The darkest hour before the dawn holds a magic unlike any other. The moonlight has faded but the suns light has not yet awoken. The brief passing of responsibility between Caligo and Oriens brings a faint glow to the horizon which casts lances of golden light and long shadows between the maidencane as Aoife walks ponderously through the squelchy sphagnum moss puddles. The chill of night still stings her skin but those rays of dawn light bring the promise of warmth. It is summer after all she tells herself as she heads toward the more open marshlands. She watches as a shoebill wanders out from a patch of cattails some 10 meters ahead of her. He dips his head down and spreads his wings, almost as if praying to Oriens, but Aoife knows he's just sunning his wings and warming up to begin the day. She walks slowly so as not to startle him but he spooks anyway when he sees her and laboriously lifts himself into the sky, startling a couple of other birds who take flight with him. "Sorry old boy" Aoife says, smiling "didn't mean to frighten you". Ever since she was a filly she'd found other creatures easier to empathise with than horses. Maybe it was the relentless teasing, or the the death of her tribe, but she'd always been a little afraid that they would reject or even worse hurt her in some way. She still longed for equine interaction desperately though. I mean that was why she left the mountains, right? "But nobody's going to hang out with a girl who smells like skunk cabbage and lives in a swamp" she told herself pragmatically as she continued walking.
"But I like it here" she wrinkled her nose like a whingey foal.
"If you want friends you need to stop talking to yourself out aloud" she added to herself as an afterthought.
The sun had mostly risen and it was starting to get hotter so she went down onto her knees and then rolled in the shallow muddy water, without thinking. She stood up and shook like a dog, her long mane whipping around full of muddy sticks and rotting leaves, mud splattering everywhere. "At least there's no one around to see me" she thought and giggled.
04-13-2020, 01:28 AM - This post was last modified: 04-13-2020, 02:16 AM by Aoife
he time before dark and dawn was a quiet and peaceful moment, when the world stood still and held its breath in anticipation for what would come. In her usual manner, Mephisto had risen with the sun, blinking against the darkness as she padded silently from her bed and made her way toward the wilder edges of the Dusk Court. She craved these moments of quiet and solitude, never quite fitting in with the din and business of court life, born to live on the fringes of the wilderness and not in the structured city.
And so, the dark Pegasus strayed from her duties, making her way through the verdant fields which blossomed with summer flowers, down the craggy hills which guarded the sea, and toward the mysterious swamplands. Along the way, little episodes grabbed at her mind – flashes of vision from the creatures she passed. She was getting used to her warg powers striking at unwarranted times. Now, these moments were more of a curiosity than a breathtaking bit of confusion. Though Mephisto had yet to master her newly discovered magic, she was beginning to recognize it for what it was.
She stopped moving, ducking into the shadows as her breathing labored and a vision stole away her senses. It was the shoebill, blinking at a blur of white and brown. Mephisto heard the mare’s muffled voice, losing the vision even as the bird took flight, gasping for air as she was dragged from the moment and back into her own reality.
Alone again, the mare trembled for only a moment, drawing the dampness of the swamp into her lungs, closing her eyes to steady the swaying sensation as she focused on the quiet chirping of crickets and the distant splash of frogs leaping across the murky water. Further away, she heard Aoife’s voice once more, not distinctly enough to make out the words, but enough to pique her interest.
With a final steadying breath, Mephisto moves toward the splashing mare, quiet as a wildcat sneaking up on its prey, her cobalt eyes keenly focused and curious. She stops mere paces away, an inquiring smile pulling at her lips, quiet for only a moment more before clearing her throat to greet the curious mare. "How’s the water?" Her voice is tinged with amusement, the warmth meeting her eyes as she nods to the stranger. Those sea-blue eyes look Aoife up and down, taking in the appearance of her more than judging, as blue-black wings fold gracefully against her frame, her long tail flicking at fireflies as the morning sun rises higher over Tinea.
It's a gentle voice that catches her ears as she stands, eyes closed against the light, baking her muddy coat in the morning sun. She tenses for a moment, startled before turning her head so her good eye faces the stranger. The tall dark form comes into focus as she turns. The pretty stranger, to be precise. Aoife stares a little before remembering her manners, it's been a while since she's seen another horse. "Hi, sorry, hello" she stumbles over her words, the pink of her muzzle stains a darker shade of red and her ears go hot with embarrassment as she realises she's still dripping with mud and algae "I, um, the water's great" she laughs a little. The winged horses towers over her, putting real contrast to her diminutive stature, but she's starting to getting used to the idea that she's small. It's an odd thing finding out your entire worldview is skewed, somehow all the things that you thought mattered seem insignificant and silly.
Still feeling more than a little self conscious about her height Aoife peers sheepishly upwards to meet the gaze of her new companion, blinking and squinting a little as the sun really starts to conquer the horizon behind them, bright and hot and casting sharp little shadows beneath every blade of grass, turning the tiniest dew drops to many faceted diamonds. "I'm Aoife, by the way" she adds shyly. She twitches nervously, not for fear of this stranger but for fear she'd say something stupid and let on that she didn't know winged horses were real, or that she actually loves bathing in mud and it wasn't an accident. She wants to seem worldly and knowledgeable but that's a little difficult when up until a few months ago your entire world consisted of one secluded lake and it's accompanying shores inhabited by no more than one hundred horses.
@mephisto sorry I'm super rusty haha
04-15-2020, 08:05 AM - This post was last modified: 04-15-2020, 08:11 AM by Aoife
f the dark pegasus was put off by the quirky mare’s appearance or small stature, she didn’t let it show. Indeed, Mephisto wasn’t one to judge. Instead, she simply nods in response, dipping her own feet into the summer-warmed water and letting her legs sink slowly into the murk. It was said the mud in Tinea had healing properties, as much as the herbs and plants which fringed the water’s edge. This was a place for the healers and medics of Novus to congragate, and Mephisto knew they would call from all corners of Novus to experience the healing waters firsthhand.
"You’re not from around here…" it was a statement as much as a question – not accusing, but curious. There was a bit of an accented tone to the mare’s voice, one that spoke of somewhere far from here. Even if there wasn’t, Terrastella’s spy would have noted the way she carried herself, the way she stammered at being caught unaware, the subtle flush of her skin. Aoife needn’t fear though – the Dusk Court was a welcoming place and Mephisto was far from an unkindly sort, despite her reputation as a loner.
While she wasn’t one to roll out the welcome wagon, the blue-black mare remembered too well how it felt to be in someplace new, to know little about the place, to reinvent oneself again. "This is Terrastella – Tinea Swamp, to be more precise." She pauses, eyes blinking skyward for a moment, as if wondering how much of the lore she truly believed. "It is the land of Vespera, goddess of Dusk." As she wasn’t a scholar, Mephisto had little additional context to provide – for she could not claim to be a zealously religious sort. The history of Terrastella was written in thick tomes in the citadel, and should Aoife wish to know more, she could certainly find it there.
"I am Mephisto" she offers simply – no title, no rank. The warg was simply another wanderer who, like so many before her, had found herself in this place and settled quietly into the peace of the seaside cliffs and starkissed sunsets. Stepping deeper into the swamp, she let the inky waters brush against her belly, then her sides, until she was enveloped within the murky warmth.
"What will you do now?" It was a strange thing, having no plans or preconceptions. And for a moment, Mephisto allows herself to contemplate what she would do, if she were returning to this place for the first time again.
@Mephisto | "speaks" | @Aoife – No worries at all… I haven’t written a word in a year, so I’m right there with you <3
For some reason the mares tone soothed her slightly. The dark mare had an air of sophistication and tranquility that somehow rubbed off on her. Though she could still feel her heart beating painfully hard she began to feel a little calmer as the mare spoke to her. Aoife nodded as the mare instantly deduced she wasn’t a local. I really must seem like a back woods little hayseed Aoife thought to herself with some bemusement. Terrastella! She had heard of it but didn’t realise that’s where she actually was. Aoife had her own beliefs, the mountain tribe knew nothing of the deities of Novus, just as they knew very little about the actual land itself. They worshipped the ancient ones as they always had, although Aoife had no real idea how to explain the odd and often chaotic and terrifying deities of her homeland. “Oh she sounds wonderful! My people just have the horned god, he eats horses if they don’t sacrifice enough food to him.” Realising how odd and barbaric that made her seem she hastily added I’m not sure I believe it but some horses like to I guess” which was true, she’d always been sceptical. But she liked the festivities, burning giant straw totems and dancing in circles through the pine forest on full moons. The mare put a name to her face, Mephisto, although even without it Aoife was beginning to feel less like a stranger. It was her next sentence that jolted Aoife back to the reality she’d been trying to avoid. What was she going to do? “I’m going to be honest with you, I have no clue. I came here start again I guess, in a place where people see me differently. Now, as I know, they see me very differently.” she felt a small lump in her throat as she thought about the funny stares and hushed giggles she’d heard from taller horses as she passed through their territories. But Mephisto didn’t seem to be having her on, she seemed genuine.
t is easy to talk to the painted mare, and Mephisto doesn’t mind spending more time lazing in the swamp. She liked it here. Tinea was a strange place for some to visit, but the warg had always liked the way dappled sunlight blinked through a thick haze of trees. She found bullfrog’s cry and the quiet splashing of waterfowl and fish, quite soothing. But more than anything, this was a place where she came to think – to escape from the court life, which so often seemed stifling to the Pegasus. She had never really been one to fit a mold, always feeling like something of an outsider.
As Aoife mentions the god of her people, Mephisto was admittedly caught off guard. She quirks a brow, a curious smile tipping at her lips. It wasn’t that she meant to laugh or make light of anyone’s religion – but the idea of a god eating his own people was peculiar, to say the least. "I must say… I don’t think I’d like to meet your horned god. I’m not much for gods or their whims.” Like the mare beside her, Mephisto had always considered herself something of a skeptic – open to the idea of gods, but wanting more proof before blindly following a cause. Still, she knew better than to talk badly of Vespera, for there were those who were far more pious than she, and Mephisto would be wise to stay in the good graces of her court.
"Different isn’t bad.” she offers simply, noting the crestfallen look of the mare. She hadn’t meant to offend, of course. "The Court benefits from those from all walks of life – with all kinds of experience and gifts to offer.” She muses for a moment, on what she truly had to give to Marisol and the Terrestellans. Once, she had trained with the Halcyon Air Unit, aiming to bring glory to the Court by giving her service to defend. But now… now there was a strange and foreign magic unfolding within her.
Mephisto was only beginning to understand the warg powers which captured her psyche, leaving her in a defenseless and vulnerable state each time they seized her. She could not fight, not with the handicap of her magic. Instead, she had hopes at becoming more of a sentry-spy, and harnessing her power – taming it even, to bend to her will. Still, it would be a long and laborious road.
"To the South, beyond the fields, you will find the citadel – seat of the Queen and her counsel. If you plan to stay, you should come to see the Court. Not everyone decides to stay in the city, but it’s a useful place to start or to learn about the history and lore.” She pauses for a moment, thinking of her own entrance to Terrestella, thinking of the king who’d welcomed her. "I can show you the way, if you’d like?”
It was a strange thing, the dark mare being so open and uncharacteristically warm… but after her months of isolation, while grappling with the newness of her magic, perhaps company was just what she needed.
The little mare shifted her weight and laughed nervously when her new friend mentioned not wanting to meet the horned god. They had made likenesses of him at festivals. One time she swore she saw him in the forest but she knew it was probably just her vivid little imagination making demons from the moving shadows. The ancient ones were indeed chaotic and whimsical, based probably off the forces of nature she thought, and the way they both provided life and took life away. "Yeah he always frightened the life out of me when I was a filly" she smiled mirthfully thinking about it.
"Oh I agree with you there" she said, nodding thoughtfully at the mares next statement. "Everyone I had ever known was not much taller than I am up until a short while ago. You lot seem dreadfully tall in comparison but I thought it was pretty wondrous when I first came to your land, I still do a bit."
She shook her mane, sending a couple of leaves fluttering to the ground and thought about what she might have to offer the court, were she to take Mephisto up on her invitation. A citadel sounded like such a grand place. She'd heard of places like that, bigger than any tribe or village she'd known, full of horses. Surely within a sea of so many beings she could find better company than she could here, alone with the capybara. She hoped Mephisto might guide her though, not only to the city but around the rules of this new place. She had no idea of their customs but from the looks of it her old tribe were much less developed than these big horses with their cities and civilised gods. She wanted to fit in and as much as possible assimilate and forget that small place that held those stinging memories of childhood torment and teasing. "I would love to come with you, if you think there's a place for me." she hesitated to reveal her insecurity "as for experience and gifts, I'm not very knowledgeable or learned, but I can fight surprisingly well" she paused and then added with her usual self-deprecating humour "the trick is to go for the ankles" she chuckled slightly.
SORRY I was waiting til my post table was ready but it doesn't work with this site xD
04-23-2020, 05:32 AM - This post was last modified: 04-23-2020, 06:42 AM by Aoife
here is a place for everyone”, she offered with a slight shrug and an easy smile. "Terrestella is a welcoming sort of place, and the Dusk Court is far more open to newcomers than some of the other places you’ll find at Novus.” Mephisto thinks back to when she had first arrived, and the warmth shown to her by Asterion. For a moment, the dark warg wonders where he might have gone, a surprising pang of sadness washing over her as she thought of all she’d cared for that had then been lost. While she didn’t know Asterion well, he’d reminded her of Gabriel.
The dark mare had been something of a nomad – not because she’d set out to do so, but because life had thrown a lot of curve balls along the way. Magic had stolen away one of her homes, war another. Here, the land seemed to stay, but the faces around her had changed in her absence. She doesn’t let the memories worry her for long, focusing back on the painted mare, and quirking an eyebrow at the mention that she could fight. While the dark Pegasus might not have pegged Aoife as a fighter, on second thought, it did make sense that she might have an advantage due to her size and nimbleness.
"We have a warrior queen now”, she offered, beginning to walk with Aoife toward the citadel. "She is fair, but stern.” While she hadn’t trained with Marisol much during her time with the Halcyon’s, Mephisto had noted the mare had a penchant for efficiency and a no-nonsense attitude. She was the type which commanded respect, so it was no wonder that the Halcyon queen had found herself now leading Terrestella.
"I’m sure she will be pleased to meet you, and she can recommend training and sparring partners if you wish to hone your fighting prowess. I’m not much of a fighter myself,” she admitted, "but I trained with the Halcyon air unit before…” the dark mare trailed off, not sure how to explain the strange magics which had plagued her and left her defenseless over the last many months. In time, she would need to explain herself not only to Marisol, but to others as well. Without knowing how to define the warg ability, it was difficult to grapple with the reality of it… but she shook away the guilt, focusing instead on the mare beside her as they left the swamp en route to the Capital.
ooc: If you’d like to start a new thread in the Dusk Court board, I’m happy to respond there (be sure to post a quick closer to this thread too, so you can get signos credit :)
Aoife listened intently, her fluffy ears flickering toward each word like a moth to a lightbulb, drawn in by the light of this new horse and her promises of the city where she would fit in. Her ears perked slightly when she mentioned the queen. “I’d love to meet your Queen and find out how I can be of service” she said, as she flipped her forelock out of her eyes and flicked her tail to swat away the flies that had begun to gather in the hot morning sun as they made their way toward the cover of the trees that lined the outer perimeters of the mire. As they walked and talked Aoife noticed Mephisto’s voice falter a little, as if she had been jolted back to something that lay just beneath her calm surface. She didn’t want to pry just yet, being still a little unsure of the rapport between them, so she walked in gentle silence for a few paces before asking “so where is it that you came from? Do you have family at the citadel?” hoping that those too were not sensitive subjects and that maybe she could initiate some small talk to ease the conversation on their walk.
OOC I’ll start a thread in the court tomorrow ish xx
![[Image: cxiyJ4o.png]](https://i.imgur.com/cxiyJ4o.png)
