the Rift


[OPEN] White Death
Ascended Helovian

Mauja the Frozen Light Posts: 1,392
Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 10.5 | dam: 7.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 17.2 :: 14 HP: 79.5 | Buff: HUNTER
Irma :: Snowy Owl :: Terrorize & Diego :: Eurasian Eagle-Owl :: Rage Neo
#1
Open for anyone. <3

Mauja Frosthjärta
It was at times like these that he hated his blaze. The thin silver stripe sat at the center of the bridge of his nose, perfectly imperfect with its slightly uneven shape, and emitted a faint glow. After his crystal escapades he'd rested up, and taken off in a different direction, passing a roaring waterfall on the way, and gradually the road he'd been following grew darker and darker. And the glow spreading in front of his eyes made him gloriously blind. It was superbly skilled at ruining his night vision, by preventing him from ever having it.

Oh, how he hated that damned blaze and its veil of light sitting just in front of his eyes. He was a walking torch with no benefit at all from it, but everyone could see him.

Splendid. Just brilliant.

The presence of walls fell away. Drafts stirred the dry, cool air, and the ground had changed from the usual rocky footing to soft sand. Mauja paused, unwilling to step too far into the dark, unsure of what he would see, or find, or if he'd ever find the way back if he went into that vast shadowy sea. Blind as a bat he turned his head from side to side, but saw only the silver glow from his own face. It was.. depressing, really. He was white anyway, so what did he need a blaze for? And why on earth did he need a glowing blaze? It was so stupid. So stupid, and he turned his head from one side to the other again, but still saw nothing. Of course. The glow wasn't going to go away, so he was never going to see properly in this blackened room. He'd do best to just turn back the way he came, carefully retrace his steps, and return to the mossy room where he at least could see something. And eat. You couldn't eat sand.

He lowered his head, muzzle brushing over the still grains. The air here was pleasantly cool without being cold, and if the smell—the faint movement of air—was anything to go by, it was a large cavern he'd found himself in. But how large? Slowly, closing his eyes and trusting in his spatial sense of awareness, Mauja turned 180 degrees and felt the sand for the uneven shape of his hoof prints. Their edges were a little wet from the frost still, and with his whiskers trailing just above the ground he went back to the cave mouth. His little adventure in the crystal maze had taught him not to go somewhere without taking note of the way, and so, he reached inside. He'd spent nearly all of his magic in the flight to safety, but it had since recovered somewhat, though he hadn't wanted to touch it—hadn't had a reason, either, but the slight effort would've sent his head pounding. Today he actually felt a bit better, but didn't dare trust it to last.

Gently he coaxed a thin spire of ice from the sand, letting it rise neatly at the base of the cavern wall. It was just a nub, jutting less than half a foot above the surface, and knowing he'd marked the entrance he put his nose against the right-hand wall and began to walk, to figure out just how large the dark space was.
A million miles from home, I'm frozen to the bones, I am... a soldier on my own, I don't know the way.
angels, they fell first, but I'm still here

Quinn Posts: N/A
Unregistered
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#2



The smell was not so bad this time, but after I had drawn it in once, I had no problem finding the hide in this darkess. Had I not been so bored or cold, I would have left it there a bit longer, but as time was abundant down here, I found my way back. It took a little bit of time to get it out of the sand, but after a while, it lay out before me. It was bigger than I remembered and the bear had died with it jaws wide open.

Had it died of age or was there something else hiding down here? I didn't want to think of it to be honest, so I occupied my mind by searching for wounds or imperfections. Nothing. That was weird. Well, I could not just walk away from it, as I had the last time, so I began the tedious task of getting the hide over my body.

When alive, the bear must have been a monster to look at, for it still covered my body and his legs went almost down to the ground. And the head (which is the funny part), fit perfectly over mine. If I had a horn like everyone else, it would sit further back on my poll, but as mine was tilted forwards, it kept the head in place.

I've never felt particulary scary, or pretty for that matter, but as I pictured how I looked now, I had to look intimidating. A little chuckle formed in my throat as I fantasized meeting my father like this. It would stop the old bastards heart in a second.

In the midst of my dreaming, a faint light and movements could be seen at the entrance. It was too far away that it illuminated me, but it was still enough to make me take a stand. Was the killer of this bear back or was it just another horse looking for some adventure?

I did not let go of the thing as I kept myself from moving too much, but as the thing began to walk in my direction, I managed to find the courage to say something.

"Hello?"

OOC: Hope it's okay that I answered! :D
@[Mauja]

No more dreaming like a girl
So in love with the wrong world
[Image: K20W2We.png]
Ascended Helovian

Mauja the Frozen Light Posts: 1,392
Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 10.5 | dam: 7.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 17.2 :: 14 HP: 79.5 | Buff: HUNTER
Irma :: Snowy Owl :: Terrorize & Diego :: Eurasian Eagle-Owl :: Rage Neo
#3
Mauja Frosthjärta
[ Course it is :D ]

"Hello?"

A voice rang through the vast space, swallowed by the absolute darkness; no echo bounded through the abyss. But it was enough for Mauja to stop dead in his tracks, the near-silent shuffle of his feet turning over sand growing quiet too, though his heart started pounding, loudly. It was one thing to know you were not alone.. another when you knew you were visible from a thousand miles away, and saw jack shit yourself. He ground his jaws together in annoyance for a moment, shoulder resting against the cool, rough cavern wall. Well, what do you say to that, walking torch? Respond good-day and go on your way? Or.. if it'd been dark, he could've waited until the owner of the voice slipped away, or simply pretended he didn't exist and just kept going. But as it was, he knew he was too visible, too vulnerable, his thin blaze lighting up the space in front of his eyes.

The time he had to answer before it got awkward was running out fast.

"Never mind me," he found himself saying, voice steady in the darkness, despite not knowing who, or what, he talked to; a mortal or something so much more ancient and dark? "I'm just a man with a glowing face trying to get some privacy in an otherwise pitch-black room." His voice took on a note of self-deprecating humor—if he wasn't the one to strike the first blow to his damn lantern-of-a-face, she would, and he always felt better if he was the one who punched first.. even if the target was himself. (No, that was a lie; whenever Mauja was angry he needed someone to strike him in order to let go of control. Besides, it was always convenient to be able to say you were attacked first.) He sighed to himself, and kept leaning casually against the wall. He liked the touch of cold against his slightly hot, itching skin.

"Alas, it's not working very well, as you can probably tell," he added after a moment, wondering how far in the sea of darkness he'd come. And how much further was there to go, before he'd done a complete circuit of the underground arena? He glanced upwards, but it was all silver-lit and dark. And how far did it stretch upwards? Could a Pegasus fly unhindered, or did it have a low-slung roof you struck your head on if you weren't careful? With his own inability to see he didn't have the faintest clue. And the mare, the one with the slightly cautious voice crying out into the unknown for whatever glowing ghost haunted these dark spaces.. who was she? Why was she here? What was she doing? Was she on the other wall, or somewhere in the middle?

Was she lost?
Did he care?
Not really.
A million miles from home, I'm frozen to the bones, I am... a soldier on my own, I don't know the way.
angels, they fell first, but I'm still here

Quinn Posts: N/A
Unregistered
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#4



The problem with darkness, is that you can not see a thing and what is in front of you, only your imagination can make. I could hear from the reply that he was male, which I could also smell (when the dead bear-smell finally left my nostrils). As he stated the obvious fault with havinga glowing face, I chuckled. "Don't worry, Firefly. I will not bother you if you want to be alone."

I shifted my weight after giving him his nickname, as it was too soon for any of us to share our real names. This was kind of exiting, not knowing who you was talking too and the history behind the person. My mind rased to find a face to the voice, but as I had not met many horses down here, it was impossible to make up an apperance. There was no problem though, I could live with it for a little while longer.

The weight of the hide had slowly began to warm me up, and thus, I relaxed more and more. It was peaceful down here, and so different from the world above. It was almost like a holiday for my eyes, as there was no scenery to take in or horses to remember. No agony, no pain. Just..silence.

Until I spoke again. "As far as I can tell, this is a big place, so you can pretend I'm not here if that makes you comfortable." Indeed it was. I bet you could live for a week down here and not find the opposite wall from which you started. I may be wrong though, but what the hell. What do I know about caves?

"talk talk talk"

No more dreaming like a girl
So in love with the wrong world
[Image: K20W2We.png]
Ascended Helovian

Mauja the Frozen Light Posts: 1,392
Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 10.5 | dam: 7.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 17.2 :: 14 HP: 79.5 | Buff: HUNTER
Irma :: Snowy Owl :: Terrorize & Diego :: Eurasian Eagle-Owl :: Rage Neo
#5
Mauja Frosthjärta
If Mauja had had any concept of what being naked was like, he would've likened it to that—walking naked into a room full of people. A naked man had no privacy, not even when those in the room offers to avert their eyes, because once you've been made aware of the situation.. you don't exactly forget it. You know that they see what you're doing, even if it's just from the corner of their eye. So when she called him Firefly and offered to ignore him, what good would it do? He saw nothing of her; she saw him. For all her words she could follow every movement he made, slowly doing a circuit of the cave... He'd never felt as exposed in his entire life, so defenseless, and the idea to keep moving, doing what he wanted to do alone, with her eyes trailing his glowing face in the dark... It was like being that naked man in the room: if you stood still, maybe they forgot about you.

Or like knowing someone watched you having sex, or taking a crap, or something. Try to relax then.

So he remained silent, praying for some vestige of peace to return to him, for anything to blacken out the glow spreading from the thin silver stripe adorning his face, but it kept shining like a beacon of hope (or a bait) in the darkness, blinding him. Maybe it was fitting, that he was truly night-blind now after years of willfully closing his eyes to what he was and what he did, but shouldn't it have come a bit earlier? Shouldn't he be rid of it now that he stared the world in the eye, too awake to forget what he knew and felt?

He bit down on his own teeth, shoulder against the wall. Strained in the darkness for the sound of her breathing (she was too far away), or some telltale sign of movement, that she was going, passing, to leave him alone—but only the heavy silence weighed on his ear drums, suffocating in all its primal wrath. And yet, it was gentle and soothing at the same time, a roar and a lullaby, except for the knowledge that someone else was there, breathing in the darkness together with him.

"You're making that hard," he replied dryly, knowing that once again she was looking at him, seeing him, and he saw nothing, and he swallowed the dread weight in his throat. How many were in here with her? The air smelled stale and of the ever-present musk of horse which lingered in the sanctuary, worn in by these newcomers, visitors, who took refuge in the shelter of the Ancients: had they, too, sheltered here? From the storms of darkness and corruption, of undeath? His blind eyes flitted through the shadows, hip grating against the rough wall, grounding him in reality. "So maybe it's just better you show yourself or leave; I can't put this out," and you'll just keep watching me.

Mauja swallowed again. Life was full of lessons of power.
A million miles from home, I'm frozen to the bones, I am... a soldier on my own, I don't know the way.
angels, they fell first, but I'm still here

Quinn Posts: N/A
Unregistered
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#6



The darkness and the cave must have dulled my mind, as I did not even think of the position I put him in. As soon as I got the choice, it dawned on me. He could not see me, therefore I became a threat and nothing else. How stupid of me!

So I began to move towards the light, as a moth is drawn to a flame, but I was no insect with wings. I was a horse, a mare with a tilted horn and a dead animal thrown over me. The sand shifted under my weight and he should be able to hear where I moved. "I am so sorry, as I have lost my manners in this darkness." The words rode the gentle chuckle I let out, as I got closer to the light.

The dark let go of me, as my white head and muzzle was the first to be seen. The dark head of the bear followed then, as it still lay on my poll and matched my dark body. It almost blinded me, to get this close to a light-source after spending time down here. But I smiled at Firefly as my eyes only showed joy.

"Is this better?" I asked as my head tilted to the left. "Or do you still want me to go?"


No more dreaming like a girl
So in love with the wrong world
[Image: K20W2We.png]
Ascended Helovian

Mauja the Frozen Light Posts: 1,392
Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 10.5 | dam: 7.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 17.2 :: 14 HP: 79.5 | Buff: HUNTER
Irma :: Snowy Owl :: Terrorize & Diego :: Eurasian Eagle-Owl :: Rage Neo
#7
Mauja Frosthjärta
[ Sorry for the wait! ]

Strange, how his heart pounded in the dark silence. It was like a beast of its own, the thunder of a storm, caged in flesh and bone; blood moved rapidly through the veins, fleet and fluttering. His mouth tasted of adrenaline, a strange kind of clarity and lightness so at odds with the sickness plaguing him—strange, how simply being alone with someone you couldn't see could do this to you. His ears strained into the darkness, every sense alert. Relaxing was the furthest thing from his mind, even though he wanted to. The wall, the floor, were the only solid things, the only things to hold onto, until a sound rose from the depths of darkness. It wasn't the moan of the air shifting, but something softer, subtler, rhythmic and gentle. It was the sound of sand being turned over and trod down by hooves, and following it was the disembodied voice again. Somewhat warmer now, good-humored. It was a fairly likeable voice, all things considered. Whoever it belonged to was not to blame for Mauja's foolish skittishness, after all. "I think we've lost many things in here," he murmured, not intending for her to hear; courage and faith, ways and friends and hope. Penned up like animals for the slaughter.

The sound of her footfalls grew louder, always coming nearer. He could hear her soft breathing in the dark, smell her through the haze of other horses. Mare, definitely. And something older, musty. He turned his head to the side, cocked it, hoping to catch sight of her from behind his veil of spreading light—the silver glow caught on the outline of something pale, like a ghost appearing, traveled up from the rounded curvature of her nostrils along the straight plane of her nose bridge, up, the bulging of eyes and a shadow cast above, teeth

He reacted, instinct and memories of wolf-teeth scouring his hide mingling into a hellish blend; his entire body jerked forward half a step as the mindless beast within grasped for his magic, found the chill, the darkness, and from the ground ice rattled up. It was a thin, solitary spike, nearly faster than his thoughts. Nearly, but not quite.

Something, something still functioned in his head, caught the outline of its shaggy body wrapped around the shady mare, the dull, dark empty spaces of its eyes; it smelled stale, had no hot, rancid breath in the darkness.

He broke his own magic. The spire snapped halfway before it could reach the soft underside of her body, fell with a quiet thud onto the dark sands. For a moment, Mauja was silent, and the ice's edges grew soft with the relative warmth of the cavern. He blinked. Gave his head a tentative shake, and peered at her through the silvery haze. Had she even noticed, how close he'd been to trying to kill her? Or had all she'd seen been the aggressive jerk of his body? "I'm sorry," he said after a moment, voice husky with the aftermath of adrenaline. Damn, but he'd not expected to see a bear come riding the mare out of the shadows, like some hellish creature spawned just to give him nightmares. He flicked an ear back, then forward again. Cocked his hips, rested a hind hoof on its tip. "I wasn't prepared to see a beast." And his dark lips tugged into a slight, amiable smile.
A million miles from home, I'm frozen to the bones, I am... a soldier on my own, I don't know the way.
angels, they fell first, but I'm still here

Quinn Posts: N/A
Unregistered
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#8



To be killed in the dark by one who carries the light, would be fate worste that death itself. No matter how many I've met through my years, some still find a way to surprise me. This brute scred the living shit out of me when he almost attacked me and I could not tell if it was the ice in my blood or something else that made my stomach cold. I did not move, as my upbringing and training did not allow it. A soldier stands it's ground, no matter who brings the challenge.

It was all over even before it started, and as he suddenly relaxed, I did too. I must have scared him as much as he scared me, for who expects to see a big bear down here? As far as I could tell, nothing grew in this part of the cave and the sand, I expected, was the reason.

"Well.." I laughed, as the air finally found it's way to my lungs and the atmosphere lifted. "I've been called far worse things than a beast. But I hope you will not continue to call me that, as I do have a proper name.". Then I smiled, letting my eyes walk over him as far as the light permitted. He reminded me of no one I have ever met, so my curiosity spiked.

"Do ou have a name, Firefly? Or should I continue to call you that?"

No more dreaming like a girl
So in love with the wrong world
[Image: K20W2We.png]
Ascended Helovian

Mauja the Frozen Light Posts: 1,392
Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 10.5 | dam: 7.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 17.2 :: 14 HP: 79.5 | Buff: HUNTER
Irma :: Snowy Owl :: Terrorize & Diego :: Eurasian Eagle-Owl :: Rage Neo
#9
Mauja Frosthjärta
Was that a silver flash of fear arcing across her eyes? Did her gaze harden, muscles tense, as he nearly lunged forward? Or was it only a trick of the meager light playing across stone walls and bodies? He couldn't properly trust anything he saw in the darkness, blinded by himself, and his damnable glow. But one thing was certain: just as surely as he broke off his attack, she didn't initiate one of her own. She remained put, the bear's head hanging like a shadow above her pale face, white light glinting off its dull, dead fangs. In his current state, with the sudden fear just barely out of his system, it was a rather sobering thought, how easy it would be for two strangers to start clashing in the darkness. Instincts were dangerous things, and yet they were there for a reason. Sometimes, the outcome was just tragic (his mind traced that cursed name), but sometimes it saved your life.

It seemed he was forgiven, though. Perhaps she understood what it was like, to suddenly come face to face with the unexpected, something monstrous.. surprising, most of all. Oddly enough, he found himself glad that she didn't hold it against him. Since when had he become so nice that he cared what others thought? That he felt like everyone was a potential friend? It wasn't like him, but he filed the thought away, saved it for another day, or some other ambling, rambling corridor full of silvery light and shadows.

"Beast," he repeated, teasing her, humor in his clear voice. "Beast and Firefly. Off on ghastly, monstrous adventures in the dark pits, the deep belly of the earth..." It sounded like a tale you'd tell foals, of the adventurous, strong female warrior clad in an old bear, and her companion the light-faced stallion.. but what for? To warn against the dark? Or to encourage courage, curiosity, to believe in yourself, and your strength? He laughed, quietly, shoulder firmly pressed against the wall as he'd fallen back again. It was nice and cold to lean against, and these days, he found that having some kind of chilling support did him good—it felt nice, and sort of grounded his ever-present headache. Right now, it was nothing but a ghost-throb, in synch with his pulse. He cocked his head to the side, the silver glow catching on all the strands of his long forelock. "Except I don't feel particularly adventurous, when I don't see shit."
A million miles from home, I'm frozen to the bones, I am... a soldier on my own, I don't know the way.
angels, they fell first, but I'm still here

Quinn Posts: N/A
Unregistered
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#10



It is funny how fast the tension in the air dies; one moment you are close to being transformed into something on a barbeque-spear and in the next, you are laughing your ass off by some stupid joke.

I had nothing against his try at almost dividing me in half, as I understood too well what the darkess is capable off. This was another darkess though, but it still played tricks on your mind as well as your body. It was good to see him loosen up a bit and even keep on taunting me with the nickname he so graciously had given me. I don't look like a beast or act like one, so I guess that's why it was so funny.

I laughed at his joke, as it sure would be a tale to tell the next generation (if I ever got out of here), but the next thing I said, I was sure would not make it to the ears of the young ;"If this room is the belly of the earth, do we end up in the ass if we walk further?" With that imagine in mind, I almost lost my breath. Imagine how it woud feel to enter the butt of the earth, with all the filth and..and.. ew. No, this was not a good thing to think about, even for me.

I managed to kill off my laughter caused by my own joke, as tears began to form in the corner of my eyes. "Promise me this, Firefly; If we ever end up in the ass of the earth, I would like you to turn off your lights, as the sights we may see would be horrific, even for someone as unladylike as me."

"talk talk talk"

No more dreaming like a girl
So in love with the wrong world
[Image: K20W2We.png]
Ascended Helovian

Mauja the Frozen Light Posts: 1,392
Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 10.5 | dam: 7.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 17.2 :: 14 HP: 79.5 | Buff: HUNTER
Irma :: Snowy Owl :: Terrorize & Diego :: Eurasian Eagle-Owl :: Rage Neo
#11
Mauja Frosthjärta
He wasn't at all sure what they were doing—what he was doing. But she reminded him of the warrior mares back home, the ones that were full of fire and life and flame.. the ones that shouldered in with the stallions, sometimes so much coarser. It was something about the way she laughed, her next words, the sentence they formed when strung together.. and the splendid imagery they supplied. He snorted, while she laughed, or guffawed more like it. Was it his icy control that smothered his own mirth? Or was he simply not the type to throw back his head and roar with laughter? Mauja was all silent smiles, amusement dancing in his eyes instead of on the wind—and, he thought as his lips curled into a crooked grin, it wasn't only because he was controlled. It was simply who he was.

"I guess that's where we all go in the end," he replied, theatrically turning his glowing head to peer in an arc from left to right. Which way lay the earth's ass? Had they entered the Sanctuary through the mouth, and would they leave it in another direction? The sound of her laughter was large in the cavern, and yet oddly small, bouncing through the blackness and swallowed by the sand. The echo died surprisingly quick once she'd smothered her own joy (he sort of wondered what kind of humor she had, if imagining over-sized, underground asses made her laugh so badly). He shifted on the ground. Probably the sand.

"Aah.." he sighed, wistfully almost, exhaling long and slowly into the blackness. His tail whipped against the wall, unseen by his hocks. "Alas, I would if I could. I think if we ever walk that far, you'd have to raise on your bear-paws and hold across my face, for this glow cannot go out." He spoke with a tragic, grave voice, as if bearing dire, or sorrowful, news, but the corner of his mouth was flicked upwards. He peered into the dark beside her for a moment. Was it all just fancy talk, or would they actually go exploring, seeking the earth's rectum?

[ xD This was #777 ]
A million miles from home, I'm frozen to the bones, I am... a soldier on my own, I don't know the way.
angels, they fell first, but I'm still here

Quinn Posts: N/A
Unregistered
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#12

Quinn
War does not determine who is right -
only who is left.





"You really think we all end up in the earth's ass?" I asked after thinking about the possibility of that happening. It could be true, as life fucked us multiple times anyway. But, would it really be so bad to end up there? I mean, it would be warm and in a way, cosy. "I think it smells horrific there. Think of all the waste and bits and pieces of things and..ew" No, I didn't want to end up there, no matter how warm it may sound.

It was quite surreal to have this kind of conversation with one you hardly knew. I believe I have changed a lot, but this even scared me. How on earth would I look through his eyes, talking about waste and asses and whatnot?

I had to laugh again though, as Firefly told me about the tragic curse he could not turn off. The picture of me in my bear-outfit blocking his light may seem funny, but if it's one thing I know a lot about, it's curses. "Well, we could try to find the earth's ass and see if there is anything in there we can use to block your light, even if I would not like to put anything on my face that comes from anyones ass."

Oh, what a vivid imagination I have sometimes. I think it comes from me not being able to have a normal childhood, so maybe I kept some of the playfullness to compensate. "But to be honest, Firefly. I like the way you glow. You're like a beacon of light to those who are lost in the darkness and need help."

OOC: So sorry for the late reply! I've had zero muse lately and I don't want to write a bad reply just because I lack imagination :p





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