Information
Orion the Constellation
Flier
Legacy Name: Flier
The Scribble Sheeta
Owner: Flier
Age: 8 years, 9 months, 6 days
Born: June 22nd, 2015
Adopted: 8 years, 9 months, 6 days ago
Adopted: June 22nd, 2015
Statistics
- Level: 5
- Strength: 12
- Defense: 12
- Speed: 10
- Health: 10
- HP: 10/10
- Intelligence: 2
- Books Read: 2
- Food Eaten: 0
- Job: Stock Worker
The twilight of sheetas grazed the scrubby grass of the Sacred Lands, enjoying the cool of evening as the excitable shetlings frisked around the legs of their mothers. They dashed forward to greet friends from the next cave over, thrilled to be rid of the sun's heat at last and free to play.
Flier flicked his tail at Barley and Fleet to get their attention, nodding his head in the direction of old Scruff. As one of the elders of the herd, he was responsible for keeping an eye on the wider desert, alerting his family to any possible threats. He did not notice Flier creeping up on his flank until the shetling leaped into the air with a blat that could set a tigrean running for its life.
Scruff started, turning on Flier with a snort of annoyance as the other shetlings struggled to keep their faces blank. Despite his name, Scruff was a good-natured short. He gave his horns a shake and bellowed a war cry, ruining the effect by waggling his ears until all three shetlings were rolling on the ground with helpless laughter.
His friends looked to Flier as the inventive one, always capable of finding something new and exciting to do. At least, until the stars came out. Barley and Fleet exchanged an exasperated look as Flier's eyes once again turned up to the sky.
"Someday I'll touch the stars." He held up a hoof to trace the pattern of Orion, the first constellation he always looked for.
Barley rolled his eyes and gave Fleet a prod with his hoof. "Tag, you're it!"
Fleet charged after Barley with a cry of "Unfair! I was it last time."
They did not bother asking Flier to join in. Once he got a view of the stars, he was nearly as distant as those tiny balls of light.
His obsession had started with a birthday present. His father had gotten the Guide to Constellations from a book vendor on his annual trip to trade sheeta wool for the soft moss the wild sheetas loved to use for bedding. They could just as well sleep on the sand but had long ago discovered that bits of moss are much less unpleasant to groom from one's fur.
Flier could not put the book down. He sat up nearly the whole day while his family slept just a few feet away. He had never given much thought to a wider universe but from that moment on it was all he could think about. He wanted so badly to feel the warmth of a star between his hooves. He began to dream of flying in outer space, free of the bothersome weight of a space suit. He would touch every star in the galaxy and leave an imprint of his own shape in the sky.
Orion was the very first constellation he was able to trace. The star cluster was like an old friend he could always rely on to be there, no matter the season.
Flier's brothers and sisters were content to laze in bed from the time the sun rose to the brink of evening but he simply couldn't lie still that long. By mid afternoon he was wide awake and terribly bored. He read through the third chapter of the Guide for the seventh time. (Charting a Path to the Stars: A Guide to the Twelve Great Constellation Clusters.) The sun continued its painfully slow journey west. Flier peered into the other nests to reassure himself he was the only one up before picking up the treasure he kept on the stone shelf above his bed. It was a small glass bottle which contained a small model of a flying ship.
The elders had all had a turn looking at the toy, baffled at how that hovering thing could have ever been fit inside the bottle with all those delicate fin-wings sticking every which way. Flier loved to pretend he was the Captain of that ship, shouting orders to the crew below as they sailed into the sky. He had tried to build a larger ship once but palm fronds would never hold up in the depths of space.
He was daydreaming about the stars when his parents woke at last. They would not let the shetlings go outside without a good meal. Wild grass was fine for a full-grown sheeta but the young ones would make straight for patches of sweetgrass and ruin their dinner. Mom and Dad insisted the four youngsters take a seat.
Flier made a face of disgust as his mother ladled ground beetles over his salad. He did his best to sneak bits under the table when he thought nobody was looking. His father caught him in the act, giving him a new scoop and forbidding him to leave the table until he'd eaten every wing and thorax.
His parents shook their heads when he'd choked down the last mouthful with a gag. Some shetlings took longer to develop good taste. They would see to it their son got his nutritional requirements, whether he liked it or not.
Flier took off running the moment his hooves touched the sand. He built up speed until the desert wind was whipping his fur back. He was convinced that if he could just reach the right running pace, he would hover and finally take flight. There had to be a way to reach the stars. Every night he made this run, clinging to the stubborn optimism of youth that this time it would work. He would fly!
Story by Pureflower
*Huge thank yous to Lexx for the story and TC positioning code,
and to Maruun for the TC item positioning code!
*X by Oshawott
*X by User not found: kusher
*Sheeta Subetapedia Article
*Starry Background (1), Ship Silhouette, Scroll Border, Various Brushes/Image Editor
Pet Treasure
Starry Vesnali Egg
Starry Vesnali Egg
Starry Vesnali Egg
Starry Vesnali Egg
Starry Vesnali Egg
Starry Vesnali Egg
Starry Vesnali Egg
Starry Vesnali Egg
Star Fruit
Guide to Constellations
Stars
Star Chart
Starlight Telescope
Nugget of Night Sky
Night Sky Flower
Star Fruit
Star Fruit
Star Projector
The Tiniest Shooting Star
Ship in a Bottle
Regal Creme Captains Coat
Lightning Bug Plushie
Fallen Stars
Star Fruit
Star Fruit
Pixie Star Necklace
Star-Charmed Anklet
Star Hoop Earrings
Star Earrings
Golden Starlight Hairclip
Bottled Star
Star Fruit
Star Fruit
Luminaire Star
Sugar Coated Lemon Star
Gold Star Sticker
Bronze Star Sticker
Yellow Star Ornament
Star Pin
Star Fruit
Star Fruit
Star Snow Globe
Jolly Star Sticker
Starguardian
Cutesy Shooting Star Sticker
Shooting Star
Colorful Star Balloons
Star Fruit
Star Fruit
Red Telescope
Blue Telescope
Purple Telescope
Brown Telescope
Telescope
Watchers Telescope
Star Fruit
Star Fruit
Black Star Balloon
Gray 2011 Star Balloon
Red 2011 Star Balloon
Red Star Balloon
Orange Star Balloon
Orange 2011 Star Balloon
Star Fruit
Star Fruit
Yellow 2011 Star Balloon
Yellow Star Balloon
Green Star Balloon
Green 2011 Star Balloon
Blue 2011 Star Balloon
Blue Star Balloon
Star Fruit
Star Fruit
Purple Star Balloon
Purple 2011 Star Balloon
Pink 2011 Star Balloon
Pink Star Balloon
White Star Balloon
White 2011 Star Balloon
Star Fruit
Starry Vesnali Egg
Starry Vesnali Egg
Starry Vesnali Egg
Starry Vesnali Egg
Starry Vesnali Egg
Starry Vesnali Egg
Starry Vesnali Egg
Starry Vesnali Egg