Number: Four
Picture:
Name: Calixte; meaning Very Beautiful in Greek
Species: Smili
Personality: Calixte is a compassionate, friendly, & very loving smili. Her personality follows the "glass half full" aspect, which just shows how thankful she is to be alive and at peace, back where she belongs: with her kind. She has grown into "a fine young smili," as her mother often tells her. Calixte adores her parents, but her "idol" is her father, Bronte. As a cub, Calixte's favorite time of the day was just after her family had eaten their evening meal. She would cuddle in between her parents and listen to her father's rumbling voice as he related stories from his past, then her mother would sing lullabies as she fell asleep.
Calixte's mother, Calandra, can attest to her daughter's being very impressionable & indecisive, especially when she was young. She would go though different "moods" as it were; her only life was being her father's shadow, then she would wander off whenever they turned their backs. Calixte was an adventurer, an explorer. And she still is to an extent, but it got her into a large amount of trouble when she was about seven years old.
Along the same lines as being unsure, Calixte also has struggled with a lack of faith in herself. She can tend toward being insecure and, do to past experiences, feels like life can't be trusted. Which, in a sense, is true, but this thought process causes Calixte to get nervous when something different or unexpected happens.
Though she is usually calm, she has an independent spirit and will stick up for those in unfortunate situations. Likewise, Calixte has a strong feeling of justice, but often thinks there is nothing she can do about it. She has a big heart and is very accepting of other creatures, anyone and everyone is someone who just needs to be loved and understood.
This Smili is very emotional and connects herself with a strong bond to those she cares for. Calixte has an intuitive nature in that she can read body language exceedingly well and is sensitive to others feelings. She often makes a game of reading other creature's body language, deciphering from a distance what the circumstances that might be causing the animal to behave the way it does.
Likes: Calixte craves social interaction, whether it be her own kind, young or old, other nonthreatening creatures, or in her case (as in her father's) select humans.
She gets her daily exercise by exploring the many avenues of the Pindus Mountains where her family lives, then afterwords enjoys a sunbath on the many nearby rock outcroppings.
The fresh scent of heavy rainfall is a welcome revival to her soul, and, when the mood strikes her, splashing in the puddles.
Wavering melodies and crisp chirps of the early morning birds is something to look forward, especially when you chirp and sing back.
Calixte's only current longing is to have a family of her own. She LOVES cubs, just as she loves her younger brother, Therius.
Dislikes: The smell of trees dying of fire really gives her worry, though she doesn't smell it often where she lives.
Most of the rivers in Greece dry up in the summer, so although Calixte lives in the Pindus Mountains, it is often difficult to find clean water during that time of year.
When the snow is excessively deep in the winter, the going gets tough with short legs, and detecting and getting food becomes more time consuming. Generally the family works together at time like this to be able to at least satisfy the hunger, if only for a day.
Feeling useless or helpless is something that Calixte finds it hard to stand against at times and makes her feel worthless.
Background: This beautiful smili was born on a bright spring morning in the mountains of Greece. Where the soil is dry, the ground is rocky, the westerly breezes bring the rain in the spring and fall and the snow in the winter. Monks are the majority of human population in the Pindus Mountains, though some poor farmers live in small valleys that are nestled between the giant hills and steep cliff sides. This is Ancient Greece, though far from the great cities. It has it's own beauty much different from Athens; there are no marble pillars, steamy public bathing houses, smooth gliding chariots pulled by sweating stallions. Rather, it is wild and majestic, peaceful and quiet. An excellent place to raise your cubs- if you're a smili that is.
Being the first offspring of your parents is something special, in ways both good and bad. You have been long-awaited, and will be loved fiercely, tenderly nurtured, and perhaps a bit spoiled. But, you are the first. Your parents have nothing to guide them, but their instincts. You're a bit of an experiment. This is what Calixte was. Bronte and Calandra, the same said smili's parents, decided to postpone having a cub the first two years they were on their own to find the perfect den site and get used to life separated from their former flurry (Aha! New name for a group of smilis! xD ). Bronte being a year or so older, wiser perhaps as well, succeeded in his search. The nest site was nestled in a thick forest of freshly needled pine and fir trees that gleamed in the soft beams of sun, the morning dew glittering in the shadows of the tree boughs, right in between two small mountains. This small narrow strip of land was impassable to the humans and caused Bronte no worry. There was a bright, trickling stream only about a half mile off which was a source of small prey as well. After all this, the den was expanded, and the smili couple saw no reason now to continue putting of their future family.
Calixte's cubhood was rather ordinary, so a quick overview should suffice. As all smilis are born virtually colorless, so Calxite was also. She had a rather difficult time gaining weight when she was only weeks old, but she was very well cared for and it became obsolete. She was always curious and full of questions, sometimes pestering for an answer. When she was about three years old two things of importance took place: o1.) the birth of her younger brother, Therius and o2.) she learned of her father's interaction with a monk named Cleatus. The smili and man had become friends over time and Cleatus taught Bronte some Greek to forward his understanding of humans. Calixte was greatly intrigued by that notion and as you will read, can to meet the monk herself.
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The biting autumnal wind rushed through Calixte's thinning fur, bringing the thick scent of incense to her nostrils and carrying away wisps of golden hair. As she made her way up the mountainside to the neatly settled monastery, her thoughts drifted to her recent acquaintances, Matthias and his mate Phaedra. They were a young pair, though older than she. Watching the ground, Calixte placed each paw carefully as the ascension became steeper and the stone fortress shone brightly against the dark toned forest trees. I wonder what caused Phaedra to be so shy around me. She is three years my elder, after all. Calixte contemplated the behavior of Phaedra with interest. Hiding in the brush now, her yellow eyes brightened at the aspect of seeing her mentor. A faint grin graced the kindred face before she saw him. Calixte was just about to step out to greet Brother Cleatus the monk, the only human friend her family had ever known and accepted, when his peculiar expression came to her notice. He's worried, the smili perceived. And sorrowful. What ever could be wrong?she asked herself, longing to speak, but something held her back. Her long tufted ears flattened, and her body tensed. Suddenly, a shout. A signal. Calixte's head whipped around to find the source, but in vain. Thick rope nets landed atop the now terrorized smili and forced her to the ground. An earsplitting screech erupted from her throat, a noise that is so rarely heard. Cover broke and frightened birds burst through the brush and trees flapping madly to get away. Young monk boys approached Calixte with little fear and were absent of weapons. A returning call was heard, her parents now knew their daughter's fate. Fear consumed Calixte as she was bound and carried to a cage. Her eyes sought Cleatus who was being led away, back into the monastery by three hideous, sour looking priests. They grinned terrible evils smiles when the saw how Calixte's golden pelt gleamed in the thin sunlight. His slumped posture announced defeat and fat tears leaked from the old man's eyes. The golden smili was being crammed into a wooden crate that was much too small, her tail pushed uncomfortably at odd angles against that grate. Having no idea what was going on or why, Calixte shivered in fear and mistrust clouded her mind. Cleatus was no longer visible. His presence had been her glimmer of hope, but now he was gone and all hope vanished with him. Crying piteously, Calixte was loaded onto a donkey cart surrounded by five monk ranging in age and stature, but no one seemed to care what she was feeling. She could tell they were listening closely, though hoping to hear her speak their language. Brother Cleatus had warned her at every meeting never to speak to the other monks or anyone else unless she was absolutely sure their conduct was that of integrity. Calixte followed that advice now.
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Days passed and the sun grew stronger as the season wore on. The ever growing group, now with armed guards riding beautiful gleaming horses, would rest in what shade they could find during midday when the hear was intolerable for travel. A routine day for Calixte was to be poked and prodded as she was tied and restrained, but at least then she was allowed to stand in the grass while her cage was cleaned. Only once everyday Calixte was brought out of her confinement. Everyday was as close to torture as she could imagine with the stifling heat, aching joints, rope bruises, scanty provisions, the list goes on. Life had become tedious for her. She had already gone through in her mind every single possibility as to the reason of her kidnapping and where they might possibly be going, but she really had no idea. It was hard to be frightened when life was so full of monotony.
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When the final destination was reached it was midnight, but the dozing smili had no way of knowing what was in her future. In the wee hours of the night, money was quietly exchanged and the cage which held Calixte was carefully moved into a vast white stone structure known to you and me as the- Colosseum.
If I had more time, MUCH more would be written. And it will be, but this is all I had time for. I'm pretty confident in it, thus far, I just needed more time. Hence the cliffhanger. ^^; There are 1802 words.
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