"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
01-13-2018, 11:21 PM (This post was last modified: 01-19-2018, 07:37 AM by Ouija.)
Θuija
After the fall of Gryffens reign on Sylva he had nearly vanished. Invisible to the world, haunting the deepest parts of the Taigan forests. Slipping under the noses of those creating a home here. Always watching. Forever waiting.
Like a good, obedient pet, he lurked within the shadows until he was called upon. His duty to serve the black beast was ingrained within him, so when there is an eerie cackle dancing upon the breeze, he steps forward. Revealing himself to his master.
His long stride brings him near. Red eyes roaming over the crippled mare and then to the Son of Mars. A wicked grin forming as his instructions are made known. Keep watch over this one. "Yes master," he chokes out. Ebony body moving to circle around the buckskin that was just rising from her knees.
Before his identity is made known, he is swallowed by the thick haze. A faint glow of his red eyes the only sign that he had existed here. He would be watching...waiting.
01-19-2018, 07:35 AM (This post was last modified: 01-19-2018, 07:37 AM by Karaugh.)
Rising from bruised knees, she looks to her surroundings. The ominous darkness that had hung thick over her had all but faded. She had heard an exchange of commands but lacked in remembering any details. Amber eyes see nothing among the mists that waver around her. Instinct tells her to swap her vision to seek heat but her attempt is feeble. Fuck it's the only word that can describe her situation. He took everything she had become and stripped it from her.
A weakening intake of air nearly causes her to choke. A dry cough expels from her chest but causes a demanding stirring inside her. Fuck! Another curse echoes in her cranium, just as an internal hoof jabs her ribs again. How could it have grown so quickly? Had she blacked out for months at a time or was this really happening. It had been only a mere few hours since the black behemoth had held her in his clutches. Groping her and bestowing her a fucking gift!
She wishes her wings to appear and take her to her caves, but they never materialize. Confirmation that she was no longer in possession of such magic. Amber eyes rover over the forest to decide what to do next. Does she hide away in the depths of the dank forests of Taiga or attempt to walk the trek home to Sylva?
Her mind is hardly made up, when out of her peripheral vision she sees her body. A once gleaming gold coat is dull as mud. Her flesh hangs loose over her brittle bones. She is a mere fragment of what she had been. Used, abused and left to rot alone. She doesn't see the irony apparent before her. Not immediately. When she does her eyes widen in sheer terror. The hallowed sockets that is her face lift as she udders a singular word, "Kaurma!"
As if that word could initiate a chain reaction, her body erupts. Pain is her only feeling as her insides turn out. A shrill cry echoes within the dense fog surrounding her. Never one to know fear, she knew it now. As her world was crumbling around her. She struggles to remain standing. Each contraction bringing her to her knees. Ramming them back into the muddy soil and pine needles.
When she finally gives in, her frail body topples over. Emaciated(from what she did not know) was the nail in the coffin for her. Never would she rise again. But at the end of every dark turn is the tiniest ray of light. A child, the color of Karaughs born form, lay perfectly nestled amongst the haze. Nearly perfect, it would seem. Her amber eyes look to her mother's body, gasping for her last breath. There was peace in that final moment mother and daughter shared the same world. A loaming set of red eyes glowed within the mists...
Karaugh
illicit daughter of nymphetamine and killgore
HTML by Call
With permission from Cassi, residual magic causes Kaurmas health transference to steal her mother's life. Giving her enough health to rapidly grow in utero and survive alone until she is adopted. Ouija is simply gaurding her to make sure no creature kills her. Karaughs life ends but a new one begins in her wake.
@[Solace] has been asked to come find her. If she decides not to then she is open for adoption. RIP Karaugh, but it's highly unlikely >:[)
Bundled amongst the prickly pine needles was a child. Innocent in all that had transpired here. A product of magic and punishment. Not towards herself but the one who bore her. Her mother. The wickedness of her ways had finally caught up to her. Never again would she be able to abandon her child. Fore now she was nothing but a pile of decaying flesh and bone.
Young, amber eyes look towards the heap sprawled across the forest floor. She held no knowledge of what it was nor any attachment to care. Her immediate needs were food and warmth. She would not find it here with the corpse. A thick dew lingered in the air around her. Settling a chill deep in her core. With a slight quiver of her auburn pelt, she decides to try standing.
Unfolding the gangly limbs from under her, she hoists her rear into the air. Soon she follows with her front and settles on the wobbly stilts. They were as much apart of her as her tiny beating heart but these would take some time to master. Lifting one cream colored hoof and then the next she slowly progresses a forward movement. Pausing to gather her strength before attempting more steps.
Not far from her mother's body, she looks around her. Not knowing anything about this world, she hasn't the foggiest idea what to do. So she does what any lost child would do. "Heellloooo?" She calls out quietly for help. Unaware that in those mists was a creature of shadows that was commanded to watch over her until someone arrived to take care of her.
Tiny ebony ears twist with each faint sound in the forest. Her head swivels to witness a pine needle fall gently to the forest floor with a thud. In the dim lighting of the thick pine forest her keen sight picks up the most minusquel of motions. An army of ants marches across a moss covered log. She watches as the walk in unison. Each a precise distance behind the next. A flame of curiousity sparks in her mind. Picking up her own hooves to bring her closer to the tiny creatures. Bringing her dark body to stand just above them. She smiles a toothy grin. Her fangs contrasted against her dark lips. "Hi there!" She chimes happily to the ants. Not knowing they do not understand equine.
They offer no answer but she is distracted by another sound growing louder with each second. Lifting her head she turns to look back in the direction of where she had left. Hearing voices now her legs begin bringing her back to where her mother's body remained. Faintly, off in a great distance, she could make out two forms headed straight for her. Showing no hesitation or fear, she stands firmly on her strengthening limbs. Watching as they neared...
Kaurma
What goes around, comes around
HTML by Call
@[Solace] Kaurma has a unique trait now which also involves her being affect by sunlight and fire. So maybe let's say it's dusk when they arrive to get her. And yes I'm reusing Karaughs HTML cuz I love it lol
The wolf that is usually only accompanied by others of another dimension, does not travel alone on this day. Beside his quickening lope is the winged ruler of Hyaline. Much of their travels from the kingdom is spent in silent wonder. Neither really knowing what they will find here. Led only by the word of a ghost.
The distance between the two terrains takes nearly a day and a half. The sun was sinking to rest and give way to the nights sky, when the giant redwood forest comes into view. He is nearly smiling at the sight. He was finally home.
Their path is led by the spirit of Kaiode. Of what he knew, Kaiode was Solace's brother. He had passed young and was leading them to save his sister. From what and why, they would soon find out.
As they entered the woods he could smell the scent of a dead animal. His heart sinks at the thought that they are too late, but the apparition keeps beckoning them to follow. Slowing to a quick walk, he continues to lead the way through thick brush and bramble's. "This way... We are almost there," he states to his travel companion. Amethyst eyes scanning the shadows for what was making that smell.
As they break through another mash of branches and thorns, he spots a small shadow looking straight at them. Kaiode at it's side. He stops in surprise and assesses the situation. Beyond the pair he sees a mass on the ground. With a twitch of his leather nose he pin points that as the cause of the smell. Looking to Solace he confirms what she may already know, "We are here... Maybe it is best I stay behind. I don't want to scare her." A smile sweeps across his angular jaw as he sits on his hind hunches. Purple tail sweeping from one side to the next.
Solace knows they have arrived by the smell. If she had not of been warned that the mother was dead, panic would have gripped her now. But as it is, the smell of decay only dismays her on an instinctual level which is easily overridden by necessity.
The wolf halts, urging her to go on, and she obliges. She had come too far to turn back now. Even though the young mare is prepared to find death, the sight of the rotting corps frightens her. The child's mother is not far enough gone to simply be organic matter, but much too decayed to be ignored. The mass draws her eyes, leaving her speechless even though she knows the filly she has come to find is off to her left. This is what happened to Kaiode, had anyone even bothered to bury him?
She pushes such thoughts away, he was here with her now and apparently had been all along - what happened to his body could be forgotten now. With effort, she pulls her gaze away from the macrebe, to focus on the small life she has somehow found herself in charge of. Solace's cerulean eyes soften as the look over the child; much like Kaiode, the girl neems to be underfed but not injured. The fillies strong stance and fearless eyes give Solace hope that everything will be alright.
"Hello," she says quietly to the girl, as she halts along the edge of the clearing. She had no food to offer the foal but if they could get her back to Hyaline surly she could find a nursing mother. "I'm Solace, and I was your brother's sister... so I guess that makes us sisters." A gentle smile plays on her lips at the memory and as encouragement to the orphan - but she cannot fully commit to her usual warm countenance given the unfortunate circumstances.
Her blue eyes leave the child to search the mists the warning she had been given about a guardian ringing in her mind. She would rather not have run into the character described, she would feel much better once they reached the safety of Hyaline.
Surrounding himself within the misty haze and sweet fragrance of decay, he watches intensely at each movement the filly made. She grew curious and impatient. Rising from the ground and teetering on new legs, he let's her explore. Curious to see what she comes to find.
The red of his eyes seem to glow among the foggy edges of haze he is engulfed in. They follow her movement from her fallen mother to the nature around them. Her ears twist and turn. To what, he does not know. Her view sharp, picks out the faintest of movements along a fallen tree. Lips curled to a devious grin, he wonders what special powers the daughter of his master carried. Knowing the possibilities to be dark and endless. Holding in a cackle, he notices her interest shifting to the distance. Unstable steps bringing her body to face the unknown.
His blood eyes follow her lead. Looking into the shadows the majestic red pines casted on the land. Light crackle of dried pine needles was all he hears until the come into sight. A curious pair of travelers headed straight for them. An equine aside a canine. Any grin he held dissipated into a thin line with each stride closer. Was it the stench of death that brought them here? Maybe the wolf but a horse would avoid this area.
The pair slows and shares words just out of earshot. His eyes narrow as they part ways. Leaving the pegasus to step closer. A look of hesitation beholds her features. A path and purpose made clear, as she heads straight for his ward. A growl vibrates deep in his throat and rises with ferocity. He does not break through the mists to expose himself but makes his presence known. Should any intent to harm the child come forth, he'd be at her in a moment's time. Deimos had entrusted him to protect the child and only Deimos could release him of his duty...
01-24-2018, 09:08 PM (This post was last modified: 01-24-2018, 09:08 PM by Kaurma.)
The world around her is bright for being so dark. Loud for being so quiet. Busy for being….not. In her short life this is all she knows and it is normal to her.
Standing alone and strong in the face of possible danger, fear doesn't cross her mind. The purple wolf that waits in the distance could attempt to consume her without much effort. The bright mare, strike her down with a single blow of hoof to head. None of that enters her mind, though it does her unknown gaurdian. Ears twist to hear the sound emitted from the shadows but her focus does not stray. The winged creature approaches with a heavied smile and kind tones. Sisters, the label is misplaced in her young mind but she echoes the word, “Sisters…” A youthful smile mimics that of the mares as she chooses more words, “Hello. I'm…” her mind goes blank as she searches for memories of who she was, “Kaurma.” A brief memory of the word uttered as her mother faded from existence.
The dark filly steps forward, sure of herself. Knowing only, that a presence watched over her but not its purpose, so she doesn't concern herself with its duty. A smile is offered to the stranger, her fangs appearing as pearly white daggers against her black lips. Any fragment of light that appeared through the forest was quick to fade around them. Soon leaving them in total darkness, but it has never looked so bright. To her...
02-01-2018, 11:53 AM (This post was last modified: 02-01-2018, 12:32 PM by Solace.)
Solace
The child evaluates the bonding title Solace had suggested, but the girl's smile seems to come naturally enough. She offers her name and solace nods, her uneasiness growing as the sounds of creatures just out of sight seems to be multiplying as darkness descends over them. She glances over her shoulder for any sign of the purple wolf or her brothers guiding spirit as a growl ripples through the damp, rank air.
"Your father, Deimos, sent me for you," she lies into the mist to the growl, but her gaze stays focused on the child. The filly looks strong as she boldly steps forward and Solace doesn't want to risk sleep in the place she finds herself. "We should start now... after you have said your goodbye of course."
The pale mare is increasingly aware of the way her gold and cream coat seems to glow against the dark trees and underbrush but she does her best not to let her anxiety surface.
"Cyrus? Will you be traveling with us? A few hours of quick walking should bring us to the Riverlands before midnight." She has no intention of stopping there, she has no intention of stopping until she reaches the safety of her mountains - but the devil in the mist doesn't need to know that.
As soon as the foal agreed to follow (hopefully) they would travel north until they were alone and then she would turn them sharply east to skirt Loess and enter Hyaline from the south-east.
The spirit whisperer listens amongst the thorny brush of a long ago border that surrounded these lands. Little does he know Deimos created it. Securing the fallen kingdom to a tyrant of old. Alas, powers rise and fall. Just as the sun and moon does each day. On this day a new life receives hope. Rising from the dust her mother is soon to become. Standing steady and strong. Facing her future with darkness to her back.
His eyes travel from Solace to filly to mists. A growl rumbling within it. His ears flatten in instinctual response. Teeth barring as his crest of thick fur stands on end. He had been warned of the gaurdian but the presence is unsettling to the young wolf. He remains seated, for now as the elder mare and foal speak. Introductions come and soon invitations. When Solace turns to ask him of his intentions he nods gratefully for her offer, "I'm sorry your radiance, but my help is needed elsewhere. I have fulfilled my duty to your brother and you. I hope to assist others as well." His head position bends slightly as he looks to his right. The bright form of the lost life smiles gratefully with his own nod of appreciation before his aura returns to surround the bright colored mare. He follows the light to again find Solaces eyes, "He will never be far from you, you know." Rising from his hunches he stands on all four paws. A gentle smile now on his muzzle. "Safe travels now," taking a few steps towards the bay filly, "Good luck Kaurma."
With not another word his disappearance slips away like a morning fog...
