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Lisian perked up when his Queen spoke his name. The grip on his box tightened and his heart raced excitedly. Any nervousness he could have had before washed away with his Queen's words. It was his turn to bestow his gift upon the next generation, something that was near and dear to his heart. He'd worked tirelessly, many evenings spent in fervent meditation over his box.

He stepped forward to stand beside Belwen as she spoke. He gave her a crooked smile and shook his head at her wink and comment. She was giving him too much credit. She'd been there through it with him, she'd been the one conducting it and pushing it forward. Her knowledge was vast and her connection to the Sheedhiels something to admire. He let the memories pass over his thoughts for a moment, a warm smile coming to his face. It had all been for this moment.

He thanked his Queen quietly before stepping forward, watching her as she pulled Shaylee aside. Was everything alright? He knew he had to focus, but the new arrivals were constantly nibbling at the back of his mind. He cleared his mind as Queen Belwen had showed him many times in an attempt to enter the purity of meditation. With the distractions removed he lifted the box so all could see. Carved into its lid were two tall, mighty trees with branches that reached high into the sky as well as those that reached out to one another. They intertwined and wrapped around one another, creating a strong link between the two. Once he'd let them take a moment to look it over he brought it back down so he could speak.

“We are only as safe and well taken care of as each member allows. If any of us are weak or do not contribute, everything falls apart. I have been given the responsibility to keep you all safe along with others, but we are only a few. We each have a duty and a responsibility to watch out for ourselves and each other.”

“That's why the Sheedhiels first gave our Queen the vision for a life line. A gift that each of us could carry with us if anything went wrong.” He tucked the box into the crook of his arm so he could use the other to slip the item around his neck off and hold it up. It was a wooden crow in flight, but there was something more to it. He held it to his lips and gently blew into it, a sweet sound filling all of their ears. He then began to cover some of the holes on the top of it and it would change the tone. Soon music was filling the air around them before slowly fading out. He might have been showing it off a bit, which made him grin at them all, but he hoped he'd gotten the point across. “Each Elder has been presented with their own, a Gudi we call it, and you all will as well. This is your safety if you ever find yourself alone and need the aid of the Sentry or the others in the tree. Never fear using it, because the Sheedhiels have protected its sound. Because the wood is from the tree itself, only we can hear it so only we will answer. Oh, you also don't need to do anything elaborate like that. Just simply blowing into it will create a sound that we will hear. Soon we will teach you the different tones for different communication, but for now that bit of information will suffice.”

“But the Sheedhiels are beautiful with their creativity. They didn't want us to just have wooden sound makers, they wanted it to be more than that. So each is carved with the animal your spirit most relates with and gives its own unique sound. So when you use it, we know who it is.” He looked over his a moment, turning it over in his hands before continuing, “Crow. We've seen a few in our clearing, some of the animals the Sheedhiels have revealed to me I can't even imagine are out there.” He reflected back on the moments. The hunger his fasting brought, the meditations and quiet moments that became a battle for him to focus. It had been just as much a struggle the second time as the first, when he had carved the Elder's own Gudis. The reward though... The moments that the Sheedhiels had touched his mind and flowed images of animals he'd never seen before, he had been overwhelmed. Who was he that they would plant such wonderful visions into his mind? Why had he been chosen?

He allowed these thoughts to motivate and inspire his handiwork. He'd been given a beautiful duty that he poured all of himself into. Each Gudi was given just as much love and attention as the next, knowing that his family could be saved by them. It wasn't just trying to create something beautiful, it was a way to bring protection to them when he may not be able to provide it.

“It symbolizes justice, spiritual strength, creativity, and balance.” he brought his mind back to focus on his Gudi. He slipped it back over his neck, bringing back up the box. Slowly he opened it, Gudis of all shapes and sizes sitting within it, shinning with oil he'd rubbed in earlier that morning to prep them for their final showing. He was practically beaming down at them.

With his speech over he turned towards their Queen, feeling odd that she'd be the one assisting him this time, but she'd been the one to lead and instruct him since the beginning. It was only appropriate then. He waited till she took the box from him, still taking a moment to give her a soft thanks and a bow of his head. He then turned to the teens and began to walk up to each down the line. He gently lifted the Gudi out by the looped string and show it to them, before slipping it over their heads. With each teen he passed the pride continued to fill his heart till he thought it would explode. He felt like, thanks to this task, he saw a bit into who these teens were without knowing each one of them closely. He knew them, interacted with many of them daily, but this was different. With each he'd place around their necks he'd let them know what the animal was and what they symbolized.

“Marigold, your animal is the majestic Elk found in ours and many forests. It is a sign of strength, pride, majesty, and nobility.”

“Idalusia, your animal swims in the depths of deep waters and is called the Whale. It symbolizes intelligence and a provider.”

“Yesenia, yours is a bird graced with many colors and a wondrous tail named the Peacock. It symbolizes dignity and self-confidence.”

“Vaillantina, yours is the Dragonfly seen constantly around our own home. It is a sign of a strong imagination, carefree, and higher aspirations.”

“Nova, you can find your animal in the deep waters as well and call it a Dolphin. It is a symbol of kindness, happiness, playfulness, and the capability of deep emotion.”

“Hyalophora, your animal stalks the jungles with the name Jaguar. It is a symbol of aggressiveness and power.”

“Muir, your animal lives in the hot and dry lands and is called the Rhinoceros. It symbolizes one who is solitary, insightful, and solid.”

“Amaryllis, your animal is a bird that can be seen walking shallow waters and is called the Crane. It is a symbol of solitude and independence.”

“Xiu, yours is an animal that runs through green fields and is called the Horse. It is a symbol of freedom, mobility, and travel.”

When he got to the end he turned back to the group and gave them a deep bow. “It was an honor creating these for you. Please keep these with you always for your own protection but also as a reminder. The Sheedhiels love and know each of you intimately. I am honored that they would share a bit of their knowledge with me in order to create this for you. When you look on these, don't just see safety, but see their love.”

((OOC: Some of these animals may not be common or exist on Telrunya. The Sheedhiels are connected to the earth and know more than any Pae ever will. Lisian was only given a glimmer of what these animals look like and where they live by the Sheedhiels, but others will not know more than that unless the trees reveal it to them.))

Siofra was about to say something to the other girl with them, something about not having to agree with her questions, but another flutter had walked in. Thrilled to meet them? Siofra gave a wary look, finally turning around to see who was talking to them. Oh! It was that beautiful woman from earlier! Siofra blinked, holding onto her freak out to stare.

Her jaw dropped a little, getting that same feeling seeing the pretty girl as she did when she first spotted Elias. All the butterflies in her stomach all at once. She shook her head, trying to shake herself out of it. They needed to get out of there. Right? "Shaylee?" Her head tilted, taking a step back towards Elias. As much as she wanted to be wary of the gorgeous Shaylee, Siofra wanted to trust her more. Maybe it was the fact that she was utterly breathtaking? "Are you telling us you won't answer any questions?" It was about the only thing she could figure out from these pae.

Marigold watched with interest as the queen sent Shaylee off. She considered that it had to do with those strangers from Forn. They were probably in a lot of trouble for trying to escape instead of stay and help the colony. Oh how bad Mari wanted to know what that punishment was.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the Watcher said her name. She bowed so he could put the cord over her head and she flipped her hair out so the cord could rest comfortable around her neck. "I've never seen an Elk before." she mentioned as she lifted the Gudi to inspect. A few holes and a four legged, hoofed creature with majestic antlers. The details and style of the carving were impressive. And the Watcher had time to make all these AND do his job keeping Forn safe? She gave a nod of appreciation.

"It is a sign of strength, pride, majesty, and nobility."

This Gudi couldn't be more perfect. She wondered how he knew her so well. Did Mazarine maybe talk to him? She so badly wanted to try it out, but it would disrupt the ceremony. But she did ask a burning question that just came out without a thought to stop it. "Does it sound like an Elk?"

"Thank you, Watcher. I will keep this with me always."

Elias had been mostly quiet after they had shrunken down and gone into the tree. He still had his suspicions, but he was letting Siofra do most of the talking since she had been his voice of reason. However, it seemed that even she was starting to get nervous now with the lack of answers. He had watched as one pae had left, and another took his place. It seemed to him that they didn't trust one pae to keep them under control so they had to make sure two were there. The knot in Elias' chest was only growing now. Keeping them here was clearly important. He was now certain that Siofra had been wrong when she had calmed him down.

Since Siofra had little luck getting any answers beyond what the tree was, it served him no purpose to ask any questions for himself. Instead, he remained silent, retracing their steps in his mind so that, if he had to, he could guide Siofra to the exit. There was the matter of getting big again, which Elias had not a clue how to do, but it wouldn't matter as long as they were safe and away from this place.

Elias looked at the other young girl who was with them, she looked rather unsettled to him as well. Something struck Elias as he sat there, he hadn't been paying much attention, too focused on figuring out their escape, but he had heard that the tree protected her children. It was a worry that had always itched in the back of his mind since Siofra was the only pae who was similar to him, and it was a truth he was afraid of finding out, but the words escaped his lips before he could stop them, "are you two related?" He asked the grown pae.

Mazarine blinked as the male of the three finally spoke. A faint sigh of relief escaped him as this one seemed kind of calm in his worried state. He looked to Shaylee briefly with a nod before choosing his words carefully.

"In a way, I guess you could say we are. Spiritually, at least." The way he spoke of it, it seemed he wasn't too keen on thinking of them blood related. Yes, he called them all his brothers and sisters, "Because in a sense we are all a family. We were born from seeds that fell from the trees..." there was a slight pause before he fidgeted. He wasn't sure just how much he could say, but he felt these kids needed to know. "... just as you were."

Before much else was said, he continued. "This is why the Queen must be the one to speak with you. She will have all the answers you seek. Including the ones pertaining to who you really are. Given that there are three of you standing here today, I trust that you've all met very little - if any! - that look as you do? ... That look like us?"

The two of them were in quite the predicament, Mazarine and herself. On one hand they wanted to reassure the confused newcomers, but on the other they had to be very careful of what they said. "Well, not a lot of those kinds of questions. But I promise the Queen won't be too much longer. I can answer other questions though. Like how nice it is to live here. And that I particularly like fruit. Which you guys should really take advantage of, it's delicious." Maybe they thought the food they provided was poisoned? In a show of good faith, and maybe a little rumbling of her tummy, she picked up a piece to plop in her mouth.

At the golden boys question though, she chocked back a laugh while chewing. Her hands came up to her mouth, but a little bit of juice still trickled down her chin. Quickly she chewed and swallowed. Thankfully Mazarine was handling that semi-gracefully. "Kind of. But as he said before, there are two different trees. I am Forn, as he is Harn." But it wasn't as though they really were siblings. That would make her crush on Lisian creepy.

"But I have a question for you guys! I told you my name, but I haven't heard yours." She spoke to all of them, but she was hoping for a reaction out of the shy girl teenager. The green girl and golden boy had both spoken, but she was as quiet as a mouse.

Ooh, this was so exciting! As the sentry stepped forward to speak, Yesenia's rapt attention focused on him, blocking out most anything else. As Lisian spoke, she swore she could feel the connection woven all around and through them. She was connected to her fellow flutters, to the Sheedhiels, to the very nature that surrounded them. Everything they did, every small action or inaction could affect the others; it made her feel important, to realize the gravity of the ceremony today as it settled around her shoulders.

But, what's this? More gifts? Goodness! A Gudi...not only for protection, but personalized for each of them? Although they had been prepped on the basics of the ceremony today, so many surprises and attention was nearly overwhelming!

Nearly.

Yesenia bowed her head as the new adornment was added to her shoulders. She picked up the Gudi, studying it pensively as she pondered Lisian's words about her. Dignity. Self-confidence. Though she had never seen a real one before, the carved peacock's wooden plumage was impressive enough to inspire grandiose images in her head of what a live one must look like. Proud. Inspirational.

Yes, this pleased her.

Bowing her head with a smile, Yesenia offered a brief but warm, "Thank you!" before Lisian moved on to the next flutter.



*****


Rather than focusing on herself, Xiulan's attention varied between whoever was speaking and those witnessing the ceremony's progression. It seemed that the next presentation was something that the Queen and the sentry had worked out together? What was that about long hours and dominating all his time? Granted, she hadn't seen much of the pair after they'd kidnapped her, she supposed.

Lisian's speech sounded interesting, but while he was speaking, Xiulan's eyes were drawn towards the Queen and the black and pink flutter off to the side. She'd noticed the other making some strange faces through the ceremony. What was her name again? Shay? She seemed upset or something. Why? Huh...wonder what's up with her? You'd think if anyone, I'd have an excuse to be upset about all this. Weird. Before she could give it much more thought, Shay was apparently sent away. Why? Was it the expressions she kept making? Maybe the Queen thought it would disrupt the ceremony, her standing over there all grumpy-faced.

Funny, you'd think that would have been me.

Her attention shifted back to Lisian as he explained the significance of the wooden instruments and began telling each of the young flutters about their spirit animals. Well, this could be interesting...what would he say to her?

Whatever Xiulan had been expecting, it was not what Lisian told her. Clearly, she had no idea what a 'horse' was, but the words that followed... Freedom. Mobility. Travel. The very things that had been denied her since she'd gotten here. Of course, it was all cloaked in the excuse of 'safety', but that didn't help it sting any less when she'd been used to enjoying such freedoms back home. While she had pushed the point of wanting to be free to see her family again, it was more than that. She missed the ability to explore, to enjoy the outside and the feeling of fresh air, wind in her face when Momma would take her flying. There was so much to see and explore in the world, it seemed a shame to be so afraid, that one would prefer to hide away rather than getting out there to see what new things could be discovered!

Taken by surprise, Xiulan was both alarmed and ashamed to feel the telltale pricking of tears at the corners of her eyes. She quickly ducked her head to hide the shift in her expression as Lisian presented her with the Gudi. She reached up, lifting the tiny wooden animal for study. A hooved creature, seemed to be four legged. This one was rearing back, front hooves in the air and looking defiant.

Perhaps she'd been the only one trying to close everyone else out...and perhaps she hadn't succeeded as well as she'd thought.

The Flutter Queen stood tall with her hair billowing in the breeze behind her. Her hands were clasped in front and she witnessed the miraculous transformations before her. These young flutters arrived this morning as teenagers - barely able to fly on their own, no control over their own true powers and without a sense of where they'd fit in. This afternoon, they've become enlightened and shed the skin of their youth. They've proclaimed their gratitude and intents and crossed the threshold into adulthood when they partook of the Elixir of Life. The Sheedhiels' own sap now pulses through their veins, strengthening their growing bodies, and preparing them for the final growth into adulthood.

This was the final step - acceptance. The young ones were accepted into the fold with gifts from their elders. In time, each generation will see different gifts as needs of the colony evolve. But for today, they received very important gifts. Gifts for good health, safety and protection.

"Thank you, Lisian." After the Watcher had given the last Gudi, and returned to his seat, Belwen bowed her head.

She fluttered to the center of the line between the elders and the newly indoctrinated and hovered for a moment before speaking. "Thank you, everyone for helping with this celebration of life and growth!" A pale rainbow formed above their heads and Belwen clapped her hands together. "Today, we welcome the next generation to adulthood!" Fluttering towards the side of the elders, she outstretched her arms. "Cross the threshold towards your new life!" She waved her arms in for a hug, motioning the teenagers to get up and to come join the rest of the colony.

As each teenager closed the gap between where they were, and where they were to be, a magical white swirl will engulf the small, frail bodies and swirl away on the breeze leaving them transformed into full-fledged adult Flutters. Their wings are now big enough and strong enough to fly and zip around. They now will have powers, and they can learn the ability to shrink and change into a butterfly. (this shrinking is different from the perspective changes with the Sheedhiels. Those who are welcome into the trees will always automatically adjust to the proper size as the trees grow.)

"The elders have prepared a magnificent celebration for us all!! Eat, be merry! We have until sun up to celebrate life and those that give it. Live it up!" Belween caused a few firework-like color pops in the sky to signal the end of the ceremony and beginning of the celebration.

All flutters can now interact and mingle as they please.

-------------------------

Belwen excused herself once the party was underway and zipped back into Forn, heading straight into her sitting room. She had guests to attend to.

"Sorry to have kept you all waiting! Today is our coming-of-age celebration so everything is just busy-busy! You certainly picked a perfect day to come home! I'm Queen Belwen, and I hope you have been treated properly by Mazarine and Shaylee." She moved into the room and took comfort on her pillow beside the table with the bowl of fruit. Turning her head away for just brief moment, she caught her breath before settling in. "Shaylee, will you make sure the party has enough water, and then bring a pitcher of honeydew nectar for me and our guests."

Happy, excited, terrified, and nervous. Belwen knew to tread cautiously because these were frightened children. "Can I offer anything else? I could have Shaylee bring some of that party food in." She tucked her hooves up beside her and got comfortable. "So I know you must have so many questions! As do I!" the queen buzzed with the energy of a child because she was just so elated to see not one, but three more seeds find their way home. "My how you all have grown so extraordinary," she gushed.