[center][h1][color=orange][b]K A L M A R[/b][/color][/h1][/center][center][h1][color=DE33FF][b]M E L A N T H A[/b][/color][/h1][/center][hr][hr][i]A few weeks before [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4892654]the creation of Roog...[/url][/i]

The Southern Jungle of Kalgrun was quiet, save for the occasional sound of one of the Gemstone Gardeners - the same creatures Kalmar used for the feathers on his arrows. It was they who had planted this forest, and little else existed here. The climate was too hot for the species elsewhere on the continent; the vegetation too thick and unfamiliar. A change was long overdue, and looking down from above, Kalmar couldn’t think of a better place to teach Melantha how to create.

[color=orange]“Alright, just think about what you want to create - what it looks like, how it will function, what purpose it will serve, and then will it into existence,”[/color] he reminded her. For days and weeks he had taught her the basics of her abilities, and now it was time to move on to something more complex. [color=orange]“What it will eat, what it will drink, when and where it will sleep… You can do this.”[/color]

Melantha looked at Kalmar, then back at her hands and then to the forest below her that expanded in all directions. They had traveled across Kalgrun, Kalmar showing everything that his little creation had to offer. Melantha chuckled every time he made a stop to showcase to her a creation he was especially proud of, like the direwolf packs roaming the grasslands of mainland Kalgrun or the griffins that made the skies of the continent their domain. However, she had to give credit where it was due; Kalmar had managed to create several balanced species that managed to survive and thrive among the high variety of other fauna that existed alongside them.

Indeed, it would not be a stretch to say that Kalgrun was infested with beasts capable of rivaling a direwolf or a griffin in a fight. From giant trolls to ferocious lizards and savage bears among other dangerous beasts, Kalgrun was filled with all kinds of nastiness. Thus one could imagine her surprise when they had visited the southern part of the continent and the jungle forest that mostly covered it. It’s inhabitants consisted of only one single notable species which in and of itself consisted of about four other subspecies, parrots he had dubbed them. From what Kalmar had told her, they basically built the jungle from the ground up with their strange abilities.

They protected the forest and nourished it with their strange, magical auras. So Melantha could not help but wonder why such a rich environment was not more densely populated by a larger variety of animals. Of course, there were the insects and small animals, but Kalmar had spread those across the whole continent so finding them in this jungle was not something unexpected. What was unexpected was the absence of larger animals. Animals that could take advantage of the terrain and thrive, just like how Kalmars other creations had. 

Melantha found herself deep in thought, ruminating Kalmars words to her about taking into account everything before creating her very own first species. All that time they had spent together, Kalmar teaching her about the basics of her abilities and then delving deeper into what it meant to be a god would be tested with this creation of hers. In some sense, this was her initiation into godhood.

[color=DE33FF]“I am thinking… about a creature that would take advantage of the jungle terrain. Use it to camouflage itself as it sneaked behind its victim, ready to pounce on a moments notice. Kind of like those felines you showed me some time ago, that used the grass to their advantage in order to get closer to their prey.”[/color]

Melantha flew down, past the canopy and into the jungle, coming to settle upon a tree branch. Kalmar followed her, hovering in the air nearby, watching with some level of interest what she would do next.

[color=DE33FF]“What better way to bring the environment to your aid than being able to blend among the leaves, bushes, and trees, watching your prey from above and waiting for the right time to swoop in for a successful hunt. A flying creature would be ideal for this.”[/color]

Kalmar nodded, with a small approving smile. [color=orange]“A common tactic among flying creatures. Good choice.”[/color] Melantha smiled at Kalmar’s words and got back to thinking. [color=DE33FF]“Hmm, speaking of felines… If I could modify it… The ears… Yes, the body would have to be lighter…”[/color]

Melantha devolved into incoherent mumbling at some point and only after a long while did she emerge from her thoughts, her eyes now clear, indicating she had come to a decision.

[color=DE33FF]“I think I have it. Let’s see…”[/color] With that, Melantha closed her eyes and concentrated on the mental picture she had created in her mind. She thought about how she wanted her creation’s anatomy to work, building it from the ground up in her mind. Simultaneously, she held her hands in front of her and cupped them, feeling the now familiar godly power emerge and flow, pooling between her palms. There slowly, she felt her first creation take form. From bones to organs, to flesh, skin, and fur. The whole creation bit took a little while to finish, and by the end of it, Melantha found herself relatively tired, mostly mentally. Nevertheless, she sighed, her face donning a smile of content. Two faint mewls emerged from within her clasped hands, prompting Melantha’s smile to widen even more. 

As she slowly opened her hands, two little furry heads emerged from within, immediately scanning their surroundings before locking in on Melantha, upon which they started mewling even louder than before and started clumsily crawling along her arms, one on each. Melantha turned to Kalmar, evidently excited about her new creation. [color=DE33FF]“What do you think?”[/color]

Kalmar studied them closely. [color=orange]“A good start. Sharp teeth, wings, good senses I assume. Well done.”[/color]

[color=DE33FF]“Thanks, It was actually easier than I thought it would be. Must have been because I based them on your feline design before making my own changes to fit this environment.”[/color] She turned to look at the one that had managed to crawl up to her shoulder and found it starting at her straight in the eyes before letting out another barrage of mewling that devolved into a kind of faint vibrating sound as it started rubbing its face on her cheek. The other one seemed to be a little more clumsy as it took longer to reach her shoulder, but eventually, it also nestled next to Melantha’s face and, almost copying the first one, started sniffing Melantha’s face instead of rubbing on it. That one seemed to be the more curious of the two, and perhaps the more cautious.

Even Kalmar was moved by the sight. He blinked, visibly taken aback, as he felt a strange, unfamiliar tug at his heartstrings.

[color=DE33FF][i]“I can’t just leave them as they are though… They are essentially defenseless, brought in a world unknown to them and clinging to the first person they laid their eyes upon.”[/i][/color] Images of Melantha’s first waking moments flashed through her mind once again, and she immediately identified with her two new creations. [color=DE33FF]“No, definitely not,”[/color] she said out loud, talking to herself. [color=DE33FF][i]“I have to stay and protect them, prepare them for the world… But not like this...”[/i][/color]

A few silent seconds passed, but the proverbial gears inside Melantha’s mind were nothing but silent. They turned and turned until, eventually, a solution dawned upon her. She then turned with a sudden clarity in her eyes to look at Kalmar. She gently picked the two newborn creatures by their necks and handed them to Kalmar. [color=DE33FF]“Hold them for a moment.”[/color] 

Kalmar took the two creatures in either hand. One began to protest immediately, looking back at Melantha, while the other fixed its eyes on him, simply staring. Kalmar met its gaze, and, unsure of how to respond, simply nodded at the small winged kitten.

With that, Melantha flew off the branch she had been sitting on for a while now and hovered a few feet away from Kalmar. She then took a deep breath in, before closing her eyes and focusing once again on the godly power inside of her. This time, however, what she was attempting was something completely different. Something she had honestly never tried before and did not even know if she was capable of doing. She brought the image of the creatures in her mind once again, and this time focused her power onto herself. A faint sheen of darkness, unbeknownst to her, emerged from within her, covering her skin and clothes. Within this “cocoon” of shadows, Melantha’s form started to change dramatically. Big, bony growths started sprouting from her back, her arms merging with them and coming to a point where her hands used to be. From her armpits, thin leathery membranes grew outwards, connecting her arms with her torso to form a pair of wings. Her clothes sank into her body as she started bloating, and soft, black fur started growing from her skin, eventually coming to cover her whole body from top to bottom. Her legs shortened and her feet transformed into a talon-like shape, with strong, sharp claws at their tips. A strange pattern formed along the sides of her legs, coming to an end at the middle finger of each talon.

She grew a long appendage from her back that resembled the ones that her two creations had, and her face molded into one resembling that of a cat, albeit with a longer tongue and two larger and longer sets of ears. Her whiskers glowed a faint golden color, however, unlike the two newborns. Once the transformation had finished, the dark cocoon dissipated and a transformed Melantha emerged. Folded as they were, her new wings covered most of her new body and made her seem deceptively small. As she opened her eyes, however, she unfolded her wings as well, and what a sight it was.

Her wingspan easily measured fifty feet across, covering the canopy above and casting a large shadow below as she hovered there, a little dazed by the transformation. Eventually, she came to and looked down at Kalmar before speaking into his mind. [color=DE33FF][i]“What do you think?”[/i][/color] She could not help but let a hint of proudness leak into her message. 

It took a moment for Kalmar to take in the change. [color=orange] “The wings will make flying easier, and your creations will think you are one of them. Though…”[/color] he hesitated for a moment, before looking down. [color=orange]“Visually, I preferred the way you looked in your old form. But there are merits to this one as well.”[/color]

[color=DE33FF][i]“I do not intend to stay in this form for long. Just a few days, maybe a week. Until I feel confident they are ready to be left to roam in the wild on their own. Then…”[/i][/color]

A strange emotion filled her as she thought about her next words, but she suppressed it before continuing. [color=DE33FF][i]“Then I will be leaving.”[/i][/color]

Kalmar nodded understandingly. [color=orange]“Letting your creations go when they are able to fend for themselves is an important step,”[/color] he acknowledged. [color=orange]“I will help you teach them how to survive if you want.”[/color]

[color=DE33FF][i]“Of course, any help you can offer is going to be appreciated. Although I have learned from you… I can’t really say I am also confident in my teaching skills…”[/i][/color]

[color=orange]“Teaching is what I do, I suppose,”[/color] Kalmar realized. [color=orange]“Let’s get started.”[/color]

Melantha let out a laugh telepathically at Kalmar’s joke. [color=DE33FF][i]“Yes, let’s,”[/i][/color] she said and flew closer to pick up the two from his hands. During all this time, they had remained silent, simply staring at her humongous form. However, once they found themselves snuggling inside her thick fur, the two immediately awakened from their little reverie and started mewling like crazy. Eventually, however, they fell asleep, tucked in there, safe.[hr][hr][i]A few weeks later…[/i]

[color=orange]“They’ve grown fast,”[/color] Kalmar commented, looking down at the two Catats, each now three to four feet in height, as they feasted on a Gardener. Melantha had decided to leave the naming rights to Kalmar, as a compromise for helping her with their training.

[color=DE33FF]“Haven’t they?”[/color] Melantha looked at them from above, a happy smile on her face. She had assumed her humanoid form now and was hovering next to Kalmar.

[color=orange]“I’ll admit, I had my doubts when I saw their size. But seeing how large they’ve grown, you’ve done a great job,”[/color] Kalmar told her.

[color=DE33FF]“To be honest, I too did not expect them to grow to this size. Caught me off guard as well, but I can’t be more happy with how they ended up.”[/color] Melantha had been distancing herself from her two creations gradually since they had grown and acclimated to hunting on their own. However, the whole situation was not as hard as she thought it would be. As if programmed into their instincts, the moment she started distancing herself, they too began to do the same. At first, it would be a couple of hours, then a whole night, then two nights. Their little duo hunting trips would last longer the more they grew up, up until the present day. They had been gone from the “nest” for close to four days, with no sign of wanting to return. The whole thing raised a bittersweet feeling inside Melantha, but she knew this is how it should be and did not complain.

It seemed it was time for her to let them fly away.

Kalmar glanced over to her. She had assumed her old form, and he knew what that meant. As if reading her thoughts, he reached over to put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Feeling his hand, she half-turned her head, glancing at him. She hesitated for a split second, but ever so slowly ended up putting her hand over his. At that moment Melantha realized that she, subconsciously, had forged a connection with Kalmar. All this time spent together, getting to know him as a god through his words and actions, and as a person through the thoughts and feelings he had shared with her that night at the cave, when he seemingly had poured his heart out to her about his problems with the other gods and with himself, made her understand that she wanted to know more about him, to know more about Kalmar the god, as well as Kalmar the person.

These feelings were, honestly, a first for Melantha. She knew she viewed him as an ally, even a friend by now. But these feelings… Melantha found herself unable to explain to herself what these feelings meant. Very quickly, she found herself slowly starting to become overwhelmed by these, very new to her, emotions.

Kalmar looked away and took a deep breath, as if steeling himself for something, before looking back. [color=orange]“I need to say…”[/color] he said at last. [color=orange]“I… greatly enjoyed spending this time with you. I…”[/color] his voice trailed off as if he was unsure how to continue. But then, mustering all the determination he could, picked it back up. [color=orange]“I’m not familiar with these feelings, and you know I’m not good with words, but I’ve started to care deeply about yo[/color]-[color=DE33FF]Ithinkweshouldpartwaysforsometime!”[/color]

The sudden outburst stopped Kalmar's words dead in their tracks. The Hunter blinked, leaning backward an inch as if recoiling from a strike. His eyes widened, and his brows raised. [color=orange]“W-what?”[/color] he managed to utter, beneath the shock.

It’s a good thing that Kalmar said exactly what was in Melantha’s mind, cause right at that moment, her brain had frozen over in equal shock. She looked at him for a few seconds, her eyes never leaving his. Multitudes of emotions and several changes of facial expressions later, Melantha finally asked in a shaky voice. [color=DE33FF]“I-Is that… What you said, true?”[/color]

[color=orange]“I…”[/color] the Hunter began, his voice adopting a nervousness that Melantha had never heard from him before. He took a deep breath to recover, and then, with a much calmer voice, spoke one word. [color=orange]“Yes.”[/color]

Melantha let out a sigh, lowering her head for a few moments to recollect her thoughts. [color=DE33FF]“I… have been thinking about my place in this world. From the moment I woke up, you’ve been there, by my side, helping me, saving me even.”[/color] Kalmar raised his eyebrows, this time in anticipation rather than shock. [color=DE33FF]“But lately I’ve been thinking that maybe, just like how I will be leaving these two,”[/color] she said and briefly looked at the two Catats below, now having had finished their meal and grooming themselves, before continuing. [color=DE33FF]“Just how I will be leaving these two, I think it is time I also leave your side. I need to expand my horizons and see what the rest of the world has to offer. You said it yourself, I am a goddess. There are no limits to what I can do. I [b]need[/b] to do this… alone.[/color]

Kalmar turned away, his gaze seemingly fixed on a tree. He had exposed himself, and left himself vulnerable, only to be struck in the process. It was not intentional, he knew, but it stung nonetheless. For a long time, there was a tense silence as the God of the Hunt worked through his emotions. He took another deep breath and turned back to face her, his expression once again calm and stoic [color=orange]“I unde-”[/color]

Kalmar’s voice was cut off as Melantha’s lips connected with his. She stayed like that for a long while, an instinct she did not know she had suddenly welling inside her and forcing her to move her body against her will once more. After a few seconds she pulled back, and now in a weaker, fainter voice, told him. [color=DE33FF]“Y-you did not let me finish my sentence. I need to do this, alone, as I said. However, I have, too, also realized that my feelings for you seem to run deeper than a simple friendship… I think we are not ready for this just yet… I still intend to leave, but I will come back, and when I do, I will bring with me an answer.”[/color]

Once again, the shocked expression had returned, mingled with confusion. She had seemingly rejected him, and then went and did [i]this?[/i] A gesture which he didn’t fully understand the purpose behind, but instinctively went along with anyway. Perhaps one of his fellow gods, who were better with words or empathy, might have understood what was happening, but this was completely alien to him.

Then she explained herself, and the Hunter sighed with relief. His hands instinctively sought out hers. [color=orange]“Then go. Do what you need to do. And when it’s done, we’ll meet again,”[/color] he said, offering that small smile of his.

Melantha looked at him in the eyes, returning the smile before slowly extracting herself. She gradually hovered up and away from him, towards the sky, and right before she broke through the jungle canopy she threw one last look at him. Then, Melantha turned around and took off, the brief light from the Lustrous Garden that had peeked through as she shot through the canopy quickly being blocked again by the thick branches and leaves of Kalgrun’s Southern Jungle.

Kalmar flew upward through the canopy as well but followed no further. He remained where he was, his eyes focused on her back as he watched her leave, growing ever smaller in the distance.

Only when she disappeared over the horizon, vanishing from sight, did the Hunter finally turn away.[hr][hr][hider=Summary]
Kalmar continued to teach Melantha the ways of godhood. After running her through most of the basics, he decides it is finally time to teach her to create life, so he takes her to Kalgrun’s southern jungle. There, he asks her to create a species, and she goes ahead and creates the Catats - a cross between a cat and a bat. 

However, there are only two of them, and they are both too young to fend for themselves. Melantha decides to stay with them and teach them to survive on their own, with Kalmar agreeing to help. Melantha assumes a Catat form, presumably to help with the process.

A couple of weeks pass and the catats grow in both size and independence. Eventually, it is time for Melantha to leave them behind. She and Kalmar bond over it, and they both begin to realize that they have formed a connection with each other. 

Just as Kalmar is in the process of confessing this attraction, Melantha blurts out they should part ways, explaining that she needs to experience the world on her own. Kalmar is hurt, but just as he is about to accept her decision, she proceeds to surprise him once again, with a kiss this time. Unable to understand the mixed signals, he is left dumbfounded, but Melantha quickly explains herself further, joking that he did not let her finish what she was going to say.

In the end, she tells him that the feelings are mutual, but that she still intends to have her little solo adventure. She promises him that she will be back and that she will have an answer for him at that time. Kalmar accepts her decision, much more relieved this time, and watches her as she flies away.
[hider=MP SUMMARY]
[b][u]MELANTHA [DARKNESS/OBLIVION][/u][/b]
[u]STARTING MP/FP:[/u] 5 MP & 16 FP
[u]EXPENDITURES:[/u][list]
[*]-3 FP to create species: [b]Catat[/b] ([i]plural[/i] Catats). Sheet TBA.
[*]-1 MP to gain a form: Catat.[/list]
[u]REMAINDERS:[/u][list]
[*]4 MP AND 13 FP[/list]
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