❦
❦
❦
❦
❦
❦
❦
❦
❦
❦
❝Let the soul leave
before the wind sears
You upon the hollow belly
with its nails so keen
shaped by the volcano’s obsidian
raised drinking glass❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#68228B ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #BF5FFF】
"Phew. If I didn't have the Sight, I'd surely be lost," the young man whistled under his breath with a slight Irish lilt on his syllables. The treasure hunter adjusted the heavy pack on his back to ease the ache and strain in his shoulders. It was filled with his equipment and the other items he required for hygiene and sleeping. He couldn't go without it, so, he just had to support the weight and think of it as a strengthening exercise. Couldn't hurt to build muscle. You never knew when you needed a bit more strength in a fight. The young man was proud of the lean muscle he currently sported and all this trekking had made him quite agile when he needed to be. Like now. Going through a forest wasn't all that easy, especially when it had an incline and though Niall had a pretty good estimation of what would and wouldn't show up, the future wasn't set in stone and something could change.
Today, the treasure hunter was after a Phoenix. They were rare sights but they were magnificent in the sky, darting about like comets and falling stars. Because of their magical healing properties, the Phoenix was quite the sought after prize and this was the first time that Niall had been able to catch one in his vision and pin-point its location. If he turned in the Phoenix, he'd be set for life. He'd never have to go hunting again unless he felt like it. He'd live like a king in his own house and never be bothered with others again. He'd finally have the peace he'd been searching for all of these years.
Niall panted and leaned against a tree to catch his breath. He would need to trek softly from here on out. The bird was nesting somewhere around here and it was in full life which meant it could be quite deadly should he startle it. Burning alive didn't sound all that fun to him. Niall squinted his one good eye, the hue of gleaming amethyst as he searched for the trail he was after. His sightless eye swirled with the mist of the Abyss, ready should Niall need it. The young man ran a hand through his silvery hair to cool himself off just as he spotted the slightly burned tree he was after.
"Aha! There was the sign I was looking for," he murmured. He rolled his shoulders and proceeded on his way and followed the markers that would lead him to the famed bird.
It really wasn't much longer before he spotted it in a nest it had created on top of a bolder at the foot of the mountain. He smiled softly and slowly set his burden down and approached cautiously. He rested one hand on the sheathed sword at his side just out of habit, his heart hammering against his rib-cage like a humming bird's wings. He let out a little whistle then to get the bird's attention.
The Phoenix raised a head from where it had been resting and looked in his direction. It titled its head to the side, its flaming body flickering with sparks, a glowing star within reach. It raised its wings cautiously, ready to fight or flee depending on Niall's next movements.
"Hey pretty birdie. It is okay. I am not going to hurt you," he cooed gently and raised a hand to it, still a good distance away from the bird. "Don't burn me, yeah? I know you aren't a horse, but I have some sugar if you like." He slowly reached into his pocket to produce the sugar cube and offered it up to the creature. The bird flapped its wings and squeaked as it debated. It slowly started to approach him, its brilliant eyes flickering to his face and then back to the sugar. Its feathers behind it amazingly didn't burn the grass beneath it as it majestically glided over the blades. "That's it girl... just a little closer, yeah? You'll let me touch you won't you?"