"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
The pair soon arrive at the northwestern corner of Pangea. It is where he started his patrol of the border every night. He is in no hurry as they walk along, speaking of her childhood but most importantly her powers.
They had fleshed out the wings that remain attached to her sides as they traverse the barren lands. Every so often she would lift them away from her frame to ensure they were still there. And each time she did he would snicker to himself.
She speaks of the fire breathing next, how it had come about while her and her brother were practicing just before he had shown up to receive them. His thoughts muse at how he could provoke such a magic with endless potential. It wasn't an inner poison that could be twisted at will to crawl from one's unconscious. It was an explosive volatile magic meant to do nothing but harm. Such a gift.
Then she speaks of the lake and river. How she loved playing in the cool liquid, which he nearly shudders at the thought. Water was his least favorite thing in this world and kept far from it if possible. His curiosity though sparks his question, "Doesn't the water douse your flames?" It was only natural for water to counteract fire. "It used to when I was little but not anymore," she explains. "Interesting," he murmurs to himself.
Though they converse he has not lost the purpose of why they are walking the well beaten path. His red eyes shift about, searching for any signs of life. Here at the north not much encroaches as far as vegetation, but as they near the west brush and grasses begin to thicken.
At first, he doesn't see the pair ahead, but he can smell something amiss. It wasn't the smoke and charcoal of the fire plated stallion, but the soft floral scent of the delicately dressed mare.
They break into a slight clearing, and he sees the faint glint of flame. The undead thing knows too well why they are here and so he does not rush to them but walks at a leisurely pace as he has done thus far. Escense soon sees the light and he can almost hear the flutter of her heart as she gasps a hopeful breath. "Vic?" She whispers in almost an inaudible tone. "No," He says, even though he doubted she meant for it to be heard.
The pitch black of night hid the feathered mare from sight for quite some time. Even as they neared to speaking distance, she was hard to see. But the refracted light off her iridescent plumage shimmered as they got closer, pulling more words from the girl's lips. "Mother?!" She squeals as she now can recognize one of the two gathered here. He allows her to brush past him to greet her mother. The undead thing would not deny her of that, but as he settles to a stand near the duo of trespassers his eyes fixate on the fiery creature.
An impish grin curls his tattered lips, smoke curling from the gaps in his flesh, pluming as he speaks, "Welcome to Pangea friend." His one ear turns towards the mare and their daughter, listening to the content of their conversation consisting of the usual 'how do you dos', and the whispered, 'are you oks'. He chimes in while his attention is outwardly still fixated on the fire rimmed stallion, "I am not a monster, and I would never dream of harming my own daughter."
He can see the glow of Escence wings as she expands them from her sides, showing them off proudly to her mother. His grin, that had never left his face, grows more as his pitless red eyes stare at the stranger, "I don't believe we have met. My name is Zain, guardian of Pangea and servant of Carnage." He doesn't ask for the others name as he has a sneaking suspicion it wouldn't come if he prompted for it, "And this is the pride and joy of my life, my daughter Escence." Only now does his head turn to the fiery girl still trying to convince her mother that she is fine.
At mention of her name, she turns to the male figures and bows her flame laced face in greeting. She pulls away from her mother to stand next to the undead being that is her father, "Hello, what's your name? How do you know my mother?"She says curiously with her usual bright smile. He could always count on her to carry a conversation with more enthusiasm than he ever could. His gaze returns to the stallion, awaiting the mystery to be solved.
Zain
ReBeL jUsT fOr KiCkS
I kinda wrote both Zain and Escence in one thread with a bit of Aurora interaction. Escence is "speaking" and Zain is "speaking"
@Phoebus
@ AuroraElis
*Be Warned*
Possesses health transference
and may steal your health.
The autumn night was crisp and cool as they crossed the Pangean border in hopes of finding his long-lost sister. Phoebus and his mother chat quietly - valuable time alone is something the pair hadn't had in many moons, and Phoebus uses this time to apologize for his absence.
"...I know my disappearance hurt you, mom." He says with a gentle sigh, looking towards her with a softness he hadn't felt in awhile. "To be honest, I was afraid of coming back. Afraid of what you might say, afraid of facing Dad's..." His brows furrow. It was hard to admit his feelings, but he knew that in the presence of his mother, kind and comforting, he could be vulnerable, if only for a moment. "...dad's death. I was angry...I am angry. At him, at myself. At the magic in this land for changing everything. I thought maybe it would be easier if I stayed away, even if I wasn't doing anything but wallowing in my own pity."
The pair approach a clearing, and Phoebus looks to the stars. He quietly names the constellations - Orion, Leo, Scorpius... - remembering how many times he had looked at this sky, wondering if Aurora was staring at the same stars, wondering if Rou was watching over him. It distracts him for just a moment before he hears a excited squeal from a distance.
"Mother?!"
He looks towards the fiery filly, and watches his mother gallop to meet her. Phoebus follows at a trot, eyes pulling from his mother and sister to look towards the creature standing behind them. His sickening grin, his cocky demeanor, his lie-laden words infuriate the boy of fire...but he does not play his hand, opting for a flat face and a nod at his introduction. "Ah, so I've heard." He says, eyes never leaving the stallion as Aurora and Escense chat. He could not afford to let this...corpse...get the best of him. Phoebus's eyes only leave Zain's when he introduces Escense. She is bright-eyed, enthusiastic, and unfortunately as young ones often are, terribly naive. She asks who he is, and the boy of fire gives her a sweet smile.
"I'm Phoebus." He says, bowing his head politely. He glances over to Zain, who looks at him expectantly. He figures this would be the best time to reveal to Escense their relation, considering if she didn't plan to return with him, he had every intention of staying here to keep an eye on her. "I've known your mom for a really long time..." He says, looking back to her. "...because she's my mom too."
It tugged at her heart to see Vic vanish into the darkness. His heart was kind, much too kind for this world.
Jack departs moments later with a goodbye nuzzle to her velvet skin. She smiles, knowing with Jack that her son would be in good hands.
Turning to her eldest she smiles an almost convincing smile, that her heart wasn't breaking but at the same time, it was mending. He begins to speak to her, unburdening all his troubles into the open air. He had grown into such a kind soul, but like his father, his troubles bound him to a life of regrets.
She listens intently as they walk, simply allowing him this time to decompress. And when he is finished, the quiet of the night surrounding them, she says simply, "I am glad you came back." Her milky white muzzle reaches for him and brushes along his neck.
They walk in silence for some time when a call reaches her ears, causing them to turn back. "Escense!" She turns around quickly and lunges forward to meet her. They embrace for only a second before the girl is peeling from her. She looks over her daughter, finding nothing but flames as usual, but she asks in a whispered breath anyway, "Are you ok?" The filly nods, prancing about in place and excitedly showing off her fiery wings. Look mom I did it! My wings, they don't leave me anymore! She nods in response, hearing Zain mutter something and Phoebus responding.
Escence is quick to join her father and begin questioning the new fire armored figure. When she hears Phoebus is her brother she is squealing in delight as usual.
She allows them that moment before joining the group with thundering steps. With ears pinned and the look of royally pissed off on her delicate face, her petite frame marches up to Zain with harsh words, "Who do you think you are?! How dare you come into my home and steal my children and tell absolutely NO ONE! I was worried sick!"
A snort vibrates from her nostrils as she stares into the face of the ghastly creature. His sickening smirk made her want to kick it right off his face. It occurs to her just then that they were not supposed to know where Vic went and so she adds, "Where is Eviction? What did you do to my son!"
Escense's eyes lowered, and her excitement dwindled as she stood head low and slouched, realizing now the worry they had put her mother through. But at the mention of Vic, she pipes up, Vic's fine mother, really.
The undead thing just stares at her, the same smirk plastered across his half-torn face as she demands answers. Her heart was racing, the rage boiling over inside of her.
She hardly waits for answers, because truthfully, she didn't care about anything else other than taking her children home, "Come on Escense, we are going to get your brother and we are going home."
As she pulls away from Zain and begins to turn towards the Dale, Escence begins her plea to stay. Please mom can I stay with Dad? Just for a little while longer. I'm learning so much!
Her caramel ears flick back, baffled at what the child says. Stay? Here? With him!? Turning to look upon her daughter that is still at her father's side, her heart sinks. But she can see in the fillies eyes the sincerity of her words. Nearly speechless, her eyes shift from Escense, to Zain, to Phoebus. She wouldn't be able to protect the girl forever, especially one as free spirited as Escense, so she does what every mother must do at some point, "If that is what you really want then I will not make you leave." The child was nearly two years old and trying to contain her would send her further into defiance.
The girl perks up and rushes to her, giving her a warm hug before returning quickly to her father's side. She sighs in defeat, looking now to Phoebus with pleading eyes.
Not all that glitters is gold
@Phoebus Kinda threw them all in so feel free to go next as Aurora sulks away xD Protect my baby girl! <3
Phoebus wishes he could say he was surprised at Escense's choice. It was only normal for a child to want to know their parents, no matter how rotten they were beneath the surface. He wishes he could change her mind somehow, save his mother from the pain of letting a child go off to make a life of their own, and show Escense that her father really didn't have her best interests at heart.
However, he can do none of that right now. The only way to protect Escense, in any meaningful way, is to play into Zain's hand.
Phoebus meets his mother's gaze, giving her a knowing, thoughtful glance, and then he turns his head back to Zain and Escense. He smiles at both of them. "Mother, perhaps Zain doesn't have as ill of intentions as we thought," He says, inching closer to the pair in front of him and further from his mother. "It seems like Escense is learning so much from him. Maybe I could tag along and learn some tricks myself!" Phoebus makes sure to have this sound particularly chipper, naive even - he perks his ears up as he looks at Escense. "I'd also love to get a chance to know my little sister! I've always wanted a little sibling, after all. That would be okay with you, right Zain?"
Phoebus gives a fake-pleading glance to Zain. He knows that it would be more suspicious for Zain to say no than to just allow him to tag along; he knows that Zain would have to answer Escense's myriad of questions if he said no. It would cost Zain more control of the filly in the long-run...and while Phoebus didn't know Zain very well, he knew many horses like him, and losing control was something he couldn't afford. Even if he couldn't save Escense from her father's grasp, he could be a watchful eye while she was with him.
My squeal of delight is overshadowed by the sudden harsh words of my mother. I shy away, my head lowered and my flames dimming just the slightest. She demands to know where Vic is and I jump to my father's defense, "Vic's fine Mother, really." I wasn't certain that was the truth but the last I saw him he was different but ok.
I had never seen my mother in such a tizzy. Even when I had set the meadow on fire, she wasn't this worked up. My eyes side glance to my father who remains just as tall and proud as before, an unwavering strength that I now attempt to mimic as my mother summons me. Straightening slightly, my head no longer drooping in shame, I begin my plea. To my surprise she doesn't force me to follow, but there is an unmistakable sadness there that is missed by me in my excitement. I rush to her, embracing her as I had done so many times before. My flames dance wildly around me, "I will visit soon I promise!"
Once returning to my father's side, a happy smile painted on my face, Phoebus begins to speak. My elation grows as he wishes to stay in Pangea with me. My flame wings sperate from my sides slightly as I prance happily in place, "Oh yes Father can he stay? Please, please, please!"
The undead things eyes gleam a bit brighter, his gaze never shifting from my older brother as he speaks, Of course. The more the merrier. I squeal happily as I bound forward, my fiery wings wrapping around my brother in a flaming embrace."This is going to be sooo much fun!"I prance a few steps in the direction my father and I had been heading and yell to them excitedly,"Come on Phoebus! Father was taking me on patrol. There is so much to show you." I bound onwards, turning back every so often until they catch up then settling into a walking prance at Phoebus side, "How did you get your fire? Were you born with it like me? Both my brother and I were born with flames. Vic's is different though, even more different now actually," I pause in brief thought, "Is my father your father TOO?!" I had so many questions!
@Phoebus I hope you realize what you signed up for! xD
//Fire Mimicry-Summer Appearance-Fire Breathing-Water Immunity\\
Fire Mimicry- Foxfire, Phoenix-Type Immortality, Fire Wings
Zain
AuroraElis
