- Turdus merula - 

Large black coloured doe eyes and a piercing gaze swept across the tree covered land. There wasn't a single animal in sight, for it was night and every living creature was tucked away. A cool breeze sauntered by, a soft whistle in the ear. A nearby tree shed some of his fluorescent coloured leaves and some found themselves on the man.

Placed on his head was a small set of dark brown branch shaped horns. An assortment of wild flowers and twigs were entwined in between each horn, given to him by the small birds that sang to him each morning. It was something he became accustomed to after the many centuries he's ventured around the land. It had belonged to him for as long as he could remember, the forest of Viscaria.

After the war and the taking of half the land by Oleander, Delphinium protected one of the last places that was still filled with light and pureness.

He’d encountered many dark creatures trying to destroy the spell he had put over Viscaria, but he had never shown weakness. People thought of him to be blessed with some sort of magic, given to him by their gods. To them, being one of the last of his known kind explained why he was blessed. But to him, those words meant nothing, because he was simply protecting his home. He knew his power was given to him for all the right reasons. It was not to be strong, but to be wise.

He’d been able to uncover many mysteries his ancestors have been asking themselves and proved once again who indeed was one of the most intelligent on the planet Gloxinia.

Regardless of the fact that he had walked around with a large sickle trailing behind him, and that his thoughts were on a never ending process, causing him to seem quite aloof, he was no doubt the kindest creature on this planet.

Every animal that lurked behind the trees and under the rocks knew who was under the soft grey cloak.

From how loosely the cloak hung on his slim build, his sun kissed skin shone brightly when the moon light beamed off of him. The black studs and silver hoops that adorned his ear and face caught the moonlight and created small bursts of light throughout the trees.

He extended out his hand and caught a falling leaf with his long slender fingers, then with a spell, turned the leaf into seeds, which he then tossed back onto the soil.

He brushed off the soil from his black painted nails and continued to walk, his greek laced sandals landing effortlessly on the ground. His medium length hair was tied back with a piece of vine, found growing in his garden. Some strands of black hung down and framed his face, making his jaw line look even sharper.

Delphinium lingered a bit longer, admiring the peacefulness. The trees stretched out their branches, as if trying to embrace the tree beside it. The leaves that flew down onto the soil coated the roots like a blanket. Small critters found themselves a temporary home under the glowing mushrooms.

Once all was tucked under blankets, he started to walk back, a beautiful hum like sound filling each crevice, putting every creature to sleep. It was a sound that shook your bones yet filled your stomach with warmth.

It had taken him years to earn the respects from each and every living creature that resided here, and even more to remember them all. He was the protector of Viscaria and everyone of its creatures. But whispers knew Delphinium as something else: the King.

Being called such a thing never affected him in any way. To him, he was fulfilling his ancestors wishes.

After everything was restored, he whistled quietly into the night.

Shadows danced around the trees as something approached, something large and puffing as it ran. Large hooves hit the ground as it came closer and closer. Once stopped, Delphinium turned and faced the beast. He extended out his hand and ran it down its smooth velvety coat. Then he walked, dragging his hand along its back, letting his nails claw into the skin. The beast shook its head and leaned down, sniffing beneath its hooves. Delphinium reached into his pocket and took out a couple of berries, placing them under the beast's nose. It barely tested them before wolfing them down, then nudged the man in appreciation once it had finished the delicious treat. Its dark brown fur could barely be seen in the night, but its large antlers stood out, as well as the tuft of white on its chest. Multiple white spots ran down its back to its small tail, flicking every so often.

With a strong grip and a mighty push off of the ground, Delphinium found himself on the beast’s back in a matter of seconds. He gripped on with his thighs and sat up tall, looking around him. Delphinium could feel the wind picking up in his bones and he knew he should be on his way. With a short whistle, the beast, Gladiolus, took off into the night and carried his protector home.

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Delphinium’s cabin stood in the very heart of Viscaria. It was a small log home with a wooden door and large windows. Many trees loomed over it and vines covered each exterior wall, almost covering it completely. There was no such thing as electricity in this land, technology was non existent, so instead he used many candles and glowing mushrooms to light the way to his humble abode.

On this particular night, it was as if there was a large drum booming at the front of his door, the floor trembling underneath him. The usual dark and starry night lit up every so often, almost trying to wake up the sleeping valley.

Rows of plants sat atop the windowsill and danced to the rhythm of the beat, the pots and pans following suit.

A small wooden table stood across a sleeping Delphinium, covered in papers and what seemed to be small glass jars filled with all sorts of black powders. Along the walls were shelves with different types of plants and trinkets. From plain daisies and daffodils to a small bird's nest Delphinium found abandoned on the ground the other day. The occasional thump caused certain jars to bump into one another, the sound resonating across the room but managed not to wake Delphinium. For he lay on a small mattress in the corner of the room with a dark coloured blanket flowing over him. His face was relaxed, his hair lying gracefully on the pillow. He let out the faintest of noise as he breathed.

Small mice took that as an invitation and slept under the remaining blanket that lay on the ground. Teasel, a tiny grey mouse that had grown close to Delphinium, climbed up the blanket and over the large mountain-like limbs and over to his shoulder. There, he ruffled up the blanket and curled himself into the warmth.

Delphinium’s eyes darted around the room as the forest became lively in the middle of the night. A pulsating feeling flowing through his veins.

The mice moved aside and watched as he got up and walked towards the window. He placed a firm hand on the cool glass and proceeded to push it open. A large gust of wind burst through the windows that shook the mice and caused some papers to fly across the room. What happened next, Delphinium could not explain. A bright light shot across the sky, letting out the softest hum. He had never heard of such a thing, a song like that.

If it was something that had been residing in his land, he had to bring it back.

Delphinium let out a sharp whistle, then shut the window tightly and walked towards the mice. He extended out his arm and let the mice carefully fill up the palm of his hand while giving them a reassuring smile as he placed them on his pillow.  

Moments later a different kind of noise was heard from the outside, causing each small creature to look at the door. Delphinium swung his cloak over his shoulders and grabbed onto his weapon before opening the door to find Gladiolus waiting.

Just before leaving, he felt a slight tug at his pant leg. He looked down and saw Teasel looking up at him expectantly. He couldn't help himself as he kneeled down and plucked the mouse up from the ground and placing him on his shoulder. He carefully hopped onto Gladiolus and set off for the light.