STEREO LOVE | weekly task prompt

[Shininglight]

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The valley landscape had been painted a crimson red, the sky darkened under the cloak of night. Only moonlight showed the way through the abandoned battlefield. Bodies of various species dotted the ground, still and quiet, faces twisted in agony and pain. Lost limbs, disfigured and burnt skin, puddles of blood everywhere. Flies and vultures feasted anywhere they could. Most of the corpses were simply canines and felines, making up the main mass of both deceased armies. The occasional bird scout or sly fox spy were mixed in. Quite noticeably, the carcasses of two large dragons lay in the middle, on their respective sides.

Shining awoke with a start. Sunlight peered through the rubble of the abandoned village, marking the middle of the afternoon. The feline had found refuge in some shade, to find a moment's rest. He had been out searching for herbs again. Keep busy, keep moving. A rudimentary practice, second nature at this point. His heart was beating a bit fast. Shine saw Tabitha perched in one of the window openings, keeping a watchful and protective eye over him. She cawed and piped, turning and waiting. Time to go. Back to work.

He rose to his paws, and stretched his limbs and wings for a moment. Shining had been in the medical field since he was a mere apprentice, three and a half years ago. Hard to imagine he had almost been a fighter, a Knight for his birth home. His goal had been to help and defend his friends from the dangers of the world. A bit of a complication had prevented him from becoming a Knight, unfortunately. A complication that had almost rendered him entirely useless. But the medic at the time had offered to train him, to teach him a way to help that didn't involve fighting. And Shining had fallen in love with the practice.

He walked out into the open air, following where Tabitha was leading him. Shine had practiced and worked to become a better healer since day one. A slow process from the start, but determination pushed him to keep going. He learned about herbs, their uses, and where they could be found. He taught himself how to properly treat wounds and injuries, the proper care and treatment to nursing mothers and their children. He figured out how to combat the effects and dangers of nature. And yet his education was still far from over; their was still experimentation with teas and other such remedies to do. Shine could even perhaps mix in herbs with cooking, if he could ever learn to properly make a meal.

But was he really ready to handle the responsibility his new title carried? Shining had done it time and time again. He had carried heavier burdens as a leader. Surely he was normally capable of such a task. But now? In his current state of mind? It was hard for Shine to even take care of himself. Let alone others. A bit strange for the previous Cleric to have promoted him. Hadn't he joined not just a week prior? Wasn't it a bit sudden?

Tabitha had circled overhead, leading Shining to the Starpool. Maybe he wasn't ready. Maybe this new responsibility and work would delay the feline's recovery even longer. Maybe he wouldn't be able to help his clanmates and new friends properly. Shine wasn't the only medic, though; they had a whole team of capable Clerics and Halos. But he'd feel useless next to them, right? Out of place, holding them back. Not ready, not able. He looked up, and found Tabitha giving him a bit of a glare, reading his very thoughts. The feline sighed and fell onto his stomach, shifting his saddened gaze onto the still waters.

But then again, his friend had been right, and he had been stupid. Shine needed to help. Sure, he'd be a bit slow for the time being. But he couldn't let that stop him. It hadn't stopped him at the beginning of his life. He could power through, he could overcome. Have to.

[imperia]

[align=center][div style="width: 51%; text-align: justify; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: georgia;"]Sometimes Imperia feels a little overwhelmed to have been promoted to cleric so suddenly. Sure, she partook in the Halo tryouts; but, to be fair, they were tryouts to be the medic's apprentice, not the medic. While there is no doubt that Peri knows all the information, for she possesses an incredible memory, the she-wolf does not have any sort of field experience. For all she knows, she might forget something important in her anxiety or mix up her facts. The last thing the young creature wants it to permanently harm someone, or worse, kill them simply because she is inexperienced. But Warringkingdoms chose her for a reason. The Maker brought her to the Ascendants for a reason. Peri likes to think that it is because she is destined to do good things.

In the meantime, the petite canine has been learning how to craft pendants. It is a delicate art--one that she is struggling to master. Alas, she will practice until she can practice no more. Imperia wants to triumph over it, she wants to excel. So the girl decides to take a trip down to the starpool and find some shards to practice on. None of the ones that actually would work for pendants, but smaller ones. One that she can practice bending and shaping in the heat of the forge. Not once did Peri ever imagine that she would become a blacksmith.

Silver eyes widen in surprise as they observe Shininglight resting at the edge of the pool. His aura is dark...heavy. "Are you alright?" asks the dainty creature in a soft voice, quietly padding over to join him at the water's edge. Perhaps her fellow cleric is feeling as overwhelmed as she is?

[Shininglight]

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Shining had been on the field more times than he could count. Whether it was simply helping a somewhat injured stranger on the border, or standing by in the midst of a battlefield, the feline had been there and ready to help. He had saved lives, and had watched helplessly as some were too wounded to carry on. Most medics and healers were heartbroken during the latter, but Shining had grown eerily cold, having accepted that herbs and medicine could only do so much. Deaths weren't uncommon in his life.

His friend piped at him, telling him to pay attention. Shining hadn't even noticed Imperia settling beside him, asking how he was. The feline turned his head to look at the wolf. He partially wished he could still read auras. "Struggling... Shoulders heavy," Shine answered, voice quiet. "Questioning. Am I ready? Can't think straight most times. Can barely help. Might make wrong judgement, wrong diagnosis. Mistakes..." He quietly sighed, rubbing his face with one paw. "Not good enough yet? Need time. Better candidates for now. You seem good. Know your stuff?"

[imperia]

[align=center][div style="text-align: justify; width: 55%; font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 0px;"]Although Shininglight's speech is fragmented and oftentimes difficult to understand, the meaning of the male's words is easily comprehended by the young she-wolf. A narrow skull bobs along silently in acknowledgement, either agreeing with or relating to much of her fellow cleric's sentiment. When Imperia participated in the Halo tryouts, she assumed that Warringkingdoms would remain in her position so to teach the winner of the competition more about healing. However, things do not always turn out the way one expects, and Peri found herself not as a Halo, but as a Cleric. Being in charge of the health of an entire clan only a month after fleeing her oppressive father is certainly a drastic change. The girl went from being a worthless coward to being someone people relied on to maintain their health.

Nonetheless, Imperia is thrilled to be recognized for her merits, no matter how daunting the task may be. It is scary not knowing if she can apply her extensive knowledge into real life, but she will do her absolute best to make everyone wrong. The Maker placed her in the Ascendants for a reason. Peri was not promoted on a whim--there is a greater plan in motion. At least, that is what she believes. "I completely understand where you're coming from," says the lovely she-wolf with a tired sigh. She seems to sag beside Shining, apparently comforted by the knowledge that she is not the only one who feels conflicted and is now comfortable to let her body language reflect her true emotions. "Oh, thank you," his compliment makes her blush, even if that was not Shining's intention. "I mean, well, I guess I know a lot about healing. But that is all book knowledge from things I've read or observed." she's rambling now. "I am not entirely sure I can transfer what I know in my head into real life situations but...but I am going to do my best."

An apologetic smile crosses her lips after realizing just how much she has chattered in the last couple of minutes. "I am positive that you will do amazing, too. We just need to support each other."

[HEARTEYES]

[div style="width: 45%; margin: auto; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11px; line-height: 110%; text-align: justify"]This didn't seem like a moment that she should be apart of. The Observer was more or less free of responsibility, at least compared to Shininglight and Imperia. Hearteyes is once again at the Starpool, though this time she's sunning herself near by the pool rather than looking into it. She cracks open an eye at the sound of familiar voices, coming alive almost immediately when she sees the two Clerics standing not far from her. The molly gets to her paws, shaking off the sleep still clinging to the edges of her eyes as she trots closer. "Hello, you two." She purrs just as Imperia's sentence tapers off, tail waving in greeting. She takes her place beside the pair, glancing into the pool before she returns her attention to Shininglight. "I don't know what you're worried about, Shininglight, but what Imperia said about supporting each other, that's definitely, you know, definitely important. If you're doubting yourself, we'll always be here for you!" She meows, flashing the tom a bright smile. She wasn't particularly close to any of her clanmates just yet, but the seeds of loyalty and friendship had been planted, and that meant endless support for anyone who needed it , including Shininglight.