Walking the road of life can lead to amazing chances

[SilmeriaElemred]

@DragonSong

Daylight was waning and Orion found himself in the Draconi Forest. Recently he had crossed the border between Serendipity and Adela. Not the first Moonelf of his kin but still. Not many left the safety of the village. Orian like a few handfulls of others was different. He wanted to see what the world had to offer. And most of what he encountered was beautiful. Some things however not as much.

He had been tracking a wounded animal. A horse judging by the prints and it had a large wound causing to leave behind blood wherever it went. He hoped he could find the animal and heal it's wounds or in the worst case, end it's suffering. Life was sacred and therefor killing living beings was not something his kin resorted to quickly. But if the animal was in pain and he was unable to help it, making it's suffering longer was a crueler thing.

By the time he found it though the sun had set. Lunaria as his tribe of Moonelves called their Goddess shone in the sky above the trees in the sky. He could not directly see the light of his Goddess but occasionally through he saw some rays of the beautiful light reach the ground.

He could hear the river flowing softly in the woods. And the nightbirds singing their songs. There was a tranquility to this place which reminded him a lot of home.

Finally he had found the creatue. It was no horse however but a unicorn. It had collapsed from exhaustian but was still alive. A large gaping wound at it's side. Most likely an animal. If it was hunted by people they surely wouldn't have given up the hunt that easily.

''There there... I'm not going to hurt you...'' Orion spoke calmly as he approached the unicorn. He had never seen one other then in picturebooks and carefully he approached speaking comforting words.

The unicorn tried to get up but was to weakened so had no choice but to remain put. It did make a weak kicking movement with it's hoof though when Orion knelt down beside it. ''There there...'' he whispered once more. Softly running his hand over her neck and body.

Already he allowed his magic to kick in. With luck he was perhaps able to save this creature. For a price anyway. Deadly wounds were not exactly his specialty. Also being a male moonelf he was stronger in daylight. But he had to try. Even if it meant he would black out.

[DragonSong]

Something was happening, she could sense it. At the bottom of her pond Lula stirred, lifting her head and looking toward the surface of the water. Moonlight filtered down to her; it was night then, so she'd been sleeping for a day at least. She frowned, reaching out with that something else sense.

Someone was hurt.

Quick as lightning she leaped to the surface, bare feet balanced gently on the surface of the water. Through the trees, she saw a flash of white, then red. Silently she glided to the earth, stepping out onto the grass with the easy grace of a ripple spreading from its source. She moved toward the wounded creature- then hesitated when she saw she was not alone.

A two-legged animal knelt beside the unicorn. Lula tilted her head, both wary and curious. She'd never seen anything like it before. Well, that wasn't entirely true, in fact it looked more like her than it resembled any other creature of the forest. But that was what was so puzzling; she'd never before encountered an animal similar to herself.

The unicorn was bleeding heavily, and at first she thought this strange two-leg thing was the cause of her pain. She felt rage boiling up inside her fiery heart and stepped forward, opening her mouth to command that the creature leave.

But then she realized it was...helping. Quiet as a breeze, she glided to his side and knelt, guiding the unicorn's head to rest in her lap. "Shh, sister," she murmured, stroking her fingers through her silvery white forelock. Looking to the stranger with eyes like fire she asked, "Can you save her?"

[SilmeriaElemred]

''I can try.'' Orion replied. Glad he did not have to explain he had not been the one doing this. ''I'm not exactly a medic graduate... healing her might backfire on me but if I can just heal enough it is a start.'' Orion took a deep breath. ''Lunaria... support me...'' he whispered before he placed his hands just over the wound and focussed.

A weak warm white glow was emitted from his hands. ''It may sting a little bit. Hold still...'' he whispered to the unicorn whom was almost anything but calm but she certainly tried.

It took a few minutes but the blood flowed out less and less. Sweat made it's way down Orion's brow. He could feel the unicorn's pain and his own stomach felt as if filled with needles. Still. He needed to keep going. Even when he felt he bled himself. It was far from as bad as what the unicorn had but still unpleasant.

[DragonSong]

"Shh, shh," Lula soothed as the unicorn jerked, body trembling as the strange creature did- whatever it was he was doing to heal her. She stroked her cheek gently and the animal calmed slightly. Lula lifted her attention, watching to two-legged thing.

He was hurting. She frowned, and discovered that she did not like to see him hurting. Reaching out with her other hand, she touched his shoulder. As with the unicorn, she murmured comfortingly, sending out a wave of power. She could not heal as this creature could, but water was a soothing element. Perhaps she could ease his pain a little.

[SilmeriaElemred]

''Thank you.'' Orion spoke. He panted heavily and when the wound was almost completely closed, he stopped. At the least it did no longer bleed. For the unicorn anyway. His shirt and pants were despite it being dark, visably crimson red.

''Sorry magnificent being. I can not heal you any further tonight. Maybe... tomorrow'' Orion replied and retreated his hands. ''Rest for now. You've lost a lot of blood whilest getting here.'' The moonelf got up and walked a few metres before sitting down. Retrieving a wooden kit from his backpack and opened it retrieving a sewing kit and a bottle containing a kind of strong alcoholic drink.

After taking a few swigs he attached a silken string to the stiching needle and started to sew together his own wound. ''So...'' he said to Lula. His voice shivered since he was working on himself but he needed to talk while doing this. ''Who might you be.''

[DragonSong]

She helped the unicorn settle herself into a more comfortable position, answering quietly, "I am called Lula." She glanced up and frowned, tilting her head curiously as she observed him. Standing, she crept closer until she was almost on top of him, watching with a morbid fascination as he sewed his own flesh together.

She'd never seen anything like it- it seemed like it should hurt, and it was certainly not how he'd aided the magical creature now sleeping near them. "Who are you?" she asked in turn, looking up at his face from where she crouched. "And what brings you to my forest?"

[SilmeriaElemred]

''A little bit of distance would be appreciated. Doing this is not exactly... painless and I do not want to bleed all over you.'' Orion said with a smile. ''My name is Orion. A moonelf from Solos and Lunaria. I am traveling. But I saw a trail of blood and decided to follow to help the person or creature it belonged too. One day later and well. Here I am.'' he replied.

He looked at Lula for a moment. His face was a little pale and sweaty but at the least he seemed to be ok of some sorts. ''So... your forest. I hope I am not trespassing in a negative way?''

[DragonSong]

Lula backed away slightly at his request, though her curiosity chastised her for it. "Well, I suppose that depends on you," she replied evenly, watching his face. Was he really healing himself? He seemed to be in more pain. "Should you come in peace you are welcome here. Should you not..."

She let her form flicker, revealing the dancing flames that were her eyes, the ember that burned encased in ice at her heart. "Should you not, you will not linger long."

Then she smiled softly. "But you helped my forest-sister, so I do not believe you intend this place harm."

[SilmeriaElemred]

''I do not mean harm. Me and my fellow Moonelves are as good as incapable of killing. The only time we actually resort to it is when we can not save a wounded being, or when we really, really have no other way to stay alive. So not to worry. I mean you or your forest, nor it's dwellers any harm.''

Stichting himself up took Orion a good ten minutes but with some water from a flask he rinsed his hands from blood before puting his kit away. A bath would not be a miss neither the opportunity to wash his clothes but it was not like he could bathe in a pond right now. After all. The owner or spirit of the forest as he would name it for now was here.

''When she wakes up... maybe she can tell us who did it to her. I'm not fond of the idea of the causer or causers of her pain having pursuaded her also. I heard a unicorn can be sold for a lot. Either in one piece, or just parts. It 's saddening.''

[DragonSong]

Lula scrunched her brow in confusion. "Sold?" she asked. She was not familiar with the term. Stepping lightly toward her pond she gathered a handful of damp miss from the edge and held it out to him. "Here, if you press it to your word it may relieve some of the pain."

[SilmeriaElemred]

Orion thought for a moment. ''Basicly if you have something in your posession, rightfully or not, you can sell it to another person. Usually in exchange for an object of value.'' he accepted the damp miss with a thank you and took a small illuminating glinstering jewel from his pocket, placing it in Lula's hands.

''Basicly, you give something in return for the item you sell. Usually coins. In that case, it is paying. If something else is given, it is called a trade. Some people however, turned it into an occupation. Buying or trading various items and buy or sell it again to someone else, asking a bit more then what they gave for it themselves. Anything can basicly be sold or traded. Land, animals, clothes, but also sentient beings like you or me. Often they are captured and harm is inflicted on them. And many people, are willing to give a lot of coins or materials for a creature like a unicorn.''

[DragonSong]

Lula turned the jewel over in her hands, examining it from every angle. A frown slowly grew on her face as she listened. "I don't think I like this buying and selling," she decided. Then she thought a moment longer and amended, "Though I can see how it could be useful if someone else had something you needed and you had something they wanted."

Her eyes drifted over to the unicorn and she shook her head. "Well, it would be foolish to try to...sell a creature like her. If she were to be used as nothing more than a beast, her power would wane. She needs the magic in nature to survive." She extended her hand with the jewel in it, suddenly switching topics: "This is quite fascinating, what is it?"

[SilmeriaElemred]

''It is named celestial tears. My kin uses it to store moon, sun and starlight. We use it to replenish energy on times when the sky is covered or we are underground.  If my kin is not exposed to this light enough we well. Die. The crystals are a good substitute. You can keep thisone if you like.  I have plenty. He took a few others and put them in his hand. After a short moment, the light left the gemstones making them dull and his body took the energy in

[DragonSong]

Lula smiled, closing her fingers around the stone. "You really are like me, then," she said, excited. "You take sustenance from the natural source of your life." Unconscionably, she placed a hand over her fire-and-ice heart.

"I've never met a creature that looks like you- or me- before," she said, walking around him in a circle. "And you do not speak the way the forest children do." When she was in front of him again, she sat suddenly on the grass, looking up, and said, "Tell me ore about where you come from."

[SilmeriaElemred]

Why tell you if I can show you.'' Orion replied with a smile. He inhaled deeply and the surroundings soon changed. Revealing a garden with various small shrines and fountains. The flowers and trees in full bloom, a cresentmoon shaped temple made of white marble and various other buildings. There were people walking and children playing. All males if his race having blonde hair and light colored eyes while the women had dark hair and dark eyes. ''My kin uses illusion magic. This is how a part of my home looks like.''

[DragonSong]

Lula gasped, turning in a slow circle. "It's beautiful," she murmured, smiling softly. Her eyes followed most closely the people he hand conjured into the illusion. "How many of you are there?" she asked, so absorbed in the artificial world around her she couldn't even tear her eyes away to face him.

[SilmeriaElemred]

''In Astoraea, the place you see here we are with a few hundred but there are still some out in the world whom have never been there.'' Orion said and started to explain about how his race had come into existence. Lunaria, one of the Godesses of the moon, and Solos, one of the sun gods who both blessed people who prayed to them and have children in that fashion.

[DragonSong]

"So...why did you leave Astoraea?" She let the word roll off her tongue experimentally. A small movement from the unicorn drew her attention and she moved toward her, patting her neck and murmuring soothingly.

[SilmeriaElemred]

''I wanted to see more of the world we live in. The ocean, other forests. Cities, cultures. Everything. Well. For as far as I can until the upcoming festival anyway. It is required all of us are there. Well.  Most of us. I am sure there are a few who will not be able to arrive on time. It is called Lunares. A celebration once every five years where we honor those who gave birth to our firstborn.''

Orion looked at the unicorn and carefully got on his feet to move closer.''lets see if I can heal the final bit.'' The illusions had started to fade and when he reached the unicorn they had completely disappeared.

[DragonSong]

"Wait a moment." Lula reached back toward the pond and beckoned with two fingers. A tendril of water rose and spiraled toward her outstretched hand. She molded the liquid into a sphere, then cupped it in her hand and and breathed on it, clouding the surface with frost until it was a ball of ice.

She pressed the globe into Orion's hand. "I know it's cold, but if you hang onto it it may have the same calming effect as before." This way she could focus her energy on soothing the unicorn.