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Actions | "Speech" | Thought
A genuine chuckle rose from the brute's chest as he heard her speak about secrets. His ears flicked back and forth once in a sheepish manner. She was right, of course. He should not have expected her to give him something for nothing. She'd stayed with him this long, even after he'd lost his temper. He still felt like he owed her an explanation for such an outburst. While he wasn't going to tell her EVERYTHING, he would explain why the heart had affected him in such a way.
The breeze generated from the beating of her wings tousled his mane, causing the white strand to piece apart into strands of chocolate brown. "Fair enough, Phaedra. Well, I've told you how my homeland was ruled by 6-12 gods, at least one representing each element, Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Space, and Metal. Our government was very different from what I've seen so far here. We were ruled by the absolute power and will of the gods. They were not as detached from our social ranks as the gods here seem to be. They acted as our Kings and Queens. Right beneath them was an emperor or an empress, or sometimes both. The emperor/-press was a master of the element they ruled over. They were often granted immortality so that like the gods, they would last forever. Unless they were banished, our government stayed much the same as it always had, mainly because the horses in charge never changed ranks because they never died. Which meant that, especially if the god or gods presiding over us were cruel of heart, a tyrant could stay in power for centuries on end."
"Beneath those emperors were the Leads of each herd land that the elemental land happened to have. Usually, the elemental land was divided into 6 areas ruled by a herd leader and his lead mare." Tio paused to look at her with a meaningful gaze. "My sovereignty only spread to the borders of my own herd's territory. That would not have changed if not for her." He spat the pronoun with as much venom as he could muster to express how much he hated the thought of that mare.
"Her name was Lust. She was a painted mare, black and white, very pretty and very stubborn. She manipulated me almost as well as I manipulated her. She infuriated me, but no matter how much I wanted to kill her sometimes, something always held me back. She grew confident in the knowledge that she could do whatever she wanted around me and even though our relationship wasn't perfect, for there were times when I... lost my temper, for lack of a better word." His eyes glinted with meaning as he remembered. The truth of the matter was, she got under his skin and he beat her into the ground for it on several occasions.
"In any case, I had not realized how deep her treachery ran. Being my lead mare was not enough for her, it seemed. She wanted the Burning Lake for herself. She sold me into slavery behind my back to the Emperor of the Water Lands. I was ambushed when I was on patrol and imprisoned within the swamps. When I escaped, she had completely reformed my land in her name and had erased every trace of my presence on the shores. My anger knew no bounds."
He broke off, looking at her. "I'll save you the gory details of what happened next. I did not kill her, because even then, my heart would not allow it, it seemed. Even so, by the time I was done with her, she knew the error of her ways. I don't know if my actions actually came to fruition, because I was swept off the island by a storm before she began to show pregnancy, but that is the complete story of Tio."
"As for the Burning Lake, the reason this pit reminded me of her, is because the territory I reigned over was a literal lake of burning flames several times the size of this pit. It took me 3 days to circumnavigate the entire thing, but there was only one spot where a small stream allowed for a sparse bit of grass to grow that would support a small herd. It wasn't the best place to live, but the burning lake was something like the heart of the Fire lands where I made my home. I took pride in having control of it, even if it was unsatisfactory horse territory."
He finished his story with a flick of his tail and a vibration of his withers, getting the flies gathering on his back to move. The sooty dun, who was covered in a light sheen of sweat because he was the closest to the ledge. He did not seem to be complaining, however. The beat of Phaedra's wings was relief enough, and besides, he was somewhat used to the heat. Not so much, because he was sweating, but still. "If you want the truth, the reason I desire power is more than just selfish need. I miss it. Being a leader, having lives depend on me, the responsibility that rested on my shoulders. The fact that I could be the only one who stood between the lives of the weak and my enemies. I would kill for the chance to prove myself once more. Not only to myself, but to everyone else."
"I'm getting older, I won't last for much longer, especially not on the war path that I have carved out for myself. It's a miracle I've lasted to see 12 winters come and go. My prime is fading. I just.... want to be someone that a mare like you can depend on. If I was tough of dictatorial in the past, it was because my superiors were cruel of mind and black of heart. I did what I had to do to protect the ones who followed me. I've always done that. Maybe I haven't wholly gotten out of the idea that my back is being whipped into a straight line by my higher-ups. Maybe I am cruel of mind and black of heart myself."
"I never said I was a perfect leader, or that everyone liked me." He admitted, in a broody tone.
1056
For Phaedra, played by Aud
Thinking about Lust confuses him so much that he can get a little sappy without meaning to. xD He hated her outwardly, but she manipulated him so well that he fell in love with her and it broke him. :/
Also, sure, I guess? xD
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