"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
04-09-2016, 05:44 PM (This post was last modified: 04-09-2016, 06:23 PM by Wyrm.)
AND ABANDON, THAT GREETS YOU IN THE NIGHT WITH SNAKE EYES, THE MOST PRECIOUS KIND.
Curiosity is a devilish little thing. It curls at the recesses of one’s mind, pokes and prods until suddenly you find yourself driven mad and consumed by it. Wyrm finds that curiosity consumes him at this very moment, or else he wouldn’t be standing at what seems to be the edge of the world. The ground beneath him is baked into hard, cracked sections that only disintegrate into sand further on. As far as his hooves go, they’ll do the job for now. The heat, however, is unbearable. All semblance of clouds have cleared from the sky; the rainy season gone with them - his dark green coat is no good for this climate. Panting softly, the colt thinks: “Cold-blooded would be best.” and shifts to a lizard, ungainly spikes protruding from his head and back like fearsome horns. He’d seen the tiny creature scurry under a rock on his way here and he’d rather liked the look of it.
The small size won’t do though, so he makes himself comparably as big as a medium dog. There, now he won’t be missed. But he’s meeting someone, or rather, someones, so the scales glint softly as they fade from brown to his trademark emerald. Perfect. With a pleased grin he waits, soaking in the now pleasant energy from the sun while he wonders what’s taking his companions so long. Eagerness gets the better of him often and he finds that paltry virtues such as patience are unnecessary. The two others he’d met in his wanderings had been talking about some very unusual artifacts just shy of the oasis in the Deserts. Bones of some sort, left by a creature that roamed the earth long before the horses of Beqanna came to inhabit it.
Wyrm had been hooked, and though he knew himself incapable of shifting into the dragons he’d heard of from his father’s stories, (he’d tried in vain so many, many times) he couldn’t shake the feeling that if he had the chance to view the bones himself, he could make the shift. They had been real once, so why not again? The problem was that he needed a guide, so he’d wormed his way into conversation and made plans to meet them here to go on a little adventure of their own. Now if they would only hurry up …
Curiosity is a familiar beast to the small roan filly, one she had grown very close to in the short year since her birth. It is nearly impossible not to be affected by such afflictions when one has the ability to peer through others’ sight. In fact, it is how she had first discovered the bright green colt as he crossed the dry, cracked edges of her home.
She had only managed to catch a glimpse of him before the creature whose sight she had been borrowing dove for cover. She had never seen the boy before, and so it is only natural that she would wish to discover what had drawn him to her desert home. As she snaps back to herself, blinking several times to re-orientate herself with her surroundings, she turns her vibrant blue gaze to the distant corner where she had seen the boy.
Breaking into a swift lope, she crosses the shifting sands with the ease of one born to such an environment. When she finally reaches the area she had last seen the green colt, her white splashed roan sides are damp with sweat even as her breath comes in short, steady bursts. Glancing around her, she tries to find where the interloper had gone. Certainly a bright green colt at least the size of she could not find that many places to hide?
Her gaze nearly passes over the dog sized reptile, but the distinct emerald hue catches her eye, drawing her attention to the oddly large, and definitely oddly colored, creature. A frown tugs at her lips as she steps nearer, dainty black ears perked sharply forward. It takes her only a moment to delve into his sight, to see what he had seen, in order to learn the truth. Head jerking up, she stares at him in astonishment for a moment before her voice finally finds words. ”How did you do that?”
Heartfire
i filled up my senses with thoughts from the ghosts
If this isn't ok, let me know and I will change it!
AND ABANDON, THAT GREETS YOU IN THE NIGHT WITH SNAKE EYES, THE MOST PRECIOUS KIND.
She’s a bit smarter than the average bear, isn’t she? Wyrm doesn’t waste time shifting back to his original form, popping up like some green stalk of life in the great expanse of nothingness around him. “Easily enough.” He replies like the petulant little bugger he’s always been. A shake of his midsection and the dirt that still clung to his belly shook free, drifting in the scorching breeze that smothered them now. “Name’s Wyrm.” He states, looking over her speckled body before his interest runs out. The heat is unbearable once more, his own build not accustomed to the climate so he bleeds dry of color until he’s a pale grey. ‘God’s how could anyone stand it here …” He ponders, watching as the earth itself vibrated with the intensity of the sun.
His eyes flicker back to her, ears perking atop his head as he remembers the reason for his visit. “I couldn’t help but overhear some talk about this place in my travels.” He begins, “Something about this being the resting place for the bones of the ‘ancient ones’?” He queries, head tilting slightly with the intensity of his interest. He hoped he hadn’t made the trip here for nothing - that would be incredibly unfortunate and without a doubt would sour his already irritable mood. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about them, would you?” He asks, stepping forward without concern for personal space.
He could always leave her here; turn his body and shoot across the desert in search for them himself. In essence, she was useless and would more than likely slow him down. But there’s something different about her, about the way she’d been so easily able to find him here in the middle of nowhere. Curious. She could be of use yet. “If you do know, I’d very much like to see them.” He finishes, a frown tugging at the corner of his lips. Not a request, a demand.
In the entirety of her (admittedly short) life, she had yet to meet anyone who could match the force of her personality. At least, until today. She had, it seems, been born a leader (figuratively, if not literally). She has little concept of shame and even less of inhibition. She had yet to find something she did not wish to try at least once.
But this boy’s utter indifference gives her pause. She had never truly considered just how sheltered she has been living here with her brother and parents. Never had it occurred to her that there might be horses out there who would simply refuse to fall in line with she considered to be a proper reaction to her.
But damned if she wouldn’t try anyway.
Easily enough is all the answer she receives to her querulous demand, causing a slight frown to tug at her lips. Her mouth is open to offer a rather snappish reply when all color leaches from his skin, distracting her from her ire. Her dainty ears flip forward as her mouth snaps shut, dark muzzle reaching to sniff curiously at his now light gray skin.
The distraction is enough to give him time to continue, and before she knows it, he is introducing himself and asking after some old bones. In an instant, the frown is back as she straightens, tipping her head as she looks at him curiously. ”You’re here about some old bones?” Her tone easily matches his in demanding petulance. The fact that she knows exactly what bones he is talking about is completely beside the point.
”Well, of course I know about them.” She pauses, frown deepening as her crystalline blue gaze rests intensely upon him with growing suspicion. ”What could you possibly want with those things?”
Heartfire
i filled up my senses with thoughts from the ghosts
AND ABANDON, THAT GREETS YOU IN THE NIGHT WITH SNAKE EYES, THE MOST PRECIOUS KIND.
All of Wyrm’s certain charm comes from the freedom, the power, of his gift. Without it, the green colt would be singing quite a different tune. But he’d been born a predator - the son of predators alike - and his father had been nothing short of a terror himself. Bad blood sometimes turns rancid and in his case, it’s nearly black. ‘Spoiled’ would be the word one could pin to him now, he’d had the ability to sense admiration in his sire’s eyes the very day he'd met him. For Lupei, Wyrm could do no wrong, and as his powers grew with his control, it seemed only the greatest of forces could inhibit him from gaining what he wanted. This is why (when the girl’s mouth mirrors his and her snarky tone rings in his ears) he takes a casual step around her, tail brushing her aside as an airy hand wave would.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He pesters, egging her on because he can sense her mood from the inflection in her tone. Tit for a tat. It’s his favorite little game, seeing how far he can push certain buttons before they snap. They always snap too, which is, in itself, a minor victory for the unbearable twerp. He doesn’t look back to her, only narrows his eyes at the never ending expanse of dull, earthy, russet colors. “If you take me to them, I’ll show you why I want to see them, you ninny.” He bargains, throwing in a little nickname for her that he’s sure will twist her sharp tongue.
“That is, of course, if you even can show me.” He challenges, choosing now to let his head tip to the side so that he might cast one accusing eye in her direction. His hooves split beneath him, growing out into wide, furry circles until they resemble camels feet. All the better for travel over the shifting sands he’s sure they’ll encounter. “Or should I just find someone else to take me?”
She is often hot-headed and contrary, the very opposite of her small, cozy family, and it’s something of a surprise that two such level-headed horses could produce a child like she (though had she had the opportunity to actually meet her grandmother, it would have perhaps been less surprising that she has turned out this way). But her parents have had some small measure of calming influence over her. Enough to prevent her from charging into a clearly rigged fray without second thought.
For a moment, she is sorely tempted to simply leave him there. So much so that she actually turns to leave with a derisive snort (he had called her a ninny for heaven’s sake!). ”Good luck with that,” she says, her voice heavily laden with sarcasm as she turns to go. She knows everyone in the Deserts, and finding someone to help him now would be virtually impossible. Besides, she could just make sure no one ever knew he was there.
But after only a step, she freezes, the gears in her brain turning as she considers other possibilities. Ones she hadn’t stopped to consider in her childish anger. Placing the hoof she had just raised back on the sand, she shifts backwards, icy blue gaze calculating as it turns to rest upon the green colt.
”If I take you there,” she amends finally, tone slow and thoughtful as she speaks. ”I want something in return.”
Nothing too terrible, she thinks, but she doesn’t work for charity.
Heartfire
i filled up my senses with thoughts from the ghosts
04-24-2016, 02:43 PM (This post was last modified: 04-24-2016, 11:33 PM by Wyrm.)
AND ABANDON, THAT GREETS YOU IN THE NIGHT WITH SNAKE EYES, THE MOST PRECIOUS KIND.
The absence of her would make no difference. They were toying with each other now, playing a metaphorical game of dare because neither of them wants to back down. Her stability against his onslaught of petty attacks impresses him, causes him to turn fully around so that he can stare at her once more. The wheels are turning, clicking into place and when the picture is complete she places a single hoof back down into the earth and a tingling sensation curls at the recesses of his gut. That cold eye of hers is sharper than he had originally anticipated. She speaks, and with every word that falls from her lips Wyrm can feel a terrible grin spread across his face.
“Only on the the condition that I know what it is before we go.” He amends, knowing better than to walk blindly into a set trap. She shouldn’t worry, there wasn’t much Wyrm wouldn’t do for a casual friend in need. As of right now, the speckled filly is the closest thing he’s ever had to a friend and besides, he likes the way she acts like she doesn’t care. It amuses him. His pale head tilts, eyes bleaching of all pigment until they’re a soft breath of pink and then he chuckles, lightly.
“Name your price.” He offers, patiently waiting to see if her request will weigh against the secrets of the long dead creatures. For her sake, he hopes they add up.
With a few simple words, she has him snared. In a way, they work perfectly together. Each snipping and poking at each other until they find a place to settle, one that benefits them both equally without seeming to give an inch. A slow smile begins to curve her dark lips as she eyes him keenly, returning that terrible grin of his. She cannot be sure that he will like her proposition, cannot even be sure that he will agree to it. But it is fair, in her mind. She gives him something he wants, and in turn, he gives her something she wants. Tit for tat. A perfect relationship.
Besides, she needs a guinea pig. Her brother is wonderful, but she’s pretty sure mom and dad would not appreciate it if she started experimenting on him.
”I want to practice on you,” she says in perfect seriousness. It takes her a moment to realize that he probably has no clue what exactly she is talking about. ”My… ability,” she amends, arctic blues eyes focused and intense as she stares at the bleached colt before her. ”I can make you see things.” Among other things, but she doesn’t elaborate.
Maybe she could even show him what those long-dead beasts once looked like.
Theoretically, she didn’t need to ask his permission, but a willing victim is always better. Besides, she doesn’t want to risk getting in trouble for it. And if she can say he willingly helped her, she’d have all the excuse she needed.
Heartfire
i filled up my senses with thoughts from the ghosts
AND ABANDON, THAT GREETS YOU IN THE NIGHT WITH SNAKE EYES, THE MOST PRECIOUS KIND.
Curiouser and Curiouser, it seems. Wyrm had been upfront about his little ability, minute changes here and there for artificial purposes, but by now she understands the gist of his power. Her own admission of a trait takes him off guard, if only for a second. “I can make you see things ... “ She tells him, that assured sense of something particularly devilish lying in the undertones of the statement. The confession nags at him like some parasitic creature eating away at the base of his skull … make him see things. What things? He thinks, quietly, settling the beast that cries for attention at the back of his mind.
He’s not afraid of what he’ll see. Death, decay, ruin, they’re all old toys of his. Killing for sustenance has nearly always been a staple of his diet. Red meat was simply better. He supposes that he’s more unsure about the effects of what her little experiment would have. (Let’s be honest, it was an experiment now, or else she wouldn’t be asking a total stranger for practice when she so clearly seemed to know what she was doing.) Would he uncontrollably shift? Expand? Contract? He can’t be sure - but he knows that if she’s overcome with fascination about the true power her abilities could muster, he could equally admit to being excited about how his own trait would respond to the treatment.
Call him a glutton for science.
“Well,” He begins, sighing as he surveys the still empty Deserts. “I don’t suppose anything more interesting is going to come along.” The shriveled earth offers no response, so the gangly colt eases forward and juts out his pearl nose. “I can’t promise that my body will behave, so this is your only warning.” He quips, seeing that as the most extravagant form of kindness he’ll ever be prompted to give. “Aside from that, have at it.”
She can see the wheels turning inside his head, weighing the benefits and disadvantages of her proposal. In the end though, he acquiesces. A brilliant smile curves her dark lips as her blue eyes light up with a mischievous sparkle.
Now this would be fun.
She has never before had the opportunity to truly test her abilities on another being with power and intelligence to match hers. She would never use her brother in such a way, and she is young enough yet that her parent’s word still holds sway with her. But he had agreed willingly, with no (well, almost no) coercion on her part.
”Wonderful.” She cannot contain the glee that enters her tone as she acknowledges his acceptance. ”Let’s go.” As she turns to lead him in the direction of the massive, long forgotten bones, she eyes him impishly. There is no time quite like the present to begin her experiments.
With practice ease, she slips into his sight, seeing her white-splashed frame as he must see it. A young girl of rather average height with bright blue eyes and a sly expression. Without waiting for any further permission from him, she turns herself green. Or rather, tricks his eyes into seeing her as a vibrant emerald green to match the color he used to be rather than her normal dark roan and white.
Heartfire
i filled up my senses with thoughts from the ghosts
