the Rift


[OPEN] These Walls

Destrier Posts: 180
Outcast atk: 5 | def: 7.5 | dam: 7.5
Stallion :: Equine :: 16.3hh :: 16 HP: 65.5 | Buff: ENDURE
Suli :: Common Green Dragon :: Fire Breath & Merlin :: Plain Black Dragon :: Frost Breath Dingo
#1
Destrier



"Suli, be careful!" I called out as I trailed after my newly bonded green, who seemed to be having the time of her life as she soared just out of reach of me. It wasn't that I minded her flying around and having fun, but I was simply worried; she was still so young, hardly a week old as of yet, and I couldn't help but fret about her safety. I knew the capabilities of foals when they were born, what they could and couldn't withstand, but when it came to dragons... Well, did I look like I had any experience?

As if trying to taunt me, Suli had zoned in on a rather pathetic looking sapling and took perch upon one of the thinner branches at the bottom, but she had gravely overestimated just how high this said tree sat above the ground. As I drew to a steady walk and then a halt, I could have sworn I heard some form of cackling coming from her. Much to her chagrin, however, as she turned her head to undoubtedly mock me, she instead found herself at eye level with me. A grin pulled at my lips as I watched her face fall, the spines lining her back seeming to droop in equal defeat. I couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Although her hatching had been recent, we seemed to have already grown so close together. My eyes were always on her, my mind always yearning to know just where she was at all times. The mental bond that we would one day form was not there yet, so I had to rely on my more basic senses to keep me aware of her location. She was not too bad, for she had not yet wandered off in the night like my beloved son had on several occasions. I didn't love him any less for doing it... But it had nearly given me a heart attack every time I woke to find him missing.

"Come, Suli," I spoke gently, not reprimanding in the least, "Let's see just where we've managed to get ourselves this time. I don't believe I've ventured here before." As I extended my muzzle towards the young hatchling, she seemed to pick up on just what I wanted, and she was more than happy to comply. Dropping down, she used the hand-like appendages that were formed at the joint of her wings to grasp my forelock, using my nose to bridge herself from the tree limb to her favored spot on my poll. Only once she was settled did I turn and venture further into the land, and it didn't take long for me to begin wondering just where we had ended up.

No longer was there grass beneath my feet, but hard rock, somewhat similar to the footing often found in the Edge. Unlike my misty home, however, this rock was not smooth and was rather unpleasant beneath my feet, thanks to a life spent wearing iron shoes upon my hooves. But still I pressed on, ever curious to roam the expanse that was Helovia.

With the lack of grass also came a lack of any obvious water source, which was honestly no surprise in this rocky landscape. There was little foliage beyond that whimpy sapling, and what was here was sure to be tasteless and unfilling. As I moved further into the unknown area, I felt the cool chill of Orangemoon beginning to wane, replaced by a warmth that strangely reminded me of my morning patrols during Birdsong. While I would have dismissed it as nothing more than a strange, natural phenomena I was unaware of, I found the actual reason a little further into my adventure.

A crater lay ahead, a massive one that was giving off the very heat that pierced my hide. I could feel Suli picking herself up to get a better view as we neared it, and while I wondered just what it looked like in the depths of the fire pit, I wouldn't dare to do such a thing while with my young passenger. I stepped no closer to it than two-hundred yards away, for from there I could hear and even see the crater spit magma up into the air, only for it to fall back into the depths a second later.

A deep, curious sound resonated from Suli as she took in the fiery sight before us. I could feel her curiosity, her desire to get closer to the Heart, but I trusted her to stay where she was. This bond was still all new to me, but I took the advice I had heard from other bonded pairs and used it to the best of my abilities. With a gentle exhale, I tried to send her a wave of reassurance.

"Maybe when you are older."

Credits


You may attack and use magic on Des at any time for any reason.

HP: 66.5

Nyx Posts: N/A
Unregistered
:: :: ::
#2
The black mare walked confidently over the terrain. She had never wandered this far around Helovia, and was very curious. The land had quickly changed from the tall narrow grasses, to this hard dark rock. She wondered if there were any other horses out here in this area. It felt like she had been wandering alone forever. The only sound to be heard was her hooves clip clopping on the hard ground.She longed for the company of another horse. For another soul to talk to; to share her thoughts with. She had been alone ever since she had foolishly chased after that stallion whom she thought she loved. And look where that had taken her. She now carried a silver jagged scar across her shoulder, forever reminding her to think before taking actions. Reminding her never to think blindly. A warm breeze blew back her long straight mane, and her black coat almost blended in with the terrain. She turned her head, and scanned the almost desolate scenery with her chocolate brown eyes.

Suddenly, up ahead she saw a large crater. It seemed so blindingly hot that she could feel it warming her pelt from this distance. Suddenly she noticed a black form emerge from up ahead. He seemed to blend right in with the terrain, and she could hardly see him A strong sturdy looking stallion. He had a small green dragon companion following him.

The mare picked up a steady trot, trying to catch up with him. She let out a welcoming whinny. As she caught up with him, she bowed her head respectfully.
"Hello there!. My name is Nyx. It's nice to meet you!"

Laila Posts: N/A
Unregistered
:: :: ::
#3

"One Day, I Shall Live By the Code of Honor."
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Normally, Laila would’ve been titillated with excitement and slight apprehension as she wandered so far from the salt-laced seaside that was her home. Her heart would’ve fluttered with the pure thrill of the adventure, making her way to charts unexplored, places unheard of; seeing with her own eyes the kind things her Father would weave into the stories he used to tell before she closed her eyes to sleep as a foaling. In truth, she did feel these things—tiny flitterings here, a burst of surprise and giddy joy there—but for the most part, the walk from the World’s Edge into the heart of the Helovian continent was a somber one, a pensive one, a march of quiet contemplation and escape from the dreary tides of Orangemoon.

The frost was beginning to settle upon her homeland; as balmy as the seaside tended to be, Laila did not miss the thinning chill that crept from the north; the sand that lost its blistering heat and replaced it instead with clammy coldness that packed on the inside of her hooves; the dry, arid wind that blew in the nighttime that chapped her lips. Some might find the coming winter a refreshing time of year—respite from the heat, perhaps—but for Laila, it only seemed to dampen her fiery spirits. Deep down, for a while now, Laila suspected herself a creature of fire, and this final standoff with the dying Orangemoon season served to cement her hypothesis. The filly simply hated the cold.

As such, the black acolyte found herself migrating further and further away from her homeland, seeking a warm hidey-hole to curl herself in and replenish her inner fire. However, more than ever, as her feet hit the ground and her own gait seemed to relax and lull her mind into a state of comfortable contemplation, Laila found herself thinking about her family. About her Father, of whom she had seen little of lately; of her brother Luken, that majestic brother of hers, of whom she had seen even less of. Perhaps her wanderings had been much too expansive lately—suppose Laila was spending too much time away from her blood relations because of her yearning for warmth and comfort? Every time these sorts of thoughts invaded her mind, a tiny ache settled in the pit of Laila’s chest, and it morphed into a solid block of guilt. She wasn’t trying to avoid their company—goodness knows she adored the men in her life with all of her heart, body, and soul—but it felt as though she was doing just that. Whenever this feeling entered her scrutiny, the shadow of the familiar shadow of shame threatened to darken her thoughts, and she would be forced to contemplate other, simpler, less-painful things.

Oh mother, Laila sighed desolately in her mind, noticing her surroundings for the first time; the trees were becoming scarce and bare, and her feet began to hit earth instead of grasses and shrubbery. What she felt first and foremost, however, was the powerful waves of heat that emanated from the dead-looking area, the winds enveloping her in a welcoming cocoon of energy and wellbeing. The faint tendrils of heat must have been what drew Laila to this place—the winds of the north dared not penetrate the realm, and for the first time in some months, the hard frost that had tried to settle in the pit of Laila’s stomach began to thaw once more. She truly felt herself.

But there was more. Along with the feeling of heat came a most recognizable scent, a scent that caused the ache in her chest to explode with feeling—Father? The husky scent was unmistakable.

It was as though a starting pistol had gone off in Laila’s head; immediately the filly broke out into an unrestrained gallop, following the scent trail to a T to find her Father. Through the mantra in her head—Daddy daddy daddy daddy—Laila supposed that her subconscious had managed to lead her towards her family, deep as her anguish was. But didn’t matter overmuch because daddy daddy daddy was here and Laila was going to see him again and--!!

Oh.

The air grew so much hotter and the world began to glow red, and as Laila’s Father came into view and her heart threatened to burst with joy, she slowed from her gallop to a tentative trot as another stranger came into view. A mare Laila cocked her ear in confusion, her brown eyes taking the sight of the unfamiliar face, just as she noticed glint of green glitter from her Father’s head. A headdress? A helmet? No….it was moving…

“….Father?” Laila called out, her voice hesitant even though it boomed forth with the strength of her throat. She slowed now to a walk, her steps cautious as she neared the black stallion, the black mare, and the strange creature that fluttered about. How much had Laila truly missed in her family’s life?






Destrier Posts: 180
Outcast atk: 5 | def: 7.5 | dam: 7.5
Stallion :: Equine :: 16.3hh :: 16 HP: 65.5 | Buff: ENDURE
Suli :: Common Green Dragon :: Fire Breath & Merlin :: Plain Black Dragon :: Frost Breath Dingo
#4
Destrier



We are not alone.

As soon as I voice myself to the little green, the falling of hooves on hard ground reaches my ears. For a moment, I fear the possibilities of it being an enemy; perhaps one of the Basin that I've heard so much about. But as I begin to turn and face whoever it was, my worries were quickly laid to rest. This mare seemed far too friendly to want to cause any trouble, and as she let loose her call, I repaid her with a soft nickering of my own. From atop my head, I could feel Suli shifting, grasping and pulling at my mane as she struggled to get the best look at this newcomer that she could manage. Although I couldn't see her, I could only imagine the look of curiosity that shone in the depths of her predatory gaze.

In exuberance, she claimed herself to be called Nyx, and while I had no right to claim I knew her beyond that, I couldn't help but admire the way she spoke. It reminded me fondly of my children and the way they had once been in their earlier days, before the emotional torrent that their mother had left us in. Mirroring the smaller mare's motions, I, too, dipped my head as I introduced myself, sending a wave of my mane cascading towards the earth. "My name is Destrier; it's a pleasure, Nyx." Only after picking my head back up did I meet the mare's dark eyes, a gentle smile pulling at my lips. I did not recognize her in the least, and in the back of my mind I couldn't help but be curious. "If I may ask, Nyx; how long have you called Helovia home? Do you reside in a herd?"

But before I could settle into a comfortable stance and cock a foot beneath me, another set of hooves on this solid ground pulls my attention from the mare for a moment. Casting my gaze out towards the distance, I spied a dark form -- could it be? -- whose face was marred with ivory. It was that speck of white that assured my suspicions, and lifting my head, I watched as she slowed to a trot and continued her approach. Her lack of presence as of late had worried me greatly, as had Luken's, but I had always dismissed it as the twins starting to grow up and yearning for a life of their own, away from my watch. While I didn't blame them if that was the case, I still couldn't help but worry. In the recessess of my mind, I wondered too, if there wasn't something bigger that was keeping them so at bay from me.

"Laila," I spoke up, outstretching my muzzle and pressing it gently to my daughter's own if she would allow it. I had missed her every day that I did not see her, but my concerns could wait to be voiced until we were alone. Peering at Laila from her position was Suli, who had begun to descend down the length of my face by use of wrapping her tail around the thick of my forelock. It wasn't the most pleasant of experiences, but I knew the green was merely curious; after all, Laila had not been present at her hatching, and she wanted in on who this yearling was that I spoke so fondly to. But even more to my surprise, in a sudden flurry of wings and using my face as a spring board, Suli had launched herself from her perch and towards Laila, aiming to land on my daughter's poll. The action caused a deep chuckle to escape from my throat, and I could only hope that Laila wouldn't mind the sudden company as Suli went about craning her neck, peering into the yearling's eye with her own.

Exhaling gently, I turned my head back to Nyx and proffered another smile to her. I did not wish to be rude and ignore her, but I had simply been glad to see my daughter again, unharmed. "Laila," I spoke up again, "This is Nyx. And the little one on your head is called Suli."

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You may attack and use magic on Des at any time for any reason.

HP: 66.5

Laila Posts: N/A
Unregistered
:: :: ::
#5

"One Day, I Shall Live By the Code of Honor."
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Oh.

There was very little time for Laila to react to the tiny, scaled body that flew at her; she had allowed her father to touch her in greeting, but before she knew it, the ebony filly was sporting a little green hat that glittered and sparkled in the heated din of the Heart. The dragon was surprisingly warm as the weight settled on Laila’s head—the cold glimmer of the scales inspired the idea of chill in Laila’s mind—and the hatchling was unexpectedly light, as brittle as the bones of a newborn bird. Laila supposed the comparison was fairly accurate.

*"Laila…This is Nyx. And the little one on your head is called Suli.”

“Oh,” Laila said, a little taken aback with the curiosity of the tiny hatchling. It was endearing though, and her face broke out into a shattering grin, straining her eyes to look upward at the small green reptile perched on her head. “Hello, Suli,” she said playfully, a small giggle escaping her lips; she moved with ginger care, afraid to jostle the small hatchling, unwilling to bring her to harm. “Hello to you too, Nyx,” she said without turning her head; the ebony Acolyte was most desirous to abstain from jostling her little green charge. It was rapidly turning into something very exciting indeed.

But then her eyes lifted to meet her Father’s, and the ecstatic light in her eyes turned to something much gentler, much more sincere. She allowed her gaze to settle for a moment, before saying in the merest hint of a murmur, “Hello, Father…I’m…sorry I haven’t been around lately.”

It was strange; the emotions running underneath Laila’s skin were hard to read, even for herself. On one hand, she was so desperately happy to see her father and finally meet the tiny bonded of his heart that now sat happily upon her head, but it was more than that. It was almost a relief, an affirmation for the righting of things; it was as though the pieces in her life were settling into their designated places, well and truly correcting themselves. But Laila also felt the full force of her guilt as she looked into her Father’s kind brown eyes; with a jolt, she realized how long it had actually been since she last looked upon her father. Much too long, she decided.

“….I’m sorry,” she said again, her tone brittle and her normally strong voice much quieter than average.







Destrier Posts: 180
Outcast atk: 5 | def: 7.5 | dam: 7.5
Stallion :: Equine :: 16.3hh :: 16 HP: 65.5 | Buff: ENDURE
Suli :: Common Green Dragon :: Fire Breath & Merlin :: Plain Black Dragon :: Frost Breath Dingo
#6
Destrier



Though I doubted she would, I truly hoped that my daughter wouldn't mind the sudden weight that was upon her head. But when a delightfully warm smile broke out across the yearling's face, a similar expression cracked across my own facade. Laila moved with utmost care, certainly worried that she might dislodge the little dragoness from her perch, but Suli was able to hang on like a champ. She had, after all, become a master at fighting my own mess of locks as I galloped the length of our borders on occasion, whenever she deemed it too cool to take to the skies.

A throaty purr rumbled from the little green, her own way of greeting Laila as she grasped at the filly's mane and made herself quite at home. I wanted nothing more than to watch the pair, joyous that we could come together outside of our home and simply relax. It had been much too long since I had spent time with none other than my children, simply questioning them on what they had been up to and recalling the happier memories we had all shared during their short lives. I was willing to listen to the not so happy ones as well, but I loathed watching the smiling faces of my children fall and their eyes glaze over with a certain sadness that I wasn't sure I could ever truly fix.

As I watched Laila tip her head up to meet her eyes with my own, I watched that very thing happen.

The day that Bran had died, I could have sworn I felt my heart turn to stone. The day Tor had left me once and for all, I had felt it grow harder. But as hard as it was, it was warm, and I had only my children to thank for keeping that fire alight. Though I never complained of anything to them, the mere knowledge that they were here was enough to comfort me. I never voiced my own problems or insecurities, for they already had so much on their plate that I cared not to bother them with it, but I was overwhelmingly happy that they were always so comfortable with telling me of their own issues.

Breathing a gentle sigh, I resisted the urge to shake my head. I did not wish for her to think I was disappointed when I was far from it. "Oh, Laila..." I began instead, looking upon her with kindness and a twinge of worry in my bister gaze. Did she think I was bothered by her lack of presence as of late? The selfish part of me longed for the twins' company every day, but they were growing up, and beginning to branch out and gain their own likes and dislikes. I wanted them to meet others in the herd, to know that the role of a Protector was what they truly wished to pursue. Venturing out of the Edge was not something I felt entirely comfortable in allowing them to do just yet, with the recent talk of racist unicorns and the tensions between outcast groups... But Laila had managed to come this far without trouble, it seemed, and she and her brother were wiser than to pass into another's territory.

Before the thoughts could spiral out of control in my head, I stepped closer to my daughter, outstretching my muzzle and touching it to hers if she allowed. "I do not think less of you for becoming independent," I spoke, keeping my voice as gentle as I could manage, "I am proud of you and Luken both for doing that. Don't be sorry for that, Laila..." Only after administiring a loving nudge did I pull my muzzle from hers, offering her a warm smile. "It's good of you to wander on your own sometimes, Laila, it's how we all learn things. I won't always be here to guide you when you run into trouble."

For a moment I paused, allowing the yearling to soak in all that I had told her. By no means did I think her slow, of course... But I wanted my words to have the greatest impact that they could on her before I went on, hoping that my questions wouldn't upset her. "What have you been up to lately, Laila? I only ask because I am curious, not because I am angry."

Credits


You may attack and use magic on Des at any time for any reason.

HP: 66.5


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