"Local," the Tunawa began glancing to the left as she was distracted by another large butterfly swaying passed like a flickering torchlight in the dark, "can you tell where we're going?"
Uncertainly she returned her gaze to the dark of the day around them, the rumble overhead making her wiggle in impatience. But as usual Local paid Sola no heed, picking their way with careful assurance in the way of creatures who have no fear of getting lost. On the other hand, it was the Tunawas' constant fear though she rarely gave it more thought than admittance for how would she get anywhere unless she was actually going? It was something she and her parents often debated on when she came home in near splinters some days but Local had always kept her on the right track. But never before had Sola been foolish enough to travel during Cylus.
A last minute decision really, she only wanted to head back to the Magni but the days had gotten away from her and before she new it Cylus bore down on her. Too late she'd left Desnind and now everything was covered in a blanket of icy never ending night that pulled her to sleep like a mothers lullaby. By now Sola would normally be curled up to sleep the dreary season away and keep her strength for when Ashan cheerfully woke her with the suns rays but now she struggled to keep her eyes open on Locals back. Only the passing of yet another butterfly stirred her awake.
Once more she made to ask Local the question it would never answer, gaze on the butterfly, so receptive and lulling it was luck a dream already when the rush of air plucked her into a nightmare instead. Local only had time to bleat out in warning before it bolted, its rider in the talons of the owl and already far out of its reach.
Though Sola screamed the never-ending night swallowed her screams just as it had swallowed the sun. But she did not cry, not yet, she new the bird would not eat her and likely thought her a branch for its nest, so long as it did not drop her she could possibly escape. That is what silenced her screams as quickly as they had started, her hands moving from scrabbling to get out to clinging on for dear life. Quiet prayers went out to any who were listening as air whistled past until the flight smoothed out, it was almost soothing and strangely beautiful to see the world that was so large seem so small beneath the wings of the owl.
But such thoughts were gone as quickly as they came when they landed and Sola found herself in the mouth of the bird. "Don't eat me! You mustn't eat me!"
Panicked she made small chirping noises, unsure if it was the right bird to mimic but it did not pause from its task. Which was, lucky or not, not to eat the Tunawa but to jam her head repeatedly into the next in an effort to forcibly bend her into a part of it. "Stop that!"
But the owl did not relent and Sola gave out with a cry of annoyance, her hands tried to grip the nest and pull herself into it if only so the bird would stop smashing her into it. Again she tried to chirp at it but again it ignored her, shoving even harder as if to silence her. Desperate the Tunawa slapped at its beak when she felt her arm snap as she was once more slammed into the nest, arm caught strangely between the birds beak and the nest.
A scream left her lips silently before all went as dark as the season itself. Sola blissfully unaware of the bird now able to properly shove her unconscious form into the curve of the nest.
Last edited by Sola on Mon Apr 15, 2019 5:29 pm, edited 1 time in total. word count: 336
So much so the Tunawa wished she was still asleep. To make thing worse as she tried to move her body was stuck, locked in a perpetual curve under a foamy branch. Sola knew she should try to break it but putting effort into anything seemed impossible. Her arm throbbed though was likely healed over with sap which meant it'd have to be rebooked so the sap could heal it in the correct direction. Now the tears came, relief, pain, fear all of it warred together in some strange overwhelming emotion.
Only when she could cry no more and was too exhausted to do anything else did she drift back into a strange half-sleep. The noise of the endless night reached her ears, she could feel the way her body was curved uncomfortably but all of it was distant as her mind rested restlessly in a way that would only bring temporary wakefulness. But it was enough to give her the strength to begin to move, craning her neck to see if the bird was still around but luckily for her it was not in the nest. That did not mean it may not be nearby but unless it was watching the nest or heard her rustle too much it would be unlikely to see her wriggle out.
And wriggle out she did. She unbent herself and pulled her legs from the way they wrapped around the other bits of wood. Her arm was the least helpful, but she pulled it through stubbornly falling into the nest with a wince. Tensely she waited for the owl to swoop her up again but only the quiet of the night reigned around her until she was able to stand. Around her was entirely unfamiliar though in the distance Sola swore she could see lights.
Lights that moved closer and closer still until they were not lights but only a reflection of light in a birds eyes.
A bird rapidly approaching.
The owl!
Sola did not think. She reacted, panicked instinct and the urge not to be shoved back into a nest or eaten or flown even farther away. Common sense would have told it was stupid but nothing she for 'no' went through her head as she pitched herself over the edge of the nest.
The Tunawa didn't even remember hitting the ground nor the moment when she heard body ran back to the safety of sleep but now she felt it. Her back ached, sap leaked like tears. Her arm, once healing was now broken again and sleepily she tried to put it in the right position, smearing the sap around it and letting the frigid night air harden it like a cast. Farther but closer than she thought the nest sat above her, the shadowy wings of the bird flapping in the dark. It felt as if she'd been asleep forever or maybe it was only a few seconds. The lack of light made it impossible to tell. Not that it mattered in the end. She'd escaped and that was all she cared about, that and getting home. Had Local not fled in fear she may have even been able to get home but it was impossible to tell where she was. Everything looked the same.
Tree.
Dark.
Tree.
Plant.
The sound of water.
At least there was that, if she could not have sun then she needed water. Her body moved toward it as if it were someone else's. Crawling through the damp, hard earth Sola dunk her head in to drink deeply then rolled over to look at the sky. If she stayed there all season she could sleep like a broken branch till someone found her in Ashan. But how would she live till then? Alone? Lost in the trees that usually felt like home? Again she wanted to cry but it was such a waste of sap she swallowed down the urge as hard as she could. Her body shivered like the sleeping withered plants around her. It was a terrible idea to sleep where she was but as the exhaustion settled again Sola knew only sleep could help and when she woke again she may be strong enough to find her way to...somewhere.
With herculean effort the Tunawa dragged herself a bit away from the river then sidled herself down as deeply as she could into the hard earth like a makeshift dirt blanket. In the morning things could be better. She'd know exactly where it was or her mom or dad would have found her. In the morning her arm may even be better. She just had to wait for the next morning without sun.
Just the next morning.
Over and over it repeated until even in her dreams the phrase fluttered by.
This was great as a character starter. Love the trope of poor tunawa getting shoved into nests by strange birds. At the same time, there's a sense of melancholy about this thread, that suits the pc perfectly. What might've been a comedic situation, was action packed and full of drama. I liked it.
Points
10/10 these points may not be used for domain magic
Knowledge
Animal Training: Trying to talk sense into a bird
Endurance: Being shoved into a nest
Endurance: Moving with a broken arm
Discipline: Not screaming when scared
Acrobatics: Having your body forcibly contorted
Navigation: You can't find your way in the dark