~*~ S Y L V A N I A ~*~
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The sinewy ink of shadows seemed to tremble as the restless boughs of Sylvayan Forest shuddered and sighed, wavering gently in the midnight breeze. --~*~--
Its fathom were needy though, demanding a wind that washed down through ancient pathways of rich black soil and decaying leaves. There was a distinct bite to the atmosphere that clung distinctly to the boisterous canopy of scattered evergreens. Deciduous timber and gnarled, elderly trees spilled recklessly into the clear night sky, reaching up into the indigo canvas of star strewn fields.
Goliaths these trees, each peculiar and distinctive and clearly displaying a unique personality that set them apart from one another. Their countless whispers and unforgiving sighs were all that seemed to voice a protest to the winds which shattered the tranquil peace that had been this ungodly hour of eternal night. These wooden guardians had seen the passing of time, and continued to stand firm in their task. They were the eternal historians who chaperoned each passing moment with baited breath. They alone knew the truths within the lies, the stories left untold, and the paramount importance of the inconsequential. No one dared to trespass uninvited amid these ancient titans…
But something did stir within the cover of rustling leaves and tangled branches, prowling in the bramble of thorny thicket within the deep recesses of the woods. Footfalls came in silent precision, Toed paws heavy with razor talons traversed a winding pathway through the underbrush as if patrolling the area. /Snap/ went a twig in the night.
For a moment the figure stood perfectly still. The dark silhouette of the massive creature of both feather and fur was outlined by breaths of lunar ambiance which streamed through the gaping opening of intertwined limbs overhead.
A lone ranger astride a large white steed passed boldly through the trails in which the trees made spread, scanning the area with an uneasy gaze. Whether it was a hunter, or a rogue who merely took the wrong turn, it mattered not. He didn’t belong here.
The creature’s body became rigid and tensed behind the brush in which he crouched. Rattling breaths became shallow and concentrated as the nightly predator watched the figure in the distance. And as the wind shifted, casting a plethora of aromas up into his keen senses, something changed.
In one breath’s time, the beast charged out of the brush, sprinting with furious strides which ate up the ground with ease and devouring the distance with alarming speed. His stealthy approach had been quickly abandoned at the frightened squeal, alarming and frantic, of the white horse as it reared and turned before galloping haphazardly through the forest as he the dark beast gave chase..
Mighty wings bumped and scratched against twigs and branches as they tried to spread, spewing a wave of splintered wood and debris in the creature’s wake. The wooded guardians permitted no flying in their domain, reducing the predator to run like a common animal through these mystifying woodlands. And as his rage grew, a blistering screech ripped from the beast’s throat, bouncing off the trees and echoing through the forest like a piercing scream in the night.
A patch of open space was seen in the distance, and the horse and rider were galloping straight for it. The perilous chase through the darkness would not last long…
Don’t go into the open… Don't do into the open... don’t go into the ope-..
Foolish man.
A sound similar to a gunshot cracked out into the night as two large wings unfurled and caught wind. Feathers sliced swiftly through the chilly air, gaining momentum before a mighty downward sweep forced the beast into the air and well ahead of the intruder. The predator of feather and fur landed with a crash in the way of the galloping steed. The rider tugged and the reins, but to no avail. Their momentum was far too much to stop on a dime.
CRACK.
That was the sound that rang out as the creature slammed his head into the galloping horse, throwing both it and its rider backwards and toward the trees. The crack sounded as the horse’s body snapped against the tree and fell atop its rider, who was now attempting to squirm painfully out from beneath the dead equine. A deep growl rippled through the air as the beast prowled forth toward his kill, before placing a forepaw on the side of the horse, pinning the human to the ground.
The shadow-enthroned creature cocked his eagle-like head sideways and down, analyzing the corpse and the writhing man beneath his talons.
In a blink of an eye, he snapped downwards and took up the head of the intruder into its hooked beak. With a mere flex of his neck, the creature dragged him out from beneath his horse before throwing his head up and devouring the being whole. He then pecked at the horse, stripping the sinew clean off its skeletal hoard with ease. Once the feast had been enjoyed, the creature turned and parted from the scene and back into the cover of the trees, leaving nothing behind save for a large pool of blood and a few fragments of bone.
This powerfully built creature of robust muscle and lengthy raven foliage vanished silently back into the night, scanning the cellophane shadow though orbs of glimmering amethyst. A Griffin this beast was; guardian of the skies and of the ancient historians of whom he took his refuge… a creature of myth. But how could a creature of fantasy and fairy tales be out here?
No mortal has ever trod upon these lands without vanishing without hardly a trace. These woods, like nearly the rest of this Godforsaken world, bore a literal philosophy “Whatever goes in, never comes out”.
Without a beating heart, how could one possibly confirm or deny the existence of such rare creatures that dwell in the shadows?
Last edited by Raven Portwood on February 3rd 2013, 12:24 am; edited 1 time in total