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Novus closed 10/31/2022, after The Gentle Exodus

All Welcome  - Exploring the Heart of Day

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Played by Offline Chaosy [PM] Posts: 143 — Threads: 21
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Dusk Court Blacksmith
Male [He/Him/His]  |  Immortal [Year 498 Summer]  |  21 hh  |  Hth: 22 — Atk: 18 — Exp: 49  |    Active Magic: Solar Manipulation  |    Bonded: Telum (Dragon)
#1

The massive stallion had been in Novus for a week now and had been fairly reluctant to explore. This land was so vastly different from the one that he had grown up in and it was a touch intimidating at this point. Though, he was large, muscular, and ready for just about anything, he was still anxious about what life would be like here.

For he had decided to stay, at least for now. It was nice to sit and relax, not travel and try to decide on a stopping place for the night. He still didnt feel that he belonged anywhere yet, though he had taken the plunge and aligned himself with the Dawn Court and hoped to flourish as a merchant in the world.

"But where to start... This world is so strange, filled with so many unique and intriguing creatures." He murmured to himself as he approached an oasis. A pang echoed through him. The ebony and sunlight behemoth was thirsty from his wanders and the scent of the water was like a leash, pulling him forward.

Stepping forward toward the pool, he snorted, listening to the heat from his hooves as it sizzled the moisture around them. Winter was the time when his hooves didnt seem to bring as much notice and he enjoyed the momentary feel of being just like every other horse for a moment... Or at least closer.

Sol dipped his head to the surface and took several long draws. Lifting his heavy head, he gazed around while he stretched his wings and allowed the warm sun to beat upon both sets. It was a moment of peace that he had been taught to be wary of, a time when his wings could be injured by another equine if they decided to attack while they were out and stretched.

After a few moments, he tucked them in, first the rear set and then the fore set. When they were against his body, he shook his entire frame and settled back on his golden hooves to watch the world around him for a bit.


@griffin - For whoever you decide <3









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#2

elif


It was difficult for Elif to contemplate the end of the world.

It wasn’t that she was a sensible girl - no one who knew her could accuse her of that. It was more that she wasn’t fanciful, having been taught from a young age the brutal realities of life in the desert. While perhaps this should mean she was well-used to contemplating destruction, instead she more assumed life would continue as it always had. The desert was hot. Fall came with long, hard rains. The wheel turned.

But now all the strange things in the world were beginning to live outside the girl’s head. Mazes built from magic, gods who made jokes with queens and drove winter out of the court of the sun. And then Raum, and now the volcano. It was too much for her.

And so she’d fled. Oh, her heart was still on the beach with all that throng of horses, and she knew she would join them soon, but Elif needed something safe, something known. Without a thought her wings carried her swift as morning to the oasis, and the wind buoyed her, and she didn’t think of the way the whip coiled at her side could do nothing against a natural disaster because she didn’t think at all.

That is why she was almost upon the figure before she noticed him.

Elif’s gaze had been on the water, staring like a blue eye up at the mirror of the sky above, and not on who stood at the edge of it. She was descending, the wind a great noise in her ears, her eyes stinging with the cold air and bright glare of the water. It was only a flash of gold that caught her eye, and as soon as she realized what that fan of wings meant Elif threw out her own. As she drew in a sharp breath her small magic pushed the wind up, up to stop her.

She made far from a graceful landing a few yards away from him, landing hard on her hind hooves like a bronco after a kick of particular gusto. The beat of her wings stirred up all the sand and winter-withered grass and Elif had to bite back a sneeze.

Worst of all was how, for a long moment after, she could only gape like a fish at the stranger.

At last she managed to work her expression into something less mortifying. No part of him snagged her first - not the striking gold against his dark skin, not the double wings she had only ever seen on Caine, not his tremendous size. The whole of him, and the near shock of nearly landing on top of him, hit her like a punch.

Yet Elif did not reel. She eyed him with her green eyes spring-bright, and then she shook like a dog and met his eye.

“Nice day,” she said.

 

“Do not be afraid to bare your teeth -”

@Sol Bestiam I may have gotten carried away











Played by Offline Chaosy [PM] Posts: 143 — Threads: 21
Signos: 0
Dusk Court Blacksmith
Male [He/Him/His]  |  Immortal [Year 498 Summer]  |  21 hh  |  Hth: 22 — Atk: 18 — Exp: 49  |    Active Magic: Solar Manipulation  |    Bonded: Telum (Dragon)
#3

[Image: dd84ew0-c3d6ad64-c652-41cd-b666-f2315a16...ynv4m11pSo]



Sol spun at the clatter of the arrival, water still dripping from his ebony muzzle. The mare that was landing seemed a bit out of sorts, but he was not one to point it out to a lady. The tiny sooty bay appeared to be shocked by his being there, something that caused him to feel out of place for a moment. Giving her time to sort herself out, Sol turned to face her fully and meet her vibrant green eyes with his own golden ones.

“Nice day,” Sol nodded. "That it is. If I am intruding, I am more than willing to leave. I was exploring Novus and trying to learn more about the realm." He answered as he watched her. She was alluring in a strange way, something that he had not really felt in a long while. Heck... He hadnt seen a mare in over a year at this point. That realization caught him by surprise and he had to take a minute to process it. He supposed that he would have to get used to dealing with all kinds now that he was committed to staying for a while at least. A familiar pang echoed through him, a memory of the terrible deed that he had done as a colt.

"I am Sol Bestiam... Though most just call me Sol. It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady." He introduced himself with a slight bow and shook his head as he settled back into a more casual stance. As he watched the mare, he felt himself sparked with intrigue and a slight protective streak that he was certain she would not be welcome to. It was not often that he found a mare that was so tiny and delicate looking. With a flick of his tail, he shoved down the feelings and put on his courtier mask again.


@Elif
I hope you dont mind rusty post... It has been a while since I rped and this guy is a fairly new character in this form lol









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#4

elif


His measured response took her by surprise; judging by the looks of him (all that bright gold) and the fact he stood at the edge of her country’s oasis (surely everyone knew now was not the time for a jaunt to Solterra) had her assuming he was of the sun court.

But neither his accent nor his politeness marked him as a native. After his reply the girl’s expression softened, and she settled her wings against her sides almost abashedly. Still, she wandered no nearer - her natural distrust was bred into her for a reason, and the reason was that almost everything in Solterra might bite if given the chance.

“I wouldn’t say you’re intruding,” she answered, “but our king might.” She bit out the word hard, king, throwing it away from her mouth like rotten fruit, but did not elaborate. Elif’s inborn pride in her country bordered on conceit, and she assumed he knew of Raum and the toppling of Solterra’s fragile order of peace. The thought - always just an itch away - made her stiffen and twist her ears like an anxious racehorse near the gate.

It was poor timing, again. For as the thought of Raum flushed her with an anger and fear that made her want to click her teeth, the enormous stranger was dropping into a bow. Now the lithe pegasus had to bite back a surprised laugh; despite growing up among the lesser ring of nobles in Solterra, most of the bows she’d come across had been in story-books. Certainly she did not expect one here, the two of them alone, and her looking as disheveled as a post-storm wildcat.

“Call me Elif,” she told him, and after a moment angled her slim muzzle down in a semblance of a bow. “It’s nice to meet you, Sol, but now is not the best time to explore the Day Court. Unless you think you could learn much as a statue.” Though she’d said it drily, the girl felt a lance of guilt sear her when she thought of the damage their silver king had already wrought - his monster had turned some poor sailors to stone, and it was not something to be flip about.

To distract from her guilt the pegasus stepped alongside him, bent her head down to the water and drank. The water was a cool balm down her throat, but she did not close her eyes to enjoy it - they were wary, watchful for movement, and one ear remained trained on Sol. She would not put it past Raum to post guards at the Oasis, restricting citizens from drinking; nor would she put it past a strange, no matter how seemingly chivalrous, to try and get a jump on her.

But despite her wariness, Elif was not afraid. She was small, and she was quick, and the wind was always on her side.
 

“Do not be afraid to bare your teeth -”

@Sol Bestiam :) he's perfect!











Played by Offline Chaosy [PM] Posts: 143 — Threads: 21
Signos: 0
Dusk Court Blacksmith
Male [He/Him/His]  |  Immortal [Year 498 Summer]  |  21 hh  |  Hth: 22 — Atk: 18 — Exp: 49  |    Active Magic: Solar Manipulation  |    Bonded: Telum (Dragon)
#5

Sol watched how she settled, wondering a bit why she seemed so uncertain. Or at least that was how he perceived her. Flicking back an ear, he listened to what she had to say with curiosity brimming within him.

“I wouldn’t say you’re intruding, but our king might.” Sol watched her as he caught the slight venom that seemed to be hinging on the title alone. "I take it that your King is not one of your favorite beings? Sorry, I am rather new here, so I am not fully sure of what is going on around the entirety of the area." Rather new... yeah... like a whole whopping week that he had been here was enough to tell him much of anything. The thought nearly made him laugh out loud and he had to focus on what she was saying rather that letting amusement course through him.


“Call me Elif, It’s nice to meet you, Sol, but now is not the best time to explore the Day Court. Unless you think you could learn much as a statue.” Sol started as he listened to her words, surprised by the idea. "A statue... Yeah... That doesnt sound like a way to learn. Sounds like your realm is a bit chaotic at the moment..." He responded, though a surge of protectiveness erupted and he nearly offered her a place to stay with him. Nearly... It took a moment to regain composure. Why was he feeling protective of Elif? They had just met and he was in no place to even try to make an offer like that.

Shaking his head, he took a moment to survey the land around them and wonder at the world that he had found himself in. Perhaps this was more chaotic than traveling around alone... but there was at least others that he could connect with here. Even his natural grumpiness seemed to be taking a back seat for a bit at least.

"So... What would a newcomer need to know to stay flesh rather than stone?" He asked simply, his deep voice rich in the quiet of the oasis. Sol was hoping to put her at ease a touch, at least to make her a bit more comfortable in his presence. Gods knew that the gruff and often grumpy stallion needed any friend that he could get at this point. Friend... that was something he hadnt searched for in many years... if he had ever desired it in the past. Her wariness still made him uneasy... but that might be a hold over from nearly killing the last filly he had been around. There was still a good chunk of guilt hidden in his heart from it. Flipping his ebony and gold tail, he did his best to look reassuring.


@Elif









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#6

elif


She was mollified, a little, by his openness in revealing how new he was, and how ignorant. Many she knew would be loathe to divulge such information, even if it wouldn’t be taken as weakness - the pegasus’s people were a proud race (often to a fault) and admitting something as simple as being new would be harder for some than swallowing a burning coal.

Elif regarded him with her spring-green eyes, and then shook her head. The short bristle of her mane still gave her the appearance of an angry housecat, and the line of her mouth did nothing to dispel it; the memory of standing before the silver king on his ill-won throne made her want to shiver or to spit. “He challenged our queen, and killed her, and now he rules with cruelty and disregard. It would please him to watch us wither and die.” For that reason alone - for the grim joy of refusing his wishes - Elif promised herself that she would live. And not only live, but thrive, and help Raum’s stone rule shatter.

It is lucky that she is distracted enough not to notice the way he glanced at her. Not for a long time (not since her brother had died) had anyone concerned themselves with wanting to protect her, and it had been even longer yet since she would willingly allow it. Instead, she didn’t look his way again until the big stallion was eyeing the oasis around them. “That’s putting it mildly.” Her voice was still serious, hard-edged as the canyons beyond them, but even so she wanted to laugh. Elif swallowed the impulse.

His question caught her off guard in its nonchalance; now when she studied him, she tried to guess whether he was a mighty warrior or only an overconfident fool. The girl decided it could be either. He was handsome, she supposed, pretty in the way that some foolish boys were - but he was also so big. Well, perhaps it was lucky for him that she was here to provide a word of warning.

“The best thing to do,” she said, relaxing a little beneath the shade of the palms, “would be to leave the way you came, and quickly.” She cast a look at him, brow raised, wondering whether he would believe her at all, and then she sighed and shrugged, shuffling her wings against her sides. “But if you are determined to stay, and find yourself within sight of his basilisk, don’t meet it’s eye. Where’d you come from, anyway? There are much…friendlier…courts in Novus.”

“Do not be afraid to bare your teeth -”











Played by Offline Chaosy [PM] Posts: 143 — Threads: 21
Signos: 0
Dusk Court Blacksmith
Male [He/Him/His]  |  Immortal [Year 498 Summer]  |  21 hh  |  Hth: 22 — Atk: 18 — Exp: 49  |    Active Magic: Solar Manipulation  |    Bonded: Telum (Dragon)
#7

“He challenged our queen, and killed her, and now he rules with cruelty and disregard. It would please him to watch us wither and die.” If Sol would have eyebrows, they would have been raised. "That is not the way that a leader should rule... The duty of a leader is to protect those that look to him and do everything to let his people thrive." He said carefully, regretting his decision to not get into any martial connections in his new land. Sounded like this land needed rescued from one that was not worth the crown... It took all of his will to not immediately leap into the skies to search for the tyrant. Not that he had been any better than that when he had been young. The memories of what he had done was like being doused in ice water and it cooled his fury a touch.

“That’s putting it mildly.” Sol chuckled softly. "Mild can be one way to deal with an idea. Better than getting irate and frothing at the mouth to get yourself killed." He answered, the words a chastisement to himself. His golden eyes traveled over her form as he spoke, wondering at what had made her so distant. What horrors she had seen in her past.

“The best thing to do, would be to leave the way you came, and quickly. But if you are determined to stay, and find yourself within sight of his basilisk, don’t meet it’s eye. Where’d you come from, anyway? There are much…friendlier…courts in Novus.” Sol made note of her words, filing them away to dissect further later. The question gave him pause and he frowned. "Perhaps in Novus there are friendlier courts... But this honestly sounds like the lands that I left. My home was one of cruelty and violence, at one point myself being one of the worst..." He admitted, though he shook his head to stop from rambling into the awful things that he had once done. "I left there when I was 4, traveled for a while and then ended up here. I am currently aligned with the Dawn Court... what ever that means. The idea of courts is extremely foreign to me still." Sol's words were soft, the deep velvet tones of his voice seeming to wrap around his ears and echo off of the water.


@Elif









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#8

elif


When he first responded, a laugh bubbled up in her throat and caught there, like a dandelion seed or a blocked well, something half-scoffing, half-frantic. Indeed, she might have said (but dryly), were she a more restrained sort of girl. Instead she tossed her head, and scuffed the earth with a black hoof, and tried not to roll her eyes. “Raum knows that,” she said. “It is why he’s doing the opposite.” The longer she stood here, telling him about the dictator who ruled them (far more cruelly than Zolin had, for Zolin had been foolish and selfish, and Raum was clever and cold and mad) the more ridiculous it seemed.

Why not fly away, then, back to the island, back to the mystery, and leave her sunburned, bleach-boned homeland behind? Oh, because she was of the sand and the canyons, and sunlight ran through her veins, and she was too proud to ever run away.

Her spring-green eyes caught him when Sol spoke again, and though they did not narrow her dark mouth turned down at the corners. Too often had she heard similar words directed at her, and she wondered now how and if he already knew her propensity for rashness. “I suppose,” she said sourly, the way she might have answered one of the older nobles before things had fallen into chaos.

It was easier, when the conversation shifted onto him. Easier to bend her head and drink again, and forget for a moment that this was one of the last water-sources not under guard in the desert (at least for now), or that smoke was billowing from a volcano off shore, or that the gods might return again, angrier than the last time. Hearing about other worlds - and himself - made her curious, and when she lifted her dripping muzzle again she no longer felt like bristling like a cat.

Now when she eyed him, she tried to imagine him violent. It wasn’t hard - he was so big - but she could sense no heat in his golden eyes now. “You should be at home here, then,” she said, and only felt a little guilty for it. When he said he was with Dawn, though, she really did laugh. “Some Solterrans call Dawn courters flower-pickers.” But not her, not anymore - the thought of Delumine only made her think of Mateo, now, and what he’d told her of his own court’s troubles. “But I hear they have a murderer of their own.” Gone was her laughter, and her shroud of arrogance - there was something strangely chilling, at the thought that nowhere in Novus might be safe and easy and good.



“Do not be afraid to bare your teeth -”











Played by Offline Chaosy [PM] Posts: 143 — Threads: 21
Signos: 0
Dusk Court Blacksmith
Male [He/Him/His]  |  Immortal [Year 498 Summer]  |  21 hh  |  Hth: 22 — Atk: 18 — Exp: 49  |    Active Magic: Solar Manipulation  |    Bonded: Telum (Dragon)
#9

sol bestiam
“Raum knows that, It is why he’s doing the opposite.” The more that Sol heard of this Raum, the more he was getting to the point of disliking the stallion. A small part of him wondered what he would do if he ever actually met the tyrant ruler. "Perhaps it is about time for someone else to take control of the lands and bring them back to a world that is how it should be ruled." He mused, more to himself than to Elif, though his eyes traveled over her. He wondered why she didnt do something to help her land. But it wasnt his place to butt in and try to push ideas.

“I suppose,” Sol shot her a wry grin, hearing the less than impressed tone to her voice. "Sounds like that is something you have been told in your life as well. Maybe that is why rash and violent is more fun." A chuckle erupted as he spoke and he winked at her. Maybe there was more in common between the pair than he had noticed at first. He watched her take a drink, his golden eyes following the sleek curve of her throat.

“You should be at home here, then. Some Solterrans call Dawn courters flower-pickers. But I hear they have a murderer of their own.” A myriad of emotions surged through him as he listened to her words. He had aligned himself with a court of soft equines? The idea was repulsive in and of itself, though he wasnt completely certain that he should take it as he did. Perhaps it was just this court's point of view. Sol decided that he would do his best to learn more about the courts and find a place where he belonged, even if it killed him. The comment about the murderer made him pause and he tilted his head as he considered.

"I am certainly in no place to judge the court... But I will keep that in mind. But, a murderer? And no one has stopped them yet?" He was concerned, though not for himself. The idea of someone trying to murder him made him want to laugh. He was massive and more than capable of protecting himself and any that needed his protection. A surge of protectiveness echoed through him as he watched Elif and he tamped it down. After speaking to her for a while, he had a feeling that Elif would not like that streak.


@Elif

"Speaking."
credits










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#10

elif


She had no response for his perhaps, other than a fierce flash of her green eyes and the press of her lips into a firm dark line. It was all she could do to keep her tail from twitching behind her like an irritated sand-cat, or from uncoiling the whip at her side just to run her touch along and and curl it again, like drawing a blade to remind yourself it was there.

Of course it was long past time for someone to oust Raum - the problem was how. And she was uninterested in getting into those intricacies with this oversized and overconfident stranger.

But now that Raum has been brought up, the thought of him troubles her like a burr or a horsefly; now she has that itch below her skin, that barb in her mind. It was too easy to remember standing before him, pleading for mercy for her people, and being met with a stare cold enough to burn. It was a better stare than the one from his basilisk companion, at least.

Nor did she respond to his next statement, least of all his wink. Elif had always been a bit of a prickly girl, preferring fists to kisses and winks, and she is also unaccustomed to anything that could be construed as flirting. Few had tried it with such a standard-looking tom-girl, and those that did were swiftly met with a kick or a nip and moved on to more willing pastures. Still, it didn’t feel right to talk - much less joke - of violence here. Not with a spectre of a dread king over her shoulder, and an eruption to the east.

Not until he asked about her Dawn Court news did she settle, a little, though her gaze on him was still less than soft. “Not that I’ve heard,” she said, and shrugged stiffly. “Maybe you can help.” The last was half placating peace-offering, and half wondering if he’d agree and rush away, leaving her to her thoughts and the oasis.

Unlikely.

“I’d better go,” she announced then, and swallowed against the scarlet alaja that sat snug around her throat. She didn’t really feel like flying back to the coast yet, or the heart of the court - but she was growing more prickly under each look he gave her, and didn’t care for being guessed at. “Be careful, Sol Bestiam. May Solis light your way.” The customary Solterran goodbye she added on a whim, hoping that if he thought her overtly religious he might pester her less (more proof of her ignorance regarding flirtatious men).

But she didn’t give him much of an opportunity anyway - the cool of water on her throat had grounded her enough, at least, to go back and face the potential end of the world, the threat on the horizon. And so with barely a glance back at him (and a narrow-eyed one, at that) she took a few lunging strides and pitched herself into the air again, her wings sweeping up clouds of sand and making ripples on the water, and took back to the skies.

Elif did not feel as bad as she had at the beginning for nearly landing on him, despite his apparent harmlessness. Indeed, she could probably be convinced to do it again.


“Do not be afraid to bare your teeth -”



@Sol Bestiam wrapping for now but they run across each other again soon! (and maybe she'll be less crabby heh)











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