The Silent Ones

The myth of the Winter Teal'Jin is well known in the west of the archipelago:

A gigantic, elegant beast with mysterious teal eyes and crowned with a gorgeous pair of golden antlers walks on silent paws around the woods during the Birthing month foretelling the coming of the summer. His sneaky, shadowy silhouette attracts the glances of everyone that sees him, and amidst the rising of the archipelago's temperature, he leaves a trail of misty and cold wind in his wake.
As the month of Burning starts, the Winter Teal'Jin will continue making appearances that, while less frequent, will bring to those who see him a breath of cold air, and the flash of a burning passion on their chest. As the month of Burning ends, he retreats out of sight and is rarely seen until the next Birthing.

Less popular but not less worthy of attention is the story of the two Teal'Jins' origin, and of where does the Winter one go for the rest of the year.

The Silent Ones

Crowned Teal'Jin by Naelin

They say that there once was a night dweller that yearned for change, as his shape felt alien to him and no movement he made felt like his own. In a time of magic and mystic, he found someone that would make a pact with him to turn him to the shape he desired in exchange for his past, and so it was.
In his new shape, towering, elegant and swift, he felt able to go into the world and live a proper life, and he began searching for someone whom he could now guard under his claws and protect forever.

However, as he started interacting with the other creatures, he found out that his usual ways didn't work the same on his new shape: Anyone he fancied side-eyed him and ran away, as the smallest gestures that the creature used to employ to approach others turned intimidating on his new shape, and his sweetest words turned into deep growls. People feared his strange ways and his predatory stance.
The creature, hurt by his inability to communicate his feelings to others, became silent and passive. He decided to lay, inactive, and watch the world pass by, getting to know only those that approached him on their curiosity. His desire to find someone to both love and protect, someone who would look up at him, burned inside him, as he thought himself egoist and declawed.
He got to know other night dwellers who could see behind his claws and hear behind his growls, and these laid next to him, sharing bits and pieces of his pain.
Time passed, until one day the passive night dweller saw a creature of similar appearance wandering among the people. Everyone around this new midnight-coloured beast looked up at him in awe, as he strolled around the people with a proud stance, showing the fangs hidden behind his deer-like face to the people that followed him, and whispering spells on his wake.

Winter Teal'Jin by Naelin

The passive night dweller looked at him from a distance, and he was able to hear the fear behind the deep, purring voice of the creature and to see the hidden pursuit below his paws, as he walked aimlessly trying to find someone to pledge his allegiance to.

They saw the new creature going back to the darkness, and becoming silent. He rested over the grass in the middle of a clearing, as if waiting for a predator to make a meal out of him.
"Get to him, call him to us", said a panther-faced night dweller to the passive one, while looking at the paralyzed expression on his friend's eyes. "He will not come on his own".
Encouraged by his friend, the passive night dweller decided to take a leap of faith, and made a move he didn't try in ages: Hidden by the shadows, he waited on the next day for the fanged deer to retreat to the embrace of the night and ambushed him, calling for him to join them with a commanding voice. The deer-faced one stood there for a moment as the secret fear on his eyes disappeared, as he heard the hidden meaning behind the growls.
"What are you searching for, Teal'Jin?" purred the beast, standing on his full height.
"An exchange" said his counterpart, opening his mouth and showing what was inside, as he closed his eyes. "Give me the coals that burn in your chest, Teal'Jin. So I can forge a crown for myself with them".
"Take care of the coals" answered the Winter Teal'Jin. "The month of Burning is coming".

As the exchange occurred, and the Teal'Jins became linked to one another, a magnificent pair of golden antlers grew on both of them. By taking the Teal'Jin coals under his protection, the passive one raised a crown on his brow and allowed the purring one to finally rest, hiding his fangs on the Crowned Teal'Jin's mane.
The Crowned Teal'Jin took the Winter Teal'Jin under the loving embrace of his clawed paws and offered a place on his chest so that he would always have somewhere to rest. Every year as the summer approaches, the Winter Teal'Jin walks with a purpose through the woods and the fields, leaving a trail of chill wind behind. And then, after his work is done, he goes back to the one keeping the coals aflame, to rest on the warmth of his chest.

"Shadows hear no prayers, ██████. No one can see you behind walls so high."

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