The chimera mare snorted in the cool morning air. She felt a new desire for life, a desire to meet those that called Solterra home. The new sovereign had named her the Champion of Community. The idea of Baphomet being a champion of anything would have caused so many laughs back where she had come from. The mare had been a very different being before arriving in Novus. She felt a desire to be more than just the tyrant leader that she had once been.
Stepping into an elegant trot, she listened to the golden bangles as they jingled around her pasterns and smiled. Baph loved the sound of the metal clinking against each other. It reminded her of bells, announcing her arrival. The court walls rose before her and she smiled at the solid nature that made her feel safe.
"The idea of enjoying safety is something that I would have never expected for myself." She mused as she strode into the fortress that was the heart of Solterra. "This land is so different from my original home, so much more welcoming and full of heart. Or at least, it will be. I will help the new sovereign to build Solterra back to power." Baph murmured, her vow more for Solis than anyone around her. There were places she could go in the court that would probably have more life, but she wanted to start here in her goal to learn more about those that lived in Solterra.
EATING FIRE IS YOUR AMBITION; TO SWALLOW THE FLAME DOWN, TAKE IT INTO YOUR MOUTH, AND SHOOT IT FORTH, A SHORT OR AN INCANDESCENT TONGUE, A WORD, EXPLODING FROM YOU IN GOLD, CRIMSON, UNROLLING IN A BRILLIANT SCROLL
Perhaps the greatest advantage of the citadel is one of the highest points in all of Solterra. From his study, crammed full of books and parchment, he is able to observe Solterra to the limit of his vision. Orestes, by nature, is an observant man. He watches Baphomet as she passes through the gates of the city, into the Court. He hopes she is still there as he leaves the citadel and descends into the city.
Orestes finds her near where he had seen her last, trotting into the city itself. He picks up his pace, so as to catch her before she passes him by. “Baphomet!” Orestes calls, and then slows. She is a striking mare and seems to belong to the desert far more than he; perhaps it is her chimeric coloring, or the length of her legs. She is taller than Orestes, and bears an intense cross marking; one that splits her face in two. He knows she is a foreigner, but not from where.
He has been meaning, for quite some time, to build more familiar relationships with those in his regime and counsel. There is no better opportunity than in the present. “Would you care if I accompany you, on your walk? I would appreciate the opportunity to learn more about you.” Orestes smiles. “After all, we cannot be strangers.” There a small part of him, dark and secretive, that wonders if anyone will ever know him. He decides not to dwell on it, and continues: "Where is it you're from, originally?"
TO BE LIT FROM WITHIN, VEIN BY VEIN. TO BE THE SUN.
“Baphomet!” Baph slowed as she heard her name, quickly zeroing in on the one calling her. She was surprised and delighted to see the sovereign in all his golden glory. The chimeric mare dipped into a low bow before rising to her feet and smiling warmly at the stallion. "Good Morning, Orestes." She greeted him, taking the chance to get a look at him and appraise him. He was shorter than she, but not obscenely so. Where she was leggy and built to run, he seemed more muscular and solidly built. For a moment, she had thoughts that were definitely out of place and had to force them away. This was not the time for that idea.
“Would you care if I accompany you, on your walk? I would appreciate the opportunity to learn more about you. After all, we cannot be strangers. Where is it you're from, originally?" Baph beamed and dipped her head. "I would be honored to have your company. I cant say that I had anywhere in particular that I was heading, but if you did, we can definitely follow your path instead." She responded, once again finding herself appraising the stallion and wondering what sort of leader he would come to be as the time passed. "It is hard to work together if we are strangers. More difficult to trust if you know nothing of the other." She nodded, realizing that she must be a stranger to just about everyone in the realm.
"I came from a land of arid plains and swift winds. But the more that I think about it, the less I remember of the name. I was not the nicest of horses at the time, growing to be a bit of a tyrant to say the least. I left after an... altercation... and never looked back." She explained her history in as short of a summary as possible, still not sure how much of her history would be easy to explain or how much she was willing to. Her past was a mess, periods of pain and force that had shaped her into the strong, power hungry mare that she was. Though she did a good job hiding that hunger from those that could use it against her. It was not the time to go after power. She needed to get a solid foundation in this realm before making any moves. "What about you?" She asked, her golden eyes taking in every marking and muscle on his form.
THERE'S A FIGHT TO BE WON FOR THE LOVE YOU FIND AT HOME, WORK TO BE DONE BEFORE YOU REST YOUR WEARY BONES. I'M FINDING PEACE DON'T COME TO EVERYONE I KNOW; SO I WILL LOVE IN THIS LIFE UNTIL I FINALLY HAVE TO GO.
Orestes has never known to accept formalities; and so he smiles. “Good morning, Champion.” He addresses her by her title; in part because it is proper, and in part because he believes it will please her. It does not take him long to fall into step beside her. Orestes does not believe he has ever seen a mare marked so boldly; it is nearly unnerving, but rather than allow it to unsettle him he flashes a radiant smile. “Perhaps the markets?” Orestes suggests. “We can get something to eat.” It is also an opportunity for the Champion of Community to observe the community she leads.
Orestes nods as he begins to head in the aforementioned direction. “I couldn’t agree more, Baphomet. I apologise for it taking us so long to get past formalities; the court has kept me busier than I would normally like.” He offers a small shrug. “Not to complain, of course.”
The palomino listens intently as she speaks. Although his expression does not suggest any interior feelings, his eyes are alight with interest. “You spare the best details Baphomet,” Orestes chides, playfully. “I love stories of tyrants and altercations.”
If her story worries him, he does not show it. “What was the land itself like?”
The markets are not so far that it will take them the morning to reach them; but the walk gives Orestes enough time to contemplate his answer. As the days pass, he finds it more and more difficult to describe his origin. It can only be due to the fading magic in his veins; the way his old land abandoned him. Perhaps it is a blessing; perhaps a curse. Orestes says, “I came from a warring island somewhere across the ocean. There were horses full of magic that could become any shape they wished and were in love with the sea; and then there were the islanders, who hated them.”
Orestes pauses, blinking away the light. He glances at her sidelong, for a moment, and thinks of how much easier it would have been had he been born somewhere in the desert, instead. He does not think it dismissively; merely as a kind of hard, detached fact. It would have meant he’d only have to live his tragedies once. “Anyways, I was one of the only one of my people to make it out alive, and sometime later I was lucky enough to wash up on the shores of Solterra.”
WELL I KNOW I HAVE LIVED JUST A WRINKLE OF MY LIFE AND I HEAR SO MANY TIMES IT'LL BE OVER IF I BLINK TWICE. GROWING OLD FEELS LIKE YOU'RE GIVING UP YOUR SOUL, I'D RATHER GIVE IT FREELY TO THE ONES I CALL HOME.
“Good morning, Champion.” Baphomet preened under the title that she had been given. It was a step that she had enjoyed, though no where near the title that she had hoped for. Smiling at the golden stallion, she dipped her head and listened to him as he continued. “Perhaps the markets? We can get something to eat.” Baph nodded. "That sounds like a great idea." She answered, following him as he started in the direction that would lead them to the markets. As they walked, she flipped her mane in a way that could be considered flirting if someone looked close enough.
“I couldn’t agree more, Baphomet. I apologise for it taking us so long to get past formalities; the court has kept me busier than I would normally like. Not to complain, of course.” Baph smiled. "Please, call me Baph. It is easier on the tongue than my entire name." She laughed softly. "Being busy isnt always a bad thing. It just means that we have to make certain to keep our busy schedules dont prevent us from... exploring... our connections with the court and each other." The chimeric mare winked at him as she spoke, fully flirting now.
“You spare the best details Baphomet, I love stories of tyrants and altercations.” Baph chuckled as she heard him. "Lets see... My sire was a tyrant in and of himself. My mother was too self absorbed to care that she had birthed a daughter. I was left to my own devices, expected to either become the perfect heir to my sire on my own, or die trying. And I obviously didnt die." She paused with a soft laugh. "I found power in using my wiles to... interest... stallions until I had one that abused that power in his own twisted way. After that, I wasnt as frivolous. I dedicated myself to being the queen that my sire had wanted for his daughter. I... became the same tyrant that my sire was for a few years, before a battle with one of the stallions in my herd caused me to flee for my life." Yes, she had glossed over a big part of her history, but Orestes deserved to know who he was working with. Hopefully, he wouldnt decide that he loathed her now.
“What was the land itself like?” Baph paused and thought about her original home for a moment. "Honestly... it was flat and boring. There was not much in the way of trees or hills, mostly dry grass and sharp winds. Makes Novus seem like a haven. But the desert is so beautiful and fascinating. The heat makes me feel so alive and powerful." She commented, eyes shifting to look around her at the court that she had claimed as her own.
“I came from a warring island somewhere across the ocean. There were horses full of magic that could become any shape they wished and were in love with the sea; and then there were the islanders, who hated them. Anyways, I was one of the only one of my people to make it out alive, and sometime later I was lucky enough to wash up on the shores of Solterra.” Baph nodded, thinking about what he said. "Perhaps you find yourself lucky, but I think Solterra is even luckier. If you hadn't washed up here, it could have been another sovereign like Raum... At the very least, no one as handsome as you."
"Speaking."
@Orestes - Notes: Well... Apparently she decided to flirt lol
