Despite his knowledge of the mist-filled land, and the shadow Queen Mirage, Apollo had not actually step foot in the Edge. He had simply heard of the land from word of mouth, doing what he could to learn about each herdland to better serve the Grey. He knew where the World's Edge was, and so immediately after their impromptu session of play in the winter snows, the overo had led the way from the Threshold to the dense forest of the Edge. He hoped that whatever Antheia might be searching for, the herd by the sea could offer it to her.

Approaching upon the Edge boarders, ever respectful, Apollo slowed his pace from a trot to a calm walk, and eventually came to a stop. He did not want to intrude upon this land that wasn't his own, and so waited. Flicking his tail, the stallion lifted his head up high and let out a bellowing call, beckoning any of the Edge that were close by to come and greet them. It was a friendly call, one that was woven with the song of good intentions. As his call echoed through the trees of the Edge, the stallion lowered his head and snorted, ears flicked forward.

"We can wait here for someone to join us," Apollo explained, turning his head to face the ebonite unicorn at his side, "It would be rude to venture past the boundaries that a herd has set up. That's something that you should remember, should you decide to explore the land of Helovia. While most of the herds are open to newcomers in their lands, if you require business with some other herd, it is best to always wait at their border. Otherwise they may consider you a threat." After all, Apollo himself had seen this first hand, in the occurence of the Assassins streaming ignorantly into the land of the Foothills. They had been taken care of accordingly, of course, but still... It never hurt to be cautious.

[ooc: Poor post is poor. Apollo is leading Antheia to the Edge from the Threshold for her to be accepted. :3]

Today the winds off the icy ocean do not stir heavily in the skies above his sheltered home, tempting all who were born of heavenly nature to embrace the cold currents that bled into those of warmer drafts high in the atmosphere where the breath in your lungs turned crystal clear and pure. Early that morning he had risen with a sun that did not appear behind the thick clouds that heralded yet another snowy day, another day on patrol and another day planning events for the Protectors of his home. He and Destrier had summoned a rather large group, one Kaj was implicitly proud of. They had trusted in their WingLeaders, new as they were, and when the two had called, they had come with faith and interest in their eyes. That morn he had left the imprints of his physical body in the snowy drifts still untouched by the sleeping inhabitants of the fogged wood, crystalline azure irises sweeping the barren flatlands as he followed the border in a routine imprinted so deeply he could never forget it. By the time he was done the cool salted air had stirred the souls of his sleeping family, and slowly the sounds of life had started to echo quietly throughout the land. With his duties finished early and nothing else to occupy him, the pale golden General had decided that it would be a good day to treat himself just a tiny bit. He had found himself at the cliff that gave their home its name, earthy hooves pressed so close to the edge he could no longer see the rim of it.

The wind had risen off the crashing waves below, and he had thrown himself from the edge of the world towards the waters below.

A child of air and heaven, sky and atmosphere, is never afraid of falling. They are born with a need to be weightless, a desire to become one with the stratosphere. So in that moment he had not felt fear, only a thrill that this is what he had desired for so long, to simply do what made him happiest in the simplest of ways. Like a heron he'd skimmed the waters with umber toned walkers, only to climb higher above the steeples of the trees he surveyed. There he had stayed for endless hours, content. A brilliant show of white and gold sunlight in a washed out world of deep blackened green and shades of grey. In his hour of relaxation, a song drifted up to his audits from the borders he secured long before any had awoken. It was not the tone of any he knew, causing a slight frown of concern to curl normally contented features. The way the stranger called forth was friendly and yet aware that he- for clearly the masculine roll of it signified his gender- was not a member of Kaj's family.

The distance between them was not great, but no time was to be wasted, and Kaj always believed in punctuality. Pale wings tilted towards the earth, and his massive wingspan seemed to envelope all the trees beneath him as he skimmed their highest branches, eyes flickering along the ground to find whomever had summoned him. They were not terribly hard to discover, standing respectfully at the edge of the home whose name reflected the same. Both are painted darkly, one crowned the other bare, and the three of them make up the three main species of Helovia. Kaj is the aureate canvas to their obsidian, and they remind him almost painfully of Ink. Dropping quickly he lets his wings catch air, filling and slowing his descent until he landed with an echoing drumbeat as his hooves found soil and snow once more. The brute's words had not been fully caught, but a respectful nod was given to him for being aware of the etiquette of a land's borders. His scent was earthy, and far different from the arid Throat. Clearly it could not be Basin land he hailed from, and so that left only Foothills. A neutral party, then. "Hail, brother. You speak words of wisdom, and for that you have my thanks. Both of you, welcome to the World's Edge. My name is Kaj, I'm one of the WingLeader's- or, should the name be unfamiliar to you, the General- of this land." Quietly the massive draft curled his equally large appendages to his sides, not wishing to intimidate too much as clearly- explained as well by the nameless stallion- they were of no threat.

Gaze flickered to the young dame, and he bowed his head in a gentlemanly manner just as he had when first meeting Tor and Mirage. "Hello miss, I assume you are being led by this kind fellow? He seems quite the teacher, and lucky for being accompanied by a beautiful dame." There was nothing flirtatious in his tone, which was merely complimentary, and he made sure to include the one who had guided her to their borders as well. It was all very clear that he had not meant any advances upon the young miss; smile respectful, eyes kind but removed just in case they had formal exchange upon their mind. Next question was directed to the both of them, the familiar feeling of sheepishness at having to look down on them surfacing once more. "What is it I can do for you?" Crown rose higher, settling into what could be considered a rather majestic version of a proud militaristic stance, unmovable.

A fine day, indeed.

Still, not one to be envious, Apollo caught sight of the warm look that the winged male sent their way and returned it with a gentle smile of his own, his brown eyes dancing in good nature. This brute was large, much larger than Apollo's own frame, but he seemed friendly enough... Ears flicked forward as he introduced himself, naming himself Kaj, Wingleader of the World's Edge. Or, a type of General. That caused Apollo's ear to flick to the side. So... He was in charge of an army, like Midas then?

"Your words are kind and humbling, Winglead," Apollo murmured kindly to Kaj with an honest smile, one that lit up the overo's honey-brown eyes, not wanting to add slight by not using the Edge's terminology. "And you are quie correct. My name is Apollo, and I'm an Earth Medic of the Windtossed Foothills. I serve my family fo the Grey, and I was wandering through the Threshold early this morn and found my companion... She is searching for a home, and I found that perhaps the peaceful nature of the Edge would be a place better suited for one such a she, instead of my war-hardened brothers of the Foothills."

Stepping back, Apollo tilted his crystalline horn towards Antheia, allowing her to introduce herself. The women of Helovia were a strange, flighty bunch, Apollo had realized, and the last thing that the Medic wished to do was to offend Antheia by introducing her, should she wish to do so herself. Instead, Apollo waited, ears flicked forward and tail brushing against he back of his hocks.

[ooc: ... Sorry for the wait, guys. ;-; And that this post is... Terrible.]

Warmth is met with returned kindness, and the two older gentleman shared a smile of greeting despite their lack of herd allegiance. Azure and honey meeting in a friendly embrace from a polite distance, at odds and yet complimentary with their situation. Before either lad could roll words off their tongues to reach the other's ears in the still frozen landscape, the young gal's shocked outcry caught Kaj's attention and kept it raptly upon herself as she exclaimed in surprise and wonder at his form. Shock flickered upon his normally contented, collected features at her outburst, but soon calmed. He'd dealt with this type of reaction many times now, and it was more amusing than anything at this point. Her limbs kicked and flailed about, bluntly inquiring what exactly he was. Even her abashed amendment couldn't keep her burning curiosity at bay, nor hide it from his knowing eyes. Slight curl of lips turned his face into an amused smile, chuckling softly at her candid interrogation. "Nay child, we all have curiosities. I'm a pegasus, and though my species has wings of many birds, we do not hail from a mixture of equine and avian. Does that answer your question miss?" Kaj had never truly been required to explain his direct heritage, and frankly was at a bit of a loss with how to word it in a way that would sate her and not prompt or inspire further confusion or awe.

Attention was drawn away easily by the other gent, and the pale Wingleader gave the brute his full attention. Smile glowed upon his handsome features once more in response to the one he had silently encouraged from the darkly painted man. Soon he was no longer a gender or color within his thoughts, but Apollo, Medic of the Windtossed Foothills. Happily surprised by Apollo's awareness of the Foothills' unsuitability for the young lass, he dipped his bare crown to the other slightly. "It is a pleasure to meet someone with such honorable intentions, sir Apollo. Should she wish, the World's Edge will always be open to those who mean no harm and wish only to be family." This was directed towards the other dark figure, but was shared otherwise for the both of them, though not to brag of course. To the medic's side came the rather adorably clumsy missus, who cheerily introduced herself as Antheia. She seemed rather peaceful, enjoying the light snowfall that had started and giving a small nip to her companion and guide. Kaj watched the two younger souls with a detached sort of amusement, waiting for Antheia's attention once more before speaking, weighing his words as he always did.

"It's a pleasure, miss Antheia. Tell me, is it a home you seek within our borders? What is it you desire to do, should you choose a calling?" Seriousness had settled upon his broad shoulders, and though he had cowed many with his fierceness, he did not mean to appear suddenly frightening or dark to her. Instead, he backed off the idle chatting in order to actually achieve something, his need for order and his desire to direct and guide her through these first steps of joining taking hold of him.

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Tag: Apollo, played by Sparrow; Antheia, played by Clo.
Notes: If we're all claiming fail posts, here's mine xD

As they stand in a tri-pointed star, something unnerving descends upon them. The sun, once hidden behind clouds that herald the coming of snow, is suddenly blackened as if eclipsed. It is so forceful, so unnatural, that the WeyrLeader ripped his gaze from the two standing before him to cast it towards the heavens. A ripple of despair cascaded over him, a sensation that did not seem to emanate from his breast alone. Warm, kindly azure embers harden into pale sapphire gems, and the beast rose to his tallest point, span revealed once more in his need to seize the skies by force. This is an unnatural, disturbing change, and it is certainly not comforting. Antheia is what brings him back, the foolish urge to fly when there is no light quelled with her lyrics. There is a seriousness now to his face, and he looms over the smaller two like a monster. He must get to his family, and now there is no time for pleasantries and idle chatter. "I do not know, but I shall soon find out," he swore solemnly, watchers flashing in the stifling darkness. The sun painted stallion is now nothing but a mocking reminder of what they have lost.

Quickly, quickly, quickly! Find Mirage and Destrier! You must prepare and calm the panic! His mind is bellowing orders at him, and his pillars ache to thunder through the land he knows so well, uncaring of the barbs that would surely impale his skin should he struggle through briar and bush alike. "Sirs Lace and Aaron are our Glaziers, I will introduce you to them if you would so like. They would be more than willing to take you on as an equal who wishes to learn, or you may apprentice beneath you." The urge is growing stronger, harder to ignore, and his muscles nearly ache from how much willpower it takes to keep him grounded and in their presence. In that moment, his family is more important. Eyes flashed to where he had last seen the Apollo fellow, words taking on a militaristic tone with the both of them. "I must check on my family, this is unnatural and possibly threatening. Miss Antheia, should you follow me you shall find a family and a possible mentor in the art of glass working. I will leave you in capable hands, I assure you. Sir Apollo, I cannot guide you to her borders. However I may be able to appoint a Protector to do so. Will you be safe to return home with this level of visibility?"

Gods, what in the world could he possibly do from here? Kaj wanted to sweep them away, either with him or away from him, and let them take care of themselves if it meant helping his kin. But Antheia was looking to him for guidance, and he could not leave her now, especially if she wanted a place to call home. All that was left, was to wait in the chilling darkness that should not have come for many more hours.

--
Notes: Crap, but Kaj is thinking rather base right now so he's not going to be doing much more ^^
WC: 512

From darkness Antheia's voice echoes to him, sounding shakier than previously. Kaj fears not the darkness, but his chest seizes in utter panic for the family lying in the woods behind him. The tiny faces of every little soul from the meetings he has been privy to flashes in his mind's eye, accompanied by the loving and trusting expressions upon the features of every soul that looked up to him and Destrier. They trusted and held faith in them. Kaj needed, more than anything, to find his flightless brother and the emerald draconic child that accompanied him. The information that came from the feminine lyrics was more than helpful, of course. Sharply his gaze flies sightlessly back to a figure he cannot discern any longer. "A pegasus you say? What of his coloring? Were there any others?" He tries not to ask it sharply, but he is in the mode that brings out the commander within him, the true general that hides beneath a calm demeanor. Inside he hopes she will choose if she will follow or stay behind quickly, for he must find his brother in arms, must assure that Mirage and Thor are safe.

She chooses rather easily, but the emphasis she puts on home brings a tiny quirk to his lips. If she cherished the notion as much as he, she would fit within the Edge seamlessly. "Then a home you shall find, miss Antheia. Stay close, I do not want you lost or harmed. I shall be your alert to any objects in our path." As a gentleman and a natural leader, Kaj would rather shred his own legs on hidden brush and barbs than she. He hears her step towards him, his other senses on high alert with one of them removed. Reaching out he attempts to brush her shoulder, show her where he is precisely. "Now, we go to our WeyrLeaders. We must assure the herd is safe. Come child, you shall soon meet Mirage and Thor. I will lead you to the Crafters when I know all is well." Turning, he brushed one massive wing against her, allowing her a guide and perhaps shelter should she wish to hide beneath the canopy it created.

The stallion had said nothing, and so Kaj let him be silent and choose his own path. There was nothing more he could do for him if he would not validate Kaj's offer. Turning, he began the briskly gaited trek back towards the heart of the land, watching as little firefly lights started to glow within the mists. Was this perhaps some sort of sign that the Gods had not abandoned them?

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Kaj out <3
Thread continued Here if you'd like to pop Antheia in there!