Information


Manil has a minion!

Minion the Sunrise Spirit




Manil
Legacy Name: Manil


The Custom Galactic Neela
Owner: septemderon

Age: 7 years, 10 months, 3 weeks

Born: May 4th, 2016

Adopted: 7 years, 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Adopted: May 4th, 2016


Pet Spotlight Winner
August 7th, 2018

Statistics


  • Level: 1
     
  • Strength: 23
     
  • Defense: 10
     
  • Speed: 10
     
  • Health: 10
     
  • HP: 10/10
     
  • Intelligence: 12
     
  • Books Read: 12
  • Food Eaten: 0
  • Job: Attendant


Chrome Pointer

Prologue

The forest was softly illuminated by the gentle light of the stars. Among the cozy mosses of the forest floor, a creature was being born - but the great task of bringing new life into the world was becoming more and more difficult for the mother. From a pounding heart and labored breathing, finally, a fawn emerged; but with life comes death, and the mother was not strong enough to survive. The fawn searched for the warm welcome one would expect from a mother, but was greeted by nothing but a still heart. Devastated, the fawn looked to the stars with tears in her eyes.

But soon, the fawn was noticed by a celestial being who was barren, and without the ability to make children of her own. Heartbroken and filled with empathy for the fawn, she entered the earthen realm and claimed the fawn as her own. Together they left Earth and traveled to the Kingdom of Celestials: Zinith. "You are a blessing, my child." The celestial woman pressed her forehead against the soft head of the fawn. "For this reason, you will be named Manil."

Chapter 1

The vibrant colors of Zinith can cause pain to mortal eyes after one fleeting glimpse of the Kingdom of Celestials. It takes discipline and patience to train the senses to accept the essence of color that radiates from every graceful curve of buildings carved from flawless white marble. Two moons float through the heavens in an amethyst sky, their paths touching only once every three centuries. To the trained eye, these are visible even in the light of day. The moods, desires, and even skin patterns of the Celestials are affected by the phases and positions of Lun Maxim and Lun Minim.

Manil quickly grew strong on the Fruits of the Sky provided by her Celestial mother. In a very short time, her body began to change. Soft brown baby fur was replaced with a glimmering indigo coat that showed hints of the constellation patterns. Her hind legs and tail hinted at the rosy light of dawn. On her forehead, a perfectly shaped crescent moon formed and took on a subtle glow that brightened and dimmed with the waxing and waning of the moons.

She came to adore the daring curves that topped the columns in the great hall and the billowing white fabric of the cloud mattress was soft as any meadow grass. She would never fully forget her birth mother or the rolling grassy hills that had once made up her world, but she was young and eager to learn. Her new surroundings allowed her not only to heal her own spirit, but to learn the ways of the healer.

The crescent on her forehead took on a brighter glow when she came upon a creature in need. The Celestials themselves have the power to regenerate their injured flesh but the winged horses, griffins, and pearl dragons they keep for messengers and faithful friends are not so fortunate. The touch of Manil's crescent could heal the most grievous hurt in short order and she had an intuitive knowledge of which herbs would restore lost strength and revive flagging spirits.

Learning the powers of the Celestial Orb was a much greater challenge for one born on another world, even one graced with the favor of one of Zenith's most powerful Celestials. At first, Manil saw only shadows of the past, flickering images that she could not hold in her mind for more than a few seconds. Some of these gave her a sense of well-being, a sign that the memory was one provided by some long-forgotten answer. Most of the visions made no sense at all. She would still do her best to remember the details of these chopped-up bits of memory, reporting all she saw to her beaming mother. She began to dream of the great glass sphere containing all stars and planets of the universe, a sure sign that her powers of observation would increase as she grew.

Her first vision of the present came as quite a shock. Though she stood above the orb and could see the cloud-topped columns of the viewing room, suddenly she was also standing beside the sporting pit, watching two Celestials compete at a game of galactic bowling. She ran to her mother in excitement, revealing the flame-haired Celestial's strike to her mother just before he could arrive and brag. Manil's mother was both delighted and slightly afraid. Future visions would soon be in her daughter's grasp. With such knowledge, even Celestials could sometimes be lured to a distant world in hopes of changing some fate they had seen. A Celestial's mind can make the crossing to any world but the body must never leave Zenith. Manil's passage to the Kingdom of Celestials had been a sort of special exception to the rules; a boon granted to a Celestial incapable of bearing children of her own.

The effort required to hold visions for long would soon exhaust Manil. Her chamber was laid out for ideal comfort and relaxation. The bed was low to the ground to accommodate her long legs and speakers tucked into a hollow column allowed her to enjoy the classical songs of Zenith as often as she wished. By far the best feature of her room was her view of the Zenith Berry Tree growing in her mother's rear garden.

The Zenith Berry is extremely hard to obtain at its peak ripeness but anyone who has tasted the juicy flesh kissed by starlight will swear the trials of harvest are well worth the effort. The Zenith Berry must be plucked from the tree's highest branch at exactly the three-quarters waxing moon. All lower fruits are inferior in taste and those left to ripen too long take on a bitterness few can tolerate. Manil enjoyed looking at the beautiful fruits almost as much as she adored their flavor. In seven years of living among the Celestials, she sampled the Zenith Berry only three times. Most of her attempts to climb the Zenith Tree ended in failure, though she never came to harm.

She learned to expand her search range, allowing her mental net to cast itself over worlds that contrasted her nature. Beings of alien appearance and thought patterns would grant valuable knowledge as well as those to which she felt a certain kinship. She learned to anticipate the fall of nations and the birth of unlikely heroes. Though she could never be sure of the choices a mortal would make, she got quite good at guessing their likely course. For many years, her soft mental voice served as guide and alarm to those that would open their thoughts for an hour, a full night, or even the course of a life. Unlike on mortal planets, the inhabitants of Zenith knew nothing of aging and Death did not dare to skulk in Zenith's pristine white halls.

She was a force of neutrality for many years, taking no sides and feeling nothing when her guidance was ignored or questioned. She only led mortals to the best path. She could not force them to walk it.

Then she met the mate that would change her irreversibly.

Chapter 2

Viewing herds of my own people has always been exciting for me. I love my Sky Mother dearly, but she does not have shoulders at the right height for my head to rest on and she will never truly understand why my blood boils in the spring, calling me to run and roll in the clouds as if they were the softest bed of grass. Only a being of hoof and mane can appreciate the spring madness and the silliness of colts.

I was not truly looking for Vexlor. Or so I thought at first. I was merely interested in a herd that had settled as close to paradise as a mortal creature can reach on one of their imperfect worlds. Grazing was perfect there and almost no predators approached the boundaries of the territory held by generations of neela.

When Death broke the treaty of the universe, the Celestials could only sigh and shake their heads. Much as they pitied the dark confusion caused by the actions of one of Death's soldiers, it is not in their nature to interfere in the affairs of mortals. They may guide the weaker beings of intellect with suggestive thoughts and gentle hints, but only the Great Gods may directly influence the lives of mortals.

Death is not a god. He only pretends to be. While he cannot die in a way mortals would understand, it is possible to defeat his powers. Despite the mayhem and pain he causes, though, one of the First Rules of the Universe forbids even the Great Gods to lure Death away from any one world for more than a day. He is never absent long enough to affect his ever-brewing plots.

Death used treachery to recruit the buck known as Litch, thinking to claim the souls of the entire herd for his ever-growing army - an army very few joined as volunteers, and one from which no discharges were ever issued. Vexlor was no leader. He was meant to fail. He was to be the witless sacrifice in a cosmic power game he'd never asked to play.

I had to do something to aid him. There was something about him...something that attracted me in ways I could not explain.

The map of Egypt took shape by the will of a Celestial who spends her life charting stars. I didn't need much of a bribe to convince my mother's dearest friend to help. Creating artifacts is her hobby. Nothing gives her greater joy than using her time at the orb to view great journeys.

Getting the map was one thing. Finding a way to give it to Vexlor was quite another.

I could not make a full crossing to the physical plane, but surely I could use my will to transfer an object as small and lightweight as a map? For many days I pondered the challenge. I knew it would take weeks to fully recover, but time on Zinith works much differently than on mortal worlds. Putting all my will behind the action, I pushed the map through the fragile boundary between planes as Vexlor slept. When he woke, understanding was with him. He took up the map, not questioning the benevolence that had given him pleasant dreams of when the herd was healthy and whole. For many days he traveled over the harsh desert until he came to a tomb long abandoned.

Understanding could not entirely banish fear as the desert sands began to fold around his body. He thrashed and struggled, fighting the sand that threatened to choke him. I allowed my soft voice to enter his mind for the first time.

"You will earn your herd with your mind, not your brute strength, Vexlor."

My heart leapt when he decided to trust me. He ceased to fight the sands, relaxing and closing his eyes. A few moments later, they opened on the interior of the tomb.

All things are pure and good to eat on Zenith but this is not always true of other worlds. I knew the water was poisonous and would do Vexlor great harm. Though he had found little to drink in days, my silent unease was all the warning he needed to figure out the water was unclean.

Such concerns would soon be beneath him, but I could give no hint of what was to come. He was still too distant from the fate that awaited him. He could still turn away from me.

The tunnel walls were dimly lit, revealing rows of symbols that Vexlor could not understand. I sensed his secret frustration and longing, using these to intensify his desire to reach the end of the tunnel.

He hesitated at the base of the sarcophagus. Inside was the key that would take him to journey's end. I could not let mortal fear take a grip on his mind.

"Death is not the enemy, for he is why you will unearth your greatness. Take from him what he holds."

Within the lost journal are spells of vast power. Vexlor was reluctant to claim this power from the linen-wrapped corpse, but still he was willing to trust in me enough to brave a repulsive task. He held the journal between his hoofs, unsure what to do as the surface grew hot. With a small cry of pain, he let it drop. When the serpent reared its swaying head, though, he was not willing to abandon his prize so easily. He snatched the journal from the sand and bolted for the nearest tunnel opening, coming to a stop when a breath of air from the world above reached him. This was the greatest danger he had yet faced.

"If you give up now, all of your struggle is for nothing. You will give up upon your herd – you will give up upon yourself, Vexlor."

Going against every one of his natural instincts, he once again chose to trust me. I could feel each pained breath rasping in and out of his lungs as he descended. The oxygen levels were dangerously low and the hot magma blood of the earth made the walls glow with furnace heat. Vexlor brought himself to the lip of the hardened black stone jutting over the pool of lava. He knew what must be done. I could sense his excitement...and his great fear.

"You are right, Vexlor, your journey will end here, but first you must recreate yourself. You must enter the lava, and I will protect you. Imagine all that you wish to be, and I will guide you to your aspirations.

Each step he takes is cautious and unsure until one hoof is hovering over the magma's surface. Death is a presence he can sense but not see. I know now what it will take to banish his fear. I must give him my name.

"My name is Manil, I will give you courage."

The lava washes over his body. I can sense his pain transforming to something else as he takes on a new form, shaping stone where fur once grew and taking the healing power of the lava into his veins. I can hear my Celestial mother sobbing at my back but I cannot change the course of my own fate, not when the song of his hot blood calls to me so strongly. His eyes are bleared as they also change. He does not realize right away the difference of my sky-tinted mane against the backdrop of the lava.

"You already hold both strength and wisdom, Vexlor. This is why you are here. You have only scratched the surface of your great abilities."

I touch the tip of my nose to his, forever forming the bond of our mating and entwining our fates for all of eternity.

Chapter 3

Manil stood near enough to Vexlor that their pelts touched. It was a joy to look out on her adoptive herd and see the first two colts that had come into the world despite Death's greatest efforts to claim them. Her healer's wisdom had corrected both breach births without risking the lives of the mothers. All the females of the herd looked to her with great admiration.

Her time would come to give the world a new hero, one that would heal the feud of the brothers and tame Death's ghastly efforts for a good long while. She had seen her young buck in the stars, but the time was not yet right for his coming.

Twilight was always her favorite time. They lay down together at the top of the hill that would give them a view of the entire grazing grounds. Vexlor softly ran his tongue down her back, grooming her and showing his love. She closed her eyes, but only for a moment. She would not miss the appearance of the first few stars for anything.

Though many of her powers had remained in Zenith, she would always have her visions to comfort and guide her. The patterns of starlight shifted ever so subtly in the night, bearing messages that her Celestial mother wished to convey. These spoke of love and great pride and total understanding of the choice Manil had made.

Credits

Overlay by: reddragon1989

Story part1/Prologue: User not found: hare

Story Chapters 1,2 and 3 by: Pureflower

Profile by: Ringo

Pet Button by: Ringo

About

Rank: Herd Female Leader
Mate: Vexlor
Gender: Female
Likes: Healing, Gaining Knowledge, Looking at the stars, and The Zenith berry
Family: Celestial Mother
Languages:Can understand all due to her power allowing her to communicate to others.
Size and Weight: Manil Weighs about 150-180lb depending on where the herd moves to. Length of Manil is about 60 inches from nose to tail. Shoulder height on Manil is about 28 inches.
Ancestors:Closely related to the Northern White Tailed Deer


Job Responsibilities in the Herd

Training:When a young female comes of age Manil takes them out to train. One for the purpose of showing them the way to attract the most suitable male as their mate. When the time comes each female will be given a chance to show what the can give to their male partner and in return the male will protect her.

Teaching: When the young fawns are old enough to be give assigned jobs Manil will teach them the ways of healing for those who are interested. For one lucky fawn who demonstrates courage, kindness, and knowledge he or she will be give the role as the seeker. Manil will train this fawn in the art of visions. So when her time comes to an end the herd will still possess the skill to help them in hard times.

Art

User not found: ursa

cakery

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byNayona

vulpix
Navie
Vexlor

Pet Treasure


Kumos Moon Sticker

Moonstone

Bottled Moon Rock

Twilight Pearl

Small Colcannon Sun Piece

Sun Pearl

Sunset Cloud Nine Beanbag

Sunrise

Sun-Sun

Sun Magic Wand

Sun Light Bulb

Sun Love Sticker

Sun Gem

Gold Crescent Moon Relic

Sun Fruit

Moon Mosaic Tile

Constellation

Duality Sun Mask Beanbag

Duality Moon Mask Beanbag

Meteo

Star Mosaic Tile

Moonstone Telescope

Lovely Moon Charm

Moon Rabbit Beanbag

Cloud Nine Beanbag

Dark Moonrock

Aurora Fox

Star Theater 1000

Blue Galaxy Tights

Lunar Rabbit

Gold Sun Relic

Inverted Galaxy Orb

How to Stargaze

The Tiniest Shooting Star

Starry Night Pram

Strong Armed Bowman Constellation Sticker

Night Sky Deck Box

Night Sky Print Bookmark

Night Sky Fruit

Moonlit Night Mask

The Midnight Watch

Goodnight Sticker

Our Neighbor Atebus

Bottled Night

Bottled Harvest Moon

Old Wizard School Book Tape

Revontuli

Modern Astronomy

Black Hole Sticker

Bottled Moon

Gold Foil Dance Mask

Gold Moon Relic

Moon Charm

Chained Sun Beanbag

Cheery Sun Sticker

Blue Coda Caves Crystal

Yellow Coda Caves Crystal

Black Coda Caves Crystal

Dream Coda Caves Crystal

Pet Friends


Vexlor
Mate

Navie
Best Friend