shining brighter ||Ryatah

[Ariies]

You know I’m higher, I’m shining brighter

Cool winds began to flow in from the south, whistling eerily through the open field. The smell of frost in the air warned of the coming winter. It's claws reaching to grasp the land, and soon it would have it in it's icy grip. But, despite the coming cold and the nip in the air, Ariies was burning strong. His strong black body was hot with the cosmic gasses burning within him, it seeped out from his short black hair and his hooves. A true son of the stars. Flame licked tendrils glow bright within short black tresses that are ruffled by the icy breezes, the air around him seemed to quaver and could be seen clearly by any who gazed upon the large stag. Dry grasses below decorated with a trail of black hoof prints, still hissing softly and glowing with burning embers from the  burning hooves. 

His wanderings had finally come to a close, he had spent so many years of his life either in isolation, or thrown into battle. Never had he found peace, a place where he would no longer be used as a weapon. Though, he was not one to back down from a challenge, or work his way to success, he still yearned for a place where he was not expected to kill constantly. Days filled with the sound of screams, the smell of blood and scorched earth, the flash ironclad glowing hooves. Flesh burned away by the searing heat of his breath. He knew he would never be able to shake those memories, he would never be able to lose that fierce exterior. Ariies was a creature created in the cosmos for the soul purpose of destruction. His desire to survive and his vigor was hard to match, but these attributes were cloaked beneath the veil that was his seemingly permanent scowl. 

He lifts his slightly convex face, his glowing amethyst eyes scanning the area. Obviously this must be where those without a place to call their home gather. For he noticed some other loners looking either confused or excited, as well as groups of other horses conversing. This was like the last land he had visit, minus the rocky shores and smell of brine. As much as he wanted to scoff at those lost souls, he also realized that he too was one of them. His glinting orange hooves had carried him here for a reason, and he knew exactly what it was. He too needed a place to call home, a place where he could thrive and burn his brightest. Show his might and let himself become the brightest burning star this world has ever seen. His adventure is only just about to begin. 

A R I I E S

[Ryatah]

“What have I become, my sweetest friend?
Everyone I know goes away in the end."

She is nearly soundless as she steps across the frozen ground, a silent wisp of white flickering between the dark trunks of the grove of trees that border the field. She cannot recall the last time she had been here. It has been over a century since she was last queen of anything; a land that didn’t exist anymore, much like everything else in her life, simply reduced to rubble and hazy memories.

She had nothing to gain by being in Tephra; nothing left to prove to anyone, but it gave her a sense of purpose— or at least, she allowed herself to believe it did— to carry out the fairly mundane tasks of being in a kingdom again. If anyone else had been king, besides Magnus — another face from her past — it was unlikely she would be here. She was fond of him, however. A link to a previous lifetime, and it was enough for her to stir from the depths a spark that drove her forward, to offer Tephra some of the same effort she had once so freely given.

Despite having not been here for quite some time, the field was easy enough to navigate, even without her sight. The grasslands are flat, and soft, especially in comparison to the lava-fields of her new volcanic home. There was something almost refreshing about being here; no ulterior motives for her, no ghosts from her past lurking and tempting her. Just recruitment. Simple as that.

He smells of burning stars, and the faint tendrils of smoke from the grass that smolders beneath his steps is what causes her to stop, to tilt her head as she so often does. Listening. She pushes aside the bird song, the sound of the grasses rustling in the wind, and the quiet hum of conversation, and singles him out – he breathes, and he shifts his weight, and her shapely head turns to him, the tangled strands of her pale forelock nearly hiding the hollowed and scarred sockets. ”Hello,” it is said with a quirk of her lips, an upward tilt that turns into a smile. She steps towards him, but is cautious to not invade his space. ”My name is Ryatah, of Tephra.” She is used to this dance, and although she is not trying to rush through the niceties, she cannot help but to get straight to the point. ”I assume you are in search of a home, since you are here. I can tell you about Tephra, if you’re interested.” Her voice is kind, still soft despite all the things that should have made her sharp and hard, and she falls silent.

RYATAH

you could have it all, my empire of dirt

@[Ariies]