"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
He walked with boldness, head up, legs moving in long confident sweeps as he trots over the border without so much as sniffing the invisible line first. The pines bend in the breeze, a hello, he likes to imagine. He looks up at them with a glint in his shiny teal eye, a vain grin just for their pleasure. Hello, he mentally mutters to the evergreen sentinels before slipping further into the center of the pine Kingdom. Surely he has no clue whose regime rules now or what their general attitude is toward strangers just barging in. He's fearless, not suicidal and so he decides it's much wiser to remain within a mile or so of an escape route in case an envoy of soldiers comes spearing his way.
He makes himself obvious, looking around, clearly in need of assistance.
“Yo...” He says this humorously, beneath his breath and only for him to hear as he listlessly lets his eyes roll from side to side. “Hello there,” he sets his eyes on a particular stranger making their way toward him. He has no read on them yet..they could be aggressive or peaceful...they're too far to tell..
It seemed that while Killdare was pushing for a less horrendous route for the Chamberlings that somewhere, somehow he had not made perfectly clear their borders were not open. Were they ever?
Today it seemed that perhaps he had not made his stance on the matter perfectly clear, or perhaps the intruding male simply failed in the area of common courtesy. Pray his own Monarchs show him better if he indeed wandered in from a neighboring Kingdom.
Now it's not that Killdare didn't like company every now and then, he was however, a stickler for rules, for courtesy and the laws of the land. The Chamber was currently closed save for announced visits or diplomatic parties should they so wish to discuss political affairs. The pine forest was not open for lolly-gags or thrills nor would he tolerate such carelessness of a rogue stallion treading carelessly into his hard earned home. And then, it is calling to him in tactless tones, standing smack dab in the middle of the wood.
Without hesitation Killdare promptly encircles the painted brute in a ring of fire far too wide to jump or step across. Well magma, but the idea is very much real and there. He himself emerges from the pine shadows, riddled in thick plates of cooled earth core while trails of lava wiggled their way under his makeshift skin.
"Yo indeed..." He grumbles in deep baritone, watching the trespasser through eyes of hell fire. "So, you've come on some sort of business or with purpose I do hope, otherwise I shall make it very clear to you now. The Chamber is not open to sight seer's, travelers, vagrants, or otherwise." A deep intake of breath follows and still his eyes narrow and harden. "This would include stallions of the Falls underling herds." He doesn't know if his home had ever been open to just any old riffraff and he currently had quite precious cargo residing within his bark-made walls.
She has not been here long - not even long enough to know anyone’s name but Nymphetamine’s, not even long enough to have found a suitable place to bed down every night, not even long enough to feel that she was anywhere near home. The coolness of the land was sometimes comforting, but the pine trees felt like rope around her neck as she swung uselessly around, unable to breathe.
Her outlook may not be the brightest, but she’ll come around. A princess once, and now a nobody in a land that reeks of evergreen - it’s a little adjustment for the woman. She just needs time.
She’s not exactly looking for an angry king bringing fire up from beneath the earth, but on this day as she wanders between the pines, it is that she comes across. The scent of magma is certainly one she hasn’t experienced before, and no one could blame her for being attracted to it - in a fight or flight situation, Xiah always chose fight. After no good came of fleeing in search of her parents, well, there seemed to be no other option.
Sideling up to the angry stallion who was evidently in charge of the little encounter, the unicorn raised a haughty brow and relaxed into an entirely impolite posture of complete lackadaisicalness. Her father was royalty once, and she was too - she knows how it feels to be the one in charge, and she doesn’t give a rats ass about the courtesy that’s supposed to come with the job.
“While I don’t blame you for teaching the lad a little lesson, it seems a little harsh to immolate him, don’t you think?” Her silver eyes flash in a way that she hopes would be seen as becoming, if not provocative. “After all, what’s one more horse for our cause? One more mind to our legion?” She doubts the man even knows she exists, never mind considers herself part of this god-awful kingdom. Ah well, so be it - introductions must be made someday, after all.
You won't have any friends, and I'll live in a room With flowers on the walls, and golden doorknobs
He’d come around for a reason. Not that it was anyone’s business, but Dacia had been long overdue in her meetings with his sons. Zojja and the boys seemed nearly content these days; Wyrm off doing his own thing while Kudu became more clever with each moment he spent perfecting his arts. The aging wolf of the Chamber has been lackluster at best with his activity inside the Kingdom’s borders. Not to say that he hasn’t been working for the Chamber, but he’s certainly not been around to see what’s going on inside. The war was over - his talents were useless and simple parlor tricks now.
Besides, no one would be stupid enough to deny Lupei time with his children.
He’s been spending a lot of time in his wolf form now. The body suits him better, kept him warmer in the winter. Even without it he’d be warm, but he’s not fond of using the flame around his offspring, or his new herdland. So it’s a wolf for now; shaggy black beast that he is, slinking through the warm pines with a new spring to brighten the mood of the otherwise dark kingdom. His ears perk to life, voices filtering out from the passing breeze. It’s a strained sort of speech, so the wolf lopes ahead and finds his way easily to the gathering, padding softly into view as a black mare finishes her speech.
It’s only when he looks to the intruder that he smiles a dastardly grin. He shifts: the first time doing so since winter had blanketed the northern regions in snow, and suddenly he’s the same oddly-colored stallion with no mane or tail that Chemdog would recognize. “Look who it is.” He interjects, stepping forward to gaze the spotted stallion over once. “I didn’t think you’d take up on my offer to visit the Chamber, but I’m glad to see you here.” Lupei drawls, head turning back to glance at his King. Killdare looks about two seconds away from snapping the stallion’s head off, and the ring of molten fire separating him from the three Chamberlings seems quite uninviting. The two-toned army member isn’t sure if this will save the ensnared brute, but he hopes it might clear up some of that fury in Killdare’s eyes.
05-07-2016, 09:03 AM (This post was last modified: 05-07-2016, 09:04 AM by Chemdog.)
Oh and what fanfare we have here!
That face has that same maniacal like grin again, as always, watching his kinglyship dance around and make a ring of fire to wrap him so cozily up. Chem pays the glowing heat no mind and lets his wet eyes follow Killdare, slanted smirk and all. He does no sizing up, or huffing or pawing, he simply grins madly (as he always does) and dips his head with a nod. He lets the King rattle like a pissy little maraca for a moment before interjecting calmly. “Sight seeing? No.” drawing in a sigh with a chuckle. “I've got my own pine trees – and I've seen rocks before, no need to risk life and limb for aesthetic pleasure, aye.” His ears prop up and he raises his head a bit, meeting Killdare eye to eye. “An underling of the Falls?” Another casual bout of laughter slips from his mouth and he looks around quickly, watching the others begin the ascent toward the King and the stranger. He continues on as if he doesn't see them just yet. “Oh, sir, you presume. I've not a thing to do with the Falls folks. Not as of yet, any way. But that's my business, now isn't it?” His saltiness is just in time for the next approach.
“How sweet of you, lass. But my new friend has yet to harm me. And I so far doubt that he will – he's got no reason. ” he ignores the cackling sizzle that is currently trapping him where he stands...as if that's just what pals do. Duh.
“Oh my, a legion.” He feigns delight, “Now that does sound awfully fancy.” He looks to Killdare with entertainment dancing in his eyes, only one of them left exposed, the other covered in dreaded forelock.
“Lupei!” His voice is genuine, his grin less mad-hatter more actual friendliness. The little buddy seems to have the same worry in his eyes that the unicorn did just seconds before – was their King that ridiculous, really? Does he often slay strangers who may be looking to join his weird little family of gremlins? Chem refused to believe his new buddy (yes, the one who set fire around him and doesnt know his name) is going to kill him so quickly. A small piece of his mind wonders if he might be wrong.
“Yeah, absolutely. I've always wanted to see this place.” Again? He's been here before, but he doesn't see that point being super important at the moment. He secretly wants to give his furless little freak-friend a nice brotherly embrace for perhaps saving his ass. But instead he decides to totally tempt fate. “See, I was invited.” He looks over to Killdare with humor lacing his voice.
05-07-2016, 09:32 AM (This post was last modified: 05-07-2016, 09:36 AM by Killdare.)
± when you feel my heat, look into my eyes ±
His charred exterior of hardened rock buckles, shifting as he stands eyeing the, for all purposes, trespasser. It’s not every day that someone just waltzes right in, heeding the invisible Kingdom lines like they are mere threads of delicate spider web. If the paint had any sense at all he would have chosen another route, else not stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of approaching eyes. As it were, Killdare was becoming more and more under the impression that this particular stallion really had no sense at all. How is it that they always find their way here hmmmm? Creatures of darkness and twisted minds, brains addled to the point of nonsense or otherwise. She always called to them, embraced them and alas, he too usually had to end up embracing their oddities as well.
Without further adieu a unicorn breaches the tree line, slinking her way over to the make shift trial Killdare had unceremoniously set up. She smelled of ash and pine well enough to give him a small inkling that she someone belonged here but he can’t say he had once ran into her, he would have remembered. Chatter commences and a smug smile filters its way across his rocky mouth, “On the contrary, as you can see our guest has yet to be harmed.” Thick bursts of blackened smoke rise from his lungs in a snort as he continues, “In the mean time I intend to know his business here, unless of course this is some invitation you yourself have extended?” He would shake his head at some of the ruffians that his Kingdom mates saw fit to drag to their borders. Birds of a feather and all that jazz…
Before the questioning can continue another Chamberling sees fit to crawl from the tree cover. A soldier riddled with the smell of dog, though his vibrant coat would lead to no inkling of it otherwise. Ah yes, a welcoming committee, how proper.
“Lupei, I see you’ve faired the winter well. This is your solicitation then?” Burning eyes turning to the minty colored man, some recruit he had here, the least they could all do is teach the bastards some common decency. Once again he turns to the inkblot of a male that stands surrounded in what seems quite the hostile manner. “Has the world gone to shit then? WE respect borders around here, whether you hold cause with the Falls or not you reek of them.” Another snort to punctuate the statement, this time rising glowing embers from the depths of his chest to float precariously through the air.
“If you plan on staying you’ll do well to practice tact and courtesy, I don’t care if you visit the damn Amazons, you will pay them proper respect.” He meant that for them all, though his molten eyes never left the visitor, absurd as he looked grinning.
Finally, he reclaimed the lava that pooled around the maniacal client, leaving a sooty circle in its wake. “You can address me as Killdare, not yo, and what is it you’re called?”
KILLDARE
magma King of the Chamber
not that the Falls are terrible he just as this thing about the way stuff smells xD
05-28-2016, 03:02 PM (This post was last modified: 05-28-2016, 03:05 PM by Chemdog.)
@[Killdare]
He sniffs himself mockingly. Examining his speckled coat for phantom traces of pretend evidence to nothing at all. What is he, senile?
I do not smell like the Falls? Maybe it's borderlands stink just as bad. Hm.
He chuckles aloud at Killdare's demand. He's tickled at the way the King completely ignores the comical side of this whole thing and remains grumpy-eyed and rude. He theatrically clicks his tongue, “Where are my manners then, sir, your honor, Killdare. He dips down with a dramatic bow. (No sense at all.) “I am Chemdog.”
He shakes his black coat, purposely wafting the smell of pine-cone and moss that clings to it. He cares not of the falls but he has many curiosities about this place. “I suppose I'm just here to offer myself for anything you might need. Of course, in exchange for your alliance. A general alliance of course, I won't be starting any wars or murdering kings and queens. This old kingdom is in my blood, I'd like to be in her good graces.” His tone is serious now and his mouth holds no sly grin. The offer is genuine and his intentions true. His teal eyes settle onto Killdare's as his crew remains silent at his sides.
Scents have never been subtle to the Magma King, nor had they ever been non existent. Everything had a particular odor unique to its maker, smells were rhyme and reason to Killdare, they were what he knew- they are what he knows. Perhaps the vibrancy of such smells are only something he notices, only something he is attuned to and for that he is thankful, even if the skill is not something everyday common to others. It was a useful talent, something that could not be taken from him, something he had made on his own and thus he felt nothing when he put it to use. With the fire that boiled within him there was uncertainty at times, guilt, grief, happiness, should he use it now, should he wait? When it came to scent tracking he never asked himself these things, he simply did them.
Though the stallion shakes it does nothing to dissuade the Chamber King of his previous notions, his sass however, is another story. Were they all perpetually snarky? He gruffs at the mockery, sides sizzling from the broken shell that harnessed the pooling liquid beneath. Beneath that chalky exterior his insides passed freely from place to place, no beginning or end in their make, on the surface he snorted. With that exhale of breath came smoke and ash, simmering filaments of unknown substance to float and scorch where they might fall.
“In her good graces?” His charcoal brow rises above one burning eye as he speaks on this new revelation. “Well, that all depends on you I would think. As far as alliances go I am afraid I don’t see what a herd stallion has to offer that would be of equal to what the Chamber gives in return.” True, one stallion and a handful of mares was nothing to the force the kingdom heralded, the ties it made and that would, as a result, become ties of this spotted man before him.
“If it is a place among the Chamber you seek, then you are welcome to try your lot within it. As it stands the herds of the Chamber are loyal to the Chamber, I do not know how your Falls King runs things but it would not do well to challenge his authority without cause. I’m afraid I do not have an alliance to offer you, but if it is the Chamber’s good graces you seek then there is room for many and more should you choose to stay.”Lately he had had enough of the headache promises made had given him, so today he did not make them. Today he offered only what he could and nothing more, today he thought of the Chamber and decided she was not one to freely give- so neither was he. Everything had its price and he had already paid his.
Surprisingly the speckled stallion gives the King a serious look, tilting his head to the side as if he's contemplating something. He listens carefully, watching the magma-King's body language, the depth of his stare. He's not necessarily moved by his presence, but he digests the point well enough. He nods respectfully when Killdare finishes. The faces surrounding him matter little but he nods to them as well – perhaps soon they'll be comrades. “Then it's settled. I'll be moving soon and then I'll be back.” He whirls around to trod over the smokey, smoldering earth the the King had just scorched. Plumes of haze curl and dance as he sails through them like a tattered curtain.
He's gone quickly, disappearing passed the border and off into the beyond. He'll collect his women, his family, and get them somewhere closer. He is not fibbing, he will indeed be back, and he will indeed become apart of this pine forest as his ascendant before him. Something about this old wood runs in his veins, it connects to him, the beating heart of the land beats with his own charred heart.
chemdog
astra inclinant, sed non obligant.
just a shitty little closing post, beh
feel free to reply or not, either way he's off and he'll be back to pester at a later date
