the Rift


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Déodat Posts: 174
Absent Abyss atk: 3.5 | def: 10 | dam: 7
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 17 hands :: 12 HP: 67.5 | Buff: NOVICE
Odette :: White German Shepherd :: None Minx
#1
Deodat

DEEOOOOOOO!!! DEEEOOOOODAAAAATTTTTTTTT

What is it? Déodat glowered as his companion shrieked in the back of his mind. Ever since the hound had developed mind speech she wouldn’t shut up. There was constant yammering about pointless things she had seen throughout her day. And since the start of their journey there was only ever one question.

WE HOME? She shrieked as he paced about at his legs. Her eyes stared up at him but he made no effort to meet her gaze. DEEEOOOOO Déodat inhaled sharply and glowered at the hound but when she had a smug light in her eyes he smirked back. The landscape was growing familiar and so his mood had been in lighter moods as of late. Saying goodbye had been far more difficult than he had anticipated. But his daughters needed him. There was so much he surely had missed since his disappearance. It pained him to think about what his daughters might’ve thought about him now. Any anger or bitterness he would take in stride. He would face them both without faltering and explain why he hadn’t returned the moment he was well. They would never truly understand for they never would meet their grandfather. They would never have to feel the disappointment of their grandfather. He had left it all behind now. The Blood Prince adorned in his red armor walked like a proud knight… A red knight. He shook thoughts of her away. There was no time to waste upon a flame that never burned.

For too long he had lived in the past that was now nothing more than ash. All he ever did was crave the northern home that was gone. The Blood Prince had returned there and despite his yearning for it, the place he yearned for was gone. Home wasn’t the wasteland that was his past. Home was where the auroras danced in the skies. Home was where the metal sentinels stood watch and they had mountains for walls. Home was the Aurora Basin.

DEEEEEEEEEOOOOO, Odette shrieked as she sprinted ahead. HOME!! At that his ears shot up and he galloped up near his bonded. When he saw the familiar sight of the Basin he could feel tears jerk at the edge of his eyes and he grinned.

“Home.” He exhaled and took off at a full gallop. And when the familiar sights of the Basin filled his vision he gave out joyous laugh as he gazed about at his home. Without waiting for any greeting or familiar faces he trotted to his cave and removed the red armor, tucking it away carefully. There was no use for it now for he was safe within the walls of the Basin.

Let find Mira and Arya. Find girls Déo! I want to see girls! Odette said brushing up against her legs. I miss them. I miss them lots.

He smiled at her and nodded. “Me to,” he said as he walked from the entrance of his cave and toward the lake to simply take in the familiarity of his home. It had been too long.

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"talk talk talk"


Coding by Tamme for selkie | Image by Dry-Oasis@dA
[Image: QV8O7HU.gif]
Cut from the cloth, of a flag that
Bears the name of "Battle Born"
con by aihnna@dA




Hotaru the Valkyrie Posts: 295
Outcast atk: 7 | def: 10.5 | dam: 3
Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.3hh :: 6 Years 3 Months HP: 67 | Buff: NOVICE
Alice :: Royal Hellhound :: Acid Brit
#2
As strong as the seas are stormy.</style>



Sometimes, Hotaru would stay awake at night, her neck draped over Arya's hips in their little cavern. She would contemplate the scar on her daughter's neck, the story her daughter had sobbed into her skin. Hotaru had never really loved anybody aside from the babe tucked close to her side, not even her sister or her parents. Yet when she thought of Déodat, when she imagined the fate that could have met him out on the ice, trying to protect the beautiful girl they'd made together...she would wonder if maybe she could have loved him, had she been born different. Unbroken. He had given her the greatest treasure in the world, after all. And though she had never really been inclined towards monogamy, to loving anybody at all, she had seen in him something valuable, something pure. He was a good man, and he had given her a daughter that had changed her world and taught her how to love again. Breathing softly against Arya's hip late at night, sometimes she would send a prayer up for him. For him to return home someday, for him to be alive, or for his death to have been quick and merciful. Though it was not late at night, she and Arya had retired to their cave for a quick nap together, needing the nearness after Hotaru had been gone once again. Yet still, she found herself unable to sleep, her mind abuzz with thoughts of Déodat once again.

One of the nearby caves clicked and echoed with the passing of someone, and Hotaru's ears pricked as she opened her eyes lazily. Realizing she wouldn't be getting any sleep, she carefully untangled herself from her daughter's clinging frame and pressed a soft kiss to the soft point behind her daughter's ear in silent goodbye as she turned and trailed out of their cave. She was feeling nostalgic, with her thoughts of Déodat, and so her slim hooves carried her onward without her guiding them, walking a trail of memories. Playing with her daughter, watching Arya and Mira play with Odette, watching Déodat spar with his warriors...and even newer memories, ones that had written themselves into the earth nearby the caverns where Arya and Hotaru slept. Her mind caressed them each as she recalled them, savoring and cherishing them. Years ago, she never would have believed how much her life could have changed, could have improved.

She never believed she could be as happy as she was.

Still, she often wished that Déodat was there, if not for Arya then for Hotaru. He had not been her mate, but they had a simple understanding of each other. They had been friends, once upon a time. Happily not together, she'd often amused herself with. They worked well together, raising Arya, and her daughter's tale of what had happened between the group that had attacked the filly and Déodat seemed to always cross her mind.

The lake was gleaming beneath the rays of the sun. It reminded her of the morning when she'd given birth to Arya. It had been her favored spot, after all, and she had meticulously prepared it before that morning. When her mind would not quiet, she would return to its shores, if only to bask in that memory. It was one of her happiest days, after all.

Except somebody else was already there.

Hotaru nearly turned and left, not wanting to share her sanctuary with anybody else. Except...she looked once more, and her eyes widened to see a familiar furry form bounding across the snow, tongue lolling happily. And at her side...Hotaru sucked in a gasp, feeling suddenly dizzy with the weight of her revelation.

"Déodat?" she whispered, as if she couldn't possibly lift her voice any higher.

Turning, she strode tentatively towards him, hesitant and unsure. Was it really him? Could it really be?

And then all at once she was running, sprinting across the snow towards him. "Déodat!" she called, her heart beating a mile a minute, as if it were determined to burst through her chest. Skidding as she attempted to stop, snow exploded around her in her passing as she whirled to stop his progress, facing him. She advanced, getting into his face, not sure if she wanted to hit him or scream at him or cry.

So she did all of them.

Ducking her head, she jumped at him, a mere lunge to try and butt her head against him. "You idiot!" she choked out, eyes moist and voice strangled with emotion. "You left! We thought you were dead!" Her voice wavered, because it hadn't just been Arya who had missed the brute, but her too. Not that she desired to admit that.

"We thought that...we...I thought..." her words broke apart, a few tears slipping down her cheeks. Did he know how much he meant to her? Perhaps she didn't love him, but she cared. As much as she wanted to be angry at him for Arya's sake alone, she simply couldn't. He'd grown on her without her realizing. Sucking in a breath to try and calm herself, she shook her head to try and hide her emotions, her tears. "Where have you been? What happened?" There, that was better.

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::Strong like the sea is stormy::

Please only tag starting posts, spars, and threads collecting dust!
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Saffron Posts: 61
Aurora Basin Soldier atk: 5 | def: 8.5 | dam: 5
Mare :: Other :: 46" :: 2 HP: 58.5 | Buff: NOVICE
Lauren
#3
Code:
With the conclusion of my spar I've found myself wandering around the Basin, lackluster and in pain. Though we both fought well, I feel that Arah certainly left her mark. No, there are no outside wounds, no battle scars to show the efforts made. All of the injuries left to me are hidden beneath my thick multi-hued pelt. It hurts to move, it hurts to breathe, and I find myself less than motivated to do much of anything besides rest. Today I rest in the sun by the lake, enjoying the grass rubbing against me, and the warmth of the sun to keep at bay the still-cool atmosphere of the mountain-lined land. Lying on my side, I doze with the songs of birds as my lullaby. I know that I must get stronger, faster, so I can be a better soldier and a better hunter. Not just for the Basin, though I suppose that is important, but even more so for myself. I don't want to be a weak tiger cub. I want to be the tigress that everyone in their right mind respects and fears. But right now I cannot engage in another fight. I need to heal and rebuild my strength before I walk down that path again.

But I hear hoofbeats, and sounds of joy, rage.. extremes. I lift my head and blink my eyes to clear away the drowsiness. I know neither of the beasts that I see now, also by the lake. I rise, picking my body up slowly from its warm spot, curious about these fellows that I have yet to meet. They are clearly from the Basin or they would not have gotten this far into the territory. As I pad toward them, I find more patches of snow - Birdsong has warmed up Helovia, but it won't rid the Basin of snow until Tallsun, if then. I get closer and hear the unicorn female shouting at the unicorn stallion. A hound runs behind the male, and I watch it with curiosity. As I near I overhear the last exclamations by the female. This stallion has been gone and returned home. Well, I suppose that shall be my entrance. I close the gap between us and sit down, curling my long, thick tail around my paws.

"G'day." I say to them both politely, then direct my next words toward the tricolored brute. "Sounds like a 'welcome home' is in order." There is no smile on my face, no light in my eyes but keen intelligence and perception. I mask my emotions well, hiding the curiosity and intrigue that rumble inside. And the latent pain of my ribs and shoulder.. no one shall know my weaknesses, at all costs.

"Speech."

SAFFRON
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*You may do anything you wish with Saffron excluding dismemberment and death.

Déodat Posts: 174
Absent Abyss atk: 3.5 | def: 10 | dam: 7
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 17 hands :: 12 HP: 67.5 | Buff: NOVICE
Odette :: White German Shepherd :: None Minx
#4
Deodat

Someone was already at the lake. Déodat stopped at the sight of his old friend. Odette yipped and whine with excitement and wagged her tail violently. There was no need for the hound to charge in her usual manner, for Hotaru was heading toward them. She called out his name and he felt a smile perk at the edge of his lips. Then she lunged and instinct took over. He flung himself out of the way, but still felt her head strike against his shoulder. She spluttered out words and he felt that familiar wave of guilt wash over him. He had left and hadn’t returned. There were reasons. There was someone. Someone with deep eyes that bore into him. Someone with an ability to see past the soldier and see the man.

Her emotions took him off guard. There were few he assumed that would get emotional over him. But he wouldn’t flatter himself. For she very well might be weeping for her daughter’s sake. No. their daughter. Time to be a father again and it was a welcome thing. He missed his girls, he missed their laughter and their smiles. Both were his world and the only things that mattered.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his words coming out gentle and soft even. “I had no intentions of worrying you or anyone. How is our daughter? And, do you know how Mirabella might be faring?” All he wished to hear was that they were alive, well, and happy. Little did he know of the misfortune that befell both in his absence. Before further questions could be answered, another came. A creature that he at first guessed was companion, but then, it spoke. For a long moment he looked at the feline.

That magic kitty, Odette said through their bond. We kill it? Déodat glanced at his companion with a single brow quirked. He wouldn’t even bother to answer that one. He turned his gaze to the feline and dipped his head in greeting.

“Who are you?” The question didn’t came out skeptical and flat. Why the hell did a feline lurk in the lands in the land of unicorns? Ah, she was better than other filth that roamed thie earth. For the moment though he would return to answering Hotaru’s questions.

“I was far north. I am sure Arya told you of the group that attacked us. They turned out to be slavers. Odette and I managed to kill two, but they eventually overtook me. She got away and followed the group after they dragged me far. Eventually, a small band of unicorns would find me and pull me out from the snow. That same band nursed me back to health.” He stopped and allowed it all to sink in. That was in truth the short version of it all. There would be no details of his raid upon the pegasi that seized his former home. There would be above all else, no talk of her for the sake of his beloved daughters.

"talk talk talk"


Coding by Tamme for selkie | Image by Dry-Oasis@dA
[Image: QV8O7HU.gif]
Cut from the cloth, of a flag that
Bears the name of "Battle Born"
con by aihnna@dA




Hotaru the Valkyrie Posts: 295
Outcast atk: 7 | def: 10.5 | dam: 3
Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.3hh :: 6 Years 3 Months HP: 67 | Buff: NOVICE
Alice :: Royal Hellhound :: Acid Brit
#5
As strong as the seas are stormy.</style>



If there was a plausible way to slow time, Hotaru had surely discovered it. It seemed even as she raced towards the handsome brute, he grew ever farther away. Like a rubber band it snapped, correcting the flow of the world as she kicked up snow and turf in her sudden appearance at his side. It felt as if the air could not adequately suck itself into her lungs, leaving her gasping and writhing beneath the pain of her own failure. For a terrifying moment she wondered if she was dreaming, hallucinating. When had he become so much to her? When did his life, his well-being, his mere presence, become something important to her? That was just as terrifying as the idea that she was merely imagining him there. Attachment was not something that had ever served Hotaru well in the past, after all.

But then her words were slamming past her lips as if desperate to get them to his ears, lest he disappear in the split second between one word and the next. His surprise was nearly as deep and warranted as her own, for the heaving of her chest and the crystalline tears in the corners of her eyes betrayed her odd new concern for him. It was not something she appreciated, but he seemed to understand that. His voice was soft, familiar. It wrapped around her like a blanket, giving her time to rest, to breathe, to think. To understand the words that he poured like honey into her ears, comforting.

"Please don't do it again," she begged quietly, as if suffering beneath the weight of her own sudden affection. Love in any form seemed to always turn around and slip its blade into the unsuspecting body of her beliefs. Even familial love, sororal, had done nothing but burn and harm her. Arya was the only one who loved Hotaru in equal amounts, never wavering, never tainted. It was why she could not trust herself with Rhiannon, why she was hesitant to proclaim any sort of feelings for the brindled devil. Was she even capable of it anymore?

"Arya...they chased her home, and slit her throat. She...she should have died-" she choked off into a pathetic squeaking noise, trembling physically with the reminder of the worst day of her entire life. "She should have. We think...we think she might not be able to, that the Gods blessed her with eternal life, but we're not sure. Lena healed her, she's okay now. She's doing well," she assured, aware that the shock would be just as bad for him secondhand as it had been for her to experience her daughter dying in her grasp.

"Mirabella disappeared. I searched everywhere for her after you disappeared, but I haven't found her yet. I'm sorry." It was genuine, one of the few sincere things Hotaru had perhaps ever spoken in her entire life. Was it a life worth living, one built on lies and treachery? Probably not, but Hotaru knew nothing else, was helpless to the fate of any other lifestyle.

They were interrupted momentarily, summarily, but luckily by a face that Hotaru could easily put a name to. One she knew well. "Saffron," she greeted simply, both a welcome and an announcement to the stallion still standing so close before her face, questioning what Hotaru had just answered for him. A flitting smile was all that could be awarded, too sucked into the vortex of her own concealed emotions to strike up any real conversation with the beautiful tigress.

The story of his absence came in time, drawing her attention away from Saffron and back to the brute. There was nothing for Hotaru to say, no other questions to be asked that wouldn't cross a line they'd always had between them. There was a reason they were not mates, after all. "I'm glad you are okay," was all she said, instead. "Arya will be ecstatic to see you." That, she had no doubts in.

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[Image: 515265280ffff]

::Strong like the sea is stormy::

Please only tag starting posts, spars, and threads collecting dust!
Plot with me here!


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