Featuring Bean(?)

   The muggy, summer air resembled something closer to soup than something that one should breathe, but Soon neither noticed nor felt the heat.  In fact, they didn’t notice a lot of things. They did notice, however, the insects that flitted above the still, sparkling pool they laid next to.  The fat bodies of bumblebees hummed as they trundled from flower to flower. Their furred legs becoming speckled with dusty pollen. Water skeeters, with their long delicate legs, hovered with impossible grace atop the water’s glassy surface before zipping to a new location.

    Soon watched quietly and allowed just enough of the sunlight to gently warm his fur.  Though they did not need rest, they felt lazy lounging in the sun. They did not have anywhere they were required to be, but then again they never did.   They sought purpose and direction when they wanted, and simply existed when they did not feel the itching desire to explore or have things to do for the black cloud.  The name eluded them for a moment. Ikkit, yes, the one who always had the most exciting ideas and adventures. Soon felt honored to be occasionally included in their escapades.

    The rotund esk, in their musings about the one who created him, failed to notice the shifting of the environment.  A blurry transition into somewhere similar, but vastly different altogether. A place where only beings like them could exist in. They recognized it, but they still were not entirely certain how exactly they ended up here when they did.  Despite their age, some mechanics of this life still baffled them. Nevertheless, they were not unhappy to be here. The conservatory filled a piece of their soul nowhere else adequately could.

    The sun here was not quite as hot, but light still gleamed through the sprawling glass ceiling that encompassed this realm.  The pond that they had been idling beside had been replaced with a bubbling brook. The water clearly reflected their unblinking wide eyed expression as they dipped two chubby paws within its depths.

    They felt a gentle pull within their core. A subtle urging to another place somewhere else.  Soon dutifully heeded the call and drifted deeper within the greenery. Overhanging leaves gently brushed their shoulders, and the dense carpet of grass tickled their toes.  The conservatory’s beauty never failed to impress them.

    Welcome, my child, a voice, like warm honey in hot tea, filled their mind.  Soon had heard it a few times before when they came here but had few conversations with this particular esk. Intense black eyes greeted them, but they were not cold but open and inviting.  They beckoned Soon closer to the clearing they resided in. A brilliant meadow dotted with vibrant wildflowers. They were mammoth in size and towered over Soon’s overly round, feline form, but Soon did not feel any fear.

    Soon conjured the stories they’d heard of this esk, the Nameless, they think they were called.  A bit of an oxymoron. They gathered tidbits of information they remembered. Snippets of other esks calling them comforting, endearing terms.  Ones that meant personal significance, as if they were part of their family. It was not quite accurate, but it would do. Soon presented this to the Nameless in the form of, what they hoped, was a question of what they should call them.

    The Nameless’ massive head gave a slight tilt. Eyes, older than time, crinkled with affection as they considered the esk before them and what they appeared to be asking.

    Any, Nameless responded after consideration.  Soon pondered this since they were not adept with assigning words or terms to things. They remembered some had said that Nameless was ancient, older than Soon, and even Soon’s own creator Ikkit.  They had said Nameless was the one who gave rise to this part of the world. They were the founder of this realm. Founder. The founder.  The term stumbled from Soon’s mind, and they presented these to Nameless.

    That will do, they said, happiness rising at the name Soon had associated with them.  Soon trilled, joyful that they had done this process correctly. The founder crossed their long forelegs, and their demeanor transitioned to a more serious inquisition.

    There’s something I need for you to do, The founder propositioned.  Soon understood that something was being asked of them.  Their whiskers twitched with curiosity as they beckoned to hear more of what was needed of them.

    There’s another here who needs help, the founder offered the feeling of guidance, of being a leader, and of helping with this statement. Soon deeply appreciated the communication of feelings, as they understood those much more than concrete words. They responded with a sweeping view of the conservatory as they searched for an unknown face.

    Whom? They asked the great esk who was asking even greater things of them.  The founder guided them to a vibrant spring. One that was not crisp and clear, but one that was hot and angry.  A white esk with a great mane and thick, tufted fur, boiled within the center of the puddle. Red and orange drifted upwards from their pale fur. Their black eyes were almost hidden within their dark face, and their gaze was simply blank. Soon saw a deep hollowness within the gaze that just emptitly stared ahead of them.  There’s a certain eeriness to a soul that has been lost again.

    Yes, the founder agreed, nodding gravely.  They affirmed the ideas that Soon gathered from them.  A tinge of sadness echoing in the founder as they continued, there are others like them.  The founder showed them another esk, but they were not here in the conservatory. Instead, the founder swept them away to the great plains with their unfathomable distances.  A sky that was almost bigger than the one in the conservatory. The esk tore across the open hills on frenzied legs. They ran toward an undefined horizon as if trying to seek something they desperately could not find.  

    They are similar, the founder said, showing Soon a similar hollow gaze within this other unknown esk.  The vision faded, and Soon saw the conservatory’s surroundings return. The founder looked at him gravely, I must protect my children. But I cannot leave here.  Their form flickered to convey the weakness that always accompanied time.

    Soon lifted themselves to stronger feet.  The image of the white esk emblazoned on the front of their mind. A sense of determination etched within the edges.  The founder nodded,

    Thank you, they said. Soon turned from the clearing and bounded forward in this newly designated adventure.