"Where brilliance is good and madness is better..."
Helovia Info
Helovia opened in February 2012! We are an active fantasy equine RPG
Where once the world narrowed into naught but gray dust and desolation, the gods called for life. Wielding the elements of fire and light, dark and wind, earth and water, spark and time, they have created Helovia. The realm is set within the mythical globe of Loorien, a planet rich with all variety of creatures and blessed with all manner of magic. Originally populated by nomadic, tribal characters, they've since grown into massive empires saturated with culture and history. Separated into four distinct segments of Helovia, called "The Regions," each band of horse strong enough and capable enough, took up the power and responsibility of leadership. Unicorns, old, wise and mysterious, took to the north, hidden in forests of mists and shadows and rarely making themselves known beyond their cliffs of the World's Edge. Equines, vast, organized and militaristic, split into two, one group went north to the Windtossed Foothills and the other group went south to the Dragon's Throat. Pegasus remained nomadic, making their homes in various parts of The Wilds in a migratory manner. For many generations, the land was peaceful and calm, but peace was never the way of the gods. With a clash of argument, war and bloodshed massacred Helovia, and in the aftermath, the realm was eerily quiet. Now, as newcomers sweep into this land, they are met with the lingering bitterness of the gods and the struggle to reclaim what was lost. Nothing remains safe or certain while sorcerers and soldiers alike brood and bide their time for revenge, honor and glory.
Site Wide Plots
Kaos :: The Beginning of the End ☼ - 6/2017 - Kaos placed Helovia in a time-bubble for a short period of time, but the Helovian gods are fighting back. But Kaos is powerful- far more powerful than anyone thought. This may be the beginning of the end of Helovia as we know it.
Kisamoa :: A New Kind of Kaos ☼ - 3/2017 - Kisamoa asks Helovians to help him restore the Spectral Marsh. Which side will you choose?
Invasions :: All Out War ☼ - 5/2/16 - New layout and the brand new invasion rules are up! Thank you for your patience and we look forward to getting started with this new adventure.
The Rift :: Gods Do Die ☼ - 8/2015 - Helovia Gods are saving the Rift from corrupt gods! Can Helovians band together against these foreign deities?
The Literal Ship ☼ - 2/8/15 - Oh no! You have to pair up for Valentine's day!
Sky Island :: Murder ☼ - 10/25/14 - Vesta has been found dead on the island, and the gods have called to you to solve the murder!
Sky Island :: Peace ☼ - 7/7/14 - An island has appeared in the sky! Clouds carry Helovians from the Veins to the sky.
Restoration :: We Welcome the Dawn ☼ - 9/21/13 - The sun has finally risen on this day, giving the land new light, but the Time God and the Sun God have yet to be seen.
Endless Night :: Broken Magic Plot ☼ - 8/30/13 - The earth god has returned and is walking across Helovia to heal the land. Every area can now be considered lush and prosperous, but the sun has still not risen.
☼ - 7/19/13 - The moon has risen in the sky, heralding the return of the Goddess of the moon. Lamp trees which light the paths have grown brighter, moon flowers which grow in dark places have begun to grow and prosper and the world is brighter, filled with a new hope.
Endless Night :: Dead Magic Plot ☼ - 6/22/13 - The gods of Helovia, in order to protect the world, have disappeared into the rift, leaving the world sunless, moonless and magic-less in their absence. Only the herdlands have a source of light, but lamp-trees with glowing leaves and branches sporadically line the popular roads and paths from place to place.
Doppleganger Plot ☼ - 6/20/13 - The God of Time is still struggling to close the rift though which the dopplegangers have come. He has requested that his brothers and sister assist in closing this hole, but without knowing why it opened, the task is proving difficult. Magic still remains faulty and hard to control, but the herdlands continue to be places of refuge for those who are fortunate enough to call these lands home.
ORANGEMOON cools off the lands with a a viscious force. Colder than normal, a sign of things to come during Frostfall, Helovia is bathed in a rich tropical lushness - albiet a cold one. The coastlines of the Dragon's Throat are pelted constantly by tidal waves, and the desert climate is humid but chilly. Ice begins to form early in the Aurora Basin leaving the winding trails slick and dangerous. The mists of the World's Edge coat everything in a glistening crystalline shine which encourages mould to grow everywhere. The Spectral Marsh is the only area which remains fertile, blissfully temperature and lush.
Cotm
Character of the Month for
June, 2017
WEAVER, Corporal of the Aurora Basin, is a relatively recent addition to Helovia and has taken it by storm. Branded with the seal of Death on her chest, intrigue and interest follow both her past and present. Though she is assuredly beautiful, her sometimes sharp personality reveals that there is more to this uni-peg hybrid than meets the eye. Proving herself able on the battlefield in the Basin’s warrior ranks, we can’t wait to see her test her mettle against the looming Kaos happenings! Congratulations!
Helovia RPG was created by Tamme and Blu and coded by Tamme also known as Schwartze. All coding, palettes and imagery are copyrighted to the website and are not for use outside of Helovia. Thank you to our ServerMaster for hosting Helovia. A special thanks goes to Neo for all of her coding help and fixing Tamme's errors, Boom, for her loyal service and creation of the Time God, and to Ali for her consistent contributions and dedication.
Idk why you would want to join this clusterfuck of a thread, but nudge me if you do?This is the thread where Aud RPs with herself and writes the dialogue entirely in dothraki, because why not.
Tae needed - no demanded - to know just what precisely was going on.
First Zero had lied to her about where her mother and seestra had gone. A fact that she only realized when Grusha had returned. Despite her relief at seeing her large counterpart again, it didn’t dispel any of her misgivings about Zero, nor did it quiet her rising fear that something had happened to her mother. After all, it wasn’t like Ampere to just leave (though, at nearly a year, perhaps Tae didn’t know quite as much about her electric creator as she thought). But nevermind that.
She wanted answers and she wanted them now.
So she searched for the only one who could give them to her. She would have liked to have waited for Grusha to have returned from their cache, but her paler twin was taking longer than normal, and Tae didn’t feel like waiting. Grusha had never had any problems finding her before, and the mandible-marked filly doubted this time would be any different.
"Father!" The ghostly girl cried into the morning air, her pale white eyes scouring the skies and the reddish landscape for a sign of her khal and father.
At her heels, Mal and Hel growled slightly. They could sense the unease within the girl and reacted accordingly - with a primitive and primal distemper that Gaucho himself would likely have identified with quite easily. However even as a yearling, Tae was much more sophisticated. "Hush now. We must show strength in the face of our uncertainties.” At once, the hellhound and wolf grew silent, sitting next to her like two massive canine shadows.
tae
i'm a cold day in august, i'm a stream too shallow
i'm a heart shaped box with no letter inside
Tae’s voice pulled the Wildfire from what few moments of relaxation he had allowed himself. Gaucho’s blocky skull rose from where it had been, placed over the waters of the oasis. Water dripped down his bone pierced muzzle in cascading rivulets as his dark ears swiveled to catch the sounds. He knew it was Tae at once. Despite the large number of children he had sired, he knew them all by voice, scent, and sight, despite what they might think of him. However Tae did not sound panicked or in danger, and so the Wildfire took his time making his way towards her. It was Tallsun after all, and the sun beat down upon them all relentlessly.
Gaucho crested a blood-red hill, and saw the dark filly waiting below. At her sides were her companions, peering pointedly at him. The image made him smirk slightly, and Mara herself echoed this sentiment with a serpentine laughter. The daughter of the Mother of Companions, standing there unabashedly with her two companions. Ironic (not that Gaucho knew the word).
The dun’s fiery wings were loosely held against his flanks, and as he cantered down the hill to meet his child, they rose slightly allowing the small breeze that the movement of his body created, to flow under them, cooling his sides slightly. As he neared, he thought that perhaps he should have made the girl come to him - at least by the Oasis there was water to cool themselves off with.
”You call?” Gaucho greeted, his voice a melodic baritone despite how thick the words sounded leaving his lips.
The girl waited expectantly, knowing that her Father would come as he always had. However was she hadn’t expected was the way her heart flopped in her chest as he crested the hill before them.
For a moment he stood silhouetted against the morning sky, an imposing figure of black and red and fire which suddenly came racing towards her. Though Tae had never any reason to fear her Father, suddenly she understood just how he must look to others. Bones protruded from his head and nose, and were sharpened to points around his chest. He was marked in a way that few others around here were, in primitive paints that never seemed to dull. Magic burned brightly across him at all times, dancing across his wings and glowing from his antlers. He truly was a wildfire, and creature of the Sun.
Swallowing hard, Tae raised her head slightly as her Father neared, doing everything in her power to keep her face a neutral mask. ”Yes I did. I want to speak to you as my ave and my khal.” For a moment, her pale white eyes were locked upon his, and then finally her head dropped and the girl bowed before the imposing figure of her Father. This was not necessary of course, but the girl’s manipulative mind was already searching for ways to make her Father take her more seriously - to have him see her more than just a small girl wanting to know where her mommy had gone. She was not that, and if addressing him as khal and bowing to his station helped him see her otherwise, then she would do it.
At her heels, both Mal and Hel dropped down into downwards-dog as well, their own form of a bow.
tae
i'm a cold day in august, i'm a stream too shallow
i'm a heart shaped box with no letter inside
To say that Gaucho was surprised would have been an understatement, but years of battle training and now years of diplomacy had taught him to easily mask his emotions - which, given what a shallow list that was, was not overly difficult. Still, Gaucho’s blue-gray eyes followed the dipped motion of his child’s head - and the way her companions mirrored the movement - with unease.
The dun grunted, extending a wing towards Tae’s shoulder in an attempt to break whatever formality it was she was trying to display. She was his daughter, not a cousin or common member of the Dragon’s Throat. Formality was unnecessary with him.
”Hash yer asti k’athijilari?” His voice was questioning, though rolled off of his tongue far easier in his dialect. He studied the mandible-marked filly silently for a moment, as if trying to mentally impress upon her the lunacy of her request. But she seemed resolute, and the Sultan would never deny any member of the herd from speaking to him as such.
After a moment, Gaucho’s antlered skull nodded, accepting her request. ”Sek. Fini hazi?” In his mind, Mara squirmed uncomfortably. Perhaps it was because she was a female and shared that woman’s intuition, or perhaps it was simply because she was more observant than Gaucho, but the serpent thought that she knew what it was the girl had to say. Sssssssshe wonderssssss of Ampereeeee. Gaucho’s ears flickered in response to this, but he said nothing. He would let his child speak for herself, never mind the assumptions of the gunsteel snake in his antlers.
Unhappy about all of this silent tension, Vorsa fluttered forward, sitting on the sands next to Tae. Her body burned all but Gaucho, and so she was unable to sit upon the girl’s withers as she would have liked, but here by her hooves, at least she could provide her own silent support. The pheonix turned her bright golden stare towards the hellhound and wolf. She was a passive creature, but she didn’t much feel like becoming anyones snack. Her body gave off a burst of flame as a warning, before she turned her face upwards to where the two equines were speaking.
Tae fought the urge to clench her teeth as her head rose. At any moment she expected her Father to laugh at her, or to send her away. She would have preferred that to the unbearable silence that fell around them, made even worse by his paternal gesture. Tae’s white-striped shoulder tensed instinctively as Gaucho’s flaming wing rose to brush it. It wasn’t as though she was afraid of the gesture, but moreso what it implied. You need comfort, that gesture said. But you know who needed comfort? Children. And Tae was not that anymore - at least, in this moment she wished not to be.
Just as she was about to recuse herself, Gaucho spoke, granting her request. Her ears perked forward and she had to bite down on her tongue to keep herself from smiling. ”San athchomari yeraan, anni ave.”
As he asked her what it was she wanted, she paused thoughtfully. There was so much, but she did want to take her time and answer this properly. She might only get one chance at this conversation with her Father, once he learned what it was about.
”I mai nesat.” She began firmly, large pale eyes unwavering as they stared into the depths of her Father’s steely blues. ” Zero qosarvenikh qisi Ampere and Grusha. Kifindirgi?”
And then, the question she did not want to ask, but knew in her heart she needed to. She would not be like Zenobia, harbouring grudges. She would ask her Father. And yet … yet the question weighed heavily upon her soul. ”and I nesat zasqa chiorikem. Zasqa chiorikem affazolat the thelis? Ma thelis mai?”
As she spoke, Tae’s small body began to bleed around the edges into whispy silver clouds, as if she was becoming a ghost. Her magic had taken hold of her and betrayed the appearance of strength that she so badly wanted to portray. She could feel it happening, but there was no way to stop it - and the more she focused on it, the more ghostly she would appear.
tae
i'm a cold day in august, i'm a stream too shallow
i'm a heart shaped box with no letter inside
Gaucho listened, understanding easily for Tae had taken to their native language (or at least, his native language. He supposed the girl had two, having been raised in this place) quite easily. Still, it didn’t make her words any easier to bear. The dun’s dark ears flickered with her words, and his head bobbed slightly at the conclusion of her questions. He wanted badly to take her in his wings, to let his fire bleed away the ghostly magic overtaking her body and to make her feel loved and protected once again. Why would she be asking these things of him if she didn’t feel that way?
The dun sighed.
”Gaucho nesat yer mai, akka.” He offered immediately, with a snort that sounded more like a bitter laugh. And it was true. What wouldn’t he give to know where Ampere had gone? To know what had pulled her away from her home and her family? He felt that she wasn’t dead - quite literally. Somewhere deep inside, he thought that if she had died, he would know of it. Did Tae feel the same? Or had she felt something? Was that why she was asking? ”Gaucho vos nesa.” He concluded, lowering his head slightly and allowing his daughter to see the weariness that he allowed to spread across his features. ”Me lei…” His eyes pulled away from his daughter, looking out into the vastness of the sea that now surrounded the Throat on all sides, as if to indicate that Ampere could be anywhere out there.
As for her second question … he really didn’t know why Zero would lie. He knew that the bond between Ampere and Zero was quite strong, and so if he didn’t even know where she was …. Again, he wondered what it was that could have pulled her away. ”Gaucho vos nesa,” he repeated with a shrug. ”Ishish vijazerat Tae?” That was the most likely answer, though a rather naive one. Sooner or later the truth would be revealed and his lie would surface - as it did. Why he thought that it might protect his younger sibling, Gaucho didn’t know. And despite the lie, the dun did find it moderately comforting to know that the lightning etched boy was looking out for his family, even if it was in a mistaken manner.
Her final question halted Gaucho in his tracks, despite the fact that he hadn’t been moving. He felt rooted, and almost as if a spear had been cleanly thrust through his heart. How could she even think such a thing? ”Kifindirgi Tae-” He began, but quickly broke off. In his mind, Mara showed him an image of Vinati, and suddenly it made more sense. But Tae was still just a girl. How could she be expected to understand the complexity of the relationship that he had with the blue and the white?
”Vos.” He replied simply, and then despite his child’s obvious wishes to speak with him not as a small child, but as one deserving of his answers, he moved forward and draped his wings around her small but growing body. ”Avvos. Avvos dirgat.”
Tae felt herself wilting as her Father - Sultan of the sands and Khal of the Dragon’s Throat, ascended Helovian and Wildfire - indicated that he didn’t know. If he didn’t, then who? Her Father, while not the wisest of all, was surely the expert on these matters. There was no one with more expertise when it came to their family, than He. And if he didn’t know where her Mother was …
Then perhaps all was lost.
At her side, Mal and Hel each stifled a whine, and Tae’s ghostly body began even more translucent.
”Vosma-” But how can you not know? She tried to say, but the rest of the sentence died in her throat, swallowed by the lump quickly forming there. Her pale eyes blinked rapidly, trying to force the tears which were quickly forming away, but it was no use. ”Vosma-” She tried again, her voice now a pathetic whimper that made her ears pin against her small skull, -ma laz't tikh lei..” Her eyes, now moist and beginning to become red, searched her Father’s war washed face for some sign of hope, but found none. The sadness that she read that was perhaps the final blow, and she lowered her head in defeat.
Ampere was gone.
She shrugged away his answer to her question about Zero. Tae had expected him to say as much. If anything, she only wanted him to know that her one-winged sibling had lied, but now that seemed so unimportant. So far away from what really mattered.
As she felt his wings wrap around her, she finally gave in, and let herself be hugged. Her tear-stained cheeks pressed against Gaucho’s large chest, and her own much smaller wings rose to wrap around the large bulk of muscle that stood before her. Never think it, he was saying, but she had thought it, and the answer that he gave did not console a soul that was now burning with grief and despair.
”Avvos dirgat?!” She cried, pulling away from his embrace. She tried to sound indignant and hostile, but only succeeded in sounding small and hurt. ”Hash long ki mae rekke fish hatif ki yol ?” Perhaps the question was unfair, but the girl didn’t care about that right now. Let her Father deal with the unfairness of it, she was still dealing with the loss of her Mother.
tae
i'm a cold day in august, i'm a stream too shallow
i'm a heart shaped box with no letter inside
For a moment Gaucho simply enjoyed the feeling of his child pressed against him. He thought, wishfully perhaps, that she would cry away whatever it was that brought her to him in this state, and simply return to being her mischevious self. Perhaps they could even take that walk back to the Oasis that he wanted to suggest earlier. Just as his mouth might have opened to suggest this, Tae pulled away from him, anger showing through her red rimmed eyes.
Hash long ki mae rekke fish hatif ki yol?
Gaucho’s ears flattened against his skull, and for a moment the instinct to lash out at her was overwhelming. But in this instance, physical force - Gaucho’s forte - would not serve him well. Nervously, Vorsa tittered on the ground, hopping closer to Tae’s hooves as if meaning to protect her from the wrath she could feel bubbling inside of her bonded. But the dun did not strike, instead, he met Tae’s accusing gaze with one of patience and paternal condensation. You don’t understand, because you’re a child, that gaze seemed to say. But also, I love you.
”Vo neak.” He admitted, though he did not sound guilty. Yes, he had taken Sohalia into his bed only weeks after Ampere’s disappearance. But Sohalia was not a new lover to him, nor was she even a new khaleesi on the sands. She was his first love, and in Ampere’s absence, she had been there.
What of it?
There was not a word in their dialect that meant exclusive or monogamous, and so Gaucho merely shrugged off that part of Tae’s insinuation. That was alright he thought, after all, that wasn’t the part that had upset her.
”Ampere avvos affazolat.” He repeated, lowering his bone-peirced muzzle closer to Tae’s. She could be angry with him all she wanted, but as far as his customs and culture dictated, he had done no wrong. He and Ampere had never vowed to be exclusive, and despite the fact that Gaucho would certainly have some choice words should he have ever found out about she and Mesec, he hadn’t, and so for the moment his mind continued to hypocritically conclude that theirs was an open relationship.
Sohalia jadat ata,” He continued, his voice now decidedly softer, ”vosma Gaucho zin athfiezar Ampere disse ven sekke” Despite how sappy the words themselves were, Gaucho said them with confidence and an unabashed truthfulness. He couldn’t explain to his child how his love for the mares differed, and how they held complimentary - not competing - places inside of his heart. Perhaps one day she would understand, but today, he could already tell, was not that day.
”Yer hash khezhat, vo athostar at Gaucho.” He said after a moment. His flaming wings fanned from his sides, creating a fire cave of feathers and muscle. Jadat.”
Tae didn’t want to hear what her Father had to say, didn’t want to hear how easily he accepted and even confirmed her accusations. She wanted him to be angry, to defend himself, and to say something to her that would ease her pain. But he didn’t, and she should have expected that from him. He was stronger than she, and her words couldn’t hurt him, not the way her mother’s leaving clearly had. Gaucho hurt the way she did, and yet she was the one here babbling about her youngest half-sister, demanding her Father explain himself.
And he had. But still, she didn’t feel better.
Yer hash khezhat, vo athostar at Gaucho. He said, and she wanted to scream at him. Her childish fury displayed itself across her features, but she couldn’t move. He was right, of course. She wasn’t actually angry, not really. She wasn’t angry at Zero for lying, only sad that his lie hadn’t been truth. She wasn’t angry that Gaucho had taken Sohalia back - that Vinati had been conceived - she was sad that the vacancy in her father’s life even existed.
Gaucho’s wings spread, and the girl rushed into them.
”Anha'm ojil, ave…” She began, wanting to somehow make up for the spectacular mess she had made of things. The girl had wanted to appear strong, to earn her Father’s respect and be spoken to as an equal. All she had done was blubber out her words, cry, and act like a child. And now here she was, wrapped up in his embrace like the bawling baby she was, and the worst part?
She loved him for it.
Tae sank deep into his embrace, allowing him to cut off her words.
tae
i'm a cold day in august, i'm a stream too shallow
i'm a heart shaped box with no letter inside
Part of Gaucho expected Tae to refuse him. She was not so prideful as to be sinful, but there was certainly a stubborn streak in her that Gaucho thought might rear its head. Patiently though, he waited. He would wait there in that position - wings warmly welcoming her towards him - for as long as it took for her to make up her mind. If she ran off, he would follow her. If she attacked him, he would bear it for a time, and if she wanted to continue to argue, he would endure that too.
But as it turned out, none of that was necessary.
As Tae pressed herself against him, Gaucho’s wings rolled around her, hiding her away from the world and its problems. He heard her mumbling an apology against his chest, but he lowered his head to her curled neck and shhh’d away the words. She was a child whose mother had left her - left all of them. He would allow her this outburst without judgement.
”Me's davra, anna lei khalekki.” He whispered into her, pulling her tightly towards him. The fire on his wings suddenly grew brighter and the flames trickled forward, bleeding harmlessly onto his child. Although his fire could not heal emotional wounds, he knew the toll that they could take on the body, and that was something he could help with. "Yer tikh ayyey ray anna. Akka kishi rhojosor.” A family that likely would be growing now, given his recent exploits. Gaucho’s dark ears faltered as he thought of Nyx and their encounter. He had never been anything even remotely near impotent in his younger days, and now with the Sun God’s blessing upon him, he thought that any chance that the pale gray mare hadn’t conceived was very slim. And he did have a propensity for creating twins … But, despite what Tae had said, the dun decided that now probably wasn’t the best time to tell her that he had in fact taken another mare.
”Akka anha zhilak yera, ave.” Tae whispered into her father’s chest, relieved that he didn’t seem angry with her, but also ashamed of that fact. How could her father be so big? Not just the size of his body, but of his soul? How could he take in all of her problems and wash them away, when he had so many of his own to deal with? As if to compliment this line of thinking, his fire bathed her in its healing light. She felt the weakness of her knees suddenly depart, the tension in her back and neck relax, and her head and eyes felt clear and unencumbered.
”Yer jilat.” She agreed as she wiped her eyes with her own wings, before pulling back from him. There was a lot of family around … well, not all of them were around, but certainly they existed. And the Throat was her family too, was that not what Father was always saying? Tae bobbed her head, standing on her own now and peering up at her Father with love and respect.
”Fini tat anha tat ajjin?” She asked, now completely complacent with the childlike quality of her voice. That was what she was after all, and she needed nothing more than the evidence of the past few moments to prove it. She understood now, looking up at her Father, just how much she had to learn about the world, and just how wise her Khal really was. Gaucho had not broken under the weight of Ampere’s disappearance as she had (though if she knew about he and Nyx, she might have thought differently). What was it that he would tell her to do now?
tae
i'm a cold day in august, i'm a stream too shallow
i'm a heart shaped box with no letter inside
Gaucho smiled with a warm pride as Tae removed herself from beneath his wings. His daughter was strong - as all of his kin was - but Tae especially. To be so vulnerable and yet to move on so quickly? She would make a fine khaleesi one day, and he was anxious to see her grow upon the red sands.
”Ajjin?”” He asked with a laugh, folding his fiery wings against his flanks once more. ”Ajjin khalakki, kisha fichat eveth. Ha jin shekh ajjin high akka yath.”
He turned, beckoning mentally for Vorsa to leave the sands and follow. It was their way after all. They were a nomadic race of warriors and survivors. What to do in times of emotional strife? Of conflict? Keep living, for the Sun was high and hot overhead, and the blessings of their Lord still rained down upon them. The pair could do nothing about Ampere, not now, but they could do something for their bodies. Bodies which would need to be strong and healthy if there were ever going to track down the blue.
”Vers vitisherat zhokwa.” Gaucho acknowledged, looking at Mal and Hel. Though the dun was not overly familiar with Hellhounds, there was a clear difference in size and build between the two black creatures - not to mention the liquid fire that seemed to constantly bubble on the brow of the larger one. He was a royal, if Gaucho recalled correctly, not that it surprised him that a royal creature such as he would come to his wolfish daughter.
The mandible marked filly smiled widely at her Father’s suggestion. He was right, it was hot, and not just because she had been covered by his black wings. Turning her pale eyes to the sky, she squinted, looking at the sun with a smile. She wasn’t as devout as her Father was, though likely that was because he had actually met the Lord of the Sun many times, spoken with him, palavered with him, while she had only heard stories of his greatness.
”Anha'll sillat yer.” Tae readily agreed, her expression an easy smile now that her tears had been dried away. Although Hel didn’t understand the language that his bonded and her father were speaking, ver immediately stuck out in his mind, as referring to him and his smaller brother, Mal. The wolves smiled their wolfish grins and howled in response. Tae grinned at this and nodded.
”Sek.” She agreed, looking with pride at the two companions heeling obediently next to her.
Tae trotted forward, trying to make her strides as long as possible to keep close to her Father. It was a struggle, especially moving uphill on the sands, but she did her best. And, importantly, did it without complaining. She knew that life on the sands was a constant uphill battle, and this metaphorical pilgrimage with her Father was not lost upon her. One day she would be able to gallop across the bloody sands and her coat would remain dry and her muscles wouldn’t ache. She would fly as swiftly through the night sky as Ampere once had (and hopefully, still did), and perhaps would one day command the Throat with Grusha at her side. That ruby-eyed stallion in the Woods that day had been wrong: nothing would come between she and her twin.
tae
i'm a cold day in august, i'm a stream too shallow
i'm a heart shaped box with no letter inside
As they walked towards the Oasis, Gaucho silently noted the way Tae seemed determined to keep pace with him. And so, not wanting to deter her at all after the stresses of that morning, kept his stride at a fairly regular pace. He doubted his daughter would appreciate it if he were to take it easy on her. And so, he didn’t.
As they walked, Gaucho began to fill the silence with some of his thoughts as of late. Things about their growing family and about the safety of the herd. All had been quiet, and the dun wondered if it would last. The last time there had been this long stretch of peace the wraiths had come and not long after that, the Moon Goddess had worked her way with him and with them all. The thought made him grit his teeth, but he spoke through it. He knew that Tae liked to listen to the strategic workings of his mind, and so he indulged her. He spoke of patrols, rations, how the construction of the church was going, what the roster of the herd was. It was easy for him to just rattle off this information - it was simply giving voice to the thoughts always being tossed around in his brain.
As they neared the top of the hill, Gaucho paused to take a breath (more for Tae’s benefit than his own).
”Me ajjin afazh asshekh!” He exclaimed, not unhappily, as he began to once again move towards the cool waters of the Oasis. Vorsa fluttered forward, gayly flying on the breeze, while Mara rode happily in Gaucho’s antlers, soaking up the warm rays of the sun.
Tae’s ears bobbed as they walked. She soaked up every word that her father had to say, storing those tidbits for later. Already her mind was spinning, thinking of ways that she could use her newfound information to her own benefit. Could she perhaps .. impress Nizho with it? Tae swallowed that thought, already feeling slightly uncomfortable about the crush that had formed on the dark boy. Grusha didn’t approve, and the girl didn’t want to divert her affections away from her sister.
Tae nodded breathlessly as they reached the top, glad for the temporary respite. Her wings spread from her sweaty flanks, and Tae exhaled more loudly than she had wanted to.
”Lanat anna!” Tae called suddenly, running forward with a burst of speed. Her body suddenly was enveloped in ghostly swirls as excitement overtook her. Eventually she became nothing more than a ghost, galloping across the sands towards the Oasis. She knew that if she looked back to see if her father was indeed going to race her, that she would lose valuable time. But she could hear the thunder of his hoofbeats behind, and knew that he had given chase.
She couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her lips as she poured on all the speed that she had to give. Her head was low and her wings tucked firmly against her flanks as she tried to make herself as aerodynamic as possible. After only a few moments however, her muscles began to scream and she could feel sweat pouring down her brow. But it wasn’t just the heat - the girl hadn’t trained as much as she should have, as much as her Father probably had at her age. What was meant to be a fun game suddenly made her feel guilty, and so, Tae pumped her legs harder and faster to try and compensate.
tae
i'm a cold day in august, i'm a stream too shallow
i'm a heart shaped box with no letter inside
As Tae lunged forward, challenging him to a race, the dun smiled but did not follow immediately. Why should he? He could overtake her easily and she would not enjoy this little game if she was going to lose it right away. Gaucho was not the type to go easy, even on his children. He would not let them win and give them a false sense of what they could and could not accomplish. It was not because he was cruel or lacked empathy for his kin, but because he was a realist and he loved them. The world would lie to them, but he never would.
When the girl was more than a handful of strides away, Gaucho picked up an easy canter. Quickly his strides brought him closer to his daughter who had taken on the semblance of a ghost. It was really quite amazing galloping after what looked like a spirit, and Gaucho allowed himself a few seconds to marvel at just how interesting her magic was. However the moment was short lived. Gaucho’s strides opened up into a full gallop. It took only a stride or two to overtake the ghostly girl, and then he was galloping unchallenged towards the Oasis.
The Wildfire did not bother to slow his speed, but instead crashed into the waters at a full gallop. Even with Gaucho’s strength, he slowed quickly and considerably within a few strides, leaving him standing in shoulder-deep water. The crisp and cool waves lapped against his body and the dun sighed happily. He turned slowly in the water to spy Tae still racing forward. Her smallish body hit the water without nearly as much impact as his did and she lost her momentum when she was only up to her knees in the water.
”Chir.” Gaucho said with a laugh, lowering one cupped wing into the water and flinging a wingful towards her.
Even though she knew she was bound to lose, she could still feel her lip push forward in a pout and her heart sag a bit as Gaucho easily raced beside her. However the disappointment was quickly short lived, because as she already knew, he was bound to beat her. One day mayhap she would give him a run for his money (eas her mother faster than her Father? She genuinely didn’t know), but that day was not today.
Laughing Tae charged into the water after him, her already exhausted legs yielding quickly to the push-back of the water. As soon as she stopped, her legs began to tremble and she allowed herself to flop forwards into the water - just in time to have her father rain a wingful of water down upon her.
”Hale!” She cried as water got into her eyes and down her nose. The dark filly snorted, feeling painful rivulets of water being expelled from her tiny nostrils. She feigned anger, and then threw her tiny body towards her Father. She didn’t make it as far as she wanted - not even reaching him - but the waves she had caused lapped against his blue-striped chest and a few droplets hit him in the face.
Looking up at him, Tae stuck her tongue out. Then, realizing just how thirsty she was, she promptly dunked her skull back downwards again, into the water. She drank deeply, and as she did, her ears gently flickered back and forth. Her wings hung limply from her sides - she was almost too exhausted to hold them against her flanks, and in the water, it aided with her balance to have them splayed as they were.
tae
i'm a cold day in august, i'm a stream too shallow
i'm a heart shaped box with no letter inside
At her exclamation of outrage, Gaucho could only chuckle. He knew that he hadn’t truly caught her off guard, but even so, watching something like amused horror spread across her lovely features compelled him to laugh. Was there something about Ampere in that outrage? Even feigned as it was? Certainly the girl took more after her mother than after him. She would remain much smaller than he, but her bones were sturdily built, and Gaucho thought that with a little intentionality into her training, she could one day easily become faster than him. Not stronger perhaps, but she was cunning. Speed might just be enough.
Seeing her as she was, plopping her head into the water with youthful ignorance, Gaucho felt something inside of him tighten. Had he just moments ago told her that no one could take the place of her mother? And wouldn’t he soon be telling her of the new brother or sister that they would be welcoming into their family? That thought drew another - just where would this impulsively conceived child (children?) live? Gaucho’s eyes drew away from Tae who was greedily drinking, and he let his mind wander to that afternoon with Nyx, and all that had occurred before which had allowed those moments to take place. She had been a formidable warrior, yes, and her electricity had enticed him … But that was no excuse. He had been weak in a way that he had never been weak before.
Would he lie to his daughter about that, by omission?
”Nakho!” Gaucho called suddenly, snapping himself out of his daze and wading swiftly forward. One large flaming wing stretched outwards, reaching under Tae’s chin and forcing her head to raise. ”Yer tikh get jin torga athzhikhar.” His voice was understandably stern, but clearly was compelled only by care for his child. The stomach sickness, brought on by water entering a belly from a throat far too greedy, had consumed far too many signs. There was magic here and perhaps his healers (or even his own abilities) could prevent it should it try to twist her stomach, but Gaucho would rather not take the chance. Besides, they were creatures of the desert. Tae should have known better.
Tae was surprised to find her Father’s wing suddenly under her chin, thrusting her head jerkily upwards and away from the water which was happily quenching her thirst. For a moment she didn’t know what it was that had caused such a reaction from her Father, but as he spoke again, his voice laced with concern for her, she felt both stupid and ignorant. And unfortunately, not for the first time today. Not even for the first time this hour. How was she supposed to become a mighty warrior - to be a leader like both her Mother and Father, when she couldn’t even quell her own urges? Ones that had the potential to kill her?
”Anha'm ojil, ave..Anha vos dirgat-” She meant to continue, to explain that she had run so hard across the sands to try and beat him, that the sun was even more hot than she had thought it to be, but the words died on her lips. For they weren’t actually words, they were just excuses. Instead, she bowed her head submissively, took a breath, and merely nodded.
Mal and Hel, who had begun to drink as soon as Tae had, also stopped lapping at the water. They looked nervously at each other wondering what had suddenly come over their bonded. For no one else could have caused her to submit quite the way that Gaucho always could, and it unnerved them. They were used to Tae being the dominant one, the pack leader, and it made them feel insecure and unsure of themselves to see her in such a submissive posture. In response, Mal whined on the bank, yielding a bite on the neck from Hel. Even though the hellhound was younger (by only a month) compared to the wolf, he was clearly higher on the hierarchy than his black cousin.
Tae flicked an ear back towards the wolves and mentally nodded to them, encouraging them to drink. Their bellies were not as large as those of her species, and they were not subject to the same sorts of concerns. Drink if you wish. She said, her voice calm and confident in their minds, despite the fact that her head was still bowed.
tae
i'm a cold day in august, i'm a stream too shallow
i'm a heart shaped box with no letter inside
Gaucho nodded away Tae’s apology, though it did make him frown slightly. He was stern yes, but he had never lashed out at any of his children. Rarely, if ever, did he yell at them. A raised voice perhaps, but never an angry yell, and yet he was constantly met with shows of submissiveness and apologies that were far weightier than he would have expected. To other children and members of the herd, he was their khal and sultan, and ascended member of the Sun God’s herd. So perhaps their care and attention to obeying his rules were warranted from them. But from his children? Did they not think themselves exempt from viewing their father as a ruler and warrior king? Did they not simply see him as Gaucho, their father?
Apparently not.
”Hazze ajjin adakha anha eth tat astat..” Gaucho began, wading out of the water so that it only covered his ankles. ”Me ajjin vo a dis ato…”
The dun looked at his child for a moment, wondering if he truly did owe her this ‘confession’. She was just a girl, barely more than a year. Perhaps this was over her head, above her pay grade, out of her league. What good would come of telling her the intimidate details of what had happened with Nyx? Or, if not the intimate ones, the details of what would happen in a few short months? Gaucho clenched his teeth together, causing the muscles of his jaw to ripple across his dark cheek.
Perhaps no good would come of it, but he knew a world of bad would come if Tae found out on her own.
Still, it felt difficult. Why tell Tae? Why not tell Zenobia, Rhoa, Ivezho? Aelin or Hawk? Zero to Vinati ? Because where were they all? Well, Vinati he knew to be close at hand, but she certainly was far too young.
Tae was here and Tae wanted to know. Perhaps that was all a the permission he needed.
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