The loneliness was like a blanket now. It was wrapped around me like a beggar in the streets, and I desperately clung to its raggedness. It was all I had. I had no physical possessions. Once a stallion of great power and strength. I was known as many names when I was upon the throne, some bad and some good. Never had I been a bad King. But now.. now I was no king. I had nothing to me. I had no title, no one by my side, when I once had it all. I had the kingdom as far as the eye could see. The rolling grass over the hills, it was still very fresh in my memories. Just as fresh as her face. As it popped into my mind, I felt a dull ache grow in my heart. The pain that she had brought me, it was a painful wound. All the other ones, the women, who had left me I held no anger, no pain, no remorse for their health or what have you, but her.. she had always had my heart. And now she had everything that I had worked hard to have. I wanted her and the kids to have it. I wanted her to be happy, because I knew her forcing herself to stand beside me was too much. It was too much for me to see her affections were forced for me, and clearly given to the other man. He could have her. Because that was all she wanted. And this was all I wanted. To start new.

My feet traveled a unworn path. They tasted the soft lips of the grass beneath my feet, and it was all new. I was so used to traveling the worn, safe path. Perhaps it was time to change that idea. I needed new things in life, and I thought I might try the unbeaten path. Just to see what I might find. And on this particular day, I found myself in this forest at the base of this mountain. The pines raised high into the air and the world seemed larger than even me. I was no small creature, I was a leviathan with muscle, height, and pure size on my side. But I seemed small compared to these trees. Just how ancient were they? I wondered as I stopped and raised my head. My black hair fell around my ears and rushed into my mane, as my eyes traveled the expanse of the tree. To its very tippy top. It was a long, tall climb. Something I would never accomplish. My eyes squinted as I viewed a black bird at the top. It cawed a few times, it was barely audible down here, but still I heard it. Just before it leaped off the branch it perched it looked down. Right at me. I blinked and stared back, just as it looked away and jumped into flight.

It was freedom that it had, and freedom was something I constantly wished for. And now that I had it. I longed for the community and the togetherness of herd life. I inhaled and exhaled. And so that was life. No one was ever truly happy. You could only go at a slow pace, merely one day at a time, to please ones self or those around you. Looking into the future was too much and would trouble you, and only discourage your faith in happiness. But if you could please yourself in the here and the now, then you could be happier over all. Or so I would like to believe..

Reizand It is with great pleasure that I find myself once more in the Threshold. It has not been very long since I myself traversed this area, searching for my place in the Asylum, as my half-sister's band have taken to calling themselves. My band, I should say, for I am as much a part of it as she. I had appreciated it at the time, of course, but my wanderings now remind me just how lucky I was to have been set upon by Seele. The Threshold is not the smallest of places; it would have been easy for her to pass me by, particularly in the darkness that constantly envelops the land. I savor the sounds that surround me here, and their colours. As usual, there are the dull earthy thuds of my hoofbeats that thrum softly, an undercurrent to the other noises. Somewhere to my left, a tree branch cracks, breaking under the pressure of ice, and I see a burst of emerald infused with light teal - the branch and the ice, respectively. A bird calls - odd, for this time of year - and I recognize the species as much by the colour of its song as by the sound. It sits atop a tall tree, even taller than the rest; though I could trick myself into thinking I had passed along this very same path on my entrance to this land, it is highly unlikely that this is the case. My gaze travels down the tree's length, interspersed with the variety of colour that accompanies me wherever I go. It its foot I am surprised to find the form of another, wandering alone, reminding me of myself only a few short weeks ago. I had approached the Threshold looking for recruits, but I had not thought to find any. I had thought that I was the only fool likely to enter the realm under the dire circumstances that currently presided over the land. Nevertheless, there stood another, and I approached at a calm, even pace. "Good evening, my friend," I call sweetly, for regardless of the true time, it is ever evening here. "From where do you travel?" "Talk talk talk."

The soft crunching of another in the snow caught my attention. Slowly I looked down with my wise, old eyes and I gazed upon you. White with teal trimmings, like a pretty little summer dress. I couldn't help but stare and scan over you like some sort of predatory animal. However, I was nothing of the sort. I was not hungry for flesh nor was I starving for the kill.. I was merely mesmorized by the strange coloration of your body, and then it was like the icing on the cake when I saw the horn protruding from your forehead. I blink a few times and tilt my head curiously. But, then again, when you wish for a new start you never know what you could receive. It was none the less, a gift and I would cherish this gift and this new beginning.

You approach, gracefully planned way. You are calm and collected, and I can read this by the look upon your face, as I had seen it many times before on my own. I was a creature of the same habit. I stiffen slightly as I prepare myself, raising my shoulders and arching my neck some. And then you speak, "Good evening, my friend," I blink my eyes, and I am curious of your sweet nature. I felt as though there was something hidden behind your glass eyes and I couldn't help but wonder what the twist was. "Salutations." I say, my voice low and rumbling. "From where do you travel?" I inhale as a flood of memories enters my eyes. I stare through you for a moment as I watch the world I have become to love crumble before my eyes once again. A sight I was all too familiar with seeing. As I relived it every day of my life. I exhale heavily, and speak as my eyes focus back on you, "No where of any importance. Just a place in some distance time and space..." I say, fading off at the end.

I let a low hum drift from me as I look back at the light colored woman again, "What has brought you to this doom and gloom sort of place?" I ask, purely curious. This place seemed to call to me in a way, but her.. she didn't seem to fit here. Or perhaps, I shouldn't judge a book by it's cover...

Idiots had injured themselves again. This time, I couldn't just ignore the blood that was coating their pelts. They needed to be in working order for a fight - for an invasion. But if they got an infection that was not going to work very well with our plan. So, now I am weaving through the trees attempting to find our resident healer, Reizend, who I had sent off to attempt to gather a few new recruits so I wasn't doing all of the leg-work. Honestly, sweet talking was becoming exhausting. As I shifted through the trees Schwere alerted me that she was not far off, and I could sense her presence in my bones. I listened to the conversation with a smirk upon my face as I watched Reizend talking to another stag. No names had been swapped, but that didn't bother me. I wouldn't release her name unless she wanted it to be known. "Sister." I said, alerting her of my presence, obvious annoyance seeping from my lips as I stepped from the shadows. "Someone has proceeded to injure themselves with some tree branches. We don't need infections joining the blood on their pelt. Might you go help in fixing that?" I instructed, looking over toward the stag that she was talking to. "Sorry to intrude, I am Seele. Doom and gloom is my specialty - well creating it places other than our little herd that is," I turned to him, annoyance gone from my voice as I listened to the sound of Reizend's hooves as she slid off into the shadows. "What is your name, recke? And would you wish a home with those who are slightly unstable mentally? I am the co-leader of a refuge called The Asylum, and it is just our goal to help those in need. How may I be of service?" I purred, tilting my head to the side just a little, standing up a tad bit taller in order to not look so... tiny compared to him while i awaited the answer from his lips. 352 words @[Legion] Rayo gave me permission to take over this thread/say Reiz left. She won't be posting for the remainder of this thread SEELE

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It wasn't long before another's presence made my skin crawl. I inhale and a musty, stale odor filled my nostrils. I almost could smell the scent of the wounds she spoke of before she spoke of them. I closed my eyes as the smell made me feel uneasy. Not in a way were I was uncomfortable, but it made me feel a little all too comfortable with the situation. Blood was something I was more than accustomed to. It was something I hadn't been around since my younger days, and the stale smell calmed me in this moment. Strange, for at the time, it had unsettled me in my younger days but now, it was all that could calm me. Perhaps it was the consistency that had it's effect on me, that in the past it was all that I ever knew and now that perhaps I had surrounded my self or been exposed, it had a strange effect on me.

I open my eyes to watch the white and teal woman fading into the gloom and my eyes went to another woman, black and maroon, and her sister. I blink my cold, stormy eyes and arch my thick black neck. "Sorry to intrude, I am Seele. Doom and gloom is my specialty - well creating it places other than our little herd that is," She speaks and I smile weakly, she was clever with her words, and I let out a soft chuckle. It made me laugh because it seemed all the followed me was doom and gloom. I inhale and clear my throat, "No trouble, Seele." I say stiffly, "It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I am Legion." I say to the woman, my voice was eerily calm and easy coming from my under used vocals. I blink as you speak again, almost feeling like you could read me before you knew me, "would you wish a home with those who are slightly unstable mentally? I am the co-leader of a refuge called The Asylum, and it is just our goal to help those in need. How may I be of service?"

I swallowed , but remained unwavering in my expression. I could hear the demons whisper in the black reaches of my mind and my body crawled with their presence. It had been so long.. so long. But their presence made me feel again, so long I hadn't felt a damn thing. It felt good to feel again. "I.. I gladly accept your offer." I stutter my words at first, shocked by my own lack of confidence. "If you can help me with shelter of a herd, then I can gladly help you in more ways than one." My words could have come across as promiscuous, but in no way were they. I have many talents that were dying to be put to work again. And now.. with this opportunity.. I would have to be afraid, or fight so hard to keep myself as me.

I am greeted with a weak smile. The poor one before me has obviously been a lot, though I'd still wish to get this stench of blood off of my pelt. I mean, it's not like I minded the scent, but it was not the best when I was trying to appear like I could control my urges. No trouble, he says. Completely mannerly. I can't help but smile more. It is nice to know that perhaps someone who joins our little gang will have some form of respect. Otherwise, I might be committing mass murder just to make everyone gain manners. Legion. Reminded me of an army. Good, hopefully he could fight like one. "The pleasure, really, is all mine. Legion - reminds me of an army. I don't suppose you can fight?" I question, giving a small flick of my tail and a shuffle of my feet to keep myself warm in the cold forever night air. He swallowed, something seeming to bother him in his mind. But, I wasn't really one to talk. I had four voices shrieking around in there. He accepted my offer much faster than I had expected. He said that he could help in more ways than one. Good, perhaps the respect wasn't just a phase to keep him from getting himself killed. Intelligence should follow, no? "Good. The Asylum is this way. We will talk along the way and figure out where you might fit in helping the most. It's a long trek, and it's not easy - but you seem fit enough to make the trek." I explained before turning on my haunches and starting toward the Spectral Marsh. 284 words @[Legion] And end thread with your next post and we can continue outside of the threshold once you're officially an outcast SEELE

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