Mist [Taboo] [Done]

[Stormy May]

Mist lumbered along the cool gray stones paving the way up the mountain. Autumn was settling in, from the falling rainbows of crisp leaves to the calm air. If she was asked to pick a season, autumn would have to be her choice. It seemed to be the only time when the world was still and all creatures lived in peace. Her reason for the mountain trek was that of many others; seeking the Power of the mountain.

She felt a need to have purpose. She didn't want to feel weak or useless. She'd felt so helpless begging Piala for shelter, and surely her brothers would be ashamed to call a weakling like her their bloodline. Her reason, her true reason, was independence, for the strong did not rely on others for their every need, and that strength was one Mist rarely knew of.

Dry leaves of all shades of brown crunched beneath her lightly treading paws as she approached the Caves, and it was not difficult to tell one from the other. Taboo, the White Wolf of the good, was in a very kempt cave that radiated warm welcome. Mist approached the entrance, dipping her head a bit lower in respect.

"E-excuse..." Mist cleared her throat, trying to seem unafraid, just once. "Excuse me, M-Miss Taboo?" She called in a lightly quivering voice. What would Taboo think of a small thing such as herself?

[Pride]

Taboo's cave was an ecosystem all its own.

The multicolored crystals danced with the rising sun, dapples of light shattered over the smooth walls. Below, on the ground, an innumerable amount of plants grew— from thick, plush carpets of green moss to delicate flowers of nearly every shape and color. The scent was sweet and sharp with the cool air of autumn, perfuming the air with exotic fragrances. Taboo sat among these flowers, delicately harvesting the petals of what seemed to be a translucent rose. Each petal was as gossamer as a butterfly's wing, holding only the ghost of pink hue against the pale fur of her paws.

Ever so gently, she placed it among a pile of other ingredients, settling back on her haunches to prepare a new potion. The process was surprisingly organic for a being that could have likely wished the potions into existence, but she had always preferred it this way. Each part was carefully proportioned and mixed, some of them having taken days to age. Something about the process soothed her and made her feel closer to this world, which was a rare feeling when it was once so easy to slide into the incorporeal world. She worked tirelessly, grinding together ingredients and steeping leaves, their strange and heady scents cutting through the usually floral essence of her home. When Taboo was finished they were all gently poured into an empty flask, the potion sparking to life like a dying star in the night sky. The liquid changed from an opaque green to a startlingly luminescent cyan. Satisfied, she placed it with her others.

"Excuse me, M-Miss Taboo?"

She raised her head, turning away from her assortment of potions to find a new she wolf at the mouth of her cavern. Her stance was meek, but she put on a valiant attempt at bravery. Taboo ducked her head, padding forward with all the silence of fog.

Voice dulcet, she greeted the wolf. "Hello, Mist-" she did not need to ask her name, for she knew all of the wolves below from the moment they stepped into the valley- "what do you seek?"

[Stormy May]

Mist was quite shocked at Taboo mentioning her name before she could recite it herself. Even though she knew as well as any other wolf that the White Wolves in their divinity could do almost anything, but it was still a startling experience.

She took a moment to breathe in the lush greenery around her that should've been hibernating in the cold. It was calming; it made her voice just the slightest bit steadier. She focused on why she was here- to grow out of being a weakling. She wanted to be an asset to her pack and brothers, not a burden. "I come and a-ask that you might grant upon m-me the Power of c-c-current."

Though she knew Taboo was of a kind, wise heart, it was terrifying standing before her in all her might. Perhaps it was knowing that she had the power to crush an entire population, should she so choose. Mist couldn't imagine standing before Geist to recieve a Power.

[Pride]

She lowered her head gracefully as she took in the wolf's request, a soft breeze buffeting her fur. Current was a power often requested of her, and she had always enjoyed giving it. It was rarely a power that was used for offensive purposes, favoring instead a distinctly defensive tone. It was no great secret among the wolves of the valley that Taboo preferred giving out powers that allowed a wolf to protect themselves more than it did a wolf to rampantly bring harm to others, not that anyone benevolent enough to earn a power from her would ever do such a thing. Harm was more of Geist's area of expertise, and even Sheba was more likely to bestow it on one of her followers than Taboo would have been.

Taboo rounded, returning to the vibrant colors of her cavern. Flasks protruded at odd angles from the cave walls, growing like one of her crystals might. She knew well enough that they were infinitely fragile, able to break at the slightest strain. Though of course, within her own home, they would yield to her touch. Reaching out she broke one off with her teeth, gripping it delicately. The fluid within did not move, seeming to defy gravity within its bottle. It was pale lavender, and had the unmistakably spicy scent of autumn. Slowly, she brought it before Mist and placed it on the ground, stepping back.

"This is the power you seek. Use it kindly, to help your fellow denizens of the valley, and never to harm them unless absolutely necessary," her voice was soft, but solemn.

[Stormy May]

She watched an awe as the shewolf plucked a flask off the wall of the cave, her white coat seeming to shimmer in the semidarkness. Then she offered the flask to her with a look of something Mist couldn't quite place- something that could almost be described as trust.

Mist looked at the bubbly flower-colored potion swimming around inside the container. This was the power, soon to be her power, Current. Mist perked her ears towards Taboo as she gave her rules of the Power, ones that she could easily follow.

"I promise," she said, her voice nearing a whisper, like if she spoke to loudly, the flask would shatter. She gripped the neck of the open potion with her teeth amd tilted her head back carefully, the bittersweet taste coating her tongue. She shivered at the unexpected taste. After a moment, she let out a small hiccup, then another, and another.

Mist looked at Taboo full of embarrassment, her face filling with heat right to the tips of hear ears.

"Th-thank- hic- you!" She stammered, a small grin spreading across her face at the silly side effect. She felt a little dizzy and light, but giggly and happy all at once.

[Pride]

Taboo had always found something oddly pleasing about watching a wolf gain powers for the first time. Although the event might have been different for her siblings, to her it had always felt as thought she were fulfilling some sacred purpose, one that would allow goodness to resist some of the temptations of evil, which grew so rampantly in the valley below. Powers, she felt, were meant to protect and help, not to harm and hinder. Of course, there were those who would abuse their powers for personal gain, but wolves like that could rarely be found in those of her calling. She hoped that this young she-wolf, too, would use her powers out of kindness.

She watched as Mist drank the potion from its flask, the ghost of a smile flickering over her face. The reaction different individuals had to gaining powers was never a tedious thing to watch. Be it nervousness, excitement, or determination, they always seemed to be driven to the extreme of whatever emotion they were feeling for but a moment after drinking.

"You are welcome. Be wary, for light has enemies below, but no wolf— light or dark— deserves to be subjected to wanton cruelty. Your power is meant to be a tool and a shield, but not a weapon. Be wise, and perhaps it will lead you further yet." Her pale gaze searched the eyes of the other wolf, piercing down into her soul. "I wish you luck in your endeavors."

[Stormy May]

"Thank you so much, Miss Taboo!" Mist said, starting to turn around, but she remembered herself and bowed her head in final respect to the wolf.

She trotted down the mountainside, wondering what her brothers would think of her now, then cast it out of her mind. She needed to focus on returning to Eternal Snowfall, and perhaps show Piala her newly gained power. She'd be so proud! Mist needed to talk to Piala about being assigned a job now that she was back on her feet; she had intention of paying back Piala's kindness tenfold, for it was more than Mist could have ever wished.

-exit Mist-