Rose Blumen ~ Exogignesthai

(Rose)

The outskirts of the valleys are eerie. There’s very little wind, so the silence is disturbed only by our footsteps.

The shredded mountains ahead, like sculptures of thin or random orange peels, are never getting closer. They’re immense.

As the days go, we can see how the sunlight is diffused into the air surrounding the area, and how the turquoise grass grows along.

We saw a family of rose lizards in the distance, beyond a large cliff. The further down from the mountain we go, the more the geology becomes unusual.

And the further inside the heavy air we go, the more everything feels and look surreal.

The heavy air, the ether of a sort here, has more than one effects. It gives this feeling that we’re in some sort of water and we’re floating a little.

You can see it in our hair mostly, that even gravity around here is a tad different around here. Hair flows a little more easily as you move.

This air surely helps the hollowed mountains to stand and the sunlight to spread as well. It also slows to spread as well. It also slows the winds and therefore muffles the usual sounds it would otherwise carry.

R – The good thing is, it’s still breathable.

Blume inside of me can see things I cannot. I don’t want to bother changing my eyes again, since I don’t need to and can rely on her.

R – What do you see?

B – Not much around us. It’s peaceful. I’m still curious about the largest structure though.

The one construct that bonds the skeletal mountains together like an anarchic ribcage over the valleys ahead. If the valley was a miniature, it’s the sculpture you would get by melting bits of barbwires that has been put into random knots here and there, and thrown over, and then melted of sculpted and polished here and there again.

From below, it looks impressive but hard to describe as there is no obvious underlying structure.

Mountains, trees anything alive really, and geology, they have structures and patterns. Here, nothing of the sort is discernible, making it hard to put into words.

Curved peaks like claws are hundreds of metres tall, and followed after gaps by the twisted ribcage beyond, that spreads and twirls at times.

Following the right arches, and sometimes building bridges or ladder, you could go across most of the hollow valleys, without walking onto the ground.

Some bridges and ladders would be challenging, but still.

That anarchic skeleton of mountain stretches many peaks into the sky.

That may be the only discernible pattern. Needles without curves are rare and essentially on the top of the arches and branches.

Carpets of grass and woods grow in every direction along those lines high in altitude.

I suddenly get an idea.

As I look into the starry sky now, where the high valleys still gleam a little in the clouds gathering around them. The obvious one probably, but I like having an idea.

R – We should reach the top, and go further by flying or gliding.

Oddly enough, their first reaction is rather meek. I know Blume is not found of it unless it’s really necessary, but Nightmare? I’m surprised she thinks about it instead of showing enthusiasm.

R – Sis’?

N – Should I craft a new bird to carry us around then?

R – We can do just wings for ourselves I think. Do you remember how to, Blume?

B – That shouldn’t be too difficult for her.

N – We’ll need to gather some blood and soil then.

R – Do you like the idea, Night?

N – Hm.

Nightmare flicks my forehead, sending a flash of vertigo directly unto me. For a second, I felt like falling from a plane.

When I’m back on my feet, I see her smiling.

She still has a tooth for her old tricks. Wicked sister Night...

~

We look for a source of water around which to camp for a short while.

While one will extract her nutrients from the ground and the air, and the other from the flesh she will hunt and consume. After another day of research, we find a stream aside the young jungle. We settle there.

Nightmare, always barefoot, goes for a run in the wild. She’ll see if there is game around I bet.

B – How do you prefer to do it?

R – Hm. I don’t mind sleeping for a few days, but I wouldn’t care to carry wings afterward.

B – Time to split then. This will be easier if I carry them.

I can feel her roots that run along all of my inner organs slithering around. It’s like a swarm of snakes moving inside your chest and tummy. If I didn’t know what it was, that ticklish sensation would just be terrifying.

I let her move my body as she pleases, arching my back or tummy oddly at times. She’s entangled to everything so it takes some work for us to separate.

Grotesque ribbons of flesh sprout out of my chest and back. She’s pulling out what she can. It will take a while longer after this, to properly cut all the shared blood vessels and even nerves and muscles. It’s like a million umbilical cords keeping us in symbiosis.

Her growth, pulling out, this leaves hollow spots in my flesh, making me too skinny for my own good. Well, I’m sure they’ll feed me well.

~

As I was falling asleep, the large growth Blume was becoming still slowly on her way out, Nightmare returned. She was covered with scratches and cuts. Nothing deep, but she obviously met something quite fearsome. I can’t quite stand up to greet her return unfortunately right now. I’m entangled.

R – What happened to you?

I still raise my arms to her. Though I doubt she’ll come to hug me. That’s not really her style.

Nightmare sighs. She tells me about it. She was running after a chubby rose lizard, which jumped into a cave. She didn’t think this through and followed. The next thing she knew, a dozen or more of them were jumping on her.

She just grabbed one, and managed to run away. When I mean grab... She pulled out that thing that probably weighs a horse, out of the cave. So she still got what she wanted, but suffered an unexpected defeat as well, as a huntress or predator. She’s not feeling great because of it.

I repeat my invitation. Let sis’ comfort you my big girl.

~