06-18-2019, 11:19 PM
(This post was last modified: 06-25-2019, 05:57 PM by Wysteria Fairy.)
Ever since his last attempt at this, Aten did not think he would come anywhere near this monument to Beqanna's power anytime soon. He did not want to come here for a selfish reason, did not wish to think so anyways. But he could not deny that he had come here for a self-interest, if only to fulfill one of the things he desired most.
Wolfbane and Lepis' visit had been unannounced, surprising, and Aten knew he should spend time considering his options right now. But why not do that while on the move? He could walk and think at the same time, this way he was killing two birds with one stone. The stallion had quietly slipped away from Taiga, leaving Turul to watch over it. Yes, a meaningless task since there were horses who were much bigger and could fly like the falcon, but this way, he had eyes in the sky, someone who could quickly catch up to him if there was any sort of new development he had to be warned about.
When he got to the bottom of the mountain, the stallion could only look up at it's impending sight, knowing that this would be the first tough part of his task. No amount of mental preparation could steel him for this, he would have to rely on his tenacity and endurance alone. He began his journey up the mountainside, placing each hoof carefully to avoid a slip that could potentially send him all the way back down.
There were times when his thoughts drifted too far and one of his hooves lost it's traction, but a quick recovery would make sure Aten never fell. Many of those times, he had been scared he would fall, but he couldn't afford a mistake like that. He needed to get up the mountain, to accomplish what he came for. He took periodic rest stops here and there for a few minutes at a time, for even with all the running and training he'd undergone at home, this was on a new level. It tested his strength, his will, two traits that were highly important for a job like he had.
The climb seemed to go on forever, twists and turns on the path, going up and down small inclines here and there that made the stallion wonder if he was making any progress. Until, finally, he could see it. A break in the trail unlike others he'd seen before, which could only mean one thing. He was near the top. His body was screaming in exhaustion, his muscles worn, his chest heaving from the exertion, but he pushed himself those last few steps, practically hoisting himself over the trail break and onto the peak plateau where he could take a moment to collect himself.
The stallion's head went down as he struggled to catch his breath, exhausted from the ordeal. There was even a light sheen of sweat down his neck and back, a trail dripping down his flanks and stifles. Aten never thought he'd encounter a challenge like this in his life; even the first time around had seemed so much easier than this. Why had it been tougher?
Was it because somehow the Mountain, Beqanna's magic, knew why he had come here? Had the challange of climbing the mountain been made that much harder because he was here for a selfish purpose this time, rather than to try and help the kingdom? He could wonder about that later.
Aten's eyes drifted to the center of the plateau. Even as a non-gifted horse, he knew there was something special, no, mystical, about this place. He could feel a change in the air around him, a difference in the aura of the land, something old... wise... something far beyond Beqanna's age called here it's home. For some reason, Aten began getting the same odd feeling he'd had right before the occurence of the Reckoning.
And then he remembered the other stories he'd heard about this place. The magic at the top of the Mountain... it was a reminder... of the wild powers that flowed through Beqanna's very lifeblood itself... in the trees of the Taiga... the oceans around Nerine and the Brillian Pampas... the lava spewing from Tephra's volcano... the barren lands of Pangea... everything and everywhere flowed with a life force, the magic of this land. Never before had Aten felt more respect for the place he called - no, the place he was priveleged to call home - than this moment in time.
The stallion treaded carefully away from the edge of the Mountain plateau and toward the center where he dipped his head low as a sign of his respect. He spoke his words in a quiet voice, almost a whisper, calling out with his heart, his will, his soul, in the hopes that the being that existed within Beqanna's magic, that harnessed it, would hear him.
"I will not lie and say I have not come here for a selfish reason..." he began, almost hesitating, "Taiga... the beloved land I am honored to call home... I fear it could soon be put into danger... two horses I have heard stories about, they came in search to take over, to pull my throne away and call it their own...
"I am not afraid of what hindrances might happen to me, but I fear for the safety of Taiga herself, and her residents, the horses I love and have come to consider my friends. I am faced with a very difficult decision, near impossible, but I know that to try and ensure safety for my loved ones, I must make one.
"But I wanted to try one last task... one thing that may help... I come seeking your guidance, your generous help... to provide me with a gift that I may use to help protect my home. Whether or not my decision is changed, and I am made to step down to protect my loved ones... having a gift, knowing I can use it to protect Taiga and my friends... it will make certain decisions... easier. It will make having to perform difficult tasks easier, no matter what the cost will be...
"Please... entrust me with your guidance..."
@[Officials]
OOC: Aten has come to the Mountain to petition for the 3-space trait Dragon Mimicry, with the characteristics of dragon scales, dragon claws, and firebreathing. This is my first time petitioning for a quest so hopefully I did this right. I had him 'talking' to the fairies since he's heard that's what lives up here, whether or not something actually verbally responds back.
Wolfbane and Lepis' visit had been unannounced, surprising, and Aten knew he should spend time considering his options right now. But why not do that while on the move? He could walk and think at the same time, this way he was killing two birds with one stone. The stallion had quietly slipped away from Taiga, leaving Turul to watch over it. Yes, a meaningless task since there were horses who were much bigger and could fly like the falcon, but this way, he had eyes in the sky, someone who could quickly catch up to him if there was any sort of new development he had to be warned about.
When he got to the bottom of the mountain, the stallion could only look up at it's impending sight, knowing that this would be the first tough part of his task. No amount of mental preparation could steel him for this, he would have to rely on his tenacity and endurance alone. He began his journey up the mountainside, placing each hoof carefully to avoid a slip that could potentially send him all the way back down.
There were times when his thoughts drifted too far and one of his hooves lost it's traction, but a quick recovery would make sure Aten never fell. Many of those times, he had been scared he would fall, but he couldn't afford a mistake like that. He needed to get up the mountain, to accomplish what he came for. He took periodic rest stops here and there for a few minutes at a time, for even with all the running and training he'd undergone at home, this was on a new level. It tested his strength, his will, two traits that were highly important for a job like he had.
The climb seemed to go on forever, twists and turns on the path, going up and down small inclines here and there that made the stallion wonder if he was making any progress. Until, finally, he could see it. A break in the trail unlike others he'd seen before, which could only mean one thing. He was near the top. His body was screaming in exhaustion, his muscles worn, his chest heaving from the exertion, but he pushed himself those last few steps, practically hoisting himself over the trail break and onto the peak plateau where he could take a moment to collect himself.
The stallion's head went down as he struggled to catch his breath, exhausted from the ordeal. There was even a light sheen of sweat down his neck and back, a trail dripping down his flanks and stifles. Aten never thought he'd encounter a challenge like this in his life; even the first time around had seemed so much easier than this. Why had it been tougher?
Was it because somehow the Mountain, Beqanna's magic, knew why he had come here? Had the challange of climbing the mountain been made that much harder because he was here for a selfish purpose this time, rather than to try and help the kingdom? He could wonder about that later.
Aten's eyes drifted to the center of the plateau. Even as a non-gifted horse, he knew there was something special, no, mystical, about this place. He could feel a change in the air around him, a difference in the aura of the land, something old... wise... something far beyond Beqanna's age called here it's home. For some reason, Aten began getting the same odd feeling he'd had right before the occurence of the Reckoning.
And then he remembered the other stories he'd heard about this place. The magic at the top of the Mountain... it was a reminder... of the wild powers that flowed through Beqanna's very lifeblood itself... in the trees of the Taiga... the oceans around Nerine and the Brillian Pampas... the lava spewing from Tephra's volcano... the barren lands of Pangea... everything and everywhere flowed with a life force, the magic of this land. Never before had Aten felt more respect for the place he called - no, the place he was priveleged to call home - than this moment in time.
The stallion treaded carefully away from the edge of the Mountain plateau and toward the center where he dipped his head low as a sign of his respect. He spoke his words in a quiet voice, almost a whisper, calling out with his heart, his will, his soul, in the hopes that the being that existed within Beqanna's magic, that harnessed it, would hear him.
"I will not lie and say I have not come here for a selfish reason..." he began, almost hesitating, "Taiga... the beloved land I am honored to call home... I fear it could soon be put into danger... two horses I have heard stories about, they came in search to take over, to pull my throne away and call it their own...
"I am not afraid of what hindrances might happen to me, but I fear for the safety of Taiga herself, and her residents, the horses I love and have come to consider my friends. I am faced with a very difficult decision, near impossible, but I know that to try and ensure safety for my loved ones, I must make one.
"But I wanted to try one last task... one thing that may help... I come seeking your guidance, your generous help... to provide me with a gift that I may use to help protect my home. Whether or not my decision is changed, and I am made to step down to protect my loved ones... having a gift, knowing I can use it to protect Taiga and my friends... it will make certain decisions... easier. It will make having to perform difficult tasks easier, no matter what the cost will be...
"Please... entrust me with your guidance..."
@[Officials]
OOC: Aten has come to the Mountain to petition for the 3-space trait Dragon Mimicry, with the characteristics of dragon scales, dragon claws, and firebreathing. This is my first time petitioning for a quest so hopefully I did this right. I had him 'talking' to the fairies since he's heard that's what lives up here, whether or not something actually verbally responds back.
