants arrived.
"Sure." He replied warmly. As he helped arrange and position the hut how it was meant to be, he paused for a moment before continuing "It is hard to believe it is already here! You should definitely be proud of all of the work you have done! I think the others will love it too. I wonder who all will be here. I imagine we will have a lot of them showing up. How are you feeling?"
Late into the night one early Autumn evening, Neuro was fading off to sleep with his Pack on the Savannah plain. It was his birthday one that he would never forget. He had been given a gift, a necklace with a crystal of strawberry Quartz and he cherrished it. Unbenounced to Neuro it would change his life forever, cause when he woke he was no longer in The Savannah plains but in a flowery grassland. With no sign of his pack he was alone, cold and he had a strange Acidic flavor in his mouth. As he was wondering the clearings he noticed that his drool was green and tasted of venom. That which he had known from previous encounters with venomous snakes. Over the next few days Neuro found some creeks drink and hares to eat. But on one certain day he heard in the distance chattering and could faintly see huts, one being constucted as he drew closer. He did his best to stay hidden in what cover he could find. Thoughts began to run wild in his head of what this place could be Who might be here. Bravely Neuro walked out into open and said.
A raven had once again managed to find Eon. At first, Eon welcomed the raven with great interest. Another message from the king no doubt? As he received the message, however, he was swiftly corrected. It wasn’t a message from the king… nor the queen for that matter. This was something entirely different - something more familiar. The familiarity of it all made his stomach turn… a harvest moon festival? Like Athadia used to have?... it couldn't be.
During his time in the realm, Eon encountered several individuals he recognized from his past. He was thankful, up to this point, none were from his old pack. However, curiosity had got the better of him once again, and as he approached where the festivities were meant to be - his suspicions were correct. He’d stop a little distance from the festival - smelling the air and the familiar scents. He recognized one… no, two. Both Valors. Lugged over his shoulder was a bag with several bottles of alcoholic beverages - one of them was already half empty. The substance was the only thing that had given him the courage to get this far - and it was apparent the rest of it would be the fuel he needed to finish this venture.
The ocean had delivered him directly to where he needed to be, and the encounter he had with Enya confirmed that all the more. Still, he wanted to escape his past in Kalonia. Thats was why he had come here in the first place. These familiar faces who kept showing up weren’t helping his cause,, nor were they helping him forget. The fact he was never who he thought he was, the fact he was an imposter... It swirled in the back of his mind like a never-ending cyclone - slowly eating away at his sanity. Perhaps he had finally lost it... It nipped at his mind like a swarm of pests, and yet the alcohol had already numbed him enough that he didn’t feel the emotions that came with it. Instead, he braced for the encounter, one he knew would be a little awkward at best. Still, the small canid entered the scene with surprising confidence in his step. As he caught a glance of the familiar faces, he’d flash them a quick smile.... what were their names again...? god. He couldn't remember... didn't matter anyway.
“Long time no see” he’d chuckle slightly as he padded up beside them. “I brought drinks if you want 'em” he’d gesture to the bottles of moonshine dangling to his side that clanked together as he moved. “Free for anyone, I don’ ask for anything in turn” he’d turn around and glance at those who had gathered. He noticed a green and cream spotted canid who had recently walked into the open. He’d bark out a greeting. “Hello, here!” he’d mutter a very subtle “...hesitantly” under his breath, hoping no one would hear it.
As he continued looking around, he was pleasantly surprised. - if there was one thing Athdadians knew how to do - it was how to put on a festival. He got a sense of calm as he looked over the decorations. It must have been a lot of effort to set all this up. Suddenly, a sense of guilt washed over him. Wisteria and Galzroth had always been an inspiration to him - their children he had always cherished because of their parent's legacy, even if he didn’t get to know all of them well, regrettably. A frown creased his features. His mother's words echoed in his head once more… “its all your fault!” whether it made any sense or not, he could not get her voice, or those feelings of guilt out of his head. It continually spiraled in the back of his mind… but now, now that he was here to face two of Wisteria's children - it was all bubbling to the surface. Perhaps the alcohol wasn’t helping after all…
“You guys did a wonderful job setting this all up” he’d say with a smile - hoping giving a compliment would make him feel better… somehow… “You got a place to put this stuff?” he’d gesture once more to the bottles. They weighed a lot and he had lugged them for quite some time - he was eager to get them off his shoulders and onto a table. Eon was a party animal, usually always leaping at the idea of a festival like this. If it wasn't for the shadows of his past that haunted him.... he was sure he would have enjoyed this one too.
When her brother came to her side to assist her, she quickly handed him some things to hold up while she bent to the side and set the poles beneath the tent, sitting the wood proper into the ground. As she spoke, she motioned Wroth around, pointing towards two barrels and a large plank of wood - a makeshift table for the tent. "Thanks. I hope we have some visitors. It doesn't matter how much we prepare if no one shows up to this. I know it's early but... I'm nervous that no one will show up." With the table in position beneath the first tent, Sage went to work digging out her trinkets and jewels and flower arrangements and organized them all nice and neat upon the surface. "Ok, tent number tw-" Sage was cut off as she heard a stranger call out nearby.
"Hello, is anyone there?" Sage's sparkling eyes quickly searched around the area, looking for the source of the sound. She peeked up from around her stall and her belongings and saw a spotted canid standing in the clearing. It took all of Sage's power to stop herself from squealing with delight. Instead she smiled a giddy smile, her long tail thumping eagerly at the tip with excitement. Wait. Composure. She had to compose herself! With a soft clearing of her throat, Sage looked kindly to her brother. She wanted to give him an out in case he felt wasn't quite comfortable sparking up conversation with her and a random stranger. Managing a calmness in her tone, "Brother, seems we have our first visitor." Her smile grew exceptionally wide at the words 'first visitor'. "I'll go greet them. You're welcome to join me! Or, if you'd rather, you can watch the stall." She lingered just long enough to hear her brother's response before stepping calmly towards the stranger.
"Welcome! Hello! Yes, we're here! I'm so glad you could make it! Please, come closer. Take a look at our booths." Sage looked at the stranger to see if he had any bags. She noticed the necklace that hung beautifully around his neck. "Oh! What a lovely necklace! I'm an artisan myself and dabble in jewelry crafting. Perhaps you'd like to take a look at my wares? No pressure, of course! If you'd rather, perhaps just some socializing will do for ya. What's your name, anyways? My name is Sage Valor. I'm here with my brother. We're hosting this event!" It suddenly dawned on Sage that she was rambling and perhaps the stranger might not like that very much. "Oh I'm so sorry. I get carried away sometimes." She took a step backwards, then, to give the stranger some space to breathe. She was, after all, quite a bit taller than him, and a fair bit bulkier, what with her brawny smithing muscles and large wings.
As if the moment couldn't get any better, a familiar sound struck Sage. She turned eagerly towards the sound to see Eon approaching, bottles at the ready. Not much of a drinker herself, she forwent the offered beverage with a polite smile and wave. "Eon! By the winds, it's you! I didn't think I'd see anyone else from home! Oh!" She had so many questions, but with the stranger here, she was reluctant to spill her personal business out in the open for everyone to hear. "We must catch up! Oh, thank you for coming! You two have both made my day!" She smiled warmly at the stranger once more. At Eon's question, Sage gestured towards her booth. "If it's free for everyone, feel free to place it on that table there. Or, you're welcome to set up a booth yourself! I'll be glad to help you. If you made this stuff, you should represent yourself!"
Moving into open where he saw the booth tent things, regret on his mind he sure hoped it wasnt a hunting camp. Maybe he shouldnt have called out. He saw a wolf creature with large wings as white as snow and mane like a rainbow, nearly in a run advancing towards him. His Flight or Fight response kicking in, he was about to bolt back into the tall grass of safety. But the Voice he heard reminded him of his older sister. The Adrenaline in his veins made him miss half of what she said, the mention of his necklace brought him back to this reality as she said her name was "Sage Valor".
Trying to find a gap in her speech he noticed a canine of sorts walk in, stumbling often Neuro smelled a pugnant odor on his breath and many bottles of liquid the same smell in his satchels. He looked like the clear night sky full of stars. He pondered how "Eon" as Sage mentioned was so vibrant as well as her. Neuro didnt realize he was trembling. "Um... Im Shifty. You mentioned an event? And did you prop those booths yourselves? Like the 'Humans' do".
Moving towards the booths, pawing the crystal."My necklace was um... was given to me as a birthday gift. Im still trying to figure out where I am, this doesnt look like the Savannah". Maybe he'll get some answers as to where he was. What they were doing here. Everything really.
The stranger quickly drew Sage's attention back to him and she turned to listen as he shared his name and inquired about the event she had mentioned. Shifty. What an interesting name! She nodded along, biting her tongue to stop herself from interrupting his introduction and asking his questions. She was fully prepared to answer him and give credit to herself and her brother for the work they had done when he said something that made her stop and pause for a moment. Her soft features turned from happy joy into one of confusion. "Humans?" she asked still with a smile, "I'm afraid I don't know what a 'human' is. As for the booths, me and my brother put them up together. We spent quite a while weaving the covers and procuring the pelts, but that's just all in a day's hard work." Her smile grew larger.
When Neuro moved towards the booths, Sage acted as his shadow, stepping away from Eon with a friendly smile and motion for him to tag along as well. The more the merrier, she figured. Neuro didn't exactly ask anymore questions, but it didn't stop Sage from feeling obligated to fill him in and indulge him. "Well it's an absolutely lovely gift. I'm sure someone put a lot of work into that necklace just for you." She lingered for a second while she tried to figure out how best to tell him the next bit of news. If he was anything like her, he wasn't from this world and his Savannah as he had called it would never be seen by him again. Her perkiness was noticeably less when she spoke next to Neuro, "You probably won't see your savannah again. Did you wake up in a strange place you didn't recognize one day? That's what happened to me. That night I was asleep with my Ma and some of my family in our home cave and when I woke up that morning, I was in the middle of a forest all alone. It was scary." Remembering how she had felt, the loneliness she had experienced, caused her to shudder at the recollection. "But don't worry, you're not alone anymore!" Her temperament perked up as she spoke last statement.
What Sage had said stopped Shifty in tracks, he panned his head to look at her to make sure he had heard her correctly. He had feared it deep down that this was the case. He slowly lost his strength to stand, tears forming in his eyes and trickling down his right cheek. He hung his head low. He dwelt on his circumstances for few seconds, his hind legs nearly on the ground, a spark kindled in his heart as he replayed 'You're not alone anymore'. thru his head. He spung back up to full stature, determination in his eyes. Neuro razed his head back to make eye contact with Sage."I'll miss them. SNnnFFFhh. I would like to help with your Event, maybe learn a thing or two about life here. Seams I might be staying awhile". He let out a chuckle to stifle the saddness.
"Hey Eon. Can I help setup your booth? If you dont mind my asking. What's in the bottles"? Although the smell wasn't to favorable maybe it wasnt used for sniffin, curiosity got the better of him.
Eons ears went back by Sage's excited tone. Why couldn't he feel the same? It was true he wasn't fond of his past, but that didn't mean that all of it was bad… why couldn't he just concentrate on the good without this sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach? Instead, he had arrived drunk - probably not giving the best impression to Sage, who had never been anything but kind to him. Still, behind the emotions that boiled up inside him, he forced himself to smile back in her direction. After a moment, it didn't feel as forced. Fake it to you make it, he guessed.
He placed his bottles on the table where Sage had directed him to. "Thank you for your hospitality, Sage. We will definitely have to catch up." he'd say, as thoughts began to swirl in his head. How much of his situation would he be willing to share with her? Would it be worth it? Could she possibly help him through it? It was now beginning to occur to him that this festival wasn't as bad as he had thought. It made sense he wanted to separate himself from the bad that plagued his past… but that didn't mean he had to separate himself from the good. Maybe it was the alcohol, but he had suddenly clung to the idea that telling Sage may help relieve some of the pain. Now wasn't a good time though. At least he was down-to-earth enough to know that.
"There's a lot I'd like to tell you…" He looked at her, and a slight pause passed as he breathed. "but not here… some other time… if you don't mind." He glanced over at the stranger who had joined the party, introducing themselves as Shifty. Suddenly, he felt a bit more light-hearted. He just wanted to enjoy the evening as well as he could as listened to what they had to say, inquiring if Sage and her brother were the ones responsible for setting up the place. He was about to complement them himself until he heard a strange word leave the stranger's mouth.
Humans… he thought for a minute. The name sounded slightly familiar - as if he had heard it in some distant dream or something - but nothing came to mind as he contemplated it. Sage stated she did not know of it either - and just like that, the word was all but forgotten. Something from some other world he had no way of knowing as the conversation moved on in another direction. He followed behind to look at the booths, trying to get a glimpse of the mentioned necklace, though it was hard to do while Shifty was moving. No matter… he would simply have to check it out later.
He listened from the back of the crowd as Sage informed Shifty that he would likely never see his Savannah home again. She then went on to explain how she had just woken up here herself. His ears perked in interest. “You… just woke up here?” he’d reply - a bit confused.
He had a different experience, but perhaps not everyone in the realm entered the same way. Perhaps it sucked up life forms from all over - each of them finding themselves here by different means. It was an interesting thought for sure and would add more to their theoretical future conversation - if that was ever to occur.
He then looked over at Shifty - noticing as tears slowly filled up his eyes. He frowned, feeling for the African dog, giving a nod in agreement that he wasn’t alone - not anymore, and neither was he. His ears perked in surprise the moment he heard his name - inquiring about the bottles. He’d smile warmly. “I’d love some help - it's just a bit of moonshine I made - although….” he paused for a second. “One of them isn’t exactly full… anymore.” he’d chuckle slightly. “To be completely honest I was a bit nervous to come - but I feel a lot better now. You all have lovely vibes.".
Shifty eased into working with Eon put up his booth. He asked a lot of questions, like where things went or what other things did. It was all new to him and he want to soak it all up, learn as much as possible before this event was over. Shifty noticed now that he was focused on the little details that everyone here has some type of satchel or pack to carry around keep sakes or Moonshine "Excuse me Sage, i noticed you have these bag things on y'alls hips to carry stuff. How do i go about aquiring said bags"?
Pondering a lot of things many questions popped into his head. He could go on adventures afterall he wasnt confined to being with a pack. A whole world of possibilities opened up. And new challanges faced him. First though he had to get the basics of survival. Hopefully the group here could teach him. "Also Sage could I learn from you a while, i dont have the slightest idea of living in this land or crafting things or or or..." he trailed off, to many things he wanted to ask. To much excitement in his viens. It was hard for him to narrow down what he want to do first, but he knew deep down even though he had just met these folks he knew he was in good company. Might even try a little moonshine
