Evangeline could not say that she was entirely surprised that the stallion that called himself Far had chosen to follow her to the Edge. He had seemed completely out of sorts when he had noticed Tallis and even more so when the unicorn stallion and pegasus mare had showed up. It was her first time recruiting someone, however, and she had found that it was surprisingly easy. Maybe in a day or so she'd go back and see if she had good luck once more. "This is the World's Edge." The orange mare said to the stallion as they moved past the broken down glass wall. She glanced at it then at Far and offered a smile and wondered what he was thinking. She wondered if he was reconsidering his decision to follow her to the Edge because the wall certainly didn't make them look like they had anything together. "The wall did not always look like that. There was a time of darkness and during that time the wall was destroyed. I believe the glaziers are working on getting it back to what it looked like before." Tallis, who had decided to hitch a ride on his bonded's back, yawned and looked toward Far. During the trip he had, occasionally, looked at Far and flashed his teeth at the stallion. Anyone who knew the orange dragon would assume that he was only smiling and trying to be friendly. But Tallis knew that the newcomer was afraid of him and was eating it up. No one was really afraid of him for no good reason and so he was having himself a bit of fun. "If you have any questions I'd be happy to answer them." She said as she came to a halt several yards past the wall. She turned toward Far, her ears tilting forward. "If you do not then we can meet with either the King or Queen before you begin exploring your new home." "." @[Far] @[Kahlua] autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower

The burnt-orange beast followed the Emissary, Evangeline, as they made their way to the location known as "World's Edge." He glanced at Tallis timidly, as every now and then, the tiny dragon amused himself with Far's obvious terror. Far tried his best not to meet the dragon's eyes any more, or see the sharp little teeth he made into a grin that Far found eerie. But alas, it was difficult not to see the shining of his brilliant teeth against the orange backdrop of his scales or his companion's back. Instead, he stared out into the wilderness surrounding them.

There was little yet but the trees, though he began to see things beyond. His fatigue made it difficult for him to show his interest, so he merely took it in, waiting patiently with every step.

Yet, though he was curious, he was still not sure whether this was a good idea. When he saw the glass wall, he felt an even greater tug of uncertainty. He dropped his muzzle low and tilted his head sideways to get a better look at the glass. It was... broken? He blinked, the amber rings around his pupils seemed to glow with puzzlement. Straightening, he eyed Evangeline quizzically, listening to her speak of the wall's fate. Unfortunately, the dragon was still grinning at him. Far shuddered, despite himself, and suddenly became very focused on stepping past the wall carefully.

When his hostess had stopped, he trotted to catch up with her, his white feet and blaze flashing in the light. He shook himself and his tail swept his hindquarters, again touching his bruised buttocks. He winced. At Evangeline's offer to answer his questions, he brightened.

"I do have some questions, if that's alright." He glanced at the wall and back at Evangeline. "I'm curious about the wall... how far does it go? And... what does it do? And who built it?" He paused, feeling silly for asking so much. Then, his ears fell. "Other dragons didn't do this, did they?" He looked hesitatingly at Tallis, and glanced away again, feeling embarrassed.
Kahlua Evangeline

Her ears tilted forward when the stallion admitted that he did have some questions and that was understandable. When she had first arrived in Helovia she had been in the same position and then again when she'd come back and found so many things had changed. When he asked about the wall she looked at it, remembering how magnificent it had been when Kahlua had created it. 'Silly Queen' Tallis crooned affectionately as his bonded thought about the glazier that had become queen. "When it was standing it stretched the length of the boarder." She answered. "There were three entrances, one on each end and one in the middle." There had been a certain level of comfort when the wall was standing that was now lacking. She felt that the warriors certainly had their work cut out for them and didn't envy them. "It was built as a barrier to keep us safe. I know for sure that Kahlua had a hand in building it before she became queen." His next question made the mare laugh quietly. She didn't understand his fear of dragons, but perhaps that was because she'd been bonded to one for half of her life. "No, dragons didn't do this." She answered. "We're not really sure what did it, but I'm confident that it was not dragons. I find that they're generally pretty peaceful unless provoked." "." @[Far] autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower

StormBringer Since his talk with the wise, beautiful Evangeline, Kaj had certainly taken her advice to heart. Not enough for his duties to be left in shambles, but his mind had become more consciously occupied with figuring out the true depth of his feelings for Kahlua. It was a slow, tedious process, one that left him more mentally and emotionally exhausted than anything else. Regardless, he trusted Evangeline implicitly, and her advice would be taken as seriously as possible, for she would not have set the task upon him were it not for a good reason. Though he didn't know how he felt, going back on such age old implanted thoughts that a mare was to come before any stallion, Kaj knew it was time he started to embrace the customs of equality that Helovians seemed to partake in. His duties were not to be neglected, no matter the state of mind he was in, and so he had relieved one of the soldiers to take up the task himself despite it not being his turn. Gliding past the curve of the glass that marked the borders, dropping low on cool zephyr kisses until blanketed brown pillars grazed the tops of the trees. Kaj often found it was the best way to patrol from the skies, ensuring the distance was short enough from the ground to be able to spy everything with potential malicious intent. Instead what fell beneath keen cobalt irises was a duo standing amid the shattered glass and dilapidated remains of the skeleton wall. One was an unfamiliar figure, a new face, but the other was easily recalled by the exotic paled marking upon her shoulder and the autumn inspired orange of her coat. Evangeline. Ironic, perhaps, that she appeared as she had just been present on his mind. Desiring to see both her and the new recruit, the Storm Bringer brought the cusp of his wings to the curve of pale belly and dropped from the skies through the treetops. Landing with a heavy clash of hooves upon soft earth, Kaj jogged off the residual momentum, approaching the two with a warm, welcoming smile. Pausing before them, he took advantage of the spacious clearing, letting massive wings extend and expand, shaking free the tension of flight from strong shoulders before fixing his gaze on the conversing pair. First he turned to Evangeline, smile softening and becoming more intimate with the relationship that existed between them and absent between the king and the newcomer. "I am glad to see you well, Evangeline. Has your trip treated you well? I see you bring a new face," he slipped easily into the transition of talking to Far instead of Evangeline, turning to regard him with critical eye but welcoming smile. "Welcome, friend. I am Kaj the Storm Bringer, King of these lands. What may I do for you?" Though he trusted Evangeline to do a more than efficient job, he was just as eager to inform and please the hopeful new recruit.

venomxbaby @ DA :: Blusl @ DA

Evangeline’s answers were a welcome relief to Far’s wearied mind, and though he felt a tug of guilt for not looking for his former home, he knew a rest would do him nothing but good. But perhaps he’d wait to explain himself in the morning… A good rest and he’d set out on his way, perhaps find a guide to help him find his way back to where he belonged… Then he’d locate his family and make sure all was well. Yes, it was all so simple. It would all be… quite easy… Certainly, all would be well.

Far’s fatigue weighed on him. His body felt heavy. All the excitement of the day was fairing to be more than he’d dealt with in a good while, hailing from a home where the major fears were large cats, bears, and his own kind. The scariest beasts did not reach them there, and had not for so long that they’d all but forgotten them in tales of legend. He was beginning to believe he was most certainly cursed, brought into a world where the legends were real and he’d likely be fileted on a stick by a giant before he could ever kiss the earth he loved...

As he was pondering all of this, Far nodded to himself. He could probably trust Evangeline, he concluded. After all, her dragon had had plenty of opportunities to fry him, and while perhaps the worst was only yet to come—ever the optimist—he knew that it wasn’t going to help him to tire himself out so with worry. After all, he’d come such a long way… It was only right to show appreciation to the welcoming committee. Bowing his head, he said, "Thank you for your kindness."

Then, quite suddenly—

Far could hear him before he could see him, crown lifting, ears pulling backwards, nostrils flaring, gold-rimmed eyes twisting towards the sky. Then, turning, the skittish creature snorted in surprise, backing up a step when he saw the winged marvel of gold. His eyes wide, the orange stallion stayed where he was but a fine shiver ran the length of him.

'I really bloody-well wish people would stop just bloody-well showing up like that...' he thought, though uncertain how he'd rather they did show up. As the other stallion extended and shook his feathers, Far thought, 'Well now the bloke's showing off...'

Yet, as the approaching creature's voice hit his ears in a wave, the tones were pleasing. He was reminded of Ciceron, and allowed himself to calm a bit. At least folks were friendly, even if they did scare the soul out of you.

Bowing again shortly, his nose to his knee, he straightened in a moment and tried not to stare at Kaj's immensely impressive wingspan...

" Uh pleasure... y-your highness. 'F-Far Fetched'... be m'name, sir. 'Far' if it pleases... He paused, glancing at Evangeline. "I was a bit uh... lost. This fine lady was showing me the uh... l-landscape..." He broke off, uncertain how to proceed and not terribly certain if he was using his manners appropriately. It had been a while since he'd had to call someone else 'your highness.' "And--'do for me,' y'say? Hah, no sir... What may I do for you? His mouth twisted into something he hoped was a smile, though the effort was obviously slightly forced and the look in his eyes gave him the image of someone mildly deranged. But hopefully, the other would see him as no threat, as he most certainly wasn't... Just a bit scared out of his mind.

Kaj Evangeline

'Stormcloud.' Tallis purred the name that he had given the King of the Edge, sounding more feline than reptilian. It was no secret to Eva or anyone that paid attention to the orange dragon that he liked the King. He wasn't as forthcoming with his affection with Kahlua, but he liked her as well. His interruption, however, had Eva looking around for the king. Not once did it occur to her that he would come swooping in from above and when he did she startled and skittered back several steps as he came to land rather gracefully. The orange mare put a smile on when Kaj greeted her, though her heart felt like it was going to come through her chest. She took a deep breath to calm herself and as she calmed her smile became more genuine. "Hello, Kaj" She returned his greeting. "I have." She confirmed, though she really didn't need to. He was already greeting the new comer she had brought along with her and while they exchanged names she remained quiet, observing the two stallions. Far seemed to already be quite intimidated by the king after the entrance that he had made. "Well, Kaj." Right then seemed as good a time as any. "I think I'll leave Far with you and I'll be on my way. I'm sure whatever questions he'll probably have about the ins and outs of the herd would be better answered by you rather than myself." Perhaps the king would be able to give the new stallion an idea of a job he could perform for the Edge. She turned her attention to Far and smiled again. "It was a pleasure to meet you, I hope you find the Edge and its members to your liking... I assure you that there is no reason for you to be frightened of any of them." With that she stepped back, turned, and trotted off into the forest, leaving the king and his newest subject to their own devices. "." @[Kaj] @[Far] ooc:// omg, i'm so sorry for the wait! autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower

Far--eyeing the fleur de lis on Evangeline's left wither as if just seeing it for the first time--began nibbling at the inside of his cheek as though deep in thought. He was sorry to see her go, even found that he was sorry to see the dragon leave, despite their past... er... differences. He felt a guilt well up in his chest for not having said more by way of gratitude. His eyes followed the lady until she'd disappeared and he hadn't the time to say goodbye. He reasoned that she was likely very busy. A herd that, no doubt, was as large as this one must have been (he assumed, based on the size of the area and from what minimal scents he could catch), was probably very busy keeping its members safe within the walls of such a miraculous area.

Glancing around him, he found this was a place that radiated with a glow of something warm and soothing... and yet, underlying was a feeling of something... hidden. Something his natural curiosity bugged him about. Whether it was positive or not, he couldn't tell. But he knew that if he had the chance to, he'd like to figure out what that something was...

He turned back to face the stallion that had so intimidated him, and bowed his head. He began to wonder if he should merely erase his past... start over... Would that be wrong? Perhaps the others were getting on fine without him, and with his second-in-command back home leading, then certainly they would be alright... He hoped... And with this hope, he spoke,

"I would be honored to serve you and learn from you, if you will allow it."

Kaj

OOC: Aw Ali, please don't worry about it, I'm sorry I was so worried I made a mistake. T_T I'm sure you're busy and have a life outside of here and I'm very grateful you took time away from all that to respond <3 I hope you have a great day and I look forward to playing with you again hopefully in the future when/if you're not too busy!

StormBringer OH MY GOD this got buried in my messages! I am SO sorry Moochi! I will totally manip @[Far] for this U____________U just PM me what you'd like! October lips curled in an elegant display of joy, pale gaze softening to see her similarly delighted by his arrival. Her shock was all that inspired the boyishly sheepish expression on his handsome face, a silent apology for the fright he'd given her. Sometimes it was easy to forget that those born without the feathered appendages he owed his blood to were susceptible to fright from interjection from above. Even Far, the new potential member, seemed intimidated by his arrival. He'd have to remember to announce himself more thoroughly in the future. Souls such as Resplendence, his precious aardbei, would have been frightened off completely by such a thoughtless action. Evangeline too seemed to notice Far's expression, her lovely voice ringing forth in amused shifting of care of the new member, turning him over to Kaj and disappearing with a hidden laugh woven into her lyrics. Kaj fumbled momentarily, not sure how to handle her abrupt departure, only for Far's sudden shuffling and the sound of tresses shifting against the fine hairs of skin. Crown shifted to view the stallion once more, away from where Evangeline's pale plume was disappearing into the fog, the absence she left, and regarded him curiously. Far was bowing his head, a respectful gesture that Kaj appreciated, a light smile playing on pale golden lips. His own followed soon after, brief and shallower than the one given to him. Precious, a gift. Something he had worked hard to earn, that instinctive respect borne from a title. Gravelly words translated Far's desires, and Kaj nodded to himself, a hum vibrating his throat softly as he considered the words. "As I would be honored to have you in my family, Far. What is it you desire? What rank do you aspire towards? I may not be the most qualified teacher depending on your goals." Kaj was a qualified instructor only in the ways of war and brotherhood. He doubted he could rightly teach anything to do with healing, diplomacy, or thievery. As if he could sneak around at all with his lumbering form and attention-drawing coat scheme. Wings shuffled to fold along his sides, regarding Far with a small smile, showing as clearly as he could with his body language that Kaj intended to stay and chat with Far as long as the stallion desired. He would simply not be a shoddy king.

venomxbaby @ DA :: Blusl @ DA

OOC: It's okay! And I'd be honored to receive a manip! You don't have to do it if you're busy though. :) Just having your response is wonderful! I really missed all the storytelling and the writing and sharing ideas. :) I haven't rped on a board in a LONG TIME so I'm rusty too... I should have sent another message or something but I thought it was probably for a good reason that you didn't respond. I'm just glad I didn't do something wrong. I was really worried about missing a rule or something xD

Far was relieved by the golden pegasus' response, and his ears flicked forward at rapt attention as the other spoke. Far felt the tension flow out of his body a bit. This was someone he could respect. Someone he could rely on, who could rely on him. His only worry now was his decision...

Should he explain himself completely? Should he show his hand? His mind whirled as he stood there, and his tail shifted and furled and unfurled around his leg. His withers shivered at the presence of flies and his nostrils widened with a sharp intake of air as he prepared to speak. A blink of his golden-encircled brown orbs and...

"I aven't always been the wee cowed colt y'see before ye," he said, somewhat sheepishly. "I fear that family life in a... secluded area... has made me... soft. I aven't seen what ya might call 'true battle' since me early years. I'm quite certain that now I'm a bit more attuned with my mental abilities than with me ol' battle-strength. Perhaps with time and practice... He broke off, feeling foalish. After another moment of thought, he added, "I may do well with other workforce of some odd sort. Perhaps I might use my mind better to m'new family's benefit... Perhaps... you've a force involving mental strength over the physical?" He tilted his head to one side as he watched his new leader questioningly, allowing his lilting words to hang in the air.

As he watched the golden stallion, he considered his own worth. What was he good at? What was he capable of? He had killed for his family before... Had killed for both his families. He knew battle but he also knew that he was both rusty and not at all fond of killing... His muscles had gone loose, his flexibility was not what it had been. He'd grown lazier with time and lack of fights. But he had also become hyper-aware. His family was his number one priority. But while he was not certain where he was in relation to his old home, at least he could be of use to someone else...

Kaj