"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
a certain type of silence has filled my voice I scream beneath the water, and make no noise
For as long as she remembers, Tephra has been a sanctuary; a home for everyone who lives in peace with themselves, nature, and others. Some don’t want anything to do with anyone; others seek retirement and recluse in the jungle beneath the volcano. It is a paradise for children, and the land knows many. It is a home for healers and magicians, and quite a few have retired here, where the volcanic fire warms chilled bones.
Tephra is a place for her family, and the best place to forget that she lost a good part of her memory. Her days are filled with joy and laughter and plenty of sunshine.
The day the broken magician has come to heal himself, is the day that ends this life. She wakes up, senses that the day has come, and she wakes her daughters with dread. She finds the place where Svedka usually lingers, but knows not to look for him when he isn’t there.
The ethereal white mare spreads her sunlight wings, and leaves without telling anyone else. Tephra is no longer her home. Ironically enough, Loess will be, for all that she had her doubts about it in the past. But the tobiano dragon and his niece will be nowhere to be found. It is only the purple mare that she can trust.
will you let me follow you, wherever you go… bring me home?
Ilma
Any fool knows men and women think differently at times, but the biggest difference is this: men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget.
09-07-2021, 03:19 PM (This post was last modified: 09-09-2021, 03:13 PM by Cheri.)
A long, languorous youthhood spent in Loess was ending for Cheri. Her childhood had already come and gone under the dark light of the Eclipse, but those months were quickly becoming a memory like all the rest. She had an official seat of command now, and figured her face should be associated with that as well, so she rose each morning to meet the demands of her station and spent the first few hours of the day in a dizzying flight along the borderlands.
This was good practice for her. Not only to stretch the wings she kept mostly tethered to her side throughout the sleepless nights, but as a sort of release. Maturity in her immortal body had come with a damn good array of new perks, like an increase in her stamina, vitality, and even strength (if you considered rock hopping and cliff scaling a strength.) Lately she’d burst into the sky as the first rays of dawn touched the earth, eager to pick up a sentry shift where the last had left off.
She felt unrestrained.
Today was no different, except she came across a pale mare crossing into Loess and adjusted her flight to intercept before the stranger dug her way too deeply into the southern territory.
Cheri had no idea that she was inevitably crossing paths with a historical figure by coming across Ilma, and so when she finally managed to approach the other horse with a friendly-sounding Hello, she was as open and kind as she’d been with Bardot. There had never been any consequence associated with crossing Loess borders for as long as Cheri had lived here, but there was a purpose in knowing who stepped across them. Just like she never greeted a guest with hostility, Cheri also knew there were exceptions to that rule. This pegasus mare didn’t seem to be one of them.
“I saw you come in from the west and thought I’d introduce myself.” The black appaloosa explained, hoping her sudden arrival hadn’t given the wrong impression. “I’m Cheri, Oceane’s understudy and a friend. We’re happy to have you in Loess.”
a certain type of silence has filled my voice I scream beneath the water, and make no noise
She was… someone, once. She has been told about Hyaline and her role as Ambassador, her children (to the best of their knowledge), her influence with other kings and queens and the brief period as Queen of the East while the rise of Pangea tried to influence the three lands there. She’d done the best she could, but it hadn’t sounded like a happy ending. She has heard telling of Loess, of who her enemies and then friends, or friendly rivals, were. She had heard them and has repeatedly wondered if she was still the same person now, without that background. She knows, but she does not feel the attachment to the stories, because it had been taken away from her once. In dreams, sometimes her old friend dreams her as she was, but that usually fades during the day.
Her priorities had shifted - to family, to happiness. The way Svedka had (finally) taught her.
Now he is gone again and she doesn’t feel anything but a sort of imminence, a threat, and she realizes that this had always been the goal. To provide others the chance to live as carefree as that, someone has to step in and prevent the darkness from reaching them. She has long lived under the wings of a kind and powerful queen, and now she meets another.
”Chèrie,” she smiles warmly when she applies the nickname, a mother of many to a young girl ascending. ”You’re nobody’s understudy.” she corrects her. ”Not any more.” This young woman is powerful, confident, and already shaped. She has her own opinions now and she will do right by them. She smiles like an old grandmother, and even if her face looks younger than it should, the crystal mare might recognise it for what it was. ”I’m Ilma. I’ve lived in Tephra for years now, but there is a new king there. I’m worried about our former king and queen, and have come to tell you of the change. And perhaps I could tackle Oceane sometime soon.” If not… she wasn’t quite sure yet what she would do. Everything about her says to just lay low, and yet there is a part of her - an old part, the same that had brought her here - that said to do something. Even if it was screaming into the void.
will you let me follow you, wherever you go… bring me home?
Ilma
Idek what she is doing tbh
Any fool knows men and women think differently at times, but the biggest difference is this: men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget.
For the first time in many months, Cheri heard her name pronounced fully. The white mare spoke it beautifully, sharpening her tone in the middle of the word and lilting her voice at the end. It sounded lovely, just like she remembered - though Cheri still laughed at an opportunity to hear it pronounced ‘Cherry’, like the little red fruit. They had runes in this world, basic markings and images displayed everywhere - but language among their kind was mostly self-interpreting. Ilma said it the same way her mother used to.
And she was wise too, like Amarine had been. Cheri’s demureness wasn’t fooling her one bit, the part about being Oceane’s understudy quickly unveiled as a harmless white lie. Cheri had her reasons for being on guard at first, but Ilma was much too clever for the young Queen to be guarded around. The dark pegasus smiled, as much as confirming the sparkling newcomer’s suspicions about her place in Loess.
“Lady Oceane is still quietly living here, with family and friends.” Cheri assured the envoy from Tephra, deciding to join the other mare if she needed refreshment or rest. Loess was open to receiving her and the news regarding Warden and Wishbone. “However, you mentioned a new King?” She prompted.
The situation Ilma described so quickly left a knot in the pit of Cheri’s stomach. Two Monarchs vanished, replaced by someone new … it sounded eerily similar to the disappearance in the North, giving her an uncomfortable feeling. And all of this surrounding the time of her coronation; too coincidental, she figured. Either that or she was being paranoid - any appropriate candidate could’ve come into power there. Maybe Aela had infiltrated the place with one of her cronies.
Unaware that she was holding her breath, Cheri stuck close by and waited to hear what Ilma had to say.
a certain type of silence has filled my voice I scream beneath the water, and make no noise
The elder mare doesn’t think of herself as particularly wise, if one were to tell her, nor as clever; someone with life experience, yes, but most of the things she says and does come to her on a whim, or if she’s lucky enough, she has dreamt out the meeting in many possible ways before even thinking of going, and once too many times Cheri had given her name in the exact way that Ilma just repeated. It has been like that since as long as she knows, even if she knows that it hadn’t always been like that.
Sometimes she is lucky enough to see into a future where a Magician has mended her mind and returned her memories, but it is not that time yet. The only way to live is forwards, so she tries not to worry too much about it.
”Yes. Hyaline’s.” The name of her old home sounds foreign on her tongue, knowing something is entirely wrong with how Hyaline is ruled these days - it had been what Tephra is now, or what Tephra was until he took over. ”Gale wants the entity. He is… unpredictable. I can’t tell if he’ll stay for long.” She frowns, her vision momentarily swarming with possibilities - possibilities that will only become sharp once the cursed creature makes a decision regarding Divest. Ilma blinks and shakes her head to clear her vision, giving Cheri a warm smile. ”I can inform you when he makes a decision, if you like,” she offers the young monarch. It’s the least she can do with this gift, after all.
will you let me follow you, wherever you go… bring me home?
Any fool knows men and women think differently at times, but the biggest difference is this: men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget.
