Evening in the Forest

[mogget_cat]

The evenings are edging into the 'pleasantly cool' range, as the year progresses. One can stretch out on a tree branch and watch the pink clouds above the mountain shift from pink to purple to grey, as the night rolls in. It is a singularly beautiful sight, one that is quite useful when a patron has a lot of thoughts to sort through.

So this evening there is a Bright Shiner stretched out along a tree-branch, near the lakeshore, watching the far clouds slowly drain of color. Still, though the sunset was a a brilliant one, and the colors left behind were quite beautiful, his thoughts are elsewhere. And they are troubled.

Comments

[mogget_cat]

"You're wrong, Ruin," Yrael says, dropping down from the tree to land among the roots on pale bare feet. The movement, he feels at least, helps hide the sting he felt at those words.

The canid is ignored.

"He does care about his life. He just doesn't know what to do to save it. Jason'll listen to me."

He's his brother.

[ten_of_swords]

"No. He won't."

Simple as that.

[mogget_cat]

"That'll be his choice, now won't it?" Yrael snaps.

[ten_of_swords]

Ruin smirks.

"He's already made that choice, Yrael. Why don't you... go on up and visit with him?" He leans in closer to Yrael. "You'll see just how right I am and how wrong you are."

[mogget_cat]

Yrael bristles, even in human-form. He glows faintly, in the twilit evening.

"And if I choose not to?"

[ten_of_swords]

He comes into Yrael's personal space, his face dead serious as he looks down into the Bright Shiner's eyes.

"Can you live with yourself if his death could have been prevented by a single trip up a flight of stairs?"

[mogget_cat]

The sound that forms the reaction to Ruin's question is not in any language of words. It is a roar, crackling like the immediate retort of thunder to a nearby lightning strike, accompanied by a two-handed, full-strength shove to Ruin's chest.

[ten_of_swords]

He might be strong, but he knows Yrael is stronger.

Ruin stumbles back, falling against a tree, and laughs softly.

"I know," he says, rubbing his chest. He was going to bruise. "Truth sucks."

[mogget_cat]

But Yrael is gone.