"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
You suck my face : You lay me down : Under your skin : I'm so divine
Jords ebon pillars moved her bodice slowly into a new unknown terra. All this time in Bequanna Jord had never really adventured outside her own 'home', this would be a new adventure for her. The cold ocean air rolled over her back, causing her banner to lick at her nape and her tassle to whip at her pistons. She closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply. The cold here reminded her of her former home.. the Tundra. This type of 'winter' was nothing like what they currently had in Tephra.. she kinda liked it. She opened her eyes and stopped for a moment to soak it all in. Her orbs turned to look at Dahmer. "its beautiful here.." She spoke with pure emotion. Her orbs then turned back to scope the terra once more.. "i will follow your lead.." She said waiting for him to lead the way.
Dahmer had, admittedly, slightly balked at the idea of venturing to Nerine with Jord. Not that it was because of Jord, but because Tephra had yet to truly finalize an alliance with the formidable leader of Nerine. Nayl had made sure to make herself known in the time following her removal of Naga, and while there is a chance she had not meant to spread her own name so swiftly, the rest of Beqanna had definitely taken to that task for her.
Never mind his hesitation, however, because curiosity will always get the best of the black beast.
Dahmer and his Friesian companion are greeted rather coldly by Nerine - the air is icier here, compared to the warmth of the lava that keeps them cozy in Tephra, and the winds have a vaster area to roam,
but his discomfort is forgotten as soon as his blue eyes come to rest of the cliffs and the sea beyond. Nearly forgetting that Jord is beside him until she shatters the silence, the black beast rips his gaze from the roiling waters and to the mare at his side before grinning warmly. "I promised an adventure, did I not?" He gives Jord a gentle nudge at her shoulder before venturing a few more strides forward, a loud call erupting from his muzzle.
Turning to look back over his shoulder, the Thoroughbred calls back to Jord, "it's best we stay put until we are found by someone who lives here." He knows of Magnus' respect for Nayl and assumes that the feeling is a mutual one, but the black beast can't find it in himself to wander willy-nilly before it's been made public that they are allies. Or enemies - but, he doubts that.
ooc / GUUUHHHH IM SO SORRY that this basically took me a month, please forgive me!
The borders have been more active as of late. There have been nomads looking for a home, for a purpose, as often as there have been politicians and democrats, some even friends. Nayl has been acutely aware of the ongoings near the invisible walls of Nerine, her son frequently keeping a close eye on them as well. Behind his back, where he cannot see, the fiery Queen smiles fondly. ”You’re learning quickly,” she whispers into the cool air, her voice almost lost in the oceanic breeze. Her son’s attention isn’t on her, however, even when she broke the silence with a crooning voice; instead, his mismatched eyes are staring off into the distance where he sees two figures. Nayl follows the boy’s gaze then drinks in the air. It holds enough hint of Tephra – the scent is so familiar because of Magnus – for her attention to be piqued. With a gentle but affirming nudge, the couple move toward the outsiders.
It doesn’t take them long, not when Castile occasionally breaks into a playful run and Nayl follows with a casual trot. He reaches them first, his nostrils dilated and his gold-silver eyes bright. ”I’m Castile,” he offers without hesitation before mother arrives. Her attention hardly falls onto her son now, her energy funneling on the outsiders, neither of which being Magnus. ”Hello,” she says, not unkindly, but her voice is still iron, her eyes lit by fire. ”I’m Nayl. What brings the two of you out of Tephra to see Nerine?” She is aware it isn’t for the scenery – it never is. Their interests and their purpose lies deeper into their souls.
While she is content to leave her question resting idly among them, Castile interjects. Ever youthful, ever energetic, ever curious. ”Where’s Tephra?” Mother has mentioned the other lands, but never anything more. They don’t have alliances, not really, she has explained, they have a subkingdom, as subtle as the title can be. ”What’s it like there?” Nayl silently glances to her son as his wings ruffle at his sides, his face beaming at the Tephrans.
You suck my face : You lay me down : Under your skin : I'm so divine
Jord watched as a small boy and his mother approached them. She asked why they were here, Jord was almost speechless.. Her hazel orbs looked toward Dahmer for an answer. Yet Jord did have an answer for the small boy who inquired about her current home. "Tephra is a beautiful place, filled with dense forests and warm rivers of magma.." Jord spoke to the boy with a gentle smile, her orbs wandering to Nayl as hoping she had not offended the woman for giving her boy an answer. Jord bowed her head kindly.. "Pardon me, I am Jord, former royal of Ranga. Current inhabitant of Tephra. It's a pleasure to meet you" Her vocals were calm, warm and kind as she then lifted her head. Her hazel orbs couldnt help but wander around this new terra.. it was truely very pretty. Jord wished she had spent more of her time traveling the world.. but now is not a bad time to start.
JORD
HTML by Call
omg sorry for the small muse! I need to pick Jord up again! been busy with a job transfer!
Almost immediately following Dahmer's suggestion to wait, they are greeted by a young colt, his mother, the Queen, just a few strides back. He lowers his head to greet her politely, a warm grin turning the corners of his lips up, just as they always do. His gaze breaks away from hers after a moment, brilliant blue eyes finding her son and his confident introduction. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Castile. I am Dahmer." He tips his head a bit lower to the colt, black forelock falling across the front of his face, before he turns his attention back to his mother.
"Nayl," head tossing to remove the tousled forelock from view, "Magnus sends his regards. And, truth be told, I promised Jord an adventure." A warm chuckle escapes Dahmer's maw as he bumps a hip into his Friesian companion, ears fluttering to listen to her explanation of their home.
Dahmer has grown to love Tephra in the years he has spent climbing its ranks. There had been a time that the black Thoroughbred believed he would never again find a place that felt like home as much as the Subway had, but he has since been proven wrong.
"The volcano is my favorite part," he offers to the young Castile, and he finds himself wondering if this child of Nayl would grow to be the next ruler of Nerine. With a quiet hum, his gaze is back on the regal tobiano, her presence nearly demanding attention.
"I was hoping to bring Jord along the cliffs, if you would be interested in guiding us? But, please don't feel obligated. We don't mean to impose." He gives a friendly shrug and shifts his weight to his other side, eyes moving between Nayl and Castile casually.
04-23-2017, 09:36 PM (This post was last modified: 04-23-2017, 09:37 PM by Nayl.)
She spun the stars on her fingernails
No, Nayl didn’t mind Jord’s response finding Castile; it didn’t bother her that her own question went briefly unanswered. The mare is submissive to the stallion, letting him grasp this meeting. Curious, Nayl looks at him, but she can’t help but glance down at Castile has he listens with a child’s fascination. ”Magma? That’s super hot, right mom?” A quiet nod is all she responds with and he grins proudly at having remembered the bit of geography he has been taught thus far. ”Mom has been there and said it was cool. Maybe one day I will visit.” He had been advised to visit other lands to broaden his horizons so what he says is more of a promise than a thought. Tephra will be one of the first places he visits, knowing that it thus far holds higher favor in mother’s eyes. ”It’s nice to meet you, too,” he looks at Dahmer now, but understands the formality that doesn’t entirely involve him. Castile remains among them, his wings thoughtfully shifting and ruffling, but his lips purse tightly shut so that he may listen and observe.
He is a smart boy, a good boy, and Nayl nibbles his forelock gently in praise. He smiles underneath the gesture, hiding it while mother’s head cranes up to see Dahmer more closely when he mentions Magnus. ”I hope he is doing well,” he is one of the few she would consider a friend, but the relationship is still in its primary stages where trust is still being built. She gingerly grasps for it, but trust isn’t something she readily hands away or clutches to. She has laid trust in others that have betrayed her; in a sense, she is afraid to trust, but she would never openly admit her revulsion.
That’s why she calculates everything they say, picking apart their tones, smiles, and intentions until there is nothing more she can scrutinize. She hopes – wants – them to be innocently adventuring versus spying. Underneath her taut skin, her muscles coil meanwhile her eyes search them. They exchange nudges, laughter. They seem harmless (she reminds herself of what she is capable of, reassures herself), but it doesn’t stop her from hesitating at first before replying with a plain ”Sure.”
The cliffs and the shoreline are far behind them, but when she turns inward, the landscape unravels in front of them like a carpet. ”You can follow us,” a soft touch against Castile’s flank is enough to urge him forward. His attention roams as quickly and easily as he moves. Left, right, gallop, halt, prance. As though he has never seen Nerine before, Castile soaks in the beauty of their home with an unrelatable exuberance to mother. Of course, her heart has gradually fallen for the land, but her gait is much more tranquil and placid compared to her son’s. Occasionally, she glances over her shoulder at Jord and Dahmer. She takes them to the edge of the cliff where it drops off to the sandy shore. The rocky ledge is perilous, but still she dares to stand near where the rock plummets. Her fiery eyes reach out and stare at the openness of the ocean ahead and below.
”Nerine,” she whispers to them with a tone of admiration. The saltiness of the air soothes her nerves albeit a moment until she looks at them again. ”There is a path down to the beach if you want to see things at a lower altitude.” A chuckle slips from her, never having proposed the offer before. Most remain at their borders, few wandering deep enough into Nerine to see the rocky cliffs and shore. They’ve lasted so far and she searches their eyes for what fascinates them most.
You suck my face : You lay me down : Under your skin : I'm so divine
"If you do ever visit Tephra Castile, I would be more than honored to show you around" Jord spoke kindly and gave a gentle bow to the boy. Jords pillars carried her next to Dahmers side as they followed Nayl, her hazel orbs taking in the beauty of the land. Her nares flare as she lifts her skull and takes a deep breath of the salty sea air. It was like nothing she had ever smelled before. She lowers her skull and opens her orbs once more, watching the crashing sea waves below them, almost entranced in their movement. "Your home is beautiful Nayl.." Jord spoke, her voice rather soft, calm. Her orbs then turned to Dahmer.. "Would you care for a walk on the beach?" Jord said with almost a coy smile to her adventure companion. Her black heavy pillars turned her bodice towards the ocean as the sea swept air tussled her forelock in her eyes as her banner lipped at her neck. She stood their overlooking the new land, waiting for a reply.
… curiosity killed the cat & satisfaction brought him back
Dahmer loves that Castile has accompanied Nayl today -- the young boy offers an interesting depth to their conversation, one that only the presence of a child's mind could create. His own mother, the King's Hellhound, had brought Dahmer to the majority of her political conversations.
The young boy is cordial in his responses and the black beast offers a polite nod to the colt, "We look forward to seeing you in Tephra, Castile."
When their conversation turns to his and Jord's intentions, Dahmer can't blame the Queen for hesitating (though, she actually quite brief about it). It can be a frustrating task, figuring out the proper individuals to ally with. He and Jord follow the painted mare and her excited boy, his lips turned into their signature grin.
The air is salty and refreshing, especially as they near the cliff that stood as a major focal point in Nerine, and the blue-eyed beast inhales deeply through flared nostrils. The coast is beautiful, drawing forth a handful of memories from his life on Azza.
Dahmer's smile grows nostalgic before Jord turns back to grin at him, asking for a walk on the beach. "Whatever you would like, my dear," he smiles back at the friesian mare.
They move down the path to the ocean, the earth beneath them transforming into softer, warmer sand. The black beast finds Castile in their group and he winks at the colt, "Are you the defending champion at beach racing?"
