ENGINEERS CREATE THAT WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN
The intoxicating scent of flowers alerted him to a familiar presence. Lotus, the flower, and her useless, furry companion. Though he hardly had room to speak as his own machine was crawling step by step to its death. Useless had quickly become an appropriate adjective for the metal contraption. Useless, however, was not at all a term that could be used for the mare herself. As her chocolate form stepped lightly to him, answering his call, he bowed his head respectfully, acknowledging her appearance.

Bronze eyes slid over her form, assessing her figure for any new changes or damage. None. She was just as alluring as she had been before, and he found himself confused by his own weakness. The stallion clenched his jaw and shook his thickly crested neck, letting fly some of the irritating dust that had gathered on his coat and in his mane. Never before had this beautiful forest of trees been so dry before, and he loathed what the Sun had done to this sanctuary.

"I am glad that you came. Your beauty and intelligence may prove useful in capturing the minds of those around us," he said, speaking factually and with little emotion. Still, even with the dryness of his tone, the compliment rang clear.

Two others approached then. One was the doctor. The red bay whose coat spoke volumes of the damage he could do. Ulrik both admired and envied the doctor's more organic skills - being able to understand the living body and cause it harm or heal. Together, he and the doctor were two sides of the same coin. Another mare, the sister of the doctor arrived as well, and he was both pleased and surprised that he had managed to gather this small but formidable crowd.

Ulrik's leonine tail swirled around his hocks, and he lifted his bearded chin to look at each of those who gathered. "I have called each of you to discuss a most disturbing matter," he said in his deep, growling voice. Ulrik was never one for many words, so his issue was stated short and to the point. Or well, he intended. "The hornle - " he began before snapping his jaw shut as heavy steps thundered closer. Ulrik narrowed his bronze eyes and turned his head, spying their King coming closer.

Ulrik stood just a hair shorter than their king, though his bronze markings and two, twisted horns made his form appear much larger. Mauja's pleasant tone was quite ironic and hung in the air like a bad omen. He seemed so pleased and curious by this meeting and Ulrik could easily lie his way out of this meeting he had called. But, possibly one of Ulrik's only redeeming qualities was his honesty; it was brutal, harsh and often dark, but he was honest.

"You are the purpose of this meeting, King," he replied flatly, expression full of intelligence and darkness. The thickly muscled stallion widened his stance after turning to face the white stallion. "We are discussing a decision you made. A decision against this land. A decision against our very kind." Ulrik's deep voice growled angrily. "Your decision to allow the," Ulrik's eyes narrowed and his lips curled in disgust, "hornless into this place is not one that I agree with. I will not demean the greatness inherent in myself, in my blood, be tarnished by letting the vermin of the world live where I have chosen to reside."

Ulrik's voice had risen from its normal, graveled murmur to a deep, thundering pitch. "Leading is not a burden I have wished upon myself as I prefer to invent, create, engineer... But I will not allow my blood brother and sister so live in the squalor of your asinine choices." Black and bronze tendrils swung around his fetlocks, and he tossed his black forelock from his eyes. The metallic beast at his side mirror the movement with is own articulated tail, glowing, lifeless eyes resting heavily on the King.