Satisfied that he had searched the dawn court to the best of his ability, Venari moved onto the last location in Delumine. The one that was left last for a reason. As it loomed ahead of him, he felt his heart sink and his mind whir through stress caused by flashbacks. It had been four years since he was hunted by the rogues, however it still pained him to think about and thick forests still increased his heart-rate. No matter how much better he was feeling in terms of mental state, spending a prolonged amount of time beneath such vast canopies always triggered a worsened mood. While he didn't like to admit it, Venari found it inexplicably hard to live through his past when bombarded with constant visual reminders. Perhaps with age he would get better at coping with it, but he rather suspected (with a heavy heart) that he would always have this reaction to some degree.
Despite the emotional difficulties, Venari managed to pick up a trot. While it was tempting to give this area a wide birth, the teal stallion was keen to do well in the quest put in front of him. Perhaps this experience would help desensitise him to the looming canopies and get him a step closer to feeling comfortable in forests again. On the contrary, this venture had scope to worsen his mind and give it even more reason to resent the landscape. It could swing either way.
To cope with the anxiety bubbling within his veins and causing a mild nausea, Venari intensified his search tactics. The more distracted he was, the less he could think of where he was. Pushing himself into a walk, Ven craned his neck down to scan the floor before lifting his muzzle up high to observe the canopies. He made note to look for any oddities in the leaves on the ground, to check any holes bore into the trees by the local wildlife. In essence, Venari made sure to lose himself in this particular search.
*
TAGGED: Open
NOTES: Another relic thread ~
TIMELINE: Fifth relic location, second day
The softest of whispers graced his keen ears, the trees speaking secrets in a language only they could understand. The moment he had tread the soft, virile earth of the Dawn Court he had known which realm he had entered. The sun was warm, but not enough for his liking, and the greenery around them belied their location - everything in the Courts was archaic, but perhaps the forests here bypassed even that sense. The trees were like ancient sentinels, a continuous circle of life erupting around them, filled with the constant sound of insects and other secretive wildlife all underneath an emerald blanket that hid them from the outside world.
Stepping underneath that blanket felt like walking into the worlds oldest trap - who knew what lurked in the long forgotten shadows of these giants? In truth, he'd never felt comfortable in forests, everything was too close, too confined for comfort - not to mention to live there would mean to live in constant shadow. The breaks in the canopy were few and far between, and not nearly enough to ignite relief within his chest. For a court that honoured the dawn, there was a distinct lack of sunlight.
Admittedly, when searching for an ancient relic a forest as timeworn as this one seemed to be the ideal place. It could have been lost in the depth of the trees for centuries, millennia even. If it had been wrapped in the gnarled old roots of one of these giants it could be lost forever - the forest was alive and moving, and it would take less than a lifetime for the relic to be buried underneath all of the forest bones and matter. Pausing, Reich watched the shift of teal through the trees and melted backward into the brush, only his silver eyes visible as they watched the movement. He pieced together the stallion as he wandered through the trees, looking for something - the relic?
The stranger was built with slender bones and azure skin, antlers erupting from his skull like thorns. He was striking to look at as he meandered, gazing skyward and then downward, leaving no stone unturned. Reich paused for a moment, then brashly exited his hiding place - stepping forward with a smile. "Searching for the relic?"
Nestled at the foot of a great oak Damascus had drifted almost completely to an alternate universe to those who crept over leaf and twig near-by. Snores could be heard from a mile away, his dreams taking him further and deeper into the realm of slumber as he slept on a bed of his tail hair, his wings coiled tightly against his body for warmth. Dohv had found a pillowy shelter in the colt's tail hair also, having constructed a temporary burrow in his friend's tail to stay in warm and cosy.
Damascus had no real clue as to whether it was morning or afternoon, only that as the sun warmed his skin he had felt more and more ready for slumber - and so had let it claim him.
Snores as loud as a landslide escaped from his nostrils, the jerboa cooped within the hair of his tail attempting to block out the overwhelming noise by holding his ears flat against his skull. Soon came the whistle of wind, just one more element that had caused the rodent to screw his nose in distaste, though upon that whistle he heard a voice. Deep, male, and one he remembered.
Hopping from his burrow of dense hair and feather the mouse was soon among the fallen leaves and mud, his beady eyes inspecting the strangers (who were not uite strangers) through the trees. "Mascus!" He had cooed telepathically to the snoring lump. "Wake up! They be lookin' fer the relic!"
Though still the black one could not be stirred, a smile twitching upon his maw as the dreamy echoes of his bonded's coos bounded around his sleepy head. The snores continued, now only becoming louder.
(( ooc; YO guys! umm for timeline I'll say this is after Damascus meets reich in Denocte?))
Laced within his blood was an innate fear. It began to seep into his reality more and more, distorting his vision through an vignette of blurriness. Due to the emotions, Venari determined himself to focus even more on the quest. If he was distracted, Venari could hope to put an end to his tiresome thoughts. Though, at the moment, it would take double the focus just to get them to lower the volume to a whisper. Flicking his ebony tail in disgust and irritation, he pawed the ground once, twice, thrice. Upon the fourth hit, he put all of his frustration behind his dagger and slammed it into the ground, causing a jolt of pain. Venari winced but took no more notice of it; while it had helped relieve some of his tension, anxiety still plucked at veins like guitar strings; except the music was much less beautiful.
Walking forwards once again, Venari craned his neck down to inspect a tree stump. The leaves looked out of place and something smelt odd too; a damp and mouldy smell filled his nostrils and he scrunched his face up. With no warning, a small creature fled the scene, bald tail clipping leaves as it did so. Venari took a step back and snorted, his slightly injured limb curling beneath him; poised to stamp the ground once more. However the creature seemed to have gone for good and so he placed his leg down carefully, mindful of the pain that still throbbed within the ligaments.
With a swift shake of his head, Venari continued with the same routine as he had held before; weaving his body through the trees and continually looking for the relic. He hated this place with ever fibre of his being, however he needed to be here if he wanted to succeed. The stallion needed to work through these emotions if he stood any chance of getting better. So focused on his hunting was he that he failed to notice any movement in the trees around him. It was only with the sudden sound of twigs snapping that the stag launched his head into the air. Ears flicked forwards only to better hear movement and his nostrils flared wide, snorting to whatever had made the noise in a severe warning. Within his throat rumbled a deep, rumbling nicker of alarm; he hated this. He needed to leave.
Limbs trembling, he squared his halt and stretched his legs a little to make himself seem taller. As well as this, he tipped his head forwards to point his antlers at the stranger. Iced orbs observed the fellow stallion (the scent gave him away) and noticed the taller stature. The dark tones. He recalled the brash movements with panic; it felt like he was being hunted all over again. The situation felt copied over from his past and he felt his heart try to leap from his ribcage. He needed out. He had to get away; he continued to back up.
As he lifted his head slightly, Venari noticed a smile upon the creature's lips. He double-took to make sure it was a smile and not a frown and spun his mind back into reality. This wasn't four years ago. This wasn't him being hunted. This was a stranger with good intentions; he could tell from the words he had just barely registered. Shaking his entire body out, Venari attempted to dislodge the anxiety that had invaded him. It half worked. He relaxed his stance and paced forwards to take back the ground he had given over to his fear. A sheepish smile formed upon his features, the first part of his apology to this stranger.
"Sorry about that," he muttered with as much fake confidence he could muster. He was still trembling. "I am indeed; it's proving hard to f-find," he cursed himself for stammering right at the end of that sentence; he had been doing so well until that point. He hoped this stallion was kind to him after his explosive outburst. God, he felt so bad. "How about y-" Venari cut himself off at the sound of a deep, sinister growl. This wasn't from the stranger in front of him - no. This was something entirely different. Something far, far worse.
Frozen in fear, the teal stallion stares only straight ahead, his mind a wreck and unable to rationalise the current events in this cursed forest. Was he even breathing?
*
TAGGED: @Reichenbach & @Damascus & Open
NOTES: Don't mind Ven, he's just 100% losing it
TIMELINE: Fifth relic location, second day
The initial reaction was one that Reich had not been expecting - near panic entered the strangers eyes, as if revisiting some dark event from his past. There was a surge of emotion in the atmosphere, as if the terror felt within the teal stallion echoed through the trees and into the damp, teeming earth below them. Reich remained still, silver eyes burdened with empathy - though the times he descended into his memories they were not laced with fear, but shame. Long moments passed as the stag fought to keep himself under control (something Reichenbach could applaud, for he fell into his memory and shame wholeheartedly and without a single thought to try and escape) until finally there was a weak smile, a watered down version of what Reichenbach suspected was the true thing. He responded with a small shrug - these things happened, and he was in no position to judge what fears haunted this mans mind.
He was about to say as much when the man spoke again, and so instead he listened, nodding thoughtfully until the deep reverberation of a growl cut their conversation short. Reich stilled, glancing at his frozen companion and then to the trees where another deep roar began. Amusement coloured his eyes, the dark lashes surrounding them lowering as he gave a wry smile - he knew that sound, and who it came from. Only from piecing together the long silken strands of Damascus' eternal tail could Reich find the sable beast it belonged to, and in doing so he also saw Dohv leaping about atop of him. A low, musical chuckle escaped him and he glanced back to the teal man before him.
"Do not be afraid - he is a sleeping giant, and also a good friend of mine."
He stepped closer, reassuring. He offered safety in that gesture, whether he knew it or not, happy to invite the stranger into his comfort, into a world of ebony curls and woodsmoke.
"I am Reichenbach, a warrior of the Night Court." He paused "and he is -" Reich stared upward, contemplating whether he could leap high enough to give a tug on that vast tail, before returning his gaze to his companion and finishing wryly "Damascus, lord of sweet dreams and thunderous snores"
![[Image: 9a4uiv.jpg]](http://i65.tinypic.com/9a4uiv.jpg)
