The Elysian Field's Forgotten Records
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The Elysian Field's Forgotten Records
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Posted 2023-10-29 21:33:57 (edited)
Gen 1 Uranus    CyclopesHecatonchires Aphrodite  OceanusCoeus Crius Hyperion Iapetus Kronos Theia Rhea Themis Mnemosyne Pheobe Tethys Uranus was abandoned by his pack as an adolescent, and came close to death many times following. The raven that called itself Blueberry adopted him in a way, flying above him to help scout for prey and danger. In return, Uranus would feed him. Blueberry was a strange bird, always muttering about nonsense. His feathers and eyes had a slight blue glow to them in the dark that Uranus had never seen before. But he enjoyed the company and the help, and for a while it was just the two of them. Then Uranus found Gaea, weak, injured and alone. And he had yet again collected another helper. They caught more prey together, won more fights together, and stayed warm together. He even started to like the girl. She had a bad habit of bringing in extras, however, and it annoyed the hell out of him. Injured animals, lonely pups. Whatever it was, she wanted to help it. Sometimes, they picked up a good hunter, or a strong fighter, growing their pack and making themselves stronger. But there was always the dead weight Gaea insisted on carrying. Arguing with her was impossible, so he let her have her way and just found ways to make them as useful as possible. Then their pups came, making Gaea overjoyed. To Uranus, they were loud and demanding and entitled, so he left them to Gaea and the pack pupsitters until they were old enough to teach He tried to make them the best they could be, even if Gaea said he was too hard on them. "They have it easy," he'd tell her. "Look at what we had to go through to get here. And they just get it all handed to them? I don't think so." Kronos, the youngest, was the most spoiled. He'd never experienced a hungry winter, never lost anything or worked for anything. He scorned his father, choosing not to exercise his natural gift for hunting and instead idling his days away. He would saunter off the explore with his mother or play with the pack pups, scaring them with stories of fighting terrifying foes. When he grew older, he would gossip to the other pack members about Uranus. "He doesn't care about any of us beyond how useful we can be," he would say. "It's time some one stood up to him." Finally, Uranus grew tired of these lies, and asked Kronos toeet him at the center of the pack territory. He bristled as he stared down his son, the scattering of surrounding wolves stopping to watch as Uranus spoke. "Your mother and I worked ourselves to the bone for the things you were born into. You have done nothing to earn your place in this pack, you have nothing but disrespect for me. So go! I don't want to ever see your face again." Kronos stared right back, standing tall. "The tell your people to run me off, Father." Uranus laughed. "Alright. Nyx, Erebus, take this traitor away from the pack." The two wolves in question shared a glance, and stood in place. "Go on," Uranus said stiffly. "Get on with it." "I don't think you've realized how much you've worn off your welcome, Father. But I'll leave you alone, if you leave me alone. Why don't we forget about this whole thing before Mother gets back?" Uranus stiffened. "Oh, you will all regret this. If they won't get the job done, I will," he spat. "I'll warn you once, boy. Leave now, without another word. I've been through to much to back down at empty threats from a fool. Or from anyone." Uranus glared and the bystanders before ge stepped towards Kronos. Nyx and Erebus blocked him immediately, growling. Kronos laughed as Uranus blanched. "It's enough to disobey my orders, but to challenge me? Are you both mad?" "Your son is right," Nyx spoke, his voice deep and steady. "You have never been liked, Uranus. Respected, maybe. Although that may be wearing off as well." Eurybia, the Herbalist, spoke from the crowd surrounding them. "Let's leave this be. Both of you, walk away." "This is not right," Uranus said, and looked around at the crowd before his eyes flitted up to a branch. Blueberry sat perched there, watching. "What about you?" He implored. "I've always protected you. Why won't you help me?" Blueberry shifted on his perch. "You liked me because I made fire. Then because I helped hunting. Not because I am Blueberry." Uranus scoffed "I've taken care of you all, and you let this fool poison you against me? I won't stand for this." "No," Kronos replied. "We won't stand for this. You've brought nothing but misery to this pack, and to my mother, even is she's too blind to see that. Please just go." "I won't slink away like a coward." Uranus snarled and lunged for Kronos's throat. That day, Uranus escaped death by a hair's width for the second time. Eurybia stepped in while his son locked his jaws around his father's neck. "Enough!" She called. "Let him go." She locked eyes with Uranus as he was released and stood slowly. "Go on. You're no longer welcome here," Kronos snarled. "If I see your face again I won't be so merciful." Uranus glared at the faces around him. Seeing only cold, unwavering stares, he nodded and turned, starting to walk away. "I did a lot for this pack." He paused in his tracks for a moment. "I may not be perfect, but don't forget that. Don't forget everything I did." He didn't speak for a long moment, and then: "Tell Gaea I was killed hunting. Don't let her know I slunk away like a coward." Then he began walking again, disappearing into the woods. |
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Posted 2023-10-29 21:35:14 (edited)
Gen 1Gaea  Uranus: Oceanus Coeus Crius Hyperion Iapetus Kronos Theia Rhea Themis Mnemosyne Pheobe Tethys Pontus: Nereus Thaumas Phorcys Ceto Eurybia Gaea was accidentally erased from the record by the slip of a finger. Goddammit. Gaea trudged slowly through the heavy snow, barely able to feel her paws. Frost coated her fur, and her right leg was caked with frozen blood from an earlier fight. Snow swirled around and the wind howled, so she walked blindly, praying to stumble upon an empty cave. For a moment she lay down in the snow, trying to catch her breath. Her eyes slid closed and she felt a warmth wash over her, as if the raging blizzard had been suddenly replaced with a balmy summer's day. A little voice in the back of her head told her she was going to die if she didn't get up, that she would slip away and never come back. But she was too far gone that she couldn't have moved if she wanted to. Instead, she fell into dreams. The bulky, dark gray pack leader stood in front of Gaea, baring his teeth as he stared her down. Gaea looked at her mother pleadingly, but she just looked to the ground and turned away. "We don't have enough food to last us all through the winter," he snarled. "You have to go. Try to find a place before the cold comes." Then the cold was back, the deafening wind and the blinding snowfall. Gaea jerked herself up in an instant, taking a step forward. The storm quieted a bit for a moment, clearing up just enough that Gaea could see a glimmer of orange in the distance. A bolt of energy shot through her and she stumbled through the snow as quickly as she could, no longer feeling the freezing temperatures or the pain in her injured leg. The light grew larger until the storm picked up once more, obscuring the glow. Still, Gaea went on, trying to keep her direction. After a few minutes, she stumbled into a cave, the dark of the storm replaced by warm firelight and the cold wind with stillness. For a moment, Gaea panicked at the sight of fire, but she soon realized it was contained by a ring of stones. She looked up to see a large wolf rising to his feet, the hair on his back standing up as he growled deeply. She noticed a large raven standing on his back, its feet gripping his thick fur to hold on. "I don't want trouble." Gaea backed up a bit. "I-I just need a place to stay the night." The stranger's eyes were a deep red and they narrowed. "I'm not looking for friends," he snarled, stepping forward. The raven flapped from his back to stand in front of him. "Take down big prey with friend," he said, hopping towards Gaea. "Can defend from enemies better with friend. More food. More safe. Two wolves is better than one." The wolf huffed, but his fur relaxed. "If you eat more than you hunt you go," he said. He waved his head towards a spot next to the fire. "You can stay as long as you're useful." Gaea laid down where he had gestured. "My name is Gaea," she said, watching the stranger settle down where he had been laying before. "Uranus." "How'd you get the fire to sit still?" she asked. The raven cuddled down next to Uranus. "I made it," he said. "Saw humans do it. Learned. Made a fence of rocks for it." He buried his head into his feathers to sleep, abruptly ending his explanation. "That's Blueberry," Uranus whispered. "Now go to sleep. You have a lot of work to do to earn your keep in the morning." Gaea nodded and huddled closer to the fire, still shivering, it took her a while to feel warm enough to sleep. Once she did, she slept soundly, only waking briefly in the night when she heard Blueberry's talons clicking across the cave floor and then felt him nestle into her fur with a coo. Gaea was the leader and founder of the Elysian Fields pack. She was abandoned by her pack, nearly leading to her death if not for luck. It became her mission to help other young wolves find a home and a place without having to go through what she did. For a long time, her pack was a haven for homeless and struggling wolves. Some would find another pack suited to them with Gaea's help while others would stay, becoming pupsitters, hunters, scouts, herbalists, or teachers to keep up the pack. She even rescued animals, leaving them to the expertise of the Herbalist, Eurybia, to heal. One such animal was a jay that she found with an injured leg one cold night she was out exploring. The jay stayed by her side for the rest of her days, flying above Gaea on her excursions to scout ahead. After her death, the jay took to Athena's side and helped her as well. But the Elysian Fields wasn't the utopian paradise many thought. Uranus, who saved Gaea's life, never saw anyone beyond what they could give to him. He was abusive to both her and the other pack members, did little to help the pack, and drove away those who spoke up against him. Gaea, feeling she owed him her life, could never find the strength to chase him away. They became mates early on and had a number of children together. As the pups and other pack members grew, they became bitter towards Uranus. His youngest son, Kronos, united his siblings and packmates to drive off Uranus. With him gone, Gaea found true love in her mate, Pontus, who shared her compassion and desire for a better future. The two were rarely seen apart and had number of pups, which Pontus devoted his life to. Gaea turned over control of the pack to Kronos, who managed hunting, guarding, and scouting, while she focused on her family and her mission. Kronos wasn't angry or cruel like his father. But his desire for control and power above all else painted a similar legacy of neglect, control, and selfishness. Gaea recognized this and did her best to mediate, keeping him reasonable for a few years. However, he only grew worse by the day. So Gaea appointed Ophion, one of the first members of the pack, as her right hand. He was a calm and compassionate soul that encompassed all of the ideals Gaea strive for. It was shortly after his appointment that he passed suddenly and unexpectedly, just a day after Pontus. With her mate and one of her closest companions dead, Gaea secluded herself, turning all control over to Kronos. Zeus, the youngest son of Kronos, exposed Pontus's and Ophion's deaths as his father's plot to take over the pack. Without proof, some stood by Kronos while other sided with Zeus. Themis, an older and more trusted member of the pack, helped win supporters for Zeus. The two were mates during the time, but in the conflict to follow they would split. Kronos managed to chases off some of his strongest critics, but war was inevitable. Then came the Elysian Field's dark age. No new pack members were accepted and some went into hiding. This lasted for a couple of years, a cold political war threatening to turn bloody. The pack split into two sides, one controlled by Zeus and the other by Kronos. One cold night, while rained poured down, Zeus lead a group of wolves into Kronos's territory and began an attack. Many wolves were injured, but there was only one casualty. Kronos was killed by Zeus an hour into the battle, ending the war. Zeus reunited the split pack, taking some of Kronos's strongest supporters prisoner. Gray speckled Gaea's muzzle and her eyes were clouded as she looked up at Zeus. The warm smile and playful glint that once danced across her eyes was long gone. "You're just like your father, and his before him," her voice was hoarse and weak. "You'll never lead this pack, Zeus. I've made the same mistake too many times to make it again." Zeus looked down at her coldly, his posture rigid. "I saved this pack, grandmother. Athena is strong but young, smart but naive." Gaea shifted, curling her bony legs up to her body. "I was naive when IĀ started this pack. To my detriment, I'll admit it. But Athena is not so naive as to make the mistakes I did. I love you, Zeus, I wish this was right for you. But you're not strong in the way you must be. This pack needs you, you will do well as head hunter. But to run a whole pack, it is not your calling. You and I both know I'm dying, so let me go in peace. Let me at least believe you will do right." "You deserve that much," Zeus replied after a moment. He turned from her and walked out of the cave and into the sunny day outside. A few hours later, the pack herbalist, Eurybia, would call the pack to bid their goodbyes. One by one they came into her den and thanked her, covering her in the fresh spring flowers that had begun to spring up from under the snow. Athena came last, carefully placing a yellow daffodil on Gaea's fur. She looked into the wolf's vacant eyes. Eurybia, who had stood silently watching as everyone visited Gaea, spoke for the first time in hours; "I think she saved my life," she said, her voice thick. "So many told her the very same." Athena turned to her. "I want to be that for them. I want to be that... That good." Eurybia smiled "She chose you for a reason. Because she knew you would." |
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