• Logout
  • 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


    And still, I rise; Anyone
    #1

    How interesting, the prison builder had now become imprisoned, or so he had thought, taken from Sylva and stuck back in Loess.
    While Aziz did not mind a little adventure, the scent of dragon spiked fear in him, the last time he had the chance to meet Castile, he had hurtled waves of earth toward him, in the hope of protecting the Sylvans, a decision he still contemplated constantly.
    Nevertheless, nothing was going to plan, after the war, he was meant to settle down in Sylva and rest, finally finding a place to reside in, but now there had been a diversion to the original plan, quite possibly an adventure in the making.

    The stallion breathes in heavily, his eyes lost in a constant roll, his legs wandering aimlessly along the ground. He could try to escape, but what fun would that be, being whisked away for a while made life more interesting, at least he believed it did.
    "So, what is the plan now?" he asks openly, his voice carrying quietly as he comes to a halt.
    He wonders if everyone knows him already, when he built the prison in Loess he remained rather silent, everything done in secret, but still, maybe some of them knew of him already, maybe it was better that way.
    For now, the stallion shuts his eyes, relaxing quietly until someone arrives.  

    Aziz

    —lost and forgotten—



    Here's a terrible starter
    [Image: N3F7IUd.png]
    #2
    and underneath the layers, I find myself asking what's left
    a hollowed out form, the skeleton of a ghost, the pitiful echo of what once was
    ”Well, well, well,” the drawling voice is cold, vacant of his usual amiability when he patrols the borders for outsiders. His mismatched eyes blaze to life when he realizes the man standing in their midst. Every face, every scent, from the war was meticulously memorized. Of course, Castile wants to remember every piece of the opposition, every individual that attempted to bar his way to success.

    He, Aziz – though the name is unfamiliar – is one of them. There was a balk in his body that day before the wave of sod and rocks rolled toward Castile. That much, he can recall of this confused man as he uncertainly enters the lion’s den where his enemies recover and prepare for more chaos.

    Castile stalks forward, his steps slow and precise as his unwavering eyes stab into the outsider. ”How wonderful to have you here,” he lies as the words slither past his lips into the warm, summer air. The space between them gradually closes until Castile draws to a halt, a comfortable space between them for conversation. Another breath is drawn into his lungs. He sifts through what is familiar, pinpointing Sylva as what drenched Mary, Sinner, and Velk during their visits. It gives a bitter taste to his mouth, like bile, but he swallows it down and suppresses the snarl that wants to tremble across his lips. ”Sylvan, hmmm?” His daughter was supposed to be there but has since fled the radar. He worries, but doesn’t ask. ”What made you want to join such a dead and quiet territory?” His frown pulls against the puckered scars of his face. ”Ambition? Certainly not excitement,” because that would be found here, not in the quiet forest. But he doesn’t add that, instead resigning to a brief pause.


    castile


    @[Aziz]
    #3

    The male suddenly tenses as a familiar voice begins to ring in his ears, his eyes wide open and the scent of brimstone and fire enter the scene, what he has dreaded the most was now here, a reality he was afraid to face.
    The dragon-man moves in, his eyes piercing his confidence instantaneously, he is stuck in place, unable to move, unable to escape.
    When he speaks again Aziz shudders, his eyes locking onto the male, his face lacking any expression at all as he tries to force his body to move.
    He is quick to pick up on where he has been stolen from, moments ago he was enjoying his time alone and in peace, settled into the backdrop of lush forest and flora, when he questions him the stallion does not dare speak until he is finished, hesitant to even breathe.

    "Aye, Sylva. I was hoping to settle down after the war, to aid them a little" he replies, his voice ambitious as it tries to regain confidence "Though since I have been stolen, I can no longer do so" he begins to breathe again, inhaling the smoky air as his body becomes more fluid again "What can I do for you today, Castile?" he asks casually, his head tilting gently.

    He wished he could shrivel up into one of his domes and never re-emerge, he had no interest in the situation he had put himself in, his own doing getting him into trouble. Perhaps he could wriggle himself out, mention his doing in Loess, the building of the prison, maybe he would become more favourable then, but for now, he stays silent, terrified of being eaten by the dragon.  

    Aziz

    —lost and forgotten—

    @[Castile]
    [Image: N3F7IUd.png]
    #4
    and underneath the layers, I find myself asking what's left
    a hollowed out form, the skeleton of a ghost, the pitiful echo of what once was
    Castile nearly tastes the fear coating Aziz. From his body language to his voice, it all screams of his uncertainty. For the briefest of moments, the dragon king is smug and feeds his ego with the knowledge.

    But he is not a tyrant.

    He demands respect, not fear.

    Swallowing the urge to amplify the uneasiness, Castile settles into a lackadaisical stance. There is nothing draconic marring or contorting his features. Even his wings have retracted and faded into nothingness as he stands in front of the Sylvan with narrowed, scrutinizing eyes. ”Now, why would you want to help a selfish dog like Sinner? He cares only for himself,” rumors that he cannot personally support, but they drip easily enough from his tongue. It would be beneficial to have Aziz sided with Loess, of course. ”And someone of your power deserves a place in a thriving kingdom where you can grow and be rewarded.” Castile will give credit where it’s due, and surely this male deserves some amount of praise. It nearly reminds him of mother’s ability. Nostalgia creeps across his thoughts prior to the dismissal shake of his head to focus on the situation at hand.

    At the man’s gentle and diplomatic question, Castile’s head tilts. It’s entirely unexpectedly and oddly kind despite the nature of his visit. But, he has no requests of prisoners. Little by little, Loess and its allies are picking apart Sylva by luring its few numbers away. It’s a weak and quiet forest. Soon, it will fall in the face of Loess’ power and ambition. Chewing thoughtfully, he dismisses the proposition and instead asks, ”What drew you to Sylva – truthfully?” Because in all honesty, he wonders what goes on in the thoughts and ideas of his peers.


    castile


    @[Aziz]
    #5

    It was rather interesting to think that the last time Aziz had visited Loess was to create a prison, to hold those who wanted to walk free, something he had created for his own personal gain, without a thought to those who would have to endure the fine workings of his art.
    Aziz stands quietly as Castile takes a more admirable stance, not one to instate fear, his eyes resting on the bay male, seemingly more curious this time.

    Castile now asks Aziz about Sinner and why Aziz would choose to help him. In truth the stallion was only guessing, he had never previously met Sinner, only having seen him in the war and heard of him before, but that was quite obviously not a viable answer "To me, they seem like a trustworthy bunch, I can accept the idea of wanting independence. I don't fully know what their stance is on Loess, or what your stance on them is but that is why I want to learn" he says, this time in a more relaxed manner. While he did not know much about the lands in Beqanna after waking from his sleep he was most definitely willing to learn.

    Castile now speaks of Aziz and refers to his ability "That is a generous offer, but I tend to remain loyal to what I choose" the stallion nods, his body now soft and relaxed compared to when he had first made sight of the dragon.
    Part of the male is also glad that he has not picked up on his offer, while he tended to grow bored when unused, helping the enemy was probably frowned upon.

    The male now asks about what drew him to Sylva, a rather interesting question he did not expect to come from Castile.
    Aziz loses eye contact with the male for a moment, thinking about his answer "Well, I do tend to wander around Beqanna, I have settled in Tephra, built shelters on the icicle isle and of course built you a prison, here in Loess. But now I feel like I must settle down, I grow tired of moving constantly and the forests of Sylva seem like a rather peaceful place to settle, at least for now" the stallion says confidently, it would be quite a shame to see Syvla burn, he would rather both stallions settle their differences and remain peaceful, but that didn't really seem like an option.

    "I do admire your motives and what you are trying to do for your people, you obviously care for them, but is there really no other way? Must everything burn?" he asks, possibly out of place, but he felt like it was necessary, he had to do something rather than wither away in Loess.

    Aziz

    —lost and forgotten—

    @[Castile]
    [Image: N3F7IUd.png]
    #6
    and underneath the layers, I find myself asking what's left
    a hollowed out form, the skeleton of a ghost, the pitiful echo of what once was
    ”The desire to learn is honorable,” he says gruffly with a contemplative expression that softens into a mild grin. It lasts briefly, a flicker of time in the grand scheme because there lurks a thorn in the back of his thoughts. It scrapes against his better judgment, reminding him of how untrustworthy the Sylvans are. Aziz is wrong to think they are agreeable and dependable. Yet, what can he say to confront it? He doesn’t scramble to combat the foreigner’s opinion. The words, admittedly, flirt with the edges of his lips, but he says nothing, not yet at least. In place of responding, Castile quietly bobs his head and glances away, eager to dismiss the idea of the Sylvans and their treachery.

    That is the core of Aziz’s visit, however. He is a prisoner of war, a slave of Loess’ whims during this tumultuous time in Beqanna. It was easy to abduct him from the forest, from where he has already devoted his loyalty. Castile assumed it would be fairly simple to sway the stallion considering how new he was to Sylva, but his mind is seemingly set. So, the king merely rolls his shoulders but compliments Aziz. ”Loyalty is an admirable trait. I only hope they reward that and treat you honorable,” they won’t, he doesn’t add. He knows, somehow, that Aziz won’t find what he wants there, but then again, how can Castile be so sure when he has only just met the man?

    Skepticism leaks into his mind when he listens to Aziz’s ventures. From one land to another, he has adopted a nomadic lifestyle. At first, Castile wants to question him and to address the holes in his tale, but he hesitates. He can related. Oh, absolutely can he relate to such a lifestyle. Nerine, he reflects, to Hyaline, to Loess, to Nerine again, then Icicle Island, the Island Resort, and finally back to Loess.

    Funny how life pulls you in so many directions while searching for a purpose.

    With a deep sigh – he has had many pacifists come to try and tamper his fiery personality – Castile steadies his intense eyes onto Aziz. ”It depends on the battle.” If the forest is his again, back underneath Loess, then the territory will remain in tact for a deserving successor. If, however, he loses to the mutt then he will make Sinner the king of ashes.



    castile


    @[Aziz]




    Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)