Tiny Vessels
Rain moved through the garden with his nose to the ground, searching intently while the monkey at his side rooted about the overgrown grasses and vines. While most healers prepared for winter by stocking up on herbs to treat coughs and runny noses Rain knew enough about healing to know that the best treatment for colds and flus was to boost the immune system not to get it in the first place. While the garden was home to several green plants that would be beneficial with the coming dry season the small male knew the best treatments came from fruits. With the prolonged wet season several of the citrus fruits were still in bloom and had collections of ripe fruit at their branches. Rain however sought something else entirely.
One of the vines growing rampant in the garden bore a veritable rainbow of hanging pods ranging from green, to bright red and every conceivable color in between. Bell peppers. Bell peppers were thankfully less painful to eat than chili peppers and had a great deal more vitamin C than oranges. He had learned of the marvelous properties of the plants while he was abroad traveling with his father. Although he hadn’t learned much in his time away from Boreas what he had learned had proven to be valuable, once to his father, and now to the empire since his father’s abandonment.
Although the vine had grown wild for years without human intervention the hanging pods were not out of reach even for the male, as small as he was. He shrugged the clunky bags off his back and shook his fur out before he rose onto his hind legs and began plucking the vegetables off the vines. Some of the otherwise green pods were splotched with red or yellow but most were either a solid color such as orange or red. It occurred to Rain quickly that none of the pods appeared to be yellow until he saw a single pod near the top of the vine, glistening with morning dew. It was far too high for Rain to reach on his own and the structure of the vine itself was too frail to support Faldur. It was silly but the fact that the pod was so unobtainable only made Rain want it more and he began to wonder who would be worthy of the “golden fruit” he would offer when he returned to the kingdom. His first thought was Malleus but he felt he had done enough for the king and he would most likely be unimpressed by the gift. He then thought of Pyrric, the two had become friends in a sense since the day Rain found him lost in the woods. He would be a year old soon and he supposed if anyone would appreciate the thoughtful gift it would be him. For Rain that settled it, he would have to get the yellow pod one way or another.
The two first attempted to reach the pod by standing on top of each other; the primate holding Rain in his outstretched hands while Rain grappled feebly for the yellow pod, only to come up sort. The two then switched places, with Faldur standing on Rain’s shoulders while the wolf braced himself against the frail fencing the vine had been growing on. Just as Faldur was about to reach the pod however the fencing gave out and Rain toppled to the ground, bringing his companion down with him who fell over his ribs, knocking all the wind out of him. He twisted and got to his paws shaking sawdust from his fur just in time to see the entirety of the fencing come crashing down and dragging the vine system down with it.
Rain folded his ears briefly, acutely aware that his own stupidity had robbed the empire of future use of the peppers until further notice. He gently plucked the single yellow pod then quickly began collecting as many of the pods that he could from the newly felled fencing. He would have to find some way to preserve them in the hopes that they would last long enough for the vine to regrow and pray to the Fallen One that Malleus didn’t find out what he had done and why.
Rain and Fauldr placed as many of the pods as they could inside his bags, leaving the single yellow pod separate from the others to ensure that no one else picked it out at random. He placed the golden pod in the top bag of his pack where it would remain separated until he could give it to Pyrric, then took one of the red colored pods and gently planted it at the base of a nearby tree. He would have to come back later with a trellis before the vine began to grow in earnest just to protect the tree but for now it would just have to make do.
Word Count: 825
speaking Thinking you |
The God's Garden wasn't a place Typhon normally went. The castle and the lands surrounding it were more than enough for him, though today he felt more aimless than usual. A soft sigh fell from his lips as he wandered, his large paws crushing herbs and vegetation beneath his paws as he went. He had little regard for plants and their uses - other wolves knew more about them than he did, and he had no real interest in beginning to learn now. Typhon could be remarkably hard-headed, though that side of him was rarely shown to his fellow kin.
Someone had gone this way recently, and he caught on to the unfamiliar smell and trailed after it. The smell belonged to a male and another creature, one he couldn't quite place, but perhaps his companion? Intrigued, he pushed on, pausing through the mess of vegetation until the dark, small figure of Rain, and his primate companion, came into view. They stood near a toppled fence, clearly busy doing something, even if Typhon couldn't quite tell what it was.
Emboldened by the fact that this was one of the Risen Empire's newest members, and Rain's status as non-family, he couldn't help but be curious what they were up to. He wasn't the best judge of emotion but he swore they looked a bit guilty, or perhaps that was just his judgmental nature getting the best of him. Frowning just slightly, he continued his approach, clearing his throat when he drew closer. "What are you two doing?" His voice held a slightly accusatory tone, despite being a simple question, but he held off from saying anything else until Rain answered him.
The two jumped simultaneously, Rain’s scruff bristling as he dropped into a defensive posture and faced the larger male. He relaxed as he identified the man as an Abraxas and instantly shook the fear from his coat. “N-nothing sir.” He said then rose to treat the male as an authority. “I was simply gathering bell peppers in preparation for the winter and the fencing gave out.” He explained. There wasn’t much of a lie in his explanation, which was what ultimately made him so convincing.
“And you sir? What brings you into the garden?” He asked although he doubted he had the right and would more than likely pay for it soon.
Speaking Thinking You |
His accusatory tone had been an instinctual thing, rather than a result of whatever Rain had been doing, but surely the other male couldn't know that. Instead all he heard was Typhon's harsh tone, and he found himself narrowing his eyes as he gazed at Rain with interest. The way he saw Rain's fur bristle was weirdly satisfying, and he was intoxicated by the brief moment of power. "I see," he said simply, nodding as he drew a bit closer and tried to get a better look at what Rain was really doing. It didn't sound like he was being dishonest, even if Typhon didn't fully understand it.
"Bell peppers? What are those used for?" He was more interested in simply asking questions than he was in getting real answers, but part of him was curious nonetheless. Fighting back a soft grunt at Rain's question, he merely shrugged before answering. "I was just out for a walk. That's all. What's your name, again?" Not that he thought he'd known it in the first place, but it was worth being cordial.
The shock of being startled had worn off and even as the male pressed him with further questions he felt himself slowly becoming more confident. “The bell peppers help to fight off diseases that thrive in the winter. I’m not entirely sure how, but a man I met said his family survived a plague because they ate them regularly.” He explained and then realized he had put his faith to avoid illness in the word of a farmer. “Granted the natural constitution of the Abraxas is far more advanced than that of a mortal, but I do believe they will be useful in the coming months.” He began to ramble, taken by his own need to justify why he had indirectly destroyed a plant when its effects may or may not have had a medicinal effect.
The male asked him for his name and Rain lowered his head slightly, although not enough to appear fully submissive. “My name is Rain Loire.” He said briefly, his eyes darting away momentarily before he returned his attentive gaze toward the male.
speaking Thinking you |
Though Rain had seemed a bit nervous at first, his demeanor shifted, and now he seemed less worried about what he'd been doing. Typhon couldn't find it in him to press the subject further. Being domineering had been ingrained in him since birth - he'd been sent away in his youth for failing to live up to his father's potential - and even now after he'd settled back in with his family he wondered if he was still failing to live up to what they expected of him. Gauging the reaction of non-family members was one way to assess how he was doing, and judging by Rain's initial reaction to him.. perhaps he wasn't doing so badly. He found himself relaxing now in Rain's presence, the pressure to seem overbearing fading away as quickly as it had arrived.
"Hm," he mumbled simply, taking in his words. Perhaps it'd be worth knowing about foods and plants to strengthen the immune system; especially with his mind on Zinnia and their future, keeping her healthy was something that had been creeping into his head lately. Not that he'd had courage to push that any further quite yet. He appreciated Rain's comment about the Abraxas bloodline being more advanced than regular mortals, which earned a wry smile from Typhon. "Do you truly believe that? Or are you just trying to impress me?" He'd lost that sharp edge to his voice, instead sounding truly curious now. He wouldn't mind some honesty from the meek male but he hoped he might allow some truth to find its way into his answer, even if he really doubted it would happen. "Typhon," he introduced himself smoothly, placing Rain's name in his memory so he wouldn't forget it later.
He turned his ears back at the question, suddenly unsure if the male was truly curious or if this was some kind of a test to prove his loyalty to the Abraxas. His hesitation showed in his widened eyes and he looked away from the other male with obedient submission.
“I’ve…Heard many beliefs of other wolves.” He said slowly, his sight flickering back to the male before he looked away again. “I’ve met wolves who are vessels for demons, wolves descended from angels, even wolves who claimed to have descended from humans. I don’t know what to believe.” The honesty in his own words twisting his heart as he spoke. “I believe all of it is much of the same thing. A need, not just to be different but to be superior.” He explained, his thoughts drifting away from the Empire entirely and settling on the hostile culture of his grandfather. “But sometimes just being normal is enough. Like the farmer that survived a plague, or a blind woman who works as a healer.”
He stopped himself suddenly, a wry smile crossing his features. “Although I suppose that could just be wishful thinking on my part.” He admitted dolefully. A chill ran up his spine as he looked the male over, trying to read his expression, had he offended him? Or would he be pleased with his answer?
speaking Thinking You |
Typhon was curious, and not solely because he wanted to enact punishment on him if his answer proved unsavory. Truthfully that thought was farther from his mind than it probably ought to be, and instead had been overrun by a fierce curiosity. He wasn't sure Rain would answer his question at all, especially given the way his eyes widened and he briefly looked away. Ah, well. He could always leave him to continue collecting his peppers and move on with his day, without too much bother.
But he spoke up, admitting he'd heard what many other wolves thought and didn't know what to believe himself. Interesting. He nodded carefully, deciding against saying what he was truly speaking - that those other wolves were wrong. He knew arguing would get him nowhere and if Rain wasn't fully convinced of the power of the Abraxas line by now he doubted having a few sharp words with him by now would change anything. His doubt seemed genuine rather than contrived and he wasn't entirely sure he could blame him; he wasn't at all like Zinnia, who's life had been saved by him and who'd thrown herself headfirst into their family's culture without question, but he wasn't sure that was such a bad thing... so long as he didn't try to sow seeds of doubt into anyone else's heart.
Typhon merely nodded. Sometimes being normal was enough? "I suppose," he replied cautiously. Personally he couldn't pretend to believe Rain, to believe that the Abraxas simply wanted to be superior - they simply were - but then again if he wasn't part of the family perhaps he might not see that. It was hard to know for sure. What he truly believed was that Rain would see the truth over time, the longer he spent here with the Abraxas. "Though whatever you believe, I would suggest keeping those opinions to yourself, especially if asked by.. the higher ups in the Empire." It was hard to imagine someone like Malleus reacting well to even an inkling of doubt, and Typhon was reminded suddenly of how his own antics had gotten him banished from his family at a rather young age. He felt a similar fearful shiver crawl down his spine, though tried to ignore it for now. He offered a tight-lipped smile to the smaller male, as well a slow dip of his muzzle. "Thank you for your honesty though, Rain. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around."
- exit Typhon -