It is when he is walking through the forest that he hears the eerie song of a young ones crying and for a moment the jaguar spotted stallion stops, the soft orange glow of the cat like markings lighting the space around him softly. His head tilts, ears flicking about before he finally finds the direction in which the wound was coming from. Slowly he turns, thickly muscled legs moving him through and around the tall pines quickly. "Hello?"

The valley kings voice carries through the empty spaces as he searches for the crying face, the brow above his empty eye sockets arched in a curious fashion. He uses his wings as he comes to the break in the trees to feel the ground below, searching for a step off as the smell of water fills his nostrils and soon his hooves are sinking into the sand of the beaches as he steps from under the trees canopy. "Hello?"

He can hear her. She is close. And the smell of recent death drifts on the wind, making a small flash of odd curiosity flash across his features before disappearing. He looks to the left, slowly turning that way as he follows the sound and smell, hooves carrying him slowly through the sand. It is then he finally finds her, his tall body towering over the once living fawn and the gently crying mare and his head tilts slightly, before his eye sockets come to life, balls of blue green and purple flame swirling into view and creating a set of eyes.

He can see them now. In flame and smoke and for a moment he is quiet. "Come child. Stand up. We must do what is right for her and we can't do that with you still against her." his voice is deep but calm, encouraging her. He knows what it is like to see life and death. The smallest were always the most delicate and hardest to watch go.

demian.

He watches her, through the flame and smoke, her body licked by flame as he stands there quietly, listening to her words of sadness. It is a good question, for those who have not experienced death the way he had in his long life and with a small roll of the shoulders he answered her, his voice deep and quiet. "You can give them a proper goodbye and a decent burial." He sees her head turn and he knows she is looking at him though he can't see her eyes directly. The feeling of someone observing passing through the short space between them.

He stands in front of the mare and fawn, silently as the raven's in the distance sound their calls and the soft sounds of gentle waves lapping against the beach fill the air. The soft warmth of summer could be felt against his back and for a moment he focused on that feeling, remembering how much he had always loved the blue skies decorated with puffy white clouds while the sun shone brightly on a mid summer day. Had he been able to, he would of closed his eyes in that moment and his body would of trembled slightly as the soft breeze wrapped around his muscular form, but that was something of the past. Something he'd probably never find himself doing again.

Sometimes memories were better left in the past, rather than focused on and worked on to try and be recreated. It was her soft voice that pulls him back to reality slowly. And with a tilt of the head he considers her words for a moment before nodding slightly. "Ah child, but she wasn't alone. A fawn's mother is never far. Just because they are not where you can sense or see, doesn't mean they are not there." The smallest of smiles tilts at the corners of his lips in a form of reassurance to the young mare and taking a step back the jaguar painted stallion gives the mare room to stand. "Come now child, stand so we may give her a good send off."

Unlike the mare that was so new to this world, and the valley itself Demian had never been one to be concerned about whether he would be alone in death or even concerned in the least about death at all. He had come to terms with his immortality long ago and like most who carried what was both a gift and burden he mostly feared watching his loved ones die over and over as the years passed by. Death to him was a blessing and he always considered those who died young were always given a second chance in forms of reincarnation. If anything the next fawn that was born could be the same one that had passed into the afterlife this very day. One could never know for sure.

All the valley king knew that even though death was so hard to face for most, it was never degrading and there was always something so truly natural about it. Death always gave back to the world in so many ways and the world always did the same for the life once lived, even if in the smallest of manners.

No, death was never meant to be feared.

Death was simply meant to be the means to a new beginning.

demian.

He could almost instantly sense the change that takes place within her when he mentions the fawn’s mother. It Her emotions are mixed, making a sense of confusion run through him. At first she seems as though she is being protective. Then suddenly the younger girl is saddened, her internal struggle clear as day even to someone like him who couldn’t exactly see her in all entirety. He stands there quietly, patiently waiting for her to work up the courage to step away and when she does he steps back further, encouraging her to follow.

It wasn’t every day that one got to witness mother nature’s course. But to witness it was to be given a gift and of course a lesson on just how fragile life could be. It was a simple reminder to never take one’s life for granted, for so quickly the world could strip you of your soul, pulling you to into the afterlife to make room up top for another. It wasn’t always fair, but it was just how things worked and there was just something so natural about it that the reasoning couldn’t be explained.

If you were to ever ask the Jaguar king why he thought the world took certain souls, even children. He’d probably tell you that it was simply the way it was meant to be. He believed that souls were brought too early into the world, in order to effect another’s life in great ways. To teach them lessons, and when those lessons were done and taught the God’s stripped the soul that was sent back to the afterlife to wait for its next moments to return to the top.

To him it made sense. To others it was nonsense. But ah, isn’t that the beauty of the world? How we can all view things differently? How interesting would it be if we all saw it the same way? One large cult spreading across an entire planet. It seemed quite ridiculous in fact and was highly unlikely. There would always be that one mind that would question them all. That would wonder why they all had to think the same, or even simply just did.

“Kalipso, It’s nice to meet you,” He steps aside, turning slightly towards her so that she can see his face. “I’m Demian, the King of this Kingdom.” A small smile tugs at the corners of his lips before turning back towards the fawn. He waits a moment, his lips turning down in a thoughtful frown before tilting his head slightly. “Now Kalipso, I’m about to do something, but I don’t want you to panic. Just trust me.” He turns his head back to her for a moment before facing forward once more.

Sighing softly, he concentrates on the fire within him, the flames building and rolling within his veins. It spreads quickly, the warmth traveling up his legs and into his shoulders. The moment the fire within reaches the ends of his wings the wings burst into flame changing into the form of blue, purple and green flames and silently he steps towards the fawn. The space that surrounds them is lit in the eerie glow of the cosmic fire and for a moment he stands over the fawn before lowering a wing and gently brushing it across the fawn’s forehead all the way to its hind end slowly.

It takes a few moments, but they seem like minutes and at first the fawn is whole and preserved but then quickly it begins to turn to ash, it’s body disappearing with the wind. “I shall see you again soon little one.” His words are almost silent as he says a soft goodbye before allowing the fire to pull back within him, his wings whole and feathered once more. Slowly he turns back to Kalipso. “She is at peace.” He stands there for a while, allowing them to both take in the silence and listen to the surrounding creatures of the forest as they begin to chatter their approval.

It is her next statement that surprises him though. It wasn't something he was expecting and with a soft chuckle, he rolls his shoulders in a soft shrug. "You didn't bother me. I've just never heard anyone sing here and it grabbed my attention. Well... First the crying, then the singing honestly." His smile is slightly awkward as it tugs at the corners of his lips a bit more. "Sing as loud as you want, whenever you want Kalipso. This kingdom could use a bit of a tune every now and then."

Demian