the Rift


[PRIVATE] bent truths [lace]

Ktulu the Constrictor Posts: 509
Outcast atk: 5.0 | def: 9.5 | dam: 6.5
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16.1 :: 7 HP: 70.5 | Buff: ENDURE
Eytan :: Grizzly Bear :: Terrorize ali
#1



It was strange to be mindful of the darkness, but there was a feeling of something lurking in the shadows that Ktulu could not shake. Not since she had been a foal had she been fearful of the dark. Back then she would seek out her sister's comfort and sleep curled up with her, confident that whatever was out there wouldn't get her. Not when she had Phi with her. Not when her father was standing guard over her. Now she felt like she'd lost both. She and had sister had been at odds with one another more often than not and she had not spoken to her father since long before she'd taken the Foothills with her sister. Any thought that he might be proud of them was shaken off and left in the dirt. His honor would keep him from being proud of them. His honor would keep him from accepting her choice at being a mercenary. She could almost hear his chiding words. Fight for family. Fight for friends. She fought with her family and friends. She stuck by their sides.

What did her father do? He stood on a hill and watched. He walked away when the battle was over instead of fighting with his friends and family, whether it had been with her or against her.

He walked away instead of checking on his family to see if they were alive or dead. Or did they stop being family when they did something that he didn't like?

What kind of honor was that?

The dark mare snorted as she followed the dimly lit path from the sanctuary of her herd land to the beach. For the first time in ages she longed for the sound of the ocean waves crashing against the beach, the scent of salty air, and the feel of it against her skin. Maybe that would fill the void that had opened in her chest with the absence of her son, the tensity she felt with her sister, and the utter disappointment she felt toward her father.

Against her better judgment she had left Eytan in the Foothills with Ranjiri even though Lakota was watching over her. She didn't trust this darkness even if there was light, however minimal. A second set of eyes watching over her baby girl would not hurt anything.

Except maybe her.

Ktulu hesitated at the roaring crash of the ocean then proceeded once more, her pace going from the even walk it had been to a quick canter. The fireflies that had been nestled in her mane were jostled and took to the air, blinking and glowing as they trailed after her. She left the lit path and continued until she felt the cool water splash against her legs. Her stop was sudden and she blinked as her eyes adjusted to the darkness.

Her ears tilted back and she backed out of the water then turned, eyeing the beach until she saw one of the odd trees that offered a bit of light. She moved toward it, not stopping until she stood under its glow. Around her the fireflies continued to blink until they finally settled back into her mane and tail.



Image Credits

Icon by Tay

Lace the Silverthorn Posts: 459
Deceased atk: 5 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5
Stallion :: Equine :: 15.3 hh :: 14 HP: 65 | Buff: NOVICE
Fajira :: Plain White Dragon :: Fire Breath Chan
#2

LACE</style>
Time Flies - Time Dies
Truth like a blazing Fire
</style>


And through the darkness he ran. As though whipped by boggarts from the Heart the stallion raced across the land, blinded and uncaring that his feet slipped and stumbled over unseen obstacles, unfeeling towards the hidden branches and thorns that scratched and tore at the silvery hide. He was bleeding already from numerous cuts and bruises, pain burning in a shoulder that had taken the brunt of the crash as he'd toppled over in the forest. Like a fury he galloped at neck breaking speed, crying his heart out in a maddened way as though he was trying to challenge any and all who could hear him, inviting them to a dance that would go on until the sun rose or they were all dead on the ground.

Was it fear, was it joy, what was this exaltation that filled him to the brim until he couldn't stand still, or was it something else? All he knew was that at one moment he had been grazing by the cliffs in the pale winter light, and the next a thick, suffocating darkness had fallen over the World. The everlasting mists had begun to gleam more brightly than ever, they had lifted up and settled among the canopy of the forest... and something had disappeared within him. A weight had been lifted off his shoulders and Lace felt lighter than he'd done in a very long time. Yes, it was joy that made him run. Happiness over the disappearance of the accursed magic that forced itself upon him, relief that he once more could bleed and hurt like any other mortal being - and a giddy, panic stricken fascination over this new, nightly world that may or may not be what was going to rule from now on.

The gold-blessed tree-cursed former warrior ran out onto the cold sands of the shore, burst from the blackness of the trees like a rabid beast with a shrill scree of exaltation. Closely followed by a shrieking white dragon he thundered down the shoreline, so close to the water that the pounding hooves splashed the liquid high upon his knees and chest, chilling the skin until sweat and blood streamed down the legs. He ran until the lungs felt as though they were about to burst and kept running, intent on continuing until the legs gave in under himself. He barely registered the dark shape beneath the glowing trees as he blazed by, and it might have been a coincidence that he shook the head and made a leap through the air just then, as though challenging the silver-lined shadow to a race.

Or maybe it wasn't. At least the pale dragoness took notice of the unicorn and the fireflies, and the sharp trill she let out was decidedly an invitation to join them. What could be more freeing than to beat through the shifting sands and forget everything for a moment, to just move forward and allow the heart to do the talking.

And then they passed in a cloud of sand and water, and the sound of hooves and heavy breath echoed in the air as their shapes faded into the darkness.

CREDITS: Schwartze | venomxbaby | 116802
BronzeHalo.deviantart.com
♦ Permission granted to use magic and violence on Lace and Fajira
♦ Only tag in new threads, spars and if it's urgent
The Store | The Warden

Ktulu the Constrictor Posts: 509
Outcast atk: 5.0 | def: 9.5 | dam: 6.5
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16.1 :: 7 HP: 70.5 | Buff: ENDURE
Eytan :: Grizzly Bear :: Terrorize ali
#3



Over the sound of the ocean she could hear him coming, his hooves pounding a rhythm against the ground that told of one running. For what? From what? Ktulu's head turned in the direction of the thundering hooves, her ears straining forward to listen for any other sound that foretold of pursuers. She heard nothing and so her muscles tensed and bunched under her dark coat. In her mind's eye she could see shades emerging from the darkness, their eyes glowing red with malice and dark blood dripping from their bodies. Would the shades come to Helovia?

Ktulu did not realize that she was holding her breath until the stallion emerged from the darkness and flew past her, dragon in tow. She turned, one ear tilted back and the other tilted forward as she watched him. There was no one in pursuit, so why was he running? Unless his pursuers were silent ones. Nervousness became as real as the oxygen she breathed as she realized that she was essentially alone in the darkness. No one knew where she had gone off to aside from Lakota and she had told the poisoner not to leave the Foothills while she was gone. She did not want Ranjiri slipping away in the darkness and becoming lost.

The dragon's call made Ktulu's skin crawl, but it spurred her to move from where she had been anchored. Their forms had begun to disappear into the darkness and so Ktulu raced after them, unsure of exactly why she was. "Hey!" She called after the stallion. "What are you running from?" That was the reason she'd taken off after him. She had to know what had made him run like he was. If there was dangers lurking in the darkness she wanted to know exactly what they were so she could prepare her warriors and defend her home.



Image Credits

Icon by Tay

Lace the Silverthorn Posts: 459
Deceased atk: 5 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5
Stallion :: Equine :: 15.3 hh :: 14 HP: 65 | Buff: NOVICE
Fajira :: Plain White Dragon :: Fire Breath Chan
#4

LACE</style>
Time Flies - Time Dies
Truth like a blazing Fire
</style>


The rhythm of hooves against shifting sand changed. Another set of four added to the whirling drums and sped up the wild pace to something that made the heart pound and the blood boil from the rush of insane delight. An image flickered between the horse and his dragon, a vision of a black unicorn hurrying after them and shouting something inaudible to the dust they stirred up. Lace laughed aloud and shook the neck in excitement as he shortened the gait just a little, enough to slow the pace so that the girl could inch up along side him.

Even in the frantic chase, something about the white-maned apparition tickled a feeling of familiarity with the stallion. It wasn't that he knew her, or even had seen her before. He had met his fair share of mares in his days, but never a black one with white mane, not in the hues this one sported at least. She blended in much too well with the darkness and the speed at which they ran was too great for him to pick out any details, but even so he couldn't get away from the feeling that he should know who she was.

A glance over a tree-marred shoulder was followed by a grin as Lace noticed how she began to catch up. His breaths was starting to become more ragged, the limit to his depleted endurance would soon be reached - but he didn't want to stop. It felt much too good to run, bury the hooves deep into the grains of the beach and heave onwards, ever onwards as far as the legs could carry him.

Sooner or later it would have to end though. Before long his balance would falter, a wrong step might send him crashing down on the ground with limbs and gleaming tassels jumbled and breaking... Would she overtake him before that happened? Was she fast enough, strong enough, bullheaded enough to make that final push?

If she did he would stop, the crafter decided. If she overtook him at his fastest pace he would hear what she was shouting about, answer any question she might ever think up - it would be her price and a gift for allowing him to enjoy the thrill of the chase. And so he flicked the tail teasingly towards her and heaved forward once more, pushing the body to the limit of its abilities - not caring if it ended up breaking in the process.


CREDITS: Schwartze | venomxbaby | 116802
BronzeHalo.deviantart.com
♦ Permission granted to use magic and violence on Lace and Fajira
♦ Only tag in new threads, spars and if it's urgent
The Store | The Warden

Ktulu the Constrictor Posts: 509
Outcast atk: 5.0 | def: 9.5 | dam: 6.5
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16.1 :: 7 HP: 70.5 | Buff: ENDURE
Eytan :: Grizzly Bear :: Terrorize ali
#5



No answer came from the stallion that she was running after. The only thing she got was a backwards glance and a grin. Her hooves dug into the sand as she pushed herself forward, her hooffalls soon falling to rhythm with the stallion she was chasing. She had to know what he was running from. She needed to know what monsters lurked in the darkness. It was the reason he was running, was it not? She could not comprehend any other reason that he would waste so much energy in a world filled with the unknown. Danger lurked around every bend in the path and behind every tree, in every shadow.

Sand flew up in puffs behind her as she flew down the beach after the stallion, her mane and tail streaming behind her like a banner. Despite the near desperate need to catch up with the stallion and somehow stop him, and even though such an expenditure of energy was wasteful, it did feel good to run and stretch her legs. With each ground eating stride she gained on him, until she was just behind him and the very end of his tail tickled at her nose.

"Stop!" The dark mare barked out then allowed herself to drift so she would be running beside Lace instead of directly behind him. Her eyes narrowed and with a concentrated burst of energy she pulled up beside him. Nostrils flared as she sucked in air to keep herself going and not for the first time since the blackout she wished she had control of her magic so she could strangle the stallion to a stop, but she didn't. It seemed she would have to outlast him.



Image Credits

Icon by Tay

Lace the Silverthorn Posts: 459
Deceased atk: 5 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5
Stallion :: Equine :: 15.3 hh :: 14 HP: 65 | Buff: NOVICE
Fajira :: Plain White Dragon :: Fire Breath Chan
#6

LACE</style>
Time Flies - Time Dies
Truth like a blazing Fire
</style>



Gods, how persistent she was. A black laced ear ticked back as she shouted again, straining to catch the words she threw into the whipping wind. Why he was running? Well wasn't that a silly question. Why was she running after him, now that was more intriguing.

Still, despite his original intent of simply running until his legs gave out it was growing harder to keep up the neck-breaking pace. With the sand flying beneath the hooves he was threatening to run out of beach soon as well, and it wouldn't be nearly as much fun trying to nestle his way through the thick roots of the mangroves by the Spectral Marshes. Winded and quickly tiring, the stallion held out on the black-skinned mare for a few moments longer, but gradually - against his will, he ensured the white dragon - his pace slowed, step by step until he broke from a flowing canter into a trot, then walked a few paces until he finally stopped on trembling legs.

Chest heaving, coat blackened with sweat and spray from the sea he let the legs fold beneath him and sunk down on the side, groaning from pleasure as he rubbed the skin against the white sand. Lace hadn't noticed before how nice the earth smelled, how cool it could feel against an overheated body, how very very pleasant it was to feel the tiny gravels sift between the hairs of the coat and dry it, cleaning and polishing the winter coat to a gentle sheen.

"What were you saying?" he eventually said and peered towards the white-maned lady, suspecting that her patience would be running short soon. There was a merry, almost teasing glint in the gilded eyes, accompanied by a merry twist of the mouth that shouldn't technically be there, considering the magnitude that the catastrophe of the strange night came at.

CREDITS: Schwartze | venomxbaby | 116802
BronzeHalo.deviantart.com
♦ Permission granted to use magic and violence on Lace and Fajira
♦ Only tag in new threads, spars and if it's urgent
The Store | The Warden


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