Two Lights Beneath the Constellations

Mirussa was deep in one of her many meditative sessions. She sat in a relaxed state, with her back straight, tail curled around her form and eyes gently closed. Spiritualism was deeply tied into nature- so she had to connect with nature. Understand it. She could feel the cold air of the stubborn winter, but she could also smell the melting snow and dampened soil. The sun beamed through the bare forest canopy and spread a warm dappled light over her body. Being not too far from her village, meant she could still hear the chatter of finley and the laughter of playing youngsters, but she shifted her focus and angled her ears behind her, so that she may listen to the wind whispering through the branches where small green buds were growing. 

There was life all around her, and she was becoming more distinctly aware of it with every passing day. Her dark grey fur felt light with the energy of something she couldn’t yet see. Her brows furrowed slightly as she tried to delve her senses even deeper into her surroundings. She could almost feel something but it was so faint… so far away. Could it be the greenery? The grass and the leaves as they try to burst into colour and life. 

It was at that moment when she heard a guttural snore that snapped her out of her meditation. She glanced down and saw her companion, Sedge, asleep next to her laying splayed out on his back. The unlucky nyulop let out a huff and used her tail to flip the Rockstomper over. He stirred and opened his groggy eyes, glancing around in mild confusion. “I swear I almost had it.” Mirussa pouted. “Why must you sleep so loud?” Though she was a bit disgruntled, there was no real edge in her voice. She could never be upset with her beloved bond. 

Mirussa glanced up into the sky, suddenly more conscious of the sun. It was well past sunrise, but still far from midday. Perhaps if she hurried, it wouldn’t be too late to see Teles. The two had spoken just the other day and agreed to train together again sometime soon. Was today too soon? It wasn’t, right? She pulled her messenger bag closer to her and rummaged through, making sure she had some essentials. Her water pouch, her scrolls of notes, writing charcoal, some dried meat for snacks. Yup, that should do it. 

She put her bag over her shoulder and glanced at Sedge, who was now fully awake and looking at her expectantly. ‘Are you waiting for a spiritual sign or something?’ She could practically hear him saying. She snorted and started to run on all fours. The snow shifted dramatically under her paws, heavy and pliant with water, but she seamlessly adjusted her movements to accommodate for the shifting wet snow. 

The cold was biting slightly into her pads, but she distracted herself by focusing on the way the snow sloshed and splattered with every single step. This was another lesson too wasn’t it? The cold allowed nature a much needed sleep. The snow softened winter and blanketed the forest with a protective layer against the freezing wind. And when the sun became brighter and hotter, it melted that snow into life-giving water. Something to wake up nature and replenish it- readying it for rebirth in a new season. 

Mirussa was closer to the East Village now, and she took in a deep breath of the ocean soaked air, feeling the salty chill reach deep into every strand of fur on her pelt. She leaped into an abrupt stop as she broke past the forest's border trees. She panted- exhilarated. She always loved running through the forest, especially at night, but since learning magic it felt so much more than it did before. 

She began wandering around in the neighbouring village, keeping her eyes out for the tall leporid whom she had become familiar with. After some time had gone by the two nearly collided into one another just as Mirussa was about to step around a building. When a shocked moment passed, the two shared a laugh and exchanged friendly greetings. 

“Are you here for some more training?” Teles asked after a brief moment of idle small talk. 

“I am.” Mirussa said happily. “That is, if now is a good time?”

“In fact, it is a very good time. Shall we find a spot more secluded and quiet?”

“Lead the way.”

The two nyulops settled on a spot near the forest, with large rocks warmed by the sun, and a view overlooking the village and the beach. Looking at the ocean, Mirussa was reminded of the events taking place when she first met Teles, and felt herself compelled to ask, “Were you able to save many of the Heart Bettas?”

“Oh yes. Though, sadly, many passed. Such as it is.” She responded with a sad bow of her head, which Mirussa mirrored as remorse churned inside her like a gust of winter wind. She sighed and nodded solemnly. The two were silent for a moment, when the West Villager remembered something the other had said in their last meeting. 

“What’s this about a vision you had?” 

Teles went on to explain the horrific dream she had, causing Mirussa to shudder. “I’m not so sure I want to believe that was a vision, if it means that such a fate awaits you.”

Teles pondered for a moment, “Well, if it is of the future, oftentimes a vision's outcome can change once seen.” Though her words sounded sure, her expression appeared a little uneasy.

Mirussa let this settle in her mind as she thought it over. That didn’t necessarily mean that all visions of the future always changed. How was Teles not more concerned? More frightened. Or perhaps she thought it was simply a vision to tell her something, rather than some sort of prediction? But how would one even know for sure what sort of vision it was? Or if it was just a dream or nightmare?

“Maybe instead of learning my next tier in Spiritual Magic, I can start to learn about Druid Magic.”

“Oh that’s right!” Teles responded, “You did say you were interested in learning that as well.”

Mirussa nodded a little sheepishly, “Yes. I couldn’t decide between Spiritual and Druid. So I decided I wanted to learn both.”

“Well then, I think it would be best if we waited for the stars to come out. The first step about Druid Magic is understanding the stars.”

“Alright.” Mirssua said, pulling her bag open and offering a piece of dried meat to Teles. “Could you tell me what you have learned so far?”
Teles politely accepted the offering and pulled out her books and notes from her studies into Druid Magic, while Mirussa gave a piece of meat to Sedge to munch on. The two poured over the books and shared their notes, while making more of their own in the little bit of sunlight they had left. Mirussa noticed that starting Druid Magic wasn’t so much different then starting Spiritual Magic in a sense, except now she would have to understand the stars. Learning the magic seemed similar… but as Mirussa looked up at a few of the stars shining faintly in the fading sunlight she felt in awe and worry. They were so far away. There must be something deep and powerful in connecting with something so far. What sort of Magical abilities could be unlocked? 

Druid Magic. Allowing one to read the stars and look beyond time into the future. She felt her heart beat harder. She always felt a deep connection with the stars, and it even influenced her appearance by the AP’s she received, and now she would be able to understand a part of their power. The starry eyed nyulop quickly turned back to the books and gazed at all the constellations. 

“I think I’m the Blooper constellation.” Mirussa murmured, glancing at Teles.

“I am the Phantom Moth.” 

The two looked up but the stars weren’t quite visible yet, and the light was faded to the point when reading was too difficult. Mirussa was a bit bothered that she hadn’t thought to bring a torch or something, though she wasn’t initially prepared to spend this long training. Still- she needed to have better foresight, especially with the magic she wanted to learn. She would have to go by memory… in the little time she spent looking at the constellations. 

“Hmmm… oh! Those two tiny stars there that are right next to each other! I think those are part of the Krampling Constellation.” Mirussa said, pointing up, as she tried to follow the invisible lines connecting the stars to one another.

Teles tried squinting at the book but the sun had just set beyond the horizon. She put the book and her notes away as she looked up to where her finley companion was looking. “Yes, I think you’re right! I remember those four stars above them. And then just above those are the antlers.”

Mirussa’s breathing quickened with exhilaration. She could see the constellation. She looked around to see if there were any others she could spot. It was easier to find when looking for the stars closer together. Like-... those four there, a little bit spaced apart with one brighter than the others. And if the other four stars were-... there they were! “I found the Blooper constellation!” Mirussa was overjoyed and couldn’t help but gaze at this one for a little longer. 

“Well done.” Teles said with a faint laughter in her voice. “You’re a natural at this.”

“But I can’t see the Phantom Moth… It has two brighter stars right?” 

“Perhaps it’s not visible at this time.”

“Not all the Constellations can be seen together?” Mirussa asked, a bit shocked but then immediately embarrassed that she hadn’t guessed that from the beginning. Of course they wouldn’t be. The stars moved all the time. Though very slowly. “Oh… right. They wouldn’t be, would they?”

“No. But you did an excellent job finding the constellations that were visible.”

“With all the constellations in the book there should be at least one more… I would think, anyway.” Mirussa mused aloud as she went back to searching through all the stars. 

There were a few times when she thought she spotted one or two more but she wasn’t so sure without being able to check the book for confirmation. The two nyulops were both embarrassed to have not thought about bringing something to offer them light for their reading material. Regardless, they agreed that they learned a great deal from this training session, and deemed it a good time to end their lesson. 

Mirussa took one more moment to gaze at the stars, and searched out the two constellations she spotted that she was confident about. The Krampling and the Blooper. The latter being her own Zodiac. With a nod to Sedge the two started off back home, running through the forest with ease, even in the darkness of night. And with the lights at the ends of her ears, along her spine and tail, and embedded in her flightless wings, Mirussa, herself, appeared to be a constellation- fallen from the night sky and racing through the trees. 

She would sleep well that night, imagining all the distant stars above her, ever moving yet ever constant. Too far to even fathom their power, yet bright enough to offer a branch of magic. What stories and dreams did they hold? Who else had gazed upon them in the past and who will gaze upon them in the future? As she thought about the far reaching, whimsical divinity of the stars, a red crimson mist flowed between her paws and curled slightly in the cold winter night air, unbeknownst to the magic wielding Nyulop. The Rockstomper had seen it, though, and he gazed with pride and wonder.