[complete] Event 1 Task 3

[The Goddess Nike]

Well done on the second task, Beqannans! Bravery was evident in each of you, though of course not all hold a fear of large snakes. I have ten golden apples, and they look wonderful. The scores stand thus: 

Team Alpha, Eros has earned 12 points
Team Beta, Mosrael has earned 16 points
Team Gamma, Sarkis has earned 12 points
Team Delta, Valensia has earned 14 points
Team Epsilon, Wishbone has earned 13 points
Team Zeta, Madelyn has earned 18 points
Team Eta, Kuma has earned 12 points
Team Theta, Nayl has earned 13 points
Team Iota, Khaedrik has earned 15 points
Team Kappa, Kagerus has earned 15 points
~Kagerus, you wrote that you were bitten by the serpent. Defects are not frequently given here, but if you want, you may be affected with short term memory loss and joint pain for the next BQ month as a result of the venom. 

_____________________________________________________

The third task has come, and we gather at twilight. Stars are just beginning to show their faces, while the horizon is still illuminated in shades of pink and gold. The banners which adorn the arena hang listless in the still air. As before, aurelian Nike greets you, an expression of anticipation on her shining features. Braziers of fire give illumination to the scene within the arena, leaving the audience in whispering shadows. The Goddess extends a bladed wing, and silence descends on the scene. 

"Greetings on this, the final task of our first trial. You have all proven yourselves to be brave, facing us and facing known danger in turn. Tonight will not be so straight forward." She does not move, but by some unseen signal, phantoms appear before the Courageous Ones. They are familiar, in a terrible way. Each phantom appears to be a mirror of a competitor, a photo negative representation. Some look fearful, others plain and passive. A few look simply evil. 

"Competitors, I would like to introduce you to the little voice in your head. The one that whispers 'you aren't good enough', or 'you know you're the spawn of evil, right?'. You know the one I'm talking about. That which you have hidden away is now brought to the surface, and these demons you must vanquish. Perhaps in battle, perhaps with words. You were brave to admit your fears in the first task. Now you must face them." 

The answer I must have to make your encounter successful is: This south Asian breed had bad luck in the '30s, but were once known as unusually brave and loyal cavalry mounts. What breed is it? 

Word count is 500 for this task.

[Khaedrik]

Khaedrik is all too familiar with the voices in his head. He had come here on a whim, and he did not belong. That he knew, deep within his heart – that he was unworthy of these tasks, that he was not built for such glory; a fact he had known ever since he stepped foot upon these grounds. Yet he had come, and Khaedrik wasn´t inclined to believe that some romantic rapture or other valiant action had been what guided his steps over here - no, not quite. His perspective of world was far more realistic, more mundane than this and thus the idea was discarded at once. No, he had done something, something terrible – and now it was too late, without chance to intervene, without anyone to stop him dead on his trek and advise him on he would now have to face the one thing he actually fears.
Khaedriks eyes are consumed by emotions unfit, terror, disgust, panic. He fears no snakes or public admittance of his fears. What he does fear, is that voice in his head. That voice that threatens to drown him in menace and wanton hunger. As he stands before his phantom (him and not him) – his shadows spring to life – they, made entirely of that voice in his head has seen their opportunity and now reach for goddess and onlookers with surprising speed. There is the phantom; spurning them on in their wild hunt. Khaedrik is frozen – a hapless golden child in the middle of the arena. He must stop them, he knows this – for if he doesn´t….
It is too grim to think about.
No he screams, and he reaches out with his mind – weaving tendrils of shadow around his phantoms neck. They creak and strain, threatening to break under the onslaught of the vile creature, but in the end – it stops. In the end Khaedrik succeeds. The thing lays straining on the ground before them – a horrible thing, made of evil and nightmares, bound now to shadow and the last scraps of willpower he owns.
Khaedrik stares at the Goddess, triumphantly.

The breed you seek is the Marwari Horse

word count 367

[Kuma]

She comes to her with large burns and charred hair. She comes to her with bloody wounds and scared eyes. She had hoped not to see this image ever again - she had hoped to forget, but the goddess had other plans. 

It seemed so long ago that this had been her fate, as Gryffen’s captor she had been tortured, maimed, beaten, and then released (or better yet, escaped). The mental scars she bared were worse than her physical ones, and as Kuma approaches herself (what she THINKS is herself), she feels tears welling in her eyes. 

”You deserved this, you know.” The mirror murmurs. ”Had you not left Imperial that day, we wouldn’t be in this predicament.” Kuma grows angry, ears pinning. 

”You and I both know that’s not true. I wandered too far.” She replies, blood growing hot beneath her skin. That’s all it had been, an accident. She hadn’t wanted what happened to her.

”Because you were a stupid girl then, and a stupid one now. And you don’t even have the courage to tell Embark where she came from. You. Are. PATHETIC.” The voice hisses. Kuma can no longer contain her rage. 

She lunges, tackling the mirror to the ground. She sobs, plunging down upon her, over and over. She says nothing, simply trying to destroy the voice, to leave it behind. 

As suddenly as it begins, it is over. And the image is gone. Kuma looks up to the goddess through watery eyes, chest heaving. 

”Why?”


The Answer: The Marwari horse.

[Madelyn]

The finale has come now.

Madelyn has done well throughout the whole process, somehow this new found courage has kept her carrying her team forward. She does not recall ever feeling so proud in this moment, or not even in her life. It would be home she holds to her heart closely for the rest of her days and share with others—perhaps a family if she ever has one of her own.

She is quick to listen, eager for the next task to come. But when she hears the next challenge she falls into the darkness. Her courage crumples—can she even face her demons?

Long ago she had locked away her demons. How could she possibly do it now? She would only let her team down.

Madelyn shakes her head. Such silly thoughts would not destroy her newfound strength now.

She steps forward, facing the phantom of herself. There is loneliness within the replica of herself. All the sadness of the world is held within the gaze of this ghost before it. It is everything she has always held within—all the parts of her that made her who she was.

“I lived my life running away from you,” she starts, “I would hide you away within my mind, at the very back. You destroyed me and made me feel weak so many times. You won’t do that no longer.” She feels the tears running down her cheek, a couple here and there dropping to the ground. “I won’t be afraid anymore. I won’t be held back by your negative words telling me I am not good enough, that no one will love me, that I am a mistake!”

Madelyn screams then, “Be gone! I am stronger now!”

And her ghostly demon disappeared—she has vanquished it.

Word Count: 299
Answer: The Marwari or Malan horse breed

[Mosrael]

She is still recovering from the race away from the snake as they gather again, for the third and final task, as night begins to come upon them. Even so, she can marvel at the beauty of Nike as she is lit by warm hues from the sky, and there is conversation in barely more than whispers around her until the Goddess extends a wing and silence falls again, everything going hushed as she speaks. She is expecting something big for the final of the first event, her event, but still Mosrael’s heart jumps and her breath catches when her mirror appears in front of her.

Mosrael’s mirror is not one who is particularly stunning – it is not exceedingly evil, nor exceedingly fearful, she just is, standing quietly with half-dead eyes. And for a long time, they simply look at each other. ”Do you know, what comes after?” the real Mosrael finally asks, because standing in silence is not helping to accomplish her task. Nike has instructed them to vanquish their fears, so vanquish she must. But the phantom only shakes its head, and there is another pause. Anger wells up in her and she wants to last out but that is not courage either – that is lashing out at herself for being afraid of the unknown.

And why would she last out at herself?

Mosrael takes a deep breath and sternly addresses the phantom; ”I will not be afraid of you any longer. I cannot change what happens after death, and thus I shall not be afraid of it.” And the truth is in her heart, and the phantom is gone.

The Marwari horse is the answer to the riddle.

[Eros]

Again he is back in line with the participants.  They shift nervously awaiting their next trial.  He is no different.  His large hooves move underneath the weight of his bulky body.  Suddenly a flash of light ignites around them.  Each look on to find another before them.  His amber eyes widen in disbelief.  Staring back at him is a ghostly form he recognizes as himself but different.  Darker.  Eerie and uninviting.  The creature whispers something, but it isn't words formed from vocal cords he hears.  It's a taunting of whispered mind waves.  His ears flicker in confusion...

You killed them! You are weak! You didn't fight for them.  You coward!

A snort bellows from deep in his chest.  "NO!" He shouts at the phantom.  His ears fall flat the his skull as he lunges for the ghost.  Teeth barred and jaws snapping at the form, I did all I could, he thinks.  He had fought in the war but they were no match for the greed that had come for them.  With a rear, his front hooves slash at the demon formed of his inner fears.  When he lands, his amber eyes find the creature vanished from his sight...

Answer: the Marwari breed

[Nayl]

When Nike appears before them with congratulations and rewards, Nayl remains quiet with anticipation that more is to come. A glance over her shoulder is confirmation that the tree and serpent have faded away, dissolved by this woman’s magic. This day-long task has been taxing, but she holds herself steadily. With a quirked brow, Nayl listens but finds herself taken aback by their concluding task.

Nayl’s mind has been blocked from the outside her entire life. To see this counterpart in front of her is startling and nerve-wracking. It’s a voice of failure, of doubt and threats. Her autumn eyes level on the figure, her face stoic as it so often is.

(A terrible Queen. You destroyed Nerine. You left it for family.)
I didn’t destroy it. I lifted it… then left it.

For decades, Nayl promised herself that Nerine would always come first, that family was a distraction she never wanted a part of.

(You abandoned Nerine. Worthless Queen. Terrible mother.)
She knew she could never be great to her children.
No, no, that’s wrong. She loves them all, loves Lior. They weren’t mistakes. She wasn’t a horrible mother to them.

The world around her disappears until it’s only her and the apparition. It is talking to her, hissing into her ear.

(Your children are dead because of you. You couldn’t protect them just as you couldn’t protect Nerine. You’re alone now. Your family is gone. Their blood…)
Is her mind playing tricks now?

When she looks down, she sees Lior, Castile, and Isobell crumpled at her feet, their blood sprayed across her chest. She lifts her head to see the apparition and its eyes blaze with fury and a hollow smile to match.

”You can’t get into my head,” she suddenly murmurs into the darkness, her eyes clenching shut to hide from the gory image. ”No one can get in my head.” She’s suddenly vulnerable and lost.

(Mother, you failed us. You couldn’t protect us…)

Their voices are realistic, screaming into her mind and ripping apart her heart. Nayl is brought to her knees, wanting so bad for this to end, all while the doubt continues to feast on her insecurities. ”I would sacrifice myself---“ she begins but chokes on the words as familiar images spring to mind. The apparition mimicked her children, so young and so innocent, but Nayl has seen them in their adulthood. All of this is fake, a lie.

Anger erupts inside her that reaches into the rocks and sand of the arena. It emerges as the serpent again, but fortified with rocky armor – her inner strength – and pommels the apparition. It dodges easily enough but Nayl rises and steps forward with an unmatched tone of ferocity. ”You fucking lie. My children are alive, thriving, and I lifted Nerine to an empire.” The apparition quakes from the coarseness of her voice as it adds weight and power to her own serpent. It crushes the apparition into submission.

Her willpower, her serpent, triumphs.



The Marwari horse is the answer due to the breed's deterioration in the '30s.

[Kagerus]

The demon appears before me with a maleficient cackle, one that reminds me far too much of the shadows that had invaded my body when Khaedrik examined me, and found my secret: the death child, slowly growing in my womb. I shudder at the demon’s slippery voice, begging it to stop with words that only it can hear, crying because for the love of god this ISNT WHAT I WANTED.

I cannot handle this.

My mind (shattered, fragmented) goes without my permission into a daydream, but still I can hear the demons whispers: slut, embarrassment, coward, worthless; death is what you deserve. I’m crying in my dream, sobbing, screaming for it to stop, but my panicked words are useless against this carnal fear. There is nothing inside of me that could stop it’s terror,

Almost nothing.

With a shrieking cry I rip from my dream, twelve pronged antlers materializing on my skull, rearing for all I’m worth. Before the demon has time to react, I am slamming down to the earth with my head lowered to a deadly angle - and then, suddenly, they are not my cries that fill the arena.

They are the demons.

I straighten, chest heaving, completely dazed. I have never killed before.

I am not a killer!

Yes. You. Are.

—

The Marwari horse

[Valensia]

Riddle: Marwari Horse Breed

Post (358 words):
Honey eyes widen, she had admitted to the one the thing she truly feared and here it stands before her. For a moment she remains silent, paralyzed by the idea of what she is facing. It looks at her boldly, as she would have done if confidence was on her side.

Your mother does not love you!
Val nods in agreement, true but she did leave me with a name so I can love her.
Your father is disappointed in you
Val pauses for a moment frowning, He never knew me so this maybe he is, because he doesn't know his child.
The apparition shifts the glossy coat thinning and blending into the background slowly. You will never be a part of the Tephra family, Warrick will never be proud of you
she turns to look at Warrick, seeing him frown and a generally disgusted appearance on his face when looking back at her. Her world begins to darken, every hope shattering inside her, all the bonds so delicately crafted stretching until she believes they can't be stretched anymore. She fears them snapping, everything that she believed comes crashing down around her. Her breath comes in short heavy puffs. Looking to her hooves, reeling from the pressure Val looks to see the brilliantly golden mare but can not find her.

Whirling, and spinning to find her Val is about to give up, and believe this new existence. The golden mark on her skin flashes in the corner of her eye. She looks upon that focusing everything in herself to tie itself to that mark. She turns her attention back to the apparition. A gentle smile on her lips before approaching her giving it the largest hug she can manage. You don't mean that, I'm already a part of their family. Its painful for the girl, and a small part of her still shakes with fear but now she can quell it. Quell it enough to reach out and touch the monster that it has become. Something blooms inside herself, a new strength awakening. as her strength grows so the thing she hugs diminishes until there is nothing left.

[Sarkis]

The day is coming to an end and I fear the last task at hand may be the worst, as they often save the best for last. The arena is quiet as Nike reveals to us the phantoms that are the final feat. The little voice in my head, the doubts and insecurities right infant of me.

Alter-me is smiling like a damn fool, I shudder thinking of how I used to be so happy and careless. And here it is, a visual reminder to make it all worse. As I study it with wide eyes it laughs, looking at me as if it was confused.

”What, silly Sarkis? Why the long face?” It’s voice stings me, it’s all I can do not to flinch as it mocks me. No, this is what it wants. It wants me to fail. Lifting my head I meet the eyes that somehow don’t seem like mine. It speaks in a different tone now, cold and harsh. ”Poor little girl, so lost since her mommy died. Can’t grow up or move on. It’s pathetic, really.”

I step forward towards it, pinning my ears back and going to nip at it. It laughs cruelly at my attempt, mocking me further. ”No. No, no, no, no, no…” I shake my head.

”That’s not true, I am moving on. I am doing my best. Too long I have been afraid that I am unable to be happy and myself again, that will not stand anymore. I am here, I am doing this for MYSELF, I will not hold back.” I don’t realize that I am screaming by the end of my speech but I am. My eyes are closed and I fear opening them. I’m not sure how long passes but when I open them the mirror version of myself is not there.

I feel content knowing she is gone, I feel like guilt and weight is lifted off my shoulders though all I  did was face myself. I turn my attention back to Nike to await further instruction.

—

words: 306
answer: marwari horse