The Glacier, a fanfiction.
as spun by socialPariah
The world had always been this degree of cold, for as long as anyone could remember. It seemed as though the sun had simply gone out, leaving twin moons of magenta and lime to remain up above endlessly. Thus allowing for their now mostly empty planet to simply exist in icy oblivion. Every day is snowed more, covering up already crumbling buildings beneath yet more weight. Leaving straggling entities to attempt to dig out an existence within the wintery world seeking to freeze over, when only straggles of light so dim and faded manage to poke out from clouds which dominated what you could say was "Day." It gave little hope, for Alternia was desolate. Little more of a handful of its citizens remained with flesh upon their bones. Instead corpses buried beneath the flood of snow had become basically carrion for ground dwelling predators to attempt to dig up.
Such scenery made for some spectacular viewing points if you happened to be a tourist who enjoyed the suffering of others. Especially given great deals of water had become solid, the entire ocean nearly so. Naught but the occasional glimmer of bioluminescence from something beneath heralded any life. Must be a lucky few, adapted to swim and breathe beneath the several foot thick ices. At least you could get hypothermia too. So their little adaptations weren't that great.
Thus our story truly did begin with one of those doomed to walk over the eradiated planet. A sea dweller that did not much care for being hot and wet all the time thus forsaking the warming volcanic vents at the bottom of said ocean. Dug through and managed to raise to little more than an empty sky and equally bereft of other sentient living creatures land. What had happened exactly? No one knew entirely for sure but it had been disastrous, most just blamed the sun failing to rise and warm their usually heated planet.
After all being cold of blood meant you needed a good deal of warmth. Alternian culture and existence had not been destroyed entirely per say, just those gifted with knowledge and scientific prowess, along with a good deal of money either went downwards or towards the heavens. But with the mass extinction of troll kind, well the warm ones anyway to be in short supply though the demand was higher still. More so than when they were a common place item, simply wandering the streets. Hopelessness weighing heavy on a work worn back.
Hence now with their near vanishing from existence due to poverty and inability to cope with extreme cold left the once outnumbered high bloods to their own devices. Maniacal science aside as they attempted to remove the unwanted qualities their warmer and typically frailer counterparts possessed.
After all what good was a destructive species they were trying to save, so few numbered but each with a half interesting personality. Generally the cold bloods didn't want much of anything to do with one another thus when they constructed a capital in their planet's dying moments beneath the ocean it was twice the size of the original, easily so making sure everyone had adequate space along with various types of bio-engineering with silt on which to flourish.
But the narrative digresses for our current fascination is rambling to itself, tended to do that now a days with going above ice to meander and otherwise waste time. It wasn't too horribly interesting to be down there. This Aquarius, of pure violet blood was by name of Icantheon Verohkis Ampora the single living descendent of Varamynk Apollon Ampora who had carked it long before the pollution had more or less eliminated anything and everything that breathed up here with the exception of some brutally tough plant life and arctic animals finding themselves with far more space to roam and food to munch on while doing it.
Such a strange planet, once so hospitable /sort of/ with all its pollution, the ebb and flow of civilization was always such. But Icantheon, formally known as The Orphaner of Arkilay longed for the seas to be freed once more. His beloved Deviancy had been wrecked somewhere in the tide storms. Frozen in some unknown land, but steeling himself and pulling a heavy coat closer upon his person with a scowl the lusus-murderer-turned-hunter strode with malevolent intent across the ice. The spikes in his boot heels giving superior grip on the slippery surface, a harpoon of some kind on his back and a weighty rifle balanced across a broad shoulder.
Frigid wind was already slinking across the wispy white world, the sea walker knew his way back and thus moved along towards the ever extending boreal forests. The world was changing for sure but either way that wasn't a concern. His job required fetching caribou carcasses and lichen samples. For meat and study after all, anything to help science he told himself. Paid well enough and of course his habits were supported admirably by the copious fortune he had stowed away, it was the beauty of being a native sea dweller.
An empty cavern whose walls glimmered with azure light now reflected the glint of precious metal and a myriad of stolen gems. Stacked near to the ceiling, guarded by the ever watching eyes of Gracos upon which all was situated around. T'was Icantheon's patron messiah after all, protected more so by the fact that well you had to swim for a good hour or two in a messy group of tunnels in which a normal troll would likely get lost and drown. Fed the fish at least, however the woodland was quite empty this day. No grumbles from great horned beasts, nor did much lichen appear to have grown over yestersweep's bark.
However, all at once there was a great roar. An all too familiar one, which had been followed by a scream alerting, via a fin perk the sea walker to another, as he broke into a run towards it.
The search was ended easily in a partial clearing, a choler-bear, in the Tundra variety of course stood on its hind legs many claw bearing arms raised in a poise of strike. Before it a trembling jade blood stood with something in her arms, he had little time to react with a dull thump, soft green blood was already leaking out over the once pristine ice. The choler-bear however paid little attention as it dragged the carcass away without the merest of thought. An arm splayed out and from it a bundle of cloth was left to…Wiggle?
Upon the deadened ground, what manner of sorcery is this...The Now Hunter did not know, thus proceeding with caution and waiting until there was a good solid trail of jade leading off somewhere, a nudge of his fur lined boots and yet still another wiggle came from the odd bundle of nothing presumably.
But surely curiosity would keep him from straying away yes? That it did for gloved claws curled around the bitsy bunch of fabric picking it up with little effort only to be met with distressed scree. Surely not….But…perhaps, not at all what he was looking for but now Icantheon seemed to have in his possession a grub, wriggler if you will. Of bright yellow eye and twin horns, a pesky creature to some. But opportunity to someone with cunning, it was clearly close to pupating due to the glassy eyes and squishy, soft skin. A little starved but nothing someone of his prowess wouldn't be able to take care of.
Finagling with his coat for a few minutes the Aquarius soon had banded a bit of cording around the cloth protecting the tiny creature and thus could keep it flush and safe against his own self. So long as there wasn't any acrobatics going on, the tiny thing would be just fine. Thus, naturally the hunt proceeded as planned, At least a dozen caribou getting shoved through the rectangular gap in the ice to awaiting transports.
The violet blood however wasn't apt to join them, instead opting to take a little vacation if you will. In his seven or so sweeps of exploring it hadn't been hard to procure the proper materials needed for hive creation. Thus his little base was stashed away in a half cave just barely protected from the crushing snow by the rock. It wasn't a shabby place at all, even though it had taken forever to get everything in one spot.
The scenery was fine by him, the outside decorated by a trail of winter creeper plants hugging and obscuring a door carved of oak and inlaid with some fine glass to allow for some degree of peeking. Within however the cave have been lined properly with glossy wood flooring, the walls covered in brace wood and wall paper put over that, the cave itself providing adequate insulation. Near the back the stone had been dug out to create a fireplace, the likeness of which bore the resemblance of wolves being drowned in the curling tails of seahorses.
This Aquarius had always been an artist with a good deal of skill in crafting things, carpentry it all went hand in hand with being a high blood after all. School fed well and otherwise being considered a skilled gentletroll so no guest would feel unwelcome. Regardless, over the finely polished floors an area rug in the center pointed off to aforementioned hearth where a few pots of varying metal were stacked up.
Outside was a natural freezer thus just below the cave's mouth was a slight indentation he had dug up and sealed to protect some meat from other predators. The real issue had been lugging a brass water heater and very near an entire plumbing system to get it to work right. They had thought he was crazy, ridiculous. After all it worked, using snow, salt water if that's all there was and fire to heat it all. Perfect, the purest form of science in Icantheon's eyes.
By the various gods it worked, the bedding had been another issue, having opted for synthetic foam rather than something stuffed with feathers was a pain to bring here. Let alone creating, over the course of a few weeks and adequate post and support for said bedding gave the place a rather cozy feeling. A duo of chairs with a rose wood table between them seated in what was dubbed the living room/study due to some semi-barren bookshelves looming against the walls, a wardrobe of the same composition however with gilded fleur-de-lis adding some slight character to it.
More or less completed his retreat, well along with a cupboard and a cabinet for storing dryer foods, things in jars, silverware, fancy dishes that shouldn't be up here…..and a veritable degree of liquor and thus the home was known, it took only a few moments to find some dry wood and kindling and soon the whole area was bathed in a cheery orange red glow.
Finally, a little time for relaxation, the grub however was finally freed from captivity and placed oh so very gently on his bed in a nest of blankets to make sure everything was in place. Hopefully a little warmth would lull the squirmy thing to sleep. Of course he did shuffle out to procure some of that meat buried in the snow to just shove it into the burning material to thaw it, after all he had company and surely the little thing would be at least peckish if and when it awoke from this nap. Rather hard not to check on it…
But of course the sea dweller managed to resist the temptation for now, rather opting to rummage through his cupboards and the like to find something relatively decent to snack on. It seemed the only thing found therein was dried meat and a good deal of long dead vegetables. Which had more or less just rotted away into nothing, oops seemed that things did change in here when you weren't around huh Orphy?
Then again when your diet was mostly booze and dry stuff to soak up acid, you have to accept some degree of faultiness especially when you make the clear mistake of bringing something organic and rotting as soon as it was picked away. Pulled from the dirt or hacked, what does it matter now though? Procuring the dried meat and hunting down after several minutes some bottled water considering he /highly/ doubted the poor thing would enjoy something of the alcoholic variety.
However, regardless of all of that he moved right along, back to the fluff. Where the youngling lay without a sound, hopefully it wasn't dead but upon further inspection it was quite clear the poor thing had more or less succumb to shivers and drowsiness. Ah but there were many ways to cure something silly like that! Of course he coaxed it back into the land of awakening, with a gentle rub across that soft, silky body. Reveling in the feeling of forming bone mass, keeping the poor thing supported and not just a chubby puddle. Not that there was anything at all wrong with that, chubby grubs were just fine in the sea walker's eyes considering his own heritage.
All grub stroking aside, he continued to rub and love on the poor thing until it was adequately alert, thus attempting to feed it some of the cured flesh. Much to his surprise it seemed quite happy to use its tiny fangs to gnaw on the tough muscle. Of course the hunter was more than pleased to make sure it was fed, offering little sips of water from time to time. Not wanting to overwhelm its weakened breathing system, it wouldn't be long now before he had a proper youngling. What a spectacular find, though Icantheon did fear that he would likely be unable to leave for good deal of time until the cute creature had developed adequately and could manage its new body. Thus, he was more than happy to simply abandon his post below sea and stay above with the bitsy ward.
After all every wriggler was in need of someone to care for it, especially fresh after pupation when everything was new and they were wobbly like a eve's hatch all over again. Adorable, now originally The Orphaner had never been one to much care for younglings, but he held an unusual want to protect and adore the youngling. Perhaps some rare affliction of the mind had more or less eliminated the majority of the craziness that working in the military had once upon a time instilled with his usually empty thought filled head?
Well, regardless of that as soon as it was fed, the youngling curled back up for yet more sleep as the sea dweller procured himself something to nibble on along with some fruity tasting wine. Hmm, not bad, today was quite successful honestly. He did feel exhausted though, and was quick to pick the poor thing up and hold it close. Laying down and welcoming icy oblivion, after all what good were dreams to a soldier?
None at all however he was awakened to some degree later of slight shifting in his arms and the sweetest chirp one could hope to elicit from the young of all creatures. It was so curious and full of apprehension. Upon managing to finally pry his sleep dredged eyes open, the aquarius stared into the ever luminous eyes of his rescued grub that stared and squee'd so softly in want of food.
Which fortunately the sea walker was quite apt to give to it; after all it had become even softer and would have to eat its body weight or more to have enough energy to pupate properly.
After all a transformation of that scale was rather extreme. Going from a tiny squishy creature to a bipedal proper troll, thus the purple blood proceeded to try and feed the wriggler some meat. This with its dull teeth was a rather difficult task but nobly proceeded gnawing until its jaws were quite sore and it squeaked in some slight misery.
Obviously it was not suited to be a carnivore perhaps instead he should go forth outside, and attempt to find adequate quarry for his young ward. Regardless of the cost, but taking great care in bundling the tiny Gemini up and holding it in place with yet more cord as would very soon become custom simply for fear of worrying what might happen to it if he just left it. After all as The Hunter's gaze swept around his home he began to notice more sharp objects than usual, sheer falls, hot items, heavy furniture and precariously placed decorations. Yes he was looking at you, Mr. Twelve point Keratin Leaping Beast. It had been a long hard fight but the sentient always won in the long run.
Squashing his thoughts of ill omen about his home Icantheon set out with the bitsy one, skittering from that cave into the lovely chill laden waste land that was Alternia now in hopes of procuring some kind of vegetation that the wee wriggler would find more appealing to munch on. He was not exactly indiscriminate when it came to other's eating habits but he did care enough to spend time looking for provisions which would adequately supply the nutrients he knew….well what exactly should it be called?
It struck him there trekking up the slope of a particularly steep ice floe; his newly adopted grub didn't have a name! You can't raise something without giving it a name, simply calling it wriggler wouldn't do and neither would the ever fun "Wee thing" as his own adoptive lusus had referred to him whenever he did something improper. But for this moment, as his claws dug into the ice he looked down upon the frozen watery world with a sigh.
Did he really even want to go back? What they were doing down there was madness, breeding low bloods simply to sustain their habits of servants and living in grandeur they had no idea how to care for. Simply repulsive honestly, a hand ghosted over the grub and was met with a slight wiggle. Clearly it was tired again from all that attempted chewing.
A hmm, of acknowledgment and his dear rifle in claw just in case they were met with one of the vicious predators Boreal Alternia was so famous for. Not fun for anyone involved, especially not who they ended up using as a chew toy. He had saved the hatchling from death once so he wouldn't opt out by leaving it to die in the same manner. With this he took focus on the tree line and hunkered down slowly creeping across the arctic lands keeping within the shade of tall pillars or hills of frost. It was difficult to walk in a crouch like this but it paid off with the ever looming threat up above. The shadow of broad feathered wings slowly glided over the reflective ice as the sea dweller ducked into the protection of a crevasse's conveniently placed over hang.
Of course his bundle of warmth squirmed as he did this, petting it immediately in hopes of deterring any cries of discomfort that might cause that unusually large avian to swoop back and peck their eyes out. Or whatever else might tickle the fancy of such an unusually large creature. Regardless now he crept softly along the banks towards the greenery of the tree line. Arctic vegetation was every bit as edible as the other kind thank you. Anyone who thought otherwise was rather foolish.
Danger entirely out of his mind the Hunter sighs with contentment as he promptly begins digging around in the dirt in hopes of finding something, what we won't know until he finds it. Seems to be rather important, yes there we are! From the snowy terra he produces a turnip like plant growth, mentally congratulating his memory it was put away in the bag he never left behind. Promptly going to dig for more and shooshing the squishy creature in his grasp, don't need a cholerbear about or anything else. Gods forbid some form of the undead, Alternia's moons tended to have unusual effects on once natural creatures, highly unpleasant business.
Try having to take shelter in a trench for a good week or so with rotted beasties trying to claw your liver out. Absolute nonsense, however now this wasn't an issue for the more digging he did in this state of mind the more turnips he found. Along with some unusually…orange looking carrots, weird. Never seen anything like it, they were usually reddish brown but ah well he wasn't complaining this looked to be the remainders of some old troll's garden that some of the plants had survived the frost. Okay maybe that was one reason to go back below, to fetch some terraforming equipment and salvaged seeds so perhaps that melted snow could keep them watered.
The Aquarius nods as he thinks about this, mindlessly petting the wriggler with one set of phalanges as he dug, the tiny being back asleep in minutes due to its want to pupate but they'd have to find a proper wall to do that on. After all no one wants sticky evolution gunk all over the furniture. Or any kind of sticky gunk thank you, that shit was expensive. For now, however he had a decent grouping of vegetation and would very likely be able to keep the bitsy creature fed for a few more days but he did abscond in a great deal of haste due to the unpleasantly familiar howl of Wood creepers in the distance. Nasty lot, fast, sharp teeth, long muzzle, kind of fluffy. Gave Icantheon the shivers.
Anyway trotting back along the frozen over shoreline he found himself pleasantly regarding the brightness cast off by the frigid ground and all the poor fish he could see that got the old flash freeze at the point of Armageddon. But now that wasn't much an issue for the young was writhing once more impatiently so, it wanted clearly to be fed so it could go to sleep for a few weeks and try to adapt into being a bipedal creature. The Aquarius just had to make sure his hive was safe then he could skitter back down below and try to find some garments that would likely fit a youngling. Something nice and yellow for sure, blood coloration and stylish clothing was important and frankly, the violet blood knew how to make both work.
He made it very near to home when the ever unpleasant howls came one again, followed by the pattering of clawed feet. Things would not go well for those wretched beasts if they thought they'd be eating fish and grub this evening. Regardless he hurried along, sounded like a lot of them were present at this not so salubrious party. The door heavy and iron oak was shut, and bolts down as a heavy body threw itself with a rather queasying crack against it. Followed by sniffling and paws clattering against the door, no chance wood creepers, not even in hell.
A fire was started, the chilled being set nearby as The Hunter set about trying to find something of an adequate ilk to create soup from and eventually settled on some bones from the last carcass he had slew today. Marrow was fresh but they were bereft of meat, said muscle tissue had been tied up and was waiting patiently to be cured and or seasoned in a smaller room off to the side of the Aquarius's home. How lovely, it was literally the quaintest little system you could ever want to possess.
By the time the bone had evenly dispersed its gamey taste into the water and turned it a nice bronze hue, the sea dweller had already sliced up the vegetation and rummaging around further in the bag had come into the possession of a sweet potato, interesting when had he picked this up? The memory, for now eludes Icantheon and he shrugs, not his concern it was nudged into the embers below the pot might as well cook it now he did have the appropriate things to make it worth eating for his guest. One did not drink whiskey without a bit of brown cane sugar to wash the god awful after taste out of your maw.
That and well we won't speak of why one would keep a jar of caramel stowed away on a shelf, entirely unopened. He had been saving it for a time to actually use such an item and well now was that time thus another reason to congratulate his pre-planning. For now however, after shoving some raw meat into the bubbling soup and covering it up to spare his sense of smell the….scent. The youngling was busy toddling about on the floor and otherwise being a clumsy creature as most wrigglers were. Settling for making a near buzz like whine after a few minutes of being unable to entertain itself.
Hence immediately, The Orphaner couldn't help but pick the bitsy thing up and pet it once more as they weighted listening to the wood creepers throw themselves uselessly against the door and miserably bark and howl. A completely useless attempt, so this was for about an hour, nothing more except the whimpers of his ward who was very clearly hungry enough to attempt to chew on some dried meat with little success. But rejoice he told the grub bundling it back up and fetching some of the finished product to cool with ever icy breath that could verily match that which dwelled outside. It was not a laborious task feeding a small troll, especially one that wasn't picky.
As soon as it was fed though, on soup and potato which had been surprisingly well received usually younglings didn't care for or want sugar until they pupated for that little bit of extra energy, however upon completion the hazy eyed grub crept slowly away from him and more or less plastered itself to the wall. Feeling highly disturbed by the fact that already it was cocooning, the violet blood looks away simply because such an image would likely unnerve even the most steely of pirate trolls. The task was done soon enough, and he had no complaints with the silvery bundle of silk that had appeared underneath one of the blankets.
Movement stilling as evolution would no doubt begin with the digestion of the original body and using those nutrients and very building blocks. Also called atoms, apparently that knowledge would make anyone feel smart. Recreating a new bipedal form that was a vast improvement over the original, making very sure it was warm and safe he left the fire on a slow burn before retrieving his ever adored rifle and heading to exterminate those wolves.
Unfortunately, upon his return to the oceanic world previously referred to as home, he was immediately caught up in a slew of things that took a /very/ long time to sort through. So long in fact that on the surface something stirred, claws breaking through deconstructing webbing. Soon joined by a duo of yellow eyes that met darkness, it was cold and quite hungry. How upsetting, when one misses the genesis of a new life, sentience had come into being with a quartet of horns, pointed to perfection and properly sharp teeth perfect for tearing meat but vegetables would always be special to something of a particularly warm persuasion.
Thus things were and the Hunter returned in a hurry having placed orders, assassinated a few pests of the new aquatic world order and otherwise done his job. But finding his home in a slight degree of disarray and noise coming from within, thinking it a beast rifle drawn and barging through the unbolted door, he very nearly stepped on a small thin yellow blood who had more or less materialized from nowhere given the cocoon was long gone likely consumed for what nutrients it contained. His stores fortunately weren't wrecked but were missing a good deal of their original contents and well again, there was a hatchling lying on the floor all bundled up and comfortable.
It was picked up immediately, yes this was definitely his wriggler the horns matched perfectly and no two trolls from different lineages would ever have alike horns. It was the perfect identification mark for long lost siblings or impersonators. Never saw a jade blood with spiral horns now have you? Anyway, the poor thing needed a bath that was for sure and thus was run one which woke it up at a rather alarming quickness. Little volts of electricity slithering up the Aquarius's spine, it was relaxing more than anything but regardless it's angry and frankly adorable little chirrs were shushed.
Naturally the Gemini had settled into stubborn but quiet hissing as it was scrubbed off, hatchlings never really did like bath time but no filthy little ruffians were staying in here he told it. Giving one set of horns a little rub and causing a purr, everything appeared to be quite comfortable. Especially given he had acquired some garments for the bitsy creature and they were right on kilter, made one wonder just how the Aquarius could be so unbelievably good at everything doesn't it?
As soon as the unnamed youngling was dried off and set back amongst the bedding he immediately began preparing something else for it to nom on, onion soup, bread and cheese seemed to suit their party for the evening. After all why prepare something fancy that the wriggler probably wouldn't even give a second glance. Simplicity, people that's what we need, it was the best way to keep yourself sane when raising something sentient and capable of being picky.
Fortunately no one could protest his methods an all in all, Bee he decided to call it due to its tendency to make a variety of buzzing noises to display its emotions suited the wriggler very well as did some light yellow garments and a coat which would help one blend in better mostly a pearly white shade that would reflect the sun much like the snow did.
From the day it had mastered the delicate act of walking or running in some cases The Hunter had made it his solemn duty to teach Bee how to well more or less survive out here as civilization now a days had more or less crumbled into a twisted and pathetic version of itself with the Alternian Empire in utter ruin and splinters that did remain were fading fast, willed the freezing weather.
So as Bee grew older he became stronger, adapting to this harsh life with his ever diligent lusus, always loitering over him and keeping a cruel eye on anything that may endanger his youth. Allowing for plenty of training in the various arts of weapons handling and control over the headache inducing but incredibly useful psychic abilities he possessed. Thus this theory was proved as they were gallivanting across the grand ice floes amid the ruins of a once grand Capricorn ruled kingdom, when a not so conveniently placed Crevasse attempted to drop his fishie caretaker into the icicle ridden hell below but unfortunately for it.
The young Gemini had more or less lashed out and yanked the far heavier troll from certain demise with peculiar energies he would soon come to know as Psionics, and the fact that he had been gifted with remarkable power over them. Hence the sea walker was very grateful but knew…that they could never go home together. The Totalitarian way in which this world order operated would most likely have very poor endings. For the gold blood mostly, stripped away from lusus and forced to work hours no developing wriggler should.
Upon recovering from his initial fright of nearly dying and just lying on his stomach, claws digging somewhat into the bank and staring at the gold blood in some degree of confusion, he immediately rises gathering the now three sweep old into his claws and darting off across the snow. They had to move, and now but where? When his eyes swept the horizon, a target then was found.
The Glacier….
The End