"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
Svedka’s voice is impatient as he waits along the shoreline, ankle deep in the tidepools that now openly cascade throughout Tephra’s blackened coastline. The active volcano has painted this once white and pure shoreline black with ash, a prime adventuring spot for the young yearling as he roams through the new found spot of land. He grows exasperated as he expertly weaves in and out of the various tide pools, leaping over rocks and craggy ledges to further investigate their active volcano that has painted their homeland black.
His sister hesitates, her thoughtful regime causing Svedka’s wistful spirit to slow down; if he had been alone, he’d already be within the volcano’s belly (a place that was strictly forbidden) and searching it’s depths for the magic his father claimed it held. He currently stands over a still pool, watching with wide and blue eyes as small hermit crabs crawl through the warmer water, while silver fishes pick at his fetlocks in search of food.
“Solace, it’s fine, I promise,” he encourages her with a soft snort, his ivory nostrils flaring as he inspects a bright pink shell that had been driven into the black sand from the waves during the higher tide.
Solace carefully picks her way along the beach behind her brother. When she follows him, like she does many days, she often feels that she cannot move fast enough. It seems she is always a step behind him, always chasing fires, on his adventures.
She has come to hate that word he and her mother love so much- Adventure.
Not that she doesn't like to try new things. She likes new faces and she likes new food - but to toss yourself into the unknown is just stupid. Bad things can happen in the safest of places... terrible things can happen out there.
Finally, when she does catch up to her wayward twin she comes to stand close beside him, following the direction of his gaze. But soon her soft blue eyes lift to search his face. "Svedka, I hope you aren't taking us to the volcano. You know, we shouldn't go there." Her eyes then lift to the sky, as if their watchful father is already aware of the possible breaking of his rules. "Why don't we just go to the coconut grove today, or maybe go look for Smoak."
She gives one of the blue streaks in his mane a tug in the direction away from the volcano before turning her body to face the mainland. "Hey, look." She breathes as she catches sight of one of Tephra's more ominous resident's grazing not so far away. "Dad told us not to bother him..." She nods towards the tall mahogany stallion while flattening her dainty ears "I think we really should be going."
He does not wait at the border, for he does not need to.
Beneath the twisting and turning of the ocean’s current he floats, completely invisible and unseen. The depths of the sea call to him, its dark waters curling around him and pushing him in one direction or the next, the pressure so forceful against him that if he had been in his solid body, he might explode.
Today, though, he controls the current.
Purposely and almost angrily, the tides change rapidly beneath his graceful touch. He tells it to pull and spin him towards Tephra – a little eavesdropping had given the now-stallion a clue as to where his long, forgotten friend was currently residing. The water spits and churns where he moves – almost like a vengeful spirit becoming apparent. He had been ready to follow the bay sabino, to work together in their crafty and malicious ways – but Levi had vanished after that night in Hyaline. There was a sort of understanding between the two not so long ago – but obviously Levi is not who Maugrim thought he was. Maugrim should have drowned the older stallion when he had the chance – now, older and much more skilled and muscled, maybe he would have his chance.
Never again would he put his faith into another.
Bubbling and stirring in the shallows, the liquefied waters listen intently to its surroundings. The quiet hum of the waves against the shore resonate in what would be his ears, and the sound of hoofbeats on the sand. If he could have, a low growl of satisfaction would have rippled across his lips.
The cunning predator does not wait, for he has no time to wait nor does he have the patience. In a flash of salt and spray he comes forth, solidifying with each stride as he carries himself out of the turbulent waters he created. Dark, bottomless eyes rake in the scene – two tiny, spindly legged yearlings are to his immediate right – and Levi, far in the distance, to his left.
He had not been in the mood for the screams of children today, but suddenly his appetite changes.
The two children are watching him with curious eyes, especially the boy. They were frightened, of course, at his exodus from their sea, but he can tell the curiosity and awe that lingers in their wide, blue eyes beneath their fear. The evergreen and pearlescent stallion doesn’t even move or announce his presence – not yet. Without even a blink of an eye, the once warm and calm waters of the shallow tidepools beneath the painted children seems to give way, deepening and opening up as water bubbles from underneath, as if high tide is now upon them. The sand is soft and gives way beneath their supple hooves as they attempt to clamor to the sides of the ever-deepening pool, their tiny legs searching for purchase to hoist them upwards.
He allows the children’s frightened screams and shouts for help be his announcement. Slowly and mechanically, he turns his bottomless gaze to the large bay in the distance who would no doubt hear their cries, and see immediately who was causing it.
Maugrim runs his tongue over the salt-crusted cracks of his pearlescent lips, inviting the large bay to him with a satisfied, malevolent smile.
His lunch is interrupted by the screams of children. There seemed to be children crawling all over the big island these days, his fellow Tephrans were avid procreators. The heavy stallion grumbles to himself and pulls another mouthful of sweetgrass from the fertile earth. Children were always screaming - in joy, in laughter, in exaggerated pain when a sibling landed a well placed nip just to get mom's attention. It would do them all good to learn not to scream so much.
They may actually mean it someday.
But something about the cries seems different, out of curiosity, he looks in their direction. What he sees there makes his blood run cold and his fire rises simultaneously.
Magrim. Shit.
No longer is Maugrim the weak and injured colt who had been spit out of Pangea, he has become a powerful stallion (a killer?) and a capable enemy. Instinctually, Levi's ears flatten on either side of his hogged mane and his hackles rise. But quickly he soothes his emotions and his facial features, locking eyes with the shark and moving towards the beach.
Figure out what he wants.
Probably your head underwater ...what else?
Outwardly, Levi remains calm. He now stands four or five horse lengths up the beach from the trio, hoping to draw Maugrim away from the yearlings so they could get away from the water - away from Maugrim's source of power. He still has enough distance between himself and the water that he could anticipate any attack from that quarter.
Levi Smiles. "Well, Maugrim, you're still an ugly bastard." He flicks his tail dismissively.
De-escalate.
He wonders if it would be better to engage him, send fire to ensnare him, get him on the defensive. But the children are in Maugrim's possession and any attack could easily damage the yearlings as much as Maugrim. He doesn't spare a glance for the boy and girl - he doesn't dare.
Hostage negotiation was something he was going to have to learn on the fly, apparently.
Levi
so scream you, out from behind the bitter ache.
@[Svedka]
We can post kids again, or maybe maugrim again... if they are just standing there scared?
He doesn’t notice him at first and Maugrim grinds his teeth in response, the muscles in his jaw jumping fervently. A long time ago, when he was just a foal abandoned in the den, he would have given anything to be ignored - but now, in this moment, he will not be.
But Maugrim does not fret long. A sinister grin, curling maliciously across his pearlescent lips, unfolds across his two-toned face when his black eyes watch Levi’s fire spiral from beneath his hooves. So much power and strength lies within the stallion before him - it’s curious to Maugrim; how did he come to choose the sloth-like lifestyle of just an ordinary kingdom horse? Wasn’t there more to life? More to them?
Levi spits sarcasm immediately, to which Maugrim replies with the flick of his ears against his neck. So quick to verbally bite him - why hesitate with his fire? Scared to burn down the countryside? Another grin. Pupil-less eyes flick seemingly thoughtlessly to the clamoring twins close by, surveying his handiwork. He no longer floods the tidepool for now it is completely over their heads, and the two-toned stallion turns all of his attention to the fire-wielder before him.
“Don’t flatter me, Levi,” he drawls, his voice gurgling and boiling from the depths of his throat, sinister and slow. He slinks forward only a few steps, the glistening and gnarled scar from his shoulder sparkling in the Tephran sun. A grotesque reminder of their first meeting, now seemingly forever away compared to where the two stood now. Vastly different, and like a snake Maugrim has slithered back, intent on bringing the stallion back with him. “Island-born. They’re good swimmers.” He speaks of the children, though his soul-less eyes never leave Levi. “I wonder how long until they begin to lose their strength.”
Absorbing the water in the stagnant tide pools around them, Maugrim pulls it from the sand in one easy lift of his muzzle upwards. He doesn’t hesitate (he also doesn’t calculate, for he is angry and there is no time to be precise - besides, he isn’t hunting) and sends one wave forward in hopes of soaking the fire-prince, for humiliation’s sake. Perhaps a fight needn’t occur, perhaps Levi would come to his senses just by seeing the sheer power and possibility that could be shared between the two of them.
Besides, Maugrim thinks with a slink of his eyes towards the foals, even if he didn’t leave with Levi’s body, the twins could be a great addition to his collection.
m a u g r i m.
@[Levi]
*NOTE: this thread is happening in the past. Solace & Svedka are grown and gone, but a Levi and Maugrim battle is too fun to not continue!
![[Image: BQLevipagedoll-DONE.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/25n6rx5J/BQLevipagedoll-DONE.png)