Rose Blumen ~ Exogignesthai

(Rose)

The heavy air of the valley has the same peculiar effects on the stargazing at night.

Some of them stretch their glow, increasing the cloudy aspect of the milky way.

It’s also moving softly like the surface of a pond’s water.

I could say when you lie down at time like this, that it feels like being at the bottom of the ocean. But truly I know I’m looking at the starry night normally. They are glints through the true infinite ocean.

I dream. I’m not an explorer of old like Drake or Magellan. These are very different times and means. But I’m human, mostly. I enjoy that thrill of opening new doors and going through them.

Blume was right, Eldorado is a dreamlike discovery.

What’s mostly to explore in a world out of which the boundaries and maps are already known, is what unknown things have come to inhabit it since.

I won’t draw maps that were never done before.

But I will encounter new things, and rediscover the ones forgotten through the flow of history. Humanity is as fascinating as the wildest of them all to my eyes.

For the worst, and for the best to be.

I want to see what’s out there.

I want to climb to the unnatural summits of Eldorado.

~

To that end or for the one that will follow, first we should discover the new artworks of my friends and family.

Blume and Nightmare are my family to speak the truth.

I’m sorry father...

But I can think that somewhere in heavens, you would smile when hearing me say that. You would be proud of me.

You are.

Blume didn’t have the time to rebuild for herself an entire human body, and that wasn’t the aim. But a colourless silhouette to help her, that was easy.

The cloudy silhouette, typical shape of a daiûa, with rather short and unruly hair. She made it a dull brown however, instead of the usual all absorbent darkness.

My hand goes right through her like smoke though. She’s like a coloured mist, a ghost.

R – Why did you build that shape?

B – ...

The real body she made emerges from behind, and comes to wrap the frame that stood before me. It’s a mannequin.

The fleshy coat with wings wraps itself over it. It looks like freshly skinned flesh on the inner side.

Mossy elements strap themselves around the shoulders, chest, waist and hips, to hold the new body extensions that are the wings.

A set of thin wings, dark almost black, behind the shoulder blades. And a much larger pair, lower behind the abdomen. It’s an evolution of what she created before. The main wings are large enough to allow gliding and manoeuvring, but aren’t strong enough to allow a human weight to fly off. That’s where the thin ones come to feed and generate fairy dust, as antigravitational pull to spread over the body. Activating the power of these thin wings, we could fly from anywhere.

Blume’s shape wears them for now. The large wings have feathers that are like furry leaves. They’re very soft. Small bulbs are everywhere like nodes along them. Flowers might blossom someday.

R – How do you feel?

Blume stretches herself. Her large green wings brushing the ground and the thin dark ones stretching upward. She’s imposing that way, but smiling behind her hollow face.

Nightmare undressed herself for some reason, while I was chatting with Blume. I know she’s more at ease without clothes sometimes, but I thought she had grown accustomed to clothing decency.

As I wondered about it, she opened her arms in a very unusual fashion. Not for a hug, but the summoning of a different kind of bird to come.

I almost expected a dragon to appear behind her, eclipsing the sunlight for a second. Or a nightmarish bird of the like of these giant things she created.

The shape that comes to her is wide and shining black, covered with corvus feathers. It wraps itself around her like Blume’s wings did.

She copied Blume for the principle of removable wings. It’s unusual for Nightmare, she didn’t create a self-sustained creature, a bird, this time. She created an organic body extension like Blume.

Only one pair of wings, feathery, at least five metres wide in wingspan, and as wide as she’s tall herself almost. They’re huge. This body extension looks heavy as well, for the wings surely are, but also the muscles that connect and wrap themselves around her waist and shoulders.

She’s like a frightening giant crow that partially turned human now.

R – Coming from you, I bet you already could fly right away.

N – I’m strong enough to carry all of us and our luggage.

Ah. That’s Nightmare for you. For biological engineering she’s one step ahead and considerate really. Although no doubt Blume could quickly adapt as well if a need were to arise.

Nightmare wings fold themselves a little oddly, not quite articulated like common bird wings. They’re towering above her head and still brushing the ground behind her as she walks given how long they are even folded. The heavy muscles around her frame also prevent her centre of gravity from shifting too much. Nicely done.

Well... While Blume can be timid in the uses of her powers, Nightmare was never shy of going big.

As for myself... My balance is sailing over new oceans.

I know what’s inside of me and how to use it when necessity comes.

Meaning I’m probably more akin to my Blume than my new sister.

~

For me, the great fun will be when we reach the summit and fly away together.

I could spoil it by using their flight powers right away, but I won’t.

As for them however, two odd birds are now glaring at each other. Of course there is only one sensible thing to do and give them to do.

For them to feel alive.

We chose the targets. Some of the highest hollow peaks close to us, and arches at much different altitudes.

They will race. Let’s see how fast and well can they fly.

Blume is not in the same category as the presumed champion Nightmare.

But I’m not sure of the outcome. Blume is a flower best not to underestimate.

So they soon set themselves at the edge of a cliff. I give them the go ahead.

Softly, Blume goes. Strongly, Nightmare follows.

My four winged demon, and my devilish bird, already pierce the sky next to each other.

They already are naught but distant dots moving fast in the landscape.

Over and along the outer and higher edges of Eldorado, and into the sky.

I’m left alone on Earth, gazing at them. I feel a little bittersweet at the sight of their dance.

This is a pretty sight. Incredibly surreal, but very peaceful as well. Two odd birds racing through the air and skies.

I’m smiling, simply there looking at them.

Once upon a time, two very strange birds raced to the summit of the turquoise lands, somewhere in the Andes...

~