#was this also inspired by Ager (Uldren) and Rega (Mara)? yes 🙃

[themetalmenace]

OOC: this story is based on the selkie / sky-maiden literary motif, "The Cowherd and Weaver Girl" myth, and a book of the same name, but is entirely my own

"Once upon a time, when magic was abundant and kings and queens still ruled the world, there lived a great number of extraordinary creatures. One of these was the beautiful Star-fisher, who soared the sky every night in search of stardust to weave.

One summer night, a king looked out to see the Star-fisher crossing over his domain, chasing a particularly bright shooting star through nearby constellations. Fascinated by the sight, he rode into the dark, hoping to catch up to the bird and convince it to stay within the boundaries of his kingdom. 'After all,' he reasoned, 'my lands are the largest and have the brightest stars, and I can offer protection from hunters and storms.'

As he approached the place where it landed to rest, he was stunned to see - not an iridescent bird - but a beautiful lady folding a cloak full of stars and humming the most beautiful song he had ever heard. Overcome with selfishness, he waited for her to turn away before stealing the cloak and hiding it in the nearby bushes. Then he spoke.

'Dearest Star-fisher, I could not help but notice how desperately you chase after the stars. Why do you pursue something you can never obtain? Stay with me, and I will give you anything your heart desires. I will protect you from storms and hunters, and help you find a purpose that would truly fulfill you.'

The starfisher shook her head. 'It is my nature to chase the stars. You seem like a good man, but I cannot do as you ask. Where is my cloak? If you have it, please return it to me at once.'

But the king continued to plead: 'The world is a dangerous place. Stay a year, and if you are not happy, I will return your cloak to you at the end of it.'

Secretly glad for someone who cared, the Star-fisher relented and followed him to his palace. They passed the days in a quiet fondness, each learning new things from the other. But as time passed, she began to fret, eager to return to the stars she knew and loved.

'Lend me my cloak,' she begged the king. 'I will stay close to your palace, and do whatever else you ask in the name of our love. But please, let me return to the stars, even for a little while.'

The king refused in his own subtle way. 'It is too dangerous for you at the moment. I will return it to you on your birthday, and you can go then.'

And so it went, year after long year. Eventually the king left for a distant campaign, and it was then the Star-fisher took matters into her own hands. 'I must fly again,' she told herself. 'Then he will remember who I am and love me as he once did.'

She searched the castle high and low, eager to put her plan into motion. But the king was too clever, even in his absence, and as twilight fell upon the kingdom, she had still failed to locate it and began to despair. 'I will never find it!' she cried. 'I will never prove myself, and I will never see my beloved stars again either!'

As if on cue, a beam of moonlight pierced the gloom, revealing the starlit cloak hidden among the eaves. Forgetting her plan entirely, the Star-fisher sprang to her feet and wrapped herself in her cloak: singing, singing, singing as she flew to gather stardust once more..."

In most endings, the Star-fisher never returns. It is the human king who is holding onto what he can't have, not the other way around. But in a few - more hopeful - endings, the king begs forgiveness and she agrees to visit him on the day of the new year, in honor of their love.

Hello~ I just wanted to pop in and introduce myself. I'm Sera, it's nice to meet you!

Oh! Hello! You seem familiar, do you visit Crow a lot? I feel like I've seen you around.

Or maybe you're one of Avraam's new friends..? Avraam seems to be making quite a few friends since becoming a Guardian, and you are- *tilts head* also a Warlock, yes?

"Birds of a feather flock together." Heheh.