the Rift


[PRIVATE] The Earth & the Moon

Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#1

Isopia stood staring over the cliffs of the Edge, as she had done when she was much, much smaller than she was now. On her back, two dragons were curled up asleep. Hubris, the larger of the two, covered his new sibling Babel with a wing, and together they nestled into the red fabric of Isopia's cape. 

The demi-goddess marvelled at the fact that her hooves had been in almost precisely this spot, almost three years before. Before the invasion, before her mother had left. Before Zero and Volterra, before babies and crowns. Before her Father had placed her on a pedestal and then knocked it away beneath her. 

Mist and moonlight fell around her, swirling into patterns that she thought she recognized. The Mountain's golden eyes peered into the darkness, pretending to see faces and images there, but knowing it was only the ravenous sea which was below.

The air was warm, and so Isopia let her wings fall loosely from her sides, liking the feeling of warm sea-breeze as it wafted up the face of the cliffs and through the misty air, to gently press against her feathers. The salt smelled good in her lungs and against her skin, and for just a moment, Isopia was content.


@Mesec


Isopia
the mountain that knows
Image Credits

Mesec the Nightwind Posts: 476
World's Edge Glazier atk: 5.5 | def: 9 | dam: 5
Stallion :: Tribrid :: 16.3hh :: 7 years old HP: 76 | Buff: NOVICE
Lucius :: Royal Zephyr :: Roc & Lyra :: Common Kitsune :: Dreams Sarah
#2

A very big problem with having a very small companion is that they are easy to lose. Mesec had never had this issue with Lucius - the hatchling zephyr had been reliant on Mesec as a mode of transportation for the first few seasons of his life until he had grown in enough flight feathers to begin to learn. He could hop around on the ground, but his silver feet had not been made for running.

But Lyra was something else entirely. She moved at a pace that Mesec hadn’t known was possible and never seemed to ever be still. Even when she was sleeping, her small black legs kicked out and she twitched, whining occasionally with whatever dream she was wrapped up in. Sometimes, through their bond, he was able to get snippets of it - and was amused to notice how often she seemed to be chasing a much smaller Lucius in them.

“Lyra!” Mesec whispered as loud as he dared as he moved through the forest at night, his silver eyes scanning the trees and mists but not spotting the small black kitsune. Lucius was hunting in the woods, but for something to eat - not for the troublesome companion - and his only offer of help was a suggestion that perhaps it would be better if they just let her stay lost.

‘Not helpful.’ Mesec shot back through their bond, resuming his search.

Lyra had, in fact, beat Mesec to the cliffs - and she was pouncing at the mist near them when she stumbled across someone new. Her small dark nose sniffed curiously at the air but she didn’t recognize anything about this mare and yipped a greeting to her. But before she could investigate further, Mesec came onto the scene and Lyra scuttled to hide in a pocket of mist near Isopia.

This having become a game to her, one she was not willing to lose.

Mesec’s troubled frown faded into a smile when he recognized the figure standing on the cliffs - shocked but delighted to see her here. “Little Earth!” The name was something of a joke, now that Isopia had grown tall enough to surpass Mesec’s height and then some. But it was a joke spoken with affection - his youngest demi-god cousin made him think of soft yellow flowers that bloomed under moonlight… and of awkward conversations about their parents.

He moved forward to join her, hoping he wouldn’t be bothersome. Plenty of questions came to mind to ask - how had she been? What was she doing in the Edge? But instead of interrogating her, Mesec opted for something else. “You haven’t seen a kitsune around here, have you?”


art by oddmountain


@Isopia :D
please tag Mesec in replies
non-life threatening force is allowed at all times

Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#3

Babel, even as he slept, was voracious. At the slightest sound of his environment changing, he was suddenly more away and more alert than Hubris was at the best of times. His senses hummed in his ears, and he rolled from the safety of Isopia's cloak like an acrobat; silent and confident. He spread his wings, awkwardly gliding to the ground, and then scrambled after the sound and scent of whatever had passed by. Isopia had seen nothing, but then again she hadn't really been looking either. She assumed it was a lizard, or squirrel or some such. She might have prodded into Babel's mind more fully were it not for Mesec's sudden appearance.

"Hello." She replied. Now with her new-found understand of social customs and her dedication to fitting in better Isopia wondered if she shouldn't come up with a nickname for Mesec too. However they were no longer children, and the thought felt awkward in her mind. Then again, almost all social customs did, and Isopia couldn't parse out whether she ought to listen to her mind's hesitation or not. However quickly Mesec asked her a question, and her mind happily devoted itself to answering.  

"I haven't-" She paused. Through their mind, she caught sight of multiple tails scampering through the mist. Babel was pursuing the creature, but now it was out of curiosity rather than hunger. If this was Mesec's kitsune, that was a very, very good thing indeed.

"-I think there-" Isopia turned, her golden eyes peering through the darkness. "-I think Babel's caught sight of something through there."

@Mesec


Isopia
the mountain that knows
Image Credits

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here

Mesec the Nightwind Posts: 476
World's Edge Glazier atk: 5.5 | def: 9 | dam: 5
Stallion :: Tribrid :: 16.3hh :: 7 years old HP: 76 | Buff: NOVICE
Lucius :: Royal Zephyr :: Roc & Lyra :: Common Kitsune :: Dreams Sarah
#4

With a direction given to him from his cousin, Mesec tried to see through the mist to see whether he could spot Lyra but she was having way too much fun avoiding him. He just caught sight of some tails flashing as she ran again when she realized she had gotten too close to the pair of demigods.

She was loping through the mist, small clouds of it moving aside for her as she did so, and both trying to get a look at the dragon that was pursuing her and trying to disappear from sight… But she had never met a dragon before and she was powerfully curious about what they were like. She kept circling around, her violet eyes bright as they peered through the mists.

Mesec, satisfied that she was at least close, gave up on trying to spot the small kitsune and turned his attention back to Little Earth. “Do you think Babel will turn her into a snack?” Mesec asked quietly, with more amusement than fear - though there was, of course, some fear that felt real enough. He hoped Isopia would be able to deter whoever Babel was (a new companion, perhaps?) from chomping down on the young kitsune or that Lyra would be fast enough to get away if it came down to it.  


art by oddmountain


@Isopia
please tag Mesec in replies
non-life threatening force is allowed at all times

Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#5

Babel stopped dead, as if sensing through some primitive and invisible organ that it was now he who was being hunted. On limbs trembling with anticipation and excitement, the small dragon sniffed the air once with decided interest. His black eyes narrowed to slits, and if he had ears, they would have been revolving in slow circles, trying to mirror Lyra's movements but being too slow.

He began to salivate precisely as Mesec asked Isopia whether or not he would turn the Kitsune into a snack if he could her. "Yes." She answered immediately, and then Babel was on the move again. His limbs pulled him across the soil and the stone as his onyx eyes tried to fix upon where the agile kitsune was.

"Is she yours?" The demigoddess asked suddenly, knowing that wild kitsune were not that common around these parts.  "If she is, I should probably let Babel know that." Her voice was unworried, almost casual, as if she was asking if she should remove a boiling pot from the stove, a decision which really didn't matter one way or the other.

@Mesec


Isopia
the mountain that knows
Image Credits

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here

Mesec the Nightwind Posts: 476
World's Edge Glazier atk: 5.5 | def: 9 | dam: 5
Stallion :: Tribrid :: 16.3hh :: 7 years old HP: 76 | Buff: NOVICE
Lucius :: Royal Zephyr :: Roc & Lyra :: Common Kitsune :: Dreams Sarah
#6

While Mesec had meant his question as a joke, his cousin answered it in a serious enough manner that it wiped the joking manner right from his silver eyes and turned it into panic. Isopia didn’t sound particularly panicked about the whole thing - but then, it wasn’t her companion that was potentially going to be snatched up. Lyra may be enjoying chasing Babel through the mists but she wasn’t exactly a fierce hunter. Lucius still needed to help her get food every day.

Still having no luck spotting Lyra in the darkness, only knowing that she was close by, Mesec’s head snapped back to Isopia when she spoke again - casually asking if the kitsune was his and musing about how she should let Babel know if she was. Mesec’s response came hurried and quick, rushed and eager to end whatever game the companions might be playing that could end in harm. “Yes, she’s mine. Her name’s Lyra - please ask him to not eat her.”

But Lyra, for all the fun she was having, was distressed about Mesec’s panic as it radiated through their bond and she released a raspy sounding yelp and hurried towards him - but not without the hope that the dragon would follow her and she could get a good look at him where the mist was a little thinner around the horses.

Mesec tried not to sound too panicked when he spoke again, tried to match the demigoddess’ casual air, though his voice had a slightly squeaky hint to it that didn’t help in the least.  “How long have you had Babel?”


art by oddmountain


@Isopia
Mesec the Worrywart
please tag Mesec in replies
non-life threatening force is allowed at all times

Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#7

Through their bond, Isopia sent a commanding surge of no, directed towards the black-eyed dragon. In response, she felt only a tentative resistance. The dragon was toying with the idea of disobedience. Not because he had any particular desire to eat the kitsune (although he would like that, his belly was full, and her tails looked quite soft), but because he wanted to know what the ramifications would be. How far did Isopia's control extend? What would her wrath be like?

As Lyra raced out into where the mists were slightly thinner, the golden dragon followed, prowling more like a large cat, than a scaled reptile. His black eyes glittered malevolently, and although his muscles were coiled inside of his glimmer hide, he did not lunge towards her.

He seemed smug about this fact.

"For ..." Isopia paused, thinking. "Only a few weeks, I suppose." She responded, motioning to how small the dragon still was as evidence for her conclusion. Time had seemed to slip away from her as of late, and memories bunched tightly in her mind that made her own timeline hard to decipher.

"And Lyra? She seems new?"

@Mesec


Isopia
the mountain that knows
Image Credits

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here

Mesec the Nightwind Posts: 476
World's Edge Glazier atk: 5.5 | def: 9 | dam: 5
Stallion :: Tribrid :: 16.3hh :: 7 years old HP: 76 | Buff: NOVICE
Lucius :: Royal Zephyr :: Roc & Lyra :: Common Kitsune :: Dreams Sarah
#8

Lyra curled her multiple tails around Mesec’s foreleg - peering with bright violet eyes at the dragon that had been following her. She called out to him with a curious little bark - the danger and fright of a few moments ago already forgotten with her curiousity.

Mesec felt the relief though, smiling over at Isopia as she answered his question and, now that he could see Babel, the dragon was indeed quiet small. “Yes, she is new - I was given her about a season ago.” Mesec wondered if Isopia had been visited by strange creatures too, if that was how she had been given her two dragons. Did her father gift her with Hubris to make up for not being able to be with her, the way his mother had (through a proxy) given him Lucius years ago? But these questions didn’t escape his mind and onto his tongue. He wasn't sure why - after talking about conspiracies and their parents' procreating, simple conversation should be easy... right?

“I haven’t quite gotten used to being bonded to two separate minds - it was strange enough bonding to Lucius when he hatched. Lyra is something else entirely.” The small kitsune beamed up at him. She matched him for the most part, her pelt black with just some freckling of stars on her nose, but where he and Lucius had silver eyes she had violet - the violet of his mother’s coat.

Again, he wondered whether Isopia had a similar reaction to being bonded twice over, but instead of that question another slipped out - his tone light and curious. “How do you like the Edge?” Mesec wasn’t sure if Isopia was just visiting or whether she lived her now - he thought he had heard Vesper tell him that she was the new Seer but it seemed too good to be true that two of his cousins (the two he knew well, even) were living here in the Edge with him.

It just served to reaffirm that he had made the right choice in following his mother’s suggestion to bring his young children to this herd - they had family in all forms here. A blood brother and sister, an adoptive sister/cousin, another cousin - and those were just the ones he knew about so far.


art by oddmountain


@Isopia
please tag Mesec in replies
non-life threatening force is allowed at all times

Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#9


"It is different, isn't it." Isopia replied, rhetorically as she turned to look at Babel, studying him for a minute. "Babel is so much ... darker than Hubris, in terms of his personality. He schemes quite a bit. Hubris is just ... happy." Her objective description of her two dragons broke slightly as she said the word happy, as if that was somehow worse than how she had characterized Babel.

As her cousin inquired about how she liked the Edge, Isopia could only shrug lightly. To anyone else, she might have offered some casual non-answer, but this was Mesec, and out of all of her cousins, Mesec was probably the least critical. If she was going to open up to anyone, Mesec was likely the best candidate.

"It is strange going from leading a herd, to merely being a member of one. Expectations and responsibilities change ... I am just .. me here. I am not the daughter of the herd's deity, so that is a welcomed change. But I think most don't know that I was born here, and that the Edge was originally my home. I feel as though I am treated like I don't belong. Probably because of my recent challenge." Isopia exhaled gently, her death-marked skull shaking ever so slightly as if she was exasperated by the thought of what she was saying.

"But your mother ... I trust and respect her." Taking a breath and raising her head, she nodded. "Overall, I am not disappointed to be here."

@Mesec


Isopia
the mountain that knows
Image Credits

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here


Forum Jump:


RPGfix Equi-venture