Wasn't it just a beautiful day today? Especially here. Look at all the hills and springs and pretty plants! Sunblaze stopped just outside the border, his breath coming in little misty tendrils. Yeah, it was a little chilly, but it was morning so that was normal! It'd probably warm up soon. He'd be fine!
He didn't remember much of his first conversation in Beqanna. What he did remember was a place called Loess, and some other stuff. There had also been an Ischia, but the horse introducing Loess had gotten there first so he'd just go to this place first. And if he liked it, stay. He was... a bit too lazy to go all the way to another kingdom when one he was already at was just fine. Assuming Loess was actually fine and not full of mean horses or something, of course.
"Hello?" Sunblaze called, raising his voice so that a horse could actually hear him and he wouldn't just be stuck standing here talking to the hills. Because as pretty as they were, talking to rocks didn't sound very fun.
My wings are held far from my sides even on this chilly day. Sweat steams from my buckskin coat in plumes like those from my mouth, and I'm reminded briefly of childhood winter days when I'd pretend to be a dragon like my Uncle. The morning run around the kingdom is a habit of mine, as are the long minutes of silence that I enjoy afterward. Without the curious chatter of my son, I am free to enjoy the sounds of the kingdom around me. Birds chirp and the distant river roars, barely audible over the sound of wind across the hills.
'Hello?' - that voice breaks into my reverie, and for a moment I am not sure I heard anything. But the word is followed by a breath of wind that carries with it the scent of a stranger. I'm not alone after all, it seems.
The idea of meeting someone new is not as taxing to me as it might have been to others; despite my experiences I am at heart a social creature. My recent addition of physical fitness to my skills has made me bolder as well. There is nothing to fear if I am strong enough.
I crest a hill and spot the palomino, and I tuck my long golden wings into my sides to better maneuver through the close brush. "Hello!" I call out in greeting, a friendly smile on my navy blue muzzle. I pick my way down the rocky hillside until we are close enough for conversation.
Shaking my navy forelock away from my blue-grey eyes, I glance over at the stranger. He is surprisingly glittery, but as a navy-pointed pegasus, I have no room to talk. It is rather fitting for him too, I decide. "I'm Lepis," I tell him. "Welcome to Loess."
"Hi there!" Sunblaze calls as the mare makes her way down the hillside. A puff of mist comes from his muzzle and he exhales a few more times, just for fun, watching as the wind breaks the cloud and carries it away into nothingness. "I'm Sunblaze. Nice to meet you!" Now that she's closer, Sunblaze notices the mare's scars. And her navy markings, of course, those are impossible to miss - but he'd randomly started glittering one morning when he woke up, so maybe unusual colors weren't as unusual here in Beqanna. He doesn't ask about them.
"Loess is a beautiful place," he says instead. And it really is - the varied flora, the fresh and saltwater springs, they all work to make Loess a truly stunning place. Lepis seems nice enough, so Sunblaze goes straight to why he's come here today. "Can you tell me more about the kingdom?"
@[Lepis]
The stranger seems to be a friendly one, and the perfunctory smile that had appeared on my face shifts to something more natural, more relaxed. I do the same, leaning back to one side as the glittering stallion compliments my home. Loess is a beautiful place, even when the weather is less than desirable. I fluff my golden wings, keeping them close to my sides to act as a barrier between myself and the frigid autumn air.
I join him in looking out at the kingdom. Not much is visible here in the lowlands; high hills block the spectacular views at the heart of the kingdom. "I'd be happy to," I say. "Do you know much about traditional kingdoms? Because we aren't much like them at all. Our King has led us down a different path."
A particularly chilly gust of wind blows by us, and I shiver.
"Would you mind if I told you more as we walked?" I ask, glancing briefly at the well-worn trail that leads deeper into the hills. "There's a lovely hot spring not far from here, and I think we'd both be more comfortable there." He doesn't have wings to shield him, and while his coat is lovely, I've not heard of sparkles being especially effective against the cold.
I move one hoof forward, but it is clear that I am waiting for his answer before proceeding. If he'd rather stay here, I would humor him (such is my role as Cleric) but I would certainly rather be warm.
"Not much. They have a leader, and different horses with different jobs - that's pretty much all I know." Sunblaze knew he probably should know more - he'd been in Beqanna for a pretty long time now. But he'd been kingdom-less for all that time, and never really felt the need to find out more; only recently deciding to move to a kingdom. And, surprise surprise, it was a non-traditional one.
The chilly winds really were getting annoying. Sure, it was an early autumn morning, but Sunblaze just wasn't built for the cold. Perhaps this had been a mistake - perhaps he should have looked for a warmer kingdom. If this was autumn, then imagine winter. Lepis seemed to read his mind, though, suggesting a nearby hot spring. "Not at all," he replied, giving her a grateful smile. "A hot spring sounds delightful." He moved to follow her, every part of him glittering in the sun. Last year, as winter every so slowly gave way to spring, each day had gone a little something like this: Sunblaze would wake up to a chilly morning, expecting the weather to warm up soon, and by afternoon it was either still chilly or the sun was up and happily shining, buds of green were coming through - and it was still far too cold for his liking. No, he'd learned that unless it was summer, sunny did not mean warm. Hot springs did, though, so he was eager to follow Lepis there.
@[Lepis]
His understanding of kingdoms is basic, but it's also correct. Beyond that, every kingdom - and every leader - tends to have a uniqueness to their ranks or purpose. I'd spent my childhood learning the history of all the kingdoms my mother and uncle could remember, so I nod at Sunblaze's reply, confirming the accuracy of it.
"That's right," I say as we begin to move forward. Ahead of us the hot springs lie in wait, but my pace is unhurried as I walk alongside the glittering stallion. "Most kingdom have two castes - war and peace. Those are fairly self explanatory, but Loess is a little different." I adjust my wings as we walk, and by the time we've rounded the large hill that is the origin of the hot spring, they are pulled tightly to my sides to protect from the cold.
I consider stepping into the water, but I know from experience that going from hot and wet to cold and wet is even more uncomfortable than just being cold, so instead I move downwind of the small pool, where the heat radiates into the air.
"In Loess, your position will depend on your individual skills, rather than how well you fit into a predetermined caste. If you are exceptionally talented at steals but nothing else, perhaps you will become a Thief. Or if you are a storyteller with a great memory, perhaps you might become a Narrator." I pause, turning to the palomino stallion with a smile in an attempt to read his reaction to what I've told him. Like I had said, we are a bit unconventional here.
As they arrive at the hot spring, Sunblaze finally starts to warm up. Gratefully, he steps forward until he can actually feel the heat radiating off of the water. He reaches his muzzle toward the surface of the water tentatively - it's warm, that much was true, but a strange and not quite comfortable sensation is forming on his face. It's like being wet without actually being wet.
Bewildered, he draws his face back again to find that the wind now strips heat from it far quicker than it had been before. Well, he won't be doing that again. "How does it work?" Sunblaze asks. "How can it keep itself warm? Where does the water come from?" Is it magic? Perhaps the pool of water had simply been ordinary, until one morning it found itself hot. As far as he knows, that is how magic appears.
As he listens to Lepis' explanation, he thinks that what he's hearing sounds a lot like just different horses with different jobs. Oh, and the jobs fit their talents. So, basically a normal kingdom except with more jobs than just war and peace. "Sounds reasonable to me."
@ Lepis
I watch with a faint smile as he steps close to the hot spring. The steam will condense on his face if he stay there much longer, I know, and it seems that happens as he pulls away and back into the bitter wind. "My mother told me the heat comes from deep under the earth," I tell him, having asked the same question - in a myriad of variations - as a child. "Though I've never been a good enough swimmer to try and find out how true that is. "
The warm steam from the water is enough that I let my tightly-drawn wings relax, no longer needing them as insulation against the cold. Sunblaze takes in my explanation of Loess' system without objection. "Loess also has an open alliance with Sylva, to the south." I gesture with one wing, pointing to the still-red woods that stand out against the snowy hills around us. "The borders between the two lands are open, and residents may come and go as they please. While Loess does hire out their services to the highest bidder, Sylva will remain a constant ally."
There are more details, more technicalities, but I am not sure that Sunblaze will be interested. There is only one way to find out, I suppose. "What are your talents, Sunblaze? Are you a great warrior? A diplomat with a silver tongue?"
|
