Esk Tales {TWWM-ARPG Writings Collection}

Majanthi Prompt #1- Hotbed

Hotbed
- Wanderer Prompt -
{Majanthi #1}

.:+:.

There was so much life here, so much vibrancy and energy. She could feel it all around, thrumming up through the sand and dirt below, twisting and humming along with the warm, dry wind that remained a near constant over this land. She could feel the presence of so many unseen eyes and creatures hidden in the brittle brush, tucked away between the rocks and peeking out from their alcoves in tall, looming towers of cacti and scraggy tree.

Few would ever know it, or sense it either, she knew. So, so many (and much too many) would only ever see this dusty, hot and stark landscape as empty, barren, and bereft of near anything even remotely resembling energy and life. They would never be aware of those unseen eyes, or of the hundreds and thousands of beating hearts tucked away in the shadows and the far corners. And fewer still would ever feel the energy of the land and the place, experience it humming inside of their hearts and heads and their very souls. So many would write it all off, and label it as nothing but dead and desolate. A sun-scorched, parched place not suitable for any living thing, and knowing only hardship and want, and suffering under the unforgiving sun and the stale air. A place where hundreds of miles all around there was not a drop of water to be found, and the plants were seemingly near as dry as the sand. A place where nothing could live, or would ever wish to.... but oh, how wrong they would all be.

Majanthi was aware of these misconceptions so many had about these lands, and what others considered this place- her home- to be. Something that was nothing but sheer emptiness and dead, unlivable and harsh and deadly too..... She knew what they thought, and perhaps in some respects they had a point- but the disdain so many had for this place, she would never really understand. And she certainly would never understand how ignorant they could be to what the most sun-baked places on earth were really like.

How could so many be so blind? How could they not see the tiny creatures darting among the sand, scurrying constantly like shadows over water? How could they be deaf to the constant rustle among the brittle stalks of plants, and the tumble of stone disturbed by those moving among them? Or the melody born of the wind washing over the land, weaving through every canyon, every boulder and every dune? Or the way the cacti and the plants seemed to move and dance, their arms and body's so immovable, and yet always moving?

This place was so far away from everything, tucked away in the furthest reaches of the desert and surrounded by deep, vast canyons on near all sides. It remained separated from both man and sea, and distant forests and mountains filled in green. It was so detached it was a planet of it's own, untouched and solitary and untainted by anything at all. The creatures living here knew nothing of the rest of the world outside their own, and it sat here so pure and strong, a true hotbed of spiritual energy and power of the like Majanthi had felt few times else in other sections of the world.

In the center of this little corner of the world was a single, large, and incredibly clear pool of water that was fed by a multitude of little underground streams born from the canyons all around. This pool wasn't large by any means, but it was constant, and it seemed to act as a vacuum for the energy and the lost souls and memories dotted across the landscape. Wisps of thought, shards of forgotten lives, and so many other fleeting things seemed to be gently pulled in by the trickle of water unseen far, far below- and all of it ended up here. Settling into the depths of this one solitary pool, and bringing with them a sort of power and strength that was absolutely awing. The pool itself would seem almost a tiny, nearly unimpressive thing- but small as it may be, it fed everything living here to the exact amount that was needed to remain strong and healthy and alive. And it gave off a sense soothing, constant pressure and energy that ignited a sense of harmony and healing that was both soothing, as well as euphoric at times.

Majanthi stopped at the edge of the pool, her reflection dark and looming on the water's surface, and the many trinkets and tokens of feathers and stones and other things warping slightly as the water rippled. The image of the wisps of incense billowing up from her back seemed to merge with the water itself, the mostly stagnant pool suddenly erupting in tiny, gentle waves and currents, guiding and manipulating the image of the smoke to form a landscape of swirling, muddied grey and blue.

This place was full of life yes, but it was also full of calm and tranquility and healing too. The waters carried thoughts of ill-will and pain from all around, and memories of the most terrible, festering kind of malevolence and anger.... but their slow journey down the length of the streams seemed to strip all of the negative away, and by the time they settled in with the pool, there was nothing but peace and calm and acceptance. All of which seeped into the plants and the animals the pool provided sustenance too, and soaked into the very heart of the land, creating that hotbed of deep, thrumming spiritual energy.

Majanthi bent her head, the end of her muzzle touching lightly against the cool surface of the pool, the ripples washing away the painting made of current and smoke near instantly. She could sense echoes of old souls, hear the murmur of voices and disjointed memories whispering louder as the surface was disrupted.... feel a wash of cool and tranquil energy and healing wafting upward and running through her fur and mane.

This was one of the few places she found herself coming back to over and over again, and she rather enjoyed every visit she made here- even as short as they always were. She didn't have much time to spend being idle, there was ever much to do, and too many pests and ill-wills to try and temper in her domain... but she always found just a little bit of time to come here, and to bask in the pleasant pulsing energy of this place, and feel her own soul resonate along with it.
She pulled back, the water settling again and the small upsurge in energy from the pool fading as it became smooth and clear once more. She remained for a moment, staring into her own reflection on the water's surface and nearly losing herself in it's depths.... before the tiny patter of feet off to her right caught her attention, and she turned slowly to see a little kangaroo rat perched near her foot, it's dark eyes peering up at her curiously. She bent her head to the small creature, the rodent giving her muzzle a tentative sniff, before it hopped up onto her nose, it's small claws pricking slightly through her fur. It moved further and into her mane, using the tendrils of fur and other trinkets for leverage as it climbed. The small creature found a comfortable place on the ridge of her shoulders and between the pillars of palo santo, burying in a bit. Majanthi straightened up slightly only after waiting patiently for it to settle, before she began to pad away from the water's edge and sidetracked only slightly to stop in front of a small pile of stones stacked not far from the water's edge. She lift a foot, light flashing dimly under the heat of the sun overhead as a smooth, polished, olive-green stone appeared in air before her. She shifted her foot forward, the stone lighting gently down onto the pile, and she adjusted it in place to sit securely on the top.

A parting gift for this place so dear in her heart, and one of many she had left sprinkled around on every visit.... a little bit she gave back, since most every time she came here, she gathered a number of animals looking to accompany her to her next destination- such as that little fellow settled on her back now.

She gave the stone one last look from behind the curtain of her mane, before stepping back entirely and beginning to walk slowly back up the rise away from the pool, and onto the next duty to be fulfilled. She was aware of a few other creatures peeking from their holes as she went by, with a few more beginning to follow her trail out. A little entourage of critters ranging from mice to birds, to even a few rabbits and lizards- all of them completely at ease as they followed the loping Wanderer away from the pool, and away from their little oasis in the deep desert.

Majanthi would come back as soon as she could, leaving another little gift, picking up another few little companions... but perhaps next time she came she'd earn another follower a little bit different than the mice, and rabbits, and the birds, and all the other animals that called this place home. Or perhaps even next time she came, she would bring with her someone who was new to this special place, and could share it's pleasant energy and atmosphere along with her.

Only time would tell

.:+:.

Art To:
https://www.deviantart.com/1ore/art/Pueblo-807095614