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10-04-2013, 08:12 PM
His journey to the shrine of the Moon Goddess complete, Torleik had set his course to return home - home being as much of a pathetic, bare little cave as he had. The weather was getting hotter and he could barely stand it. Summer was not a set of months he enjoyed in any place where the temperature became even remotely hot, and his black pelt made everything infinitely more miserable. Moving slowly, head down and hooves dragging somewhat, the stallion went on instinct - which meant that he retraced his previous path and invariably ended up somewhere he did not want to be: the Heart of Helovia. Grunting in annoyance Torleik was about to curve and correct his course but something caught his eye in that fiery pit of hell, that molten maw that made his skin burn and his breath smell of ash and burnt flesh with frightening ease. This something was something that was not present in his prior trip: an...orb of some kind, burning, red. Hot his mind blatantly informed him, as if he did not remember such simple cues. What intrigued him the most was the large turtle that seemed to be inspecting said orb that...held a creature inside? If his eyes did not deceive him - and they just might, given the setting - there was definitely some sort of being in that turtle's orb. Curiosity, and concern, taking hold, Torleik cautiously put one hoof out. His eyes flicked to the hellish chasm in the earth and his ears pinned straight back to his skull, nostrils flaring. Could he draw near to that Tartarean pit? Torleik could see the heat rolling off the ground, the way it rippled and undulated in the air and his chest became tight though his nostrils flared. His breath caught in his throat and he took a step back, eyes locked on the molten hole, feeling panic begin to set in. His skin felt like someone had ignited the subcutaneous layer and left him there to boil from the inside out. There was too much heat. Too much fire. The ground was melting it was so hot. The earth itself could not withstand the heat - how in the name of the gods could he hope to venture forth and not perish? In what was perhaps a divine moment, the turtle moved and nudged the orb, creating just enough movement to break the demonic hold the Heart had on the rabicano stallion. Ears still pinned flat to his skull, his expression showed great conflict within. There was a small creature there, an infant, at the edge of that pit. Could he walk away with a clear conscience, knowing he had left a defenseless babe to perish? The question was answered in his mind and soul the moment he posed it to himself. Every muscle quivering with the leaden exhaustion of fear, Torleik steeled his warrior's will and doggedly moved forward, slowly, inch by inch, one hoof in front of the other. He focused only on the turtle and the orb, forcing the tunnel vision so that he had any hope of continuing his progress. A strange sense of accomplishment and perplexing lack of direction struck him when he finally reached the two after what seemed like an eon of effort. Though turtles were common to Helovia, Torleik had not been here long and was not aware how to interact with other creatures. "Hello," he croaked, voice half there and hoarse. Torleik realized he was dizzy and had forgotten to breathe for a good portion of his miraculous travel to this spot. Inhaling he focused on the orb, finding the small creature inside to have wings. Instinctively, he tensed and took a step back. Wings. The fire. They were responsible for the fire. All the death and the screaming and the crying and...and the... He snorted and blinked hard. He could not go down that path in his mind or else he would lose himself again. The babe in the orb, he discovered upon a cautious second inspection, was not one of the winged ones like he had originally thought. It was a strange creature he had not seen before, a bird-feline...thing. Tiny little talons tipped its front feet, attached to feathered legs and breast that peaked in what seemed to be the head of a bird with a sharp and dangerous-looking beak. The back half of the creature was like a lion, with feline paws and a tail tipped in a tuft of hair. What in the nine hells was this thing? Curious, Torleik reached down and nudged the orb before his brain caught up with his actions. What are you doing you FOOL? IT'S HOT! his mind screamed and he leapt backwards out of pure instinct, snorting and tossing his head, eyeing the orb suspiciously. Nothing much seemed to have happened. Torleik regarded the turtle again. Did it understand him? "I...what do I...do with it?" he tried, deep voice cautious, curious and tinged with care. He could not leave this little babe alone to fend for itself, and who knew what other horrifically unscrupulous character would come along, or perhaps some predator who would gobble it up for a quick meal. No, he would stay and do his best by this little bird-lion. Whatever it was. [OOC: Torleik's wishlist is for either a hellhound or a griffin companion, so here he is! :3] |
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![[Image: 531c0b471919e]](http://images.helovia.net/index.php/view/531c0b471919e)
No man is an island.
Pixel by: Tamme :D
Pixel by: Tamme :D
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