the Rift


[OPEN] And this is how I shall start my life.

Karalius Posts: N/A
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#1



Upon his arrival, the clouded brute had come forth after meeting several of his own kind in the Threshold. Helovia was a becoming land, and into this land he stepped on muscled pillars that clipped the soft grass. Its signs of aging in this Orangemoon was becoming apparent, but nonetheless it was comforting on the proud daggers of Karalius. His golden shoulder marking shone in the light, as the light danced equally enticing onto his golden orbs that reflected the splendour he was witnessing. Even for a stubborn, proud and cold-hearted brute, this place was beautifully soothing.

He slowly took in his surroundings, only really paying attention to the sky that was shining a dull orange as the sun faded and sank down. It was said that the sun would be dragged back down to the ground everyday by the unknown gods of the world who deemed to 'own' this ball of light. Yet Karalius knew this just to be a foals tale. The pale light gave deep warmth aswell, which heated his strengthened and youthful bodice in the dying times of the year.

Pricking his tapered ears this way and that, his hearing senses tipped to the slightest sound that would suggest life. He had no interest in who came that day as he was already achieving his first main goal: to be part of this land. He recalled as Andash, his ivory winged half-brother, had described the world that now lay out before him. It seemed incredible to him now, that after all this time he was no longer the young yearling that heard the tales of a winged brute that he called brother but bore no blood relevance to him, yet Karalius simply listened intently. It was now time to fulfill the dreams he had as a young brute, to become the best and this was where he would make this. Being part of a simple herd was not what Karalius desired; no. It was with a mischevious mind that he become the brute of all, conquerer of sorts.

Yet as his mind wandered in these thoughts, he continued to scope the land. Noticing a wide river out before him, he strutted towards it in a cool fashion and lapped at the water. Its cool waves tingled his senses and cooled off his bodice. Now he was no longer paying attention to anything, not the scenery, not whether there was life, not whether he was alone and safe.



Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#2

ISOPIA
And we came forth to contemplate the stars


Isopia had been following the river from the ocean. The child of earth and water was understandably drawn to where the components of her heritage met, and she felt rather soothed by the ocean's waves as they gently disappeared into the surge of the river, and the trickle of the stream that she knew to be much farther ahead. None of this water made it into the Hidden Falls - stopping just short of her home - but it was as good of a path as any to return by.

On impossibly long limbs, the earthen child wandered. Her death-masked skull was lowered to the water, as her raven hooves splashed through the water. She adjusted her course every now and then to move around particularly large rocks on the shore, but for the most part she kept up to her fetlocks emerged. The bite of the water didn't bother her - her legs had grown numb long ago, and because her barrel was so far away thanks to the height of her limbs, her core temperature hadn't dropped as a result. Her mis-matched wings hung loosely from her sides as she moved, partially covering up the bloody-patchwork that dotted her left side.

She wasn't just following the water though, she was inspecting it for clarity and health. Although the water wasn't alive, it housed many ecosystems and lifeforms. Isopia was currently trying to inspect the health of those ecosystems. This Tallsun had been particularly hot, given that the Moon Goddess had been banished. Without her light and winds to cool off the nights, the heat had risen to sweltering heights. Fires had started and crops had died. Parts of the land that should not have been impacted were - and the demi-child wanted to know if these waters had been as well.

As such, she hardly noticed Karalius as she splashed through. She was too intent on the bacteria and algae that she could make out on the rocks, to notice the gold-splattered stallion on the opposite bank.



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Karalius Posts: N/A
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#3



Karalius never stopped lapping up the cool, refreshing water from the river. It was all so overwhelmingly new and exciting to the young brute, the clouded pelt now beginning to omit the same golden glow as his golden shoulder marking that grazed his pelt like an artistic mistake. His ears began to pick up the faint sound of the birds in the distance as they travelled across the dying light of the sky, but he still paid little attention to this. For a brute that thought himself so sure and safe in his own daggers, he was not one to rely on the senses he had been born with.

But then he began to pick up the sound that might have put this arrogance to the test: it was life. He turned his cranium quickly and by doing so splashed the water onto his velveteens and into his orbs, making him squint and shake his cranium vigorously in embarrassment. If anyone saw-shit. He had been seen, and instead of simply letting his eager bodice do the work for him to get him out of his embarrassment, he lifted his cranium high up and pushed out his chest at the expense of the strain on his tapered neck. The clouded brute was, in more than one way, a fool. He shook away the incident that occurred with the sharp and cold drips of water and instead shone his orbs in the direction of the creature that had appeared so suddenly on the other side of the bank. The splashes coming from the creature was what had alerted him, and it was only by chance (this time) that if the creature were to charge and lash out he could ready himself in time.
Yet as he glanced further, he found himself not needing to do this... just yet.

Stepping his pillars further into the river he began to push deeper in and by doing so the water levels rose against them, his dappled pelt growing wet and cold within it. But he was intent. And nosey. Tilting his cranium with curiosity, he studied the creature. Well, now he was closer he could easily spot the more feminine features of a dame. But in spite of this, he could not tell what species of creature she was. Her wings suggested the winged equines that had become a reluctant second family to him, yet she bore the horns of a ram. This confused his brain. Her entire bodice was a mixture of the mahoganies and russet that formed into a startling mismatch on the wings. But her extra items like the red cloak that swung from her back and the lighter markings across her face truly startled Karalius. Even spending the majority of his short life with winged creatures had not accustomed him to such a unique creature. With a metaphorical shake of his head, he cleared these thoughts from his mind and instantly began his routine of strutting towards her, skull held high and handsome in an order to impress. Not that he cared if he did, he was simply curious.

As he came closer he began to speak to her in a low and bass-like voice,
"I did not know I was sharing these lands with another."


@[Isopia]

Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#4

ISOPIA
And we came forth to contemplate the stars


I did not know I was sharing these lands with another

Isopia's skull-marked face immediately snapped upwards as her sharp golden gaze looked around the possessor of the voice who had interrupted her train of thought. Immediately she saw him - a dappled man of golden - wading his way towards her. Her eyes narrowed, curious about his intent. He obviously hadn't been looking to share the afternoon with another, or else he would have noticed her while she was still farther off. So if he wanted to be alone - as his near-accusation seemed to suggest - then why was he coming this way. Her ears flicked backwards against her skull for a moment before she forced them forward. As much as she wanted to disappear into her raven form and fly swiftly up, up and away, she resisted. Although social graces and political expectations seemed superficial and meaningless to her, she was working on them.

"Then you are ignorant. You share these lands with a multitude of others every single second. Even now, there are millions of bacteria surrounding you in the water, algae now on your hooves. In the air bacteria swim - and those are just a few of the ones that you can't see. There are the fish in this stream, the birds and the bugs. The creatures who live in this field." And you thought you were alone. Idiot. She concluded silently, although the condescension and academic disapproval in her voice implied the thoughts that she left unsaid.

As her movements halted and she regarded the golden stallion, her magic began to take hold. Her hooves disappeared into the river bed, suddenly becoming composed of rock herself. Where her ankles met the water the dark maroon skin suddenly became translucent - as if she was filled with water. Her body began to blend into the water, as if she were a mirror reflecting back its surface - yet it wasn't an illusion.

"Only the very self-centered think that they are ever alone." She concluded, shuffling her mis-matched wings against her flanks. Looking down on him - for she was quite a deal taller, she let her gaze wander to the bright golden marking that he bore on his shoulder. Briefly she wondered if the marking occurred naturally or whether it was placed there - like some sort of brand. Quickly though, she decided she didn't care one way or another. It didn't seem important.


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Karalius Posts: N/A
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#5



Karalius saw the unique dame's cranium markings as she flicked her head sharply towards the sounds of his prescence growing slowly towards her. The markings along the side of her skull actually seemed to represent the skull and it intrigued him, they suited the structure well, but still gave her an eery look. The brute watched intently as her orbs narrowed, also a golden tone that matched his. He tilted his head in restraint of affection to show her that he meant no harm but was not going to come further. There seemed an unease about the stance of the newcomer; it appeared like she was not one to stand her ground should she feel it unadvantageous.

Then you are ignorant. You share these lands with a multitude of others every single second. Even now, there are millions of bacteria surrounding you in the water, algae now on your hooves. In the air bacteria swim - and those are just a few of the ones that you can't see. There are the fish in this stream, the birds and the bugs. The creatures who live in this field.

The words took him aback as he was being lectured like a small yearling. He did not appreciate this, as he could tell from the youthful frame of the dame that she was no elder, perhaps, not even as old as he. Yet he had to admit that the russet queen was wise for her age. Yet the tone with which the dappled brute was being spoken to in was like an educated slap in the face. He was aware of some of the things that the winged/horned creature spoke of.

With a snap of his neck in polite frustration her arched his cranium to stare into her orbs, golden to golden,

"The herd that brought me up spoke of these things. There were people like you who knew of them, had that connection," his tone at that moment was a serious one, laced with deep bass. Then it suddenly changed as he continued, into a tone that could be classed as wisdom-like, "yet I cannot say I feel like the algae clinging to my daggers or the bacteria that swim around my person could constitute as a full being." Karalius picked his pillar up and placed it back into the water whilst lowering his handsome skull in a polite gesture towards the dame.

Yet as he stood there taking in the patronising tones of the newcomer, he witnessed something remarkable. And very strange. It seemed that the longer she stood in one place, the russet mare was becoming the scenery, and soon began to reflect the water. But the brute could not decide whether he was being tricked by the dying light or whether this was genuinely occurring in front of him. Even his winged counterparts back in his old home did not bear such powers. Instead, he shook the shock from his orbs and let it fall out of his body language as best as he could. It was, after all, impossible to ignore.

Only the very self-centered think that they are ever alone.

He shook his neck and stamped a hoof in frustration which with the clouded bodice could not hide. Why did this strange creature need to pick out the slightest thing from the first and only sentence he had uttered to her? His orbs glowed as he spoke further, "The alone I spoke of was the one within the mind, where no one can venture." Perhaps it sounded rude, but it was true. This meadow with its wide, soothing stream was a good place to collect thoughts and the brute had wanted time to plot his new life.

Karal soon saw her similar orbs gaze down at his golden marking, and there was a glimmer of what seemed like curiosty. His velveteens let out a faint smile, as he recalled the moment his winged family had gifted him the marking as a gesture of being part of them. They thought a shitty marking would replace their feathers he thought darkly. His dark thoughts translated into a dark tone as he spoke again, "I am Karalius. I would like to know the name of such a wise creature." His orbs glowed mischeviously and he flicked his dark tail locks in the same manner.


@[Isopia]

Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#6

ISOPIA
And we came forth to contemplate the stars


Isopia ignored the obvious frustration that darkened his handsome features. That what she was saying was coming across as rude or condescending was simply a consequence that they both would have to accept. For Iso, the content of her words was much more important than whatever slight the golden steed might have felt upon hearing them. Learning and understanding would always take precedence over wounded feelings.

...yet I cannot say I feel like the algae clinging to my daggers or the bacteria that swim around my person could constitute as a full being.

The girl shrugged her blood splattered shoulders with obvious contempt and frustration. Wasn't he listening to anything that she said? Did he not see the splicing that he was doing with his own words? "That doesn't matter. You said you didn't know you shared this lands with another. Just because you do not detect them does not mean they are not there-" But as he continued speaking, she let her darkened muzzle fall silent. Her ears perked forward, for it sounded as though perhaps his lips had moved long enough for his mind to catch up. For some she had seen that's how things had to work - they had to dribble out some nonesense before they actually said something clever. Patiently she waited - all ears now - even as her body faded away into the water.

The alone I spoke of was the one within the mind, where no one can venture.

It was the type of thing that had the potential to sound wise ... but was it? Her mind whirled, racing. She deciphered and tore apart the sentence silently, picking apart and into each of the words, drilling down to find their meanings. As she strung everything back up, she shook her death marked face once again.

"No.." She began, her golden eyes searching for his own. "I cannot venture into your mind - I do not have that power. Further, unless you had that power, when you first came upon me you would have no way of knowing whether or not that I did. But, given how rare it is to be able to invade another's thoughts, your initial assumption should have been that I wasn't capable of such things. And so, if you didn't believe that I could venture into your mind, then the alone of which you originally referred is still intact. If all it takes to be alone is to keep your mind private, then you still are. But-" At this she paused for a moment, to ensure that he was still listening before continuing. "That is not the same as sharing the lands with another. You made no reference to this concept of alone that you have in mind in your original statement. "

Her magic had now reached her shoulders and was starting to eat away at the feathers and bones of her wing, but Isopia clearly did not seem to mind. She was enthralled with this argument, however poor. "So, by your own lights, while you are sharing this land, you might still be alone while doing so." Those were his words, not hers. It sounded contradictory to her, and, just plain false. As the daughter of the Earth she knew very well about the sentience or lack thereof of micro-bacteria and other small organisms. But that did not mean their place in the world diminished.

As he spoke her name and asked for hers, she sighed, shifted uncomfortably which caused her magic to falter. Water which had reached above her shoulders suddenly splashed off, leaving her russet and maroon flesh moist and wet. Good for you. she felt like saying in response. She had been minding her own business, and how now done him the favor and service of working out his own thoughts for him - and now he wanted her name? Little did he know how precious such a thing was, and while she knew that such was common place at this point in a 'conversation', she was still unwilling. Very unwilling.

And so, she momentarily fumbled. She knew that the correct response was, Nice to meet you, I'm Isopia, but that wouldn't do. It hadn't been nice to meet him. It hadn't been ... anything really, and she would not share her name. Sorry to disappoint would also be a lie, for she wouldn't be disappointed. Exhaling harshly, annoyed that she hadn't yet found an easy way out of these sorts of predicaments, she simply shook her head.

"No. You may give me a name, if you need something to call me by. But you won't have mine."


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Karalius Posts: N/A
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#7



The darkly frosted pelt once again gave a shiver of frustration as he was being tormented with words that he could not even understand. Did they even fit togehter? Were they even words? Karalius understood, with a disgruntled look on his skull, that what this femme spoke of was indeed sense, of sorts... but it did not help his brain to try and figure it out. Perhaps that was this russet speckled newcomer's idea: to frustrate and piss him off. It's working he thought with slight amusement. Only Karalius was getting rather bored of the patronising words being spoken now.

As she continued, he flicked his tail locks to his right flanks, splashing cool drops of water onto his warm skin. He wondered whether the winged adopters had given him an ability to withstand cold. It was probably far off the truth and he was digressing into something totall irelevant to what the femme spoke about being alone and all that jazz, but the brute wanted to think of anything other than this petty argument. With a slight cough after her lengthy speech, he sighed and muttered,

"I have been informed dearly by your words. They are indeed wisdom," he then continued to try and diffuse the tension (or frustration) that hung around them like a bad smell, "I know I am certainly no longer alone. For starters I have your company on this evening." He attempted a smile. There was no need to get off on the wrong foot with the creatures that he was to share his life with in Helovia.

He stepped closer to the point that he could touch the dame should he ever want to, but no further. Even a young brute like Karalius understood boundaries in that sense.

No. You may give me a name, if you need something to call me by. But you won't have mine.

He was astounded that this unique creature was against giving a name. A name. He wasn't asking much, and it was niceities within the first point of meeting someone that the parties within a conversation know the names. As the light grew darker, he contrasted his voice to its darkness and instead tried a lighter tone to persuade her otherwise. "If you wish, I may do that. But I can assure you I would much rather use a name that you go by or deem fit to be called." Difficult, perhaps?


@[Isopia]

Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#8

ISOPIA
And we came forth to contemplate the stars


For starters I have your company on this evening.

Isopia cringed, though she did her best to hide it. She interpreted this to mean, our conversation is going to continue, which was not something she was particularly looking forward to. Not for any particular reason of course. It was just that ... she preferred to be alone. She didn't understand social customs or expectations. Being around others who seemed to perceive these expectations almost intuitively, made her feel awkward and even more out of place than she already was. It wasn't enough that she stuck out like a sore thumb, towering above the rest, painted in blood and death, no, she also had to be barren of emotion.

I would much rather use a name that you go by or deem fit to be called..

I don't care what your preferences are. She wanted to say, but held her tongue. Hadn't she literally just said that she wouldn't give him her name? Why was he pressing the issue? He, who didn't know her at all? He, who had no rights to demand anything of her, much less something she considered as valuable as her own name. Just because he was careless with what he was called did not mean that she was.

Instead, she gently shook her head, causing her raven locks to bounce delicately on her long graceful neck. "That is what I wish-" She confirmed. Or else I wouldn't have said it, she concluded silently in her mind, eyes narrowed slightly. She doubted she would ever even see him again - Helovia was so big, what were the chances? Why was this even a conversation they were having? There was so much else in the world to discuss, rather than trivial greetings.

Sighing, Isopia looked to the West. She knew that her home was nestled there, somewhere, and in it, a half-finished hut. She longed to return back to the solace of her glade. "So-" She began, turning her golden stare back to him. "Have you been here long?" It seemed like a suitable, albeit boring question. Then again, perhaps he would say that he was from some faraway lands, and that those would be worth talking about.


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Karalius Posts: N/A
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#9



Upon his words the dappled witnessed a sense of embarrassment from the blooded dame. Her whole demeanor was a case of get the fuck out of here but the stubborn brute he was, Karalius was not. He felt a deep buzz inside his bodice and it danced to the ends of his pillars, where he stepped out with his daggers. The splashes from this made ripples into the water that worked their way over to what was now an acquaintance. Nothing friendly was occurring in this meeting, and it seemed that that was being felt by both parties. He chuckled silently, the amusement shining in the golden streaks of his orbs.

The shaking of the dame's skull caused her tassles to show off a tapered neck that, even though he was not fond of the personality of this queen, impressed him. He was a creature of appearance, and the features that this russet mare bore were impressive, with the cloak that seemed to work perfectly with the rest of her.

That is what I wish. Pfft. Was he never going to get one thing out of this dame? He shook his head in response, trying his best to be polite at the same time. The brute reciprocated by saying deeply,

"For the unfortunate lack of name, I shall call you Red," as he eyed the cloak across her spine. He wondered when this conversation was going to go the right way. Right now it felt that it was going to go either the right way, or most likely down the river along with them if they didn't get out of it. The sun was really setting down into the ground now, and with a shiver he realised that they were still standing in what was now a freezing river. With a quiver of cold, he shook his light charcoal tassles away from his rump in an attempt to wish away the cold water. But this Red, was going nowhere so far. She had initiated another part of conversation, perhaps following conventions. For once he thought to himself darkly.

So, have you been here long? He knew the sort of game she was playing, so Karalius decided to play the same. Her golden orbs stared at him, he felt like an interrogation was taking place. Perhaps just to find something he could bear to discuss with this... distasteful dame. "I have not, no. I only arrived a few days ago. Helovia is truly a big place, I have been exploring," only here so far he thought quietly, "but I came from my homeland in the hope of finding a place to settle." His orbs flickered from her pillars back to her marked skull, watching her reaction to see if there actually was one. "I've come from my family, but I didn't quite fit in. I heard of this place from my half-brother, Andash. Did you ever meet him?" Was this really going to hold Red's attention?


@[Isopia]

Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#10

ISOPIA
And we came forth to contemplate the stars


I never said I didn't have a name, she thought with an internal sigh. Why did no one listen? She specifically made reference to a name that was hers, and merely told him that he couldn't have it. How then, did he arrive at the judgement that she had an unfortunate lack of a name? He was the one who lacked her name, not she. Dismissively, she dipped her head slightly in response to Red. He could have called her pickle for all she minded - such what he would think of her as, and not who she truly was. It made no difference. Just as it made no difference if he judged her height to be slightly different than it was, or thought her coat to appear one way because of the light when in reality it was another. His mental picture - and the associated words - that he placed with it were of no concern to her.

She turned and began to wade up the stream as she had been doing before. She kept an ear trained his direction to catch his words, however uninteresting as they may be. If nothing else, this was good practice. Practice for being normal - for listening to dull and borning histories and pretending to care. Was that what others did? No- she thought to herself with amusement. They really do care. Her mind rolled towards the memories of her mother, with her caring smile and attentive soul. How dull, she concluded at last, before turning her death-marked skull back towards Karalius, noticing that he had apparently stopping speaking.

Your turn..

"Helovia is quite large." She agreed. That he didn't fit in in his homeland, with his family was ... a few notches about irrelevant, but the girl found it boring just the same. So he didn't fit in - neither did she. But what made him thinking that leaving was the best option? Why think he would fit in any better here? And, importantly, who said not-fitting in was a problem? It is for those who care about such things... a voice in the back of her mind told her. She agreed and supposed that it did. "What makes you think you will fit in any better here?" She quipped, pulling her eyes from his golden body and re-focusing on the water she was currently walking through. "And no, I have not." She concluded finally, shaking her quad-horned skull at the name Andash. If she told this stranger that she was only 2 seasons old, that would probably have answered his question as well - but given that that information would open more doors than she wanted, she decided to withhold the information. If he knew that in reality she was still quite young, he'd ask about how that was possible .. find out her lineage and want to chat about that, which ... well. Iso wasn't necessarily opposed, she just didn't like to talk about herself.


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Karalius Posts: N/A
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#11



The reaction of the dame to his name caused him great amusement as he watched her (in his eyes) stalking off away from him, pushing the water of the stream away from her blood-streaked bodice. The ripples bounced back to his own clouded pelt and sent a shiver down his spine into the tip of his cranium. It was an odd sense. Karalius tilted his crown towards her, wondering whether to follow or to stay here and retain what dignity he had left from this 'unfortunate' meeting.

The meadow was now getting even darker, and it felt to him that it was perhaps a good terraria to stay for the night. After all, he had no region to call his own, nor did he have a herd to huddle to for warmth. But he swished his locks at the idea of having to go back to that, being the one having to ask for others' help. No. The brute was now looking for the opportunity for him to be the one asked.

Red then turned her head back round at the proud dappled, and Karalius uncharacteristically took that as a cue to follow behind. He waded through the waters at a steady pace, embracing the cool feeling on his pillars and letting his daggers fall over the sand and water foliage underneath. He tipped his handsome cranium towards her, and she then began to speak:

Helovia is quite large. What makes you think you will fit in any better here?

He drew a grimace out of the velveteens and plastered it on his face in distaste at the second question, and his tone darkened to match the foul look in his eyes,

"Gut feeling. And if Helovia is as large as you point out, Red, then I know that my gut has faith in that," he snorted with the arrogance that made his character so undesirable to others. And he had no reason to suspect that this unnamed queen would be one of the few to like or respect him for who he was. With a shake he threw the trail of thought out of his crown and concentrated on his fellow water partner's own skull. She was indeed a pretty thing, but she had the personality that reminded Karalius of a grumpy badger. The laughter of this connection filled his golden orbs.

...no, I have not. Ohh that was to his question about his half-brother. He sighed and chirped, "I thought not." Andash's tales of Helovia had been short and sweet, all he could ever speak of was one dame in particular and a little puffin he lost along with his mind. The deformed winged freak, as he had been known in the family, was respected about as much as Karalius had been, and he wasn't a winged. Red brought his attention back by shaking her cranium and making the last streaks of light bounce of her rather impressive and scary looking horns of four. There was something that seemed deceiving of the russet, and he could not quite make it out. But nonetheless he was going to stick this unpleasant conversation out, and began to speak as he began to make for the refuge of the dry grassy bank in the hope she would follow, "So, Red, are you a native to Helovia or a stranger to its lands like myself? And would I be right in guessing that you belong to a herd in one its regions?"



(Sorry for the late reply @[Isopia]!)

Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#12

ISOPIA
And we came forth to contemplate the stars


"So it's just probability then?" For the first time, her voice held something that sounded like approval.
Gut feeling. And if Helovia is as large as you point out, Red, then I know that my gut has faith in that. Calling it a gut feeling sounded positively absurd, but still, her mind was being charitable unlike before. She assumed what he meant was something like, If Helovia is this big, chances are it will be better. Which ... made sense, actually. The girl nodded to herself as she plodded along, voicing precisely that sentiment: "Makes sense."

As his body trailed towards the bank, hers followed, but only just. She continued to wade in the water, unable to dismiss her original task. She was here to ensure the quality of life in this stream. She wasn't going to let social considerations stop her, but she supposed she could be a little more accommodating. It was the best way to blend in, after all.

"A native." She confirmed, keeping her golden gaze peering towards the depths of the waters. However it was getting harder and harder as the sun sank below the horizon. "And yes I do. The Hidden Falls. It was recently invaded by the World's Edge. "

She turned her death-marked face towards him for a moment, regarding him silently. Was there something about her that made him assume she was part of a herd? Was it because she wasn't mangy or suffering from poor nutrition? Or had something given it away? She mentally shuttered to think that the herd had that much of an influence on her. A guess.. she decided after a moment, turning back to the water and straining her eyes to see through the murky depths.

"Why? Looking for a recruitment speech ?"



omg. So terrible. I'm sorry x.x

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Karalius Posts: N/A
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#13



Karalius snorted with a strange sense of satisfaction at the tone he was granted from the dame.
So it's just a probability then?

With a flick of his darkened tassles to shake the water droplets from the locks he replied in the same arrogant tone,

"In a way it is a probability, yes," he then let a tainted dark look escape his orbs, "but so is everything in this wretched life...." Even Karalius could see that perhaps what he was saying had no relevance whatsoever to Red and he had wondered whether he had the balls to continue down this path. The blood-marked queen seemed like the sort to take one's balls and keep them a bag as a reminder to other brutes who tried to make conversation with her. He flicked his ears back at the thought of her adorning his delicates around her neck in distaste.

She was following, rather reluctantly it seemed, towards the direction of the bank. The dappled got the impression he had disturbed her from something. He proudly dismissed that he may have distracted the creature, he wasn't interested. She certainly wasn't interested in what he did.

As she spoke of her roots being firmly in the terraria of Helovia, he wondered what other insane creatures would be roaming these parts. She was a mixture of winged and horned equines, there are bound to be more... She seemed about as interested as he was in whether she was a native or a newcomer as her orbs were fixed on the waters they had just departed. The gold seemed to shine and reflected whatever it was she was keeping her eye on. But she continued to speak and mentioned the Hidden Falls. His attention was turned straight back to the conversation. The Hidden Falls. "Hidden Falls, you say? I was greeted in the Threshold upon my arrival by a... Cheveyo. From what I could muster from the conversations there had been something going on there." The talk of war and invasion gripped him like a vice, it was a wonderful thrill that he got. Just the simple verb, invaded, gave him tingles of curiosity. But he could see that his hopes of getting a juicy story of death, war and misery was going to be far from what he was going to get as she seemed to pierce his pelt with a brief gaze. Karalius wondered what it was the dame was thinking as he guessed it was concerning himself.

Why? Looking for a recruitment speech?

He smirked at the sentence. His velveteens gave away the mischief buried deep within his bodice. His dream was to be the one giving the recruitment speech, but this was something Red was going to have to wait for...


@[Isopia] I'm sorry for such a late reply! Been HELLA busy haha DX

Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#14

ISOPIA
And we came forth to contemplate the stars


In a way it is a probability, yes, but so is everything in this wretched life....

For the second time a look of approval braced Isopia's face as she nodded along. Maybe he isn't as carelessly think as I thought She thought silently to herself. What he said was quite correct - the world was simply the output of an infinite number of probabilities. On a long enough timeline, anything would happen. The incredibly improbable had to be somewhere, or else it would be impossible. The metaphysics of it were quite clear to her - and, as she complexity of it slowly washed through her thoughts, suddenly she wasn't so sure that Karalius hadn't just gotten lucky with his offhanded remark. Still, if they were going to keep walking together she would prefer to think of him as not a complete idiot, and so she attributed the thought to his mind, rather than luck.

"The Moon Goddess watches of the World's Edge .. a few seasons ago she attacked and murdered quite a few horses." The academic lilt of her voice sounded more like she was giving directions, rather than speaking about murders. She sounded entirely un-bothered about the whole thing - which in fact, she was. "Some members of the Edge decided that they didn't want to reside under her rule anymore, and so, with the aid of the Basin, they invaded the Hidden Falls and displaced those in power." Her blood-marked shoulder shrugged as she recounted the events with a dry tone. It wasn't very interesting to her mind - it was the age old story of might making right. Just as lion prides would expand and take over other territory, so too would the creatures of Helovia. Isopia saw no real conflict in it, no matter how much whining some did back in the Falls. They weren't strong enough to resist the Edge, and so what justification did they have for keeping their lands? Nevermind the wealth that new leadership had already brought.

He merely smirked in response to query about recruitment, and so she continued to wade along silently. Kaj and Archibald had told them to recruit at the threshold but ... such things were never appealing to her. She didn't see why hoarding outcasts was a benefit to a herd, if anything it merely reduced the amount of resources that were available. Perhaps it was a status of pride, having the most under your command, but the girl thought not. If anything, it just seemed pointless to her. That Karalius did not want to be wooed to the Falls' was perfectly alright with her.











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Karalius Posts: N/A
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#15



The approval that struck the face of Red filled Karalius with a sense of pride. It seemed that the bloodmarked russet was becoming perhaps accustomed to him in a very strange way. This also gave him the impression that they were even more alike than first anticipated by both the mixed queen and the dappled equine. Personality was key in "hitting it off", but in most cases the whole idea of two personalities alike in tastes, attitudes and desires did not necessarily mean a successful union, no, it usually clashed in a flurry of words and body language. This was what Karalius thought, at least. The dappled had never come close to another in a union. The closest he had come to true friendship was with his half-brother, but Andash had seemed more concerned with his past life than the current moment. This and the the fact he was a freaked half-winged, completely different to the outcast of the equine, Karalius, never quite met Karalius' approval.

However, he seemed to sense that his own gut feelings of nothing being impossible but everything was, in fact just a concoction of probability and instinct, seemed to meet with Red's good side. He smirked yet again, not letting it slip silently that he was glad to have made some connection with this strange queen. He was still baffled, and yet almost excited that this dame refused to give him her name. The mystery was what made him this way. But he returned his attention to Red's story-telling,

The Moon Goddess watches of the World's Edge .. a few seasons ago she attacked and murdered quite a few horses... some members of the Edge decided that they didn't want to reside under her rule anymore...

Again the talk of war and bloodshed intrigued him more than frightened or took him aback, so her tone of indifference to the murders did nothing to shock him. She seemed of a same mindset, perhaps that it was just part of the inevitable circle of life. His tone lightened as he spoke again, twitching his ears this way and that in a frenzy of excitement,

"Your Moon Goddess walks among you?" this was one question pressing him amongst many, but he considered this to be the best one to retain a running conversation with Red. "In my old herd they were all winged large-skulls who cared little for gods... they had it in their mind that they were the only gods," he trailed off with a hint of amusement at his former adopted herd's stupidity. But he moved quickly back to the topic of the Hidden Falls and its immense history of war, "it certainly sounds fascinating," his tone dropped darker and quieter as he purposely met his gaze with the golden orbs of his acquaintance, "I would have liked to have been part of such a glory..."

Red's body language sent off a sense that even if she had been altered or affected by what happened in the Hidden Falls she certainly did not show it. Her shrugs of indifference yet again gave the brute the impression that she thought of this almost as old news.

The talk of recruitment gave Karalius another line of enquiry to think of in the far future. In a sense, the dappled thought that he would have lived to have been part of a group, one where he truly belonged and was deeply involved in the discipline and politics of. But for now, he was happy not having the responsibility of bowing to any old king. He wanted to be the king and the only way he believed he could start was to drift across the lands and become at one with the terraria and its peoples.


@[Isopia]

Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#16

ISOPIA
And we came forth to contemplate the stars



"All of the Gods do." She responded with a nod. Her sand and dried blood coloured body began to inch back towards shore. The light was fading quickly and it was becoming impossible to see into the depths. Although she had no intention of walking shoulder-to-shoulder with the dappled brute, there was also no need to strain her muscles by wading through the frigid waters.

"They even have children - representatives of a sort meant to assist with balance. Two failed and were recalled and ... replaced-" She muttered vaguely thinking of the fire-child that she never met, and her half-brother, who she also never met. Isopia wasn't bothered to think of herself as a replacement the way her cousin did. She was merely a pawn meant to carry out some sort of cosmic plan which unraveled as she went. "Each herdland has a god who watches over it - The Dragon's Throat is under the watch of the Sun God, the God of the Spark watches the Aurora Basin, the God of the Earth presides over the Hidden Falls, and the Moon Goddess is in the World's Edge. However I have heard that it is easier to find them in the Veins of the Gods. Occasionally they appear around Helovia, but most frequently there, from what I am told." Which was true - Isopia had never had to wait to call her Father down from the Heavens; she never had to chant or pray to make him appear, or be in a particular place. She just thought of him, and he came. Though perhaps things were different for others. That was more than likely, in fact.

"I wouldn't say there was much glory to it." She continued. "The Falls were completely outnumbered, while the Edge and the Basin were conditioned, armored, and prepared. It happened quickly. The Falls didn't stand a chance." The girl shrugged. Where was the supposed glory in it? Would there have been more glory if there had been more bloodshed? If the Falls had put up a better and bigger fight? How was that possible? What was the correlation? More death = higher glory? And what was glory even a representation of? Some weird hybrid of pride that comes from having conquered something?

Emotions. So confusing. Part of the demi-child wondered if those around her even knew what half of the adjectives they used meant.





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Karalius Posts: N/A
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#17



All of the Gods do.

The nod from the dame seemed to the dappled that it was a certainty that what she spoke was the truth. Karalius flicked his ears back with a confused expression in his golden pools. They walked among the Helovians?

Red continued to explain the fundamentals of the gods and their children. The way she muttered about the ones who had been recalled and replaced only increased the buzz the dappled gained from the excitement of the story. He silently hoped that he would, one day, meet the children of the Gods and the Gods themselves. One Day. Yet as she spoke, Karalius could only wonder how the blood-marked fae in front of him could have such a vast extent of knowledge about this when she herself was a mere creature of the earth. He flicked his cranium to the right side with a curious expression written over it. His velveteens moved as if to ask the question that was ripping into him, but he shut them back up as she continued,

Each herdland has a god who watches over it - The Dragon's Throat is under the watch of the Sun God, the God of the Spark watches the Aurora Basin, the God of the Earth presides over the Hidden Falls, and the Moon Goddess is in the World's Edge. However I have heard that it is easier to find them in the Veins of the Gods. Occasionally they appear around Helovia, but most frequently there, from what I am told.

With a light tone in his voice, he moved his skull back to its right angle and spoke to Red in quiet volume, "And who would you seek allegiance to, if you had no choice but to pick?" It was a valid question, and for Karalius could explain a lot about the mysterious creature that stood close enough to him. He knew that she would not want to come closer to the strapping brute, for the body language that she bore from the moment they had the unfortunate luck to meet in this meadow was less than welcoming to him. But he had peservered with her and it felt that he had come a long way in relations.

"I believe there is glory in the cause for which they would have chosen to fight," he spoke with certainty after letting her finish. She shrugged, another component of the "I don't like you all that much" facade that she graced Karalius with. The dappled's naive ways mentally shrugged off the seemingly dissatisfied nature of Red's response to his talk of glory.


@[Isopia] Sorry I took so long to reply!

Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#18

ISOPIA
And we came forth to contemplate the stars


And who would you seek allegiance to, if you had no choice but to pick?

Isopia's head tilted towards the golden at the sound of his voice. Her own golden stare blinked thoughtfully, once again seemingly delighted by the depth of his words. Perhaps this walk wouldn't be so bothersome as she had first assumed it to be. Her quad horned head regarded the waters once again as she allowed her thoughts to coalescence around his query in her mind.

If she had to choose one ...

It certainly wouldn't be the Sun God. He was far too vain, too fickle. She had heard tales of his wickedness, his favouritism. His fire had devoured entire sections of their small little place on this world, and he had scalded those around him who dared withhold their fealty. He was power and he was light, and while both were certainly desirable, she didn't think she could ever give herself to the herd of the fiery deity. As for the God of the Spark? She hadn't really encountered him at all, hadn't heard much of him. He stayed in his palace of ice and snow, hiding in the timestreams and popping up when it was convenient for him. The girl didn't take him to be particularly careful with his dealings with mortals, nor bothered by their morality. Her shoulders visibly shrugged and her lips twitched as she dismissed the God of the Spark as being a candidate, at least at this time, for Karalius' hypothetical challenge.

Down to the Goddess and her Father.

Although her fealty should have immediately gone to the one who heaved her into being, she couldn't muster the familial emotions that likely would have guided the decisions of others.

"The Goddess, I think ... She initiated my birth. Without her actions, I would never have come to be." Nor would you without your Father... her mind silently countered, causing the demi-child's ears to fall backwards slightly. "But it isn't just that. We can't be slaves to the events that happened before we were. I've had a chance to speak with the Goddess ... after the murders of course, and listened to her reasons and justifications. She holds morality to a flame and burns away the decay and darkness. It burns and scalds, but what is left is made even more pure because of it. The other Gods punished her for what she did - some fled from the Edge to avoid her gaze - and yet? Yet? She succeeded in her efforts; she made Helovia better - " Helplessly the girl shrugged, inadequately communicating her thoughts.

"If I had to pick, I would stand beside a leader who is not afraid of making hard decisions, and seeing past the immediate pain of their actions. Sometimes we must do what is best for the whole, even at the sacrifice of the few."

Her gaze returned to the golden stag, now that she had articulated her decision. With a smirk, she shook her head slightly. "And yet I live in Falls with my Father." She voiced, almost with a laugh. Perhaps she was more swayed by familial obligations than she had originally taken herself to be.


[omg longest wait ever x.x]

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Karalius Posts: N/A
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#19



Red's cranium tilted towards the brute and he felt intrigued as to what was going on in her mind. Her pools seemed full of something that was signficant and he could not quite grasp what was happening. The situation the dappled found himself in came had gone from downright unbearable to seemingly... bearable? These thoughts gave way to Karalius' muscles to relax as he took on board what was going on, and he keenly eyed the blood-marked fae with his own golden pools.

The Goddess, I think... She initiated my birth."

Initiated my birth?! A startled look spread along the stag's skull at this statement that leaked out of the velveteens of his acquaintance. It hadn't occurred to Karalius that any form of creature could have been introduced to this earth through spiritual means. In particular Red. However, as he focussed in closer on her appearance, it became more and more apparent by her frame that she was certainly not ordinary. Such as the way she had almost blended into the water much earlier on during their encounter. That had startled him just as much, but perhaps now the brute was beginning to see hints of the spirits being a part of her creation.

He continued to listen to the speech she gave in her voice that had him eclipsed. Karalius had no need to interrupt the dame as she spoke to him. His lobes remained pricked towards the sound of her voice, making sure not to get on the wrong side of her having known how hard it had been to keep her attention in the first place. She's spoken to the Goddess...

The ring of murder only created the allusion to the brute that he had a right to feel interested. The talk of morality and flames intrigued him to the core of his deep bodice. Karalius stepped about on his daggers in a slow beat of interest and he kept his orbs fixed to her velveteens as she spoken.

She made Helovia better.

Karalius then spoke to her, in a deep bassy tone that had rang through all through the conversation,
"I'm afraid I couldn't speak on whether Helovia is now better, but it does fascinate me that they would have such a huge part to play in the world of our own." He was actually being serious at this point; his arrogance had given way to something of a mature quality and for this Karalius was astounded by.

And her conversation of leadership gave himthe shivers, and it appeared physically within his musclar system. His voice changed to a lighter tone, "You would choose a leader over a god? They're powerful decisions, and I respect your choice," his pools then gazed at her cranium and focussing on her golden spheres. And then she said something that seemed very... peculiar with the fae as she spoke further, and to this he gave one simple question, "By the way you spoke just then, it seems you would prefer not to be with your father?" I knew she wasn't a loner...

@[Isopia] Sorry for the delay! DX

Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#20

ISOPIA
And we came forth to contemplate the stars


"They play a part no larger or smaller than we do. Their works merely appear larger than ours. But it is fallacy to believe their investigations and interruptions are somehow more meaningful. It is all the same." She mumbled with an ambiguous shrug. Part of her wondered if the Goddess would be appalled to hear her say such things ... though deep inside, she knew that she would agree.

It didn't even occur to her to wonder what her Father would have thought.

You would choose a leader over a god?

"My Father is no leader." She began again, her voice withholding the judgment that had begun to rise within her. While Iso was normally fairly resigned and without emotional response to the doings over others, something about her Father's loving but detrimental treatment of those around him brought ire to her lips. Stifling this, she continued with more neutrality. "But he is a God, and so I reside in his lands. I am the their oracle - their storyteller - it is through me that they commune with him and his wishes. It is not a burden I would easily give to anyone else, and so while I would prefer to reside elsewhere I stay in the Falls."

With a wayward golden glance to the dying light of the sun, the Demi-god sighed distractedly. She had not accomplished the task she had set for herself this day, and already her prolonged conversation had pulled her away from her other responsibilities.

"It is to them that I now return." She advised with a curious lilt in her cadence. The dappled had proven to be a more articulate conversational partner than she would have original guessed, and although she was annoyed at having to return once again to inspect these waters during the day, his forced-pause wouldn't be regarded with hostility or even regret. Her deep golden stare regarded him for a moment, silently wondering if the two would meet again. He now knew where to find her, and while he still did not know her name, he knew a fair amount more than many did about her.

With a decisive nod, her body began to contort. The mismatched blood and tan that colored her body grew dark and black as her bones shifted and shrunk. Her face grew elongated and sprouted a beak as her body grew decidedly more avian. Only her bright golden stare and death-markings remained the same. Cawing once in her raven form, the demi-child rose into the skies - a silhouette just as black as her raven feathers - before disappearing into the evening hush.


@[Karalius] emerrgerrdd. I figured I'd end it here before I dragged this out even longer x.x I'd love for them to meet again though!! Thanks for the thread! <3]





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