I'm Holding On... [Open]

[Nymphetamine]

Like a Thorn to the Holy Ones

The blood bay had been minding his own business, not caring in any real sense where he was headed. He had just let the trails of lava that scattered this muggy tropical wasteland guide his path; choosing left or right at each fractured branch of red-black plasma. That was until he heard the low-pitched growl of Offspring. A deep seeded anger dripped from his mouth, as venom drips from the fangs of the lethal and deadly. Worried he launched his tall frame toward the sound, Someone must be intruding, something had to be wrong. His hooves tore into the groundbreaking the spongy green carpet that covered the expanse of land, his muscles contracted and pushed fiercely against ligament and bone and hence the ground as he shot forward. The land rushed by as he weaved through the lava streams until he grew close enough to see the source of the problem. Nymphetamine’s breath came in short quick puffs, the adrenaline forcing his system into overdrive and therefore shortening his breath faster than usual. But the scene he crashed into was not what he had expected.

A mare. Small, dark brown, with white at her hooves and down her face… a normal looking mare, though looks were often deceiving in Beqanna. His eyes shifted from one to the other curious as to why the draft stallion would be so furious. From what the russet-brown stallion had heard was nothing to be so angry towards. ”Give me one good reason as to why I shouldn’t make an example out of you.” The growl had left his throat the moment before he crashed into their little section of land. But before he could speak the fire left the girl’s eyes and her voice grew quiet, her posture weakening under some unknown internal force. The bay closed the distance between him and his king. A stern look on his face ”Offspring…” It was quiet, only the black stallion would have heard it. It was cautionary, part warning part question. Questioning what had happened to rattle his temper so, warning him to keep his temper in check. It was his job after all, to keep his king in diplomatic check. Had this mare been from another territory the efforts of their ambassadors would be for not, and it could easily start a war. Beqanna had been quiet for a long time, and wars had happened for less.

The stallion didn’t wait and dug his knife-like words deeper into the mare, his breath almost steaming as it delivered its venomous slash over and over with each passing syllable. But his final phrase was at least answered his question, she had crossed unaccompanied into these lands. She had not followed what was customary, a call at the boundary. It happened, some didn’t care, some didn’t know, and some crossed to cause trouble. Nymph sighed as his leader delivered his final words, which seemed unnecessary as the mare before them seemed more than defeated. Nymph knew that for every honest being in these lands there were those that were dishonest as well, and he had spent a few years as the dishonest one, spying within Chamber for Mast and the members of Gates, he had been the dishonest one when he stopped spying for gates and worked against them, and he had been the honest one ever since the gates-chamber war as he had finally found himself. This mare that stooped before them, didn’t seem the dishonest type. He could be wrong but his training said he was not. But she found an inner fire, her words shot back at him with some form of vengeance. It made the once-necromancer smirk, though it faded as the harsh actions of Offspring again invaded the forefront of his mind.

For this he spoke up, for this he stood up to Offspring, his steely eyes burned their own shade of proverbial red. ”Enough.” His voice a deep growl that grew louder as the word vibrated in the back of his throat, he didn’t shout. But the opposite, like a parent who was quiet when angry, the volume was not the meaningful thing but the tone the grit and pure emotion of frustration and grit that was behind the quiet words. His head turned towards Offspring, his attention no longer on the mare. Let him give his worst to the bay, for the bay could take it. Beqanna wouldn’t allow him to die, so let the draft stallion scorch him if he could. ”Offspring what is this?!?! I get that we are not nice to those who cross into our lands unwelcomed, but this?!?” He gestured to the mare who seemed so close to breaking it pulled at his heartstrings. ”Since when did we do this….this is not what I signed up for… this is NOT what Kildare would have wanted for Tephra, for you.” his voice now was raised to a shout. There was more raw emotion to it, the memory of Kildare was important to him, and surely to his ruler. His eyes bored into the red eyes of Offspring for a long time. Almost daring him to speak, but pleading him to check himself.

Blood bay against black, nymph hadn’t thought it would be like this, but he had already suspected something was wrong. That Offspring had some internal battles deep within him, and that the turmoil was consuming. But surely this was just a bad day, an accident...an oversight. Nymph grew quiet, but he didn’t stay still, if Offspring wanted to take him down verbally or physically it wouldn’t be on the red eyed stud’s terms. His russet form peeled away from the draft stallion and encroached on the mare. Her small brown form dwarfed by his 16.2 hands of lean muscle. He circled her once, his eyes keen for injury or sign of malintent. ”Nymphetamine, and you are?” His words were firm but kind and he paused for her to answer, stepping back to allow her space to fill into, once she found her strength again. He glanced at Offspring before he finished ” Why Tephra? Of is your presence here just happenstance?” He closes the space he gave her moments before in a final circle, his mouth close her ears, “You know you really should be careful, this could have been much worse for you….

NYMPHETAMINE

I faced when you left me, A rose in the rain