the Rift


[OPEN] The lightning in me strikes relentless

Ampere The Mother of Companions Posts: 719
Dragon's Throat Sultana atk: 9 | def: 11 | dam: 4.5
Mare :: Pegasus :: 14 hh :: 6 years HP: 73 | Buff: DANCE
Kygo :: Green Cheek Conure :: None Blu
#1
Will you still love me
When I'm no longer young and beautiful
I know you will


It was fortunate her patrol aligned with Megaera. She had been wanting to talk to the SunSpear since that damn meeting (if you could even call it that, more like a trial). She would have preferred to speak to the mare in private, in the familiarity of their home, but times were busy for all of them and she needed to grab the moment before it slipped by any further. 

So on able wings, Ampere swung in close to Megaera as the patrol carried them over the frozen north. She had been thinking the whole trip about what to say, about how she might be able to have the conversation while Cirrus and Cera kept themselves busy. Then again if he overheard, maybe it'd be fine - maybe it show Megaera what Ampere had felt during that catastrophe of a herd gathering. 

Blue gaze swept to her Sultana, not for the first time appraising the swollen sides she bore. Pregnant in a time like this? Ampere thought disapprovingly - how could she help fight against gods or aliens like that? Pushing that from her mind, Ampere cleared her throat.

"Megaera," she began. "We need to talk about some things." Her gaze flicked to Cera and Cirrus, still unsure she wanted them listening. "Cathun, and that, that meeting... if you would." Perhaps they could land while Cirrus and Cera carried on above, perhaps it didn't matter, but Ampere would have her words now regardless.


A M P E R E
PRETTY FACE AND ELECTRIC SOUL

ellsouille.deviantart.com with permission


@Megaera @Cera @Cirrus

Tag me only if starting a new thread.
Magic or force permitted any time, aside from death.

Cera the Golden Prince Posts: 419
Outcast atk: 5.5 | def: 9.5 | dam: 4.5
Stallion :: Pegasus :: 16.3hh :: 6 Years HP: 65 | Buff: NOVICE
Ilaria :: Red Panda :: Heal Brit
#2



The sun was warm against his back, a direct contrast to the cold that clung to his lower legs. Ilaria was overjoyed with the snow, while Cera detested it. His body was meant for the sand and surf of the Dragon's Throat. He had been crafted in all ways to praise the Sun, as much in coloring as composition. He'd listen to no other explanation, not that anyone ever tried, for his faith was as solid as the bedrock beneath the earth and as constant as the interchanging cycles of the sun and moon. The tension as they traveled, unfortunately, was undeniable. Cera had never felt better in his entire life, after he had received absolution from his Lord and been able to forgive the Moon Goddess after speaking with her, and receiving her own warped wisdom in turn. He felt solid and familiar in his bones for the first time, but...

Well, his patrol companions clearly did not feel the same. 

In a way Cera felt guilty. He'd been too out of it to jump to Ampere's defense at the herd meeting, and he felt for her, truly. Though he was perhaps biased considering the odd sort of care she'd always had for him, looking out for him as she did. Still, while he knew that she was passionate and dedicated to her cause - and in that way could come off rude and extreme - she had never treated him that way. Misunderstandings abound, he thought to himself with a mental shrug towards Ilaria.

They were all flying, and it was exhilarating to be able to fly alongside his family. His flights were generally solitary, and his heart was obnoxiously warm, pounding with excitement and love for the mares at his side. How long had been encased in that blinding darkness? Where he couldn't see how brightly they burned beside him, beautiful and willing to die for him? He was ashamed of how absorbed he'd become in his own grief, and hoped that he could make up for it somehow. 

Seeing Ampere swooping towards Megaera, hearing her voice clearly on the wind, Cera let his own carry him to her vacant side. Primaries tipped to flirt with the dark ones he sought as he coasted, eyes cut sideways towards the electric mare at his side. "I'm here if you need me," he said softly, letting the wind carry it to the blue warrior alone. Then he surged forward, wings pumping and gliding higher, gaining altitude as Ilaria chirruped happily from the tangled mess she'd made of his pale hair. Taking point both ahead of and above the two soldiers, Cera allowed them their privacy. 


Well I have felt the same before -- You will heal again
I am Ceraaaa
Please only tag starting posts, spars, and threads collecting dust!

Megaera the Sunspear Posts: 306
Absent Abyss atk: 6.5 | def: 10.5 | dam: 4.5
Mare :: Pegasus :: 15 h :: 8 [Birdsong] HP: 70 | Buff: NOVICE
Gwaihir :: Golden Eagle :: None Laine
#3
Megaera
the darkness hath no hold on me

There was entirely too much happening, even for one like Meg who thrived on action there were too many things tugging at her, fraying her patience. These new lands, the monsters and the sicknesses that came with them were constant nagging worry. The little rifts that her very first meeting had exposed in her family were even more worrisome, and though all of that keeping her swinging hormones in check was putting a real test on the Sultana.

She hadn’t thought of the possibility of pregnancy when Einarr had followed her into the mirror-like world of the Flats, and that seemed so foolish now. They had staked their claim on each other and it seems that his carried a little more weight (meaning she would carry a little more weight for the time being). ’And what if something happened now? What if more monsters were unleashed in the heart of the Throat, would I have to choose between my herd’s safety and my child’s?’

The patrol had been blessedly quiet up until now, and having Cera near was always a comfort but Meg disliked the tension where she had been used to having comfortable comradery with most of her herdmates. Meg had eyed the Blue as they soared north; they had not been close perhaps, but she had though they were alike enough to understand each other. The horrible excuse for a meeting had put the lie to that assumption and the Sultana had avoided the Gladiator since then. It was easy for Megaera to admit her missteps when she knew what they were but the meeting had confused her. She had been pulled in for many directions and had no certainty of who was in the right and who was the real source of trouble.

Ampere had done nothing wrong, only misunderstood the airborne dolphin, and Laedere should have had a stiffer spine. The Blue was hot blooded and had a talent for yelling, any of the desert herd should understand that, and there Meg would have been on Ampere’s side if Einarr hadn’t spoken first. He had shouldered his way into the bay’s mind and heart so slowly she could not tell when it had begun, but the battle-hardened black stallion become so much to her that no matter how minor the dispute, she had instantly believed that if he had cause to fight than so did she. Meg thought the little white mare needed to grow a spine but it was the Sunspear’s duty to protect the helpless that took refuge in her realm. Cathun, Ampere, Mesec, so many she had somehow managed to wrong in a such a short time…Some Sultana she was turning out to be.

It was a bit of a surprise that Ampere initiated the conversation so calmly, but Megaera gave a stiff nod in acknowledgement. She didn’t know what to say and maybe that was best for now. Cathun, Ampere, Mesec, so many she had somehow managed to wrong in a such a short time, and all because she had tried to dole out justice without having the patience or wisdom to listen first, to understand. “Please, speak you mind, Ampere.” It was said quietly, a little stiffly, as she mentally hunkered down to ride out the storm.
Wooooooo!!!! Later than late but better than never!
Image Credit


@Ampere @Cera
FAC FORTIA ET PATERE
be brave and endure
:: permission given for use of magic and force :: please tag Megaera in all posts ::

Ampere The Mother of Companions Posts: 719
Dragon's Throat Sultana atk: 9 | def: 11 | dam: 4.5
Mare :: Pegasus :: 14 hh :: 6 years HP: 73 | Buff: DANCE
Kygo :: Green Cheek Conure :: None Blu
#4
Will you still love me
When I'm no longer young and beautiful
I know you will
Cera was one of the rare, true friends that Ampere actually had. She was thankful for that day, so long ago now, when she'd beaten the bond into place between them (see, fighting had it's good sides). She proffered him a smile in response to his words, though he was already up and on his way, giving her the space she needed without even having to ask it of him.

Her gaze returned to the Sunspear as the sultana responded with the very tension that they carried between themselves. She had always respected Megaera, had always felt they had similarly lined opinions, but she had never mistaken that for a closeness or a friendship. Even their first meeting had been thick, like this, when Ampere had yelled at Gaucho and Megaera jumped to his defense (unnecessarily). To be honest at times she'd even been jealous of Megaera for the relationship she and Gaucho seemed to share, though that had faded as she'd eventually come to recognize it was nothing romantic.

One thing was sure, both mares were passionate.

"After Cathun stalked away from my warriors meeting, I went to talk to him in private. He said some... interesting things to me and my warriors, which he expanded on when I spoke to him later." Ampere's head tilted with a certain inquiry as she watched Megaera, wondering how much the mare might reveal on her own. "He was upset you see, particularly because my conversation with him included Ranjiri's presence."

Ampere let that meaning sink in for a moment, her wings flapping as they drifted over the winter wasteland that was the north. "I'm sure you have your reasons for directly lying to one of your own sultana, but I thought it should be known that it pushed the stallion from my ranks and nearly from the herd itself. Whatever Cathun is or isn't, he's part of the herd and I hope to keep him that way - I hope you do too."

She fell quiet for now, not wanting to throw too much on the mare at once. This was not a witch hunt, however much she'd wanted it to be at first. No Ampere was deadly calm, waiting to see how her alliance shifted based on this talk. She only raged when she needed to, and in this instance, her anger didn't do her half as good as her patience.


A M P E R E
PRETTY FACE AND ELECTRIC SOUL

ellsouille.deviantart.com with permission

Tag me only if starting a new thread.
Magic or force permitted any time, aside from death.

Megaera the Sunspear Posts: 306
Absent Abyss atk: 6.5 | def: 10.5 | dam: 4.5
Mare :: Pegasus :: 15 h :: 8 [Birdsong] HP: 70 | Buff: NOVICE
Gwaihir :: Golden Eagle :: None Laine
#5
Megaera
the darkness hath no hold on me

Megaera well remembered her little confrontation with the young stallion, but she was none to pleased to be reminded of it. Atop her head, the ears that had been up and alert twitched backward, almost shying away from the memory. Perhaps her initial anger had been justified, a warrior worth his salt should never abandon his fellows in a fight no matter the odds, but the things she'd said after--and more importantly the things she hadn't said--sparked shame that sat like little stones in her gut. It seemed that Ampere had heard the story and there would be nothing for it but to dig those stones out with rusty tools.

It would have been so easy to deny everything, to raise a flag of stubborn self-righteousness and dismiss the charges. She could pull rank, tell Ampere to mind her own business, and kick the defiant little brat off her sands as soon as she returned home. The thought made Meg sick, she hoped she would never be so cowardly as all that. As much as it grated, as annoyed with herself and the Gladiator for bringing it up as she might be, Meg had been in the wrong. That was that.

It had always seemed easy to confess her sins to Gaucho for he had always seemed so far above her. To Meg he was a paragon, a mentor, and a guide who could hear and then forgive her faults because he was faultless. Ampere however, was more of a peer, who might take her failings and judge her for them, think ill of her for them, and so the need to be honest was there but came nowhere near as easy. "I was angry. At him for leaving the battle at the blood falls and more frustrated that I could not have been there myself." She took a deep breath. "When I arrived at the battlefield I found nothing but Ranjiri's blood-stained feathers...I don't think I have ever been more terrified. I hardly even know her but she, and Aithniel, might have died and I could have done nothing to protect them. No one saw it coming, I know, but I still felt as though I had failed, protecting our herd is my responsibility and I failed. Cathun had the opportunity that I wished I could have had and when I came back he had such a defiant attitude--" She broke off, already feeling her temper start to rise at the recounting of that strange afternoon.

The bay took another deep breath to steady herself and spoke again with a tightly controlled calm. "I never lied outright, never spoke a word that wasn't true, but the phrasing, the facts I left out, let him think the way he did and that I did on purpose. I was so furious and in my anger I wanted him to feel what I had felt, to understand what he might have cost us."

"It was wrong... I was wrong to act as I did." Her gaze had been determinedly fixed to the sky in front of her but now she turned the dark eyes to the blue. "I don't know if he told you why he left the battle, but I am glad he has not left us for good. I will have to see if I can make my amends with Cathun, for I think he needs us more than he will admit. He's infuriating, but you are right, he is one of our own now." Well there it was: shit-heel Meg's first charge addressed and the guilty party would have to wait to see if she would have to pay for it more than she already had. "I have amends to make with you as well, I think..."
ooc// @Ampere now knows the drill: Meg get's longwinded when she has a guilty conscious.
Image Credit
FAC FORTIA ET PATERE
be brave and endure
:: permission given for use of magic and force :: please tag Megaera in all posts ::

Ampere The Mother of Companions Posts: 719
Dragon's Throat Sultana atk: 9 | def: 11 | dam: 4.5
Mare :: Pegasus :: 14 hh :: 6 years HP: 73 | Buff: DANCE
Kygo :: Green Cheek Conure :: None Blu
#6
Will you still love me
When I'm no longer young and beautiful
I know you will

There was certainly justification to the things Megaera said. What bothered Ampere was the dishonesty of it however. Though she held nothing against sneaks for their career, an important one at times, she had always been a rather honest mare (save for matters of the heart, apparently). That Megaera had not openly lied to the stallion didn't cross Ampere as any better than purposefully not telling the truth, but she did not say as much. No, Ampere didn't need to push the matter, it was clear enough that the Sunspear, honorable warrior-mare that she was, already felt the weight of that shadowy deception.

"I can understand your motives," she murmured, to bridge the divide that yawned between them. "And he certainly had his faults... we both agreed his choice of fighting for a living was not the best option." His fear continued to ring inside of her mind, so solid and encompassing, she couldn't even imagine it. Ampere had felt fear, to be sure, and Megaera's admission was essentially fear of failure to protect her herd; their fear though seemed to inspire them to be better, to bear rage and strength, where as his was a selfish fear that gave him weakness and cowardice. Ampere did not fault his fear, she faulted the placement of it. "I'm sure he'd appreciate further words with you, he's lost some trust for the ones already spoken." That was fine though, he'd lost some of their trust too. Together perhaps they could rebuild a family among each other, but only together, and only with honesty.

"Perhaps he'd do well as a sneak, or a crafter," she mused absently. His swiftness had certainly been useful, and it was a skill spies heralded. Regarding craftsmanship, she didn't know if the stag had a talent for it, but it was certainly one of the safer roles, in her opinion.

Thoughts of Cathun dwindled under the weight of her sultana's final words though, and ins response Ampere's features deepened into a frown reminiscent of a grimace. Most of her bitterness and anger had since left her, but she still had things to say, things she wanted to understand regarding the messy ordeal. If she didn't she knew she'd regret it later. "Yes..." she began, hesitating. Talking about Cathun had been easy, like his champion, but she wasn't so comfortable with doing the same for herself.

Besides that, she'd need to pick her words with tact, or else the divide would remain. "It surprised me to lose your trust so easily, Sultana," Ampere started slowly, carefully, her blue gaze watching the bay mare studiously. "For, you called me, before the entire herd, an abuser before even knowing the ordeal. You used a term slung by someone else, and whether it was true or not, that it rung with your voice gave it an importance, a truth perhaps, to the rest of the herd." The issue had been more or less settled that day and Ampere had been exonerated, but the still struggled with the hard tone and matching eyes Megaera had wielded on with so little of a push. If Gaucho hadn't come, what would have happened? "I recognize the hardships of your role, Sultana," Ampere obliged, remembering her stint as lead and how much she had disliked it. "I would urge in the future though, that any herd disputes be handled more," Ampere searched for the word, trying her best to be diplomatic. "More privately, so that your ears may hear both sides in equal, without the rumblings of the herd mixed in, without them needing to hear if there is no judgement due."

Ampere hoped she did not come across as wanting discipline to be secretive. What she wanted was fairness, and she knew before a crowd, when one wore a crown, that at times was difficult. She couldn't say she would have done any better in Megaera's shoes; it was much easier to criticize, but she hoped at least one of them would be better for it.


A M P E R E
PRETTY FACE AND ELECTRIC SOUL

ellsouille.deviantart.com with permission


@Megaera

Tag me only if starting a new thread.
Magic or force permitted any time, aside from death.


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