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  • Beqanna

    COTY

    Assailant -- Year 226

    QOTY

    "But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura


    As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was about to happen../ Any
    #1
    Lethy pulled up into a trot as she got close to the border of a new section of land. She hadn't been in Beqanna long and wasn't sure of the customs among its residents. 

    As she came to a slow walk Lethy looked around and took in the plentiful land. She tipped her head up and opened her nostrils taking in the fresh scent that was wafting off the summer plumage. A small breeze made it's way across the terrain ruffling her black, silky mane. This was her new home and she needed to start embracing it. Friends would be a good place to start. 

    "Hello, is anyone there?" she called out softly. 

    She may know that she needs to make friends and socialize in order to find her place in these lands, but she couldn't help but be hesitant. She knew not everyone could be good and trustworthy in this place, just like any other. She'd also be lying though if she said she wasn't a bit curious to meet someone full of mystery and darkness. Lethy stepped side to side filled with anxiousness as she waited for someone to answer her call
    forget me not; but never remember
    Lethy


    Ooc comment: posting from my phone not as detailed as I'd like, fingers cramping ?
    IMG-20190524-092123-677
    #2
    Perched on a rocky precipice, Lepis dozes. The warmth of the afternoon sun seeps into the feathers of her outstretched wings, and a soft breeze tugs at the navy length of her mane and tail. She might have fallen into a deeper sleep, lulled by the safety of her home, had the sudden scent of a stranger reaches her. In an instant, her blue-grey eyes are open wide. The tobiano mare's dark ears flick forward, as her gaze sweeps across the land.

    The scent is faint: an indication that the other is likely some distance away. Lepis' high perch makes searching an easy task, though by the time she spots the buckskin mare the other is nearly at the Loessian border. For a moment she considers turning away, letting someone with titled responsibility take on the task. That moment is infinitesimally brief, however, and she has spread her wings to take flight before it has entirely faded.

    Lepis alights a few dozen yards from the thoroughbred mare at a brisk trot, and she pauses a comfortable distance for conversation from the unfamiliar female. While her body language is relaxed and her smile warm, the pegasus has positioned herself between the visitor and the heart of the kingdom like a living barrier. Lepis is friendly, but she knows far better than to place trust in strangers.

    "Welcome to Loess," she says, tucking her blue and gold wings against her sides: the picture of relaxation. "What brings you to the South?" The wind is against her now, but they are near enough that Lepis is certain that the mare doesn't call the southern lands her home. That is as much as she can tell, because the mare doesn't smell of any land she knows at all. A newcomer to Beqanna, she wonders, or perhaps a resident of the lands the fairies had raised for their protection from the Plague?
    #3
    Lethy did not have to wait long for another to join her. Though the company was not what she had expected as a figure came from the sky settling in front of her encompassing her vision with her colorful wings. Lethy took a cautionary step back as the mare pulled in her wings. Welcome to Leoss, what brings you to the south? the mare said smiling at Lethy but still guarded,  though Lethy could feel those same emotions resonating with in herself. With wings tucked the other did not seem so intimidating compared to little, ordinary Lethy.

    Friends.. Lethy reminded herself, she needed friends.

    Lethy took a step closer to the mystical mare dipping her head slightly Hello, I'm Lethy she responded timidly. I am just traveling through, I came to Beqanna not long ago. I met another mare in the place I awoke, she was nice. Her name was Kensa.
    Lethy relaxed as she spoke gaining confidence with the thought that she had already made one friend since arriving, more would or should not be so hard.

    I thought I would explore the lands and see what it had to offer. Your land is very beautiful. Lethy offered with another dip of her head as her ears flicked around. She was uncertain on how to address this beautiful horse. She remembered what Kensa had said about Kingdoms throughout the lands, was this mare a ruler or hold a special place in the kingdom? She looked regal enough. Lethy gave a clumsy curtsey just in case, she would hate to mess up already. 
    forget me not; but never remember
    Lethy
    IMG-20190524-092123-677
    #4
    The space that the other mare puts between them is removed when the stranger takes a step forward. Despite that, the words that Lethy speaks are timid, and Lepis’ ears flick forward in sudden concentration, focusing on the younger horse in a way she had not done before. Lepis is far less worried about ambush here in her home than she had been for the last year, but it will take her unconscious mind longer to drop the habit of always searching for danger.

    Now her own smile is less stiff (though it had never been less than passably polite), and her weight shifts to one side as though she settles. Lethy continues to speak, and her confidence appears to grow as her story unfolds. She gives a name that Lepis recognizes – Kensa – but that is all it is: a name and the title of importance that might well be as outdated as Lepis’. Half of the Caretaker pair that Kagerus had spoken of is captive in Loess, after all. Captive is likely not the right word anymore, the blue-haired mare muses idly, his allegiance appears to have permanently settled here in the south.

    It seems that Lethy is exploring Beqanna, and Lepis is reminded of her bold son. Her smile softens for a moment as the buckskin mare speaks, complimenting Loess and then offering a graceless curtsy. It’s not the show of respect that settle Lepis’ decision, but rather the admiration of her home. She has no title to respect, after all, and Loess has always been more important than anything.

    “I’m Lepis,” she tells the visitor. “And this is Loess.” The mare steps slightly to the side, allowing an unobstructed view of the rolling hills that stretch behind her. “Farther west – where the red forest begins – is Sylva, and farther south is the Brilliant Pampas.” It has been long enough that there is no shadow in her eyes at the mention of Sylva, but her gaze does not linger long on the eternally autumn woods in the far distance.

    “I’ve lived in every southern land, but Loess is – in my opinion – the best. I was born here though, so perhaps I am a little biased.” The navy and gold mare rolls her shoulders in an easy shrug to acentuate her words, then turns her stormcloud gaze back to Lethy before asking: “Would you like me to show you some of the kingdom, or are you more of a solitary explorer?” Everyone ahs their preferences, and Lepis knows better to presume. Of course, if Lethy would rather explore on her own, Lepis knows what she’ll be doing this afternoon: keeping an eye on Lethy from the sky above.

    @[Izora Lethia]
    #5
    As Lethy recovered from bumbling around her curtsey and the slight embarrassment that followed she listened as the mare introduced herself as Lepis and her land as Loess. She talked of how she was born of this land I wonder if all that are born of this land, not just Loess but all of Beqanna, were as unique as she Lethy thought as she continued to take in the mares words and the now clear view of Loess. Breathtaking in all its diversity. Lethy's attention had been grabbed by the view before her as she took it all in, forgeting for a moment that the other mare was still present.

    " Would you like me to show you some of the Kingdom or are you more of a solitary explorer?" the mare asked. The question brought Lethy back to her immediate surroundings. She clocked her head slightly and started to over think the proposal. She was always doing that, overthinking. Yes, Lethy had always been more solitary than she would have liked, it made sense to her. She had always felt awkward in conversation, not because she didn't want to talk to others but because she always had a feeling of being a burden or an annoyance to others. Of course that was probably just her nature of overthinking again.

    She had already declined Kensa's invitation to go with her to Hyaline so she could "explore" with a promise to meet her there in a few days, though those few days had expired already. At this pace she would never accomplish what she had set out to do the moment she arrived on the shores of this land. Make friends, find a purpose.

    As Lethy contemplated her answer to the mare, who seemed more relaxed and open than before, she took in the mare and her lands one more time.

    I would love to have a guiding hand around the kingdom... if it's not to much of a hassle Lethy paused before adding on the last part, chiding herself immediately afterwards you stupid head, if it was to much of an inconvenience she wouldn't have offered in the first place Lethy offered Lepis a small smile and a shrug of her shoulders.
    forget me not; but never remember
    Lethy

    @[Lepis]
    IMG-20190524-092123-677
    #6
    Lepis is content to wait for an answer; long pauses for consideration are not unfamiliar to a diplomat. It is easier than she’d thought to slip back into her former roles. The year away had not changed her as much as she might have though. It seems Loess has changed much more, though the offer to guide a visitor through the land is proof that it is not the physical land itself that has changed. Lepis had not known the serpentine stallion well, but she had trusted her husband to make the right decision as to who would rule in their absense. She cannot believe that Wolfbane’s judgement was flawed, and Castile is surely still a suitable regent.

    These thoughts – among others – sift through her mind as she waits for Lethy to make a decision.

    When she does, Lepis nods agreeably. The mention of it being an inconvenience brings a twitch of amusement to Lepis’ face. Lepis had resigned herself to the responsibilty of escorting Lethy through Loess as soon as she’d made the choice to leave her sunning perch. The offer to guide her through the kingdom is simply an extension of that, though she is touched by the mare’s concern. There is no reason to doubt the buckskin’s intentions, and it is not abnormal for newcomers to Beqanna to be less than familiar with their ways. She will learn in time, Lepis thinks, or she will if she chooses to make a kingdom her home.

    “Not at all,” she replies, “Though there is always the chance that my children might find us, and derail your tour a bit.” Thinking of them brings a fond expression to her eyes, though Lepis mentions them just as much to gauge Lethy’s reaction. Children are not for everyone – especially not children as boisterous as her own flock.

    “I could show you the Crescent Lake first,” says the dun mare, turning so that the two horses face the same direction, and Lepis can more easily gesture in the direction of the distance lake with her blue muzzle. “It’s the closest, anyway. I hear it’s not as clear as Hyaline’s famous lake, but the salt water makes it much more fun to swim in.”

    @[Izora Lethia]
    #7
    Lethy nodded in appreciation as she followed Lepis' lead. I have always enjoyed the water, in fact the water is what brought me to Beqanna. It feels only fitting for your Cresent Lake to be our first stop
    As they started their adventure.. as Lethy would like to think that this is what that was.. she acknowledged Lepis' comment of her children How old are your children? I don't remember much of my own childhood and haven't found myself amongst their youthfulness often, but I imagine it could be quite interesting and refreshing! she said with a soft smile.
    As they walked Lethy couldn't help but wonder if she might find a family for herself.
    She glanced at the brilliantly colored mare, paired with her strong, sturdy wings. She was beautiful and unique, something Lethy never imagined herself being. She quickly turned her focus to the land before her. The diversity of living and breathing things that surrounded her filled her with unexplainable happiness, but at the same time she could not help but feel small and empty amongst such mesmerizing things.  
    Can I ask you something? Lethy said before she realized her lips were moving. Were you born with those beautiful colors and those beautiful wings? though Lethy felt intrusive with her questions about her children and the mares own uniqueness her curiosity overwhelmed her more so than her anxious nature.
    forget me not; but never remember
    Lethy

    @[Lepis]
    IMG-20190524-092123-677
    #8
    Lethy admits to a fondness for water, and Lepis smiles. “You’ll enjoy Loess then,” she tells the younger mare as they walk, “The whole kingdom is filled with springs. Hot and cold, saltwater and fresh. There’s nothing quite like a soak in a warm spring on a cold winter’s night.” Lepis had missed that, and though she is not eager for snow (she far prefers the warmth of spring and summer) it does make the long nights far more tolerable.

    Then the conversation turns to children and childhood. Lethy does’nt remember much of her childhood, she says, and Lepis glances over her shoulder curiously. The dun mare’s childhood had been a memorable one, but she supposes the same cannot be said for everyone. Lepis has attempted to forget her adolescence, after all; perhaps Lethy has an equally reasonable motivation. Best not to ask about it then, she supposes. They are still little more than strangers, after all.

    “My oldest, Pteron, is nearly three, and Marni turned one this spring. The triplets were born this past spring. My husband and I started late,” she adds with a soft laugh, “And we seem to be making up for lost time.”

    Lepis is content to walk quietly for a while after that, allowing Lethy to take in the diversity that marks their kingdom. There is nothing quite like it – or so she has heard. Lepis hasn’t been anywhere but the South (save a brief captivity in Hyaline). She is expecting a question about the land when Lethy asks permission to question her, and nods without much thought. What the other mare asks is unexpected though, and Lepis smiles at the compliment in the query.

    “I was. My mother passed on her wings and navy coloring to me. My father is to thank for my paint markings, or so I hear.” She’s never met him, she says without words. The former ruler of Loess had stayed only long enough for his daughter’s birth before he’d fled the kingdom after all, returning to the sea and the woman for whom he’d left her mother. Lepis has never given him much though – she has always been happy with the family she has. “There is magic in Beqanna though,” Lepis adds, “And it’s not unheard of for horses to find themselves with traits and magics that they were not born with: gifts – or some say curses – from the land and its fairies.”

    As they speak, they’ve made it through the more rugged hills that border Hyaline, and soon the broad sweep of the Crescent Lake spreads out in front of them. It reflects the clear blue sky and the handful of soft white clouds on its mirror-like surface. “I wouldn’t suggest drinking out of it unless you want to be even more thirsty later,” she cautions Lethy, “but if you’re thirsty, there are clear springs nearby.”

    @[Izora Lethia]
    #9
    As Lethy walked Lepis talked of her traits passed down and her explanation of the magic in Beqanna and she became hopeful that maybe one day she herself would be adorned in beautiful colors paired with a beautiful, if not interesting, mark of her own, whether it be wings, or unnatural beauty. Anything would be better than her rigid, tender pink scar landscaping across her muzzle.

    Maybe one day I'll be one of those horses Lethy responded more to herself then to anyone in particular.

    As Lepis and Lethy made their way over yet another hill she sensed that they were coming up on their destination. Lethy pulled up short as the Cressent Lakes vastness came into view. Her breath caught in her throat as she marveled in it's beauty. The lake itself reflecting the sun's persistent rays and the sky dappled with clouds above them.

    Lethy made her way closer to the banks settling into a comfortable and relaxed state. She stared across the waters marbled top, appreciating all that it had to offer. After a brief moment she broke contact to search for the mare that had lead her here.

    "I wouldn't suggest drinking out of it unless you want to be even more thirsty later, but if you are thirsty there are clear springs nearby" Lepis warns her. Lethy nods in appreciation of her words as she turns to take in the lakes reflection once more.

    Is this what it's like to fly in the skies? she questions with awe. She was surprised by just how much the stillness of the lake captivates her. Beauty, peace, the unknown beneath the surface, the inability to satisfy a basic need, all residing in one small patch of heaven on earth. The idea of something beautiful but flawed existing in perfect cohesion gave her hope that she could be this one day.

    As suddenly as the feeling of tranquility came over Lethy another feeling of sickness and despair took its place briefly. Lethy shut her eyes and tucked her head close to her as the feeling settled and left. The ground below her hooves trembled ever so gently, but held the feelings of something bigger. As soon as it passed she searched the other mare to see if she had felt it to.

    Lethy's scar convulsed with a deep throbbing pain as a tickle started in Lethy's lungs making it's way up and out in a series of uncomfortable, uncontrollable coughs. Blood stained her lips, and fell on to the lakes crystal top destroying the cohesion Lethy had just moments early admired, sending ripples across the bank and distorting the skys reflection.

    What in the hell just happened? Lethy thought to herself as she searched Lepis' eyes for answers, not knowing if she would have any.
    forget me not; but never remember
    Lethy

    @[Lepis]
    IMG-20190524-092123-677
    #10
    At Lethy’s quietly voiced desire for the magics that Lepis had mentioned, the blue-eyed mare smiles. She nearly tells the younger mare to be careful what she wishes for aloud – the same way she has told her own children. But perhaps Izora Lethis is not as bright a target for the arcane effects of wishing the same way that Lepis and her family are. It’s an aftereffect of life in Beqanna, of blood that is not entirely equine, of genies and tricksters who dabble in mortal lives unasked.

    Lepis is thinking of this as Lethy moves closer to the water. Her attention is somewhat distracted, allowing the buckskin mare a moment of quiet to take in the beauty of the lake. Her eyes trace the distant edges of the kingdom, watching the miniscule red border where the bright summer greenery is suddenly autumn gold.

    At first, she thinks the discomfort is mental – brought on by the thought of Sylva. That would be unusual, but not impossible. Lepis uses her empathic projection without truly conscious thought, pressing calm into her own mind like she might use a morphine pump. Yet the discomfort remains, a fire in her belly that spreads to each limb, sweat beading impossibly quickly on her brow. She is tired, more tired than she has felt in years, but she is able to keep her eyes open long enough to meet Lethy’s gaze.

    “The Plague,” she says around a hacking cough, attempting to turn her head to where she knows the great Mountain stands distant on the horizon.

    “It’s growing stronger. We need to find...” her voice trails off and she struggles to catch her breath, exhausted by the dozen words she’s spoken. “To find a healer.”

    @[Izora Lethia]
    sorry for the delay in response! Smile




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