Welcome to the journal of Kyrylo Eneas, the Whisperer, played by Jitsumi1221.



Please do not post in this thread unless you have permission from Jitsumi1221.

Click here to visit A Thousand Gardens' shop thread.

1.2 ToC
1.3 Rules
1.4 Beginnings

• The Place
  The Race

1.5 Kyrylo Eneas Profile

• Starting Stats
  Personality
  Key items[list:0bb40a7a17][list:0bb40a7a17]Flower
  Stone

[/list:u:0bb40a7a17][/list:u:0bb40a7a17]
1.6 Time line
1.7 Growth

• Egg Stage
  Young Adult
  Adult
  Eternal

1.8 Relationships

• NPC
  Llithe
  Whisperers
  Spirits

1.9 Gifts & Belongings
1.10 Home
1.11 Picture Book
1.12 - 1.15 Reserved

As always there are a few simple rules i would like you to follow when posting in my journal:

~ If you have a faerie or are an NPC for A Thousand Gardens you MAY post here. Please keep in mind that if you are not posting as your fae i expect to see brackets for OOC.

~ Friends of mine are allowed to post here as well. The following people may come and post as they please : Drache-Lehre , MagnusXL, Lady Star, and Angrytalic. If you are not one of the aforementioned you must PM me for permission before you post.

~ Please try to use proper grammar and spelling. Chat speak and 1337 speak are not welcome here; I'd like to be able to understand what you are saying.

~ Leave the drama at the door. This is an RP thread, I honestly don't give a hoot if your having problems with such and such person because they ate your favorite marble. If it isn't related to Kyrylo, it doesn't belong here... easy enough.

The Place

Just behind the mirror, just out of your glance, lies a hidden glowing place where a thousand gardens flourish, safeguarding a fairy species called the Llithe. The Llithe are small, fragile peaceful winged creatures made of light and magic, and spend their time caring and attending to their beautiful garden.

However, soon the Llithe begin to notice shadows in their garden.. shadows borne by the Whisperers. The Whisperers are dark fairies cast away from their home, and they seek brightness and light, and the brilliance of the Thousand Gardens caught the attention of their inky eyes. And so they stole into the garden one by one, each slowly consuming the light of the garden into starless shadows that gives them comfort.

Soon, the Llithe became aware of the withering flowers in the mysterious shadows, and the Whisperers of the glare in the sun. It will soon be a matter of time before the two faerie families are locked in a struggle that will change the face of the Thousand Gardens for all time.

( the above is an excerpt from A Thousand Gardens main page, which can be found here)

His Race

The Whisperers are dark-winged faeries who were banished from their homeland for unknown reasons. Like the Llithe, each Whisperer has a distinct skill and some have magical powers. They are similar to the Llithe, in that they also go through two stages before reaching adulthood.

The Whisperers are more comfortable in the shadows and dark, but would not object to going into the sunlight. Though often perceived to be gloomy and grim, the Whisperers are kind folk who loves peace just like any other. They just happen to be introverted and shy. Some also enjoy pranks and jokes.

There are, however, powerful and evil Whisperers who were blessed with the power of Shadow Magic, bent on destroying all that is brilliant and beautiful. Fortunately, they are yet to be found in the Thousand Gardens. But those in the Gardens know about the threat of those with Shadow Magic, and are wary of these faeries.

( the above is an excerpt from A Thousand Gardens main page, which can be found here)

Starting Stats

Llithe / Whisperer's name: Whisperer – Kyrylo Eneas (meaning “Lord worthy to be glorified” in Greek)
Gender: Male
Hair color & length: gold and long
Eye color: dark grey
General color: yellow/gold

Personality

To most, Kyrylo is cold and aloof, keeping his distance so as not to get hurt or be disappointed. Generally he prefers to keep to himself and not be confronted; a recluse at heart, he prefers to read and play a small pipe to pass the time. Kyrylo is quick to anger and slow to forgive injustices done towards him.

Key Items

Flower - The flower that Kyrylo is tied to and most identifies with is "The Pride of Barbados". Also know as the dwarf poinciana, red bird of paradise, krere - krere, Barbados flower - fence, pearock flower, tabachin, tabaquin. [x]

Stone - Kyrylo has a strong fondness for Red Coral. Later on in the story he can often be seen with the precious gem on him in several locations. [x]

The perfect embodiment of Man's longing for summer, sun and far-off oceans.

Coral has been used for decorative purposes and esteemed as a protective stone since time immemorial. Even today, red corals are still worn as a talisman to protect the wearer against evil spirits in many cultures. Modern gemstone therapists too highly esteem its positive effects. Coral, it is said, relieves tension and fear and promotes positive forms of social life.

the above is an excerpt from http://www.gemstone.org/gem-by-gem/english/coral.html

6.6.2007- . . . ~ PRP - Kyrylo + Rosebud: Part 1 (2.14) Part 2 (2.15) Part 3 (3.1) Part 4 (3.2) Part 5 (3.3) Part 6 (3.4)
15.6.2007 ~ PRP - Kyrylo + Amaryllis (2.13)
28.5.2007 ~ May Event (2.11)
15.6.2007 ~ Finding Home (2.12)
26.4.2007 - 6.7.2007 ~ Garden Tour: part 1 (2.6) , Garden Tour: part 2 (2.7) , Garden Tour: part 3 (2.8 ) , Garden Tour: part 4 (2.9) , Garden Tour: part 5 (2.10)
19.4.2007 ~ Kyrylo Recieves a Gift (2.4) , Calliope (2.5)
10.4.2007 ~ Kyrylo Eneas HATCHED! (2.3)
2.4.2007 ~ Happy Birthday Kyrylo Eneas Dazzlelove!
1.4.2007 ~ Started Journal and was selected to receive Kyrylo <3
23.3.2007 ~ Turned in Kyrylo prompt (2.1)

Egg stage



The joy of new life . . .

Faerie eggs are like little jewels -- very small and fragile, but very beautiful and promising! Don't worry, other characters will care for them and look after them, making sure they are safe.

Faerie eggs, while not able to move very much or very well, do have some abilities that allow you to interact with them. They are empathic, and project their emotions on their guardian. So, a guardian would be able to know if the faerie inside the egg was happy or sad, scared or elated. Eggs also tend to shake and the wings on them will sometimes flutter in an attempt to fly.

Soon enough though, they will be able to take to the sky...
an excerpt from A Thousand Gardens

Young Adult



The memories that stay . . .

The young adult Llithe and Whisperers are finally blessed with their skill and are slowly reshaping their bodies to suit it.. They look unsure and nervous at first, but you can see how they will grow into gorgeous adults soon!

The Young Adult stage should be focused on the faerie being blessed with his or her skill, and then learning how to use it. This stage should also focus on interactions between the faerie and the world around it, as well as interactions between faeries. This is a very impressionable stage, so great care should be taken when role-playing. You just never know what may happen with your character.

When the Fateseer scrys and sees that the faerie is ready to grow, she will contact that fae and send it on a mission -- a growth quest. Once it is complete, the faerie will return to the Oracle for their reward. An excerpt from A Thousand Gardens

Adult

The coming of age . . .

The Llithe and Whisperers are finally full grown.. and look stunning in their own distinct and fully developed skill shapes and costumes.

This stage will focus on the faerie improving upon and mastering her skill, and perhaps learning a power as he or she becomes more powerful. Perhaps your fae takes a position of power within the community? Or they become a healer, a merchant or something else entirely. The options are endless.
An excerpt from A Thousand Gardens

Eternal

Strive for the unreachable . . .

The Eternal are the very rare Llithe or Whisperers who have grown beyond mere time and skill. They have the ability to receive Illuminae or Shadow magic, which are meant for serious war!

Not much is known about the Eternal yet. Looks like we'll just have to wait and see..
An excerpt from A Thousand Gardens

All current Fae's in A Thousand Gardens and how Kyrylo interacts with them. Currently Kyrylo only really knows more about the Fae in his group (garden tour) and only first impressions of the others.

Non-player characters

Caer : Luciole / Llithe / Swanfeather / Not up yet! / Young Adult / NPC

Dalia : Sizzla / Neither / Fateseer / none yet / Journal / Young Adult / NPC

Destine : Panthas / Whisperer / Sillhouettedeep / Journal / Young Adult / NPC

The elder Fae that gives Kyrylo the tour about the gardens. He finds her to be very shy and is sometimes irritated by her meekness because she lets others push her around. She is a puzzlement to his young mind, but he greatly admires her flying ability and her sweet personality (even if he doesn't like her tea).

Dawnsong : MagnusXL / Llithe / Bellsong / Journal / Young Adult / NPC



Llithe

Lenne : Sirenz / Flutecharm / Not up yet! / Not up yet! / Can use flute music to mesmerize every soul

Ora : djoy / Windhunter / Journal / Young Adult / Superior land and air tracking ability



Whisperers

Lazuli : Yumehayla / Willowtear / Journal / Young Adult/ His tears form into jewels as they leave his eyes, but if they touch water, they melt immediately.

Kyrylo only met this Fae once, but first impressions have a way of making a big impression. He finds Lazuli to be impossibly shy and slightly irritating. He cannot grasp why or how a fae can be so shy that they hold up everyone elses enjoyment of the gardens. He finds it hard to be sympathetic to this Fae's problems and often laughs whenever Laz talks.

Oerttena : Eroy / Dreamhealer / Journal / Young Adult / Nursing and healing ability

Kyrylo's companion in the garden tour with Destine. He likes her well enough since she is polite and bright, but they arent exactly the best of friends yet since they have only been around each other for a day. He finds her intelligent and easy to get along with and has thus far enjoyed the time with her and Destine.



Spirits

Amaryllis : French Vanilla / n/a / n/a / n/a / Spirit

The first Spirit that Kyrylo happens to meet and spend a bit of time with. He finds her to be very musically talented and fascinating to talk (and try) to look at. Her soft mannerisms really strike a chord with him.

Rosebud : Fiziali / n/a / n/a / n/a / Spirit

Second spirit that Kyrylo happens to meet while touring the rose garden. He finds her to be very entertaining and nice though he has a very hard time seeing her at all. He likes listening to her stories and sharing them with Calliope.

Custom Skill Potion ~ prize from May event

Just past the House of Eagles is yet another garden ; this inhabited by the Whisperer Kyrylo Eneas.

When you first wander into this garden you see a lake, so deep that it makes the water appear inky black. Upon the surface floats an array of water lilies normally inhabited by small turtles and frogs with the occasional dragonfly skimming the surface of the water showing between the densely growing plants. The surface is normally serene and is only broken when one of the large koi that live in the depths of the lake surface to snap up a frog or dragonfly. In the distance, you spot an island located in the center of the lake crowned by a tall white spire.

Flying closer to the island you notice that it is at a slight incline, the structure being at the highest point, The spire itself is made of white marble and looks almost like it was designed with the delicateness of a snowflake kept in mind. Several of the parapets on the building have long since crumbled away from rain and the passing of time and lay scattered on the soft grass covering the rest of the island. Ivy makes its way up the spire covering the base almost completely and thinning the higher it grows. The rest of the island has several small stone benches and broken white marble statues littering the grounds and ends at a small wooden dock floating on the surface of the lake. A thin trail winds its way from the dock up to the wooden doors of the building, several small white flowers growing in profusion next to the trail. On the other end of the island, behind the spire, is a jagged cliff that drops into the water.

Pushing open the door you are greeted by a circular room with two winding stairways curling up the inside wall to disappear through 2 gaps in the vaulted ceiling. Several small glass orbs are suspended from sconces in the wall. Inside each is a small block of peat moss with water and from the moss several small clusters of fluorescent mushrooms grow, lighting the surrounding area. On the wall between the staircases the following poem is carved :

• [list:1dc988ca7d][list:1dc988ca7d][list:1dc988ca7d][list:1dc988ca7d]The dark of light and bane of sun,
  where brightness flees the shadows run.
  Marionettes of ethereal night,
  tricksters born of tricks and sleight.
  Dancing with their sightless eyes,
  deaf to their own soundless cries
  of laughter pealing silently
  oft born of Loki’s glee.
  Swirling, twirling forms so dark,
  always there but never a mark
  left upon the mortal realm;
  from hollow souls and empty shells.

[/list:u:1dc988ca7d][/list:u:1dc988ca7d][/list:u:1dc988ca7d][/list:u:1dc988ca7d]
Flying up the stairs you enter a second circular room, this one with only one staircase winding its way to a single gap in the ceiling. Like the room below, this one also has many of the small glass orbs hanging from the walls to illuminate the area. All along the edges of the room are book cases stuffed overly full of scrolls and leather bound books. The floor is covered by many piles of books that would not fit in the cases and in the very center of the room stands a large stone topped table with several quills, ink bottles, and yet more stacks of books and parchment. Behind the table sits a large high backed chair with several plush moth eaten cushions.

Flying through yet another hole in the ceiling you come to the last circular room of the spire. This room is the living chambers with a bed pushed against the wall across from the gap in the floor and two wide windows adjacent to the bed. Covering each of the windows are long silk curtains. On the bed are several pillows and three or four blankets; twirling around the posts of the bed to the canopy are silken scarves, gold and white in color. Several small piles of books are placed on the floor surrounding the bed and on three of the four chests lining the walls.

(( The poem "Bane of Sun" by Renasci was used with the consent of the author. PLEASE do not steal/alter/use without his permission ))

• 

Received art by Yiesha . GargoyleGoddess21 . Yumehayla . Mou . .[-Chaos-]. . Earthkid . Yiesha . Yiesha . Swordtear . Aiyatsukichan . Harkem . Aliena . Fongmingyun . Luciole . GargoyleGoddess21 . Heartage . GargoyleGoddess21 . Navidian . Tre Le Coco . Puppenmacher . Panda.Suze . Miro .

RESERVED

RESERVED

RESERVED

RESERVED

Initial prompt in obtaining Kyrylo 23/3/2007

• Kyrylo crouched behind the bushes at the end of the clearing, eyes narrowing to slits as he watched the Llithe pass by talking amiably. Jealously he thought of how his people had been thrown from their lands and forced into this place where they were not welcome. How was it that they looked so alike but because of their black eyes and darker skin tone they were so despised he wondered as he let the branches slip back to their place and sat back.
  
  Fuming at the thought of having to stay to the shadows of the brush while the Llithe enjoyed the gentle warmth and sunlight, he lay back into the grass throwing his arms above his head to stretch. As he stretched, the tips of his long fingers brushed against something to cause a wild fluttering noise to break his reverie. Twisting onto his stomach to face the noise, he was surprised to see a small dirty little egg pushed close to the trunk of a sapling. Upon closer examination he noticed the right wing hung limp and useless to the ground.
  
  Drawing the egg close to him he looked at it for a short time before using the side of his pristine robe to clean it off. Murmuring gently, he wrapped his arms around it and brought it into a patch of sunlight that had filtered through the foliage where he was situated. Idly he traced the soft swirling designs on the shell wondering if it were Whisperer or Llithe before deciding that no matter what it was, it was obviously not wanted since it was uncared for and damaged.
  
  Bitterly he thought back to his childhood where he was shunned by Llithe and Whisperer alike; the former for his dark eyes and the later for his bright yellow and gold coloring. As of late Kyrylo had taken to acting arrogant and cold towards anyone that he chanced upon. Smiling down at the egg he decided that he would not let this youngling feel the pain of being an outcast; Llithe or Whisperer neither was less deserving of companionship and love.
  
  Closing his eyes Kyrylo focused and spread his hands around the egg smiling faintly when he felt the egg calm. Opening his eyes he smiled broadly at the shimmering glow he had seemed to cast over the egg, he had been blessed with the ability to spread a soft healing warmth like that of a soft sunshine on a beautiful day. Satisfied that the egg was blissfully content and no longer feeling pain he examined the wing closer and biting his lip decided that mending a break of this caliber was something he had not the talent to perform. Gathering the egg in his arms he padded silently through the shadows of the woods to find Dawnsong.

Egg Appearance

• Dawn had not yet come and in the main garden not even the stirrings of birds could be heard. A faint wind had picked up during the night and was gently swaying the dew laden grasses to and fro. It was in this garden the new eggs generally made their appearance and everywhere was covered in soft flora.
  
  Poip!
  
  A soft sound like that of a bubble popping was heard followed shortly by the appearance of a small winged egg. In the grayed light the egg was a gem among pebbles. Fiery reds and bright gold encircled the shell in an alluring fashion.
  
  The egg dropped a short distance to fall in the soft moss surrounding a tree in the main garden. Balancing precariously on its edge the small speckle-tipped wings began flapping frantically as it fought to keep itself on its base. It gained its balance back just as the sun began to peek over the horizon.
  
  The sun rose slowly casting long rays of light across the entire garden. When one such ray landed on the egg it began to beat its wings slowly and rhythmically creating a soft humming noise where the feathers rubbed against the shell. Any passing would note the faint glowing and air of contentedness surrounding the egg.

The Hatching

• The egg began to rock slowly in the hands of Destine, gaining momentum with each rock. Slowly the egg began to glow more radiantly before it was racked with several violent shudders. It seemed the fae inside was tired of the confines and wanted to meet all the people surrounding it. Giving one last final shudder it stilled before the egg exploded in a shower of golden sparkles.
  
  Blinking in response to the sudden bright sunshine and the golden dust drifting around him Kyrylo had his first glance at the world. Curiously he tilted his head and studied the dark haired fae before him before standing and adjusting the robes around himself. Turning he examined the other 4 fae in the garden before quirking a small smile and bowing his head ever so slightly to each in turn. Straightening he tucked a few long stray strands of red-gold hair back, stretching his wings to their full extent and wiggling his finned ears slightly.
  
  "My name is Kyrylo Eneas" he said slowly, surprised at the sound of his strong baritone voice. Having never heard his voice before he was a bit surprised and grinned sheepishly at no one in particular. Giving his wings a few strong experimental flaps he rose into the air hovering a few inches above the ground before landing with a pleased look on is face. The cracking of the next egg immediately caught his attention and he turned to watch flapping his wings every so often.

The Gift

Originally Posted by Dalia

• I'll be calling on each of you to come visit me at some point or another, so that I can get to know you better and perhaps give you some advice about your futures." She gave a quick, shrill whistle, and suddenly, practically out of nowhere, four moths appeared, as if they were at the Oracle's beck and call.
  
  "These are my messengers," she said, holding a finger out so that one of them could land there. "Each of you will get messages from a specific moth, so pay attention to which is yours. I'd love for you to give them names, and treat them as your own pets. Please, be kind to them. I will know if you have not." She gave the new fae a waggle of her finger, and watched as the moths floated to their respective fae.
  
  The first floated over to Ora, seemingly pleased with her charge.
  
  The second chose Kyrylo, fluttering over his head expectantly.
  
  The third seemed to like Oerttena, and flew over to her quickly, perching atop her headdress.
  
  The final moth was jewel-toned, much like his charge, and not knowing what to do now that he'd vanished, this particular moth perched atop Dalia's finger, waiting anxiously for his return.

Originally Posted by Kyrylo

• As the moth from Dalia floated over his head Kyrylo had the distinct first urge to swat at it. Fighting back the strong urge he lifted a hand up hesitantly hoping that maybe it would land there so he could take a closer look. When it landed he brought the small moth to his face to examine it. Its wings were an interesting shape and combined with the light color made it look almost fragile. Yellow and orange made up most of the dominating colors on the moth.
  
  Glancing around he peeked at the other 4 fae's personal messengers and was a bit distraught that his was the only one that didn't seem to be communicating with him. Glancing back to his he noticed it had stopped any movement. Freaking out he poked it gently with another finger in hopes to see some kind of movement. He was certain if he killed it just by holding the moth that Dalia wouldn't be pleased.
  
  "I shall name you Kallias if that sounds suiting to you?"
  
  Ears perking he heard Oerttena name her moth. Staring at his glumly he poked once more softly and was rewarded with a soft voice in his head reprimanding him "STOP IT". Chagrined he dropped his hand and stared at the moth for a few more moments before blurting out "I'm supposed to talk to a bug?". The yellow moth rustled its wings a bit but did not dignify him with an answer. Shrugging his shoulders Kyrylo looked back up to Dalia. "Leaving would be nice" he murmured softly hoping he wasn't the only one wanting to explore.

Calliope

• Kyrylo sat across from the yellow and orange moth that had been given to him by Dalia. Sure the others seemed to be getting along with their bug, but Kyrylo just wasn't feeling it. He wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to be doing with this supposed personal messenger for him to talk to the oracle. Still not wanting to speak he nudged the moth with a blade of grass into it took to flight to escape the prodding. Leaning back he stared up at the sunlight through gaps in the leaves above him trying to fathom what would posses the oracle to give him a companion from the insect kingdom.
  
  A soft touch on his knee caused Kyrylo to snap out of his reverie. The moth had decided his knee looked like a nice perch and was now staring at him with its beady black eyes. Rolling his eyes Kyrylo lay his head back down getting comfortable, "What is it you want me to do? Talk to you? Pet you? I don't even know why i bother talking to an insect" he muttered aloud to himself. Your not exactly my cup of sunshine either a soft voice seemed to murmur from within his head. Starting Kyrylo looked around for the source of the voice before looking at the moth on his knee. The wings seemed to be jiggling in laughter and the antennae twitched irregularly as if in mirth. Leaning in close he touched a wing very softly and whispered almost in awe "You can speak .".
  
  Thoroughly excited now he sat up completely and let a flood of questions loose. "Do you have a name? What sex are you? Did Dalia teach you to speak? Are you.. going to stay with me?" he queried, grey eyes wide with interest. The moths wings shook more violently before the same soft voice as before answered, A name might be more fitting to start with don't you think. I haven't had the honor of being bestowed with one yet. Digesting the information for a short time Kyrylo's face lite up before he uttered a single word "Calliope". A lovely name to be sure the voice almost purred. Now to answer your former questions she replied with a hint of laughter in her voice. I am Calliope, as you have probably ascertained i am female. Dalia did not teach me to speak, though i do come from a special line of moths that are under the Oracles care and yes i will stay so long as you will have me. Sobering Kyrylo dipped his head and looked at the moth carefully before letting a small smile creep to his lip, "I am Kyrylo Eneas and you are most welcome to stay".

Garden Tour (part 1)

Originally Posted by Destine

Destine watched Ora test the sky. She smiled at her youthful exhuberance. The sun glittered off her golden wings. Destine could still feel Lazuli; he hadn't gone far. Good, she thought. Dawnsong would take good care of them. In fact, Dawnsong was already chasing Ora as she bounded off.

Forgetting her place, Destine felt a spotlight. She turned to face Oerttena and Kyrylo, waiting expectantly. She could feel her face burning.

"Oh, well," she was lost for words. "I'm Destine. Wait, I already said that." She couldn't be any more embarrassed. She took a deep breath.

"It's so good to see more of my family in the Gardens," she smiled. "And to be welcomed by the Oracle herself! That's a luxury not everyone gets."

She looked nervously away. "But, I'm sure your excited to see the place you will now call home. Come, let me show you the Thousand Gardens."

Destine smiled and motioned toward Oerttena and Kyrylo, beckoning them to follow.

Kyrylo merely smirked at Destines obvious difficulty with words. Curiously he wondered why it mattered so much since introductions had already been made and they had already made their first impressions. Looking away from Destines' blush he felt himself beginning to feel uneasy as well , and flapped his wings to rid himself of the feeling. He couldn't wait to actually be able to get the tour over with and explore a bit with Calliope.

Feeling no need to answer the comments, he looked around to make sure Calliope was out of the way before leaping into the air, beating furiously to gain height. Hovering once he gained a height he liked, he watched his moth carefully to make sure she could keep up before glancing at the still grounded Destine. "Shall we?" he questioned, trying to hide the impatience he felt.

Originally Posted by Oerttena

Oerttena was ready to explore her new home so gladly followed Destine when she was beckoned. "I am ready," she stated.

'Destine seems so shy,' she thought to herself. She wanted to comfort her and let her know she had no reason to be uneasy. Somehow Oerttena knew that offering comfort to the girl would only make her feel more embarrassed. So she gladly followed Destine being patient with the shy girl, in an attempt to make her feel more comfortable around her.

Oerttena watched as Kyrylo flew ahead, demanding attention. She was annoyed at his rudeness but made no show if it. Instead she waited for Destine to lead the way and gracefully followed.

Originally Posted by Destine

Destine furrowed her brow and brought her hand to her mouth.

"Before we go, I must warn you. It is in our nature to favor the shade. You may be full of energy now, but be wary, the sunlight will certainly drain you. I have seen my fair share of overzealous Whisperers plummet from the sky," Destine said with caution as a soft look of worry washed over her face.

"When we are in the Gardens that our kind favor, you need not worry, but whenever I travel through the main gardens, I always take my time and find a quiet, shady respite from my travels here and there." Destine rolled her shoulders a few times and readied her wings. "Try to conserve your energy by gliding."

Destine gracefully knelt down on one knee and extended her wings. She looked at Oerttena and Kyrylo; there was a glint of spry youthfulness in her eye. She smiled in a way she hadn't before since being in their company. It was a mischievous smile full of excitement.

She loved to fly. And she was good at it.

"Ready?"

Before waiting for a response, Destine launched herself corkscrewing into the air. Along with a heavy woosh, she left behind the pungent odor of lilacs. When she reached her apex, she paused, let herself fall, only for a moment, and fully extended her wings. They bubbled out and caught hold of the current that the three would use to glide toward the Evercommon Garden.

Why was it that they were so much for the shade Kyrylo wondered. Stashing away the interesting tidbit of information for some later research he took note of Destines words of wisdom. Surely the elder Whisperer knew much more about what they could and could not do; their limitations as it were. Brows now furrowing he wondered if Calliope was also restricted to these, inter-species limitations.

"Does sunlight also.." he began before Calliope's soft voice in his head interrupted him, Sun or shade makes no difference Kyrylo, I just have to be wary for creatures that eat insects. Pleased that Calliope would be able to accompany him wherever he went he returned his attention to Destine, just as she launched herself high into the air.

As Destine leveled out and began to glide on a soft draft a few feet above him, Kyrylo beat his wings to keep up. He wanted to explore certainly, but he wasn't so cocky as to believe that he would be fine if he didn't keep up.

Originally Posted by Destine

Good, Destine thought as she glided and deftly caught even the slightest change in breeze with her wings, at least they can keep up. She looked back to double check. Oerttena followed her lead, shakily at first, but eventually she found the current. For new to the Gardens, she expected Oerttena to be more like Kyrylo, impatiently zipping back and forth, like a bee looking for its next meal. Instead, Oerttena had a peaceful look on her face. It made Destine feel good. She smiled and giggled in her direction when Oerttena lost the current for a moment and wobbled back and forth in the air. She's a quick leaner, Destine thought, she'll manage.

Looking forward to the task at hand, Destine ever so slightly leaned into the wind and began to gradually descend. Beneath them lay rolling hills and shimmering bodies of water. She motioned for them to land at the bottom of one of the bigger hills carpeted in a lush blue-green grass.

Destine landed ((perfect gymnastics 10 style)) and watched as the fledglings attempted to do the same. Without too many injuries, the three stood together.

"So, we've arrived," Destine said with a grin. "I hope you're not too fatigued; there's a perfect place to rest right over this hill, where I used to frequent as a youth. We may even run into some fae familiar to me." In truth, Destine hadn't been here in what had seemed as eons. She was secretly excited, and tried very hard to hide it.

Seeming a bit too eager, she rushed to the top of the hill. As they neared the apex, a giant tree, loomed in front of them, seemingly enveloped in a soft, mystic mist. Iridescent insects and prismatic animals dashed in and out of its branches.

"That," Destine motioned toward the tree,"is the Center Garden. "That is where the Oracle lives. Take note, she may call you there sometime, and she's very insistent on punctuality." Destine then turned and waved her arm over the valley that lay below them. "This is the Evercommon Garden. It connects all of the Gardens."

From the top of the hill on which they stood, crystalline water rushed down and emptied into a lake. Unnoticeable at first, numerous fae frolicked by the shore and lay listlessly in the luxurious grass.

Pointing across the lake, she directed their attention to a grove of purple wisteria trees, bowing low to the ground, dangling their extremities in the water.

"Feel free to explore or to come rest for a moment with me," Destine sighed a bit, feeling their journey already. "But don't linger too long. We have much to see."

Destine stood at which she thought was the highest point of the hill and dove toward the trickling brook with her wings pressed closely to her sides. A moment before she would've splashed into the water, she fully extended her wings, and caught the current that carried her toward the wisteria grove. She turned over on her back and looked back at Oerttena and Kyrylo, smiling. She raised her hand in a sort of half salute and continued on her way.

Kyrylo followed Destine the rest of the way in silent musing about the terrain they were passing. Every so often his eyes would flicker to an area of interest: a pile of haphazard stones , a certain type of bright fiery flower, a bubbling brook. Noticing that Destine was starting to fly in a downward slope he followed, slowing his speed drastically so he wouldn't crash into her should she suddenly decide to land.

A few moments later he was glad he had slowed when the elder Fae made a graceful land. Face set in determination he attempted to do the same and once again failed horribly. It seemed landing was something he was going to have to practice after they were let out on their own. He wasn't keen on their being in another group meeting in which he landed on his face in front of a crowd. He frowned at the grass stains now in semi-permanent residence right where his knees, the sound of Calliope's ringing laughter echoing in his head. Deciding that he would have to worry about the stains later he stepped up next to Destine to see what there was to view from the hill she had chosen to land on.

The giant tree that rose from the ground below them was amazing, it seemed flying to the top of the tree would be an adventure in itself. He made sure to memorize the location of the center garden for later reference before turning to look at the second garden below them that Destine had pointed out. This one was as beautiful as the last, with beautiful running water that bubbled its way around the garden. Flowers of all types bloomed in profusion and between them peeked the beautiful lush blue-green grass that seemed to carpet all the gardens they had seen so far. A calm lake seemed to be the center of attention for several Fae frolicking in the shallows and a grove of wisteria trees at the far end waved slowly in the light wind, dipping their heavily laden branches into the water.

When Destine flew off after giving permission for them to explore a bit, Kyrylo was at a loss for what to do. Flying was fantastic, but landing and having all these beautiful sights unveiled before you one by one was a bit overwhelming. Not to mention, he was itching to try out the stunt Destine had pulled at her departure. Staring at the water below them for a few moments he shot a sheepish grin at Oerttena before diving off the side of the hill towards the water. Timing his wings to open when he had thought he had seen Destine to it he managed to rise for a second before teetering over and falling in the brook. Hoots of laughter echoed around his head from Calliope making him burst into laughter himself not long after. Dragging himself out of the water he looked down to notice the grass stains had come out, laughing even harder he managed to gasp out " best way to get clean" before he was overcome with laughter once more. Coming to the conclusion that there would be no flying with soaked robes he began walking slowly to where Destine had said she would be waiting.

Garden Tour (part 2)

Originally Posted by Oerttena

Oerttena tried to glide through the air like Destine, elegant and effortlessly, but she found flying difficult. She struggled to maintain altitude and couldn't find a current to glide on. Oerttena flapped her wings too much, which made her tired and the bright sun drained her energy fast.

She looked over to Kyrylo, he was having such an easy time with flying and he looked so happy and excited. He seemed to fly as effortlessly as the older fae.

Oerttena was relieved when Destine decited to finally land. Oerttena couldn't help but chuckle a little at Kyrylo's crash landing. 'At least he still had something to work on,' she thought to herself. Now it was her turn to attempt the landing. Supprisingly she found it quite easy. Her double wings allowed her to adjust them individually to glide gently to the ground. Now she could feel the air currents! Why couldn't she do that when they were flying?

Oerttena committed the sites to memory as she tried to catch her breath. The oracle's tree was amazing! She looked forward to the adventure it would be climbing to the top, if she ever learned to fly properly that is.

After Destine released them to explore, Oerttena decited she should conserve her energy for the rest of the journey. She decited to sit with Destine, in the shade. She was amused by Kyrylo's attempt at showing off. She was worried for a minute when she heard him splash into the water below, but she gave a giggle when she saw him walking towards them all soaking wet from yet another crash landing!

Originally Posted by Destine

Destine let her fingertips skim the surface of the water. Below it, playful shadows dashed back and forth in such a fashion that they started to blur together and form a shape that was approximately her size. The shadowy blob then finally congealed into a watery distorted image of her ((think chibi version)). It smiled, then stuck its tongue out teasingly. Destine almost giggle snorted. Faerie fish, she thought as she spalshed the water with her hands, immediately dissolving the image.

Coming to the shore, in a powerful yet still graceful movement, Destine threw her wings forward effortlessly and came to almost a complete stop, hovering in midair. She lowered herself to the ground and looked back for Oertenna and Kyrylo. Oertenna walked slowly, stopping here and there to examine a flower more closely or gaze into the water for a moment, but would be joining Destine momentarily. Kyrylo, on the other hand, was walking quite a bit farther behind, bobbing his head to one side or the other to knock out the water. Destine giggled. She could see the dew spray off his wings as he tried to ruffle them dry.

Of all the wisteria trees in this vast grove, Destine had chosen this one. She knew every knot of it. She brushed aside the hanging buds like curtains and sat on the plush grass at its base. Its roots were small, but still jut in and out of the ground. Budding from them were what looked like giant seeds -- about the size of one's fist. Growing from the lowermost parts of the tree's truck were a dozen or so hollow reed-like extensions -- some sticking straight out, others curling here and there.

Destine sat cross-legged and twisted one of the giant seeds off of its root. She cracked it open - and it was empty. She looked pleased. She sat them down, hollow sides up, and cracked open another. She took a half of one, positioned it under one of the reeds, and placed her hand gently on the tree trunk. A dark brown, almost black, watery liquid filled the seed to just the right spot -- a fresh, steaming tea particularly suited to the Whisperers' taste.

Kyrylo strolled behind Oerttena slowly trying to dry himself suitably before he reached Destine. Spreading his wings wide, he gave a few soft fluttering to shake any excess water off, all the while peeking around as he walked. His long bangs were plastered to he side of his face made it look almost as if he had chest length sideburns. Grabbing a handful of wet hair he ran his hand down it to squeeze the water out before dropping it and reaching for another lock of hair. He slowed more the closer he came to the tree Destine took respite under wondering vaguely if she had already guessed his reason for being drenched.

Plopping down heavily to the ground next to Destine, he watched as she took a sip from her seed cup. Flying had given him a horrible thirst and he hadn't realized how much a nice drink sounded until he saw her happily sipping - whatever it was she was sipping. Reaching tentatively out, he prodded the reed he had seen the liquid come out of a few times before touching the place on the root Destine had touched. The same dark brown liquid poured out as before and filled the seed cup beneath it before Kyrylo snatched it up and brought it close to his face so he could look into the liquid. Unable to see through it he dipped the tip of his pinkie in to see the temperature and finding it warm but not scalding took a deep gulp of the liquid. Face contorting in disgust he swallowed the liquid and hastily put down the cup, scooting as far back from the offending object as he could and nearly falling into the pond a second time. Laughter filled his head as Calliope landed on his knee wings fluttering with her gaiety, I take it you didn't like the drink? she asked unable to stop her laughter. Swallowing the taste down he looked at Destine happily sipping away, "What IS that?".

The splashing of water behind him drew his attention. Turning around he looked into it to see only his reflection and the few telltale ripples that something had surfaced. Watching the water carefully he was surprised when a spray of water splashed into his face. Scooting back from the edge of the water he dried his face and glared at it as his reflection laughed back at him. Calliope , who had been knocked from her perch by Kyrylo's sudden lunge away from the water, alighted on his cup and took a sip from his abandoned drink Fairy Fish she muttered in an exasperated tone.

Originally Posted by Oerttena

Oerttena joined Destine at the base of the wisteria tree. She flopped herself onto the ground, taking deep breaths to try and regain herself. "Phew, flying is more difficult than you make it look Destine." She commented as she watched the older fae 'play' with the faerie fish.

Oerttena leaned against the massive tree. It was comfortable in the shade, she was beginning to regain her strength. Oerttena stared through the swaying leaves, watching the sun attempt to pierce the shadows of the tree through any breaks in the foliage. This place was beautiful, she was glad that Destine shared it with them.

Kyrylo, sopping wet, sat down next to them and tested the tea. After his adverse reaction, Oerttena wasn't so sure she wanted to try the apparently foul drink. She wasn't so sure he drank it correctly, however. Destine seemed to be sipping the drink, where he drank it in large gulps. She finally decided to try it. Taking small sips, she discovered that the drink did have a bitter taste, but it seemed to be energizing, which was just what she needed. She finished off her tea and continued to lay back against the tree, quickly regaining her energy as she watched the other Fae play with the Faerie fish.

Originally Posted by Destine

Destine couldn't help but giggle at Kyrylo's boyish boldness and curiosity -- hastily guzzling the soft, bittersweet tea that many, but not all, Whisperers took to very well. She covered her mouth while she giggled and tried to compose herself. Still, she side-glanced Oertenna with a sly grin, having noticed her happily, and carefully, sipping her tea.

"Well, if this tea doesn't suit you, dear Kyrylo, the water from the lake is perfectly fine, or you could even try that which matches more the Lilthe taste." Desinte motioned through the branches, across the lake where one could barely make out a scattering of stone tables and chairs, and the flash of sun catching the wings of gossiping fae flitting this way and that. "But theirs I find too thick and sweet." Destine sipped from her cup.

She gazed off nostalgically into her cup, but quickly shook herself from it and smiled, directing her attention back to Oertenna and Kyrylo.

"But the Gardens provide a bounty of food and drink; I'm sure you'll find something to your liking." She paused for a moment.

"You've both taken very well to flying, I see." She rolled her eyes at herself. "I really don't mean to be a show off, it's just what I did a lot when I first arrived in the Gardens. You'll become truely accustomed to it soon enough."

Kyrylo looked hesitantly back at the water next to them wondering if he could hop over, get a sip of water, and skip back before whatever it was that squirted him with water the last time did it again. Edging towards the water carefully he cast a sidelong glance at Destine as she mentioned the "thick" and "sweet" tea the Lilthe liked. Not entirely sure if sweet was what he liked he voted for the water and continued his painfully slow creeping to the waters edge.

Standing at the waters edge for a few moments with no water squirting at him or any funny business with his reflection he knelt down and cupped a few drinks of water in his hand, sighing happily when he had his fill. "Mmmm, that helps tons" he grinned back at Destine while listening to her talk about the bounty that was the gardens. Tummy rumbling a bit he wondered if they would stop for one of these many foods she talked about some time soon since he couldn't see anything nearby that looked remotely edible.

"oh! flying is nice, i like it very much. I don't think your going to fast, just.. the landing" he trailed off and blushed slightly, "i have a lot of trouble with landing".

Originally Posted by Oerttena

Oerttena sat back an watched Kyrylo get a sip from the waters edge. 'He's so full of life,' she thought to herself, and smiled. It's not that Oerttena wasn't excited or happy that she was seeing the gardens, she just liked observed.

Oerttena turned to Destine when she mentioned their flying aptitude. "I don't know, Destine. I can't get the hang of it and I seemed to be getting more worn out than either you or Kyrylo." Turning then to Kyrylo, she covered her mouth and let out a small giggle, "Though I must say, I don't seem to have much problem landing. I can feel the air currents better when I'm descending. Do either of you have any suggestions?"

Just then Kalias chimed in, "I could help you, Tena." Tena ((pronounced with an ehh sound)) apparently being a nickname he had chosen for her. "You say you can feel the air currents when you are landing, but not when you're trying to glide right?" Oerttena nodded at this statement, for it was true. "The problem is you are trying to raise as you glide. Instead you need to float on the current, you will descend slightly as you are doing this. When you have descended further that you would like you flap your wings to gain altitude once again. Doing this will greatly conserve your energy." It all seemed to make sense to Oerttena, she could feel herself gliding on the currents as she landed. Perhaps it would be similar while in flight. She wasn't sure though and decided she would have to try for herself when she was airborne once again.

Kyrylo thought on what Orttena said for a short time before brightening, "you don't suppose" he started slowly " that the reason you get so tired is because you have four wings and are therefore doing twice the work Destine and I are doing?" he queried happy that he had come to some conclusion. "And maybe" he said eyebrows furrowed in concentration, "that maybe i have more trouble landing because i don't have as much wingspan, comparatively, to yourself and haven't quite gotten the hang of gliding. Where you seem to have more control gliding with all 4 wings?".

Curiously he alternated his gaze from Destine to Oerttena waiting for one of them to confirm or deny the possibility of his theory. Grinning he wondered if what he had blurted out might really be able to be a cause and then promised himself that he would learn to land as soon as possible since it was so obviously noted that he was very bad at it.

Originally Posted by Oerttena

"That's a good point Kyrylo. I wonder if that could have anything to do with it?" She gave Kyrylo an inquisitive nod. "Maybe there is more drag on my wings since I have two pair. I wonder if I tuck the bottom wings up a bit under my top wings if that will help." Oerttena began trying to independently move her two sets of wings, which she actually found quite difficult. When she tried to move her bottom wings up, her top wings rose as well. when she moved her top wings down her bottom wings began to fold against her body. She looked helpless, "Well this might be more difficult than I had anticipated."

"Perhaps if you create more drag on your wings as you are landing you'll slow down more and have more time to react when you hit the ground, since you'll be going slower." She hoped what she said was correct. The last thing she wanted to see was Kyrylo seriously hurt himself in a crash landing.

Oerttena kept trying to move her wings independently of each other. She seemed to be making some progress, all-be-it slow progress.

Garden Tour (part 3)

Kyrlo watched curiously as Oerttena tried to move her wings independently. He had a hard enough trouble controlling one set when it came to landing, having two must be double the work. 4 wings was something he certainly didn't envy. Figuring that he might as well join her he tried to jiggle first one of his wings and then the other, bending and flexing them in various different positions that he would have to try out when he tried landing next. Bending one wing at a time was really proving to be more taxing then the actual flight itself had been so he soon gave up promising himself to stretch his wings that way a little each day.

Flopping down on his stomach and picking a blade of blue-green grass he thought about what Oerttena had suggested. It seemed to make perfect sense and he graced her with a warm smile before nodding, "I'll try that". A bit more drag when he was trying to lag would certainly stop him from crashing onto his knees or face like the last few times, and his knees were already sore from the abuse of landing improperly. Glancing over at Destine he quipped "did you have this much trouble at first?"

Originally Posted by Oerttena

Oerttena's wing and back muscles soon began to burn as she struggled to move them about independently. She decided that this is something that would take time to accomplish. She vowed to keep exercising her wings so someday she would be as graceful as Destine and the other adult Fae.

Oerttena enjoyed Kyrylo's smile. It made her feel more confident in both of their abilities. She returned the smile, and hoped they would be friends for many years to come. Also curious if Destine had this much trouble when she was young, she flopped down next to Kyrylo and awaited the wisdom of the older Fae.

Originally Posted by Destine

Destine was spacing out, staring through the draping branches. From far away, it seemed, she was pulled back into the conversation.

"...Did you have as much trouble at first?" Kyrylo inquired.

Destine turned her head slightly, "Hmm?" then returned, blushing. "Oh, well, um....." As usual, Destine stumbled over her words when she was put on the spot. "I had to learn quickly. Unlike your birth, I sort of......sighed into the Gardens. There wasn't nearly the fanfare that you had." She looked down, almost embarassed. "So, yes, I did have some trouble, but I took to it quickly. I also had a lot of time to practice by myself. When I first arrived, other fae....avoided me, because of my gift." Destine looked shamefully at her hands, but quickly tried to change the subject.

"But enough about me," she smiled nervously. "You must have questions about the Gardens, yes?" Destine paused expectantly.

Kyrylo watched Destine curiously as she snapped out of her thoughts and answered their question, "What IS your ability exactly?" he asked, wondering why anyone would stay away from the shy but nice Whisperer. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't quite sure about his so called "gift" either. He had yet to see himself do anything extraordinary, not that he knew what would be considering his limited experience in the world as it were. Pondering over the thought, he looked towards Calliope musing, maybe it was talking with moths that liked to laugh and make fun of him. A horrifying thought entered his mind, what if it was bad landing, what if his "special trait" was never being able to land in a decent graceful way. No one had ever said anything about these "gifts" having to be something positive for the Fae or their peers.

"You must have questions about the Gardens, yes?" asked Destine, snapping Kyrylo out of his ludicrous thoughts.

"Not about the Garden so much . . " he started looking around before finally deciding that a leaf on a branch was a good place to look for such a shameful question; one he thought he ought to know already, "are all our "gifts" good?". Fretting about the answer he plucked nervously at his long bangs as Calliope fluttered as if dancing around him.

Originally Posted by Destine

Destine wrung her hands and smiled nervously, as she often did.

"Well, I can't speak on the why this is or how it comes to be, but every fae who arrives in the Gardens is blessed with some sort of gift -- a unique ability." She glanced at Kyrylo. "I can't say that I've ever seen any manifest that are of any terrible consequence. I've heard of fae who can perform amazing physical feats, or transform themselves. Some may see the future...or the past..."

Destine began to trail off, but shrugged her shoulders and seemed resolute to be straightforward.

"When I was younger, I could sense what people were feeling by just touching them. I couldn't read their thoughts, but I could see through their eyes and feel their emotions." Desine's cheeks blushed. "I spent my time by the shore, gossiping with other fae. But I knew who was being honest, and this never really seemed to work out for me."

"But I suppressed it and told everyone I had. They said they believed me, but I could see it in their faces that they hadn't forgotten. But, I really had lost the ability."

Destine looked at both Oertenna and Kyrylo and smiled earnestly.

"But that was ages ago. Since then, I've only been able to ready objects -- where they've been, what they've experienced." She arched her back, stretch and ruffled her wings. "As you come to know the Gardens, you'll also come to know yourselves, and what you're capable of."

She smiled jokingly. "And in the least, I'm sure you're both very capable of flying and landing."

Letting out the breath he had been holding for her answer, Kyrylo glanced at Oerttena to see her reaction. He was certain he didn't know what his ability was and wondered if she had any inkling as to what hers might be. In any case a unique ability sounded very interesting and he wondered how he might be able to figure out what his was. Seeing as he had no clue where to even begin he listened attentively as Destine relayed about her past ability and the experiences she had.

The more he heard about the troubles that Destine had to go through as a younger fae the more annoyed he got at these supposed "friends" of hers during that time. She had just told them that they didn't pick the special ability that each fae got, so why weren't the "friends" more understanding of what her gift was. Irritated he rustled his wings and fidgeted trying to keep from spouting off about something he didn't really know about.

Gazing off across the lake he considered the possibility of his ability being like hers had been before, only to realize that he didn't especially feel as if he could read peoples emotions in that way. Closing his eyes he concentrated on himself trying to look deep within to what defined him, slowly but surely a faint gold glow began to surround him and cast a soft warm feeling of security. Glancing up he grinned and almost instantly the golden glow evaporated into nothing.

"Maybe one day" he muttered to himself; referring either to Destine's comment about flying and landing or being able to find and control his "ability" better. "Will we be exploring more of the gardens soon?" he quipped curiously, eager to see if all the gardens were as open as this one, "Will we see where you live?".

Originally Posted by Oerttena

Oerttena did not understand why Destine was ashamed of her gift, it seemed like a neat thing to be able to do. Oerttena wished she could read people's emotions. "That sounds like a neat ability, Destine." Oerttena said with a bright smile. 'The Oracle said I had the ability of healing!" she said excitedly. "But I'm not exactly sure how it works yet." Oerttena looked at her hand, turning them over a few times. "Oh well," she shrugged her shoulders, "I'll have plenty of time to figure it out I'm sure."

Oerttena hoped up off the ground. "Well I'm well rested now. Shall we be off to see the rest of the gardens?" She wiped her hands together brushing off the dirt, ruffled her feathers and stretched her wings. She was ready to try flying again. This time she would try the techniques her and Kyrylo discussed.

Originally Posted by Destine

Destine smiled at Oertenna and Kyrylo's eagerness -- like children at the zoo. Destine stood and made her way through the branches to stand at water's edge. She looked over, waiting.

"Of course, we'll make it to where I live. I'm sure you'll enjoy that the most. But, there's one more place I must take you first." Destine stretched her hands to the sky and shook her wings out.

"Mirror Lake Garden. Possibly the most beautiful of all of the Gardens." She quizzically glanced away for a moment. "Well, I can't say that I've seen ALL of them, but that's what they say anyway." Destine bounced into the air and hovered for a moment.

"But there's someone you have to meet. Caer, the historian. I can take you to the Garden, but I can't take you directly to her." She smiled warmly, but with that playful, mischeivous undertone that shined through ever so often. "You'll have to let her find you."

Destine dove toward the water and extended her wings, gliding just barely above the surface. She angled her wings and began to rise, making sure to not go so fast as to lose her company.

Kyrylo leaped to his feet as Destine dove towards the water letting out a whoop of excitement. Finally they were going to go explore more. He loved this garden and the quiet cheerfulness of it but he was eager to see what other sorts of exciting things awaited them in other gardens.

Running and leaping, he bound up and outwards over the water giving several hard flaps to gain altitude before hurrying to catch up to Destine. As much as he liked flying and thought that Oerttena was right, he wasn't quite ready to go diving into the water again because of a mess up; he'd do that later.

Looking over his shoulder he watched to make sure Calliope and Oerttena where coming as well as he flew high to look over the garden. Mentally he ticked off the locations he had looked at and other he meant to explore later as he flew several feet above Destine. " I can't wait to see Caer again and your home" he called down excitedly. You just want to bother her and ask a bunch of questions said Calliope in a reprimanding tone filled with laughter. "Be that as it may" he grinned, "I am excited to see another garden, the one we were in just didn't feel like home really". Looking down to make sure Destine was still somewhere within sight he swooped down a bit lower so that if she answered she wouldn't have to yell, "you know" he said pensively to Calliope, "I wonder what she meant by Caer having to find us?".

Originally Posted by Oerttena

Oerttena was ready definitely ready to see what else the Gardens had to offer, yet she has hesitant about flying again. She couldn't let that stand in her way though. After Kyrylo took off with a burst of energy, Oerttena approached the cliff's edge and stretched her wings. She took a deep breath and jumped towards the water. She wouldn't let herself get as close to the waters edge as Destine, she just needed enough of a fall to catch the air under her wings. She found it! But she wasn't ready to do any fancy tricks yet. Instead she stuck to concentrating on keeping the lift of the air beneath her wings, steady and slow. She was sure they wouldn't go to far ahead though.

She was curious to meet Caer. Destine made her sound so mysterious! Enjoying the beauty of the Gardens from above Oerttena followed the other with excitement for every new site and experience that lie in front of her.

Garden Tour (part 4)

Originally Posted by Destine

Destine floated from side to side casually, corkscrewing in the air every so often, but maintaining an appropriate distance between herself and the fledglings following her. The Evercommon Garden connected all of the Gardens, and it wasn't very far to Mirror Lake.

The afternoon sun cast an orangish glow on the tips of the hills that surrounded the valley containing Mirror Lake, almost like candles recently lit. The glare made it difficult to make out what the valley contained, but as they drifted downward, a soft shade enveloped them, the sun partially blocked by the hilltops.

Below them, dozens upon dozens, maybe even hundreds, of lakes of all sizes flowed in and out of each other, creating an irregular, alternating whooshing and resting sound, as if the land were breathing. To add to this grandiose display of nature, fountains shot out of various rocks at what seemed like irregular intervals. Some danced in small synchronized displays, while others shot out of large crevices -- those presumably kept the water fresh and the level constant.

But the Garden wasn't all turbulent white water. Patches of dry beach encircled many of the bigger pools, punctuated by glistening rainbows that never seemed to waver despite the occassional spray of water. Nearing the center of the bigger pools, the water faded to a deep indigo, denoting the deepest areas.

Destine descended carefully, knowing just where to fly as to not get completely drenched; she hoped Oertenna and Kyrylo would follow her carefully. Around the edges of the valley, waterfalls cascaded from the tops of the hills. A careful observer would notice that the hills all around were riddled with grottos -- some sharing the water of a pool, others dry and higher up, with large, flat ledges.

It was near the water that Destine finally came to alight, near the entrance of a shallow grotto illuminated from the inside by phosphorescent fungi. She looked in and tested the water with her foot -- she smiled with satisfaction. Expecting Oertenna and Kyrylo to be right behind her, she turned around quickly.

As they flew over the garden, the orange glow that reflected off the hills blinded Kyrylo for a short time. Causing him to falter slightly in his flight and drop to a lower altitude. Heart beating wildly, he struggled to keep from plummeting to what could not be seen below because of the setting suns glare. When he had finally evened out his flying once more he dared to look around him.

All beneath them were many different sized lakes of various sizes and depths. Rainbows danced between them as the sun glinted off the spray of water from the many waterfalls and geysers. Water, everywhere he looked, more water. Kyrylo began to get a deep ache in the lower part of his belly, he liked water yes, but he wasn't exactly keen on falling in it from a great height and possibly drowning; which had almost happened moments ago when the sun so suddenly blinded him.

Heart sinking all the more, he watched as Destine began to descend to land on a soft patch of sand next to a particularly large lake. Taking deep breaths he mentally coached himself as he looped a circle in the air above her and began to descend. "Create drag" he mumbled to himself as he tilted his wings until he felt as if he were slowing, "lots of drag". Excited he watched as he lowered slowly and was nearing where Destine stood only to realize at the rate he was descending he would land in the lake. Growling in frustration he tried to reverse the angle of his wings in which he was descending only to cause himself to do a strange somersault in the air and splash into the water just a few feet from his intended landing mark.

Standing and dragging his robes through the water he quirked a sheepish grin at Destine; "almost".

Originally Posted by Oerttena

Oerttena followed the others with a bit of distance. She didn't want to get too close to them should her flying falter. But it wasn't her that faltered, it was Kyrylo. She watched as he wavered and dropped altitude. She was worried, but there wasn't much she could do except hope that he gain the current again. She wanted desperately to go after him and help but she knew that if she tried anything tricky it would be her tumbling to the ground below. Fortunately, Kyrylo regained his composure. Oerttena breathed a sigh of relief and went back to concentrating on her technique.

She soon found it difficult to concentrate as she marveled at the spectacular beauty of the great lakes and islands below. She was amazed at the beauty these gardens have brought so far. It was so different from the other gardens she had seen so far, she wondered what the other hundreds of gardens would bring.

Just as she was beginning to loose herself in her imagination she noticed that Destine was descending and Kyrylo was following right behind. It looked like a difficult landing, she was worried for Kyrylo. She was right to worry and he made a crash landing in the lake just short of the island Destine had landed on. She couldn't help but chuckle a little at his mid-air, mid-landing acrobatics. Oerttena made her landing next to Destine just in time to see Kyrylo come stomping out of the lake, soaking wet. She couldn't hold her amusement in and laughed whole heartedly. "I'm sorry Kyrylo...(giggle, laugh) I just can't help it. You'll get it someday friend." She gave him a friendly pat on the back and then turned her attention to Destine. "So this is Mirror Lake is it? It's beautiful here!"

Originally Posted by Ora

Had Ora attempted to understand what beckoned her to follow their path, she wouldn't have been able to explain it. It was like a combination of keen sense of smell, and something of a gut feeling, comparable to the sensation one has when one is being watched. Inexplicably she knew the way, and her facility for flying was allowing her to gain ground on the group that had faded into the distance.

Ora felt like she was at home gliding across the beautiful blue-green landscapes of the gardens, and she quickly realized that the scenery was changing from the cheerful greenery of the Evercommon Garden to something more like a marsh. Pools of mesmerizing, aqua-colored water dotted the ground below her, accompanied by the occasional fountain that sprayed a pleasant mist into the crisp spring air. Her concentration on the waters below was broken instantaneously when she spotted the same group she had been pursuing all along. She was suspended straight above them, and a look of shock crossed her face as she realized that she'd managed to follow the group to their exact location. Ora smiled triumphantly, and quickly wondered if they'd notice her hovering above.

'Should I say something?' she wondered to herself....

Kyrylo peered out from under his soggy bangs to look at the laughing Oerttena, "we can only hope?" he said quirking an eyebrow in amusement before gripping the bottom of his robe to squeeze some of the water out. Vaguely he wondered if there might possibly be some sort of water-proof material clothing could be made of since he was always crashing into water. Glancing at the water he decided no mater how foolish it looked, it was certainly better then crashing into hard ground like that. Calliope landed on one of his ears making it twitch uncontrollably for a few moments, "do you mind?" he muttered, grabbing another handful of robe and squeezing water out. Not at all laughed the quirky moth as she took a sip of water from his damp hair. Rolling his eyes he continued squeezing until most of the water was out of his clothing.

"So this is Mirror Lake is it? It's beautiful here!" said Oerttena. Nodding his agreement he took a few moments to look around the gardens from a eye level view as opposed to from the air; both views were beautiful in their own ways. Contemplating over the garden he decided this one did not feel like home either, water was nice but this place was more water then land.

Straightening a shiver overcame him, "It gets cold when the sun goes down, huh?" he asked as he creeped closer to the cave with phosphorescent fungi in it. Curiously he leaned forward and poked the plants before tilting his head down further to see off what they were feeding from; already he was contemplating the usefulness of the interesting growth. Prodding it once more he noticed a weird sort of shadow pass over him and straightened to look skyward immediately, "There wouldn't happen to be anything large and predatory that hunts these areas?" he asked scanning the sky but finding nothing.

Originally Posted by Destine

Destine smiled warmly at Oertenna, but turned to see Kyrylo landing in the water.

"Oh, dear," she giggled. He walked closer and she tried to help squeegee the water from his wings.

"Yes, like I said, what I think to be one of the most beautiful of all the Gardens. This particluar place is where I frequent." Kyrylo walked over, poking at the mushrooms.

"There wouldn't happen to be anything large and predatory that hunts these areas?" he said, looking up.

Destine smiled matter of factly. "I was wondering when you would notice." When they had entered the valley she had spotted Ora, cutting expertly through the air. She admired her aerobatic prowess.

She looked up at the hovering figure far above them and back at Oertenna and Kyrylo. "Let's have her join us, shall we?" Destine cupped her hands and brought them close to her lips; she closed her eyes and whispered inaudibly. She then looked up, and opened her eyes and hands, as if releasing something into the sky.

Then, just above them, a butterfly lazily spiraled down to land on Destine's outstretched wrist. The black half of it glistened in the absence of light, and it's other half seemed to change with the colors of the sky.

((Usually the same blue as the sky http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...lue_mormon.jpg))

She brought him close to her face. "Tristan," she said softly and caringly. He moved his wings slowly up and down and then set to flight, toward Ora.

'Should I say something?' she wondered to herself....

The butterfly quickly made its way closer as she paused in thought.

"Come, Ora. Join Destine, Kyrylo, and Oertenna. Destine requests your presence." He hovered in plain view just in front of her.

((He's got this youngish, mature, caring male British voice))

Despite his courteous tone, he did not wait for her answer. He filtted away in Destine's direction.

Originally Posted by Ora

After feeling a pinch of pride upon viewing the group of fae below her, Ora's cheerful aspect was clouded by worry as she remembered her companion Lear. She hurriedly looked about her, spinning full circle, images of poor Lear lost and calling her name somewhere between here and the Evercommon Garden started to reel through her head. Just when her imagination had gone too far, imagining Lear perhaps safe with Dawnsong, she heard his faint voice to her left.

"Oh, so NOW you start to worry about me..."

Her head snapped towards the bright yellow moth, who now was also suspended mid-air, looking particularly fresh despite the long flight they had undertaken.

"Lear! I'm so sorry, it's just that... well, I guess I get a bit overexcited at times and forget about protocol. Did you really fly with me??"

Lear gave a sly look, as much as a moth can, and said "Let's just say I hitched a ride...." Ora couldn't possibly imagine what that meant, but for now she wouldn't have time to inquire. Their banter was suddenly interrupted by a beautiful, young butterfly who hovered in front of them.

"Come, Ora. Join Destine, Kyrylo, and Oertenna. Destine requests your presence."

Lear and Ora looked at each other, Lear opening his mouth to respond, but the polite butterfly was already making his way back to his sender. Ora suddenly felt a heavy burden of exhaustion come over her, probably from so much flying on the same day she was born. Feeling her wings a bit shaky, she welcomed the invitation and she and lear silently made their way down to the ground, descending at a slow pace, gently plopping their feet on solid ground a few feet away from the other fae. With all eyes on her, Ora felt a bit awkward and decided to wait for the other fae to greet her before speaking.

Originally Posted by Destine

The butterfly that came before Ora landed on Destine's shoulder, slowly moving its wings up and down. She smiled at Ora as she plopped down before them, looking slightly abashed.

"Ora," Destine smiled and clasped her hands in front of her. "I'm so glad you could join us. It was quite a feat to catch us so quickly." She shared a knowing glance with Ora, but then addressed the three of them together.

"But it's getting late and I want to see if Caer has anything to say to you. She knows the Gardens in ways that I could never explain to you." She nervously glanced around a bit and furrowed her brows. "But as I said earlier, you can only find her if she wants you to find her. Go, look around, explore a bit and see if she comes to you."

Her worried look turned hopeful. "I'll be waiting here. If you can find her, I promise that it will be worth your while."

Kyrylo watched a little enviously as Ora landed pretty gracefully in their midst. Trying not to let the jealousy show, he flashed her a bright smile and then turned to inspect the moth that had landed on Destine. He had never seen her moth before and was curious about the colors and temperament. Nodding in agreement to Destine's comment about how Ora had some skills in catching up to them he sidled closer, "Did you follow us right after? Or would you say you waited a time first? Were you flying very fast?" the flood of questions left Kyrylo's mouth before he could stop himself; he really was quite curious.

Destine continued to talk and after a short time they were released once more to go exploring. Unsure of where exactly to go Kyrylo prodded once more at the luminescent fungi. Glancing around he looked for something sharp to cut away the mossy peat it seemed to be growing on and finding nothing he flit closer the the water. Upon getting closer he decided if there was anything interesting to be found it might be near the lake itself, so he began trudging around the entirety of it. Once he had finished (and still not found anything) he flapped his wings and launched himself into the air, looking for the next largest stretch of sand he could walk on.

Kyrylo repeated the process many times over until his robes were positively soaked. Each time he had flown into the air and looked for a new area to examine he had ended up in the water when he landed. Each time a loud bout of laughter followed by the furious beating of wings could be heard until his wings became sufficiently dry to take off again if need be. On his third course around a lake he found another plant that interested him. Getting closer to it he examined the almost black colored berries that grew in patches all over the plant. Those aren't good eats muttered Calliope, personal experience, don't eat them. Leaning close he plucked a berry and crushed it between his fingers, delighted when it left a deep blackish purple marking on his hand. It seemed like this garden was full of interesting things, he would have to come back to play around with these interesting plants later.

Glancing up he looked over the garden to see what all the other Fae were up to.

Originally Posted by Caer

Caer was in her abode when she sensed something in the wind. 'I think they're here,' she thought, and put down a bouquet of colorful miniature roses she had been arranging in a vase.

Her home is a few large, rounded hanging coves made by twisting tough twine and fortified with flowering vines, looped over trees in the forest overlooking the lake. It is more nest than home, and fragile as it sways gently in the wind, but as a flying creature, her home need not be strong. She glided out into the sun and saw the others exploring the gardens.

'I hope none of them have wandered too far into the lakes,' she thought nervously. A quick look around reassured her that none of the newer faeries are within the darker parts of the water, and so she flew on to join Destine.

'Hello, Destine, hello, winged one,' she said, addressing the beautiful butterfly on Destine's shoulder. 'I can see that the others are very curious about the Lake! That is good.. this is our common source of water and such a refreshing place to be. '

'Something worries me though, that I would like to share,' Caer continued, her voice lower. She paused and gathered her thoughts. 'Recently at night, the lakes are a little less calm and I'm hearing some strange noises that I have never heard before. The wind is stronger and thus the waters seem forbidding. I don't think it is the spirits which are causing these disturbances.. but still I'd like to warn everyone to keep away at nights. I wonder if any Whisperers are behind this..?' she asked nervously, not knowing how Destine would react to such a wild claim.

Garden Tour (part 5)

Kyrylo had happened to look up just as Caer came flying out of, wherever it was she had been perched. Smiling to himself at having "found" the elder fae he launched himself into the air to fly where she and Destine were now talking. Too late he realized that he would probably be crashing into the water again and make a fool of himself in front of, yet another, Fae. Concentrating hard he tried his best not to land in the water again, only to succeed it not landing completely in the water. Water up to his ankles he sloshed forward and waved a hand in greeting "hello again" he called out all smiles.

Originally Posted by Caer

Caer looked up and saw Kyrylo fae approaching. "Hello, Kyrylo!" she said, commending his determination on flying. "Do you like the Mirror Lake Garden? Isn't it beautiful? It is an ideal place to stretch our wings too, as the soft winds provide a boost when gliding. And of course, the water softens mishap landings."

"But please be careful," she warned. "Keep to the shallows of the water, and away from the darker parts of the waters on the other side of the lake. The trees are heavy there that keep the sunlight from penetrating the lake, so many strange and dangerous creatures make their home there."

"If at any time you feel a chat, just come right by and visit me here!"

Originally Posted by Orttena

"Hello Ora! It's good to see you again." Oerttena said with a welcoming smile. Oerttena didn't know where to start after Destine told them to explore for a bit. She looked around slowly, there was so much to see here from pools with lush bushes and reeds, to huge waterfalls lined with exotic flowers and plants. Just then something caught her eye, it wasn't the waterfall but something behind the waterfall, a darkness.

Oerttena flew over to the waterfall and landed on a rock next to the cave opening. There was no way to avoid the rushing water of the waterfall, but fortunately for her it was a small waterfall with only trickling water. She stepped through the water into a small but mystical looking cave, with moist walls lined with sparkling gems, rough but reflecting the sunlight that penetrated the trickling water. Below her feet the floors were lined with a soft moss, it was soft and silky on her toes. The cave was not deep but to Oerttena it was very beautiful, more so than the sun loving fields and flowers outside. She wanted to find more of these beautiful caves. Perhaps one day she could find one big enough to make a home out of.

Just them Kalias whispered in her ear, "Caer has joined Destine outside. You should go meet the Swanfeather." Oerttena was excited to meet the older fae. She burst through the waterfall catching the air beneath her wings on the way out. She made her way to where the other fae were standing. She almost looked like Kyrylo in her wet clothes, though he seemed to be soaked through. She smiled kindly and introduced herself to Caer, "Hello there. I'm Oerttena."

Originally Posted by Caer

"Hi, Oerttena!" said Caer as the beautiful fairie approached. "I can see both of you are enjoying the garden. There's so much to see and do here. The water is always fresh and cool, and its just a lovely place to hang out."

"If you have any questions at all, you can find me in my abode where you're always welcome for tea and a chat."

"I do like the garden" he smiled as he drew closer to stand next to both Destine and Caer, "it is certainly very beautiful and in no doubt provides a very nice soft landing area for myself" he grinned a twinkle in his eye at his own little jest. Taking a moment to once more sweep the gardens with his gaze he tried to contain his excitement and save his questions about the history of this garden and others for a different point in time. "Certainly not the garden for me though" he continued looking pointedly at the dark areas of water Caer was telling him he should avoid. "I'll take you up on your offer sometime" he said looking around to see the approaching Oerttena. Lifting a hand half way in greeting he noticed the wet look of her clothes and damp hair. Lifting an eyebrow in question he stood silently waiting for the ladies to finish their talking.

"If you have any questions at all, you can find me in my abode where you're always welcome for tea and a chat." said Caer to both him and Oerttena.

Suppressing a shudder at the thought of having to taste that slightly bitter drink again he tried to smile, only to manage a sort of grimace, "yes.. tea" he trailed off trying not to look anyone in the eye.

Originally Posted by Oerttena

Oerttena giggled at Kyrylo's aversion to the offer of tea. She knew he couldn't stand the stuff, but at least he was polite to Caer. "That sounds lovely," Oerttena replied to the offer. "I look forward to hearing many thing about the history of The Gardens."

Originally Posted by Destine

...I don't think it is the spirits which are causing these disturbances.. but still I'd like to warn everyone to keep away at nights. I wonder if any Whisperers are behind this..?'...

Caer's words resounded in Destine's ears, even as she watched from just a step away while Caer smiled and laughed with Kyrylo, Oertenna, and the modest Ora.

After hearing Caer's words, Destine had paled a little. To mask her emotions, she tried to cover her mouth with her hands, nibbling on her thumb nail. She knew what lurked in the dark waters; it was the same that lurked in the darkest parts of the Shadowgrounds -- or rather, she at least knew what was responsible for those things. Closing her eyes, she inwardly shuddered.

Tristan floated from his perch on her shoulder to rest on her nose, wings evermoving and hiding her face. She let her hands rest at her sides and he quickly flew off into the distance. She shook her head and rubbed her face vigorously. When she emerged, she seemed to be wearing a weary smile.

Destine came closer to the chatting group and stepped up stealthily behind Caer. She leaned over covering her mouth and whispered something inaudible to her. Then leaned back with the same weary smile and looked down for a moment, but brought her attention quickly back to the group.

It was getting late. The sun barely touched the tips of the hills surrounding the lake. The fountains that were gushing at what seemed like just moments before were somehow quieter, slightly less frequent. The rainbows began to cast more light on the valley than the sun -- more like a soft, prismatic glow than direct light. But still, the darker patches here and there in the water looked almost black.

Originally Posted by Caer

Caer nodded at Destine's words and glanced over the lakes. The sky was turning a warm glow and the shadows grew longer and stretched ominously over the lake. Caer watched sharply at the dark shadows in the rippling waters and for a fleeting moment, saw what Destine mentioned. Her expression was impassive, and slowly she turned back to the group.

"I hope you will remember what I said about the waters. It is not as forbidding as I make it out to be, of course, but as a dweller in this garden, your safety is my prime concern." Caer stopped for a moment, as if remembering something sorrowful. "..Tragedy must not be allowed to strike again." She said quietly.

Suddenly she smiled, a gentle Historian again. "Well, we can't hang around here all day! I believe the next destination is the Shadowgrounds? The sunset is particularly beautiful there." She motioned to a huge, glittering waterfall. "The way to the Shadowgrounds is through the cave behind that waterfall. It should lead you to the River of Promises, and of course, the Drowned Valley."

Originally Posted by Destine

Destine stepped up next to Caer to address them all. "Yes, it is getting quite late, and I want to take you one more place that I'm sure you'll find to your liking." She particularly looked at Oertenna and Kyrylo.

She then directed her attention to Ora. "And Ora, the Shadowgrounds are nothing for a Lilthe to fear, but it would be better if you come with us now than wander in sometime on your own."

Turning to Caer, Destine grabbed one of her hands with both of hers. "Caer, come with us too. It's been so long since you've visited, and I'm sure observing the first meeting of these fae with the Shadowgrounds will be quite the study." She smiled warmly.

"Alright, then." Destine turned and readied herself for flight. She sighed a little, worn from the days travels. With a quick, heavy push of her wings, she hovered for a moment. "Kyrylo," she said jokingly, not looking at him. "This is water that I promise you won't need to be afraid of." She maneuvered herself into a position aimed straight at one of the largest waterfalls in the valley -- the one Caer had pointed out.

With the last burst of energy she seemed to have, she flung herself toward the roaring wall of water. Moments before hitting it, she extended her wings to their full length. Like light curtains, the water opened for her, leaving just enough room for her to get through, but not wetting her with a single drop. After she passed through, water dropped back into place. She had flown toward the waterfall haphazardly, so it didn't seem like she consciously moved the water; it just seemed to flow around her.

Kyrylo listened carefully as Destine spoke, addressing both him and Oerttena in her gaze as she talked about the next garden being more to their liking. Casually he looked around the one they were in and though about how he would certainly like some water, just not so much in the place he would later call home. So far the other gardens had all been pleasant but none had really called out specifically to him. Eagerly he unfolded his wings and gave them a few flutters, ready to see if the next was a more fitting home.

"Kyrylo, this is water that I promise you won't need to be afraid of." teased Destine.

"I'm not afraid of water" grinned Kyrylo, "If anything its afraid of me, all those beating it keeps taking at my expense.". Chuckling he lifted into the air to try and hover behind Destine to follow her to the next destination. As she shot off toward the fall he worried that the water might beat her out of the air and drop her into the pool below, sure he had gotten wet a lot in this last garden, but he had fallen into the water, the water hadn't pulled him down.

In awe he watched as the water parted to allow her through and hoping that it wasn't just her ability, reading items wasn't the same as moving water was it?, he followed. Half way to the fall he veered away remembering Calliope, Surely the water wouldn't part for something so small as a moth. Diving towards her he caught her gently in his arms and held her to his chest as he flew recklessly towards the fall.

"Ready or not" he muttered just as he was reaching the fall.

Originally Posted by Oerttena

Destine caught Oerttena's attention when she mentioned that the next garden would be to her liking. She's liked all of them so far so the thought of one being even more so to her liking excited her. Her eyes lit up.

Oerttena smiled at Kyrylo and Destine's banter about his trouble with the wanter. "Perhaps you should live in the wanter Kyrylo. It seems to be your favorite place so far." She couldn't help but give him a hard time for all of his crash landings into the lakes and rivers. She flashed a playful grin in his direction, and chuckled.

As Destine moved toward the waterfall Oerttena became nervous. Surely she knew what she was doing. She did see the waterfall didn't see? Her mind raced with worry and her heart began to sink. Just as she was about to call out to the older fae the waters parted. Oerttena about fainted with relief which was soon overcome by amazement! She must have looked ridiculous as her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. "That's so cool!" she exclaimed. It reminded her of the cave she found. She wondered if there were any more parting waterfalls in the gardens, perhaps one with a beautiful cave behind it...

Wandering off in her own thoughts again she realized that she was getting left behind. She hurriedly attempted to lift herself from the ground to follow but managed to tangle her feet and trip over herself in excitement. She was a bit embarrassed but no one seemed to notice her foul. She tried again, this time more patiently and careful. She followed the other fae through the mysterious waterfall. She desperately wanted to touch the water as she flew through but she couldn't reach it. It was probably better; who knows what would have happened had she managed to reach it.

Originally Posted by Caer

Caer looked around the garden again before leaving, as if looking for something. 'Maybe I'm just overly cautious,' she thought. 'Oh well.'

She flew towards the glittering waterfall, nervously. She has been through parting waterfalls many times, but not this particular one that leads to the Shadowgrounds. Though not a true Llithe, Caer still holds abit of dread going there.

'Don't be silly,' she scolded herself. 'Destine and the others will be with you, theres nothing to be afraid of. And anyways, as a senior faerie, you should be most comfortable in all parts of the gardens!' And with that, she braced herself and quickly flew through the falls into the darkness within.

Originally Posted by Destine

For a split second as the waterfall closed behind the fae, it seemed almost too dark to continue for the Lilthe, but for the Whisperers, it was as clear as day. Behnd the waterfall was a gaping maw of a cave that spanned the entire heighth of the valley wall.

And it wasn't completely dark. Moments upon entering, the faes' eyes would adjust, revealling shots of the dying sunlight entering at various angles from the ceiling above them. Even more glowing phosporescent fungi hugged the walls here -- in different shapes and colors. In the flowing water beneath them, glowing fish and salamanders jumped and wriggeld into and out of the water. Even so, the water under them flowed gentle and profound, scattering dancing reflections on the ceiling of the cavern.

After a bit, the cavern narrowed, but not so much as to make it difficult or dangerous to fly. The gentle water was confined into a smaller space and flowed more like rapids. As the cave came to an almost uncomfortable width, it opened to an unfathomable gorge, the water pouring down into the darkness.

Looking back, they had flown out one cave of many littered along the wall in the depths of this gorge, and were flying toward another one. A keen eye could notice that the fungi in the cave they had flown out of had a bright white glow, and they were flying toward a cave marked with fungi of a similar color.

Out of this cave, a gushing stream of water poured into the gorge as well. The cave was narrow at first, but gradually opened up. The water flowed deep and calmy. Instead of a waterfall barring the entrace here, the water shallowed and moonlight poured in. Trails of dry land wound through the cave until the fae came to the Shadowgrounds. Land stretched out from both sides of the caves, on either side of the River of Promises.

It was here, near a massive weeping willow whose leaves barely brushed the water, that Destine waited for the others to arrive.

As Kyrylo flew through the waterfall the sight that greeted him caused him to gasp audibly. His eyes had adjusted very quickly to the lesser light and surprised he glanced around looking at the darkness covered beauty that surrounded him. Interested he watched ht wriggling creatures below them in a myriad of colors and flapped his wings slowly to locate where Destine had disappeared to. Seeing movement ahead he flapped hard to catch up; as much as the darkness was soothing to his eyes and a comfort to him personally, he did not want to get lost before they had even arrived.

The fungi that adorned the walls reflected their light all over the water, causing a sparkling of light on the ceiling. Admiring the general splendor he flew close to the water and ran his fingers through it chuckling when the slightly glowing fish broke and dove deeper into the water. Pushing forward he heard the sound of faster rushing water and flapped to gain altitude to see further along the way. Ahead the water churned white and bubbled around the large rocks that littered the water until it fell away and poured into a gorge.

Glancing down into the vastness below him he struggled to see where the water had fallen to, unable to see it he strained his ears and could almost hear the crashing of the water far below. Following Destine, he flew into another cave with similar fungi growing at its entrance and a stream of water emptying itself into the gorge; it seemed that there would be many returns here to explore the hundreds of others caves that opened to this gorge.

Flying for a short time he came to small bars of land lifting above the land. Eyes casting around he looked for a bit of land large enough to land on, all the flying was starting to take its toll and he was beginning to tire very much. Spotting a large Weeping willow in the distance he aimed for a small gap in its foliage and dove, hoping that the land underneath it was soft, or that there was a bit of water nearby if he happened to miss once more. Just as his feet neared the ground he noticed Destine standing not a few steps away and smiled, breaking his concentration and tumbling to the ground, landing with his feet splayed out in front of him with a few wispy branches tangled in his hair. "Your home?" he asked staring at the area around where he had fallen.