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Sunflower: [Vibrant Wings]
Beyond the Horizon [Parts: 1-5] [Parts: 6-10]
Part 1: Horizon's Call*
Part 2: Cleared For Takeoff
Part 3: A Grand Entrance
Part 4: Vibrant Maze
Part 5: Friendly Encounter
Part 6. A Marvel to Behold
Part 7. Fleeting Glow
Part 8. Radiant Horizons
Part 9. Brightened Path
Part 10.Forever Soaring
==========Part 1: Horizon's Call
A perfectly shaped, luminous crescent sits high in the summer night sky, surrounded by a brilliant display of glistening stars twinkling happily. Not a
single cloud obstructs the spectacular view of the vast heavens on this clear night, above a small lake that appears as if it's sleeping with the absence of
any waves disturbing its seemingly solid surface. Every so often, Mother Nature would give a soft whisper to the forest which would rattle the leaves
and create small vibrations on the lake's surface. But it would quickly settle when the soft breeze ceases. Yet despite the lake's stillness in this very early
morning hour, there is a fair amount of activity in and around the surrounding environment. Small concentrations of crickets, the occasional
croaks of frogs, and various sounds from other small creatures scattered about, creates a low ambience that gives life to this peaceful lake.
About three meters from the lake's edge, a rabbit is wandering around in the grass. Taking a few steps then pawing at the ground, taking a few more
steps then pawing at the ground again. She continues this repetitive process, slowly making her way inland, until she's about ten meters along
where she stops well short of an unusually large oak tree. Its massive stretch of branch and leaves giving it somewhat of an intimidating
appearance compared to that of surrounding trees. She remains still in a low stance, narrowing her eyes to stare intently at the base of the tree's wide
trunk, noticing a rather large hole that's barely illuminated by the moonlight. After about twenty seconds, she props herself up to stand on her hind legs
and cautiously eyes the entrance to this hole. Every so often looking around to survey her surroundings to see if the holes owner is present; her ears
slightly fluttering, nose twitching. But after a few minutes pass by, nothing happens. She looks to her left, then to her right one more time before
deciding to investigate this hole further.
The rabbit carefully drops back to all fours, then after a slight hesitation, begins a slow steady crawl towards the hole. Her senses are on high alert as
she inches closer, her belly sliding across the soft damp grass, listening attentively to try to differentiate any suspicious sounds from the low
ambience that permeates the surrounding environment. With just a meter of grass left separating her from the hole, she eases the slow crawl to a stop,
muscles tensing up from a sudden warmth in the air. She sits here for a few seconds, ears perked up, still listening intently to detect any signs of
movement. But still nothing could be seen or heard. Yet despite the lack of movement, she can tell something is in there; her curiosity spiking when she
determines that the warmth originates from an unusual heat radiating from this hole. But what could be generating this steady heat? After a good while
of sitting idle, she inches forward again. Placing one paw in front of the other, attempting to remain as quiet as possible not knowing what resides
down there. Reaching the entrance after what felt like a tense half-hour, she stops to carefully poke her head over the top, only to see darkness. The heat
rising from within begins to relax the furs across her face, causing her tense ears to droop some. She hesitates again, contemplating whether or not to
head down into the depths, knowing the obvious dangers of invading an unknown animal's space. But an overwhelming curiosity holds her in place,
enticing her to investigate this mysterious hole. Conflicted with what to do, she shifts herself cautiously, but stops instantly as a chilling shock rapidly
spreads to every part of her body. When she shifted, she unintentionally nudged a small pebble just at the entrance, causing it to fall in.
To the rabbit, the suspenseful approach to the hole had all but blanketed the environment with a tense silence. Gone is the natural lake ambience,
replaced with nothing more than the soft rapid beats of her heart. But soon after she accidentally knocks the pebble into the darkness of the hole, a soft
clack tears through the silence. She freezes for a second, feeling as if her heart has stopped. A second clack rings out into the atmosphere, echoing
into her fully perked up ears as the pebble smacks against a side of the hole again, gaining momentum from the fall. The rabbit backs up slightly,
desperately wanting to run, but can't with such an immense tension anchoring her in place; focusing intently for any sudden movements within
that hole. The pebble continues to bounce its way down the hole with a series of subsequent clacks, the rabbit cringing to each and every one.
Suddenly, the tone shifts to a slight thud, followed by a slide. She figures that it must have finally reached the bottom, so she listens and waits while
her heart races. She can't tell if she's losing it from the rush of fear and uncertainty, but she could swear she's now seeing a faint orange glow
appear from within the hole...
****
A fair distance below the earth's surface, in a sizable dark cave, a large bird is sleeping peacefully. Steady breaths enter and exit the avian's beak as he
rests in his cozy nest, positioned right up against one of the cave's walls. His head comfortably resting against his own soft body with his wings tucked to
his sides. Suddenly, the bird shoots a stream of air out of his beak and onto his feathers to a noticeable clacking sound, shattering his peaceful snooze.
Shortly after, a second clacking sound is heard, followed by a third, a fourth, then a fifth. The avian's eyes flash open, widening to expose his sharp gaze
as he lifts his head from his body to stare at the entrance to his living area, barely illuminated by the moonlight seeping down the tunnel to his home. A
few more clacks ring out into the silence before a small pebble bounces off the soft floor with a thud, then slides a short distance before skidding to a
stop. The features of the darkened cave suddenly start becoming slightly more visible as a soft glow develops from the bird's feathers. He tilts his
head at the pebble, staring in confusion before opening his beak wide to let out a lengthy yawn, brushing off the insignificant small object. The bird is
just about to tuck his head back against himself, when....
****
Just at the top of the entrance, the curious rabbit can't help but wonder what this glow could be. It's only been a few seconds since the pebble skidded to
a halt in that mysterious place, yet the faint glow is already beginning to fade. Noticing what looks like another small pebble in her peripheral, she
reluctantly lowers her gaze to the ground beside her. But the very instant she confirms there's another pebble right next to her, she snaps her eyes
back to the entrance, not wanting to take her sights off the hole for too long. Without thought, she reaches out and taps the pebble into the hole, then
instantly scoots back ever-so-slightly to the expected sound of the pebble clacking against the tunnel's floor on its way down....
****
The bird is just placing his head against his orange feathers, their receding low glow causing the cave to darken again, when another series of clacking
is heard. The bird's eyes that are nearly shut, flash back open, darting his head towards the entrance. The low orange glow of his feathers instantly
returns, slightly brighter than before, illuminating the entirety of the cave. A sudden blast of warm air engulfs the cave, launching out the hole's entrance
and into the summer air. The bird doesn't hesitate, standing from his comfy nest to slowly walk over to the center of the living area, where he now sees
the second pebble sliding to a stop right next to the first one. By now, the only sound to be heard is the bird's talons dragging through the soil on the
caves floor as he walks to the small objects. Once there, the bird curiously pecks at both pebbles for a few seconds then looks up through the rather
steep tunnel leading to his home; some twinkling stars barely visible from the bottom. The bird lets out a shorter stream of air, then partially untucks
his wings before reaching back to preen his feathers a bit. With a rather clumsy motion, he kicks one leg out to stretch, then does the same to the
other. He then gives a flap to his partially extended wings before stretching his neck. The bird figures that some small creature has stumbled upon his
hole, but he puts forth little effort to speeding up his routine. Suddenly, a third series of clacks starts. The bird darts his head back towards the tunnel,
catching sight of the small rock bouncing a few times as it makes its way down the hole, sliding to a stop at his feet. He grins, playfully hopping before
leaning down to clutch the pebble in his beak. Then quickly slides himself next to the living area's entrance, before flinging his head and releasing the
pebble, sending it flying out the top...
****
At the top of the hole, the rabbit is waiting, enduring an intense mixture of impatience, fear, and anxiety. When suddenly, a pebble flies out the
entrance, landing just behind her. Confused and alarmed, her head darts back to find the same pebble she just knocked down the hole. She then
darts her head back to the entrance and without thinking, bats a fourth pebble into the hole. Only to see the very same pebble go flying right back
out several seconds later. Her left ear stands fully erect while the right leans off to the side, fully extended.
Still terrified, yet slightly annoyed, she bats a fifth pebble down the hole with a little more force. As expected, it goes flying right back out, this time
grazing the top of her fully erect ear. She sits for a second, thinking...
****
Back in the hole, the bird eagerly awaits with a wide open-beaked smile. Shuffling around slightly on his feet in anticipation of the expected pebble.
Suddenly, a sixth and seventh pebble flies straight down the hole with enough force to sail down its length without so much as touching the sides.
Only anticipating the first pebble, the bird slides back slightly to dodge it, but is caught off guard when the second pelts the top of his head. The bird's
playful shuffling subsides. Shocked, he stands as still as a statue with the feeling of losing the little game swirling in his head. He barely breathes while
his once smiling beak hangs slightly open. He stares down at the floor of the cave with a look of disappointment, but only for a moment. Soon closing his
beak with a soft smile forming as heβs ready to concede the little game. For in his mind, he'd been bested fair and square...
****
Back at the surface, the rabbit is preparing a small pile of twenty pebbles, when a sudden flash of heat explodes from the entrance, accompanied by a
loud call that tears through the peaceful forest ambience; a sound very much similar to that of a mighty red-tailed hawk! The soft orange glow
bursting into a bright light that streams from the hole. The terrified rabbit flings the small pile to the side then quickly backs away. After a few seconds,
the blazing glow starts to fade, but her muscles become increasingly tense to the sound of footsteps quickly making their way up the hole. She only
manages to scoot back a good two meters before the overwhelming fear overtakes her, locking her feet-paws to the grass despite desperately
wanting to turn and run. With each footstep growing louder and louder, she regrets everything that had occurred over the past five minutes, a short time
that dragged on and on. With each passing second, it feels like the suspense multiplies, all the way until....
To be continued... Hah, nope! Rest of Part 1, and Parts 2 all the way to 10 linked below. Why not follow along for a true adventure? :) This is gonna be a wild ride!
[Beyond the Horizon: Parts 1-5] [Beyond the Horizon: Parts 6-10]
Artwork done by RYKY from Deviantart, further notes at end of story.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Story created by me DexterLion, further notes at end of story.
Beyond the Horizon [Parts: 1-5] [Parts: 6-10]
Part 1: Horizon's Call*
Part 2: Cleared For Takeoff
Part 3: A Grand Entrance
Part 4: Vibrant Maze
Part 5: Friendly Encounter
Part 6. A Marvel to Behold
Part 7. Fleeting Glow
Part 8. Radiant Horizons
Part 9. Brightened Path
Part 10.Forever Soaring
==========Part 1: Horizon's Call
A perfectly shaped, luminous crescent sits high in the summer night sky, surrounded by a brilliant display of glistening stars twinkling happily. Not a
single cloud obstructs the spectacular view of the vast heavens on this clear night, above a small lake that appears as if it's sleeping with the absence of
any waves disturbing its seemingly solid surface. Every so often, Mother Nature would give a soft whisper to the forest which would rattle the leaves
and create small vibrations on the lake's surface. But it would quickly settle when the soft breeze ceases. Yet despite the lake's stillness in this very early
morning hour, there is a fair amount of activity in and around the surrounding environment. Small concentrations of crickets, the occasional
croaks of frogs, and various sounds from other small creatures scattered about, creates a low ambience that gives life to this peaceful lake.
About three meters from the lake's edge, a rabbit is wandering around in the grass. Taking a few steps then pawing at the ground, taking a few more
steps then pawing at the ground again. She continues this repetitive process, slowly making her way inland, until she's about ten meters along
where she stops well short of an unusually large oak tree. Its massive stretch of branch and leaves giving it somewhat of an intimidating
appearance compared to that of surrounding trees. She remains still in a low stance, narrowing her eyes to stare intently at the base of the tree's wide
trunk, noticing a rather large hole that's barely illuminated by the moonlight. After about twenty seconds, she props herself up to stand on her hind legs
and cautiously eyes the entrance to this hole. Every so often looking around to survey her surroundings to see if the holes owner is present; her ears
slightly fluttering, nose twitching. But after a few minutes pass by, nothing happens. She looks to her left, then to her right one more time before
deciding to investigate this hole further.
The rabbit carefully drops back to all fours, then after a slight hesitation, begins a slow steady crawl towards the hole. Her senses are on high alert as
she inches closer, her belly sliding across the soft damp grass, listening attentively to try to differentiate any suspicious sounds from the low
ambience that permeates the surrounding environment. With just a meter of grass left separating her from the hole, she eases the slow crawl to a stop,
muscles tensing up from a sudden warmth in the air. She sits here for a few seconds, ears perked up, still listening intently to detect any signs of
movement. But still nothing could be seen or heard. Yet despite the lack of movement, she can tell something is in there; her curiosity spiking when she
determines that the warmth originates from an unusual heat radiating from this hole. But what could be generating this steady heat? After a good while
of sitting idle, she inches forward again. Placing one paw in front of the other, attempting to remain as quiet as possible not knowing what resides
down there. Reaching the entrance after what felt like a tense half-hour, she stops to carefully poke her head over the top, only to see darkness. The heat
rising from within begins to relax the furs across her face, causing her tense ears to droop some. She hesitates again, contemplating whether or not to
head down into the depths, knowing the obvious dangers of invading an unknown animal's space. But an overwhelming curiosity holds her in place,
enticing her to investigate this mysterious hole. Conflicted with what to do, she shifts herself cautiously, but stops instantly as a chilling shock rapidly
spreads to every part of her body. When she shifted, she unintentionally nudged a small pebble just at the entrance, causing it to fall in.
To the rabbit, the suspenseful approach to the hole had all but blanketed the environment with a tense silence. Gone is the natural lake ambience,
replaced with nothing more than the soft rapid beats of her heart. But soon after she accidentally knocks the pebble into the darkness of the hole, a soft
clack tears through the silence. She freezes for a second, feeling as if her heart has stopped. A second clack rings out into the atmosphere, echoing
into her fully perked up ears as the pebble smacks against a side of the hole again, gaining momentum from the fall. The rabbit backs up slightly,
desperately wanting to run, but can't with such an immense tension anchoring her in place; focusing intently for any sudden movements within
that hole. The pebble continues to bounce its way down the hole with a series of subsequent clacks, the rabbit cringing to each and every one.
Suddenly, the tone shifts to a slight thud, followed by a slide. She figures that it must have finally reached the bottom, so she listens and waits while
her heart races. She can't tell if she's losing it from the rush of fear and uncertainty, but she could swear she's now seeing a faint orange glow
appear from within the hole...
****
A fair distance below the earth's surface, in a sizable dark cave, a large bird is sleeping peacefully. Steady breaths enter and exit the avian's beak as he
rests in his cozy nest, positioned right up against one of the cave's walls. His head comfortably resting against his own soft body with his wings tucked to
his sides. Suddenly, the bird shoots a stream of air out of his beak and onto his feathers to a noticeable clacking sound, shattering his peaceful snooze.
Shortly after, a second clacking sound is heard, followed by a third, a fourth, then a fifth. The avian's eyes flash open, widening to expose his sharp gaze
as he lifts his head from his body to stare at the entrance to his living area, barely illuminated by the moonlight seeping down the tunnel to his home. A
few more clacks ring out into the silence before a small pebble bounces off the soft floor with a thud, then slides a short distance before skidding to a
stop. The features of the darkened cave suddenly start becoming slightly more visible as a soft glow develops from the bird's feathers. He tilts his
head at the pebble, staring in confusion before opening his beak wide to let out a lengthy yawn, brushing off the insignificant small object. The bird is
just about to tuck his head back against himself, when....
****
Just at the top of the entrance, the curious rabbit can't help but wonder what this glow could be. It's only been a few seconds since the pebble skidded to
a halt in that mysterious place, yet the faint glow is already beginning to fade. Noticing what looks like another small pebble in her peripheral, she
reluctantly lowers her gaze to the ground beside her. But the very instant she confirms there's another pebble right next to her, she snaps her eyes
back to the entrance, not wanting to take her sights off the hole for too long. Without thought, she reaches out and taps the pebble into the hole, then
instantly scoots back ever-so-slightly to the expected sound of the pebble clacking against the tunnel's floor on its way down....
****
The bird is just placing his head against his orange feathers, their receding low glow causing the cave to darken again, when another series of clacking
is heard. The bird's eyes that are nearly shut, flash back open, darting his head towards the entrance. The low orange glow of his feathers instantly
returns, slightly brighter than before, illuminating the entirety of the cave. A sudden blast of warm air engulfs the cave, launching out the hole's entrance
and into the summer air. The bird doesn't hesitate, standing from his comfy nest to slowly walk over to the center of the living area, where he now sees
the second pebble sliding to a stop right next to the first one. By now, the only sound to be heard is the bird's talons dragging through the soil on the
caves floor as he walks to the small objects. Once there, the bird curiously pecks at both pebbles for a few seconds then looks up through the rather
steep tunnel leading to his home; some twinkling stars barely visible from the bottom. The bird lets out a shorter stream of air, then partially untucks
his wings before reaching back to preen his feathers a bit. With a rather clumsy motion, he kicks one leg out to stretch, then does the same to the
other. He then gives a flap to his partially extended wings before stretching his neck. The bird figures that some small creature has stumbled upon his
hole, but he puts forth little effort to speeding up his routine. Suddenly, a third series of clacks starts. The bird darts his head back towards the tunnel,
catching sight of the small rock bouncing a few times as it makes its way down the hole, sliding to a stop at his feet. He grins, playfully hopping before
leaning down to clutch the pebble in his beak. Then quickly slides himself next to the living area's entrance, before flinging his head and releasing the
pebble, sending it flying out the top...
****
At the top of the hole, the rabbit is waiting, enduring an intense mixture of impatience, fear, and anxiety. When suddenly, a pebble flies out the
entrance, landing just behind her. Confused and alarmed, her head darts back to find the same pebble she just knocked down the hole. She then
darts her head back to the entrance and without thinking, bats a fourth pebble into the hole. Only to see the very same pebble go flying right back
out several seconds later. Her left ear stands fully erect while the right leans off to the side, fully extended.
Still terrified, yet slightly annoyed, she bats a fifth pebble down the hole with a little more force. As expected, it goes flying right back out, this time
grazing the top of her fully erect ear. She sits for a second, thinking...
****
Back in the hole, the bird eagerly awaits with a wide open-beaked smile. Shuffling around slightly on his feet in anticipation of the expected pebble.
Suddenly, a sixth and seventh pebble flies straight down the hole with enough force to sail down its length without so much as touching the sides.
Only anticipating the first pebble, the bird slides back slightly to dodge it, but is caught off guard when the second pelts the top of his head. The bird's
playful shuffling subsides. Shocked, he stands as still as a statue with the feeling of losing the little game swirling in his head. He barely breathes while
his once smiling beak hangs slightly open. He stares down at the floor of the cave with a look of disappointment, but only for a moment. Soon closing his
beak with a soft smile forming as heβs ready to concede the little game. For in his mind, he'd been bested fair and square...
****
Back at the surface, the rabbit is preparing a small pile of twenty pebbles, when a sudden flash of heat explodes from the entrance, accompanied by a
loud call that tears through the peaceful forest ambience; a sound very much similar to that of a mighty red-tailed hawk! The soft orange glow
bursting into a bright light that streams from the hole. The terrified rabbit flings the small pile to the side then quickly backs away. After a few seconds,
the blazing glow starts to fade, but her muscles become increasingly tense to the sound of footsteps quickly making their way up the hole. She only
manages to scoot back a good two meters before the overwhelming fear overtakes her, locking her feet-paws to the grass despite desperately
wanting to turn and run. With each footstep growing louder and louder, she regrets everything that had occurred over the past five minutes, a short time
that dragged on and on. With each passing second, it feels like the suspense multiplies, all the way until....
To be continued... Hah, nope! Rest of Part 1, and Parts 2 all the way to 10 linked below. Why not follow along for a true adventure? :) This is gonna be a wild ride!
[Beyond the Horizon: Parts 1-5] [Beyond the Horizon: Parts 6-10]
Artwork done by RYKY from Deviantart, further notes at end of story.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Story created by me DexterLion, further notes at end of story.
Category Story / All
Species Avian (Other)
Size 1280 x 720px
File Size 262.3 kB
Comments