"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
12-03-2016, 09:29 PM (This post was last modified: 12-03-2016, 09:47 PM by Ruan.)
Ruan
He'd been gone for a full day. Almost two now. He hadn't gone home last night. It was sinking to late evening now, darkness swiftly draping over the forest in an ominous shroud. But he wasn't ready to return. His thoughts flurried within his mind in a torrent. Nothing made sense. Nothing was right anymore. Pain burned his heart, became bitter anger. A slow fury was swelling within him. And he didn't know how to stop it.
He didn't think he cared to.
His heartbeat pulsed at the wounds. Blood caked his sides where elegant wings used to be. He could still feel the muscles there mocking him, rendered entirely useless, attached to nothing but a flimsy cover of dried blood. Crimson still stained his white blanket where his thrashing had sprayed the slick fluid like evidence of a massacre.
He stood frozen. Watched with a cold glare as a critter scuttled up a tree. Did it fear him? Could it sense the burning within him? The hate slowly spreading like a sickness. Hating what? Hating who? He didn't know, but it was there. Growing. Tainting his kind heart with its blackness.
For so long his eyes had been a deep, murky blue, like a gentle lake in the mountains. Now, they glowed from within. Lit with magic, bright with fury and lacking a target to release it upon. A demon of ice with glacial eyes. They shined from the black of his face, from the darkness surrounding this forest like a hungry feline's.
Without raising his eyes, still staring hard at the dark little cubby where the critter had taken refuge, where it felt safe, every last leaf on the tree froze solid with a sheen of frost. Why couldn't he seem to force himself to go home? The Taiga was gentle, calming. Soothing. It was family. Warm smiles. Beautiful little faces that looked up to him. Sweet, caring nuzzles.
And then it slowly came to him. He didn't want to be soothed. He wanted to let this anger burn, let it rage free. Let this whole forest burn with the heat of it.
No.
Let it freeze.
And every last leaf shattered in a sparkling dust of ice.
It was back. And this time she was completely aware of it. Perhaps hard to understand, because one couldn’t really miss the thing they didn’t have before, yet to Jinju it felt like everything made much more sense now. But perhaps that was also due to her grown confidence, as she was now comfortable walking around the Taiga, growing not only in height, but also developed her character. However, that was not what drove the inky black girl to the forest. She was eager to show her father that she had her powers back, and it annoyed Jinju quite a lot that he hadn’t come back home last night.
However, she would’ve never expected to find him like this. Excitement disappears from her features once she notices his blood stained coat and the lack of wings. Her ruby eyes widen in shock as Jinju steps closer. ”Dad?” she asks, her eyes moving to Ruan’s, only to freeze slightly. For a moment the yearling girl can only stare at the stallion in front of her, then the burning fire within her reacts to the icy threat that stands opposite her. The smouldering glow starts to burn, small at first, but slowly growing. Just as the lively red in her ruby eyes starts to dance and flicker like an actual flame.
”W-what’s wrong.. dad?” she asks, voice soft but clear enough to be heard. Even though her natural instincts kick in, Jinju cannot say that he does not scare her. Her heart pained, because he obviously does not look okay – but she had needed to say something – but the almost murderous look in his icy eyes sends shivers down her spine. Or is that the cold that radiates from him?
OOC: Hope to not dissapoint you, started off so enthusiastic, to be stuck after... -.-'
He never imagined he'd ever get so attached to those borrowed wings. He never thought he could miss them. But he had. And he did. And as that familiar voice cracked his silent reverie, his first reaction was to open them invitingly for his daughter in an attempt to pretend everything was ok. The muscles at his withers rolled and contracted, and there were no sails of feathers to lift. There was only pain, so very much pain. Bitter anger flared in hate.
His face pinched, and his breath caught in his throat as he bore his suffering in silence. The only change in his posture was a slight downward tilt of his chin and a stiffening in his body, his forelock draping carefully across his face. Blood welled at the wounds; the movement had reopened them. Immense agony spread through his nerves, searing through his speeding pulse as he stood locked solid and still.
A line of ice formed at his withers, traveled and grew along his spine to his tail. Plates of it bowed out from that foundation and covered his sides just enough to cap the bloodied lesions. As though through a sheet of glass, the crimson pressed and splayed against the armor. It hurt like hell. But it would be numb soon enough. So numb.
His eyes were hard, his face blank, as he slowly pinned her with a faintly glowing stare. Glacial blue met blood-red.
Dad, she'd called him. Yes, he was that. He was her father, if only by title alone. Not by blood, but still his girl. So quick to shelter her, to hold her close. To indulge her weakness. He'd always been so quick to cradle her in his strong embrace as though she were a child. For a while, she had been.
But now he saw her from these new eyes. Tall and slender, gaining graceful curves of womanhood. Not quite a girl, not quite a woman. Somewhere in between. It was up to him to teach her things, wasn't it? Teach her more than to run to someone when she felt weak. Teach her to hold her own, stand strong.
Fight back.
"W-what's wrong.. dad?"
Something deep within her sensed the threat and reacted. Her fire-eyes danced in anticipation, though she may not have even realized what she felt. She may not hear the call, but her fire was answering it. His blood chilled, cool eyes frosted in his own eager expectation.
His hips slid around so that he faced her squarely. He didn't even have to move, only stood calm. And numb. A pike of ice grew from nothing at her feet, angled to her chest. So slowly it lengthened, aiming true, careful to be gradual enough for her to see it coming.
He didn't want to do this. He wanted to pull her in close, let her warmth melt his frozen heart. But he was hurting, not just in his body but in his confusion. So much pain. And he wanted her to leave him, scare her away so she wouldn't see him this way. Make her hate him if he had to, no matter the heartbreak it would cause him.
Only for a short second her eyes flash to where her father’s wings once had been, to meet his even more angered and pained gaze after. Oh he tries to hide it, but the icy coldness in his eyes had put her on edge, making her utterly ware of him. Blood reappears, together with ice. Never before had Jinju witnessed her father using magic, little did she know he had it even. She had only known him with the magnificent wings, wings that had sheltered her, kept her warm and safe. Instead there is only coldness now, almost like his heart had gotten frozen in the process.
She watches him with a mix of fear, anger and worry. The ice expands, slowly more and more of him gets covered. At the same time her fire grows. The burning feeling is no longer places sorely in her chest, but had started to expand further through her body. Her eyes are lively like a dancing flame, almost burning its way through the ice.
With the fire burning through her body, the anger rises, almost to the point it consumes her. He wanted her to go away, to back down, everything in his posture screams it, or not everything? It is confusing, the push and the pull. Jinju wouldn’t go home. She had already lost a mother twice, she absolutely refused to add a father to that list too. The sound that comes from her throat is almost like a growl, a call of frustration and to knock some sense into him again.
Jinju steps forward, ignoring the ice pointed at her, heath radiating over as she slams it with her hoof, with the intention to splinter it. With every step she takes, her head rises higher. Not that she had reached Ruan’s height – yet, because she surely would – but she wouldn’t show the now roque wolf that she was submissive to him. Lips curl up to bare teeth, tail flicking through the air, little flames dancing across her body, touching but never burning, as if it knew by instinct that she wasn’t her own enemy right now.
Words are no longer used, forgotten even, the language they spoke now was the one conveyed through their bodies. Not yet is she ready to strike him randomly with a bolt of fire, it is not right. Instead she pushes herself forward, eyes locked on his, baring her teeth to sink them in the flesh of his neck, like an alpha wolf would do to get his omegas in line again.
He saw it in the burning of her eyes, her resolve to stay. She would not be leaving. His brows pulled together, staring hard at his firechild. She stepped forward, and he loosened his spear of ice, made it weak and brittle just before she shattered it with a stomp of her hoof. It broke easily. It wouldn't have done so a moment before. He'd had no choice, he didnt truly want to hurt her. Deep in his feral mind, he knew he loved her, cared that she would always be safe.
And now he was her danger.
She moved forward with purpose, her teeth bared. He glared hard, lips peeling to reveal his own set of teeth. Fire licked her skin, danced along her coat. A low growl rumbled, a distant thunder, warning her off. Don't do this. Her eyes didn't leave his, and his ears pinned back in threat. He was her Alpha. Her gaze should never challenge his, and yet here they were. Stare for stare. Defiant little thing.
A formation of ice slowly came together silently behind her. All her attention was on him. His growl intensified the closer she got, but still she came. Blue eyes flashed, knowing her intent. They were not in their home, in his territory, and she was challenging him. Questioning his authority. Did she think he was no longer worthy to lead her? Was he no longer worthy of their family, their land? His heart clenched painfully, knowing the truth of it. He was not worthy. He never had been.
But he was still Dominant.
And he would not submit.
Silence. The low ice wall behind her swept forward in an instant, melted around her hind legs and reformed. It hardened, packed tight, thick and solid as the oldest icebergs, chaining her where she stood. Her fire would only have minor effects on it; it would take years to burn her way out. He knew this, because he was the Winter Wolf. The Ice King. This was his element, his inner soul.
She would have to throw her fire, he knew. Learn to wield it apart from her, distant from her heated coat. He melted the plates at his side. They were meant to numb the pain where his wings had been, still fresh and bloody. He hissed as the crimson fluid ran down his pale, white ribs, flowing with the water from his armor, holding his gaze locked with hers. It all still hurt. The outward pain, the inward pain. He would confront Reagan. Ask what the hell she'd done to cause the demon to attack him, violently remove his appendages.
But first, a lesson for a defiant child.
Sides bare of armor, running with blood, he stared hard into her eyes. Challenging back. He would not face her with protection. He would come as naked as she. She thought she could make him submit? Then try it.
Fire and ice meet, both their eyes more alive than Jinju had ever experienced before. The emotion is pure, raw, feral, and so are their actions. Memories and recognition are tucked away into a far corner of the mind. Even if Jinju doesn’t want to get herself lost in the same world as her opponent was stuck in, the formerly winged stallion forced her to. She had to fight the ice in his heart with the fire that burned in hers.
Her ears are pressed back against her skull, teeth bared and body puffing up, as to make herself look taller and bigger than she actually was. His warning doesn’t stop her, instead, her own growl sounds in return. The sparks that dance across her skin grow bigger, sizzling loudly when they come into contact with something other than its host, matching her anger and frustration. All she wanted was her father back.
Feathered forelegs raise from the ground, with the intention to push herself up and forward. Where she had grown past Reagan’s height by now, Ruan was still taller. If she wanted to place herself above him, she had to raise herself up in the air. But her teeth never reach his neck, her movement cut to an abrupt halt as ice binds her to the ground. A soft “Hmph” is pulled from her lips as her body falls down to the ground again, hooves slamming on ice. It takes her a moment to realise what happened, muscles pulling on bone pulling on ice, but no matter how she drags her legs, there is no movement. Frustrated and angry she growls, head dropping lower as she bares her teeth again.
The temperature around her rises, like there was fuel added to the raging fire inside of her, but it had little to no effect on the ice that kept her grounded. Her mind screamed at him to let her go, to stop this nonsense, the desire to call him dad. But she couldn’t. So instead Jinju grits her teeth together, pulling on her leg to stamp her hoof in annoyance – even though she cannot move it a bit.
As she stands there trembling some of the sparks that dance across her skin grows bigger, slowly floating away from her, hovering in the air, before flying towards the appaloosa male as if they were launched by an invisible force. Jinju cries out as two more follow the first one, smoke starting to form around her, battling for dominance with the cold of the ice underneath her hooves.
12-17-2016, 11:46 AM (This post was last modified: 12-17-2016, 11:47 AM by Ruan.)
Ruan
She returned his growl with her own and his eyes narrowed. Foolish girl.
Indignant, her fire burned hotter, furious to be trapped like some mindless beast within his frozen chains. His eyes answered her rise in anger, illuminating brighter with a flare of cold magic. In the back of his mind he recognized her change: once a frightened little girl hiding beneath his wing, and now a woman strong enough, bold enough to take on anyone, even her own father. Did she see that change? A faint smile crept carefully to his lips. Look at yourself.
It was for the best; he wouldn't be cradling her beneath any wings now. They were gone.
Her skin was flickering with dancing flames, radiating heat like a sun. They were eager pets licking at their master, displaying how powerful she really was inside. A stream of her magic snaked out from her. He watched, careful and ready. Dead calm. In a sudden burst of movement, a lance of flame shot at him. Without moving, he snuffed it out with a sharp chill, like a pinch to a candle's wick. Smoke and steam gathered angrily at her feet, discoloring her shackles of ice to a sooty black. Her emotions were wild and raw, shaking loose her fire's lethal aim. Overcoming her.
Jinju.
Finally, his voice broke through, low and firm. Naming her. Calling to her.
Two more bolts of fire followed the first blindly. The first missed completely, but the second nicked at his shoulder as it passed by his side. The smell of burning flesh assaulted him with the pain of it. He could ease it, soothe it with a chill, but he didn't. He soaked in the hurt, let it warm him through. The welted blister that appeared was almost instant from the strength of her magic. His suffering was her reward, her confirmation that she could cause great harm. She could kill someone if she ever wished it. Smother them in a heap of their own boiling skin.
Calm, he commanded quietly, not wanting to disperse her anger. Let her hold on to it. Like an archer correcting the position of his student's elbows, he guided her gently. A steady voice in the back of her mind. Remember what I taught you.Breathe. Focus. There is a wolf in there.
A hunter.
What was first a challenge to his authority, gradually became a lesson. Somewhere along the way he recognized what she was doing, why she was doing it. Not to overthrow him, nor to defy his leadership. Only to wake him from his stupor of suffering, drag him forcefully from his self-imposed isolation. She wanted her daddy back and he was acting like a child running away from home. And now it had gotten so far, he may have lost her beneath the weight of her rage. Trapped in a fog of wild magic.
He carefully loosened the ice at her feet. Showing his complete trust in her.
Don't let them control you. But also don't ignore the emotions.
Observe them. Recognize them. Use them. Harness that extra power. Let it make you stronger. Let it hold your aim steady and true.
Breathe.
The heath within her grows, never stopping, flaring and spreading, like it would in a forest, swallowing everything that came within reach. Her ruby eyes dance with the intensity of it, flashes of ice blue meeting those of fire. She’s not used to this kind of raw power, as it was completely different than everything she had ever felt and experienced before, and thus it swallows her. Now shé was the feral beast that was raging and rampaging around and the appaloosa spotted stallion in front of her finally seemed to calm down.
’Jinju.’ The simple sound of her name, no other words are spoken. But no, not as simple as it might sound at the first place. The beast is reaching out to her, but it doesn’t stop her from sending the second and third fire bolt in his direction. She refused to let herself get distracted by this sudden call, deciding it’s only a trick used by her opponent to fool her. Well, guess what, she wouldn’t let herself be fooled by such a stupid thing. The beast within her roars in victory as her hit lands, the sizzling sound as music to her ears and the smell, well, that only emphasized her success. Jinju’s chest puffs out, her head raising higher, as far that that was possible with her hooves still tied to the ground.
A growl is her reaction to his command. Who was he to order her to calm down, to pull on the strings and place himself above her. She had challenged him for that authority, for the dominant position, even managed to burn his flesh. And he’s simply asking her to submit? Jinju’s eyes narrow, teeth bared and ears pressed against her skull, as her hooves jerk on the chains that keep her grounded. A hissing breath escapes past her lips, fire burning in her eyes as she conjures it behind him. Only do die as quickly as she had created it. Another hiss moves past her lips, the beast roaring in anger, but her breathing calms.
Slowly but surely she becomes aware of her surroundings again. Her eyes find Ruan’s and then move to the patch of burned and welted skin on his shoulder, her eyes widening before jerking to look up at her father. Yes. Her father, her mentor. The little flames that dance around her, licking her coat, gradually become smaller, just as the hold on her hooves loosens. With a quick jerk of her legs she’s free, momentarily conflicted between striking and submitting, but settling on the latter.
She doesn’t speak, only a little nod of her head signals that she has heard him, that he had reached her, fire still burning in her gaze. A shaky, deep breath is taken when she looks away from him, focussing on a spot beside him, urging the fire to conjure there with her mind. Somehow it’s less than before. Less scorching, less bright, but it’s there, slowly growing, setting the ground on fire, spreading in the circle she urges it too, without setting the forest on fire. Jinju meant to capture Ruan in a circle of flames.
She was wild, perhaps too wild. Had he lost her already? Had he let this go on too long? Her fire seemed to grow when he called to her, roaring its victory at his wound. He carefully kept his eyes on her, unwavering. He hoped she would not force his hand, that he would not have to show her his Dominance and press her to the ground roughly. He showed his faith in her and removed her frozen prison around her feet. For a moment, he doubted the wisdom of doing so. She was too far gone.
But slowly, so gradually, she refocused and gave him a small nod. Her head turned and pinned a place on the ground beside him. She was calm and steady, her fire relaxed. She'd let her defiant anger drift. Too slow! Just as her cage of fire crept into life he shot bullets of ice at her, manifesting in an erratic flare like the spark of an explosive and riddling her chest. He formed them thin enough for her fire to melt if any pierced her, but she would learn quickly to hold that fire's rage and use it on her behalf. Don't let it weaken.
Her circle of fire radiated splintering heat, searing his skin without even touching it. He hissed in pain, but still refused to soothe his wounds with his magic. She needed to see how dangerous she could be. How powerful she was. Nobody could hurt her without her say so. The timid little girl she had once been was gone. This is who she was now. A strength, a weapon. His daughter of fire.
MORE!!
Perhaps a sick part of him wanted the pain. Wanted the punishment for his disastrous failure. He sent down a rain of icicles from above her, sharp little spears dropping towards her back with unnatural speed. His eyes gleamed with his magic, hungry for this battle though he knew he couldn't let it go on for much longer. Just enough to see her really use that power, that emotion. Let her see what she could do if she wished it.
The circle of fire around Ruan had only meant to capture him and hold him in place, not really hurt him. She wanted to practise, not to accidentally hurt the one she loved, and seeing she was actually doing that – although slow – conflicted her. Jinju was about to pull her powers back, to will the fire back into her own body, when the icy bolts hit her skin. She hadn’t expected it, wasn’t ready, her reaction too slow. The sparks around her skin intensified, burned harder and brighter, as to warn him for trying again. Also, he screams at her, urging her to do more.
First he wanted her to calm down, and now she had to do more? A frown furrows her brows as her head tilts lightly to the side, watching him. An annoyed growl is pulled from Jinju’s lips, stomping her hoof on the ground in an act of defiance. He wanted more? More was what he could get. The irritation and annoyance is enough to fuel her fire again, making it move faster to form the circle and also making the flare hotter. It rose into the air, flicking in an angry dance.
Her breathing becomes heavier quickly, not at all used to handle this kind of power, this amount of power. Heck, Jinju isn’t at all used to her own fire yet, as she had only played with Reagan’s a few times. The red of her eyes burns brighter once again, little fire bolts floating through the air around them now, formed form the wall of fire that she had built. She doesn’t have to look up to the bolts that rain down on her back, only a few actually hitting her skin where there sizzle and then disappear, although not without cutting her skin. The others meet the fire she sends up. For a short moment Jinju glances to the damage done, her tail flicking more annoyed than pained, but perhaps that would come later.
When she turns back to glare at Ruan her eyes are slightly narrowed. ”You wanted more, you said?” she asks in almost an icy voice, teeth gritting together, as she wills her fire to rain down on the Appaloosa as payback. The wall of fire burned brighter and higher, as if it was reacting to her own passion. It wasn’t really anger anymore, as this was her father again, and not some loose animal, but he had asked for me, so he could get it. And she would show him she could. She simply had to.
