Post by Phantom on Dec 28, 2015 14:35:01 GMT -5
Note: I'm reusing this thread starter as the other was inactive!
Home.
The word was foreign on Phantom’s tongue; a clumsy attempt at describing an emotion he no longer claimed to feel. He knew how to reside, how to exist somewhere for so long that it grew familiar and comfortable. What he struggled with was belonging. ‘Home’ suggested it was somewhere he belonged to; a place he deserved to be a part of and protect. But Phantom did not deserve this small family of strangers and the home they had created for themselves. To him, it was a residence. Permanent, perhaps, though that remained to be seen. For now, he considered it as transitory as the rest of his life was.
Regardless of his relationship to the land, it was truly beautiful. The familiar climate was comforting, the mild winter weather brought him a sense of peace. He’d never ventured to Aveline during his youth, but the landscape was not wildly different from where he’d grown up. They even claimed a portion of the bountiful plains that stretched across the majority of Anikira’s south, which was where he was inclined to spend most of his time, even while the others’ slept in the makeshift dens of the sinkhole’s tunnels, Phantom opted to spend the nights beneath the stars.
Today, however, he desired to explore. He travelled as far south as the pack’s boundaries allowed, reaching the Aughgar River which separated their lands from the Occasus, and then followed the river down as it cut across the plains southeast toward the sea. It was a chilly morning, the coldest they’d had so far, but still mild considering winter would soon rear its ugly head. The closer he got to the sea, the colder the wind that cut through his fur grew, and the clouds overhead seemed to gather the further he walked. The thought of rain sullied Phantom’s decent mood, but he would manage.
As he began to frown at the weather, he noticed something strange in the distance. A huge hollow in the earth; a crater stretching across the plains. Phantom’s frown grew heavier, but he pushed forward out of his casual stroll and into a trot, eager to map every oddity and quirk that their lands had to offer. The tall grass tickled his fur gently as he moved, brushing through his chest and legs, soft and light. It was quite a pleasant sensation really.
Reaching the crater, Phantom quickly surveyed the edges for signs of weakness but thankfully it seemed sturdy enough that it wouldn’t give way beneath his weight. The crater was dry and barren, save for the remains of unfortunate creatures, of which Phantom was determined not to be one. The size of it was impressive, but once he’d seen it, there wasn’t really much else to it. The thought of utilising it to capture prey crossed his mind, but it would prove too dangerous and almost impossible for even the giants among them to climb out from the bottom. In the wet season it would come in handy as a receptacle for rain water, but outside of that it was functionally useless. Disappointed, Phantom huffed a sigh.
He was not far away from the sea now, and he realised he’d already scouted across the majority of the lands. It was a lot smaller than he’d hoped; big enough to accommodate the number of wolves they’d gathered, but small enough that avoiding contact with others altogether would prove impossible. Guiltily, Phantom wondered how long Aveline would be able to hold his attention, and how long it would take for company to become a nuisance and a bore. He had promised to follow Nimue and Morrigan, but he knew better than anyone how easily promises could be broken.
Word count: 620
Muse: decent
Notes: reused this thread because I'm lazy x)
Tags: Muse
