Saving Aurora

Droplets of water cascaded down the back of a magenta Ahea. The mysterious creature shook the rest of the water from its taut, rubbery-like skin. The marshy ground beneath its webbed feet provided comfort to the creature as it examined its surroundings. The comforting smell of the Atquati Sea wafted from behind her and the magenta Creatu glanced back for a moment. In that split second, the Ahea pondered the thought of returning back to her watery home, but the promise of excitement and adventure won out. With a swift flick of her tail, the Creatu padded onward, its feet making the soaked mud squelch as she padded on. She sniffed the air and a delicious scent sprang its way to her senses. She turned and spotted a bush in full bloom; the scent was coming from the plant. Cautiously, the Ahea crept closer. She sniffed the bush and her mouth watered when she recognized the scent of Atquati berries. She nipped a few off of the bush, the burst of flavor on her tongue satisfying her stomach. When she dipped her head down for another bite, a cry rose into the air.

The Ahea craned her neck, her eyes alert and her senses tuned in. She froze when she heard another wail screech through the air. Without any hesitation, the Ahea leaped after the sound. She raced along the marshy ground, her long legs giving her more speed, but her frailty on land caused her to stumble. She staggered over the marshy ground and trailed after the noise; the wails becoming louder as she approached. Nestled in a dry bed of leaves lied a baby Omni. The Ahea dipped her head down toward the creature and as the Omni sensed her presence, it let out a squeak of fear. The Ahea let out a soft croon and the Omni’s cries ceased. It stumbled toward her and clung to her leg. The Ahea let out a surprised croak before leaning down and nudging the Omni with her nose.

"Hush, little one. My name is AuroraGirl. I’m here for you," she said gently as she scooped the Omni up on her neck. The pitiful creature clung to the velvety magenta skin, feeling comforted at last. The vulnerable creature let out a soft sigh of content and curled up on AuroraGirl’s back.

~~~
10 Years Later

A childish laugh escaped through Bur the Omni as he plunged into the waters of Atquati. He dove into the deep and used his keen senses to navigate through the water’s. In a shower of water, he exploded back onto the surface. He shook his head to clear the water from his face and scented the air. The soft scent of flowers that resembled his mother came to his left. He turned that way and headed inland. His paws sank through the marshy ground and he snorted in distaste.

"I see you’re up and about," grinned Aurora as she spotted her adoptive son heading her way.

"Mhm; I am," he stated as he grinned. The shadowy aura of his mother was an image in his head. When she turned her head to the side, it took him a moment to register the movement. Though the creature, being an Omni, was blind, he could still detect the aura of others as long as he could scent and hear them. "And I was wondering if we could go to the forest today," he said as he sat down against the ground.

"We’ll see about that, Bur. I’ve been feeling unwell lately. Maybe we’ll go after I rest a bit," she said as she sat down into her makeshift bed. Because of her adoption of Bur, she had to make a small camp for them on the shores of the Atqueen forest. Bur was a land dweller and therefore could not live with her in the comforting currents of the deep. The Magenta Ahea shook her head to clear the troublesome thoughts and instead let her head rest against the marshy ground.

With his instinct, Bur knew something was wrong with his foster mother. He knelt down beside her and let his nose rest of her forehead. The skin was burning hot and Bur jumped back, surprised. Aurora turned on her side and cracked open an eye. "Bur, I feel very weak," she said softly, the breath barely a whisper as it pas.sed by her lips.

Bur flinched at the words, wanting this moment to disappear and for Aurora to stand back up; healthy and renewed. Instead, he rubbed his nose against her cheek and let a tear roll down his cheek. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked her, begging for there to be some way to stop this illness from taking her life.

"Blessed flowers, Bur. They have magical qualities that can heal others," she croaked out.

"I’ll find them for you," Bur promised. He pushed himself back to his paws, though his movements were weak as he faced the task before himself.

Okay, Bur. Where is the most likely place you’ll find Blessed Flowers? he thought to himself as he let his senses roll over the area. The dense space of trees that clouded most of his senses led to his answer and he felt renewed hope enter his thoughts. The forest; Atqueen Forest.

~~~

The distinct yet mysterious scent that the Atqueen Forest gave off provided Bur with a sense of comfort. Ever since Aurora had found him, he had always longed to explore the vast expanse of trees and undergrowth. New surprised waited around every corner and the essence of the forest had always brought peace to his mind on the most troubling of times. Memories of Aurora and him exploring the forest flooded his mind. Along with those memories came all of the times that Aurora took care of him when he needed her most; She had found him in his time of need, had given him food during the coldest of winters and hunger gnawed at their stomachs, and had given him love. He would not be here without her and his ties to the Ahea were unbreakable.

Bur paused in his steps as a rustle in the bushes nearest to him began to shake. He crouched down to the ground, wanting to remain hidden from whatever creature laid before him. A long tusk poked out from the branch and Bur frowned, not recognizing the scent of the creature. The rest of the Creatu strolled out from among the bushes and hesitated, scenting Bur among the leafy ground.

Bur stood calmly, though his stature was wary. He could feel the Creatu recoil in shock as Bur’s ma.ssive form came into view. "Why, hello there. You’re an Omni, aren’t you?" the creature asked as its first wave of fear pa.ssed. "I’m DarkestDepths, the Trance Narwi. What would someone like you be doing in Atquati Forest?" he pondered as he sat down again.

The Omni mimicked the Narwi’s movements and sat down. "I’m Bur and I’m on a quest. My foster mother has fallen ill and I need to find Blessed Flowers for her before she…" he said but broke off, unable to complete the ending to the sentence. DarkestDepth’s sympathetic aura comforted Bur a bit, but he was surprised when the Narwi spoke up again.

"I would be glad to help you on your quest, Bur. I happen to know someone who has plenty of Blessed Flowers. She lives here in the forest," he said.

Bur felt a smile dance along his lips as he stood again. The urgency of his mission intensified when DarkestDepths told him that he knew where the Blessed Flowers were. "I would be sincerely grateful if you could help me, friend," said Bur and he could feel DarkestDepths smile.

The pair set off along the forest yet again with DarkestDepths hobbling through the undergrowth ahead. The Narwi moved at a slow pace, its body definitely not an ideal form to be in the forest. This observation sparked curiosity in Bur. He voiced the question aloud and the Narwi chuckled.

"Bur, I’m an adventurer. I’ve been to the fiery pits of Reiflem, the airy space of Scria, and the Industrial land of Relcore. The Creatu you meet and the places you see are amazing and I’m glad I’ve spent my life roaming the planets," he stated and Bur found himself liking the Narwi even more.

"I’m an adventurer myself, but I’ve never thought of visiting the other planets," Bur said as they walked on.

"You have the perfect adventurer’s body, Bur. You would never regret traveling around the worlds," the Narwi said. He quickened his pace and Bur felt that their journey was almost complete. He hoped that Aurora was holding on okay because he had no idea what he would do if he returned home without her being there.

The canopy of trees opened up to a small clearing and DarkestDepths called out into the forest. "OtulissaSnow, I am in need of some a.ssistance. It is important," the Narwi crooned.

A pale figure glided down from a branch in one of the trees. Her slender white body was covered with beautiful snow-white feathers. The tips on her wings were a midnight black and ruffled in the slight breeze; the sounds comforting like the rustle of leaves. Bur took an immediate liking to the Uilus as he held his gaze into her jade green eyes.

"What can I do for you?" she replied in a soft croon as she padded warily up to them.

"I need some Blessed Flowers for my mother. She’s very ill," Bur said with a hint of sadness in his voice. "OtulissaSnow, I need these flowers; truly, I do." he said to her and the Uilus nodded slowly. She stood up softly and spread out her wings before leaping into the air. Bur gasped as her form rose into the sky. Her feathers danced in the wind as she plunged back into the trees. When she rose again, a bundle of flowers hung from her beak.

She flapped her wings softly before gently landing on the ground again. Bur rushed up to her and she handed the flowers to him. "Let her eat the leaves of the Flowers. They’ll heal her sickness," she said softly and Bur blinked with gratefulness. Before he could give thanks, OtulissaSnow swept herself into the sky again and disappeared into the forest.

"Let’s get you home," said DarkestNight as his eyes trailed after her magnificent form.

~~~

Bur knelt beside Aurora once again and sucked in a tight breath. The Ahea was worse off than when he had left. Her breaths came in shallow pants and her muscles clenched as pain wracked her chest. Bur hastily plucked the leaves off of the Blessed Flowers and gently nudged them into Aurora’s mouth. She swallowed the sweet tasting flowers and Bur waited.

After a few hours, Aurora’s breathing came back to normal. Her measured breathing was softer and slower as she slept. Bur watched over her well past nightfall and into the next morning. When the sun peaked over the horizon, Aurora cracked open a soft blue eye and smiled.