"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
The moment newcomers stepped foot on her mountain, the Pixie Queen was alerted. A magical barrier covered and protected the towering land completely unseen to the eyes. It kept away any creature with evil hearts, but since some horses had managed to cross through it must’ve meant they were not there to cause any harm. This intrigued the Pixie. There had been many before, told of her blessings and possessions, and sought them out for fortune, protection, and who knows what else. But very few were worthy of such power. These horses were no different, she could tell as she watched through a wall of smooth, thick ice that was clear enough to show her reflection as well as water. It was her magical mirror that allowed her to see anything and everything on the mountain. Nothing could escape her eyes.
She didn’t know what they came for this time, but she wasn’t too keen on anyone coming to take what was hers. And so, she would play with them a little and see how they react. With an amused giggle that became audible to the newcomers, she spoke, “You are trespassing on sacred ground which belongs to me, the Queen of Frost Pixies. Coming to claim what is mine no doubt.” Her glass-like wings fluttered as her slightly concave silver horn shimmered and glowed. “If you wish to obtain what you are seeking, you must find me first,” she added. Suddenly, the winds on the mountain blew more forcefully as snow fell quicker, creating a thick curtain of white all around the horses, blocking their vision and deafening all other sound.
She had caused a blizzard to make things more difficult for them to find their way around, while just up ahead lied the gaping entrance to a cavern. Icicles hung from the ceiling all the way down into the cavern depths, all pointing sharply at anything venturing beneath threateningly. This cavern was their only escape from the blizzard as the cold air swiftly dropped to merciless temperatures. If they could not discover the cavern quick enough they would surely suffer from hypothermia, and eventually freeze to death. But the Pixie Queen wasn’t as cold as the snow on the mountain. She would sen them away from her land before they suffered too gravely.
However, the blizzard was not their only concern. Even though the cavern was their sanctuary from the storm, it too was challenging to get through. With walls of solid blue ice and unsteady icicles hanging from above, it also had an uncountable number of paths to take. Some led back outside into the blizzard, some led down below the earth and to the base of the mountain, while some led to dead ends or even ghastly beasts to frighten the weak. Only one way led up to the mountain peak where the Pixie Queen waited and watched.
Though many had lost all hope and gave up on obtaining what they had come for by turning away, there had been some who succeeded in making it through. Those were horses that used their wisdom and payed attention to the cavern. If these newcomers did the same, they would surely escape eventually. With a confident and playful smile, her lilac eyes narrowing with amusement, she spoke once more, “Tell me, trespassers, do you have the wisdom needed to find me?”
The Pixie Queen is testing your horses to see if they are worthy of obtaining her jewel! For this round, your character must pay close attention to each path in the cavern and work together to find the way to the top. By doing this, they will notice that the path is actually quite simple to find, they just need to think very carefully. But don’t forget that there are beasts within, so feel free to have your character have a run in with a few. There is only one way up, so it’s up to you whether your characters spread out to cover more ground, or stick together.
Rules
One character/entry per player.
No editing whatsoever after posting! If you need to edit, send me a PM for permission and explain why first. But ONLY if editing is absolutely necessary. That way I know you aren’t cheating.
You may use your existing traits and abilities if desired.
Defects given out will be temporary, unless you want to keep them.
You will be judged on obedience to the rules, creativity, grammar, and readability.
Word count limit will be 2,000 words.
If you fail to obey the rules you will be disqualified.
Prizes will be given to the two top players at the end, as well as to the 2-3 runners up, depending on the number of entries.
Entry deadline will be January 23rd at 6:00 pm (CT)
The pale colt glances up at the sound of beating wings, squinting against the brightness, reappearing as he does so. The mare who lands in front of him is as white as the snow, with a friendly greeting for both Pteron and the fox that curls on the rock beside him. He’s only just noticed the little creature himself, but has given it the same open smile that he offers to Ilma. It falters at the arrival of a fourth horse. The golden haired mare is as much a stranger to the yearling as the other two are, but the abruptness of her presence is momentarily disconcerting.
Far more disturbing is the ethereal giggle that fills the air around them.
Pteron spins, seeking the disembodied voice. There is nothing around them but the plain and the mountain, icy and empty. Without a magical mirror they cannot see the being that watches them, but it is all too clear that she is aware of their presence. She tells them that they are trespassing. Pteron frowns, for that is not quite what the Ice Queen had said in his dream. She said she needed the jewel, but she had not said that they would have to steal it from someone.
Perhaps a child with less amoral parents might have hesitated, might have worried that stealing was wrong.
Not Pteron though. He knows that the best choice is the one that is most direct, and he nods firmly and accepts the challenge that the Queen of the Frost Pixies places before them. They will find the jewel, and take it to the Ice Queen. After, perhaps he will keep see if it is useful in curing the Plague.
As the words ‘find me first’ fade to silence, they are quickly replaced by the howling wind. The blizzard it brings is impossibly quick. This is magic for sure, Pteron knows, and he is suddenly grateful for the boulder he stands against. It is an anchor in the world of white.
This is part of the challenge, Pteron reminds himself. They must get through this together.
The fox is closest, and Pteron reaches forward, seeking with his blue muzzle for where the fox might be. There – a soft puff of warmth and hair.
“Jump down on me,” says the dun colt, who is more familiar than most yearlings with the sensation of having a small animal crawl across him. The fox is smaller than Wombat, Pteron reasons, and if he uses Pteron’s back to climb down he will be able to know where Pteron stands. “And hold onto my tail.” He is very grateful that its finally grown out past his soft curly foal’s tail. When Jesper complies, Pteron stretches out one wing. His teeth chatter at the draft of cold air that hits his right side, but he needs to keep hold of his anchor as he looks for Ilma.
It’s Naia he finds instead, her gold speckled fur obvious even in this blizzard as not Ilma’s white. “Keep by me,” he tells her, and repeats the same when he bumps against Ilma. He must shout the words both times to be heard over the gale, and when he sidles back to the stone, he swears his teeth might be chattering hard enough to break. He doesn’t feel warm yet, which he knows is the dangerous sensation to avoid.
As long as he feels cold, he will be alright.
Pteron turns to face the cavern – or at least where he thinks the cavern is. His skill at remembering location had been honed since birth, but this is an unfamiliar land. An anchor is necessary in a world of endless grass, and as vital in a world of snow as well. He lifts his foot to forge through the blizzard just as the voice rings out once more. It comes from directly ahead of him, confirmation that the mountain and entrance to the cavern are a straight line from where they stand huddle together. Pteron isn’t quite sure how to answer her question, but he does know what he needs to do. Get them all safely inside the cavern, where the wind is not blowing so hard.
They forge ahead, Pteron always cognizant of his direction and the three bodies around him. Only once does he hesitate, when he stumbles in the rapidly building snow. Had he lost his angle, he thinks? How far had he stumbled? Pause, think.
“Let’s keep going!” he shouts into the wind, knowing that the storm might tear away his words before his companions can hear them. They all move when he does, so they understand at least. The wind doesn’t become anything less than painful until they are well within the mouth of the cave. The storm is a strong one, but Pteron doesn’t think about how they will leave. It’s not time to worry about that yet, so instead he takes in the cavern they have entered.
It is unlike anything the pegasus has seen before. Walls entirely of sapphire blue ice, cracked and marred with lines of frozen white. Icicles larger than he is dangle from the ceiling overhead. Some lay in chunks on the floor of the cavern and many look recently felled. So the storm was not the only danger they would face, Pteron thinks.
The others are talking, discussing options, and Pteron looks up when he feels their eyes on him. They are splitting into pairs, someone says, and Pteron nods. There are many paths to choose, and the colt is young enough to appreciate the warmth of another body alongside his in this cavernous underground world. He follows Ilma without a word, snorting a “Good luck!” to the fox and the spotted mare as their path branches away.
As he walks beside the older mare, he speaks aloud, as a young and curious Pteron often does. “So are you like, a really good warrior? Because, like, I l practice with my dad a lot but I haven’t, you know, actually been in a battle. Do you think we’ll have to fight something? I hope not. But I mean, I’d try, you know. If I have to.” His chatter is a way of filling the space in the cavern but the white and blue colt finds that his words echo off the walls in a way that never seems to stop ringing in his ears. “Actually I think I’m gonna be quiet.” He says, nodding his head sharply. “Yeah, quiet.” The last word is said softly, barely above a whisper, but he is still grinning up at Ilma when he says it, and is clearly not cowed by the adventure they have found themselves on.
it's a guarantee that he won't forget me. my body little, my soul heavy.
“Let’s take the path to the left,” she murmurs to Jesper, typically mechanical voice firm with decision. The fox nods his head and follows, soft pads a gentle opposite to the rocky clop of Naia’s hooves. “Good luck,” she tosses back over her shoulder, denying the worry that wants so desperately to change her tone.
The walls are just tall enough to house the equines and so clear blue that the two year old thinks they may be playing tricks on her. She keeps her head erect and eyes observant. The only straying from their path she allows is an occasional glance at her fox companion. Naia offers no conversation; instead, she falls into her stony disposition and thinks for once this puts her at an advantage: no menacing beast may sneak up on them.
Every inch of the tunnel’s walls is the same: mirroresque and near-confusing, reflections of the two and white lights toying with the girl’s vision. She shakes her head a miniscule amount, snorting and faltering in step. Her gait stops, head drooping to peer at Jesper. “Do you think we’ve been walking for too long? It’s been a while . . .” There is no telling the right direction, forcing Naia to wonder if they took the wrong path. Should they turn back? Worried brown eyes search the fox’s canine ones.
Out of the corner of her eye, the appaloosa sees the wall shimmer and jive. The second is just long enough - the creature is much faster than the horrified whip of Naia’s head. She breathes out heavily, the noise almost a hiss. Before the two travelers is a sphinx of the material that surrounds them, solid and yet fluid, grinning and whispering riddles over and over again. Before she even registers the creature, the warrior moves a single muscular leg in front of Jesper. It is no insult, merely instinct to protect the man in his smaller form. The disconcerting whip of her tail overpowers the utterings of the mythic, rhythmic with irritation stemming from fear.
You ssssseek ssssomething, yessss?
The voice is neither masculine or feminine, nor is it spoken aloud. Naia cocks her head.
I sssssee many who ssssseek, few who ssssuccccceed. But I am no evil creature, I assssk only one thing of thossssse who passssss through my protected territoriesssss: ansssswer a riddle, jusssst one.
A loud gulp echoes between the three, followed by a bemused chuckle from the Sphinx.
No need to fear, girl, I do not wisssssh to hurt you; and I refusssse to, if you ansssswer correctly. Are you ready, child? I will not wait all day for an anssswer, and the second my riddle finisssshessss the clock will sssstart ticking. Oh, and I sssssee your thoughtssss asssss they panic.
Naia shifts uncomfortably, forcing her escape plan from her mind.
Know that you cannot turn back now, the only way is forward.
The clear gaze of the girl steels with determination: “Go on, then.” Her eyes are defiant as she glares at the creature that has raised the ceiling to tower above them.
It laughs again, rich and menacing. I do like when they feel more than fear. You cannot fathom how boring it issss for mosssst to run away upon laying eyessss on me. Now, for your riddle. Let me ssssift through my favoritesssss. The Sphinx mimes the facial expressions of one with too many decisions. Ah, there we are. My favorite. It hassss been sssso long that I cannot resssissst.
The ominous smile the creature possesses terrifies Naia like nothing she has seen in her two years. It places one crystal blue paw in front of her, retracting the claw she only now realizes it had flexed.
What hassssss a head, a tail, isssss brown, and hassssss no legs?
Naia gawks, having absolutely no idea what the answer is. She casts one more look down to her companion only to find he hasn’t a clue either. Slowly, she returns her gaze to the sphinx, instinctively cowering into the wall.
It laughs now, a disturbing rumble that echoes and grows as the seconds pass. Over and over again it passes down the path, forcing the two to flinch further toward the ground. It knows what it has done: drawn on its endless knowledge of universes, finding an answer the equines of Beqanna would know nothing of.
You don’t know, do you? It cackles, throwing its humanoid head back. I bet you would like to know. With each question its eyes grow more crazed. Naia finds quickly that she should have turned back, knows that its talk of peace was a deception to draw them in.
A penny! Its eyes stretch to an alien size. A penny, you sssssilly children! It giggles, inching closer.
Naia turns to look at the fox before uttering, “I -”
The sphinx lurches forward.
Naia
@[Jesper] hi feel free to powerplay naia with whatever you need in your post
And there's a lesson waiting to be learned the firestarters always get the burns and the good guys never get the girl
Naia’s voice still echoes between ice walls, and Ilma lingers with the younger participant. The white, cremello and blue colt looks up to her to make a move, but she doesn’t, not for a while. There has to be something like a clue around here... anything, really...
Her face scrutinizes and she observes the walls, the floor, the ceiling. She would have liked to talk to the other older horse, he seemed to be an observant one, but he’s off with the dark varnish-gold-roan mare. It falls back to her to think, even though the look on Pteron’s face might grow less and less adoring and more and more impatient in the meantime. At least his notion to be really, really quiet helps: she has room to think and doesn’t need to worry about the sharp icicles falling down due to sound vibrations. She looks from the colt to the ceiling, nodding to his
In the end, she wanders some way - straight through. ”We’ll take no side-paths. Then at least we’ll be able to find our way back.” She speaks softly, fearing the icicles falling down anyway.
But just as the two of them are making a little progress, she notices that the floors do not go up, and soon enough, the two of them find that the way is twisting sharply to the right, and then left, and the mare and the boy are engulfed by an ice-wall labyrinth. Mirroring ice walls surround them, and the light of her wings reflects in every corner. ”Oh no.” She wants to turn, but finds the way back is equally confusing. Perhaps there’s a bit of magic involved, but whatever the case, they’re stuck until they find their way out of this mirror maze.
Looking to the yearling colt, he seems to be no help either - in fact, he’s disappeared from sight, and she stares at the spot where he should be for longer than necessary, until he makes a small move, and she understands he didn’t leave her, but just involuntary changed appearance.
A small sigh escapes the mare, moving her wings restlessly. The light reflects in all the icy walls, blinding her. She narrows her eyes, then finally, with one look to the left where Pteron is (must be) waiting, she tries something she never did before. To consciously let her wings disappear.
The moon-coloured mare closes her eyes, putting effort in letting go of the wings she has had all her life (she’d always had wings, just not always of this kind). When she opens them again, she grins at herself, it had worked! Now, she looks into the mirrors and sees herself only vaguely – and sees the differences in depth between the walls closest to her and those a little further away. There’s spaces in between.
Through darkness we will find the light, she thinks.
They aren’t there yet, of course. First, they must find their way. She guides Pteron through the ice maze, sometimes wrong, sometimes right – until she decides to only take left turns.
When they finally emerge from the labyrinth, both colt and mare hurry back the way they’d come to find Naia and Jesper back there as well.
”We ended up in a maze. Besides, the path went down, and I do not feel like burying ourselves beneath this mountain.” she informs them.
Pteron will have to exercise some more patience while she tries to work this one out… walking around, she cannot easily find a way that is different from the rest. Outside, there is still a blizzard, a white wall of cold preventing them from searching a route on the surface of the mountain. There was no way they could retreat using their own footsteps.
Steps. Prints.
Turning back, she walks past the small group without much of a word, examining the paths they’d taken. There! Another that they hadn’t walked upon, is different. It lacks snow, and ice dust – has been frequented, has been used. Upon closer inspection, it looks like it goes up, too, which confirms her suspicions. ”This way! This is the path that the pixie takes herself, I think. Look, there’s prints on the floor that aren’t ours.” Perhaps they’ll find even more clues that this path is right, she thinks, as she hurries along with her new friends in tow.
and shooting stars cannot fix the world
@[Jesper]
Any fool knows men and women think differently at times, but the biggest difference is this: men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget.
In case this reads out of place, the story was supposed to read with my post as #3. Thanks to my crazy work schedule and cold/sinus congestion, I was unable to finish until now. I am sorry for any inconvenience!
Jesper steps into the cavern behind Pteron. His aquamarine gaze is instantly drawn to the shimmer of ice and, he nearly loses his grip on the young lad's pale cyan hued tail, as he gawks in awe. Icicle Isle certainly did not possess anything this magical. At least, not that he was aware of. With the gold spotted and the sheer white mares safely inside, out of the fierce blizzard, Jesper purposefully let's go of Pteron's tail. For a moment, the canine ponders as to whether his equine form would be better suited for these paths and their lurking unknowns.
Which would be best to help the group and, the Queen of the Frost Pixies?
He had yet to fight as a fox but he imagines his bite is slightly worse in this form. He could scratch, as well but, he lacked the muscular strength a horse possesses. At last, he decides his acute senses as a canine are more desirable than his strength as a horse. Light blue eyes survey the numerous paths carved through the ice. His focus returns to the group where he voices a proposal. "I think it best if we split into pairs. You know to cover more ground." Making eye contact with the black and gold appaloosa, Jesper invites her along with him. He offers a smile when she accepts and, nods to the other two as they wish "Good luck" and head off.
The appaloosa's voice draws his attention back and, he nods before trotting towards the path. The fox stops just at the beginning of the path, lowers his head and, engages his senses. Triangular ears hone in on the echoes of the cavern. He hears the shuffles of the young mare's hooves against the hard floor. The floor is solid but not ice - stone perhaps. It is hard to tell its exact make with the film of dust that coats it. He tries to take a whiff of the heavy coating; however, all he is left with is a pair of irritated nostrils. He sneezes instinctively and, casts a billow of dust away from the pair. Seemingly undisturbed, the dust did not give away any more details to what lurked down here. After inspecting the floor, aquamarine gaze inspects the darkness in front of them. He pads forward and searches the shadows for any signs of movement. Jesper notes their reflections in the wall and, how every angle of the path seems the same. He sighs when Naia questions if they should turn back. If they were to find the Queen of the Frost Pixies near the top of the mountain, he would expect that their path would require navigating mostly uphill. He did not expect the correct path to begin climbing in elevation right away but, it is clear, now, that this one is actually doing the opposite.
Before he can suggest that they backtrack, a wave of light amongst the shadows catches his eye. His stance stiffens and, the long hairs upon his spine rise. His upper lip does also, revealing his pointy carnivorous dentition. The male is grateful that the filly seems eager to stand their ground as she positions herself defensively, as well. As the creature slinks forward, seemingly out of the wall and, into the body of an ancient cat. Its body moves like a feline and, it appears the creature is more than excited for their company. It speaks and, before long, the duo are mulling over a riddle. Jesper had no idea though, he forces himself to appear as if he is thinking hard on the answer. As the sphinx's time limit seems to draw to an end, the fox watches as he stalks closer. The sphinx seems to fully enjoy the attention and, their interaction. It soon cackles loudly, echoing down the tunnel before he spews the answer.
A penny. As if Jesper even knew what such an object looked like. He feels the filly's eyes upon him and, he matches her light brown gaze with his light blue eyes. He would need to think quickly. Clearly, the beast stands too close to make a clean get away, now. The fox is not even sure they can fight this creature. Would his teeth or nails penetrate its ice-like body? But, Jesper remembers that this quest is meant to test their wisdom. Maybe they did not need strength or, fighting skills. A plan soon comes to mind. He offers a small smile to the spotted mare, which grows bigger as he faces the sphinx once more. He laughs, deep and loud (as if reflecting the depth of his enjoyment), before speaking. "That is a great riddle! I know some riddles myself. I would be honored if you answer one of mine." Jesper levels his gaze with the sphinx, all while formulating a riddle that would have this beast pondering so hard, the duo could make their get away. Finally, he decides upon one and, speaks again. "The more of them you take, the more you leave behind. What are they?" He casts a silent glance to the spotted mare as he backs away. Before the sphinx can answer, Jesper pivots on his heels and follows the footprints they left behind, in the dust, on their way down. He didn't waste time looking behind him as he could hear Naia's hooves echoing off the walls. The sad outcry of the sphinx bounces off of the wall and, follows them down the path as they flee.
Jesper slides to a halt as a wall of ice stands before them, panting from their jaunt. Adrenaline courses through his veins and, the canine can feel his heart pounding in his chest. So, they escaped the clutches of the sphinx but, took a wrong turn. Aquamarine gaze flicks to the floor and, he realizes that there are only one set of pawprints and, one set of hoofprints. In his frantic haste to escape, he must have missed the curve of the path. He apologizes to the mare and leads her out of the dead end. After a few paces, they reach a fork. To their right is a path whose dusty footing remains undisturbed, meaning they had not used this path to get to the sphinx. To their left is the path they were just on, still echoing in the beast's wallows. Had the sphinx followed them down the path? The path to the right might not be the correct one either. It could very easily take them down an endless spiral of dangers. All at once, the whistle of an arctic wind reaches his right ear. The scent of fresh snow causes his nose to twitch. Sensing that the path to the right just led them outside, Jesper decides to pad to the left. At first, his keen eyesight focuses into the shadows to see if the sphinx had followed them. It does not feel as though strange eyes are upon them so, he allows himself to relax a little.
He heeds close attention to the dust and, when their own double set appears, Jesper looks to the right. Sure enough, there is a path that only bears their incoming set of footprints. He eagerly bounds down this path to return to the mouth of the cavern. The pegasus and snow white mare are no where to be seen but, a dual set of hoof prints can be seen in the dust down one of the other paths. Jesper marches down the closest untravelled path. He pads along, ears and eyes honing in on the darkness. His nose cannot pick up anything of note either.
After several horse lengths, a shrill scream comes from the darkness. Jesper feels his chassis tense and he starts to growl lowly as they proceed forward. The next thing the fox feels is multiple tugs on his tail. He scoots forward, narrowly dodging a low hanging icicle. He tries to tuck his tail between his haunches. Jesper spins around to see the gold spotted mare snapping at the air between them. Aquamarine gaze fixates on the multiple winged creatures hovering around them. The imps are thin and bony, with mousy-colored, leather-like, hairless skin. A pair of wings sit on its back and a pair of horns atop its head. Their ears are conical and proportionately large for their head and, their eyes are dark and beady. A swarm targets the filly with a smirk across their faces. They squeal with delight as they pull at her ears and mane. Jesper lunges at them, snapping and prepared to grab one. The imps are faster than he and leave him pushing back off the wall until gravity pulls him onto all fours. The swarm of imps now fly straight at him and burrow themselves into his fur. They pull at his hairs and scream in his ears. One even manages to latch onto his upper lip. He growls and attempts to shake them off but, to no avail. Jesper takes a moment to look over at the spotted mare who is also being poked and prodded at the imps' whim. He shouts to the filly above the squeals, "I have an idea! Try this." Next, the fox dives towards the hard ground and somersaults to squish the winged pesks under his own body weight. He proceeds to dive towards the ground a second time until all of the imps have released him from their childish antics. He takes a second to make sure his trick worked for Naia also. Her smirk reassures him and, with them retreating, he chooses to press on down this path. Honestly, what beast would willingly choose to occupy the same tunnel as those pesks?
The canine and equine do not encounter any other beasts on this path; however, this is one of those loops that brings them back to where they started. The imps choose not to engage the second time around and, before long, Jesper and Naia can see the snow white mare and the cremello and pale sky blue pegasus come into view. Jesper offers a smile - of recognition and, genuine relief. Everyone had triumphed thus far. After listening carefully to what Ilma and Pteron had discovered, Jesper shares their own experiences. He even makes a point of noting the coating of dust and ice crystals on the floor of each path. He explains that following their footprints was instrumental in navigating the paths and their dangers. The group processes this information for quite some time before Ilma exclaims that she found what must be the correct one. Jesper bounds to her side and focuses his acute pair of eyes upon the disturbed coating of dust that coats the floor of the identified path. A sly grin spreads across features and with a gleeful yip, the fox offers a nod in agreement with the white mare's discovery. Jesper quickly falls into step behind the mare as the Queen's pleading voices resonates in his head.
Jesper