"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
There are not many of them, but there never have been. The woods of Sylva have always been quiet; they are no bustling metropolis. Djinni likes it that way, as there is far less to keep an eye on.
Still, the land below the autumn trees is not entirely empty. Djinni will not leave them unprotected (that would break her oath to Nayl), and so she seeks them out. Raising her head, she lets out a sharp whinny, beckoning them all to her. She wishes them to move quickly, and when those that choose to answer surround her in a semi-circle, Djinni speaks.
"I have enjoyed my time here in Sylva, but it is past time for me to return to Nerine." She glances at her yearling twins, offers them a soft smile. "Any of you who wish to are welcome to join me, but I understand if you'd prefer to stay." It might seem an odd thing to say - what sort of leader abdicates and then asks their followers to move to a new kingdom? - but her reasoning is clarified as she continues.
"There is a darkness rising in Beqanna. I have done my best to keep our woods, and the people within them, safe. I will not be able to do so from Nerine." Looking from one face to the next, the grullo mare squarely meets the gaze of each of the residents of the woods.
"Those of you who choose to remain; I trust you can select your own leader."
With that, she steps down, both literally and metaphorically. With a touch of her black muzzle, she takes first Lochwood and then Starlin to the grey coast of Nerine. She reappears back in the woods in the blink of an eye, willing to take anyone else who would like to go.
ooc: djinni is abdicating. she's going back to nerine and is willing to take anyone who wants to come with via teleportation. sylva is now up for grabs!
In the forest, they gather. One by one they step forward, a mix of eagerness and reluctance mixing on their faces. To the Water Wolf he speaks directly, reminding her he had not forgotten her vision. However they would need to take one step at a time, this next step leads them back to the woods. A different forest. He calls the bluebird to his side, calls out to all those that would follow him. It was time.
As they travel, Djinni is speaking. Removing her crown and throwing it on the grass before her. He does not know that she would give it up so easily, that there aren't many left if any by the time the bloodthirsty gang arrives. They had come to raid and shed blood, it seems that Djinni had been a step ahead. Had taken away what they longed for most. The air is cool and ripe as they spread out along the border. The ghost wraith turns his face to the wind, inhaling deeply with a flash in his ruby eyes.
A piercing whistle is set loose from his chest as he crosses into Sylva, as he unleashes his "pack" into the woods.
Gryffen
OOC: I'm at work but wanted to get this up quick. Permission to raid Sylva and attempt take over given by Kahzie
She is never far behind.
She is never far from his side.
Quietly, seamlessly, her lithe and agile body moves with fluidity and grace – more reminiscent of the wolf lurking beneath the surface, wanton and waiting. There is a faint sheen of sweat over the darkness of her slate tinted skin as it touches the stark ivory of the wraith that had called for her, while a single lock of vivid ivory lay plastered across her forehead. She does not shy away from Gryffen; instead, in two long, breathless strides, she is beside him, brushing the length of her body across his own before she becomes the prowling wolf, striding forth into the woodland.
Her dark gaze – two-toned, one a dull and dreary gray, the other as dark as the blackness surrounding her – searches the dense thicket and its splendor of color. A wry smirk tugs at the corner of her mouth, and stealthily, she weaves on, brushing her thick and lush fur (as dark and as black as the starless sky) against the dry and brittle bark of each hickory and oak. Her gaze is settled upon a deep scarlet leaf, dangling precariously before her, barely clutching onto the branch from which it had stemmed from –
It is a reminder of the blood she had shed; of the blood that would spill.
With a gentle tilt of her slender neck to the dark and dense canopy, a deep and guttural howl rises and echoes throughout the forest – a declaration; a cry. Come, she beckons with her teeth bared and a snarl rumbling from the column of her throat. let us take what is meant to be ours.
Half a year ago, she had slipped from the cliffs of Nerine to return to her post in the Forest. There had been nothing particularly wrong with the band of horses who'd collected under the reign of Nayl or the location they'd made their home, but the sea-salty air is not Aditi's friend, nor is the constant roar of the water along the rocky cliff side. Heartfire had acted as a pleasant enough host, but the speckled mare hadn't ever found the strength to truly dedicate herself to the land of Nerine, so she'd left.
The Forest had proven far more compelling, full of secret trysts and scheming congregations. She'd happened upon the red-eyed wraith, the former King of Taiga, and his group of ill-intent a time or two, but she had never truly introduced herself, instead electing to simply watch, listen, learn. Gryffen's prowess as a leader and ability to organize large groups succinctly and effectively had impressed her early on; she could see the worth in him, in his vision, and despite her growing belly, she yearned to be a part of his plans. To feel welcomed into a group that wasn't afraid to do something, to make names for themselves... To strike fear into those who heard their names.
It's late morning when the excited whispers reach her. She can almost hear the cogs start their turning and the rhythmic hoof beats of war resounding powerfully against the frozen springtime ground. She is quick to follow them, her chocolate eyes calculating their movements as she inserts herself into the puzzle as a final piece that she hopes they will see value in. Aditi hangs back slightly as they converge on Sylva and the tobiano Queen who - conveniently - has chosen today to lay down her crown and remove herself from the eternal autumn forest.
Gryffen's assembly moves into the forest, already outnumbering those who had previously called it home, and Aditi brings her speckled body to heel a few yards away from the white wraith and his wolf Queen. The she-wolf howls, causing shivers to run the length of the Nez Perce's spine. She grins involuntarily at the fear that howl will come to instill before she turns her chocolate gaze to the powerful duo.
"You are quick to find greatness, white wraith. I offer you my loyalty, if you'll have it."
Loyalty belonged to her family. What the pale stallion garnered from her was interest, nothing more. The two had mutually clashed (for good reason) during Gryffen's tryst with her homeland but there had been an annoying thread of common enemy to create the single knot which now tugged at her heart when the whistle rang true in her uplifted ears. It felt wrong, to be summoned like some baseborn dog despite all that the emerald shifter had overcome in her trials of late, though the last, determined glint to Gryffen's red eyes had been more than enough reminder of what the two had privately shared.
"We hunt." She commands to her youngest son beside her, once the call has spiraled into silence. All too eager for the chase Crevan beats her to the shift - folding in upon himself to reshape and build the second skin of a great, ivory and taupe wolf. Circinae follows suit, transforming to fall beside him as the common brown she-wolf others knew her by so well. Together they leap ahead into the thicket, weaving among themselves with practiced ease until the canopy of green filters through to vibrant hues of fiery golds.
When his smell assaults her, both wolves tip wet noses to the sky and loose forlorn howls to herald their arrival. For now it was simple - She and her son would be the silent muscle, the cold threat to cool an otherwise turbulent occasion. If the chips were to scatter, however, the threat could easily harden into bloody resolve.
The outcome was entirely up to what remained of Sylva. Padding easily to a halt near the tail of the group the two predators stand with silent, haunting eyes while others gather. Circinae can only hope that sensibility would guide whoever chose to stay - that and a healthy sense of self-preservation.
They gather slowly, her call one to answer. She announces her leave. The woman who had kept him alive, his mother in some ways is gone. A whispering puff of smoke in the inferno. His friends, his family dissapear, her offer hanging like crystals. Heavy and apparent in the dark atmosphere. He is frightened, the wolves closing around them as his muscles spasm. Was he the only one who objected to this? What would his father think of this when he arrived? Surely his father would say something... Though the gray stag's heart belonged to Nerine like Rhysand's belonged to Sylva. No.. No his father would say nothing to the wraith before them. No one would. Not with their queen gone. No one would object to the death of Sylva. Much like no one had objected to the murder of Taiga. "And the murderer takes shape," The boy's voice is quiet amongst theirs. His head rising as does the volume of his words. "Who are we to allow a killer to rule us? Shall we die like the taiga did? Is it not our best interest to survive? Why shall we throw away what has been built... Why should we give it to.. to..." He stops, chest heaving as he raises into the form his bilogical father had given him. A strong stance, one full of pride for his home. THEIR home. "You may have destroyed what Beqanna offered you. But as Djinni has offered someone today you shall not destroy us. Not again." He is ready to take on whoever challenges him. The wraith himself even. For despite his red gaze and harsh words he was nothing to the fight Rhysand had in his true heart of hearts. Sylva was his home. The only one he had ever known. ((UNEDITED))
The red mare dozes lazily on this first day of spring, awaiting the sights and sounds of rebirth. It is bound to happen, as it does every year, and it is one of Jah-Lilah's favorite past times. Now though, it seems that Beqanna will be the one reborn, as change hangs heavily in the air. It was all kicked off by the arrival of the God-King, Carnage, and the death of Taiga. It is spurred on now by various equine, all thirsty for the same thing. Power. Control. Whatever name you gave it, it was all the same to the red wytch.
She is disturbed during her daydream by the sound of a whistle, a mocking sound to her. One eye peeks open disgruntledly. Her sparks dance protectively around her as she drops her ears, their dark form merging with her matted mane and feathers. She grumbles something she would never repeat in front of her lovers' unborn and closes her eyes again, huffing and turning her back towards the sound. Then she hears another noise, one she is all too familiar with.
A song rings out, a blended duet of wolfen voices, and it gnaws at her. It is her lover, the Wolf-of-the-Water, and her youngling, Fire-Fang. Jah hesitantly raises her head up, trying to be certain it's them, but she already knows the answer. She sighs heavily, torn. She knows she will come to them, will run with them as if she's as lupine as them, but she fronts like she won't. She turns round and picks up a steady lope, reaching the edge of Sylva in no time. She sees the group gathering below, and speaks not a word. She caws to her mate, letting her know she's here, but stays blended in the shadows of the forest. She watches the group in front of her, so familiar with all of them, awaiting their next move.
I'm avoiding the spots where we'd have to speak, and this bottle of beast is taking me home.
They come, they prowl. Waiting on the border, waiting for a sign. He is bolder, crossing into the
forest that stays autumn all year long. Perhaps he should have always started here but Taiga had been so instinctively pleasing. These woods are darker even with the bright foliage of burnt amber and deep reds. A shudder of pleasure makes the skin quiver over his shoulder. The air is delectable, Sylva is ripe for the taking.
Thana is first to come, unsurprising and welcome. Her consistent presence always manages to quell whatever doubts he has. Her loyalty, her cheerleader like enthusiasm to pillaging and destroying. Oh his beautiful bluebird was such a special thing. Yellowed blunt teeth grip at her mane, tugging it roughly in his excitement. He releases her as she shifts to the wolf, knowing she needs no encouragement to invade and conquer.
It was funny how once he had been associated with the Chamber ravens. Now he leads a pack of wolves. Scavengers all. Circinae and her wolf son howl from opposite ends of the woods. They were the net, closing in on the fish. Harsh laughter rips from his throat, a deep guttural sound that stirs from his chest. Amusement when the land is still. They had evacuated. It was theirs for the taking.
His laughter fades as one finally emerges from the fiery gold, heading straight towards him. His guard is up even as she seeks his approval. How quickly they change their colors, wanting to stay on the winning side. ”Prove it.” He hisses to the spotted buckskin, crimson eyes scouring her body invasively. Hungry for action. As if on call, one lone guardian emerges. The only one to be stupid enough to stand his ground.
The callous laughter returns, easily rising just as loud to drown out desperate words. What could a boy do against their forces? ”Foolish foolish child.” The white wraith calm, unfazed by the pathetic attempt to halt the uprising. Apparently the colt didn't realize just how grossly outnumbered he is. That his Queen had turned tail on Sylva without another thought, leaving him and the rest of the debris to the wolves. ”Run while you still can.” He hisses, pupils dilating with maliciousness. He looks to the new mare, a stranger, and gestures to the child. Just as he had asked of Thana and even the Wolf of the Water. ”Destroy him and earn a place at my side.”
He turns his back on the foal, not caring on the method. Only that the action is done. His voice echoes into the woods, refusing to be muffled by the density of leaves.”SYLVA IS MINE.”
09-17-2017, 09:13 PM (This post was last modified: 09-17-2017, 09:16 PM by Modicum Mortem.)
Come with us, and you'll float too...
Life had grown rather mundane since his last encounter with the wraith and his minions. Lillith was no more, his flame but a distant memory, that he wouldn't let lay heavy on his heart like so many. It was time to begin anew, to become part of a power unlike any other. And there was one man who could do this for him.
He heard the call from his resting place at the river. The call he had been waiting so very long to receive, the call that could change his life as he knew it; he had known it'd only be a matter of time. The great white wraith's bellow rang out across the lands, claiming Sylva as his own, beckoning his followers to join.
The ebony stallion wouldn't consider himself a follower, but he'd be an idiot not to respond. The alliance they could form, the worlds they could rule...all he had to do was be loyal to the alabaster stag, and he could do everything he had ever dreamed of. His short legs traverse the landscape quickly, as barren grassland turned to autumn colored trees. Modicum lets his presence be known, a shrill cry piercing the air around him. He reaches the group in no time, pushing his way past the masses until he is face to face with Gryffen and the blue mare, Thana.
"We meet again Gryffen," His voice is low and coarse. "I said I wanted an alliance, no?" He grins through crooked teeth, flicking his ears back as a child makes his protest known. The clown turns his body abruptly to stare at the boy, laughter seeping through his dark lips. Murder overtakes his mind, as his icy eyes grow hungry to kill. However, he stops as Gryffen tells an unknown to prove herself, and Modicum looks to her, then back to Gryffen.
"If she does not..." He pauses, licking his lips fiendishly. "I surely will." He circles the boy, wanting to destroy him, to see him squirm underneath the clown's hooves.. He snarls at him, biting tauntingly at his painted physique. He stops in front of the boy, the edges of his lips forming into a twisted grin. "We all float down here..." He whispers before stepping back to see if the other would play a part in the twisted game.
Raxa was disappointed to find out that this was what Djinni wanted to speak to them about. Why was she stepping down now? Why in the world would she not be willing to fight back against whatever was rising in Beqanna? What kind of leader was she? But the mare had to remind herself that Djinni sat on the throne for this long at least. Still, that didn't excuse the fact that she was basically running away from her responsibility as a leader.
Despite the same urge her daughter had to go explore, Raxa remained in Sylva, wishing to be there to support her only friend. Anahi, the champagne mare she'd known since back in the Falls kingdom, was growing worried because her daughter Eiria had not returned from a recent expedition to the Field. Raxa had offered to go and look, but Anahi insisted that Eiria could take care of herself. But as the days wove on, the mare could tell her friend was growing increasingly worried and desperately wanted to know what happened to her daughter.
Raxa did make several trips out to the field, and spoke to a couple groups there, but had little success in locating the golden mare. So, every time she returned to Sylva and Anahi wondered where she'd been, Raxa would make up some white lie to avoid letting Anahi know what she was really up to. She would keep going back though, if only to hear some slim rumor of Eiria's fate.
About a day before Raxa planned on going out again, Djinni had called upon the residents of the kingdom for this meeting. And now, giving the news about how she was stepping down from her throne, how dare she! It was enough that Anahi had lost all her children now, but to lose a leader? Raxa said she didn't blame Djinni entirely, but sometimes knowing the truth only hurts. Raxa just made a promise to herself that she'd continue to protect her friend and keep on the lookout for any of her foals.
A promise that would go unfulfilled.
Raxa did not move immediately toward the Forest to follow her former leader. Anahi seemed unsure of what to do as well; clearly, she had a similar internal conflict going on. The two friends just looked at each other for some time, as if deciding what to do. Should they stay here, and chance whatever came at the kingdom next in the hopes that Eiria returned? Or should they go to Nerine and just abandon the only place they'd come to know?
Before Raxa could make a decision for herself, she heard a noise that pierced her eardrums, making the blood running in her veins go ice cold. She'd heard that sound enough times when passing by the Taiga's border to know full well what it was.
Wolves.
At least, it sounded like one, but Raxa didn't really know what a whistle was either. After all, horses couldn't do it. And then she heard an actual howl, one that sounded bloodthirsty and with the intent to do harm to any that stood in its way. Two more echoed up soon after, from somewhere else in the forest. In other words, there were a lot of howls, and this made the gold mare and the paint quite uneasy.
Raxa glanced to her friend, seeing the normally calm and stoic Anahi starting to freeze. Knowing that if she didn't do anything soon, the gold mare would freeze up and getting her to run would be near impossible. Raxa shoved her friend, hard, using her bulkier weight to get Anahi moving. It shook the gold mare from her stupor and they took off running into the forest, away from the sounds of the howls. They didn't see Djinni in this area of the wood, but Raxa didn't care. She only had two things on her mind.
To get Anahi out of here, and to go see what was happening back in Sylva, what idiot thought he had the right to take over.
Raxa called to Anahi as she galloped on, "Keep going! Get to the edge of the forest! I'll catch up!" she lied before turning on a dime and racing back toward the gathering meadow where Djinni had last spoken to Sylva's residents.
By the time she got back, she could see a number of horses converged. There was a tall white stallion (who would later be seen as cremello if Raxa got close enough), a blue roan, a buckskin, an emerald green mare who Raxa thought appeared familiar, a flame red mare, and a jet black stallion.
But one thing that concerned Raxa above all, brought on by the time she'd spent raising Zhenga, was that there was also a young paint colored colt, being circled by the black stallion. He almost seemed to be toying with the younger creature, and this, Raxa would not stand for. She'd dealt with mad creatures like this, and she wouldn't let another suffer at their hooves. It had been bad enough for her, and being younger, it was somewhat easier to drive her mad. She wouldn't let it happen to the colt.
Not caring for her own safety in that moment, Raxa took off from the safety of the forest and galloped down among the gathered horses. She let out an enraged whinny and slid to a stop in between the colt and the black stallion, throwing her weight back on her hind legs and rearing up to lash out with her front hooves to gain some space in between them.
When she came back down, she eyed the stallion with her electric blue gaze, eyes narrowed in pure rage. Her ears were flat against her skull, muscles taut and thick with tension as she stood protectively in front of the colt. She could see the pride in his stance against the bigger stallion as she approached. But she didn't care about that; pride would do him no good if he got himself killed.
"The colt speaks better than I can, but I don't need words to emphasize my point," she spat out, venom dripping from her words, "Djinni gave us the right to choose who our leader is today, and I will not allow our home to fall under the hooves of a scum of hell just like you. I know what happened in the Taiga, and I know it also happened right after you got there. Sylva will not suffer the same fate, not to your blackened heart." She turned to eye the cremello stallion as the said this, daring him to challenge her words with either his own, teeth, or hooves. He may be a stallion, but Raxa could fight. And if it came to it, she'd hold him off so the colt could escape, find some horses willing to help him, and come to defend Sylva.
Or, in worst case, take it back if this creature took it away.
![[Image: rhysandddddsig_by_voltum-dbgx2qw.png]](http://orig00.deviantart.net/2f0f/f/2017/200/9/a/rhysandddddsig_by_voltum-dbgx2qw.png)
