the Rift


[OPEN] Even horizons can fade [welcoming]

Sohalia the Transcended Posts: 477
Outcast atk: 4 | def: 9.5 | dam: 6.5
Mare :: Pegasus :: 14.3 hh :: 10 (ages in Orangemoon) HP: 67 | Buff: NOVICE
Astraeus :: Common Zephyr :: Wakiya ChaoticMelodies
#1

Well, they'd done it, she and Nephele.  They'd brought home not one stranger from the Threshold, but three.  Let's ignore the quality of these new herd members for a moment (a quality that could only be described by the dove as an all-time low).  Let's also ignore that the way she imagined that they were sizing her up from behind made her skin crawl (though was that really a bad thing?).  No, the most important thing was that the two stallions, if they'd leave their vices alone for a fortnight, might make capable soldiers, and the mare... well, surely they'd be able to find something for her to do?

As the five of them (assuming that Nephele hadn't flown ahead by now) approached the mainland beach, Sohalia turned her head to the side so that she could talk to the group.  "We're nearly there.  That island straight ahead - that's home!"  Despite her reservations, she offered a true smile to the trio.  She was proud of the Dragon's Throat, and even if she wasn't sure how well bringing these three home would turn out, she was excited to be able to show it off.

The water came up quickly, but she didn't slow.  With the approach of the Transcended and the key around her neck, their unique, fiery bridge appeared, extending across the sea and onto the island.  This was the first time that Sohalia had needed to walk across, having only seen it before from the air.  She turned around and, grinning, gestured towards the bridge with her nose.  "After you," she offered sweetly, a small part of her wondering what the newcomers would think of their only way on or off the island.

"Talk talk talk."
Astraeus.

@Huldra @Tarik @Ralik @Nephele

you give up your soul till you break down;
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Tarik Posts: 32
Dragon's Throat Stallion
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 17.1 :: 7 (immortal)
Odd
#2
tarik
What doesn't kill me better run.
Sohalia wasn't entirely incorrect. Of course Tarik (and likely both Ralik and Huldra's) eyes were upon the receding backside of the pale mare. But more often than not, Tarik kept looking to either side of them, trying to memorize the path that they had taken lest he require its use again. That, and he was not one to just blindly follow. He and his brother had been the captains of their own lives for longer than the combined lifespan of all those around them. He had never been a follower (or at least if he had, he couldn't recall those days any longer), and simply being brought anywhere went against the grain of all his long years of life. Still, he was smart enough (and lazy enough) to accept this situation without much grumbling.

Still, he would note things in a low voice to Ralik as they traveled, making notes or offering comments on their surroundings.

As they reached the ocean, Tarik could feel something inside of himself sag and sigh with relief. "You beauty." He whispered more to himself than anyone else, as his eyes fell to the tumultuous waters that surrounded the Dragon's Throat. He cared little for the island - he had eyes now only for the sea. Even Sohalia's presence couldn't distract him from his love affair with the water.

Striding forward, ignoring the actions of The Transcended, Tarik only halted once both of his front hooves were embedded in the sands, being lapped at by the waves. The dreadlocked man saw fire from out of his peripheral vision, and with a start, he looked sharply to his left. Orange dappled his blue stare as he looked at the bridge, then to Sohalia as she seemingly tried to encourage them to cross. "I don't think so-" He began, returning his eyes to the water and appearing to concentrate very hard.

But nothing happened. With another start, he looked back to Huldra and Ralik. Once upon a time, they had been able to change themselves into all manner of aquatic life. It was what made journeying on the sea so easy, and was one of the primary reasons they hadn't perished when their ship had broken apart on the rocks. But now that ability seemed to be gone. Not wanting to voice this outloud, he looked with an annoyed and confused stare towards his two long term traveling companions, before grunting.

"Flaming bridge of mystery it is then." He concluded, sounding quite chipper.

Though he detested fire, it wasn't as though the bridge could kill him.

Then again, if he had lost one set of abilities, who was to say he hadn't lost them all? Swallowing that thought, he moved towards the bridge. Instead of moving across it as he thought he might, two heatless wings of fire appeared on either side of his shoulders, carrying him across.


Nephele Posts: 82
Dragon's Throat Guardian atk: 4.5 | def: 8.5 | dam: 7.5
Mare :: Pegasus :: 16.3 :: 7 HP: 64.0 | Buff: NOVICE
Atreus :: Lammergeier :: None Nova
#3

made not with love but glory, and the haunting ghost of war


It had been quite the spectacle back in the Threshold, and while the Guardian shared similar thoughts toward their three new herd members, she tried to remain somewhat positive — everybody started somewhere. Besides, despite having watched the blue mare all but change from her cool hues to a blushed pink, the small bits of banter she allowed herself to indulge in had been quite fun. Ralik's retort had kept her in an amused mood as they headed south, before she'd taken it upon herself to occasionally fly off and scout the area ahead of them. It'd be no good getting three new members if they couldn't even escort them safely to their new home, which begged the question, what would they do when they finally touched down on the sandy shores? Ralik and Tarik appeared sturdy enough to withstand a blow or three, if they could do it when drunk? It'd be something she'd have to see to believe. Huldra on the other hand, didn't strike her as the kind of mare to get roughed up and ready — neither did she strike her as the mare to take to a craft nor the divine rites.

If any place could turn three drunkards into semi-functioning members of society, she'd say the Dragon's Throat had a decent chance at it.

As they approached the mainland, she landed beside Sohalia with a nod toward the pale mare, her wings remained stretched outward — ready to take flight once more at a moments notice. "Feels good to be home, doesn't it?" She mused with a smile, odd eyes bright and fixated on the island and then to the flame wreathed bridge Sohalia had summoned for their new members. She'd never needed to use it herself, and while she'd been tempted through her pregnancy, she hadn't caved to simply being ferried back and forth as she pleased. An ear flicked toward Tarik when he turned down the option of the bridge, a questionable look glanced toward the pale dove at her side, a look which screamed 'how else were they going to get across? Swim?' Now that would be funny.

Whatever reservation he apparently had soon dissipated with a jovial quip that the flaming bridge of mystery would do, she laughed. "A fine choice, here I thought we'd have to wrangle everybody together to pull you from the waves." The chimeric mare snorted with a slight shake of her head. "I will go ahead and wait for you on the other side, don't worry, the flames don't bite, I promise." A wink was directed at Ralik as she took to the air again, mismatched wings carried her across like great sails on the ships she'd heard about as she'd traveled outside of Helovia's borders.



talk talk talk

N E P H E L E

“She was beautiful, but she was beautiful in the way a forest fire was beautiful: something to be admired from a distance, not up close.” 

― Terry Pratchett
Please tag Neph in all replies!
Force & violence permitted with the exception of maiming & death

Ralik Posts: 6
Outcast
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 17.2 :: Appears 7
ali
#4
ralik
What doesn't kill me better run.

Like Tarik, Ralik had never been a follower (unless he was following a mare who promised to allow him to indulge in her body) so it went against ever fiber of who he was to follow obediently behind a mare he didn't know without the promise of sex or alcohol. His head turned from side to side as he took in the landscape around them because there was no way that he would go somewhere without knowing his way back to Helovia's border. He needed to know his way back just in case the Dragon's Throat sucked and wasn't all that the two wenches made it out to be.

Speaking of.

He had to admit, when he wasn't looking elsewhere, they were quite the view. He made this observation known to his brother just in case he hadn't already noticed.

The ocen was a welcome sight when it finally came into view. Just hearing the waves crash on the beach and the briny smell of the air made the stallion feel as if he could breathe easier. There was truly nothing more beautiful than the sea, not even the mares that had fetched them from the Threshold or Huldra on her good days. He moved past Tarik, not stopping until the salt water lapped at his chest and he sighed. His ears fell flat when Sohalia called upon a bridge of fire to carry them across to the island that she had called him. There was no way in hell he was going near fire. He could get across on his own without a problem.

Well, he thought it wouldn't be a problem until he realized that the magic he'd possessed before wouldn't work.

"What the fuck?" He whispered mostly to himself, but he turned his head to look at Tarik. His brother seemed to realize the same thing he had, but rather than make their situation known he agreed to use the bridge. Ralik snorted reluctantly and trudged toward the bridge, ignoring Nephele's remarks as he allowed it to carry him across the water. The look on his face, the way his ears lay flat, and the twitch of his tail was proof enough that he didn't like it.




"."


Huldra Posts: 7
Absent Abyss
Mare :: Unicorn :: 16 h :: 6
Sigrún :: European Adder :: None Laine
#5
 
Well, she'd not made a very good first impression, that much was obvious, and so Huldra kept her mouth shut for most of the journey. She tried her damnedest to make other’s think she didn’t care what they thought about her, to hide weakness and vulnerability, but the truth was she was no good on her own. She needed interaction like the flowers need the sun, terrified as she was of being passed over, abandoned, or forgotten. She was also rather helpless, never having been trained in anything useful. She could bat her eyelashes. She could sing and dance and speak but she couldn’t fight, or build or heal.For years she had depended on the good will of the brothers and still, every time she found herself in a black mood she feared they would leave her. Now it seemed she’d be dependent on this Dragon’s Throat too. Damn them all…

Her mood improved as the moved south and out of the snow. At the slight break in temperature, even the slumbering Sigrún woke enough to poke her hear curiously through Huldra's mane. "Who're they?" the snake asked when her sleepy red eyes spotted Sohalia and Nephele leading the way ahead. "New herdmates, they're leading us to they're home." Huldra replied and heard the little hissy laugh as Siggy moved up past her ear. "A herd?" Commented the snake, "That's new, I'm surprised the boys went for that. Maybe there you'll find someone better worth your time..." The mare made no reply to that and the small snake (feeling rather self-satisfied) moved to wind herself around the twin horns to indulge in a little basking in the frostfall sun.

Huldra smiled in spite of herself as the party reached, automatically turning to watch the brothers rush toward the water. She didn't love the sea quite like they did, being a creature of the earth, but she liked that they would be glad to see it. The affection in here eyes fell away and into confusion as Tarik looked back and her and Ralik did the same not long after. She thought she knew what caused those looks. Sohalia had somehow produced some magical crossing, but the brother's shouldn't have needed it. The seven headed serpent across her hip was a self-portrait of sorts, and though it wouldn't help her cross the waters she reached for her own magic. It did not come. She gave a subtle shake of head in the stallions' direction to confirm that she was also at a loss and followed hesitantly to the bridge.

Wanting to gloss over the trio's halting approach (and her own behavior from earlier) she turned to give Sohalia a smile as they started across. "I should apologize, for earlier. I'm afraid you caught me at a bad time, and traveling with these two has made my manner a bit rougher than it ought to be.” She pointedly did not glance at the brother knowing they'd most likely laugh at her for apologizing—she did it so very rarely, and after all she was technically less sorry and more hoping for smoother seas ahead. The flames that carried her across were interesting, even Sigrún liked the warm sensation, and so she latched onto those and asked as they neared the ground of the other side. “What manner of magic it it that carries us?” And why the ever-loving fuck does OUR magic not work?
Huldra
            She would embarrass you anywhere
                 She’d let everybody know she didn’t care

Sohalia the Transcended Posts: 477
Outcast atk: 4 | def: 9.5 | dam: 6.5
Mare :: Pegasus :: 14.3 hh :: 10 (ages in Orangemoon) HP: 67 | Buff: NOVICE
Astraeus :: Common Zephyr :: Wakiya ChaoticMelodies
#6

Nephele flew ahead as the boys reacquainted themselves with the sea. Sohalia missed whatever exchange they shared, and even if she had noticed their discomfort, she likely would have attributed it to the flaming bridge. Though she had grown used to seeing it, she assumed that newcomers would find it... disconcerting. Both Tarik and Ralik hesitated before approaching (she smiled encouragingly all the while, lacking Nephele's ability to turn biting words into teasing invitations), but did finally move to cross. Tarik even coaxed a soft laugh from the ivory dove, and she appreciated that despite the boys' obvious distrust of the flames, they moved without question on towards the other shore.

Huldra had been quiet for most of the trip. The Transcended had assumed that she was listening to the stallions exchange quips about the landscape, or perhaps taking in the view. In truth, she had been too self-absorbed to care too much about exactly what her new herdmates were thinking. Now, though, the foreign mare stepped up to her, speaking in a mild tone and offering what Sohalia took to be a friendly smile.

The pale lady returned the gesture almost affectionately, displaying that she bore the mare no ill will. "Oh, Huldra, don't concern yourself with that. Travel wears on the best of us, and it is not uncommon to find Helovia... disconcerting, at first." Her voice had adopted the tone that she might use when she addressed a close friend. She was a friendly mare, after all, particularly with other women. She'd never had to worry about their intentions, after all.

"As for this magic, I am afraid that I myself don't have all the details. The bridge was created when I was not here." She neglected to say anything else about her absence. Let Huldra assume that it was simply before her time, or whatever else she might think. It was enough for the rest of the herd to judge her for things out of her control; she did not need it from newcomers, too. "From my understanding, our patron deity, the God of the Sun, enchanted a way for anyone without wings to cross to the island. There used to be a land bridge, you see, but my -" She paused, about to say 'my mate' before realizing that he was no longer there, and that they would not know what relevance that had to the conversation at hand. "- our late Sultan thought that we would be safer if we controlled who came in from the mainland. Don't worry, though - we'll be sure to get the three of you keys of your own."


"Talk talk talk."
Astraeus.

@Tarik

you give up your soul till you break down;
subtlepatterns.com | foxyfirewings & larfsalot @ deviantart.com
Please tag Sohalia in all replies.
Use of force and/or magic (with the exception of death) is allowed at all times.

Want to place an order?  Visit Crystalline Creations here!
Want to plot with Sohalia?  Visit her plot page here!


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