Luvena had forgotten how much work it was running a kingdom. Crucis had been hard since it was still recovering from the fire. Denocte was hard in a different way. The people had been without structure for so long. She had only just moved into the Citadel with Israfel a few weeks ago, and was still running the clinic on top of things She intended to speak to Pol soon, and see if she would take over for her. The girl had shown so much promise, she had no doubt that she could run the clinic on her own.
Already she’d been running around all day everyday. Running the clinic all day, and spending her evenings making sure the markets were following safety procedures with the stalls. - only a year ago she’d almost had a beam crash down on her. Ensuring that the medics were following laws on herb usage and what not. Already they had fallen into a rhythm. Israfel dealt with the big things, the soldiers, and the safety, while Luvena dealt with the day to day measures that required a delicate hand. And she’d been running around Novus trying to introduce herself to the other sovereigns, give them the news in person.
Two days prior she’d gotten herself into a mess in the pass going towards delumine, tangled in a trap, her whole side still throbbed where it had slammed into the rocks, and the day before that she’d been to dusk and back to talk to Liam. Despite it she’d decided to travel to Solterra and back today, and she was shaking and exhausted by the time she had returned, just an hour ago, avoiding the conversation with Israfel about where she had been. She had ignored the supper that had been brought up to them.
It was busy, but she didn’t mind. She had missed all the delicate bits of ruling. It was strange though, to do it this time around with someone who she truly adored. She loved every night where she could share a bed with Israfel, the other woman's wing wrapped gently around her. In fact she loved every bit of living with her. They had settled into the rhythm of it quickly. She was happy. For the first time in a long time, truly happy.
Yara and Mithra had settled right in too. They had their own bed across the room, however Yara had a tendency to sneak into their bed next to Luvena in the middle of the night. She didn’t mind. Secretly she suspected that Isra didn’t either.
That night they sat in their room together getting ready for bed. She stood in front of one of the huge mirrors, unravelling the braids in her mane, letting down loose thin waves, before walking over to Israfel’s side and laying her head briefly into her neck. “I’m going to go to bed early. I’m tired” she murmured, “goodnight” before pressing a kiss into the dip of the mare's neck, and laying herself gently into their bed.
The days worth of travel had wiped her out, and she fell asleep before Isra joined her, curled in under the layers of blankets that decorated her side of the bed. Lu slept fitfully, tossing and turning, said blankets a mess around her. It wasn’t long before her mind delved into dreams.
They always started the same way. With smoke billowing into the air. Filling her lungs, her head. The smell was sickenly strong, and the smoke so thick she could hardly see. And then came the flames. She didn’t know why it went this way, as if things were going backwards. The heat always enveloped her all at once. And it didn’t make sense. Really on that day the flames had never touched her. She knew this part well. The flames would start to spin, and curl, and at the center they’d reveal a man of dragonfire and fury. Except it was different tonight. It wasn’t Obyana who stood there.
It was Israfel.
She woke up with a small start, but instantly froze, waiting to see if she’d woken her partner. She struggled to keep her breaths even, and found herself repeating in her head that it had only been a dream. She knew, she knew Israfel was not him. And would never be him, and she quickly shook the thought of the dream out of her head. Israfel had taken her usual spot in the bed, her wing draped gently over Luvena. Cold, she curled herself closer into Israfel’s side -the other mare was always warm, something to do with her magic - and let herself fall back asleep.
When she woke up again she didn’t want to open her eyes. She felt like she’d been hit by a running clydesdale. She pushed herself deeper still into Israfel’s side, shivering. She knew the heat of a fever must be rolling off her in waves but she was freezing, like there was ice in her bones. She forced herself to open her eyes as a knock sounded at the door. Begrudgingly she hauled herself off the bed, nearly staggering over to the large double doors.Yara immediately had risen from her bed and had come to take her place beside lu with a slow wag of her tail. She took a moment before she opened the door
Squaring her feet and shoulders, lifting her neck into an arch, pain splitting her head in the process, before finally pulling the door open. A short mare stood on the other side. “The half- hall is ready for your meeting with the staff” she stated simply, though Luvena did not miss the quick glance over she was given. Right. She had forgotten about that one, but she had promised the citadel staff a meeting, to clarify their responsibilities. Thinking now she remembered the list of things she was supposed to do that day. The meeting with the staff was only the first. She was supposed to have lunch with Caelum at the tea-shop after, and then she had to run the clinic for the afternoon. Then later she was supposed to do a follow up check on the markets. Even the first task seemed impossible right now.
She nodded, looking at the woman with glazed eyes. “I’ll be there in an hour as scheduled” she answered, summoning the clearest voice she could manage. “Thank you Faerna” She shut the door as the ladymaid left, and immediately slumped against it with a soft but audible thunk, dropping her head between her knees, still shivering.
It was not often that a bonded like Noor was seen without his brutish companion. Though the elk creature had large antlers and, in theory, was more than capable of protecting himself, he still preferred to stay by his friend’s side. It was just more comfortable for him to do so, especially after all that Gareth had done to help save his life. Still, there were those rare moments in which Noor needed his own time, and Gareth had been suffocating lately.
He loved the man, but good gods was he being a right idiot these days. Perhaps it was his own stubbornness and a heart unmarked by the pains of broken and lost love, but he just could not stand the decisions that the stallion was making. He loved his friend, but watching him fall apart and not listen to reason and advice was absolutely maddening. The elk could only handle so much of it at a time. And while he did not make a big show of it, and kept most of his irritation to himself, Gareth was equally understanding of his need for space.
The stallion wasn’t terribly far, off across a few hills in some direction gathering herbs. Noor did not need to assist him in that endeavor, and the grass here in the shade of the treeline was absolutely divine. He’d not needed to worry about a predator in years, and perhaps that had helped him grow soft in his vigilance. After all, he was a large creature, with large antlers and bright glowing mushrooms. Most animals that would have thought him a tasty meal would have thought twice before approaching.
"Speech" | Noor | @Pangaea | I hope this works okay!
she's as pretty as a picture every bit as funny as she is smart got a smile that'll hold you together and a touch that'll tear you apart
The mare stood still, her gaze trailing over the fields. Dusk painted the sky, and while the sun wouldn't burn her to ash, it was still uncomfortable for her to be out in, and so she had waited. While the prickly feel of the setting sun was very uncomfortable, she was willing to sacrifice comfort for a chance to interact with those in her new home.
New home. How odd it felt, to think that again. She had been so confused when her master had so gently nudged her awake, telling her he couldn't let her sleep any longer. So she had woken to a new world, a new age, a new period. She yawned gently to herself, still feeling the effects of her hibernation, still feeling the impact of drowsiness. She shook her head, smiling slightly as she looked out at the fields, at the individuals who seemed to be making their way to their own homes and houses, settling for the night.
To a degree it was disappointing, seeing others reading for bed when she was only beginning to wake herself. She shook her head gently, wild wine curls floating around her with the soft chink of chains around her neck as she meandered into the throng, smiling kindly at those she saw, careful to not flash her fangs, but also looking for anyone who would be willing to talk, communicate, stay a while.
Just one friend now that's she's joined the world of the living again.
Darkness shrouded the fae mare as she walked through the night markets. There was a part of her that was buried deep and begging for fun. The pain and guilt that she carried pushed that part of her further down into the bottle that she hid emotions in.
A soft snort escaped her nares, the pain causing her to cringe from the others near her. Stepping to a merchant, she purchases a cup of liquor. Alcohol seemed to be the best way to shove the pain further away, part of the reason that she was so far from the one being in the realm that actually cared for her in any form.
"Ha… She probably blames me for failing as well. All I do is kill those that I care for." She said softly, pain gripping her as she tried to drown it. Shaking her head, she found a place in the shadows to watch the life around her and tried to make the pain fade. If only there was someone that could make her happier. Someone that could make her pain fade.
She had told Liam, but she still needed to meet with the other sovereigns. Israfel had urged her to send letters, save herself the trip, but she needed to meet them in person, and she wanted to get it done before winter set in. That window was closing. She intended to make the trip to delumine next, spend some time at the wedding festivities, and then speak to callynite - a woman she had met briefly - about her newfound position.
The trip through the mountain pass, though, became harder as the end of the year grew nearer. Even the low slopes of the pass were beginning to gather a slight dusting of snow, and it funneled westerly or easterly winds through with a ferocity that she despised. She had brought both the dogs with her, letting one bound up ahead, leaving large paw prints behind, and the other stood beside her, letting her brace herself when needed.
It was one such strong gust of wind that sent a cascade of events into motion. It happened far too quickly for her to react. It had sent her stumbling just a step to the side, where she felt a rope snap tight against her fetlock, pulling her leg out from underneath her. Her rough scream was cut off with a huff as her side slammed into the hard rock. She looked up to see that the rope that should have dragged her upwards was caught on a ledge of rock, and to the side one of her satchels was just barely hanging on to a small jut on the ground, the combination of the two keeping her from being pulled any further. She kept deathly still, laying on her side, the back leg with the rope fastened on stretched out behind her, knowing that one movement could dislodge either piece of security she had right now.
Yara had fled quickly, and now stood with her sister, both barking furiously at Luvena. It was then that the snow fell, coming down off the ledge above her. Thankfully there wasn’t enough to cause a serious issue, but it was enough to blanket her coat with a sheet of it. Her side heaved as she tried to get her breath back, having had the wind knocked out of her. “Quiet” she finally huffed to the dogs, who did thankfully fall silent.
She ran through the scenario in her head. She assumed the trap was set out by one of the many trappers who sold in the markets. Probably trying for hare pelts. Though why they had set it along the main pass she could not fathom. She was stuck. Though she tried to comfort herself with the knowledge that the pass was used frequently by those travelling to and from Denocte. She laid, still and stiff as a board for hours, watching the sun pass through the sky. She shivered with every gust of wind, as the snow had melted into her coat, leaving her soaked, and freezing in the pass. Both Yara and Mithra huddled beside her.
Suddenly both jumped up, and lu had to keep herself from startling. Worried that they would move either the satchel or the rope. They were barking again, towards something headed up the pass towards her. Her ears perked slightly as she strained to listen for hoofsteps. “Hello?” she called, hopeful that it was someone friendly making their way up.
She rarely had a moment of free time now, between running the clinic, and venturing back and forth from court to court, establishing ties, and running Denocte alongside Israfel. There wasn’t much time to spare for herself. She liked to spend what little she did have down by the lake, at a small tea shop run by one of her dearest friends.
Of course it wasn’t always time spent with Caelum, she was busy running the shop. But Luvena liked the shop itself for what it was. Filled with fairy lights, and bright tapestries, it had all the charm of the night markets, and none of the chaos. Usually it was rather quiet, herself and maybe one or two others wandering in, settling for a cup of whatever experimental tea Caelum had brewed up that morning.
Today was no different. She wandered in somewhat wearily, having slept late into the afternoon. She could only see one other in the court. An old stallion who she recognized as one of the stall vendors in the markets just outside her clinic. She gave him a quick dip of her head in greeting before settling down in her favourite corner, sinking into the cushions. She had only just taken a sip of her tea when the sound of the door opening caught her attention. The woman who waltzed in was rather striking, with long gold tipped ears, and a coat of dusk and dawn. Somehow she seemed to capture the room in her gaze.
The plains were bitterly cold. As novus crawled deeper in Autumn, the temperatures dropped and the winds picked up, and in the eleutheria plains, there were no trees or bushes to break the strong gusts that swept through the grasses. That being said, it was one of the few places that one could gather herbs this late in the season, and she intended to stock the clinic as fully as she could before she passed it off to Pol.
She was still trying to figure out how to ask her. She knew her apprentice was ready, but she feared that she wouldn’t agree. That she’d turn it down, thinking it too much for her. That and… well she wouldn’t admit it but she was reluctant to give it up. She wanted to do it all, and she had worked hard to maintain her little business, but she couldn’t rule a court and run a clinic. Not unless Vega wanted to swoop down from her disappearance and give her back her immortality.
So she wandered the plains looking for the last herbs she could find, snuffling about with her nose in the grass. She could hear the footsteps of bison rumbling over the ground in the distance, the chirps of the few birds that had not yet flown away, the whisper of hoofsteps through the grass towards her.
A calm before the storm , the gentle silence before the rage of deities . How many times had he laid eyes on them , before lands had been consumed in the way that deities always do ? Had he gone up in flames , only to emerge on the other side unscathed ?
Would it be this very sea that swallowed the lands , the raging torrents that engulfed the trees and foliage , swallowed every life within their grasp ? Two sets of eyes blink carefully , fixating on the far horizon as the chill of the autumn tucks into his very bones , and he merely tucks his wings in close , tilting his head as he listens to the lapping of ocean water against grainy sands . There would be no holy fire to witness , not today , but he doesn't doubt that it would come , as it always did .
These lands are strange , however . Stepping into them had brought a weariness he hadn't felt in a very long time . In lifetimes and lifetimes , in millennia . The immortality had been sapped from his bones , and for the first time , he feels as if he can breathe , as if he's no longer cursed , but he doesn't hold onto that . He knows that eventually , it will come for him , settle against his body and wrap him , suffocate him as it always had .
Reliquary is no stranger to deities and their whims , nor their wrath . He knows eventually , there will be an immortality to drag him through the next few millennia . He had witnessed the rise of the world , had breathed in the air when it had been so fresh . He had seen the fall of kingdoms , tasted ash on his tongue when he had staggered out of his first home , out of the very fires of the gods . It had burned and melted him away , reformed him on the other side , reborn anew .
A forked tongue passes over his lips , dragging over razor sharp teeth , only to drag back into his mouth again , tasting copper tang from how the enamel had so easily sliced the tongue open .
This land is different , but in its very foundations , there will be deities that bring wrath down again and again , on those that blindly worship . He is merely an outsider , an observer , not too keen on listening or learning about them . But perhaps , staying may prove beneficial , if it keeps the immortality at bay .
For now , he only listens to the sea rage quietly on the autumn day , all four wings tucking in close enough that it looks like he merely has two wings , his head lowering slightly and nose pressing into wet sands to uncover a small shell , puffing air over it and tilting his head just a little .
The small , simple things in life .
How strange , to feel the urge to simply look over them again .
The markets were always bustling, and especially now as the seasons were changing. There were still warm days as summer bled into fall, but soon there would be winter’s chill, and the goods peddled at the markets were a reflection of that. Woven scarves, cloaks and fur blankets were put on display so that none may be caught in the cold. Still others clung to the last few shreds of the summer sun and boasted bright colours and wares of a more jovial or festive nature.
Gareth was sure to be careful of his step, dipping his head low so as not to loom too terribly over the crowds. It had been a few days since his herb gathering venture and his encounter with Salome. His head was still swimming and his heart still felt raw, but he knew more than anything that he had friendships that needed mending first. The collection of petals and stems he had been gathering on the mountain he had dried and wrapped carefully. He never had been one to get too fancy, and had only given a few gifts in his life, but he had felt that going the extra mile to make it presentable was all well worth it.
Luvena deserved a thorough apology and he had no better way to do so than to present her with these herbs. Every little bit counted. He had heard rumors that their new Sovereign, Israfel, may have taken quite a shine to the healer, but the stallion had never been one to pay much attention to that part of the rumor mill. Still, if it held any truth, he was hoping to catch her before life might become quite a bit different.
His head swiveled as he looked in stalls and shop windows, hoping that he might recognize the painted mare and her animal companions so as not to need to ask for directions. There was something about approaching a stranger in hopes that they held the information one needed, and that they would provide it out of the goodness of their heart, that tugged at an instinct in Gareth. Perhaps it was his stubbornness, but it just seemed wrong to put that kind of situation on a stranger, and who knows if the one you chose to speak with would actually be of any use. Then you’re interrupting their day to no benefit for either of you and that just seemed rude to him.
Noor had chosen to stay behind, as the city felt too closed in for his tastes, and Gareth was partially grateful. After all, the elk had not been pleased to hear of Salome’s return to the stallion’s life, and had been particularly harsh to him. Not that they were not words that he had needed to hear, for they were, but their necessity did not make them sting any less. The tongue lashing from his friend had given him some things to think about, and the wandering of the night markets gave him some of that space to mull them over.
"Speech" | @Luvena | Hope this works as an open starter!
I crave a life filled with magic in the smallest of things
It's okay, I'll find Fael and it'll all be okay. These are the words she's kept repeating in her head in an attempt to keep herself from panicking more than she already was. Every step Elain takes forward is one of uncertainty, her limbs stiff when she reaches out with one leg to try and feel if anything is in front before she gently places it on the ground. Her heart beats like it'll burst from her chest each time she puts weight on the leg she's reached out with, making her awkwardly slow with her journey forward in something of a shuffle across the lands. Elain wouldn't lie that she's scared, oh she is indeed very, very scared but she's doing her best to keep going. She's putting not only her ears but her long tail to work, swaying it from side to side every few minutes to make sure nothing is behind her while her ears swivel in just about every direction in search of another being. She doesn't know what time it is but she can feel on her skin that the warmth of the sun isn't as strong as it had been before and that the world around her is getting colder with the breeze.
Pausing in her uncertain steps Elain can feel the panic start to crawl under her skin, bringing her tail close to her side the young kirin tips her ears back. "Faelan are you here?" Her call comes out in a croaked whisper, try as she might she can hear the tinge of fear in its tone and hopes no one else has. The blind albino knows that her blindness has given her an upper-hand in her hearing, as well as tones in the voice, because of this she's fairly certain no one will detect that tinge in her call. Then again Elain is just hoping that her brother hears her, or at least that she hasn't given herself away to anything dangerous. This is the singular thought that makes her skin suddenly crawl and urges her forward, her steps a little less careful in preference for a faster paced walk.
With no familiarity of the area Elain is completely unaware that she's heading into the edges of a small cluster of trees, at least not until a lower hanging branch hits her horns, resulting in a shriek and her jumping backwards. It's at this moment that she really can't hide her fear, after all she's never been alone in her life, she can't see where she is, and she's lost her elder brother. Backing away from the tree's she's unsure of what she's hit but lowers her head to point her horns forward just in case. Elain's tail is pulled close to her side while she tries to build up enough courage to say something and when she finally does her voice shakes. "If someone's there say something or...or I'll...I'll use my horns." She knows, she's also sure anyone else would know, that she's not capable of truly hurting someone and that'd she'd likely flee in another direction. Faelan, daddy, someone. I'm scared.
"Talk." Thoughts Eomer
Tags »@Liam and OPEN Voice »Lily Collins OOC » my first time getting to write her, please bear with me -cry-
