Neatly tucking her wings to her body and lowering it to the earth, she lay like a pretty painted boulder on the bank. She stared across the lake with drooping eyes, feeling sleep almost etch its way into her very being. It was night, after all, and a late one at that. She didn't know why she couldn't sleep before now, but it felt prudent to try.
But just as she tried to wrap herself in sleep's warm embrace, Willoughby was started out of it. No reason, perhaps she was just hyper sensitive? Footfalls seemed to echo in her mind, making her aware of another's approach. Perhaps it was odd to sleep outside the walls of the Night Court, but she felt a gentle peace here she didn't inside walls.
If she was paranoid, she would balk at the skeleton coming toward her. Arching her neck, she looked behind to see the woman. Why did she think skeleton... It was only a mare. Albeit skinny and underfed in appearance, but not a ghoul. Willoughby does not say anything, only watching sleepily as the other comes closer.
“speech”
if you don't want to see me dancing with somebody new
Naida Come down to the black sea, swimming with me
Despite the miles separating the land mermaid from the ocean blue, Naida found herself exploring the kingdom that she now called her temporary home. As ocean fae, she could still hear the soft lapping of waves as if the sea itself churning through her veins instead of blood; the fathoms singing to her in the sounds of sea gulls and crashing water against stone cliffs and beaches. But instead, she could not answer.. not in the way she needed. For when she returned to the sea, and the sea returned to her.. Naida had no plans to come back to this land. This kingdom, this country, this continent. She would love nothing more than to reclaim the Unknown Sea that surrounded the large island for taking the lives of her crew — her lover, her king, among them — before she could regain even a shred of happiness. For all she knew, their bodies were bone fragments buried on the ocean floor, their souls drowned and lost and unable to cross over to the Heavenly Sea and Sky. Calypso, her patron goddess, now holding their celestial bodies hostage until they could at last rest in peace.
She had never been more angry, more determined. Not even when her Queen Mother had banned her from the ocean itself.
Naida found herself wandering the new lands; educating herself in the unfamiliar stars and world that she had never heard of, let alone traversed. Her ocean-born hooves padded along a beaten path, until the land rolled out in greenery as far as her eyes could see. A sea of grass, still holding on to the warmth of summer, as the blades were muted beneath a rising sun. The expanse was wide and beautiful, the sky above her a soft blue; the color of a tropical cove in a far away paradise. At the edges of the grass sea, was an actual body of water, not the ocean..but a lake. It was beautiful and brought a slight smile to her otherwise sad face.
This land was beautiful, she could not deny it. Peaceful, and... not as empty as she had once thought.
The sand was dark and alien under the moon. Hardison had made the executive decision to walk for the past three days with basically no water and their last stop had been a small encampment of horses at the entrance of the desert. Hardison had reluctantly hunkered with the herd of stragglers, most of them thin weary travellers, until she recognised one of them to be a foalmate. Jane had felt like a child again, when her mother had recognised an old fellow and stopped for conversation.
She was glad for Hardison. The older mare was not exactly easy company, especially with the annoyance brought on by every one of Jane’s actions, but she kept Jane safe. The longer they walked, the more Jane realised that this was not a journey she could take alone.
She also realised how far away she was from her family. In fact, it was highly likely that they’d moved in the migratory patterns of her herd. And she knew nothing of it, would know nothing of it for years yet to come. Her mother and father now existed in nothing but shadowy rumours.
This was exile, Jane realised. She had thought her crime was small. It was no serious romance, a simple flirtation. But, as her mother had said, a dalliance can be deadlier than treason. She was sent away for her own good, but Jane knew that this was truly a punishment. Not even a warning, just the immediate amputation of everything loved and known.
Well, the punishment was done and so was the damage. Out in the desert, sand and moonlight seemed to burn against her skin. In the night her markings glowed like roads or her amber skin. She was a living, moving snake among the islands of the night. The only thing to show Hardison’s presence was the sound of steps in front of Jane and the occasional burst of sand against her forelegs. Jane was used to being in the shadow of Hardison’s steps by now, and no longer complained.
“Are you sure you know where we’re going? I know you know the coast, but we’re very far away from that now.” Jane wasn’t sure if Hardison heard her or not. Out here in the empty dark, the voice quickly got swept away by space and time, dying a sad and lonely death on the sand dunes. “You said this is Mors Desert?” Sometimes she spoke just to hear her own voice. “Does anyone live out here?”
“Nothing but sand snakes and foxes for miles,” Jane heard her say. “But to answer your question, yes. I know this path well.”
But, as luck would happen, the weather turned during the night and sent clouds of sand. The dunes moved and shifted, and Jane felt her anxiety turn to fear even though Hardison seemed certain. It wasn’t as though she would say if anything was wrong. Hardison navigated by the stars, but clouds in the sky made it near impossible.
And the Sandwyrm gets you! A voice from Jane’s childhood caught her unawares and from that time never let her alone. She began to see it everywhere, especially with the desperate thirst that drove her actions. In the haze the curves of dunes became scales. She felt the ground writhe beneath her.
“Hardison-”
“I know where we’re going, child.” Hardison turned. “Look, child, I have been raised with the idea of duty. If it helps, know this- this has been my job for the past five years and it will be my job for five more. I have crossed deserts, seas, prairies, and I would not put you in danger. You are my duty, and I will honour that which has been bestowed on me.”
Jane leaned back, rankling a little. It was never pleasant for ‘child’ to be one’s nickname, but it was also the fact that Hardison seemed to really be putting her life on the line. But if you die, what’s left for me? Jane wondered. Then she shook it away.
The sun rose higher in the sky and Jane felt her skin burning. Her fur was hot every time it brushed sweating hide. They kept their movements slow to avoid sweating more than necessary, losing water.
Jane was losing certainty. Another day passed without sight of firm land or grass. Even Hardison was starting to waver. The outline of her body blurred with the world around her, became hazy. She looked like a mirage.
“Sandwyrms-”
“I haven’t seen a sandwyrm while I’ve lived. That won’t change.”
Jane glanced around. The sun started to set, the guiding star reared her head.
A sand dune move, not like a sand dune was supposed to move. Jane had been out here long enough to know how things worked, and the dune reared and ducked like a wave off the coast. “Hardison-” Her body moved and she did so in time for a creature to burst from the sand. It had aimed for her neck, but she wouldn’t think about this yet, for the reptile’s teeth lodged hard into her hindquarters; resulting in a terrified scream. “Hardison!”
Hardison was already turning and ripping the creature with her teeth. Blood spurted over the sand as Hardison crushed her hooves into the snake- was it a snake?- crushing its head into mush. Jane whimpered, gasping as she tried to take in what had happened. It was a sandwyrm- it had to be- its back ridged in spines. It was smaller than she imagined, but by no means tiny. It was about the length of her own body if straight.
“Hardison, are you okay?”
Regret and anger flared in Hardison’s eyes. She switched between analysing the creature and analysing the wound that now lay on Jane’s hindquarters, four red puncture wounds. They weren’t venomous. “I’m fine, let’s keep going.” She turned and took a few steps before a creature came sailing through the sand and crashing its entire body into Hardison’s. Everything became a blur to Jane- a blur of gold and black and bright cherry red- she had loved cherries as a child, hadn’t she?- Jane screamed Hardison’s name and no response came from the mare that was fighting for her life. Jane saw flailing legs, stomping hooves, but no ground was gained as Hardison staggered for any footing at all. A single moment of focus as Hardison’s gaze landed square on Jane’s own. “RUN!”
Jane turned in any direction, felt nothing, felt just the burning of her dehydrated muscles as they carried her away from anywhere, from anything. She felt blurring and burning and sand-yes, sand- tearing at her eyes, the wound not even painful for the amount of adrenaline that rushed through her body. No breath entered or left her body for what seemed like eternity, just small gasps that made the pain worse. She galloped for a lifetime. She galloped as her guide died on the empty sands; blood and guts and bones crushed by some- thing.
Posted by: Arah - 01-06-2021, 12:41 AM - Forum: Archives
- No Replies
A R A H
If we truly see the beauty in simplicity, maybe you and me could soothe the beast and live blissfully?
Everything - every place, every smell, every sound, every person - was new. The doe looked towards the the outline of the Delumine, the Dawn Court. Even from such a distance it was very impressive. Never before had she resided in a residence like this. Settling under a tree she closed her eyes and allowed the sounds of her new home to flood in. The birds, the rustling of the trees. It was all so incredibly peaceful. Inhaling deeply she allowed the calm to fill her, eased the more anxious thoughts from her mind. The snap of a twig made her eyes fly open and she looked over her shoulder. There was a ripple of movement, the shadows shifted. Standing she slowly stepped away peering into the trees trying to catch sight of whatever was there. Wynter was away hunting and Arah knew it was too soon for her bonded to have returned. Inhaling deeply she frowned when no scent stood out to her. Perhaps it had only been a bird or animal, no need to let previous experiences send her into a fear spiral. Instead she just needed to be on her guard, moving away from the sound she wove further into the trees. The silver doe moved slowly keeping a ear out but, for now at least, it seemed whatever had been moving around her was gone. Sighing deeply she settled her nerves and instead returned her focus on to her surroundings. This forest had similarities to others. In the way the leaves whispered in the breeze, the bird calls and noises, the cracks of branches and rustling of other movements throughout the forest.
Breathing in deeply she exhaled the worry. Almost immediately her nervousness lessened, it had taken her a long time to learn how to ease the anxiety from her body. While she was far from mastering it, the skill had come in use with helping her through her grief. It cleared her mind and enabled her to operate in the world as an actual being. Not just a body that reacted. Coming to a clearing in the forest she could not suppress the gasp of shock that escaped her painted lips. The trees grew around the opening, framing it as the sun shone down onto the grass illuminating the meadow. If she didn’t know better she would have said that small magical creatures must live in this meadow. It seemed too beautiful to be apart of this world. Walking into the field she allowed the moment to completely capture her. The warmth of the sun beat down onto her back and she closed her eyes, allowing the heat to flood through her. Smiling she breathed in deeply again. An old song came to mind and she hummed the tune, softly. It flowed from her memories, the noise reverberating around the meadow. it was quite comforting, also as if a flash from the past had been brought into the present. Opening her eyes as the song ended she gazed at the meadow.
There had been a music box once, one that played songs from her childhood. The merchant had wanted a ridiculous price for it. The silver doe still remembered watching the cart roll away. Regret blossoming in her chest. Perhaps one day she would be able to purchase such a prize. Until then her own voice would have to do. "My, my, so high in the sky." Chuckling softly she continued to move through the meadow. As Arah returned to the present she wondered how much time had passed and if Wynter would return from her hunting trip soon. It would be nice to share this beautiful space with her.
@Ceylon. Sorry, bit of an average starter. Hopefully we can change it into a better thread. ^^
This flaming guardian could be your worst nightmare...
Sol snorted as he danced through the grasses. He had been away from his court for some time, having went back to his childhood herd to try to right his many wrongs. Sliding to a stop, he shook his massive head and shuffled his double wings. The scents of the courts that he claimed as home danced through his nose as golden eyes took in the world. It was hot, the depths of summer and the ebony, gold, and white stallion relished the heat. The stallion pawed at the rocks that he had stepped upon, watching the flames dance across the surface before disappearing.
Dipping his midnight muzzle to the surface of the creek, he took several deep draws to quench his thirst. The shire mix was tempted to take to the skies, but there was a part of him that was enjoying the feel and scent of the Dawn Court around him. Ears swiveled as he took in any and all creatures that were around him. Illuster Meadow was the place that he had first arrived in the court so long ago and he felt a sense of belonging wash over him. Sol was a different stallion in many ways. He had matured and come into himself further. While he had missed the silly alien creature, it was something that had needed to be done for many years.
"Bel... I wonder what the time has brought for you as well..." He murmured softly as he gazed around him. That would be one of the next things in his plan. He wanted to see the small creature. See what had happened. If she and her little sister had become closer. How the bond with her companion creature had developed. As his thoughts traveled to the pale creature, he realized how he longed for her company.
"First, I need to figure out the changes that have happened while I was away." He stated firmly, eyes glittering as he once again took in the world around him.
his land had so many strange scents. The doe tipped her crown back and inhaled deeply. The familiar sweetness of nature was there but mixed with it she smelt others and their foreignness. Or perhaps she was the only one who smelt odd. The salty sea scent still clung to her coat from her dramatic dip a few days ago. In time, she supposed, she would grow used to the scents of her new home. The introduction to the dawn court had taken her breath away, never before had she seen such a construction. It was truely breathtaking to stand so far above the ground. A small taste, she fancied, of what Pegasus must feel when in flight so far above the world. Somewhere deep down the bond Wynter chuckled. The griffin had already fashioned herself a perch in the living quarters. To the griffin’s mind, she deserved nothing less than an equine. The silver doe had to agree. Arah had awoken with a eagerness to explore the truth depths of the vast library but Wynter had insisted they stretch their wings or legs respectively. So Arah had relented and left the city rather early, heading down and out into the wilderness. The forest was truely alive and absolutely brimming with flowers. They came in so many shades and colours, varieties the doe was unfamiliar with greeted her. It was all so new and terribly exciting.
Ahead she heard rushing water, a clear indication that this part of the land had experienced heavy rainfall recently. Exiting through the trees she came upon the water, she could see across to the other side though the crossing did look somewhat hazardous. Wynter, showing off in a way that was so familiar it was comforting, landed on the other side. ‘Tul- bu.’ Commanded the impatient woman. Sighing Arah eased herself into the stream and began a careful crossing. The amount of water she’d been entering recently was somewhat ridiculous. Though this fresher water might be a good way to wash out her cloak. Perhaps tomorrow she would bring it back and give it a thorough wash. The cold waters splashed over her chest, but she passed over the halfway point and eased onto the other bank, ”Cin are conn- in cín iar anrand." She joked to the bird. The only response she received was an indignant ruffling of feathers and a haughty glance. Laughing Arah shook out her coat, spraying the droplets onto the griffin. Annoyed Wynter spread her wings wide and soared up into the skies. The doe sighed and shook her head, "don’t worry, my friend. Me too." Enough time had passed in Arah’s existence to know that she was no longer young. Now she was a mature woman, experienced and more sure in her ways. How was it possible that sometimes she felt as if centuries had passed and other times she felt as if no time had passed at all? In the end time played games with everyone.
As the morning faded away to almost midday the doe continued her slow trek through the light foliage. Since being reunited with Wynter a calm had filled her. So no longer was filled with the overwhelming urge to do, fight, experience. For now she was far more content with just being. Perhaps in time that would change but for now it was more than enough. Enough of a drive to experience and enjoy her new home to it’s full potential.
Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.
They had crammed them onto the ship. Arah had boarded The Last wish with all of her most prized possessions. Her ruby pendant hung around her neck, nestled against her chest. It's familiar weight comforted her. Tilney's lantern, collected from his graveside hung from her left antler. The candle had almost completely burnt out. When she reached her new destination she would have to buy new ones. Lastly her history book, with quill and ink pot, was sealed carefully in a watertight container provided by the crew. Dressed in her moonlight cloak, draped carefully over her ears, the hem kissed the salty soak wooden deck. They had been sailing for a little over a day now, crammed together underdeck. The smell and sounds of the other passengers forced her above deck for some fresh air. As they sailed they moved past an unfamiliar land. Something tugged her head up. A presence she had not felt in sometime. One she was beginning to think she would never again feel. So long it had been buried within her. A spark that was practically dead. But...there. The silver doe felt it again.
Almost as if in a daze she pulled the small crate to her size, strapped it down and left from the side of the ship. Shocked cries filled her ears but she ignored them instead swimming as quickly as she could towards the shore. Closer to that pull that she had been desperately searching for. It was not the promise of the rising sun, the escape from the frigid waters, the assumed safety of the land or the escape from a waterer grave that the doe gaining. It was the tug, the feeling that had become apart of her only to have been ripped away. The emptiness within her had been so long ongoing that it almost had became apart of her. But now. Now there was something else. There was an angry holler behind her and she knew that she was committed to this decision now. The ship was not waiting for her. Then again the silver doe was not unfamiliar with starting over in new lands. Again she felt the spark within her pulse. It's absence had caused her a pain that had been almost unbearable. Yet she had bared it. Endured the pain of Tilney's death, the loss of her home, her children vanishing and Wynter's dissapearence. Now this feeling bit be leading her to the final piece of her puzzle. To truely lay the ghosts of her history where they belonged. In the past.
Another wave broke over her head, sending the silver doe beneath the surface of the water. Desperately she kicked her legs and broke above the surface. Her lungs gasped for air, her mind reeled with shock. The weight of her moonlight cloak weight her down. It her fallen from resting over her ears. Now it was tangled around her neck chocking her slightly. It was not enough to stop her. Legs kicking, lungs expanding and contracting and golden orbs focused on the shore the silver doe swam for her life. She saw the sun begin to delicately paint the grains of sands in it's delicate morning colours. The roar of the ocean drained out all other noise but it did not matter. The silver doe would not succumb to the water. Not when she was so close for the first time in years. She could feel it. Instead she fought for the spark inside her. When her hooves brushed the edge of a sandbank she pulled herself up surely. As always her study legs held up upright and proud refusing to give into the urge to crumble. Truding through the smaller waves to the shore she emerged on the beach and allowed herself a moment to breath. Just find a moment of peace. Moving up the shore to the tree line she managed to suck off the soaping wet cloak and inspected the chest with her book. Opening it slowly she was relieved to see her records had survived the rather sudden and dramatic swim. As she pulled her book from the chest however it collapsed, useless drift wood. She would need another way to carry her life's work but that wasn't important now. Placing the record carefully to the side, the die rightened. Closing her eyes she took three deep breaths. As she did her heart slow, mind stopped racing and anxiety eased away. Turning her attention even further inward she found that strand within herself. Found the thread that gently pulsed. Gently, as if caressing a lover, she pulled on the thread.
Opening her eyes to the world she allowed the present to flood back in. The strange smells, foreign and unfamiliar. The sight of the land, it too was new and completely unknown to her. The sound of the ocean crashing against the shore, the sounds of a morning as the world slowly began to awaken around her. This land she had not traveled before. This land hold be where the final piece of her puzzle had been hiding.
There. Arah turned and looked towards the cliffs. The spark suddenly spluttered inside her, as if it were dying. For a moment she panicked. Then one spark...two...BOOM. Like a supanova the feeling of her bonded beamed to life within her. A figure, bigger than she remembered pulled away from the morning birds. Blacked out by the sun Arah stared at the shape, watching as it came closer. The beat of the string wings. Suddenly a cry pierced the air. "Wynter." Whispered the doe. Suddenly The silver doe was flying down the beach, fatigue from her swim forgotten. As if emerging from a dream, Wynter dropped from the gaze of the rising sun and Arah was able to behold her in all her truth. Pale, ivory feathers framed her companion's face, her lion's body was more detailed, stronger and toned. Finally the griffin dropped to the sands and Arah met her, collapsing to the ground as well. Dust flew around them, capturing them in their own private moment. "Wynter." Arah repeated. Then the pain finally exploded from the doe. Tears streamed down her face as she pressed her forehead to her the griffin's. She sobbed as Wynter rubbed her cheek with her own. Cried as her bonded moved in close to be snuggled beneath her head. Bawled as she finallyy inhaled the scent of her companion, the smell she had begun to wonder if she would ever smell it again. Cooing Wynter emerged from begin her soaking hair and gazed up at her." Im gar- near- in cín gwathren" The silver doe whispered to the griffin. There was a moment of silence as Wynter gazed at her then 'A I'm.' Wynter whispered into her mind through the bond. The sound of her companion's voice was enough to send Arah spriliaing again. Tears free flowing she cried as she gazed down at her griffin. "Nin mel." Arah muttered. "Nin emel.". 'Nin mel. Nin emel.' Arah repeated over and over to the griffin through their bond. The passed with Wynter supporting her mistress's head, making gentle chirping noises at her. It was undeniable. This was one of those moments when Arah' knew everything she had endured had lead her to this moment with her bonded.
Sighing and rising from their moment Arah smiled at Wynter. 'Tul-', she spoke softly and behind to head back down to beach to her abandoned cloak and record collection. As Arah walked Wynter strolled beside her, able to keep pace a little easier than before. It was certainly down to the griffin's growth. Now she reached just above Arah's knees in height. 'Cin guin- hi?' Arah enquired glancing down to her companion. Only Wynter did not seem to be paying her much attention. Her focaus was on the distacrded items. As they arrived by the cloak she looked up at Arah, 'Tilney a Maude ú- hi?' Pausing Arah bent down to inspect her cloak and inspect her cloak and not meet the keen gaze of her bonded. 'Arah' came the demand. Sighing the doe straightened and looked down into the griffin's gaze. 'Baw. Im chil Maude hen nos. Im chil hen na rad- cin.' She had left Maude settled and happy with her own family. Left her daughter in safety to seek out Wynter. Arah knew that both she and Maude did not think they would see each other for quite sometime. But Arah had to leave. Had to finish the puzzle. Breathing in deep she blinked away tears as she summoned the strength she need to answer the griffin's question. 'Tilney na- firn.' There, on the face of her bonded she saw a flash of the pain she had endured. Tilney is dead. He was gone and never would return. A fact that Arah had come to accept, though it was a struggle. Sniffing she turned back to her cloak. It was still in basically pristine condition. The concern had been that it might have torn in the waves. Any damage would have been worth it. Worth it for the connection with her bonded.
'Na- hi near?" Arah asked Wynter gazing over their new surroundings. It took a moment for Wynter to respond. Clearly she had taken the news of Tilney's death rather hard, Finally the response came shaky through the bond. 'Im ceri- ú- gar- hon golodh.' Undeterred by this Arah bent to gather her cloak. With a powerful beat of her wings Wynter rose to assist placing the soaking cloak over her shoulders. Without being asked the griffin next collect the book of records. Setting off the two bonded began to under the world they did not know. Arah had a feeling, however, that their adventure here had only just begun.
eyes that fire and sword have seen
and horror in the halls of stone
Jahin hears the call of Solis but he does not answer.
The desert sings to him. A lullaby at first. A haunting, beautiful song he hears from his personal quarters in the palace at night. The melody lilts through the open window with the cool breeze, crooning, luring him to the belly of the desert. He finds it difficult to sleep with the window shut; cut off from the open air of the desert...and yet as of late the only peaceful sleep he can find is when the windows are firmly closed. He sweats in his sleep and has restless dreams; enduring the humid, stifling air rather than face the haunting song of the desert. He knows he cannot answer. He has never been a man of ambition. He has never sought power. But the song of the desert is enticingly alluring. Even Jahin -- though it is not an easy task -- can be seduced.
He is, after all, a man.
On the seventh night at midnight, he awakens. Beads of sweat glisten upon his brow and shoulders like pearls. His dreams are haunted with the faces of Solterra. Makeda, Avdotya, Seraphina, Raum, Orestes. Jahin...the desert beckons. Demands. Seduces.
No, he says. My work here is not yet done. Still the desert sings. Not even the shuttered windows can keep the song away, for now it is a keening wail akin to a mourning widow; horrible and raw. He wakes in a pool of his own sweat and knows he will not sleep again this night, or maybe any other night, until someone worthy answers the call and assumes the throne.
He finds himself wandering the capitol walls at night, assigning himself extra patrols whenever possible to elude the duties of the crown. Protecting is what Jahin does best. He can lead in battle certainly, but governing the populace is not what the desert fashioned him for--He is made for raw, physical tasks...the matter is either black and white, rarely does Jahin see in grey.
As such, the intricacies of the crown elude him. He has stood next to the throne (refusing to sit upon it in the absence of a sovereign), day in and day out after Orestes’ disappearance, hearing the complaints of Solterra’s people. Most are petty--civil issues involving neighbors and criminal mischief. He renders his judgement on the incidents, as is required of him in the absence of a Sovereign.
But he does not find joy in the task; he is not suited to interacting with with people constantly. He is a man of few words and his lack of charisma does nothing to help the matter. Citizens are dissatisfied with his dispositions on their issues, despite the fairness of the judgement rendered; feeling as if they have not actually been heard due to his unforthcoming, reserved nature. Not to mention the endless paperwork. He can neither read or write (yet), and the mountain of paper on the sovereign’s desk continues to grow, overtaking much of the royal office.
During this time of unrest and upset, Jahin would argue that the lack of a crown weighs heavier on the head than any bedazzled, jeweled, golden crown any sovereign has ever born.
He relieves and nods goodnight to the soldier on duty, replacing the watch on the northern most tower. He shoulders his spear into a more comfortable position and Sahar settles herself in graceful coils across his back, hissing softly. The stars and moon are bright tonight. The pearls of sweat on his skin have dried and only the silver light of the moon washes over him now. The haunting desert song is louder in the open air...a song only Jahin and a few others can hear. Who will answer the call? And when?
(open thread for anyone...join Jahin on patrol!)
J A H I N look at last on meadows green
and trees and hills they long have known
Posted by: Below Zero - 01-05-2021, 12:35 AM - Forum: Archives
- No Replies
B e l o w Z e r o
I don't care what they're going to say, let the storm rage on the cold never bothered me anyway
There was something calming about being in the dark - to feel the inky blackness soak around you - and to have to rely on other senses than just vision. Or, perhaps that was just Bel. Did living in some of the darkest, and coldest parts of the ocean adapt you to preferring that sort of life style when you needed some place to shelter too? Was it the familiarity of the dangerous hiding in the dark? Was it the cyan glow bouncing off the brush and trees, like biolum bouncing of the trench walls in the oceanic depths? Either way, Bel would be lying if she didn't admit there was something . . . something calming about the swamp. Perhaps that was why she tended to spend time here rather than in some of the other parts of the vast state of Terrastella. The entire area was home, to her and the court she had taken to when she had first decided to beach herself on this island, but it was the swamp that the aquatic-equine tended to habit the most.
Even now, her limbs cut through the water as if she were dancing on air, hooves daintily dredging through the bottom, the natural vapors from her hocks loosening the mud and gunk from her limbs that would otherwise try to entrap her. Adaptations meant to aid in a mostly aquatic lifestyle worked just as well in the swamp's half marsh state. However, the same vapors aiding in her movement were forced on overdrive to keep the mare cool during this wretched heat. Even this late in the evening, with the crickets coming out to chirp a melody and the sun barely a glow over the horizon, the heat was unbearable to a creature from the north. But adaptation assisted in that manner, her vapors almost below zero to aid in keeping her from overheating, or worse, evaporating the water needed to circulate her system in a complex vein work just below her skin. Drying out, especially in this heat, was a touch of a concern for the mare, but it wasn't her first summer above the water's surface, and it wouldn't be her last. After all, she was a creature from an ancient race who had once ruled another planet successfully - one whose temperatures were far more variant than these. Sure, she was a few generations after the quick . . . . exit of their original home, but breeding only inside the population had ensured those traits were kept - a necessity when her people spent winters in the coldest parts of the ocean, and summers in tropics to welcome the newest crop of pups to their herd.
The swamp, however, always seemed to make that heat just a bit more . . . exhausting. Perhaps it was the natural water that hung in the air, trapping that heat and then holding it close to one's hide. Perhaps it was the trees scattered about that would aid in trapping that humidity below that canopy. Either way, the mare both hated and loved that humid aspect of these lands. Great for seasons, worse in others. At least it ensured that drying out in the swamp was as likely as finding a pearl in the first oyster. Well, perhaps that wouldn't be the best analogy - depending on the insider knowledge. For a Treader, finding pearls was as easy as recognizing which areas of the ocean were likely the most nutrient-dense (which meant finding the area with the biggest oysters and most filling fish you could snap up in a bite). But the sentiment remained: The swamp had it's uses.
At least to some. Dual cyan eyes turned their glow onto the annoyed serpent draped around a rock, the creature huffing, icicles clinking in agitation. It is too hot. The serpent sang in a dialect of drake not known to this planet. Dual eyes met the mare's own, each set blinking independently as the sharp-toothed snout turned down in a frown. The creature's tail, much like Bel's own fluke, strummed the water's surface, a rabbit half-eaten resting between its five-toed limbs, Why are we here when the temperature is so displeasing? Let us return to the ocean, I implore of you, Below Zero. This weather is . . . vile. No creature should ever be subjected to it! Particularly not those of us of arctic persuasion - I know you cannot be enjoying it any more than I. Bel had heard this rant from Yukime before. The serpent preferred the waters to the land, not that Bel could blame her either - especially not in the height of summer.
The mare moved towards her companion, laying down in the water below the ledge the bonded serpent relaxed on. "It's not so bad, once you are accustomed to it." The mare mused as she watched the swamp water seem to illuminate a little more around her from the biolum markings now displaced below the water, creating a small glowing bubble between her cyan glow and her companion's deep navy. A slight beacon of light in the growing darkness, "Besides, the sun has set, the night is always far more enjoyable. Perhaps you'll even find another one of those tiny crocodiles to wrestle with - I know how much you enjoy that!" The alien mare suggested with a smile that flashed the sharp teeth of an omnivore with a diet of fishing below the water, sharp and curved back towards her throat. "Just relax with me, Yukime. Enjoy the night. Okay?"
"Bel" Yukime
@Sparrow Notes:: I forget how naturally Bel comes to me.
While one was returning, I was just arriving. My exit from the teal and black smoke that had swallowed me in Helovia had not been an easy one. I found myself tossed out and to the ground. I tumbled for a few moments before coming to a stop. My last memories are telling my family how much I love them and facing what I had thought was death alongside my father and cousin. Father's and my own companions had met the same fate. Wait, Arwen?! Frantically I stand upon the ground I had landed on looking for my bonded companion. Surely if I had been tossed out so had she, right? But no, Arwen was nowhere to be found nor could I feel her presence in my mind. I closed my eyes as they darkened with sadness. Everyone had been taken from me, and somehow death or well Kaos had sent me somewhere else.
I open my eyes and begin to look around, curious about this new place I will be calling home. What choice do I have? Helovia is gone, that I know for sure. Kaos had made that very clear before the smoke had taken me away. All I can hope is that the rest of my family somehow made it away and were not forced to go into the portal to the Rift... Or if they had, that they had found a way out. I shake gently, trying to knock the dirt from my silver and ivory coat. Sapphire eyes look around and see nothing but trees, shrubs, and some grasses. The sun barely filters down through the treetops. No one seems to be around, but as my eyes adjust to the dimmer light I notice a few trails. Maybe if I follow these I will find someone.... Maybe even someone who can tell me where I am.
