The steady hum moves like a great tide and spills into the Night Markets. This is his favourite part of Denocte. Traders selling their wares, equines haggling down prices, and the children of the streets hanging around with the hope that they may get lucky. It is his favourite because of the life it breathes into this court, and because of the thrill, it brings to him when he is able to pocket an item for one of these forgotten children. Out here he is not bound by the rules of his house. He is one of these wild children, although he has rarely wanted for much. Reinhart feels at peace, even in his loss, out here with the urchins and miscreants. As if the burning in his soul has found a balm that may soothe the ache, even if it is only for a short time. He is putting off returning to the house he shares with his relatives for as long as possible.
Even with that thought hanging over his head, and looming over him like dark, heavy clouds, he is able to enjoy the bustle of the markets. The Appaloosa bronc takes an opportunity while a vendor is distracted to nab a loaf of bread from their shelf as he walks by. There is something that still feels off about him. He is still confident enough in his skills as a thief that he wastes no time. The guards will surely be out for his hide in no time. After all, Ezra always was their favorite target. A smile graces his features as he delicately holds the bread between his teeth. He disappears down a dark zig-zag of alleys until he comes to a run-down space that is nestled in the forgotten parts of the city. The places where those who clean up the streets conveniently forget about. The places where the children have created a kingdom all their own.
Where they rule over each other. Reinhart places the bread on a nearby brick wall that is jutting out of a nearly crumbling building as he turns to return for a second shot at scoring more food for the children out here. He hears the scurry of hooves as he turns away, and he thinks nothing of it. This is what he lives for. The adrenaline, and the ability to help others.
... try to breathe words out, But I’ve got nothing to say
The streets are full of celebration and merriment as the gathering to announce a new leader for Denocte dissipates. These streets are alive with a steady hum of voices and jovial banter. They always were alive, and vibrant. These are the home he has missed for so long. A new era is forging its way into the future for Caligo's court. The laugher of children fills the air as they race through the alleys that are dimly illuminated by fires burning in torches outside the homes of the citizens. Reinhart inhales the familiar scent of wet wood and decay of the alleys he still knows better than anyone. Guards eye him warily as he passes. Even their unwelcome glances feel like home to him.
It is a comfort he has not known for quite some time. He spent the last year of his absence with someone he believed to be the love of his life. Reinhart intended to spend the rest of their lives together until they grew apart. It was a mutual decision, but his heart still aches. There is an empty space inside of him now where Evander used to be. The memory of his touch fades with each passing day. Reinhart misses the freedom he had outside of the walls of Novus. The freedom he likely would not get while he was under the thumb of his house. His parent's disapproval of his partners would never wane. He had accepted this fact long ago, but perhaps it was time to start making waves. The kind of waves that shook traditions right down to their core. The kinds of waves made the heavens tremble in awe.
Reinhart wishes he was that kind of man. Ezra! Ezra! A child chants gleefully as they race past him in the dark alleyway. He pauses to smile at the welcome he is receiving now that he is home.
... try to breathe words out, But I’ve got nothing to say
The markets were teeming with busy equines, each on their own path. There was a sense of home among the beings of the court, a sense of the court she had left behind. Soft smiles at various beings as she wandered, checking out wares and learning more of the land that she had arrived in. There were murmurs of new rulers, yet there was a peace that came with just being a simple citizen with the court and not part of the ruling family. Caelum would fit in with the ruling family, that girl was born to rule. Syn had never been as good at it.
The young mare found herself dancing to the beat of life around her, like it was music. So much life. Something she had been missing since leaving home. She found a few stalls that she bought from, small bags resting on her back as she grabbed a bite to eat and found an out of the way place to eat.
he can feel the stifling feeling of choking climb up her throat as she stands at the edges of the meeting. The meeting where they have announced yet another ruler to fill the silent throne. Meira peers down through a window into the fields that are turning blue with the approach of dusk. The tint is foreign. It doesn't taste like home. Delumine has never tasted like home. The urge to run and flee this place grows overwhelming as her emotions begin to swell. The bodies that fill the streets of Delumine are like a bad itch on her skin. It is not the first time she has thought of leaving because of the suffocating feeling of being trapped. There are times where she believes that no place in Novus is safe. That it will never love her as much as she loves Solterra. There is no stability in Dawn. It makes no promises like the day.
Her mother would say that there would be no day without the dawn. Meira doesn't care if that is true, because she is not a poet. She is not a scholar. She is a fraud in a court full of them. They all carry the stench of dust and paper. Meira belongs to the sea. That is her one true home. Delumine does not love the sea like Solterra. It does not replenish itself in the same way as the desert. It is quiet here. "I need to get out." She begins to speak, but it is a whisper. The bodies do not shift to make room for her. They don't move until her voice becomes more of a roar and she begins to shove her way through the crowd towards the gates of Dawn. Meira doesn't realize she is still running from him. That the change that she feels so threatened by just reminds her of him.
Open
>__> Meira is contemplating/maybe trying to leave Delumine a;dlfj (if u have a soldier, please feel free to have them recognize/know her) or any dawn citizen really alfd;j
The dawning of a new era brings with it an old nemesis of the Solterran people.
A distant sound grows in volume, until it shakes the very walls of the canyon that it has inhabited for years, unhindered. It has squabbled with lesser of its kin and driven many out, and killed too many of the nearby Court. A monster, the Teryr reaches sizes greater than most of its kind; stretching sixty feet from wingtip to wingtip, a beak lined with too many sharp teeth that raises towards the sun as it lifts its skull with another shrill cry.
Feathers and scales ... they all gleam on this monstrous beast as it pivots in the air and heads down toward the canyon floor. Something is different today, and it can tell.
The home it makes in the canyon seems so quiet today, something is off. Silence seems to tug the edges of the terrain, a tension so thick it's almost palpable. A beast it may be, but it isn't quite as brainless as some of the predators that lurk and snap jaws at passerby in hopes of any easy meals. The Teryr knows far better than that, knows to watch and wait, that those it hunts are dangerous. There are many bones littering its nest, conquests and glittering jewels of triumph in a fight for survival out in the lands that Solis himself has blessed.
A sharp tilt of its head is given, and it spies a roving band, their dust kicking up in the canyon itself, and its wings pummel hard and heavy against the air for a brief span of time as it focuses on them, before tilting the mass of its body, and diving.
He wonders if Solis is truly up there anymore . If any of them are .
It had been something he had mulled over the entirety of his trip back to the Peak , all the while Enyo chattering in his ear in her own special way , an as he felt their bond strengthen and grow .
If Solis really was up there , was it in some grand divine plan to actually let him take over Solterra anyway , even after kicking his statue ? Though he probably isn't the first that had kicked his statue , and probably won't be the last . Probably the first that had kicked it and decided ' well , screw it , I'm going to go ahead and go challenge for Sovereign then ' right afterward .
Leviathan mulls over the words as he makes the increasingly familiar trek up the mountain , hooves picking around rocks so he has a more smooth gait , until he comes to a halt before the statues . The golden shine of Solis' statue is almost obnoxious compared to the other three , and he almost laughs . No wonder so many in Novus eye them , think of them as some warmongering and bloodthirsty state . No wonder so many think of them as proud and egotistical .
He's here to change that , or at least , Sovereign to change that .
The titan steps up to the statue , and lifts a hoof . Carefully , he knocks against the golden base of it , a mimic of how he had so loudly kicked it the first time . A mockery . This time he's not here to scream at the statue , but he's still here to be an asshole to Solis , in many many ways . After all , his track record with deities isn't nice , because they've never been nice to him in the first place . He has no reason to be nice to Solis when Solis had never come down to help Solterra , a court that had supposedly been his people .
" Guess you must humor me , if you let me become Sovereign , huh ? " Between his ears , Enyo emerges , crawling down his face and settling on the end of his nose as he lifts his head , ensuring the small infant doesn't fall . She tilts her head curiously , bright yellow eyes fixated intelligently on the golden statue before the two of them . " Or maybe you're just waiting to see me topple from this crown . Wouldn't be the first time , you know , so whatever kicks you get from it , it's no skin off my nose if it happens . But someone had to do something . Solterra was dying , and no one was helping her . Adonai was gone , your chosen was gone . There's still a lot of missing bodies , ya know ? A lot of missing Solterrans that haven't come back , and maybe they won't come back . And as stupid as this is , maybe you can help . Now don't think I'm praying to you , because I'm not . But if you give any shit to your court or your people , maybe you'll think about it , or .. whatever it is you do up there with your head in the clouds with your siblings and what have you . Who knows . Maybe all of you left Novus , too . It's been quiet everywhere . "
Leviathan grunts . His anger has long since simmered , and he shakes his head a little , just a tiny shift of his head before he lets Enyo climb back up to between his ears , to twist her claws into his mane and chirp at him , their bond humming with happiness . He can't help but wonder how she stares at the statue , and wonders what she thinks of Solis , or the other gods here . Does she know them ? She's smart , he gets that much from her , but she's still so young , and their bond is still only surges of emotions and flares of sounds .
He smiles , a strange expression as she fills the bond with happiness and her version of laughter as she clambors down his neck and to his back , running down to his haunches so she can play with his tail as he turns away .
And to stare at the statue some more , and maybe to look at the other statues , tipping her head this way and that , chirping softly , maw opening and closing curiously .
Posted by: Israfel - 09-12-2021, 11:12 AM - Forum: Veneror Peak
- No Replies
I thank you for the promises you broke
For always watching, watching while I choke
I thank you for teaching me
Yes, I thank you for your hurting
“I did it.”
The words fall freely, yet quietly. A pale shape lingers in the flickering firelight of the chamber, solitary as she stands. It’s pale kiss caresses along the woman’s curves, touching along the ivory color of her coat and blending with the golden accents that frame her. Vermilion eyes catch in the shifting light like glittering rubies, bloodied pools of keen passion staring upon the dias belonging to her patron goddess.
“I do wonder what you would say, if you could. Would you be disappointed? Furious? Or intrigued? Was this not what you had in mind when I last left here?” Israfel paused in her musings, an ear tilting forward as her head cocked, mulling over the implications of her own inquiries. “I left here with your blessing. You knew what I was going to do. Would you be incensed that I challenged him? Or do you understand why I did it?”
Silence stole her tongue once more. This would be much, much easier if Caligo would actually show herself, but instead all Israfel could do was stand here and talk to the stone faced visage of the Court she now ruled over.
Queen.
Of all the things she had expected to happen within her second lifetime, becoming a Queen was not on the list. Queen of Denocte… The title seemed strange, but it burned sweetly within her breast. A small, crooked, wicked grin stole over rose-kissed lips at the thought. She remembered the last fire mage who held such command over Denocte, and how very much Israfel had detested everything she was. A whiny little thing, that woman had been… And her rule had been pathetically short.
Good. The Night Court was better off without her.
Yet, she was not here to think of the past failures of others. Inhaling deeply, the Sun Daughter let herself relax, finally releasing the tension that had plagued her since the moment she had decided to challenge Ira for his crown.
“I’ve come back as your Queen, Caligo. I’m not an idiot, though; I know I won’t be your Queen forever, but… In this time where I am, where I have the ability to make a difference, I want to do right by you. Despite our conflicting natures, we’re very much the same. We want the same thing. We want salvation for our people, we want to protect them and their ways of life. We want to provide sanctuary for those who do not belong anywhere else.”
A moment passes silently between them, and Israfel shifts. She sighs, pondering what was next for her. Returning to Denocte would be the first step after this meeting, and then she would find Luvena and tell her what had happened. Unbidden, her heart raced a little quicker with thought of the thinly woman who awaited her back home. Home. How wonderful it was, to have a home and truly feel as though it was just that, a sacred place of sanctuary and respite.
This was the most holy place within Novus, this mountaintop of Veneror, but it could not offer Israfel sanctuary and solace quite like what she felt when standing at Luvena’s side.
“I ask your blessing once more, Caligo, my dark mistress. I am not sinless; I know my arrogance can be my downfall, my pride is my enemy’s spear. I am not perfect, I am fallible… But your court has always been full of imperfections, and to me, that is why it is perfect. I just hope that someday, you will bless me with more than what you already have. There are so many things in this life that I hope to achieve, Lady, and I hope you will guide me to see them through.”
Israfel then knelt, her knees upon cold, rough stone, and bowed her head. “With your blessing, Caligo, I will champion your name into a new era.”
Solterra had been too silent , the sun scorched desert even resting too still , the Sandwyrms not stirring from the depths .
It had been a land that even Leviathan had itched to leave once more . He had done it , once , when Maxence had been grabbed by an Teryr , lifted away in the midst of their people , never to be seen again . They had been lost , and maybe that had been the decline . The passing of the throne from hoof to hoof , until it's a blur . He recalls turning and not wanting to come back , but something had dragged him back not much longer after that . How he had stayed , watched . Seen Solterra crumble , seen the very foundations of Novus even shudder apart .
What had their gods done , but watch them scramble ?
He recalls the satisfying ringing sensation of his hoof on the golden statue , and the annoyance that Solis hadn't answered him ; but of course he wouldn't answer . When did gods ever get involved with their people , except to ask them to beg for forgiveness ? To act as if they did them such great service , when they did nothing in reality ?
He scowls , and suddenly shakes his head a little , large and rounded ear flicking as he feels sharp teeth gnawing a little on it , and he grumbles . No , they don't do great service , but they take joy in making him suffer ." My ear isn't a chew toy ." He grumbles it , and the small dinosaur on his head chirrups at him , tiny claws pushing past his fur and pricking at his skin as she wiggles down onto his skull a little . She's only the size of a chicken , but his head is her favorite place now he guesses .
Leviathan turns himself and walks among the people now that are dancing and laughing , the music vibrant , sharp . Drums and strings that are struck and more homelike than he would ever imagine , the festival drawing out the citizens and bringing a spark of hope he'd never thought he would see in their faces .
It's a step in the right direction , he supposes . He's just baffled it's him doing it . What a strange feeling .
you know i rep this shit
i gots it tatted on my skin
if you fuckin' with my city
Callynite
then you fuckin' with my kin
you know i rep this shit
i got my hands up on your chest
The doe felt like a mess. She stared quietly at her reflection in the mirror of her new room . . . her room . . . in this large fortress, the large citadel. Her new home, the crowning glory of Delumine, where she was expected to lead her court to success, "What the hell was I thinking?" She asked the reflection, before shaking her head, and forcing herself to straight, to stand taller, "I've got this. Just face the masses, make sure they know who I am . . . Oh gods, what if they question me . . . . How do you even address a crowd like this?" She felt like crawling back into the big empty bed behind her, suddenly wishing she had the strength, the support of her fiance beside her. She could use Coy's reassuring touch, his positive infectious smile. But no, she needed to do this herself.
She turned towards the door, opening it to finally allow the stewardess inside from where they'd been waiting for who knows how wrong, "Is everything in order?" The question came smoothly but felt awkward as she addressed the individual. She was quickly assured that the flyers had been sent out, announcing the meeting today, the courtyard had been dressed appropriated, formally but not absurd (which meant Coy hadn't shown up to put a wrench in things . . . yet, she never knew where to trust her buck with these things. His ideas were rarely proper for the general public. He was talking about flame throwers at their wedding after all, and she hadn't had the patience to even ask what he wanted them for before knocking those down.
Instead, she nodded, dismissing the stewardess for the moment, so she could finish getting ready - though perhaps psyching herself up was a better term, a proper term. No, she could do this. Sure, it was leading an entire community, rather than just a handful of adventures on an exploration . . . but same thing, right? Time to get this party started before she realized it wasn't. She left her rooms then, and immediately some attendants fell in line, a few still unable to stop themselves from staring at the deer they found leading them. Cally didn't care about that, let them stare. However, as she passed the windows, the vines crawling up, seeming to literally move closer to the glass, she felt herself relax, as the foilage reassured her where she could not, Do well, mistress! We have faith in you! You have this, mistress! Who needs friends when you can commune with nature?
She stepped outside, blinking away the early sun from her eyes, and following the paths that would lead to the main courtyard, smiling as bits of vine brushed against her as she passed, flowers and grass blades clinging to her limbs in delight at her presence. Would her people be this happy to see her? All around her, the plants, the foilage called out greetings and reassurances only she could hear, and she could feel the reassuring hum of Viridae Forest in the back of her mind, her magic once more connecting her to the ley lines that extended all the way through Novus, letting her own awareness be swept through Delumine, checking everything was in order, was secure before she'd step in front of the masses. Even the trees, feeling her mental presence assured her all was well, chiding her for putting off the meeting longer.
With little left to check, she squared her shoulders, before nodding to some vines that were acting as a partitioner between the courtyard the meeting was to be held in, and where she was in the gardens. The vines split, pulling themselves back, and she walked through, her head held high, and the slight sparkling of green magic down her spine, from where the ley line energy buzzed. She didn't stand on the podium, find a stage to lord over, or set herself at the top of the stairway back into another section of the Citadel. No. Cally moved to the front, her gaze turning towards the people as her attendants fell into their spots off to the side, near a scribe that was ready to document this event so Cally could come back to and focus on any questions she might not have an answer to just yet. So she could bring up ideas or thoughts that came forward during this meeting. So she could do right by the people of Dawn.
"Thank you for coming out, I am certain early morning meetings are no one's idea of fun. But this meeting is well due. My name is Callynite, for those of you who know me, I am delighted to see you again, for those of you who don't, I have been a member of Dawn Court for the past few years, exploring all of Novus to continue to learn and embrace the knowledge out there. But, Delumine has gone quiet, and not even I could ignore it for much longer. Not too long ago, I challenged Andras for Sovereignty of the Kingdom, and I won. So, today, I stand before you as the Sovereign of Dawn Court." A little lengthier than she'd planned for her introduction, but as she stared out at the sea of faces, she knew she had to do this right.
The red deer tilted her head to the side, antlers glinting in the early sun, "I have high hopes of Delumine, to see it become a kingdom teeming with life, to see it return to the glory it has been in the past, rather than the subdued engagement it's displayed previously. But I know this is not a journey for me to take alone, and ask that each and every one of you help me bring Delumine back to life. We are a people of wisdom, honesty, and intellect. And I know, working together, all of us, we can accomplish things of the likes Novus has never seen before. I cannot do this alone, I may hold a crown, but I am still one doe.
"So I ask now, for those who wish to share their own ideas, their own thoughts - voice their own questions, speak now. If I don't have an answer today, I will find an answer for you. My scribe will be dictating this entire meeting, so nothing said here will be dismissed or forgotten. I am also looking for a Regime, a Council to work alongside me, and if any such positions interest you, I ask that you speak to me in regards to it." She concluded, falling quiet, her steady gaze calm, waiting for who would speak up first, and hoping that she'd be able to tackle anything asked of her smoothly.
motherfuckers best believe it
"Speech" Thoughts
@All of Dawn Notes: Lets get this party started.
Rousing himself from slumber, the stallion pulls himself out of the bed he shared with Buchanan before silently bathing himself in the warm water that his chambermaiden had drawn for him. With sleep still clouding his mind, he bathed quickly and dried off before pressing a tender, loving kiss to Buchanan's cheek before smiling tenderly at the stallion as he burrows deeper into their bedding. "I love you, Buck," he whispered tenderly before leaving their shared home. Since the taller stallion had found him in Novus, things had been on the upswing, had been changing for the good. He'd become Sovereign, had started to carve out an even deeper home within Novus and Dusk Court itself, and had even obtained a new home that he hoped to fill with love and laughter with Bucky. It was a necessary thing; they'd both been through so much in their lives, and this was the best sort of life that Liam could imagine giving them.
The sun was just beginning its meeting with the sky, everything bathed in a warm, soft light as the shadows withdrew their claim on the world. The grass and other plants outside his home and outside the Citadel were still covered in the dew from the overnight mist, and as Liam touched a newly blooming flower with his nose, he heard his royal advisor approach him, the gelding's hooves beating a staccato pace against the tile floor. Huffing softly, lips curled in an amusing grin, Liam turned to face him, ears pricked as he listened intently, Liam hummed and tilted his head to the side. "Well, yes. I planned on announcing the regime change today, but--" He paused, brow furrowing as he listened to the advisor, only just realizing that the Citadel didn't look presentable. With a soft groan, Liam entered the main atrium, ears flattening back in annoyance at the appearance of it all. There were bird droppings, pieces of nests, feathers, and other debris laying scattered around the room. "I need the janitorial staff now," the copper-burnished stallion urged his advisor, his voice imploring.
The advisor nodded and quickly backed away, his hooves beating in that familiar staccato pace as he rushed off in a hurry to find the janitorial staff. Flaring his nostrils, Liam turned his narrowed gaze to the lovebirds that had taken refuge in his atrium. They were supposed to have been a gift from the Day Court Sovereign, but at the current moment, they seemed to be more of a hassle than a gift. Snorting in disbelief, Liam looked behind him as the janitorial staff approached him, and he quietly moved out of their way, letting his advisor know that he wanted the atrium to be cleared out of the lovebirds -- temporarily -- and for the atrium to be decorated in the Dusk Court colors and the draperies adorned with Vespera's image. The advisor nodded, wrote it down on the clipboard he was carrying with him before he departed with the design team. Liam glanced at the janitorial staff and the animal caretakers as they both cleaned up and attempted to relocate the birds temporarily before he set off again.
Just a few short hours later, it was nearing midday, and as Liam approached the Citadel again, he saw that everything was set up to his expectations, his advice, and he just gave a gentle smile and nod to his advisor, who smiled back at him. While not exactly perfect, Liam figured that the meeting would go better if the decorations were Vespera-oriented. It wasn't like the atrium was decorated for a party; rather, the decorations were subdued, proper, and respectful. There were refreshments, and Liam was appreciative of it. Glancing around, he noticed that there was a pulpit that he could speak from, but standing above everyone else felt wrong, and it made his skin crawl. Turning to face the crowd that had finally gathered, the copper-burnished stallion heard the whispers. He heard how his appearance in the Court was suspect, how he had been nothing but a soldier and that he had no right to be leading, but his favorite accusation was that he needed to go back to being a hermit and no one asked him to step up.
Inhaling deeply, Liam walked to the front of the crowd that had gathered, his eyes bright and coat shimmering as he stood in the rays of the sun. "I know that I'm probably not who you expected or who you may have wanted for Sovereign in the absence of Rhone. However, I did check in on him to make sure that he was okay before I did stake my claim," he began, voice clear and loud enough for those in the back to hear him. "Dusk Court and Terrastella have been quiet for far too long. Vespera herself once asked me what I would do if the kingdom fell. Would I move on? Or would I help rebuild?" Here, he paused, letting the questions ring for a few moments in the heads of the citizens, of the crowd that had gathered. He could see the questions in their eyes, unspoken and unvoiced. "Today, I'm standing before you to let you know that I'm intent on rebuilding the Dusk Court to its best form yet. I am a soldier, yes, but I've been a ruler before. I know what must be done, what should be done, and what can be done to better the kingdom I lead."
Once more, he pauses, but he doesn't stay silent for long. "I am not someone who jumps headlong into battle, who jumps without thinking first. I give immense thought to everything that I do. I've been that way since I was a young colt. I've been a fighter from day one. I was born far too early, sickly, and I honestly shouldn't be standing before you today. But because I am a fighter, I fought to continue to survive, and I will fight for you just as hard. But above all, I am one of you. Yes, I may hold the title of Sovereign, but I am you. Your worries are my worries. But in order to do everything that I would love to do, I need a regime. If you have the desire, the time, and the want to better our wonderful Court, please, step forward," Liam implores gently, falling silent as he waits for questions, concerns, or even others to step forward and join him as members of the Terrastellan council.
"Liam Speaks."
Notes;; All are welcome and encouraged to join in the fun! <3
Tag;;
Voice claim;; Chris Evans
Words;; 1091
