Round 2: The Trial - Printable Version

When the painted stag raises his head once more, his murky eyes focus upon others like him. Many were just as dazed and confused as he.
"By gods..."
Vitalo moves to stand, but his world beats him to the task. What few shades of white around him that once existed began to mix and twirl elegantly around him. Lines blured, and his body was lifted. A once heavily built stag became weightless amongst the spinning earth. His senses are scrambled, every fiber of him fighting for his sight... his hearing... anything.

The man is transported to a new world, one foreign to his primitive mind. When he regains his focus he is awestruck.
Rising from the straw-laden earth is four walls, each held together with nails and concrete. Vitalo stares forward, vision blurred by bars jutting from chest height barriers.

He was trapped.

Cautiously the painted stallion steps forward, moving until his bodice meets the smooth surface of the wooden walls. There is just enough space between the steel bars for him to peek his head through. Beyond his Cyprus prison lay more identical cubicles. Each small room is lined up in a hallway, ten rooms on each of the two sides. Though he can just barely see it, he spots grand doors on each end of the corridor.

Vitalo steps backward, turning in a tight circle to get a quick look at his hellscape. It would have been quaint if he weren't so confused. The flooring was soft, bedded by golden straw, and mats beneath. On the far wall, a singular window (barred as well) was placed. Beyond its frame, the stallion spotted rolling hills dotted with trees and other equines. Though these equines looked different... mundane. No colors dotted the emerald hills, no wings stretched from gloriously scaled backs. No air of immortality wafted from these creatures.

"Strange isn't it young Vitalo?"

The piebald stallion jumps, ears pinning flat against his sweat-sheened neck. He turns quickly, a difficult feat due to his stature.

Strange, he sees nothing.

"You may have to come a little closer than that ole boy."

The voice comes again, musical in its tone. Despite the oddity of it all, Vitalo steps forward shoving his head through the great bars once more.

"Down here great fellow!"

The voice rises from the stone floor of the corridor, a small laugh following its wake. With some difficulty the stallion manages to tilt his head downward, his eyes met an interesting sight. The voice belonged to a strange creature. Floppy ears (not unlike a long-eared goat's) protruded from a strangely smooth face, a smiling mouth taking up most of it. The creature was dressed in dark overalls, cut off just above gnarled talons of feet. Glowing orange eyes peered expectantly at him from beneath the tail of a carp, used cleverly as a hat.

"What in great gads are you!"

Except Vitalo's words were lost in great whuffling whinnies and snorts. His own emerald eyes widen at the sound.

"Who I am should be of no concern to you. Just know that I have come to make you a deal."

Vitalo was shocked that the creature could even understand him with his foreign speech. Not wishing to hear it anymore he simply nodded, encouraging the little beast to continue.

"If you can escape this little stable and meet me at the ruins not far from here I will turn you into a unicorn."
Here the creature waved it hands, twirling its little fingers in an effort to emphasize the magic behind this.

"BUT this will come at a great difficulty to you Vitalo, this land is foreign to you. Don't let kind faces fool you. I will be around, though I will never look the same. Good luck old friend, I shall hope to see you at the ruins."

The little creature smiled and waved, taking a quick left before skipping down the hall. Vitalo smirked, there was no way it would be able to get past the great door! As if the creature had heard his thoughts it turned to him and winked before disappearing. In its place lay a snake, a frightening creature indeed. Without so much as a glance backward, it slid with ease beneath the barn doors, leaving Vitalo alone.

Right then...

Vitalo sucked in a breath, summoning courage for his journey. He glanced at the door to his cage, assessing the flimsy lock that held him captive. The stallion smirked, his powerful legs could free him from this. The stallion backed away from the bars, turning his rump towards his target. Just as he was redying his strike a jingling noise echoed through the quiet building. From somewhere in the hall a door slammed, and melodic whistling joined heavy footfall.

No sooner had Vitalo righted himself, another creature appeared to him. This one was almost as strange as the last. It stood upon two legs like his previous visitor, though it didn't look nearly as strange. Great tufts of curling black hair were sat upon its head, shining blue eyes peering out from beneath dark lashes that brushed the smooth planes of his visitors face when they blinked. Their body had no fur, only smooth ivory skin.

"You are quite the looker aren't you..."

It spoke, the voice, gruff in its undertones led Vitalo to assume it was a male. Judging from the shiny golden nameplate upon its breast its name was Michael.

'Let me out of here..'

He thought, stepping forward to inspect the strange being. Michael was clothed in blues and pale whites, shining leather hooves stretching to his knees. Strange...

"I say we should get acquainted,"

And just like that, the flimsy lock was slid from his door and the creature was inside the cage with him. Michael left the door open, planning to leave soon with Vitalo in tow.

Suddenly Vitalo wished that lock was a whole lot stronger. He snorted anxiously, stepping away from the advancing Michael. The creature raised its leather covered hands, fingers stretched in an attempt to soothe the large stallion. His eyes widened, feet rising from the ground in nervous half rears.

"Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you!"

It was easy to be fooled by such words, especially when you were hoping they were true. Vitalo stilled, staring at his companion. From the crook of Michael's arm, a strange contraption was produced. Without much of a fight from Vitalo, it was slipped upon the piebald stag's head and a lead (also looped around Michael's forearm) was clipped to one of the contraption's various loops and straps.

"Uncomfortable huh lad?"

Michael whispered, patting the soft scruff of the stallion's cheek. The boy pulled Vitalo from the stall, the stallion only briefly fighting the motion. He led him down the hall, stopping only to open one of the great doors at its end. Beyond the great Cyprus tomb lay more rolling hills and great walkways laden with stone, many other two-legged creatures roamed, holding is equine brethren captive.

Michael didn't dilly dally long, cutting a right to lead Vitalo to yet another structure, though this one did not have any doors. Many equines passed by with their creature counterparts.... creatures Vitalo decided to call warblers due to the annoyingly high pitched tone of speech they communicated with.

His own warbler led him into the structure, its walls decorated with finely shone sticks and ropes. More leather hooves (detached even) were lined up on the stone floor, their heels ending in furious looking spikes and patterns.

'Don't let a friendly face fool you'

Suddenly Vitalo wanted to leave, he glanced around, assessing his chances of escape. This building was much like the last, a great hallway lined with rooms and doors, though this hall ended not with doors but open air. If he were to pull hard enough Michael would drop the lead, but could he make it to the end of the hall without being caught by yet another warbler? The bloody creatures were all over the place!

Vitalo waited, waited until another warbler came by, this one much like Michael but with a higher pitch of voice and a longer mane. Besides Michael's companion was a sleek ebony mare, one with long locks and piercing orange eyes. The mare watched Vitalo with a smirk, those glowing orange eyes staring at him all the while.

'I will be around, though I will never look the same'

He reared, his stature high enough that with a great twist his lead was pulled free from an awestruck Michael. His hooves came crashing down upon the stone ground with a mighty rattle, one loud enough that Michael and his warbler friend stepped back in shock. Vitalo wasted no time, his mind was set on escaping, and that he did. He ran through the corridor, his lead slapping madly at his legs, burning the soft flesh there as it did.

He ran from the stable grounds, hitting the woods in minutes. Warblers chased him, some mounting his equine brethren in a chance to catch up. Though Vitalo was fast, he was not careful.

The stag was barely into the woods when his lead became horrifically tangled in the underbrush. Warblers were on his tail! He fought madly against the branches and thorns, but the lead would not give. His head turned madly, senses keenly aware of his advancing company. With a quiet 'this is gonna hurt' he bent down, managing to snag the contraption on a thick branch of thorns. He pulled with all of his might, groaning at the pain upon his ears as the straps pulled free. He stumbled backward, barely regaining his balance as the warblers broke through the treeline.

Vitalo bolted, nearly missing a great loop of rope that fell not far from his neck. He ran and ran and ran, jumping over fallen logs and dodging low branches. The warblers, however, didn't want to spend that much energy. He heard their screams of anger, and the whuffling breath of their steeds as they turned away and went home. His own whoops of laughter replacing their anguished cries.

It was then when the forest fell silent that he took in his surroundings. He was alone in a forest not unlike the Taiga of his homeland. Trees stretched mightily into the sky, he turned and turned, trying to decide where he should go.

'I shall hope to see you at the ruins.'

He groaned moving away from his thoughts momentarily to observe the only other being around him. Perched on a tree not far from him was a bird. That damned bird that had led him here. Though upon closer observation Vitalo began to laugh. Great glowing orange eyes peered from beneath the bird's feathers, the embers alight with amusement as they watched him.

"I have a riddle for you..."

The words floated through the trees in a million hushed whispers, the bird's eyes set intently on Vitalo though its mouth never moved.

"The answer is what you will use to find me..."

The whispers float in steady streams about his head.

"I am the black child of a white father, a wingless bird, flying even to the clouds of heaven. I give birth to tears of mourning in pupils that meet me, even though there is no cause for grief, and at once on my birth, I am dissolved into air. What am I?"

And the mockingbird is gone, disappearing in a small puff of pine needles that fall from its perch.

"The black child of... no grief.... dissolved?"

The ancient sulfur of Tephra's air filled his senses, his mind luring him to the ash-covered lands so far from where he was now. The glowing embers settling in the bird's eye flashing across the backs of his closed eyelids. Fire burned in his chest as he grasped for an answer, and then it was there...

Smoke.

Follow the smoke. Vitalo looked around quickly, craning his neck to look above the trees for a pillar of smoke.. but his guide came in another way.

It came as a smell. It filled his nostrils and pulled him west, the opposite way in which he came. He closed his eyes, sucking in a deep breath before stepping forward. He followed the scent for miles, the thick air around his head leading him to where his first companion should be.

Great rocks of ancient structures lay abandoned on the ground, the scent of smoke from long ago wafting through the air.

"I am here you testy creature..."

He called. Once more he was met with a screech of a whinny, but he knew the beast could understand him.

"Then come find me!"

The voice was the beast's though this time it echoed across the ruins, and was followed by a million little laughs.

Vitalo was sick and tired of the creatures games, he started forward intent on finding the damned thing. He would rip the earth to shreds if he had too.

"Cold.... colder! AH! Warm!.... nope cold again."

The voice chanted various things as Vitalo roamed the ruins. They were vast, and he had to search under many great stones. As he searched the night (he hadn't even noticed its presence!) bled into morning. He was tired, worn from his journey and the emotional turmoil. He turned his watering eyes to the rising sun, and gasped.

The silhouette of a small creature sat patiently awaiting upon a great stone met his gaze. He half expected it to bolt as he started forward, but it stayed put allowing him to get close enough to touch. The stone it sat upon made it just tall enough to stand face to face with the mighty stag.

"You have been a great source of amusement for me Vitalo... but I must ask you one thing.."

Vitalo shrunk, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"Why fight so hard when I could have been lying?"

The creature whispered, crossing its small green fingers over its lap as it sat. Its legs dangled over the side of the stone, just barely touching Vitalo's muzzle as they swung lazily.

"Because I have faith in the smallest of things... Maybe you were lying. It couldn't be worse than this."

He was shocked to hear his own voice. The creature nodded and stood, dusting off the seat of its overalls as it did. Stepping forward it leaned over the rock, placing both hands gently on Vitalo's pole.

"Your quest is complete, and my words shall ring true. Close your eyes and open them, you may find something new."

Vitalo sighs and closes them, upon opening them once more the ruins are gone, and a heavyweight it laid on his poll. He is left with a new world and a new body.

"All this and I leave you with a horn, oh gads I'm funny."

Vitalo Smiles.