The shifting stones
The Shifting Stones
Tucked away in a faroff, solitary corner of the Conservatory sits a large pool of crystal blue water and a multitude of warm, sun-baked stones sitting among the waters throes.... as well as hovering above the surface too.
This is a curious place, hard to find behind a forest full of thickly woven undergrowth surrounding it on all sides. It's something of an art to find a way through the brush safely, and a craft in itself to find the small, nearly imperceptible trails used by the Conservatories smallest of visitors. Many of the most minuscule and fair of the esks know this place well, they have learned the curve and trail of the paths under the thick vegetation well- and unlike their larger compatriots, they have near to no issue squeezing through the small openings at the pools edge. The smaller esk are the most frequent visitors to this place, with spare few of the larger having been able to find a way up to the water's edge safely.
Many an ask have found themselves fascinated by the small pillars of rock and stone held aloft in air by a strange, spiraling green and white glow. And many more have found no shortage of joy and wonder in the way the arrangement of the stepping stones dotted across the pool seem to shift and rearrange themselves with every visit. Many of the stones have a habit of lifting up from the water at random, rising up and resisting gravity entirely- regardless if they had been previously undisturbed, or may have had an esk standing atop them.
Most of the esk using these stepping stones have learned not to expect that the stone they land on will remain fasted in the water, and many more have become quite accustomed to moving among the floating platforms with ease. There comes a certain joy and lightness that comes from climbing through air across the floating steps... though of course, some of the newcomers still find themselves unpleasantly surprised when a stone suddenly lifts from the water mid jump. A short and unexpected fall into the cool water below does little harm, but these esk quickly learn their lesson and tread more carefully when jumping from stone to stone.
Most of the larger stones do not tend to float outright, though the esk that visit this place often do note that none of the rocks are in the same places as when they left. Many have never quite seen the stones move themselves, though a rare few have been lucky enough to witness the larger boulders slowly rising from the water, and the calm, near rhythmic motion they have as they rearrange, and then sink back down into the water so slow, and so gently the surface only barely ripples.
This area is continually changing and growing. With every new esk to find this place for the first time, the diameter of the pool seems to grow and the waters in the center deepen, the whole area thrumming just a bit more with energy and warmth.
Are you one of the lucky few of the larger esk that have found safe passage to this special place? Or are you one of the smaller stock? Have you come to play among the floating rocks, or bask in the warmth of the sun-baked stones? Do you relax while others play and move among the rocks? Or perhaps this is your first time?
Tucked away in a faroff, solitary corner of the Conservatory sits a large pool of crystal blue water and a multitude of warm, sun-baked stones sitting among the waters throes.... as well as hovering above the surface too.
This is a curious place, hard to find behind a forest full of thickly woven undergrowth surrounding it on all sides. It's something of an art to find a way through the brush safely, and a craft in itself to find the small, nearly imperceptible trails used by the Conservatories smallest of visitors. Many of the most minuscule and fair of the esks know this place well, they have learned the curve and trail of the paths under the thick vegetation well- and unlike their larger compatriots, they have near to no issue squeezing through the small openings at the pools edge. The smaller esk are the most frequent visitors to this place, with spare few of the larger having been able to find a way up to the water's edge safely.
Many an ask have found themselves fascinated by the small pillars of rock and stone held aloft in air by a strange, spiraling green and white glow. And many more have found no shortage of joy and wonder in the way the arrangement of the stepping stones dotted across the pool seem to shift and rearrange themselves with every visit. Many of the stones have a habit of lifting up from the water at random, rising up and resisting gravity entirely- regardless if they had been previously undisturbed, or may have had an esk standing atop them.
Most of the esk using these stepping stones have learned not to expect that the stone they land on will remain fasted in the water, and many more have become quite accustomed to moving among the floating platforms with ease. There comes a certain joy and lightness that comes from climbing through air across the floating steps... though of course, some of the newcomers still find themselves unpleasantly surprised when a stone suddenly lifts from the water mid jump. A short and unexpected fall into the cool water below does little harm, but these esk quickly learn their lesson and tread more carefully when jumping from stone to stone.
Most of the larger stones do not tend to float outright, though the esk that visit this place often do note that none of the rocks are in the same places as when they left. Many have never quite seen the stones move themselves, though a rare few have been lucky enough to witness the larger boulders slowly rising from the water, and the calm, near rhythmic motion they have as they rearrange, and then sink back down into the water so slow, and so gently the surface only barely ripples.
This area is continually changing and growing. With every new esk to find this place for the first time, the diameter of the pool seems to grow and the waters in the center deepen, the whole area thrumming just a bit more with energy and warmth.
Are you one of the lucky few of the larger esk that have found safe passage to this special place? Or are you one of the smaller stock? Have you come to play among the floating rocks, or bask in the warmth of the sun-baked stones? Do you relax while others play and move among the rocks? Or perhaps this is your first time?