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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


    Sabrina;
    #1
    Erio nears the touch of claustrophobia as he weaves among the trees. He has thus far grown up in Pangea where the vegetation is sparse and cliffsides set the stage for an open and barren landscape. There is something intriguing about it. With it’s desolation, one can never hide. As much as Erio would prefer to recede to the shadows where no one else can shame him, Pangea has forced him to take a stage. It is building him and preparing him to be seen by a judgmental world. He cannot hide behind trees or bushes there. Not like here. And while this forest may have been once ideal, it now seems congested. It’s like the walls are closing in.

    But he pushes himself past the doubt and discomfort. He steers himself through a maze of plant life with muted footsteps. Remaining keen to his surroundings, his triangular ears flicker back and forth. In this body, Erio feels stronger. Smaller than father, yes, but still with teeth and claws. Of course, he does not possess bloodlust and so his body only reverts back into a horse when his stomach churns hungrily. 

    The idea to eat crosses his mind, but it takes a back seat when his eyes rest on another wolf.

    No, hellhound.

    His short stride quickens. Although young, he is still unnaturally small. It alleviates the stress of fitting in smaller crevices and narrow pathways. With this uncanny ability, he approaches the girl sooner since he had no need to take a longer route around the nearby trees. A final fern bush rustles near her before he steps forward, his expression amiable and bright. ”Hi! You’re like me, but a girl!” It fascinates him – both her shaggy canine appearance and her size – and doesn’t at all unsettle his nerves. ”I’m Erio,” his voice is immature and young. Has it already been a year? He blinks to observe the forest engulfing them, mapping the seasons out in his head silently before shifting his attention back to her, eager and curious. 



    @[Sabrina]
    Reply
    #2
    Sabrina

    She had been quite the social butterfly lately, but then again she had spent most of her time in her icy den. She ventures out to the forest, though she doesn't know why she tortures herself with the humidity. Her pelt had grown thick to protect her from the harsh winters at the isle, but it grew to be a downfall when traveling outside her home in the warmer months.

    Aside from her discomfort with the humidity she travels through the forest. She had met an interesting fellow last time, and grew curious who she would run into this time.

    Just when she thought the forest was abandoned today her ears catch the sound of another approaching. It wasn't hooves though, they were the sound of paws, Crevan perhaps? Her head scans but she can't find the source, it certainly wasn't Crevan, he couldn't hide in the short grass.

    She blinks for a moment and another hellhound is before her. Her eyes grew wide for a moment, he speaks to her excitedely but she can only ponder how the fuck there was another hellhound. She thought her and father were the only ones, but obviously he had a child with another. Her head tilts as she gazes over him, he was obviously a pup but still he was smaller than he should be....a defect perhaps?

    He was so excited to meet her and though her initial reaction was uncomfortable she forces herself to be nice to her probable siblibg. He introduces himself as Erio and she dips her head, I'm Sabrina, are you Sinner's child? She waists no time to find the answer to her question, but an abundance of new questions came to mind.

    Not Afraid To Bite


    @[Erio]
    Reply
    #3
    She doesn’t match his enthusiasm, but Erio shouldn’t expect that. There are things, people even, that that clutch experiences that he can only dream of. So many have seen the far-off eastern coast or the grand volcano or even individuals that rain darkness on the land. Young and ignorant, Erio has no reason to be entirely unapproachable or kind. Granted, he could mirror mother’s distaste and reflect that back on his surroundings, but as a weanling he decided to rise above it.

    And so he has not a reason to question the girl or understand why her gaze flashes with disapproval at first. It’s so fast that for a fleeting moment, Erio wonders if he imagined it. Oblivious, his lips remain pulled back in a grin as he eagerly awaits for a name.

    First, she examines him. Her eyes trace along his small body and tediously pick him apart. He doesn’t mind. In fact, the boy performs a slow circle prior to seating himself again, permitting a good overlook before her voice – accompanied by a smile but teetering on uncertainty – breaks the silence between them. A couple thumps of his wagging tail unsettle the leaf bed underneath him. ”Nice to meet you, Sabrina!” Her name slips like silk into his mind, sinking itself across the reach of his memory. It rolls off his tongue sweetly and in a youthful and playful manner. It combats the skepticism threading in her words. ”Yes, actually,” only recently did he meet father. A formidable man, he recalls with a lofty gaze that rises to the canopy above them.

    Shaggy, dark, brooding. Yes, that is dad.

    The symphony of smells surrounding them pulls Erios’ attention back down and onto Sabrina after those few contemplative seconds. ”Are you my sister, too?! I thought I only had Dracarys!” He doesn’t know of the familial tension or the banter that has been exchanged between their mothers. ”I’m trying to think of ways to make mom and dad proud. Wandering away probably isn’t the best idea, but I’m trying to learn. I want to know things. Any advice?”

    He simply doesn’t know of what rivalry existed before his birth, what treachery helped in Sylva’s undoing.


    @[Sabrina]
    Reply
    #4
    Sabrina

    Though she was shocked at meeting this much smaller and oddly shaped, but identical hound she can't help but breath a sigh of relief. She knew that father had more than one maiden, so she shouldn't be too suprised by another hellhound. But still it makes her curious to how many other possible children linger out there.

    He wags his tail causing a disruption of the dirt and leaves and she can't help but smile. She remembers when she had met Crevan around his age, being around another canine like herself had truly changed her life and perhaps she could do just that for him.

    It's nice to meet you! he excitedly exclaims and she smiles warmly towards him likewise, she quickly responds. He confirms her suspicions, he was fathers child, and that made them related.

    She tilts her head briefly, Well then, that makes me your sister. She grins as the words pass her lips, she had plenty of siblings though Aries was her only canine sibling, but he was quickly stowed away at her parents demise.

    He mentions another, Dracarys? A sibling that must be from his mothers side, does she shift too? She wonders to herself. He than asks her for advice how to make mother and father proud, her initial response was to cock her eye at him. Did they not approve of him? Her parents had never given her a reason to think that, and the thought of him feeling that made her heart drop.

    She drops to the floor before the pup, her own tail wagging casually. Well, just be you Erio, I don't know your mother but father will be proud of you. Wouldn't he? but yanno, if you ever feel unhappy you can alwats visit or even come and live with me in Isicle Isle. She offers her home to him, one that she lives in but hopes to soon rule.

    Not Afraid To Bite


    @[Erio]
    Reply
    #5
    Erio notices how Sabrina falters. She is taken aback by his question and lets her thoughts immediately roam. He merely glances away to observe the forest, breathing steadily, and allows his own mind to stray. She, obviously, doesn’t experience or know the same sense of solitude as he does. There is no dejection in her life – only love. A moment of envy swallows him until he forces himself from the dark pit and forces a smile back on his face when their eyes once again meet.

    It’s a flicker of a moment, their leveled gaze, before it breaks. It shatters into pieces, but in an exciting way that broadens the smile on his face. His jagged teeth catch hints of the dappled sunlight when his jowls pull back.

    An invite! The prospect of exploring piques his interest, but he cannot help to glance down at his small legs and hesitate. An abrupt huff escapes him. ”It sounds awfully cold,” he comments, ”and I don’t know if I’m a strong enough swimmer.” But when Sabrina looks at him, she doesn’t see his limitations. Is that his problem? He has allowed his mother’s perception of him to bleed into his own opinions. Determined to inhibit its effect on him now, Erio shakes his entire body and playfully bows to mirror his sister. ”Do you like the ice? Is the weather what makes you happy?” There is a drive for everyone, a passion that offers a path to joyousness even during life’s darkest hours.


    @[Sabrina]
    Reply
    #6
    Sabrina

    It was exciting to meet someone from her family aside from her full siblings. She knew that mother and...was it Valdis? Shared a tiff and for it Sabrina barely knew of the children father shared with that mare, but Erio could possibly be hers, which explains a lot.

    Her siblings all had a boat of confidence, perhaps it was how mother had raised them all...but father was never any less a supporter....did his defect bother his mother and even father?

    It all seemed so strange to her, yet she feels as though she should help build his confidence. He says that Isle sounds cold and she laughs over it, but growing more serious as he talks about the swim. It certainly is cold, but after a while your coat will grow thick. She glances at her own pelt that is much thicker than the average canine due to the harsh winter the isle holds, her equine form the same.

    And why won't you make the swim? You're  a hellhound after all, your legs might be shorter but its all about your determination. His defect was an obvious one, but at least he had all his limbs, there are equines who can't talk, some who can't see! It might take him longer to get somewhere, but doesn't make him less of a predator.

    She glances as he falls to the ground, a smirk tugging at her lips that she quickly hides. Is this what having young canines around is like? She hopes to have pups of her own with Crevan, and she had barely interacted with Aries as she had already moved. It was nice to be around others like herself.

    The pup was full of questions, but what child isn't. He asks if she likes the ice and what makes her happy in the Isle. She scooches closer to him, there paws touching. It took me a few weeks to get used to it, but now I hate being away from it! The humidity from the other kingdoms make her hotter than the average equine due to her thick pelt. The real reason she stayed in the Isle was because her heart ached for Crevan, but that wasn't something a pup would care about. There's other canines like you and me at the Isle! And we're growing! She excitedly shares with him. The canines of beqanna seem to be good at hiding, but slowly there numbers will rise and Isle could be a packland.

    Not Afraid To Bite


    @[Erio]
    Reply
    #7
    Mother’s disapproval heavily overshadows even the brightest threads of optimism from father. He could be so proud of Erio, but mother’s negativity has already reached far down into the depths of his mind to poison and darken even the happiest of thoughts. Over the months, the boy has grasped onto what he isn’t versus what he is.

    (I’m not tall)
    (I’m not strong)
    (I’m not powerful)

    Even as his siblings shower him with reassurances and compliments, Erior finds himself accepting them with a grain of salt. He wants so bad to be happy which is why he smiles every opportunity he can in hopes that it will overcome the shadows.

    ”Adaptation,” he comments thoughtfully, ”that’s so cool. Everything around here is so temperate. I’ve yet to explore a place that was super hot or super cold.” One day, he promises himself, he will take advantage of Beqanna’s expanse. If he cannot be a soldier, then he will be a well-informed gentleman. Straightening himself beneath her roaming eyes, he tries to continue with a steady voice as to not fall peril to his weaknesses more than he already has. ”With my luck, I would get swooped away by the tide or something would grab me and pull me under,” he plays it off as a joke, chuckling lightly afterward even as his thoughts latch onto the nightmares and bring them to life every time he blinks and closes his eyes.

    He wants to visit her and to experience the bitter cold, especially when she mentions the increasing population of canines, but his fears trickle further into his body and mind. ”I will be sure to come by. Perhaps, when I’m a little stronger or have a means of transportation.” Again, he tries to make his downfalls into a joke, protecting himself. ”Can you imagine a flying hellhound?” Laughter bubbles and sets the conversation alight, his eyes brightening. ”I’m sure there are cooler things than wings though.”


    erio



    @[Sabrina]
    Reply
    #8
    Sabrina

    She has only seen a small bit of the terror her brother experiences. Rejection from the one equine who should flourish him with joy and self worth. But that sometimes is the way of life, a defect not fully accepted by parents, she's shocked if father accepts him.

    Her attention flicks back to Erio as he speaks, noting he has never left the mainlands of beqanna. He has never felt the extreme heat of the islands, or the cold in the isle. What a shame, she thinks to herself, you got a life ahead of you! You'll see them all. She says reassuringly, its only nature for an equine to explore beqanna.

    When he makes a comment about how he wouldn't make it to the island, in his current state she rolls her eyes. She lifts her paw and gently bops his muzzle, You can do whatever you put your mind to Erio, you have hellhound blood and we are a rare species around here. Her voice was stern, his mind was filled with such hateful thoughts it would be hard to change his perspective.

    Though with a huff she settles back down, he says he will visit her one day, and its a statement she will hold him to. He jokes about being a flying hound and a gentle chuckle parts her maw. Wings, such a dainty addition to an equine, certainly would take away from the scare tactic of a hound. Yes, like being a hellhound! she laughs you don't need wings to make the trip, but if you do ever get some promise me I'll be the first to see them. She smiles as she thinks about him with large puffy wings.

    Not Afraid To Bite


    @[Erio]
    Reply
    #9
    ”Very true,” he agrees, subdued by his racing thoughts. He is still so young. There is so much time ahead of him that he can spend traversing the great peaks and islands and valleys of Beqanna. Nothing, technically, can stop him and yet he finds himself stunted by negativity. It’s easy for his siblings to reassure him and stroke what little ego he has because they don’t understand the internal struggles that weigh him down like shackles. ”I’ll figure out a way to explore,” his short legs will be weary, but his mind will brim with excitement when he drinks in the sights of the unexplored world.

    Erio stumbles forward and reaches to press a nudge against Sabrina’s leg. When he sits back down, he looks up at her with a childish smirk in attempt to combat the darkness eating away at his happiness.

    His mind and body is a rollercoaster. Joy and sorrow walk hand-in-hand and he has no control over which takes lead every hour of every day.

    An instinctual wag of his tail fans across the leaves and soil. ”I’m happy to be a hellhound,” they’ve been kinder to him, warmer, even in his grief and self-pity. Mother is colder and finds it easy to reject her only son. And Dracarys? Ah, beautiful sister! How fierce and reassuring she is, too, but she is not hellhound. Her demeanor is like that of a dragon, like their mother’s family. He, little Erio, will never mirror his sibling’s strength and determination. It’s only right, then, to be in the pack of hellhounds otherwise he would truly be without anyone or anything. ”If anything, it brought us together. A loving family would be wonderful,” no, it is wonderful, because with the exception of mother, everyone else has been accepting of his flaws.

    ”You’re quite lovely,” he admits with a sheepish grin, ”despite how scary the term hellhound sounds, you are nothing but kind. I appreciate it.” A gentle sigh passes from his lungs as he takes a moment to observe and listen to the forest around them. A small grin creeps along his lips, but there is an underlying sense of troubling that continues to weigh his shoulders. ”I imagine everyone outside of the family would laugh and scoff at me, and not take me seriously. I just wish I could read their thoughts or alter their perception… to open their eyes.” Perhaps the faeries will know of a greater solution than he could ever formulate. His fate is in their hands. ”I know I will face challenges. I suppose I just need to figure out how to overcome them when they arise.” His comfort increases as the walls of their separate lives gradually chisels away, revealing hidden confessions between (once) lost siblings.


    erio



    @[Sabrina]
    Reply
    #10
    Sabrina

    Sabrina had no idea just how bad Erio had it, how much his mother had drilled into his head that he was not right. She had always been a tad optimistic in the dark world she has been born into, but had she known the truth she would have insisted he come home with her.

    The boy brushes the topic off and insisting he would find a way. Sabrina doesn't think much of it, instead she insists that she hit a break through with him. He waddles forward and presses his muzzle into her leg, with a smile she lowers her own maw and licks the top of his head. He was still young and had plenty of life ahead of him.


    When he finds a spot on the earths ground again his tail wags sending the foliage flying and she watches with a smile. Though he breaks the silence to announce he is happy to be a hellhound, and in all honesty Sabrina was happy too! Besides father Erio seemed to be the only additional hellhound around. Sure she fit in well with the wolves, but it was nice to be with other hellhounds as well.

    You should be, we are an amazing breed, and all the others cower at us. Of course there were things like dragons that probably didn't fear the hellhound, but they were the superior canine. He continues to note that being a hellhound had brought them together, and a loving family would he lovely.

    She frowns at his last comment, what was he missing in his life? How cruel was his mother truly? But she remains silent as he speaks again, this time telling her how lovely she was and how he appreciates her kindness. And even continues to talk about his family, and how he wishes he could alter there thoughts on him.

    She was displeased with his comments, but still forces a smile on her face. He was a resilent hound for his age, he shouldn't be bashed continuously by the family who should be building him up. I'm glad I met you Erio, I wish you would come and live with me. I won't treat you like a defect, I can train you to overcome your disadvantage, perhaps even bring you to the mountain to ask the faeries to fix it. Though it didn't matter to Sabrina, she didn't see if as a defect. She shrugs though, it was up to him and perhaps he had more to sort out with his family before leaving them.

    Not Afraid To Bite


    @[Erio]
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