the Rift


Taste of Poison [OPEN]

Aithniel the Inquisitor Posts: 169
Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 9.0 | dam: 4.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 15.0hh :: 4 Years HP: 75 | Buff: NOVICE
Zerachiel :: Royal Griffin :: Molten Dagger tamme
#1
Your spine is ablaze
Felling any foe with my gaze

Maturity to match her stature had taken root within her heart, forcing the girl to grow beyond her years into the cold reality of this world. She had wandered near and far, captivated by the thought that other worlds had other gods. Aithniel had sought and seen, experienced what she could not find here and knew better with each passing day, her place. The fire inside had not dimmed. The rage had not subsided. But, it was controlled now, waiting and simmering beneath the surface to be unleashed - and oh did it want to be free.

If Gaucho had taught her one thing, even indirectly, it was that words could only get you so far. Battle would carry her into power, force her to be recognized by the sarcastic selfish beings who abused the land to their purpose and took up sunlight they did not deserve. Not until she held the same weight and title as Gaucho could she even begin to expect others to may her half a mind. No one cared that her father was the Sun God - except a few, and why should they? Her lineage meant very little if she was not a proper representative.

As such, she stood upon the precipice of the Heavenly Fields, cloven hooves hanging off the edge as clouds flew by. Wind twisted her black and golden locks around her face, silver, stony gaze narrowed at the horizon as she lost herself in her thoughts. The sun was starting to set in the distance, leaving them abandoned to the night for now, but that was fine. She needed the practice in the dark anyway. Aithniel turned then, ears keen and alert on either side of her arching horns, lion tail swaying with anticipation.

Who would be her challenge today?

-----

Open spar, 3 posts each.
- Sunset at the top of the heavenly fields!
- Windy weather



Credits: Image by Tabini with many thanks from Blu

But burn down our home
I won't leave alive


Please tag me in everything!

Archibald the Dauntless Posts: 386
Absent Abyss atk: 6.0 | def: 9.5 | dam: 8
Stallion :: Equine :: 18.3 hh :: 10 years HP: 80 | Buff: SHIELD
Loretta :: Alaskan Malamute :: Time Slip Time
#2
archibald & loretta
But our life's made up of choices
Some without appeal
They took for granted your soul
And it's ours now to steal
Archibald had not expected to spar today in the Heavenly Fields, but as the ashen femme rolled her body away from the cliff, Archibald felt a thrill roll up his spine. It had been too long since he met a stranger in combat. Snorting, the Czar lowered his head and his powerful neck arched. Loretta, lost in her thoughts at his side, suddenly sprung to life. Her mourning was easily transferred into rage.

Rage at the gods for letting Manhattan die. Rage at the world for taking her sister. Rage at everything. Archibald let himself feed off his companion's emotion, something he had been able to control for years. He let her run wild and free today in his battle-hardened mind, however, her fire igniting behind his golden eyes as his dark tail lashed. Archibald did not call his armor to caress his hide, he let it wait, the silver breastplate glinting some in the dimming light.

The wind howled in his ears as he waited for the slight woman to embrace him. He knew vaguely who she was, having seen her favor from the Sun God. She must be his own offspring. That meant that Israfel--the demi-god he had kept from attacking Ophelia all those years ago--was dead. This demigod was her replacement, like Isopia was for Hototo. An unknown resentment tugged on his heart at the thoughts of these gods and their games, and a heavy hoof dug a shallow trench beneath him as he snorted again.

Come, young girl, dance with the giant.



[WC: 256 | PC: 0/3]

Image Credits | Table code by tamme


Through the ages of time
I've been known for my hate,
but I'm a dealer of simple choices;
for me it's never too late.


please tag me

Aithniel the Inquisitor Posts: 169
Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 9.0 | dam: 4.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 15.0hh :: 4 Years HP: 75 | Buff: NOVICE
Zerachiel :: Royal Griffin :: Molten Dagger tamme
#3
Your spine is ablaze
Felling any foe with my gaze

Aithniel was aware she was the second flame. Second born. Second choice. She was not the first, just as Isopia would always live beneath the shadows of the selfless Hototo. Roskuld may be bratty and rude, but she didn't deserve to act that way. She was wanted first, chosen. Same with Mesec. They wouldn't understand and quite frankly, she wasn't sure that Isopia even noticed to care. But Aithniel? She could feel it in her bones- the judgment and resentment of a population who wanted their perfect, sunny princess and instead got this cold, abandoned thing...

She narrowed her gaze at the monstrosity who moved almost too easily for his frame. He was big, and she had seem him before in the battles against the Rift God. But, she didn't pay much mind then. Now, as he was facing her and awaiting this battle, she had to take him in, learn as much as she could. Untried as she was, Aithniel wasn't dumb. She knew to study her opponent well, and as such, she walked toward him confidently but without ego.

Perhaps that was what she had lost as she matured - ego. No longer was her head inflated by this notion of family, and she didn't expect anyone to give a shit about her lineage. She was aware that she had to earn those bragging rights. His armor would be a great hindrance, but she had wings and this platform in the middle of the sky was not ideal for a great, sturdy steed such as he. Gravity didn't tend to take kindly to large objects in hover, she learned, so she would have to adjust her strategy to play to this irony of nature.

As she looked upon the dog, she was glad that her fiery griffin was safely nestled in a tree with a family of owls, but other than that thought, she did not pay much mind. Instead, she took a deep breath and slowly unfurled her gull shaped wings from her sides, expanding the silvery, golden feathers to catch in the wind. "Lets do this," she said simply, her voice mature and deeper than before.

Aithniel shoved her back hooves into the ground and pounced upward, pushing her wings down to gain lift until one of the wild breezes caught her weight. She lifted off the platform then and circled overhead, watching curiously as his dark coat started to blend with the grass, the sun obscured by the thick clouds at this altitude. Carefully, she tucked her legs close and dove, kicking her heels together to create a flame. Once summoned, she sent it flying, preferably to his hooves. Her goal was to get him as close to an edge as possible and force him to play mainly on the defensive.

One solid kick by those hooves would send her reeling. She touched down briefly to regain her balance but stayed moving, not wanting to get caught static. Funny... she didn't even know his name. In her head, she just kept calling him "him" or "he" and avoiding every attempt at a nickname. Beast would be apt. Perhaps when this was all over, they could exchange names, but not now.

Now, she had to find her inner fire again.

[[(1/3) (545 words)
- Aithniel shoots a fireball at his hooves
]]

Credits: Image by Tabini with many thanks from Blu

But burn down our home
I won't leave alive


Please tag me in everything!

Archibald the Dauntless Posts: 386
Absent Abyss atk: 6.0 | def: 9.5 | dam: 8
Stallion :: Equine :: 18.3 hh :: 10 years HP: 80 | Buff: SHIELD
Loretta :: Alaskan Malamute :: Time Slip Time
#4
archibald & loretta
But our life's made up of choices
Some without appeal
They took for granted your soul
And it's ours now to steal

This was no holds barred. Loretta's mourning-turned-fury continued to engulf Archibald's mind. His heart burned and his blood turned to lava within his veins at the consuming emotion.

Archibald did not have to hold himself or his companion back from this soon-to-be battle. This woman, this ashen pixie, was not a member of his herd. In an odd realization, the fact that this was the only demigod Archibald did not have some working relationship with came to the forefront of his mind. Isopia was a member of his herd, his Wise One. Archibald watched Mesec grow when he was under the wing of The Grey. Roskuld was Ophelia's daughter, and one he felt incredibly protective over. Hototo had been the son of Ktulu, his Champion and gods know what else. This second flame was nothing to him, as her predecessor had been. Was it the fury that burned so dark toward the Sun from Archibald's breast that made the fiery offspring such distant figures in his life; was it merely life's circumstances had pulled the Sun's children so far from him and pulled the other Gods' children so close? It was a mystery, but for now it did not matter. What mattered was besting her here, on this field so close to the eyes of the gods. He did not care for her welfare or safety. He would demolish her and break fragile bones. He would watch to see if she would rise from her own ashes as she had her sister's. Another snort left him as the tiny demigod approached him, confidence elongating her stride.

As she moved, Archibald processed the information like a supercomputer. His cold, golden eyes watched the way her muscles tensed and untensed beneath silver fur, how her wings unfurled brilliantly before him and how her thin legs danced over the field on cloven hooves. Her slight frame was obviously speedier than his monstrous body, and her barred wings only added to the speed. Archibald would have to keep her close, keep her in range of his debilitating kicks and his overpowering strength. He suspected that she would take every chance she could to leap into the sky and create space between them. It was one of the downfalls of fighting pegasi--they could run like cowards so easily. Up his sleeve, though, Archibald had an arsenal of magic that could ground even the most skillful flier, and once grounded take them off their hooves.

Archibald bristled at how her eyes swept towards Loretta dismissively. The behemoth darkly chortled inwardly at her sweeping gaze. Loretta was no cur to take lightly, to brush off to the side for merely being a dog, for being a companion. She was strong and able, as battle-hardened and trained as Archibald himself. She was a dragon slayer and, with the Dauntless, a destroyer of worlds. She held as much title and weight as he, for they were one soul split into two bodies. She had magic running in her veins, silver and ready to trap an opponent. The demigod would learn not to take a creature such as Loretta lightly after today. The malamute was sure to see it. The dog lowered her center of gravity and snarled lowly at the filly, tail straightening erect behind her and ears pinned down into crimson fur.

When the woman leapt from the ground and into the air, Archibald coiled and Loretta barked into the dim light. His suspicion was correct. He had battled against enough winged to know how they loved aerial attacks. Golden and amber eyes followed the girl as she swallowed the sky and gained altitude, nearly losing her in the grey of the clouds she seemed to be trying to touch. It was only the dim, golden accents on her wings that gave Archibald a pinpointed location. The pegasus turned to dive and the Dauntless readied himself. Gritting his teeth, Archibald sent his magic toward her. He intended to turn her bones to stone and pull her crashing down from her dive. A small spark of light caught his attention, followed by a hellbent fireball rocketing straight down for him. As quick as he could muster, the stallion reeled backwards. The fireball struck the ground behind him and gushed outward like a drop of rain, flames licking his side as he reared and turned simultaneously. The stallion neighed as the fire touched him, white-hot flashes of pain crashing over him. The stallion was no stranger to the feeling of fire boiling his skin, but the familiarity of it did not lessen the pain.

Loretta, quicker than her massive bonded, skirted around the flames and launched herself toward the diving pegasus, sending her time-bending magic toward the demigod with a raging vengeance.  



[PC: 1/3 | WC: 792 | Archibald Magic: :: The ability to turn another's bones to stone, causing immobilization or slower movement :: Restrictions: Bones are turned to actual stone; the effects will wear off gradually; in battle, attack lasts for 50 seconds. Can only be used once in a post | Loretta Magic: - Time slip: another, making them think they are a young child for 30 seconds]

Image Credits | Table code by tamme


@Aithniel


Through the ages of time
I've been known for my hate,
but I'm a dealer of simple choices;
for me it's never too late.


please tag me

Aithniel the Inquisitor Posts: 169
Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 9.0 | dam: 4.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 15.0hh :: 4 Years HP: 75 | Buff: NOVICE
Zerachiel :: Royal Griffin :: Molten Dagger tamme
#5
Your spine is ablaze
Felling any foe with my gaze

Aithniel was neither disrespectful nor arrogant, not how she used to be. Though she was a god-killer, an entity blessed by the sun, she knew she had a long way yet to come. Thus, as she dismissed the dog at Archibald’s side, it was out of lack of understanding, not having much contact with dogs. The wolves that attacked the Basin when she was much younger had been afraid of fire and so easily chased off that she couldn’t imagine this mutt being such a fearsome opponent – just like she couldn’t imagine her fluffy ball of griffin being of any use in war. Ironically, she wanted to shield the child from war and pain, and she didn’t even know that this was so similar to her mother’s goals.

All she knew was that this stallion appeared to be well tried in battle and the polar opposite of her build. What would separate them now would be who played best to their own strengths, and he held a clear advantage in that regard with his experience. As she took to the skies, she came upon this realization, seeing the confidence in his step and the calculating way he planned his attack. He seemed so at ease with her flight, as if he knew how to hurt her even from a distance. Surely he couldn’t?

The battle started in an instant, formalities left off the battlefield where they would have better success. Names were meaningless here and titles were not given but proven. Lineage was an excuse no respectable beast would use because your blood couldn’t fight your fights for you. The Sun God would not descend today to rescue her from her own choices, no… She knew from the beginning that she was very, very much alone in this world. And so she threw a fireball his way, getting close to ensure it hit as his yells of pain hit her ears.

Emotion of pleasure and empathy hit her squarely in the chest, so nauseating. That she could revel in such hurt was sick, but part of her was just that – sick. So focused was she on the stallion escaping the crackling pain of her fires that she didn’t even notice the dog hurling its athletic body her way, all snarls and sharp teeth. Aithniel was just about to fly higher when she felt her body harden, heavy, and the might of her wings did nothing to help her fly. Eventually even those joints locked up, her feathers catching the winds uselessly as she froze.

All she could do was watch with panicked, molten eyes as the dog approached, sending some magic, she assumed, as her mind began to unravel – her safe haven turning to a nightmare. Aithniel blinked, trying to keep herself in the present as her memories crept from the edges, returning her to the Basin where a old stallion threatened to take her wings away, blades at the ready. Her heart hammered in her chest, a violent thud of fear as she fell to the earth. “YOU CAN’T TAKE MY WINGS!” she yelled, tears welling up in the edges of her eyes as she struggled to remember where she was or even how old.

The unforgiving ground yanked her down, scraping her legs and bruising up her darker joints as she fell. One wing crumpled beneath her body haphazardly, the pain a bright white light across her mind, shocking her from her memories to the howl of the wind in the present. Aithniel scrambled to her sluggish hooves, stretching her left wing despite its protest and quickly moving away. Keep your distance… it would only take one hit to end this all…

Warm blood slid down into the black of her lower legs, and whatever little healing ability she had went to her wing as she sidestepped quickly to cliff edge, keeping her back at the exit. She blinked away the emotion as best she could, bringing fire to her again with a strike of a flinty hoof, and its warmth gave her the inner strength she needed to continue. Aithniel sent it circling around her body, wooshing like a moving shield to keep him at bay while she implemented her next attack.

On unsteady legs, she kicked out at the dog and struck her wings out wide, reaching out with her jaws to try to bit at the stallion’s face. Regardless of her success, she let herself fall back off the cliff, caught only by the wild winds that lifted her to the height of the platform again. Pain from her wings hit instantly and her fireball followed around obediently, a small sun compared to its larger counterpart that continued to slip beyond the horizon.

[1/28/2016 12:25:36 PM] Tamme: can someone please add at the bottom of my post (2/3) (788 words in word)

Credits: Image by Tabini with many thanks from Blu



@Archibald

But burn down our home
I won't leave alive


Please tag me in everything!

Archibald the Dauntless Posts: 386
Absent Abyss atk: 6.0 | def: 9.5 | dam: 8
Stallion :: Equine :: 18.3 hh :: 10 years HP: 80 | Buff: SHIELD
Loretta :: Alaskan Malamute :: Time Slip Time
#6
archibald & loretta
But our life's made up of choices
Some without appeal
They took for granted your soul
And it's ours now to steal

The lick of pain across his left side flared and raged, engulfing his mind with the memories of fire and rain and mud. The scars, aged and bitter on his neck and rump, burned with the memories. The new wound spread as the flames ate away at darkened hair and skin. The excruciating bubbling of skin and fur would not dull, the Dauntless knew that. He knew he needed to press on, continue towards his goal of demolition and devour her for all she was worth. He should have known she would choose to fight with a fiery arsenal. She was, after all, the daughter of the Sun God. Her father had burned the herdlands of Helovia without relent years ago in a fit of rage. His anger was only quelled by the conception of Israfel. Massive, steel-clad front hooves touched the hardened ground in the reprieve of his rear and his mind twisted, dark and gruesome and dishonorable thoughts tapping the backdoor of his warrior's mind. Would he have to mount this demigod to quell her fires? He grimaces, teeth gnashing as he rounded on the fire and the thoughts, pushing them away forevermore. His irritated side growled and groaned as he pushed past the burned grass of her first assault. Golden eyes watched as she crumbled to the ground and screamed her agony. Snorting, Archibald continued in his attempt to close the distance between them. Loretta had already managed to do so, and as the filly staggered and stumbled towards the edge she made an assault.

Another round of fire, quick and bright, engulfed the grey like a shield. Loretta did not shy, did not retreat. Like her bondmate, she knew the pain of fire well and was not afraid of it. Even as Archibald's heart jumped into his throat at the idea of Loretta's hide singing and boiling, he knew he could not stop her. Her emotions ran rampant and free. Mourning her sister had left her raw, open to the rage that consumed her for no reason at all. Archibald's concern for her safety hit the overpowering rage in his mind like two titans, but the rage won out without fail and without effort. The slight worry, the one moment of hesitation (the first since Loretta's puphood) perished under the cur's rampant vehemence. Loretta's amber eyes, blinded by her fury, did not catch the quick snap of Aithniel's hoof until it was almost too late. The flinty weapon struck and Loretta ducked her head, stopping her forward momentum. The whoosh of the hoof clearing her head left a sick taste in her mouth. Instead of crashing against her skull, the cloven hoof scraped over her thick scruff. A snarl left the bitch's throat as she snapped her jaws at air, the dull pain of the scraping kick throbbing as Aithniel retreated once more to the skies. COWARD! The bitch roared over Archibald's mind, barking into the wind.

Archibald had stopped just as Aithniel kicked out, lifting his head away from her bites, leaving nothing between her teeth but air. The sudden pull of the muscles on his side sent spasms down his thick, tree-like legs and his face contorted with the effort. He felt the warmth of her fire shield, but not the pain of it. No flames touched his hide as she called her magic to defend her. Golden eyes pinpointed on the demigod's as she fell into the hands of the wind once more. His earthquakes would have no use here today. Even if she did stay on the mountaintop and fight him face-to-face, Archibald did not think he would bend the earth beneath them. It was too dangerous for his own sake. He could bring this whole battleground down, losing all three of them to the will of death. Gritting his teeth, Archibald focused instead on the woman and her fleeting actions. He needed to bring her down to him. He wanted to feel her bones crunch beneath his feathered hooves. As his desires twisted and danced within, bits of rocks levitated around him. Loretta backpedaled, wide-eyed at her master's new display of power. As he focused harder on the flying demigod, the rocks propelled forward. They moved at a velocity the bonded pair had never seen before, and some began to ignite and light fire. The rocks all seemed to follow his unspoken command, as they hurled themselves towards Aithniel in an attempt to gun her down.

It did not take long for Archibald to process what must have happened to him for this power to take flight within his breast. Seasons ago, he had defended Loretta from the crazed assault of a chimp. Instead of attacking the dog, it had injected him with a serum. This was its effect.



[PC: 2/3 | WC: 798 according to wordcounter.net | Archibald Magic: :: [ Magic: EarthxWind | Able to summon and project shards of flint and with such velocity they begin to ignite. :: Restrictions | Projectiles fly 10m from body. ]

Image Credits | Table code by tamme


@Aithniel

Time the Dice Queen Posts: 144
OOC Account atk: 50 | def: 50 | dam: 50
Mare :: Other :: 5'7 :: 22 HP: 5050 | Buff: DROPKICK
Time
#7
Aithniel defaults to Archibald. Archibald receives 0.5 VP.

Partial judging requested.

Blu the Bootyful Posts: 443
Administrator atk: 99 | def: 99 | dam: 99
Mare :: Other :: 5'7" :: 25 HP: 99999 | Buff: TWERK
Blu
#8
20+ HP gap, 1 VP awarded to Archibald due to partial judge request
 HP: 1100

Helovia Hard Mode


Forum Jump:


RPGfix Equi-venture