"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.
Under the moonlight, under your moonlit gaze I know I'd take a million bullets, babe
A cold wind swept down from the north and the once brilliant sunlight faded, gray clouds rushing overhead with a promise of rain. Erthë looked up again when the first cold droplets landed on her back, as she so often had these past few days; anxious that someone might be around, fearing that no one would be. Dreading, that whoever found her there on the meadow would be the wrong kind of person.
With a rumble of distant thunder the sky opened up, turning the afternoon from mildly pleasant to miserable at the turn of a leaf. She did not mind the cold. Freezing was rarely a problem to the cold-blooded girl, born as she was with the last breath of winter. But being wet was a different matter. Within minutes the glistening curls lay plastered against the neck and her wings felt twice as heavy, dragging at the shoulders so that the fresh scars in her sides ached and smarted. She sighed, blinking away the water that persistently dripped into her eyes; lowering her crown again she reached for another mouth of grass.
Bright light flashed in the distance. Flinching visibly her ears fell back, the long tail whipping back and forth, agitation barely suppressed; there just was no relaxation to be had today, was there. No peace, no quiet - or perhaps it was the abundance of the two that caused her such distress. Regardless of which, she was getting no rest, which she needed badly after so many sleepless nights, and with this weather staying out in the open would be stupid.
Muttering under breath Erthë meandered down the hill, her limping gait bringing her towards a grove of gnarled oaks and wild rose briars that huddled by a bend in the river. Out of all the trees in this open landscape these appeared to be the lowest ones, it should pose the least danger if the storm picked up. Lifting her wings high so that she could get through the dense shrubbery she pushed herself in through the thicket, wincing as thorns bit into her skin, piercing skin and drawing small, dark droplets of blood. The heady scent of it made her shudder, nausea rising like bile in the throat.
Swallowing hard, biting down the pitiful whimper that trembled her lips, she pressed on. Deeper and deeper, further in, until she reached the open space in the center where sunlight was scarce and the pouring rain was blocked by tangled branches over her head.
It was a good place, a hidden place. Secret, or at least it had been when she roamed the lands by her mothers side.
It felt like such a long time ago... Few things were as they had been back then.
Isopia in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised
But of course, we are rarely alone, even when we think we are. And it isn't just the sentient life around us that we choose to ignore - bugs, birds, small animals - in general, it's merely our nature to assume that when we want privacy, we are somehow afforded it. We let ourselves be reassured that we have achieved it, merely because we feel a quaking in our bones that signals that we are alone, that we are vulnerable. But of course instincts aren't always to be trusted.
For Erthe was not alone. And apparently, neither was Isopia.
The demi-goddess had sought shelter inside of the copse of trees as well. Though she didn't necessarily mind the rain, today it felt colder than normal. She had also learned that when her cape grew damp enough, it chilled her body for hours afterwards. The storm prevented her simply from flying home, and, given that she had no where really to be, she allowed herself a respite next to the trees. It was only the delicate sound of Erthe's wimpering inhales that drew The Mountain's gaze towards where she stood in the vague darkness, a few meters away.
Isopia and Hubris were huddled around a group of stones which she had temporarily imbued with magic. The stones gave off heat that helped to dry the parts of themselves which were waterlogged, and also provided a small amount of comfort to their bodies.
The bronzey dragon tugged on Isopia's cape, motioning to where he could smell Erthe. >>Cold too. She come here?<< He whispered into her mind, bright blue eyes full of mirth and a need to help those around him. They two couldn't have been more different, and as Isopia stared down into his pleading face, she knew arguing with him was pointless. He'd probably ignore her and go and get the girl himself, even if she declined. So with a silent shrug and nod of her head, Hubris scampered off on all fours, lifting off into the air in the direction of Erthe.
The dragon did not try to creep up on her, and indeed he was making a goodish amount of noise. Even so, he wore a bright happy smile on his face, and held his clawed hands out, palms up, as if to suggest that he had no weapons (other than said claws). He tried to mime shivering, and then pointed back towards where he came, and changed his mime to one of being relaxed, and almost hot (he fanned himself to try and express this point). Trilling a questioning note, he turned and flew back a few paces, then turned to see if she would follow him.
Under the moonlight, under your moonlit gaze I know I'd take a million bullets, babe
At first, the sound of something shuffling around ahead of her caused Erthë to freeze, breath paused uncomfortably halfway through exhale as swiveling ears searched for the source. Shimmering white strands of hair was all that moved in the gloom, partially lit by the warm glow of the acorn charm in her tail and fanning this way and that on the whim of the wind. A flash of movement drew her eyes; she nearly bolted before the features of the creature registered with her as familiar, but when they did and the eyes, claws, scales and wings added up into a moderately sized dragon Erthë breathed out a long sigh of relief.
"Hey there" she said, a smile warming the doll-like angles of her face as she addressed the creature, "who might you ..?" She trailed off, staring curiously a the reptile. It was making the oddest sort of movements she had ever seen, gesturing and flapping and looking at her with apparent expectation. In a perfect world Erthë would have understood perfectly, but to her dismay she could make no sense whatsoever from the mimicry. Knitting the brow in a look of concentration she regarded the dragon as it trilled and flew off a bit, only to turn and look at her again.
"I don't... you want me to follow?" That was the only guess that made any sense, and only because she had seen Vlasi do the same thing in the past. Would a dragon think to act like a dog (three-headed or not) however?
Well. Maybe if it was bound to someone. A companion.
Which meant she wasn't alone after all, and her hidden grove wasn't secret. Erthë sighed, not sure whether she was regretting it. It would no doubt depend on who she'd have to share it with, and how long this storm intended to last.
"Alright, I'm coming." Steeling herself for a long, potentially miserable afternoon (and/or night, gods forbid) she stepped after the winged critter, eyes straining to make out the color of the scales amidst shadows and enchanted light.
She didn't have to go far before the shape of a horse caught her gaze. Even in the dim light of her trinket there was no mistaking the red of the cloth that cloaked Isopia, and Erthë thought it must be difficult indeed to find another horse that would match the demi-goddess in size or appearance. Despite her best efforts, it surprised her to see the mare. For all that they had come across one another here and there she didn't know this person, barely remembered what they had talked about that one time they actually did talk, and now...
Now it felt awkward to approach.
"Hi" she said, as the smile flickered on her lips and faltered. Erthë stopped some distance away, pausing as she regarded the mare and the dragon - her companion? She could feel heat fill the air, seemingly radiating from the god-child; pale wings tucked closer to the shoulders to keep the warmth at bay, her icy flesh preferring the cool moisture brought on by the storm.
"Is it with you?" She indicated the dragon, curious despite herself - she had never seen this person with a companion before.
Isopia in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised
If it was ever the case that Hubris was asked, If you could give one gift to Helovia, what would it be? he would immediately answer, words for companions. Oh he could speak into Isopia's mind, and for the most part, she would relay his messages to those around. He could also speak with the dragons that were bonded to others, and even those in the wild if he concentrated very hard on the sounds they made. But the others? The other horses? For all of his cleverness and intelligence, his ties to them were one big pantomime. One big game of charades that he was constantly losing.
But in this one and perhaps unique instance, the pale filly seemed to understand his intentions at their crudest: follow me. And when he looked back, he nodded vigorously at her inquiry, a wide smile on his scaled features.
All of this Isopia saw through their bond. She knew a little of Erthe, but likely she had forgotten more about the frosty girl than she remembered. The demigoddess, for all of her academic prowess, had a terrible memory.
The Mountain's golden gaze rose as Erthe entered the section of the trees where Isopia and her heated-rock sculpture were. Trilling brightly and pointing at Erthe for a moment, Hubris skirted forward and glided to Isopia's side. He wrestled with something beneath her cape, and finally pulled out a glowing acorn charm identical to the one in Erthe's tail. With a delighted smile, and a wink in Erthe's direction, the dragon flew to a low hanging branch, and hung the charm there, so that its light would cascade down upon the trio. This Isopia watched studiously, interested that the dragon not only thought to bring the girl here to warm up, but to add some lighting as well. She narrowed her eyes slightly at these antics, but said nothing.
"He." Isopia corrected, her voice it's normal academic tone, though was considerably lower, as if not wanting to invite extra attention to this little gathering. Isopia preferred solitude, that was no secrete, but she did not have the strength to provide heat for an entire gathering should they hear her and appear. "He is called Hubris." She concluded, looking almost fondly at the dragon who had landed near the rocks and was beconing Erthe closer.
"The rocks provide heat." She stated objectively, not necessarily an invitation, but about the closest thing to one as she would get. "They will help dry the rain."
Under the moonlight, under your moonlit gaze I know I'd take a million bullets, babe
Now, Erthë wasn't exactly the most refined girl that ever graced Helovia with her presence. Plenty rough around the edges, none too particular about her own appearance or overly conscious about manners or language, she was in many ways her mothers daughter. If her father had not brought her to the Edge rather than along on his vagabonding outcast life she might have lost grip of common courtesy altogether... but as it were, she did have some grasp on how to behave. Extending greetings when meeting someone, for example, and returning said greeting when offered from another. It was a little thing, hardly anything to get worked up about... but though she didn't exactly mind it when Isopia skipped that part and went straight for correcting her, it did take her aback somewhat.
"Right... he" she said, nodding that she accepted the correction (somewhat awkward though she might be, it was obviously important to get the facts straight here). Glancing at said Hubris, Erthë smiled as she watched him skip about, the second acorn drawing her attention both by the added light and the fact that it existed at all, by all appearances nearly identical to her own. How had Isopia come by such a thing? Come to think of it, Erthë had no idea how her mother had found hers either. Another secret to ponder. The filly stashed it away as a question to ask should opportunity arise - if the weather kept up like this she might be in need of conversation starters before long.
"Thank you" she said, as Isopia mentioned the mysterious heat that permeated the air. She studied said rocks for a moment, only registering their presence once brought up, and tried to decide what between heat and rain she found less tolerable. The mantled mare might not have meant it as an invitation but Erthë took it as such nevertheless. Declining might be seen as rude; biting back a sigh she relented and inched closer, limping steps closing the distance until she found herself next to the Mountain.
Now what? There was light, warmth - perhaps a bit too warm - and company, shelter from the worst of the wind and most of the rain. By most people's standards it was positively cozy, but all the pale girl could think about was how small she felt next to the older mare. She should be used to it, considering how most of her best friends towered over her, but something about Isopia made her feel dwarfed in ways other than just physical. As if to comfort herself her eyes strayed again for the dragon (he, Hubris).
Isopia in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised
Had Erthed voiced any of the thoughts that whirred through her pale skull to The Mountain, Isopia might have had a great deal more respect for her. The demigoddess had grown to accept the odd looks that others gave her when she declined the normal formalities of conversation (Isopia did what she took to be the bear minimum, but even that fell far short of where others often expected her to be, especially given her linage. What an odd assumption to make.), and would have approved to know that while Erthe had noticed this leap in tact (being observant was an important trait to the demigoddess), she had ignored it for the most part. Then again, had Erthe simply vocalized her stream of consciousness to the big mare, Isopia would likely have been annoyed by it.
So perhaps there was no winning.
Either way, Erthe didn't immediately bother her, and that put the icy hybrid miles over and above most who crossed Iso's path.
As she was want to do, Isopia ignored Erthe's offer of thanks. Isopia was stating facts after all, there was no reason that she needed to be thanked for her actions. Still, she knew that it was customary, and so let it pass. As Erthe came to stand by her, Isopia did her best to force her body to remain motionless. She would have preferred that the pale girl stand on the opposing side of the rocks - as far away from herself as possible - for closeness was not a state that Isopia endured particularly well. However given the memories which had recently been plucked from her mind, she endured it a great deal better than she would have if she still retained those memories. And, having Erthe at her side meant Isopia didn't constantly have to make eye contact. That was a blessing, at least.
"He is-" Isopia paused. She couldn't quite keep track of Hubris' age in relation to her own, because her growth in relation to time hadn't exactly been ordinary. Blinking, she looked to Hubris, as if expecting him to answer. The dragonling trilled and shrugged, mentally indicating to her that keeping track of his own age wasn't one of his priorities. Thoughtfully Isopia paused, trying to think of an appropriate way to answer. "He was given to me after one of the Rift Battles - when the Earth God fought a tiger." Her golden gaze swept sideways to eye Erthe, trying to determine if any of this was ringing a bell. If it did, then the pale woman would likely know who she was, and that she was the Earth's daughter. "He was in an egg then, and born shortly after. He is old enough now to speak to me reasonably well, and to use his magic effectively." She concluded, thinking that a rather apt response.
Under the moonlight, under your moonlit gaze I know I'd take a million bullets, babe
"A year and a half then, roughly six seasons" she said, needing no time to think before the answer came upon the tongue. Erthë could have provided the exact number of days too if she'd liked, or the number of completed moon cycles, the time measured in hours and minutes.
But it hardly mattered.
Point was, she knew what day Isopia referred to, remembered vividly all there was to recall save for the moments she had spent unconscious. It was the day she was acquainted with pain, the day she shot a god with an arrow, the day Mauja lost his daughter and threw away the crown, the day Tembovu picked it up and placed it on his head and started down the road that legends walked. It had been a sad day, a triumphant day, a victorious day, a day when she heard a name not meant for her ears... It felt like ages ago, and yesterday. But it was only a year and some, a handful of seasons, a heartbeat and a sigh to the immortal gods.
Hardly worth remembering at all.
"I don't know much about companions" Erthë confessed, shifting the weight between frail legs while subonsciously leaning away from the other hybrid; it wasn't only Isopia that felt uneasy about the close proximity, she was already regretting placing herself where she had. "My father is bound to a.. well... a shape-shifter, I suppose it is. But we never talked about her development. Vlasi was already grown when I was born too so I had no chance to study her as he grew up."
Mismatched eyes nearly as pale as the milky coat flitted briefly onto the Mountain, betraying a burning curiosity that didn't show on her face.
"I thought only the barren ones could bond to dragons..."
There was a definite question there, though perhaps not very neatly phrased. It was a subject that interested Erthë a great deal, a sore spot she wanted nothing more than to address, clarify, amend if possible. Because she agreed with Volterra, dragons really were the most beautiful creatures she could think of, and it seemed very unfair that their majesty should be reserved for only some.
Right? Especially if it kept her from forging that special bond with one.
Isopia in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised
A look of mild surprise coloured Isopia's deathly-marked face as her company immediately recited Hubris' age. Despite his lack of interest in his age, the dragonling trilled a polite thank you towards Erthe. As the pale mare spoke of her Father's companion, Isopia's expression returned to a neutral mask. She really didn't care about this Vlasi, but if the two were going to wait this storm out together, better Isopia bite her lip now and save herself what would surely become an argument, if she voiced her internal monologue that was currently talking over Erthe.
I thought only the barren ones could bond to dragons...
Seemingly past anecdotal stories and onto facts, Isopia's gaze once again snapped to attention. Although her memories of Volterra had been removed, and so she had no first-hand evidence of the factual inaccuracies of Erthe's statement, she had plenty of experience with dragons and children to still be confident in her response.
"No, that isn't correct." She began. "My mother was bonded to a dragon prior to my birth." Was the Edge still as filled with dragons as it had once been? Isopia had no idea, and so made no reference to her former home to try and further justify her position. "Dragons are able to bond to any who possess equine blood. While it is possible that they choose the barren over the fertile, perhaps assuming or preferring that their bonds will never have competition, it is not necessary."
The demigoddess looked up towards Hubris to see if he had anything further to add. Clearly he didn't, and so Isopia returned her gaze to Erthe. "Why would you think such a thing?"
Under the moonlight, under your moonlit gaze I know I'd take a million bullets, babe
A pale ear dipped backwards as the painted mare replied, ardently zoning in on the completely wrong thing. Erthë looked gave her a long, searching look and tried to see if Isopia was pulling her leg, if this was some kind of joke... but all she could see was complete and utter seriousness, not a trace of a smile whether amused or mocking or even friendly.
"That's not what I meant. I didn't mean barren as in infertile, I meant... plain, without features. Someone with neither wings nor horns. You are really hard to have a conversation with, did you know that?"
Erthë took another step away from the demi-goddess, her discomfort with the whole situation growing like an pus-filled lump, just itching to be cleansed. Something about this mare made her want to scream and bang her head against a tree in frustration, made her fret over and double check every word for hidden traps and snags that might make it even more impossible to make herself understood. Was she really that unclear when she talked, or was Isopia just incapable of reading the social cues Erthë took for granted?
"Does that mean you are part.. what did you call it, equine? How is that possible, you look just like me. Horns, wings, the whole shebang."
Frowning, the young mare wondered about that term. It wasn't that she hadn't heard it before, it was just that she had never thought to explore the meaning behind it. Raised in a land where race meant little and racism was dying (or perhaps just hidden, driven underground by movements of peace and lacking interest to pursue a war that could never be won) Erthë had only been subjected to it once in her life, and she still did not comprehend the true meaning behind Rikyn's slur. Mutant he'd called her, but she just assumed he was referring to her clammy skin.
If anything, she was proud of the way she looked - wasn't she shaped in the likeness of the gods, after all? All of them, even though the Time one only showed his wings when he was angry...
Isopia in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised
Isopia's gaze narrowed slightly as the misunderstanding was made clear. Despite her rigid use of language, for once, she didn't think her linguistic strictness was to blame. After all, barren was certainly a bizarre way of saying without wings or horns. While the word might be stretched to mean something plain, without context, Erthe could just as easily have meant someone without markings.
You are really hard to have a conversation with, did you know that?
"I have been told that in the past, yes." Isopia conceded, sounding almost mechanical in this admission. If this was perhaps meant as an insult, or as a subtle way of asking her to not be so difficult, the Mountain did not pick up on this meaning. After all, there were lots of things in life which were difficult, but rewarding. Or along the same line of thinking, plenty of things which were difficult, but not say, incorrect.
As Erthe raised another question, it became Isopia's turn to want to shake the girl or press her head against a wall. The demigoddess took a breath. How was it possible? The question was nearly unanswerable, it was so simplistic. She assumed that Erthe did not literally want to know how it was possible, given her statement about Isopia being difficult to talk to. Still, her lack of contextual clarity was something that Isopia would have liked to mention, if only to show that her difficultness was not necessarily always her fault.
"Yes. I am a tribrid; a cross between the three species. I take it that you are not asking the physical mechanics necessary to make an equine-hybrid." She began, seemingly unaware of the looks of annoyance, disdain, or whatever else might have crossed Erthe's features as she stepped farther away from the demigoddess. "Although now that I think about it, I don't think I necessarily detect a question. You seem merely surprised. Is it so surprising, really? There are three species in helovia: equines, unicorns, and pegasi. You've seen creatures who possess wings and horns - they are a hybrid of the latter two. Though there are no visible characteristics the delineate equines from equine-unicorn, or equine-pegasi pairings, why should it surprise you to know that they exist?"
Now that she thought about it, maybe Erthe was literally asking how it was possible. "My Father was a tribrid, and my mother an equine. Hybrids are rare, and tribrids even more so, due to lowered fertility rates." She concluded finally, trying to gauge Erthe's reaction to her attempt at answering her question.
Under the moonlight, under your moonlit gaze I know I'd take a million bullets, babe
This was not going at all well. As the tall mare droned on and on Erthë watched with mounting apprehension as the conversation spiraled out of control, brought further away from the safe, innocent topic of dragons. Dangerous waters loomed ahead, an ocean of misinterpreted words, misunderstandings and lacking patience on her part, all treacherous combinations that lined all further attempts to steer the subject back towards the original goal with explosives.
The only good thing about it all was that she raptly learned a few things about this Mountain. First of all, she was literal. Painfully so, her voice appeared as dry as sun-baked clay as spoke, every word surgically precise. Secondly, she was smart. Erthë had always considered herself keen to learn and reasonably intelligent, but though she could recognize an opportunity to absorb knowledge here, the subject had grown hopelessly complex and already by the time Isopia was halfway through her explanation. All the young mare could think of as she listened was her own growing irritation and the urge to do something drastic, just to free herself from the clammy, restricting bonds she imagined around her neck. Which lead to the third realization; the Czarina would likely a horrible teacher, if she made a student want to scream and run after a mere few minutes.
"Indeed, that's not what I was asking" she agreed, stubbornly clamping her teeth into the conversation. Though completely pointless and frankly quite stupid, Erthë refused to give up just yet. Standing around quietly would be terribly awkward, the storm was still rattling the branches overhead and occasionally showering her with icy rain so leaving would not be an option for quite some time... There was only one way to do this, and that was by keep trying.
"And I'm not really surprised... I just never considered the topic so interesting that I gave it a lot of thought. Frankly it doesn't matter one way or the other how or why... All I wanted to know was whether or not I could bond with a dragon too!"
It was hard to keep the voice calm, but Erthë thought she managed it well enough, all things considered.
Isopia in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised
Without any malice or frustration, Isopia's wide golden eyes merely watched the girl as she admitted that indeed her words had not aligned with what it was she was thinking. For all of her faults, Isopia was constantly condemned for the flaws over which she had little control (no one had ever given her any real reason to think that her hyper literalism was a bad thing, after all), and never praised for those that she did. Might it not be reasonable for her to chastise young Erthe for her sloppy command of the native tongue? To offer a lecture on precision? And yet Isopia remained silent, merely accepting the girl's acknowledgement of her error and allowing the conversation to move on. She was not trying to teach, only to answer a question that was poorly formed. And even still, she was labeled an asshole for it.
Oh well. Such things did not bother her.
Isopia's broad shoulders shrugged, causing her red cape to flutter slightly. "Things need not be interesting in order for us to understand or think about them." She mentioned almost casually. Sure interest might be a way of ranking the order with which to think about things, but with a lifetime ahead, surely there was time even for the mundane? Then again, the majority of the Helovian's filled their days with things other than thoughtful contemplation, and so it didn't surprise the demigoddess that some only gave weight to that which was interesting.
"Then why didn't you ask that?" Isopia asked, though her tone was almost rhetorical, as if she didn't expect an answer. She would have liked one, but given Erthe's conversational pattern, she did not hold out hope. "Do you know if either of your parents possessed equine blood? From what I have seen, speciazation cannot jump generations. Your mother or father must have possessed equine blood. Even then, there is no guarantee. Do you know if either did?"
Isopia looked to Hubris for a moment, silently asking him if he could determine somehow whether or not the pale woman carried equine blood. Shaking his head silently, he indicated that he could not. Sighing, Isopia nodded, and returned her gaze to Erthe.
Under the moonlight, under your moonlit gaze I know I'd take a million bullets, babe
If she had ever been part of a more exhausting conversation, Erthë could not recall it. It probably wasn't even Isopia's fault even though she was nitpicky and difficult, too precise in her interpretation of words to pick up on the meaning behind the words (or perhaps she simply chose not to go looking for it, which in a way would make sense, being strangers and all). Even though they seemed to be reaching some sort of breakthrough it brought her no joy; indeed, even as the pale-skinned girl bit back an angry "I did!" at the rhetorical question she felt a sinking sensation in her stomach.
"I... don't think they do" she said, ears twitching in a troubled manner as she thought about her parents. "Mom had wings, dad a horn... But if it's like you said and one of them really is a 'cross', it would not necessarily show, right?" Which meant that there still might be hope!
Erthë clung to that thought as she looked at Hubris, the longing in her eyes impossible to conceal even if she had thought to try. It really would be quite marvelous to be friends with a dragon, to share its company wherever she went and be able to admire it's beauty whenever she wished. Not only were they incredible to behold, they were strong too; Erthë had seen Isopia fight in dragon form and though she did have some mixed feelings about that fight she would never be able to shake the sensation of awe she'd felt at the sight of the black dragon.
"Where did you find Hubris?" she asked, the irritation that had made her skin itch fading as she looked at the bronze. "Maybe if I too can find a dragon egg, I will be able to find out for sure..."
Isopia in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised
Isopia's deathly-marked skull dipped in tentative agreement. "Yes. It is possible." She admitted, though her mind did not hold out much hope. It was as she said - if one of her parents had indeed been a equine-hybrid, her very existence would be improbable. Hybrids had lowered fertility rates due to the combination of DNA already present within their bodies. That Erthe possessed traits of both her parents, rather than only one, was already a statistical outlier. "Were either bonded to a rougarou? Rougarou's only bond to hybrids. That would be one way of finding out." Then, realizing that she was just being stupid, shook her head slightly and asked, "Why not ask them?"
The bronze dragon waved at the pale girl, wanted to come closer, but already sensing the rift between she and his bonded. Unlike Isopia, Hubris was able to discern when she was being 'thick' or 'difficult' as others liked to put it. But, like Isopia, he didn't see a problem with it and so usually kept his social-commentary to himself.
"It is as I said earlier.." Isopia answered, her voice trailing off and her eyes narrowing, as if there was something hidden Erthe had asked her that she was meant to understand. The demigoddess had already told the pale mare this, and only a few minutes ago. While Isopia did not generally go out of her way to understand the hidden meanings that others often tried to communicate, in light of Erthe's earlier criticism she was at least aware that the girl wasn't making an effort towards accuracy. But ... what more was there to tell? She'd been given Hubris. That was that. "...During the Rift Wars, on the Riptide Isles when the Tiger Goddess attacked the God of the Earth. Hubris was given to me then, I did not find him."
Under the moonlight, under your moonlit gaze I know I'd take a million bullets, babe
It might not have been Isopia's intention, but the suggestion that she ask her parents still hurt. There was of course no way for the tall mare to know about Erthë's family situation, and she herself ought to be used to it by now... but she wasn't, and it still stung, and she was rapidly losing whatever spark that made her push for these answers.
Deflating Erthë shook her head, not recognizing the word Isopia used (it was not one she had ever heard, as not even her own father knew what Vlasi truly was and probably would not recognize it for what it was) and shrugged.
"I can't" she reluctantly admitted. "Mother is dead, and Father... I haven't seen him for months."
Moving her eyes away from the demi-goddess and her dragon, Erthë stared into the gloom, lost for some time in her own thoughts. When her final redundant question was answered (was that a hint of irritation in the mare's voice, or was it just her own imagination?) the girl just nodded, recognizing the answer now that it was repeated.
"Right, you did say that. Sorry, wasn't paying attention..."
Something cold and heavy had slowly formed in her stomach, like doubt and defeat and maybe a touch of sulky denial. So what if she didn't know anything about her own parents, so what if that meant she did not know anything about herself either. As long as she hadn't failed to bond to a dragon she would be perfectly able to keep hoping. Who knew, maybe she was one of those tribrids or whatever they were called!
She would know when she got her hooves on an egg...
... not that there was anything easy about finding those. Erthë heaved a sigh, sounding as if the weight of the whole world was on her shoulders.
Isopia in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised
Isopia, emotionally barren as she was, gave no recognition or offer of empathy as the pale quad-horned mare before her indicated that her mother was dead, and her father lost to her. Isopia's own mother might be dead for all she knew, and despite the fact that she obviously saw her own father more often that Erthe saw hers, he might as well have been lost too, for all the good he had ever done her.
Even without her own parental misery to complicate things, Isopia did not have the same reaction to death that many did. It was a part of life after all, a more than necessary part. Isopia had never understood the sadness that many communicated when they had lost someone. To her, it didn't make sense.
And so her golden eyes remained wide and without an ounce of concern. All Erthe's admission told the Mountain was that the answer to her lineage could not simply be plucked from the mind's of her parents.
She also ignored Erthe's apology. For all of her academic prowess, Isopia actually had a terrible memory. Though the need for repetition on Iso's part came from a lack of attention from Erthe, it all boiled down to the same thing: a need to have something repeated. Isopia didn't take it personally.
Then, seemingly iterating Erthe's own thoughts she said, "I suppose you could just find a dragon egg and see what happens. Or ask one of the Gods."
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