C Saint of the Valley

[Koi]

It was a rather cold morning when he, Luca, stirred from his sleep. The past few mornings had been cold, really, signifying the creeping embrace of winter. It might bring with it ice and snow, but his home would remain hospitable and safe as far as he was concerned. Typically hidden away from predators and the strange beasts, the ones which dripped with that odd darkness.

The thing he'd learned to... Heal, he supposed he would call it.

He opened his eyes slowly, reluctantly slipping out from the fur blanket he'd made for himself. It was made from a wild grizzly bear's pelt. Of course, he'd not killed the bear. Rather, he'd found the corpse. Perhaps a sickly beast that died from its ailments, or... Instead, attacked by a creature who knew no better than to poach and leave the remains.

He couldn't be entirely sure.

Regardless, he set the fur blanket aside, eyes adjusting to the dim light of the home he'd found. It was something he'd been living in for quite some time now. A home hidden away within this luscious valley. A paradise he had all to himself, sharing only with the animals that inhabited this wild sanctuary. He had no family to speak of anymore, having lived here for as long as he could remember. It was almost lonely, but it wasn't something he intended on complaining about. As if he had anyone to complain to, he supposed.

With a low sigh, he moved to leave the decrepit building. Slipping on a wolf's pelt and thicker fur boots. Gloves accompanied and finally a woolen scarf was thrown around his neck... Just something to keep him warm out there. Looking around, he fetched his weapons as well. A bow and a few arrows. Next, a poorly cobbled together spear. He didn't think himself much of a warrior, but he managed to feed himself and that was all that counted here.

Around this time, when it started getting cold, food started to get a bit scarce. Meat was usually the only option as opposed to the abundant fruits and vegetables that grew in this area. There was nothing to harvest during the winter. As he exited the once abandoned structure. The cabin had fallen on hard times and he'd only been able to do so much to patch it up. He squinted his eyes a bit as he did finally emerge past the door frame, stepping out into the low, dim light of the sun. It was very early in the morning of course. The shelter he'd built sat beside a wide, lazy river. The water had bits of frost clinging to its tops. He walked alongside it, following its flow. There was a small lake downstream. Typically, he was able to slip into its depths and swim during the hotter summer months, but as it was cold, that would be an awful idea.

It was good for fishing all year round if nothing else. 

His first line of thought was that there would be something down by the water. An animal that he could catch for dinner later on. If not, he would keep moving. Simple as that. 

[SilentFeather]

Upon the presence of first dawn's approaching light a young man known as Ke'anu was disturbed from beneath the depths of his dreamless slumber by the second presence of his massive, canine, pelted companion Trigger the Cane Corso. Trigger may have been bulky and intimidating when it came to size but to be honest, to his owner he was a big teddy bear with an even bigger heart. Fortunately, he was found by Pyro wandering the streets when he was just an innocent puppy and together they had went through so much after the world had went on a brink of such a harsh collapse. Once there was a smile on his face that tugged at the sides of his lips but as for now it never showed.

Not ever again.  It was dead .. dead like his innocent infant daughter and his husband who perished while struggling to protect the two of them from the sparrows.

He wanted more than anything to grant his daughter's deceased body some well deserved rest. He also wanted to do the very same with Brandon. Pyro was able to control fire and he was called "Cremator" and  could protect himself but he was unable to protect his beloved family because of there being too many sparrows (the sparrows are canine like, having long heads and lean bodies. They had six red eyes on the sides of their heads, six arms, and wore natural red armor over their bodies.)

"Ugh .. alright .. alright Trigger. I'm up .. I'm up." Pyro said with a uncertain mumble, his voice holding hints of what was leftover drowsiness within it's depths. He stirred from being still after a long night of relaxing slumber's sweet embrace. When he had noticed that dawn was now on the brink of the horizon he had quickly arose from his cot, getting all that he needed for the long trek up North to a land called the "Dragon's teeth" where he could restock on a few items.

Those such items would be such as cans of food, tools like hammers, axes, guns and swords that could be used as weapons when the time arose and such things were needed. To be honest a person could not be too careful. He leaned over, gathering up his fur jacket that was generously given to him by his beloved Brandon, his reason for living and existing. Sometimes he wanted to lay down and pass away but something told him that he needed to march on, that he needed to trek to somewhere he could lay his head and that such place was named the "Final frontier" or "Paradise".

He held the only thing left close to his heart, that something was in the form of a tiny box which was in the form of a heart. He was to bury the ashes in "Paradise" where it was told that grass and bright sunlight were at. He was brought from his thoughts as his hand was gently licked upon by Trigger's damp tongue. He retrieved his owner's jacket and stood nearby as he saw him zip up his jacket and had also had on furs that would help trap heat and keep the harsh chill of December out where it damn well belonged.

"Come on Trigger, lets go." He said, leaving the cave that he was able to lay down for one night in. His companion followed alongside him with a bark.

[Koi]

As he'd come to expect it, the treeline ahead of him started to thin, parting for the lake. A small clearing stretched out ahead of him, the water kissed gently at the banks. He paused briefly at the mouth of the forest, gazing down at the lakeside. He squinted a bit, scanning the other side of the banks and trying to determine whether or not something was there. He stood still, remaining hidden behind a tree for the most part and would, soon, come to the decision that there wasn't anything on the other side.

No movement. No noise. Nothing.

Letting out a soft breath, he turned and continued on his way. Trekking down through the field slowly, bow gripped tensely in his hands and at the ready. His observant eyes kept a look out across his surroundings. The further he went, the more worried he got... The silence was deafening. Unnatural and unexpected.

The forest was eerily quiet this morning. Usually, one might be greeted to the soothing sound of birdsong. But aside from the trickle of the nearby river and the creak of the old house as the wind whistled through its hollow, ancient insides... There was nothing.

Luca paused on a hill, hoping to get a survey of the land below. It was high up and often a rough trip up and down, but he'd become used to it. It let him see a reasonable distance out and across the valley. Perhaps not all the way, but he was simply curious about what it was that had the woods so quiet. He squinted his eyes once more, hand raising up and over his brow in his observance of the rolling fields below.

The grass rippled as the wind swept through it and the trees swayed stiffly from its touch. And of course, there was still nothing in sight. Nothing out of the ordinary at least. An eerie feeling had managed to touch him as he focused ahead. It was as though he heard something nearby. The crunch of a branch and he froze briefly at it. He was swift in spinning around to, perhaps, greet his supposed attacker and... There was nothing there.

He grimaced, lip curling up slightly. It seemed he was letting his nerves get the better of him. The search for food would continue. Hopefully in peace, but he would remain alert. It wasn't normal for the valley to be this quiet after all.

[SilentFeather]

From the depths of the cold, moist cave Pyro and his trusty canine companion emerged and left, both following the path of a massive tree populated tree line. The two lifeforms of what was left of Earth's wasteland found little to no amount of what was once abundant prey, worthwhile plants and fruits but now that that the water was tainted the two males had to be very careful as to what they would be able to consume or where they would lay their heads down at. Living aand surviving was about being ahead of the carnivores two steps at a time.

The sparrows would be able to gnaw on them if they were not careful and as such they would spread the virus further so the thing that they needed to do was keep moving toward the hope that paradise would be over a hill or past a group of trees. Pyro sat down behind a thickly, rough as sand paper trunked tree. He reached at his hip and took out a canteen, unscrewing it and taking an eager swig of it and gave Trigger some of it as well to keep hydrated and healthy instead of sickly.

The sun was up high in the skies above, causing Pyro to move one of his hands above his eyes to block out the blinding beams. Getting up to his feet he sighed for a minute or so, noticing the forest that seemed to look like the mouth of the unknown forest. The such forest was called "Dragon's teeth" and as such they were at one setting that they needed to be at but "Paradise" seemed to be a long and unknown location away but he would always keep his hope. Once he was at the little clearing he scanned the territory for any sparrows and then made his way to the lake where he kneeled down in front of. He made sure that the water was fresh as he sniffed it intently, not wanting to be sick from tainted liquid or food.

He filled his canteen, being prepared for how thirsty he knew that the both of them would eventually be. He kept his sword out just in case he would be met with some creature of the carnivore variety and breed, knowing that his mind was not playing a series of cruel tricks on him.

He slowly and silently made his way down the towering grass, using his sword to hack through it.  He was not knowing but soon he would be meeting another surviving soul in the form of another man. The such backgrounds changed as he passed through the forest, field, passing the lake by the large stones and then relaxed for a bit as he sat down on a  plentiful moss covered rock for a while and simply petted  the massive head of his beloved Trigger between his ears that he had liked.

As his head was being petted and stroked Trigger laid down beside his owner, placing his massive head contently upon his lap. He was at constant alert and as was his owner as well. He wanted to be able to slumber and put his worries to rest but he could not do that because of the carnivores who wanted to feast upon them.

He had to arrive to "Paradise" to scatter his daughter's ashes at it's seas. He would do that at any means necessary and at any cost.