Tributes: Voidrae Tribute 2: Exploration

The journey had begun. The darkness covered the land as the large corrupted beast and his fluffy companion flew to his found destinations. His crazed eyes scanned below him looking for possible places to sleep. He landed temporarily to study a map by moonlight. He glanced over at his companion who had landed on his back often to rest. He did forget he was thrice her size.

"I apologize for forgetting how much smaller than you are than me. If you must you may spend the entire journey on my back. I am sure the corruption shouldn't pass to you." He said

"Thanks, Effigy. I'm doing my best to keep up though!" She said proudly. The royal corva was pleased to be along on this rather fun journey.

He smiled at her then looked up and around before flying back up into the clear cloudless sky. He had found his prize the night before. Tucked against his warm chest was his Basilisk. He never went far without the beast for fear of it starving. Thankfully it was summer. He would have stocked his tank had it been winter. He flew along in the air looking calmly over the landscapes sprawling below him and now and then back at his new friend she was pleasant company. He dove into a forest to get warm as the bitter chill of the sky eventually got to him as well. He let Lisk out of the holder and walked the ground. The soft grass and leaves below felt very strange to his stone-walking claws. It felt... soothing. It was a confusing feeling for him. Comfort from something so simple as grass. It confounded the large monster. He gently picked up a leaf in his beak moving it to his thumb claw in his wing to study it better. It crumpled easily. How strange. They were far more delicate than once thought. How were the trees they resided on so strong and yet have something so weak to feed them? Foolish trees. He shook his head and ate dinner with his snake. He didn't need to eat much. Just enough to keep him going. After all too much makes you sleepy. And he had a mission. He had to find his flower.

"Been a long time since you've felt grass hasn't it? Well you're free to visit my woods any night to feel it once again. Stone is nice but the grass is settling." Emolias said to him as she walked beside him.

"Too long. Far to long. I rarely leave my castle anymore. Who wants to see the scary beast of the lake castle?" He said bitterly noticing she dropped her head in understanding.

 

They eventually came upon his first location. However, he could tell immediately it would involve a deep search. It was wild and jungled. Not at all what he had planned for but Lisk seemed pleased as did his compatriot so he would explore it for Lisk and her. Maybe he would find his flower here. He followed his snake as it weaved through the jungle like it was meant to. Of course, he knew they preferred deep underground but the thick brush and undergrowth were a hunter's paradise. So many places to be ambushed from. It made him nervous. He shook his head and focused on every plant they passed eventually coming to a group of ruins. Curiosity sparked in the maddened gaze of the beast. "Lisk you may reside up here while I explore these cold ruins. Do not stray too far please my friend." He said before ducking into the ruins to see if his flower grew there. Emolias followed him curious herself.

"Will you still take something if it is not your flower? Some of these things here are cool!" She said

"I will think about it." He said

After a flowerless search, he did find something at least. He tucked it into his carry bag. Just a simple root. Would be useful for what he would do when he gets back. He nosed his sleeping serpent gently to wake him. "No luck here Lisk. When I find these flowers you will get some in your terrarium so you may sleep under them like I once did as a chicklet." He said. Harsh memories burned through him making him growl a bit but he shook his head. He helped Lisk back into the carrier and found them a cave to hide in for the approaching dawn. He had noticed Emolias looking at him with concern when he had growled. Maybe he would tell her later but for now, they needed rest. He appreciated the effort of the much smaller bird to try and covered him from the sun as it rose.

 

When night fell again Effigy and Emolias took off for the next spot. Hope flared in his heart for the first time in ages. He landed in a meadow. He looked around letting Lisk explore again. He followed the map to the spot he had narrowed it down to. Feverishly he looked. He had to find it. It was the last thing he needed to make his life happier. He needed this flower to feel complete again. He huffed in annoyance when even this location did not have his flower.

"We are gonna find it Effigy. We will. We can do this." She said trying to comfort him. How sweet of her. It did calm him down a little.

He picked up more random roots and leaves. He needed these as well but his main goal was his flower. He had to have this flower. It would ease his troubled mind at night as it would grow strong over his nest. He needed it to sleep properly without nightmares for the first time in many years. He needed it... he needed it to remember him. He sighed and caught himself some food for the night and curled in a grove of trees stuffing the gaps with the fallen leaves and mud to keep the sun out and away from him. His heart was heavy that he would never find his flower. His last memory of his master. He curled up around Lisk and Emolias taking comfort in him. Small comforts helped him a lot but he was still corrupted due to his past

 

Finally, he woke on the third day. He stood up and sighed. "It has to be in this last location, Lisk... It has to be. I have to find it." He said. He knew the snake didn't understand the way he did. He did feel Emolias lay her head into his wing gently. He appreciated the comfort as e flew back up into the sky. His sharp maddened eyes looked around for the last location. He took a deep breath before landing in the last place. A quaint little forest. Lisk stayed close by sensing his owner's anxious nature overtaking his normal anger. His normal grumpy unhappy state. He wandered the forest heart heavy that they had flown all this way for nothing. That it wouldn't be here. That... he will have lost his master entirely. Effigy looked to the sky. "I have to find you. You cannot just leave me like this. They burnt ours. I need to find it... It's the last way I have to remember." He hissed in desperation. He stopped at a large bush before the final destination. He was frozen. What if he had come all this way and it wasn't here? He steeled his nerves with the help of Emolias looking at him expectantly and pushed his head through the bush. He didn't care if the leaves and twigs caught in his fluffy curled fur for what met his eyes on the other side made his heart soar with joy. His eyes sparkle with tears. They had found it. The very flower. Love Lies Bleeding.