[center][img]https://i.ibb.co/hWBpf7r/cooltext381472891944913.png[/img][/center]

[hr]

The Falcon promised safety. Community, survival, order. Once, there were many sanctuaries, dedicated to one day returning the Falcon to its former glory. The legends say that each of these sanctuaries were hidden like this one, but that they cooperated and spake with one another across vast distances. Then the world began to tremble and crack, and the Falcon’s nests were lost. Only this nest was known to remain; the learned said the Canon of the Ancestors described their own nest as impenetrable, built to withstand an eternal and constant revival of the Falcon’s strength. It was the heart of the once powerful Falcon, a stone vault nestled deep into the world’s earth, with thousands of eggs from The Land that Was - countless people biding their time in returning the Falcon to its glory. So the stories went. The knowledge to interact with the shells had been lost long ago, and from the outside they appeared all but impenetrable. Over many generations, attempts had been made to open them both by force and by cleverness, but the Falcon’s eggs were unassailable. 

Eventually, the shaking of the earth doused the lights and killed the crops. Though the land above was no better, it was enough to open the nest to keep the eternal watch going, and feed the wardens. Generations passed like this, struggling through cold, heat, upheaval and despair. When the dark times called for rationing and starvation, the gospel of Dr'Anya counseled who would live on, and whom to pair with whom. When there were disagreements, the commandments of the original watchers dictated all actions, to interpret and put into reality by the learned who still could read the ancient symbols. Most of the Canon had been lost when the lights died, but much of what had been lost was retold eternally between the learned.

Ezza was not one of the learned. His life was simple but hard. As one of the most physically able, he was limited to the upper levels, only brought down amidst the great Kollnel's sanctuary when the strange and terrifying creatures from below slipped through the cracks in the foundation and threatened the nest. His eyes were not fit for the holy texts, nor for reading. No, his life was to hunt, scavenge and scrounge whatever meagre gains could be found out in the waste-plains of the broken world. That was why he could never live below. The learned feared the vile blackness of the broken world would cling to Ezza's skin, and follow him into the nest and poison the others. It was a lonesome life, marred by despair. The only salvation were the others, equally banished to the surface to care for the colony. It would all be worth it one day, when the falcon's eggs hatched countless of his kin, and they restored the Falcon to its former glory. He kept that thought close in his mind; it was the only thing that kept him going after seeing the absolute chaos and derelict state of the world.

"Isn't this Kati's knife?" the voice of Mawk, his current hunting partner broke Ezza out of his daze. He glanced over to the blonde and dirty man to see a well-worn half-rusted blade. It looked like one of their makeshift combat blades, crafted by the learned after the Canon's instructions. It had the deep notches of Kati's approximation of her name. Sure enough, it was hers. Ezza looked around further.

"Tracks. Going towards the Great Beast site. Three days, I think," he noted, squatting down to touch at what were clearly human tracks. Preserved by the vast nothing and unpleasant chill.

"If she's gone past the Great Beast then chances are she froze to death," Mawk grunted, sealing the knife away.

"Think the beast bones would be enough to make shelter?"

"For this long? She'd be out of water by now, even if she could stay warm."

Ezra rubbed at his cheek before pulling old fabric back up over his face. "Still, it's what, half a day to the Great Beast. Cutting it close. We owe her to look, right?"

Mawk's face was covered with the rags of a falconet uniform, but even then his grimace was easy to tell. "...Yeah. To hell with Kollnel and his cynicism. He doesn't know what it's like up here."

The two men nodded at each other, and set off towards the bones of the Great Beast in the distance. The land was dark, hostile and prone to violent upheaval, but theirs was a life attuned to such. Each life lost was another life condemned to the surface. They were like a family. Ezza and Mawk wandered through the darkness for hours, spears kept close as they listened for cracking ground, rampant creatures, or falling stone. About halfway to the Great Beast, a mirage seemed to play for the two on the horizon. A splash of green in the midst of the bleak hellscape. Neither of them could make heads nor tails of it, and the two scavengers proceeded towards the strange sight with caution. Tall wooden beams rose from the ground, with vegetation spread around them like bubbles and shields. Thick green ropes twisted around each of the thick wood logs, and slowly crawled along the wasteland in a circle around the green glen, spreading vegetation at a slow but steady pace. Ezza had never seen anything like it. He had seen plants, mushrooms, but nothing on this level. Something took hold of him. A fascinated curiosity, and he hurried deep into the green wonderland to the distant objections of Mawk. To Ezza, it made sense to push deeper into this marvelous new place; surely Kati would have done the same if she had seen it from a distance. It was only logical that they look properly. Bramble, branch and root crumbled and snapped underfoot as he noisily made his way into the dense green land. Around him, he heard the rustle of life and saw hints of animals dancing away from his loud advance into the safety of the trees.

Then, all at once, the brambles and branches ended, and his foot hit soft moss that squished under his hunter garb. The centre of the green mirage was a large clearing, where a bubbling brook of brown transparent water poured away into unknown parts of the forest. Something moved, and Ezza stared straight ahead. A shape clad in a cape of moss, vines and tattered fabric shifted in place, raising pale arms towards their head - upon which was a skull not unlike that of the creatures they'd hunt, with great antlers stretching the sky. The skull shifted, proving to be naught more than a mask, and the humanoid lowered it off their head slowly. Blonde, stripy hair cascaded freely, and as the pale figure turned to glance at him, Ezza felt confusion bubble up inside him. Her pale face was familiar, but her eyes followed him with an expectant, almost predatory glance.

A rapid crack of branches followed as Mawk pushed through the green, and appeared beside Ezza, short of breath. He took one look at the pale woman in overgrown rags and burst out in disbelief. "Kati? What has happened to you? Where have you been?"

The woman looked at him instead, and moved her lips briefly. As if mimicking his method, practicing speech. Then, she responded. [color=olivedrab]"I'm unfamiliar with that name. Are you looking for someone?"[/color]

Mawk began to protest, but Ezza raised his hand to his comrade's chest. There was a distinct likeness, but something was wrong. She was too tall, her features were slightly different - more regal. And she was more athletic, judging by her arms. Ezza took the opportunity to interject instead. "Who are you?"

The woman put the stagskull helmet aside on a rock beside her, and instead lifted a gnarled wooden circlet with brambles and small vines twisting around it. Neatly and with faux elegance she nestled it upon her hair, allowing them both a curt, thin smile. [color=olivedrab]"My name is Yaerna. I am the Queen of Thorns."[/color]

"The queen of thorns?" Ezza replied, wracking his brain. It was some manner of title, but he didn't know any title like that. Only the titles of the holy came to him, like Sarjent and Majer. "What does that… entail? How long have you been here?" He chanced eventually.

The woman gently righted her wooden crown before extending a hand out towards the green. [color=olivedrab]"I rule over my demesne, as any queen would. I have always been here. Ruling my territory."[/color]

"That's a lie," Mawk interjected swiftly, holding up his spear. "I come this way often, and this is new. You are on Falcon land. Your 'rule' threatens the nest."

[color=olivedrab]"Falcon land? Curious,"[/color] the woman professed in turn, and extended her arms. With but a feather taken from her tattered clothes, a bird winked into existence, flapping and spreading its wings as it settled on her arm. Though they had never seen one live before, there was no mistaking it, it was a falcon. [color=olivedrab]"You misunderstand my words, noble protectors. My demesne is not limited to this patch. It extends beyond what your eyes could ever see. Deals in notions beyond your understanding. I rule the falcon, and the falcon rules the skies."[/color]

Ezza stood amazed, but Mawk seemed to take the act of miracle as a threat and launched into the clearing towards the mystical woman, his weapon raised. She waved her hand, and his hardwood spear twisted and turned slack, before releasing a sharp hiss that caused him to drop it. His spear slithered away, now a six-foot long snake with a speartip shape for a head. Ezza dropped his own spear before the same fate befell him.

[color=olivedrab]"Young man, you are in the court of your better. You can kneel and introduce yourself properly, or you can suffer the consequences."[/color] the woman professed with curt tone, never quite losing her temper but appearing displeased all the same. Mawk looked dumbfounded, so Ezza took the chance to step in beside and kneel down properly. He waved for Mawk to do the same, and the man relented eventually, though kept his eyes on the alleged queen.

"I am Ezza of the Falcon," Ezza offered briefly.

"Mawk of the Falcon," his companion intoned gruffly.

"We are hunters for the nest. The others rely on us for food and safety. We watch, and wait for the day of return. We do not mean you harm, Queen of Thorns, but ah, you bear a likeness to one of our own.." Ezza explained further, hoping this meagre explanation would avoid more of whatever witchcraft she held power over.

[color=olivedrab]"Hm. Protecting the roost, then? An admirable but defeatist goal. A bird of prey that sits idle waits only for death. Spread your wings. If you pledge yourself true hunters like your namesake, I shall teach you what it means to truly live as a hunter."[/color]

Possibilities rang through Ezza's mind, as he tried to decipher what she meant. "We… we cannot do such without the word from our leader, Kollnel. We do not make the rules."

The woman scoffed. [color=olivedrab]"Disappointing. Very well,"[/color] she pressed out between thin lips before reaching out with an arm towards them, holding out the large bird of prey for them. Mawk stared in disbelief, but eventually lifted his own arm and the live falcon scooted over to his arm. [color=olivedrab]"Give my regards to your leader, then. Do not return unless you wish to join the hunt, and lead a life truly free."[/color]

Ezza stood up, just in time to feel something constricting his feet. Mawk cried out beside him, and Ezza looked down to see the moss and vines below rising to swallow them both whole, encircling them and the bird alike with breakneck speed. Ezza barely had time to struggle before it covered his chest, his eyes, his mouth. It was dark. Misty. Cold. Like a forced, unpleasant dream where nothing would ever change. And just as swiftly, he found himself on the hard dirt of the wasteland. He gasped for air and stumbled to his feet, and quickly turned to see Mawk do the same. His companion flailed his arm to brush himself down, and as soon as he lifted it, the brown and white falcon descended elegantly from above to sit back down on Mawk's arm. Ezza looked around and saw the green snarl of forest grow behind them. The vines on the ground just about reached them, as they continued to slowly tunnel forward. Still, the forest of green seemed larger than before.

The two men stared at each other for a long while, and the bird, before silently moving back towards their nest in the mountain. Confused, tired, and a little battered, they looked anxiously back towards the green oasis of tree and vine, and it seemed to follow them ever so slightly as it expanded behind them.

[hr]

[Hider=Summary]
A group of mountain dwelling humans have established a crude society based on their last task as government employees prior to the apocalypse - guarding a vault of countless citizens put into stasis to weather the storm. Over time, their mission has degraded into a crude culture, but they're still trying, the cuties.

We meet Ezza and Mawk, two cool no-nonsense video game protagonists out on a hunt. They find traces of another lost colonist, and go to find her. What they find instead is Yaerna! Suspicious if you ask me. She is like putting forest and stuff into the wasteland, and does some silly tricks to awe the dumb humans. When they tell her they can't immediately join her cool gang, she gives them the bird (literally) and kicks them out of her treehouse. They go back to their mountain bunker to tattle about the new goddess on the block.[/hider]