live until we die - any

[michaelis]

let’s swallow the moon and the stars - let’s wallow just right where we are

It seems that the shadows would always draw others to Michaelis. It was usually intrigue that brought strays into his path, but yet he enjoyed the interactions. Ever since he had to accommodate for his dayblindness and retreat into the nighttime hours, he didn’t come across nearly the amount of people as he did when he was younger. His youngest daughters have long since left his side and reached adulthood – he briefly wonders where his little shadows have settled themselves. As a vagabond who leaves for long journeys, he doesn’t have strong bonds of friendship holding him here. He is a self-induced loner, but yet, he vastly enjoys the differing conversations he engages in from time to time with people from all walks of life.

A young boy suddenly emerges before him accompanied by a shroud of darkness and a challenging look to his eyes. At first, the shadow tendrils seem to retreat closer to his torso, intent on camouflaging him, but then they recognize a kindred spirit and hesitantly branch out to meet the boy’s own shadow pool. Michaelis recalls meeting a shadow creature once before, but the boy lacks the yellow eyes and sharp fangs and seems to have not yet fully immersed himself within their tender shadowy grasp. He questions Michaelis, outright demands to know his identity, as if he might hold the key to his own identity. The shadow child knows this boy already wields so much more power over the shadows than himself, but yet he still smells of uncertainty and inner turmoil.

Another boy approaches, this one golden and glowing, but he remains silent. He still stares intensely, a determined curiosity that remains focused upon himself. Michaelis has suddenly become the center of attention after remaining alone for so long and he is happy to see that Beqanna continues to live on through generation after young generation. He smiles gently as the tendrils become overly curious, deciding to swathe the boy’s glow with their own dampening blackness. They are delicate wisps of shadow, purely meant for shielding. They would never grow to be suffocating, yawning clouds of darkness. The golden boy would never have to fear the shadows beneath Michaelis’ hold.

“I am Michaelis.”

He knows the boy must be searching for another answer, but the shadow child is simply that, his own self. He was born just like any other, happy in his childhood and early adulthood. Some would say he was gifted and some might say he was cursed. Either way, a run-in with some malicious fairies and he was forever changed. He continued on with his life, accepting the change, and becoming one with his shadowy companions.

Yet another figure emerges from the dark tree line and out into the silvery moonlight. It seems that this gathering is destined to grow into a clandestine meeting of light and dark, with a tension thick enough to cut between complete strangers, and yet Michaelis remains unbothered by all of this. The blue roan does not fear what the night has to offer, but rather, he embraces her steadfast protection, unpredictability, and sometimes unnerving quietness.

The tendrils, whom approached the golden boy unwaveringly, seemed extremely hesitant with the approach of the black mare. Unbeknownst to the shadow child, she wielded the power that would overshadow and banish the darkness. She was a curiosity herself, a light whom melded into the shadow – an anomaly.

“Indeed.”

Polite small talk was something Michaelis could easily accomplish in his sleep. He would rather learn about what drew these strangers here. And so, he waits patiently for their little gathering to unfold and reveal each of their intentions.

Michaelis

The Shadow Child