ORIGIN - Creating the Garden of Paradise

Pathways wandered their way around Eridanus, spreading out in all directions. It was along one of these paths that the springbok found herself. Unlike in her youth, she carried herself in a gentle and graceful trot. Her hooves barely made a sound against the soft dirt cushioned by gentle ferns, moss, and grass. She felt at home in the area, knowing much of it well from her past 5 cycles of living and exploring in this cavern.

Today was a day of exploration. Her mind had wandered back to her friend Bremen in Polaris. He had a strange “shop” there, a place of his own. Rift had a similar place, a mighty tree which formed his den. Over the past couple of cycles Enka had played around with the idea of having a place of her own. And for whatever reason, she decided that today she would do just that.

This was, of course, assuming she could find just the right place. So, off the springbok went in hopes of stumbling upon the perfect location. For a large garden she needed a large, mostly flat area. Water needed to run nearby it. The dirt in Eridanus was always fertile and ready for plants but she’d need to find a place without much in the way of trees. Her list of requirements was short and simple, but not the easiest for this cavern. Well, water was easy enough, but not the flat lands part. That would take some time.

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Notes: Enka will be ideally heading towards one of the areas where a fire had occurred to create her garden.

Brother, understand whySee it's burning me to hold onto thisI know this is something that I gotta doBut that don't mean I want to

There was somebody in their forest.

The sound of hooves had drawn him, out of boredom and curiosity. If it was a Cave Deer he might have given chase, only just to stretch his legs and warm his muscles. He likely wouldn't have killed it, he wasn't hungry and didn't like killing for no reason, but merely played.

However, he was quick to discover that it was a Greater Gembound, not a Lesser. A deer it was indeed, but not one he had ever seen before. It was alien - but not alien enough to be prey. So, curious, he followed it, slipping easily through the trees.

It seemed to be heading towards an area that had been burnt long ago, and curiosity drove him. So, sitting easily on a tree branch, the panther called out, "Hello, what do you need of Eridanus?"

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

What I'm trying to say is that, I love you I justI feel like this is coming to an endAnd it's better for me to let it go now,than hold on and hurt youI've gotta let it burn

@Enka

The springbok moved along at an easy pace through Eridanus. Partially this was because the area was familiar territory to them. It was also because so far Enka had had a very pleasant life. There was little fear because she had not been given a real reason to be scared. Not to mention she was now not only equipped with her sharp hooves but also two spiraling antlers along with her strange curving green horn. So, while someone was watching her, as prey animals are often aware when this happens even if it’s just a tiny tickle at the back of their neck in warning, she gave it little heed.

She gave pause as a strange voice came from one of the thinning trees. Ears began to spiral, trying to locate the source of the sound. The panther’s black pelt gave him great camouflage. If he had meant to keep hidden, he would have easily succeeded. As he seemed to have a more curious and lackadaisical pose, she was able to locate him with time.

The panther was a curious creature. In many ways he reminded her of her old teacher, Rift. Both were large cats who claimed Eridanus as their home. Yet he was colored more similarly to her other than the sprinkling of flowers that dotted his pelt. It was a striking contrast to the pitch black of this feline. Which seemed oddly familiar to her for some reason she couldn’t quite put her hoof on.

Enka gave a nod of her head in greeting to the cat. “Very little, for Eridanus gives all I need easily enough,” she replied with a soft chuckle. Which were indeed true words. The cavern gave plenty of plant life for a herbivore like herself, clear waters, and so many types of flora to learn and discover. Yet she figured that he was looking for a more literal answer.

“I’ve stayed in Rift’s tree for a long time. And I met a … strange fellow by the name of Bremen with a “shop.” So now I’m looking for a place of my own, that I can freely raise some baby plants in.”

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Tags: @Sebastian
Notes: I'm going to assume that Rift had mentioned him to her at some point but more in passing or something.

Brother, understand whySee it's burning me to hold onto thisI know this is something that I gotta doBut that don't mean I want to

The panther grinned, watching as the springbok attempted to find her. It was always funny, when he greeted a Gembound who couldn't see him. Finally, he chuffed, "Up here," offering her a friendly enough smile. He was never rude, unless it was required. But he didn't yet know this deer's intentions, so he kept himself restrained.

And he had to agree, Eridanus was good to them. It kept many Lesser Gembounds from which he could eat, and provided water and shelter. There were even places where he could practice his magic without worrying about harming Rift's beloved plants.

The mention of Rift drew his attention, and he perked up to look at her. "Rift? You know my brother?" the word 'shop' was foreign to him, so he settled for asking, "Do you have somewhere in mind?"

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this. @Enka

What I'm trying to say is that, I love you I justI feel like this is coming to an endAnd it's better for me to let it go now,than hold on and hurt youI've gotta let it burn

The springbok offered a smile in return to the panther. She had no reason to fear the large feline. For one, he was clearly not in a hunting posture as he lounged easily from a tree branch. Enka had also spent quite a time in the company of another large feline. Rift had been an amazing teacher and caregiver during her early time of life. He had opened her eyes to the wonders of plant magic and how to care for such precious little saplings. It was also his home that had helped inspire her idea of a garden, even if it was Bremen’s shop that gave the initial spark for it.

As the feline questioned her about Rift, she immediately became more animated. “Rift? Do I?” she replied back excitedly. A quiver of excitement rushed down her spine to her twitching tail before she took a mighty leap into the air. Her grin was stretched across her maw as she landed neatly on her dark hooves, her ears bouncing a bit from the sudden movement.

“Rift found me when I first hatched. He taught me all sorts of wonderful things about plants and cared for me. He’s an amazing person.” Enka couldn’t help but beam at the wonderful memories that rushed to the forefront of her mind. “That must mean you’re Sebastian then, right?”

Her grin wavered for a brief moment at his question, but it never left and was soon solidified again. She shook her head in response. “No, I don’t, other than somewhere here in Eridanus. I figured I would know the perfect place when I stumbled across it. It would have to have water nearby, and plenty of space. And lots of access to the lights above. But many places could fit that criteria here.”

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Tags: @Sebastian
Notes:

Brother, understand whySee it's burning me to hold onto thisI know this is something that I gotta doBut that don't mean I want to

Sebastian couldn't help but to grin as he saw the deer take a sudden leap into the air, repeating his brother's name. It was like what he'd used to do as a cub, when he'd been particularly proud of what he had done. He found himself standing, leaping down to be on even standing with Enka.

The panther perked up when Enka explained what Rift had been to her, and he nodded when she questioned his name. "I am! It seems that Rift has a talent for picking up hatchlings," he chuckled. "Any friend of Rift's, is a friend of mine. If you need anything, just ask."

When she explained that she was wandering to find a place to settle, he grinned, "I've made a home for myself at the Maw, I'm afraid, so there's likely nothing for you there. But would you mind if I join you?"

@Enka

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

What I'm trying to say is that, I love you I justI feel like this is coming to an endAnd it's better for me to let it go now,than hold on and hurt youI've gotta let it burn

As Sebastian leapt down to be more eye level with her, Enka found herself elated with joy. While she had never met the feline before, the fact that he was of relation to her old caretaker meant that he was someone important to her. Enka felt like he had met a new family member of her own. After all, Sebastian was the brother of Rift.

“It’s good to officially meet you, Uncle Sebastian,” she said with a broad smile.

The panther’s reply about where to search was not disappointing as one might expect it to be. After all, she had all the time in the world to find the perfect location for her plant children. Eridanus was a beautiful wonderland and Enka took no displeasure in discovering its various nooks and crannies that laid hidden.

“I’d be delighted to have you join me. I’m sure we’ll discover the perfect location in time.”

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Tags: @Sebastian
Notes: Sorry for a shorter post this time.

Brother, understand whySee it's burning me to hold onto thisI know this is something that I gotta doBut that don't mean I want to

Sebastian grinned at the antelope, finding himself rather amused. He would never have thought that he'd find himself related to an herbivore, a deer especially. Deer were his personal favorites, they tended to feed on the moss by the rivers, and it gave them a sweet taste.

He couldn't help but to chuckle when she called him 'Uncle Sebastian', responding with, "A pleasure, Niece Enka." playfully.

The panther inclined his head, "I'll take any excuse to explore Eridanus, lead the way."

@Enka

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

What I'm trying to say is that, I love you I justI feel like this is coming to an endAnd it's better for me to let it go now,than hold on and hurt youI've gotta let it burn

The fur along her rump bristled with a flick of her tail at the end as the panther referred to her as "niece." It was a nice feeling to have discovered that her known family had expanded. Sebastian seemed every bit as pleasant as Rift had made him out to be. She would have to let Rift know that she was able to meet his brother. Perhaps the three of them could meetup at some point. The idea of the small family spending some time together gave Enka much joy.

The springbok nodded her slender head as Sebastian agreed to travel with her for a while. Her head then swung upwards to take in the general area. Originally Enka had simply picked a direction at random and began walking with no real destination in mind. Now that someone was to accompany her, however, she found herself wanting a more definite plan in mind.

After a moment's pause to take in the strange cave jungle, Enka motioned with her head and started forwards in a similar direction to what she had already been going towards. Eridanus was a massive cavern. While she had spent the majority of her life here, there was much of it that was still a secret to her. There were tree species that were a mystery, new plants sprinkled everywhere, foothills and pools left undiscovered. This part of the cave was one of those areas.

It wasn't that she was hesitant about exploring this area. It simply hadn't been done yet. It was clearly different than the rest of Eridanus though. The grass under hoof was softer, the flowers smaller, the trees more sparse. There was a strange feeling of freshness that seemed to get stronger the further the two journeyed; a stark contrast to the near ancient feeling the rest of Eridanus had.

"Does this part of Eridanus seem different to you?" Enka asked the feline. She knew that he was older than she was, perhaps he would understand why this part of the cavern felt so different.

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Tags: @Sebastian
Notes:

The puma appeared uneasy about this part of the forest, silence beginning to take hold between the two of them. Enka did not understand the full reason but she could relate some. As they moved, the forest was younger. It was clear something had happened here. Seeing it in such a state also sadden her as well.

After a while, Enka found it tiresome being in such an area. It was decided that enough exploring had been done for the day. Bidding ado to her newly discovered family, with hopes of seeing him again soon, she made her way off.

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Notes: -Enka has left the thread-