<=To chapter 9 * To chapter 11=>

Author's Notes: I would've had this out sooner, except for the past 3 days, life happened, so it got delayed. XD Once again, it's gotten longer. I ended up spilling onto a 5th page, though that could be due to how I space everything...
Anyway, we're entering another leg in the story finally. You'll see what I mean when you read.
Now, onto

Origins
Chapter 10

~*~
Time went on in the Endless Forest.

Three exciting events happened in a row for Scape.

First, the Easter Abiogenesis.

In a great display of power, the Twin Gods themselves appeared in the Forest, taking on the form of glowing orbs of light. The representative statues of the Gods took to the air, floating around the Forest as the Gods themselves exercised their magic.

Weather changes, explosions, things flying overhead, disco balls, giant stars, fire, flower fireworks… These were only a few of the things they made happen.

Scape had never seen so many deer gathered together at once! It made maneuvering around the Forest a challenge, the group was so tightly packed, trying to get close to the Gods in hopes of being blessed by them.

The event had lasted for over an hour, and partway through, the stag had had a spell-cast glow overtake him. He thought it was probably just another casting of the devout pelt.

Except, that’s not what it turned out to be.

Once the glow faded, he’d found himself wearing the coveted zombie pelt.

He’d been too shocked and busy trying to keep up with the hoard enjoying the show at the time to react, so he held his own celebration once it had ended, running around the Forest in joy.

The dragonflies had been…hard to judge in their reaction.

“Very…interesting…” had been the general comment among them.

Scape just tilted his head at the swarm, trying to figure out what that meant.

“I won’t wear it that often if it bothers you…”

“Oh, no, no! It’s not that!” The one who had talked to him most – the leader he assumed – insisted. “It’s just the…uhh…rotted flesh look is a bit…”

“…disturbing?” The deer finished for it.

“Well…somewhat…” It sounded sheepish.

Scape just smirked. “Heh, it’s alright. Not everyone’s into the zombie pelt. But the first deer I met in the Forest was a full-blown zombie deer. I just…like it.” He ended with a shrug.

“Hm…” The dragonflies buzzed amongst their numbers for a moment, before the leader turned back to the stag. “Well, so long as you like it, we don’t mind. The rot seems to be more of an illusion than anything else it would seem.”

“But I really won’t wear it that often. I like the Nightfall pelt too much.” He grinned beneath his Orca mask.



Spring Fever seemed to overtake the Forest, and soon the second event happened, not long after the Easter Abio.

Scape had found love.

And her name was Tempo.

If the dragonflies could, they would have rolled their eyes at how much the stag gushed on about her each night before going to sleep.

It wasn’t long before the third event took place, causing the dark stag to wish he could remember his past before arriving in the Forest.




“WHAT?!”

The pink insect jumped back on the stalk it was sitting on.

“Are you serious?!” Gray eyes were widened in shock at what the dragonfly had just told him.

He swore it winced. “Yes, I am. I was told by a very reliable source.”

“What source?” Scape’s voice was laced with suspicion.

“…I was told not to say,” it admitted hesitantly.

He was about to open his mouth again to continue his tirade, but stopped himself as the facts finally sunk in.

He had a little brother.

And he would be coming to the Forest.

The stag refocused on the insect in front of him.

“Let me get this straight. I have a brother, he’s in the forest my former herd is in, and he needs to come here. Right?” He waited for it to nod. “Ok…so how is he supposed to get here? I mean, it’s not like I know how I got here.”

“Unfortunately, there is a slight mishap.”

The deer tilted his head.

“He is not as…uhh…articulate as you were at his age.”

A blink. “Huh?”

It seemed to sigh. “He doesn’t understand dragonflies.”

Another blink. “…oh. But wait…” His brow crinkled in thought. “…why is that a problem?”

“It’s how you were given instructions. There is a swarm of dragonflies at the brook near the forest you were born in…”

Something flashed through Scape’s mind. “Are they blue?”

The insect paused. “Why, yes. They are.” It tilted its head. “Did you just remember something?”

The deer looked down to the side. “I guess I did…” The dark stag raised his head again. “Alright. So how will my brother get here?”

It stayed silent for a moment, as if not wanting to answer. Finally, it “spoke”. “You will need to return to your old home and bring him here.”

Scape stared.

And stared.

“…what?”

“You will need to—”

“I heard what you said. Just…what?” He looked at it in disbelief. “How am I supposed to get there? I don’t even know how I got here. All I remember is a flash of light!”

“Exactly.”

The stag froze, dumbfounded. “Huh?”

“That flash of light is what brought you here. It was a special kind of spell that very few deer know, somewhat similar to the puff of purple smoke that appears when a deer in this Forest goes into “true sleep”, only instead of entering the Dream Realm, it transports a being outside of the Forest.”

“…eh?”

It sighed. “Don’t worry so much about the details. Just know that it’s how you’ll get to your old home.”

A blink was the response. “Alright…”

“Now, then!” It said suddenly, taking to the air, and making the deer jump. “Are you prepared to go?”

Scape stared blankly for a moment. He blinked slowly, processing its words. “Wait…now??” he all but yelled.

It alighted on his ear, the action seeming familiar. “Yes, now. What better time than the present?” It got no response, which it took as a cue to continue. “You’ll want to go to the Crying Idol for this…”

Gray eyes shifted in the pink insect’s direction. “Why there?”

“You will see. Now, come on.” It tapped the stag’s ear with a spiny leg.

He held in his wince, trying to keep his ear from twitching, lest the insect get flung into the air. As he travelled the short distance to the Idol with its twin tear waterfalls, one thought kept swirling around in his head: ‘I hope Tempo doesn’t worry if I’m gone long…’

‘Ah, young love.’ The strange source chose the weirdest times to speak. ‘I’m sure she’ll understand, though.’

‘Hope you’re right…’

‘When have I been wrong?’ It seemed to drift away at that.

Finally, a roaring sound filled his ears, causing Scape to look up and see they’d reached their destination – the Crying Idol.

He used to sleep here as a fawn, atop that big rock on its right side. He’d grown too big for it after his Stag-day, though, so he’d had to search for a new spot. It ended up being in the shallow water, right beneath where the dragonflies flitted about. They seemed to like his company.

His mind refocused at an “ahem” from the insect on his ear. Seeing he was no longer in la-la land, the dragonfly spoke. “Now…bow.”

“What?”

“You heard me: bow. How else will he know it’s you?”

Tilting his head at the strange order, Scape bowed, hearing a “Oh, and this time keep your eyes closed” as he did so.

As he rose, there was a “shing” sound, and a glow visible from beneath his lids. He was tempted to open his eyes to see, but with what happened last time, that idea quickly left. The glow grew brighter, then there was blackness.