"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 journey to the Mountain felt like an eternity, and the return trip was just as arduous, if not more so. The purple spotted stallion begins his descent back towards the Meadow, located near the Forest. The sky rumbles a sign that another storm was on the horizon. This time of year, storms were a frequent occurrence. Spring had arrived.
"Go forth, find pieces of Tephra, and bring them back here - let’s see about bringing that jungle back into the light," he was instructed. Though he wasn't entirely sure what Tephra was, or had been, he was driven by a dream in which he was told that others needed his help to restore a fallen land. And so, the journey began.
The trek is long and treacherous, especially as the sky above begins to open up. Raindrops fell and landed against his dark black and purple spotted coat. With no shelter in sight for miles, he pressed on. His body took on more and more water with every step, and his mane and tail became saturated, clinging to his neck and hindquarters. The weight of the water made his head and neck feel heavy.
The storm didn’t last long, but its impact was evident. He shook off the coat of water and continued onward.
03-25-2024, 05:35 PM (This post was last modified: 03-25-2024, 05:38 PM by Demi.)
Demi is no stranger to the gifts of their world. They are everywhere in various forms, ranging from simplistic to all-powering. When Ruhr speaks of his own magic, past and present, as being gifts of the moon I am lit with even more curiosity. I had never met anyone gifted by the moon! He speaks of Her as if it is someone he knows, like a family member or even a close friend. How cool would it be to know something, someone, as grand as the moon! My gaze drifts to the skies above as if searching for the one he speaks of, but I find the sky has gathered dark ominous clouds. "Looks like it's about to storm," I say in a knowing tone. As soon as the words leave my lips a drizzle begins. My mismatched eyes glance about the area, "over there, a tree!" A few hundred feet away was a scraggly little pine with not enough cover for one let alone two bodies. "Come on!" I giggle as the rain intensifies and I make a mad dash for cover. It is only when I reach the tree that I shift into a simple little songbird and nestle myself within the conifer branches.
The storm lasts a while, waves a heavy rain and then light drizzle soak the meadow, promising life to all those within the land. The clouds overhead begin to shift from a thick, dark blue blanket, to gray puffs that broke open to show the brilliant blue sky above. My black masked face turns to look at Ruhr and then give a good shake, sending the water that coated my feathers, flying in all directions. My tiny body leaps from the branch and to the ground below, shifting back my equine form. "What a wondrous spring shower!" My tone as bright as the smile on my face. I look to my friend to see how he faired in the weather, hoping he found some reprieve at least.
------
The sun begins to sprinkle across the grassy plain as my gaze casts across it. Tiny yellow flowers dotted the landscape. It is then I see a dark form moving towards us with a determined sort of look. The black and purple spotted horse was soaked from head to hoof from the rainstorm. "Oh dear, I wonder if he is ok," I say to Ruhr. Without another thought I am moving towards the stranger, a worried look on my face. "Excuse me Sir... A-are you ok?" I ask kindly, uncertain if approaching a stranger was a smart idea, but then again that is how Ruhr and I met...
Of Legends & Myths
Demi
Appearance: Equine form(Chestnut and white pintalossa)
@Knaught I inserted the top part in italics which is from a thread timelined just before this one, just so it paints a better picture
@ Ruhr Feel free to join in otherwise Demi will just insert that Ruhr is present and simply watching <3
He gazes upwards, his eyes meeting the gaze of the chestnut and white pintaloosa that stands proudly before him. Surveying his surroundings, he is bewildered by the sudden appearance of the mare, as she was nowhere in sight before the storm. As he shakes off the last remnants of water, a gentle smile graces his face as he acknowledges the mare. "Oh, hello there. I'm alright, thank you." Leaning down, he extends his right front leg and tenderly rubs his black muzzle, clearing away any lingering droplets. "Where did you come from? I didn't think there was anyone else around here."
The stallion seems clearly distracted, asking where they had come from after brushing water droplets from his flesh. My crimson face tilts as I watch him before motioning to the scraggly pine just a short distance away from where they stood now. "We were taking shelter from the rain right over there," I sweep my nose towards the tree. "My name is Demi, and this is Ruhr," my mismatched eyes look to the feathered stallion beside me. "That was quite the rainstorm... Are you just passing through?" The ebony and amethyst stallion looked to be on a mission of sorts. Curiosity arose within me on why he had the aura of determination surrounding him.
Of Legends & Myths
Demi
//Avian Shifting-Phoenix Type Immortality\\
Her appearance will be noted
at the end of each reply.
He follows her gaze towards the ancient pine tree. "My name is Knaught," he replies with determination. "I'm on a mission, a quest of sorts. What're you guys up to?" His mind races with thoughts of his purpose, aware that time is of the essence. Despite this, he is careful not to appear rude to the pair in front of him, considering that they might hold the key to helping him achieve his goal. "The fairies summoned me to aid in the restoration of Tephra. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you? I didn't reside in Tephra, so I'm lost. I need to find any remaining remnants of the flowers or animals that lived there,”
My ears are perked, listening intently to the stranger. A kind smile coming to my lips as he speaks his name. My mismatched eyes widen as he speaks of a mission, or quest as he has called it. "It is nice to meet you Knaught. A quest sounds fun! We haven't anything pressing to do." I am curious to hear more and so I listen to him continue his purpose here.
He speaks more of his quest, and I can understand the reason for his distractions earlier. Upon hearing him speak of the lost Kingdom my face glows. I find myself looking to Ruhr wide eyed before focusing back on the black stallion. "Oh yes I know Tephra well! It was a wonderous land full of bright flowers and colorful creatures of land and sea!" I pause briefly before adding, "I traveled there with my father many times as a foal. When I was just learning my shifting too! They had so many wonderful birds. One in particular was all the colors of the rainbow!" A childlike wonder is expressed upon my face, "And the fairies asked you to help bring it back?! How wonderful!" I look to Ruhr again to find any sort of expression on his face. "It would be lovely to go back and visit," I say as my gaze shifts back to Knaught, a more puzzled look coming to my features now, "Remnants you say, hmmm... I haven't seen anything of Tephra in many, many years. I would suppose it all was swept away with the lands, hmmm." Think Demi think. My eyes close as I take a deep breath, clearing my mind.
With a deep exhale my eyes snap open with a gitty, girlish smile, "I got it!" I laugh excitedly before taking a few steps back from my new friends, a look of determination comes over my face as I crouch, then leap into the sky. The shift is fluid, and where a horse had been, there manifests a large rainbow-colored bird of the volcanic isle. The wings of this form flap quickly as I lift into the skies, circling with a squawk above them. My tail fans out in a triangular shape as I turn and aim to land on the withers of the spotted stallion. My toes grip his mane as I reach with my seed cracking beak to preen a brilliantly colored feather from my tail. I straighten and side shimmy up the crest of his neck, gently tucking the feather in his mane.
Leaping back into the air I flutter to the ground and land beside Ruhr where my equine form shifts back. I am smiling, just as I was before I had shift into the avian form, "Does a feather from the macaws of Tephra work?"
Knaught's excitement grows as the mare before him becomes animated, reminiscing wistfully about the fallen Land's beauty. Her voice rises with enthusiasm as she describes the past.
Suddenly, her expression shifts from excitement to confusion. In an instant, she vanishes from his sight with a squawk, circling above before landing on his back. Knaught turns his neck from scanning the skies to peering over his shoulder, feeling her talons grasp his flesh. She struts up his back to his wet, tangled mane, still dripping from the earlier downpour. A rainbow feather catches in the knots.
"Wow, that's beautiful, thank you!" he exclaims in awe, the vibrant colors shining in the sunlight, echoing the rainbow she had spoken of.
"That should definitely work! Thank you!" he smiles, ears perked in excitement to have a piece of the puzzle. "Your plumage is stunning, I've never seen such vibrant colors all at once. Will you both join me back to the Mountain to try and resurrect your Kingdom?" he asks politely.
"It's the least I can do after you've helped me tremendously,"
I stand proudly, smiling at my handy work. Knaughts excitement and gratitude is extended in the offer of them joining him at the Mountain. I look to Ruhr as if seeking approval before turning back to Knaught and accepting with matching excitement, "Oh I've never actually visited the Mountain before! I am sure it is such a magical place. We'd love to join you!" I prance in place, tossing my head high. "We will meet you there," I say before looking to Ruhr and asking, "Wanna fly with me?"
Of Legends & Myths
Demi
@Knaught Since it is a quest from the Mountain, you can just include them in your post as being present watching. We can do something IC after the quest is completed.
@ Ruhr If you want to add anything IC here otherwise, we can start a new thread somewhere
//Avian Shifting-Phoenix Type Immortality\\
Her appearance will be noted
at the end of each reply.
The dappled stallion listens to the pair of them converse, his responses non-verbal but polite. Demi takes on the burden of introductions, and Ruhr is content to hold his position beside her, a slight and silent guard. He looks over Knaught, half-listening to the story that Demi tells of a land now sunk deep beneath the water.
This world is prone to change, Ruhr has learned, to shifting time and death and magic. His own homeland of Stratos had splintered, a fraction of cloud and wind held by magics he cannot fathom and does not care to think of.
He prefers to think of what he knows, of the Moon and the mare beside him that She had chosen. When Demi steps forward, transforming into a brilliant colored bird, the Stratosian follows her fluttering movements with an unmistakably hungry intensity. He does not move forward as she works to place the feather in Knaught’s dark mane, and releases a breath he’d unknowingly held when she returns to his side and her equine form.
Knaught’s gratitude is focused entirely on the feather and his quest for this Tephra. The longing in Demi’s voice as she spoke of visiting the place had been clear, and though he has no special interest in lovely terrestrial lands, it seems that Demi does. He will do as she wills, for that is what the Moon has directed him. If that is to aid in the restoration of Tephra, then Ruhr will.
He will seek Her out again when night falls, to see if She has plans for Demi. Perhaps they will have something to do with this lost seaside jungle that Knaught quests for. Demi announces that they will meet the other stallion at the Mountain, and Ruhr nods his feathered head in agreement.
“It was a pleasure” he says to the purple stallion, his tone one of conclusion and farewell, accompanied with a nod polite enough to make up for the stillness of his eyes. He turns back to Demi.
‘Wanna fly with me?’ She asks, and Ruhr’s immediate answer, that: “There is nothing I would rather do,” is as genuine as it is quick. There is nowhere he would rather be than the sky.
Ruhr