the Rift


[OPEN] Over the Creek

Ghost the Cadaverous Posts: 219
Outcast atk: 5.5 | def: 10.5 | dam: 5.5
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16hh :: 6 years HP: 67 | Buff: ENDURE
Fantôme :: Grey Wolf :: None imi
#1
Did I send a shiver down your spine?
Well I do it all the time, it's a little trick of mine.


I like the cold up here, it's a refreshing relief from the warmth miles below, but still even the frosty north was not free of this horrid summer. I'm here on patrol, to see the snowier side of a land I do not often visit, yet still I wonder if I am not just lying to myself in order to escape Tallsun. I wouldn't be surprised. It is not the only reason I am here, however. There's a newborn youth at my side who much preferred to stalk the mountain range than hunt the woods, though his current abilities left much to be desired in my own opinion. I let him roll around and flaunt his adolescence knowing that it would one day leave him, he might as well enjoy the only freedom there was in life. In fact, it was rather a relief to feel his innocent influence on my own mind and enjoy his happiness, my life has been void of such things for so long I was almost thinking him a gift. Almost. He was a handful and a pain most times, I still don't understand how I have come to end up with a wolf pup at my feet, but this land has never been known for conforming to the natural process of nature. Just look at me!

Eventually I find myself at the doorstep of a frozen archway that stood like an opening invitation for shelter away from the sweltering sunshine. I quite gladly enter it, my feet making a soft thud as they connect with the harder surface whilst I admire the icy structure. This was more like a wonder of nature that enveloped me in its frosty embrace. I could quite get used to this beautifully cold feeling, perhaps I have found myself a new favourite place to hang out. For a while I forget the worries of my title and enjoy a solitary moment of peace.

I remember a boy I once found whilst roaming this mountain range. He was odd, certainly stranger than myself and at the time I admit I was a rather weird child. With him had been a tiger cub and I had pleaded him to take my wings from me, the feathered extensions that I had loathed so much only to come to love. In the end I had failed to be rid of them and that boy passed into memory like most things did. I still remember him though. I never met many souls as a kid, I strayed often from my disgrace of a mother and lingered in lonely places.

Looking at myself now, I begin to wonder what on earth happened.

(@[Volterra] & Open)

Let the heat of the sun
Reignite your memory
Because if we just turn and run
Let them fire the gun

❚ Force permitted, just don't kill her :3
❚ Please tag me!
❚ Pixel by Nyte

Volterra the Indomitable Posts: 785
Dragon's Throat Sultan atk: 8.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 8.5
Stallion :: Equine :: 17'2hh :: 3 HP: 80 | Buff: SENSE
Vérzés :: Common Red Dragon :: Frost Breath & Toxic Breath & Vadir :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath & Shock Breath Snow
#2
and it's our time now if you want it to be
maul the world like the carnival bear set free

He enjoys the snow, the sweet crunch of it beneath his hooves. Perhaps he is drawn to it because this is where he spent a lot of his time during his formative weeks. Perhaps it is because there is something icy inside the crimson dragon that has bonded his mind to the colt's, leading both of them to enjoy the sensation of cold. Or, perhaps, it is simply that he enjoys how it feels beneath his body, enjoys frolicking through it like the boy he is rapidly growing out of.

Vérzés seems quite enamoured with the white substance beneath the feet of his bonded, and his ruby wings spread wide as he leaps from Volterra's scarred shoulders to dive into a nearby snowdrift. A smile flexes across the beastling's face at the memory of Ophelia's silver doing something similar, back when having a dragon had been a distant hope rather than a beautiful reality. He can feel Vérzés' boyish delight emenating into his mind, because the dragon is still young and there is something of the child about him. He develops slower than Volterra, and the colt knows he must allow his dragon to play and be a youngster even amidst the ardous training the pair have both been undergoing for weeks now. Vérzés clambers out from the patch of snow, chirping happily as it moistens and cools his scales. The heat of summer is taxing, and even the sparce patches of snow make a pleasant change from constant greenery.

Again the dragon's muscular wings bat and he takes to the skies, circling and corkscrewing above the giant colt's head. Volterra has noticed that Vérzés is not as agile as his father's green because he is a lot bulkier and more masculine than Cynder ever was, but the crimson is still capable of admirable aerial acrobatics which Volterra never tires of witnessing. His head cranes back, watching the ruby figure of his mind-partner soar high above, a smile flexing across his sharp young features at the sight. So engrossed is he in watching his bonded that he almost doesn't see the hybrid mare up ahead beneath the icy arch, and is only notifed of her when Vérzés sends him an image. Wings, horns, and a furry bundle by her side - certainly interesting.

Curiosity piqued, Volterra heads towards her. "Hello," he greets, ears perked forwards and stocky limbs drawn into a perfect square halt as he looks up at her. He doesn't have to look up as much as he once would have to see her face, because he has grown much larger and bulkier in recent weeks to grow more into his sire's draft heritage, yet there's still a decidedly upwards tilt of his head in order to try and catch her eye. He feels a swish of air and with a heavy thud Vérzés lands on his back, claws digging into flesh that is already hard and scarred from multiple landings by the dragon. The crimson peers down, far more taken with the wolf pup than the mare next to it.

image credits


@[Ghost]

[ you can't stray from what you are, you're the closest thing to hell i've seen so far  ]
[ use of force/magic on him is permitted aside from death/maiming ]




Ghost the Cadaverous Posts: 219
Outcast atk: 5.5 | def: 10.5 | dam: 5.5
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16hh :: 6 years HP: 67 | Buff: ENDURE
Fantôme :: Grey Wolf :: None imi
#3
Did I send a shiver down your spine?
Well I do it all the time, it's a little trick of mine.


As my memory of Prometheus fades away it was almost like déjà vu when the white-faced colt approaches. Even at his young age he was already growing quite tall and I guess in seasons to come he will tower over my skinny form. His eyes a captivating red that drew my gaze to wander over him and ponder over who his parents were. A simple greeting leaves his lips as a red dragon lands promptly on his back and I almost wince at the thought of claws digging in. I already knew what damage a dragon could do, my back and face were still healing from the scars that bronze had left me. I shuffled my wings and watched the crimson reptile as it eyed Fantôme. The pup had quite quickly hidden behind one of my thin front legs and peered around like a frightened chicken. I suppressed a sigh, still, at least he was smart enough to hide rather than foolishly show off in front of a creature that could easily take him out. Perhaps I should be more thankful that brain was working between his overly large ears.

I turn away from the red devil and to the colt now, considering him with dark, thoughtful eyes. "Who might you be?" I ask, genuinely curious as to who had disturbed her moment of peace that had only lasted a mere few minutes. I wonder if this child had met me a few years back, when I was smaller than he is now, if he would have tried to take away my wings if I had asked him to. They had been only small back then after all and I’m sure his dragon would be more than capable. Maybe fate had protected me that day or, and the one I liked to think was probably right, it was just luck that gave me the gift of time. Time to understand that I needed the feathers later.

Drawing my thoughts back to the present, I initiate a little more and this time I draw attention to his merle friend. "Your bond mate is impressive, where did you find him?" I had seen dragons before but never one that accompanied such a young child. It made the question "where are your parents?" seem stupid considering the protection the reptile would surely give and continue to give as it grew. Besides, I knew what it was like to be a child who strayed from their mothers side, I saw my dam very little during childhood. I don't see her at all now and I am quite glad of it. I wonder if this lad is the same too, if the call to be independent ran as strongly through his blood as it had done mine and in the end had decided to forge his own path.

Was he an outcast too? Like I had once been.

@[Volterra]

Let the heat of the sun
Reignite your memory
Because if we just turn and run
Let them fire the gun

❚ Force permitted, just don't kill her :3
❚ Please tag me!
❚ Pixel by Nyte

Volterra the Indomitable Posts: 785
Dragon's Throat Sultan atk: 8.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 8.5
Stallion :: Equine :: 17'2hh :: 3 HP: 80 | Buff: SENSE
Vérzés :: Common Red Dragon :: Frost Breath & Toxic Breath & Vadir :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath & Shock Breath Snow
#4
and it's our time now if you want it to be
maul the world like the carnival bear set free

The pup hides behind one of the mare's legs, and the crimson dragon continues to stare hungrily down at it. Volterra can sense his bonded is torn between whether the fluffy bundle is food or friend, so settles for simply staring at it until told otherwise. Vérzés is not yet old enough to differentiate between what he should be eating and what he shouldn't, and Volterra knows he must train such knowledge into him sooner rather than later. He had found out the hard way that dragons don't always know instinctively what they should and shouldn't do - the flesh between his nostrils will forever bear a scar from where Nymeria's black hatchling had decided to take his first bite of horsemeat from Volterra's face.

"My name is Volterra, and this is Vérzés," he introduces. The dragon chirps at the sound of his name, paws wrapping around his bonded's ears to anchor himself in place as he leans further and further forwards in order to crane his neck curiously at the hiding pup. "What's your name, miss? And your...companion?" Was it her companion, or just some random prey animal that had decided to hide behind her?

The mare's next question is a pleasing one - at being called impressive, Vérzés puffs up and releases a loud croon of delight, tearing his gaze away from the pup to instead draw himself to his full height. His hind-claws knot into the tufty beginnings of Volterra's mane as he rears high, wings spreading and chest pumping. Ah, yes, that famed dragon vanity. Volterra had been on the wrong end of it when Abraham's white took offense to him pointing out that she wasn't a queen - which he still stood by, even moreso now he had Vérzés to educate him in dragon culture, because the red had been positively disgusted at the notion that a white would dare consider herself a queen - and it seems to be a particular species trait.

Volterra himself has a touch of dragon vanity too, it seems, as he never passes up on an opportunity to tell the tale of how he came to bond to his crimson. "I stumbled across a wild dragoness who was dying - she had been attacked, and all her eggs smashed except for one red one. I stayed with her while she died, made sure no wild animals came to peck at her or anything, and in return she gave me the egg." He couldn't have thought of a way he would have rather found his egg. To have witnessed the green unfurl herself and optionally give the ruby sphere to him as she died...ah, he had been truly blessed! She must have recognised his strength, his respect towards dragons, must have known he would take good care of her child. And he had.

image credits


@[Ghost]

[ you can't stray from what you are, you're the closest thing to hell i've seen so far  ]
[ use of force/magic on him is permitted aside from death/maiming ]




Ghost the Cadaverous Posts: 219
Outcast atk: 5.5 | def: 10.5 | dam: 5.5
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16hh :: 6 years HP: 67 | Buff: ENDURE
Fantôme :: Grey Wolf :: None imi
#5
Did I send a shiver down your spine?
Well I do it all the time, it's a little trick of mine.


I try ignoring the wolf’s frightened urges from behind my forelegs, a bit of fear now and then only made the mind wiser, as long as the dragon remained on his perch. When he grew older perhaps he will find a way to mask this suffocating emotion, but for now, it was a learning process. Even I with my mother’s training could not control fear very well. Looking at the reptile now I wonder what would happen if one were allowed to grow as big as legend, surely horses would no longer rule these lands? It was a thought that interested me, but for now, it was irrelevant as this red was a miniature cousin of a greater creature that did not reside in these parts. I hoped. I did not wish for one such dragon to appear anytime soon.

The child offers up a pair of names, Volterra and Vérzés, easy enough to remember as it lifted kindly off the tongue and stuck in the memory. I nod to the calling dragon and turn to the boy, my go apparently. I used to be opposed to offering my name until time turned me into a crown bearer and gave me little choice. My name was odd, it didn’t suit my appearance and yet I thought I fit into it neatly enough. It was given to me by my mother who had no talent in naming, in fact, she had no talent at all; foul mare. "I am Ghost and the cowering wolf is Fantôme" I watch the pup drag his gaze from the dragon only for a moment to give me a disgusted look and I simply shrug. Sometimes honesty was enough of a slap to overcome a fear or maybe he’ll never look at me again.

I find the dragon’s vain display a touch too vibrant for my own taste, but I cover it with an appreciative smile. Perhaps I should remember the name Volterra and his red dragon, he posed no threat yet, but the potential was surely there. Or maybe he might be a useful contact to have in the future though I chide myself on my thoughts of utilizing this boy already. Who knows what he’ll turn out to be? I might never see him again after this. I listen intently, however, to his story of bond and of how he came to find a dragon egg. "How valiant of you" I complimented him "a worthy prize for your kindness" and a gift that will surely keep on giving. In essence the boy had stumbled across a gold mine and coincidence had dug him up a dragon. I was no big believer of fate.

"What brings you here?" I ask curiously, wondering whether he was simply exploring or if there was some other motive.

@[Volterra]

Let the heat of the sun
Reignite your memory
Because if we just turn and run
Let them fire the gun

❚ Force permitted, just don't kill her :3
❚ Please tag me!
❚ Pixel by Nyte

Volterra the Indomitable Posts: 785
Dragon's Throat Sultan atk: 8.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 8.5
Stallion :: Equine :: 17'2hh :: 3 HP: 80 | Buff: SENSE
Vérzés :: Common Red Dragon :: Frost Breath & Toxic Breath & Vadir :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath & Shock Breath Snow
#6
and it's our time now if you want it to be
maul the world like the carnival bear set free

The mare gives her name, and that of her cowering companion. Wolf, she says. Ah, a carnivore. That seems to settle matters for the crimson dragon, who huffs and settles deeper into his bonded's mane. Wolves are fierce creatures, wonderful beasts of legend, not food. One day this pup will be a hunter, feared and revered, rather like Vérzés himself. "Why does he cower?" questions the colt. If it were him, he would not allow his companion to cower. The red king that shares his mind knows better than to show weakness, and thus the young titan expects that all bonded pairs are the same way. Perhaps Ghost simply hasn't got around to training her pup just yet?

The compliment inflates his already swollen ego and he shuffles rather proudly - he is nothing if not shallow, easily won over by a kind word or caress to his arrogance. Kindness is not an emotion he is accustomed to being complimented on, however. Mother taught them that it was survival of the fittest, that there was no time for empathy in their dog-eat-dog world, yet Volterra's love for the dignity of dragons had overwhelmed all his teachings. And look at the reward he had reaped for the act! Whatever the green had seen in him, she had deemed him worthy, and blessed him with everything he'd always wanted. The red is everything the young warmonger had wanted from a bond and more.

At the hybrid's question, his shoulders shift into a shrug. The red aboard them hisses at the disruption, his claws digging painfully further into his flesh. "I like it here - it's pleasantly cold, and it gets me away from Mother for a bit." A sardonic smile twists his lips. Oh, he adores the World Eater with everything he has, but he is a young boy and needs his own space. He cannot train with Confutatis every minute of every day, as much as she may wish it. "What about you?" His nostrils flare, hunting for the scent of a herd on her - he detects something, but knows not what it is.

image credits


@[Ghost]

[ you can't stray from what you are, you're the closest thing to hell i've seen so far  ]
[ use of force/magic on him is permitted aside from death/maiming ]





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