psy·cho·path
noun
a person with a psychopathic personality, which manifests as amoral and antisocial behavior, lack of ability to love or establish meaningful personal relationships, extreme egocentricity, failure to learn from experience.

Dark, quiet and bloodthirsty as hell. The chilling blue of her eyes survey the land around her, it was her new kingdom. Alone she was able to reveal her true self, she did not have to hide it. Here, in this land the shadows's accepted her. Slow steps, with a blank face. The unfeeling mare had fresh blood on her hooves and around her legs, an unseeing wolf was her victim today. This way, she was able to stay in control of herself, and her family would be safe. Her sister called out to their group. Eris knew that she would have to take a moment to collect herself, and turn her emotions back on. Taking in a deep breath and closing her eyes Eris prepared herself. When her eyes opened to the world again, a smile sat on her lips and she walked through hell towards the group. She could hear the voice of a young one. Breaking through some bushes Eris paused as her blue orbs studied the scene before her. A little winged mare which reminded her so much of Skysong, a stallion which had introduced himself as Jasper and finally a mare which stood next to Seele.

It appeared that her sister was better liked, which was fine by Eris. She preferred not to be touched. Eris just stood to the back and wondered if she should speak or do something. She did not that her place was next to Seele, just as Seele's place was next to her. However she was surrounded by her admires, which was undoubtedly annoying her. So she did what any good sister would do, she placed a smile on her lips, and approached them all. "Everyone." She nodded to each in turn and then looked at Seele and imagined how uncomfortable she would currently be feeling. "I am Eris, Co-leader of the Asylum." Carefully picking her way closer Eris came to a stop and stood near the other equine mare. The only one that had not spoken. Her voice rang out into the night again. "I promise you my little doves, Seele and I will do everything our power to give you a proper home."

She let the silence fall again with nothing else to say, no doubt the rest of the members will be arriving again shortly. Her own little minion Skysong had yet to arrive.

397

My lips folded around a low dead branch, tugging at the lifeless stick until the end cracked between the tight clamp of stained teeth. I tugged down, the branch flinging up back toward the sky and bouncing around momentarily; all the while creaking and groaning miserably. How in the fuck do these things stay up right? I questioned myself. A faint call from the accented clown that I had met once before circulated in my skull, piecing together "Asylum," "here now," and "god dammit." Fair enough, Seele.

I sighed and my tongue lolled out the right side of my face, scraping against the top row of dull herbivore teeth in order to rid my mouth of the chuck of stick. It rolled off, plopping onto the murky flooring with a wet sound that I figured was either it falling into the water, or it was lathered in my sticky saliva. Once that episode was over I walked toward Seele's notable voice, attempting to watch my steps carefully as well as watching what I was walking into. I must figure out this marsh. There's no fucking way I'll look like one of you. My eyes trailed toward a bloated, mummified face that sat in the still, dirty waters.

Finally I emerged through the opening that Seele had brought me to at one point, seeing it was already much more full than my first greeting had been. I paused, facing the cuddle-Seele-fest with a smirk, Eris stood a few arm's lengths away from me to my left. "How adorable." Ears rotated around to listen to nothing in particular; it was just nice to hear something besides my own footsteps and the eerie clicks and snaps that emerged from the depths of the marsh when I was alone. Purple eyes drifted over the Eris and I bobbed my head respectfully, the thickness of my white mane cascading over my face like snow crashing down from the sides of a mountain.

I raised my head once more, looking at the four standing before me. The filly that I had met when Seele had showed me the way to this open, sturdy ground, posed at the clown's legs just as she had before. I stood quietly, offering nothing more than I had already said. If any of them were actually curious as to who I am, they would ask, just as Eris and Seele had.

"Speak." Walk walk

'No naughty words,' I couldn't help but to scoff a little before looking down, yellow orbs falling upon the tiny mare before my eyes. Her wings were still tiny, but they looked to be getting stronger. Good, she needed to grow into a strong mare. What are we doing? "Everyone is meeting each other, and we are going to make sure everyone has a job now that we've grown a bit," I explain, gently ruffling her forelock as she pulled herself up at my side. Of course, it didn't take long for Jasper to appear - the one stag who had gotten on my nerves for no other reason other than his insatiable desire to touch me, to know me. No one could really know me, so the fact that he wished to try was only an annoyance.

A smirk was on his face as he appeared before me, talking to Amara. Instantly, I stiffened up, eyeing the stag as he offered his name to the foal. But, I kept my mouth shut, listening to Liebling in my head. He's not going to injure this foal. He knows better than to do that, even before you told him to never touch a hair upon her cranium.

Thankfully, I didn't have to wait and stew on these thoughts before another one appeared. Confutatis. The canine whom I knew could do tons more damage than I ever could. She came in with a twist in her hips and no words at all. I watch her, giving her a welcoming bob of my cranium as she pulls up against my side, Amara positioned on the other side. No words were emitted from my jaw, just a tiny smirk sent in her direction. She was one I could function with. No desire to communicate beyond necessities. No desire to have physical contact. I was very glad that there was at least someone here who wouldn't grate my nerves the wrong way - even if the words she spoke did not always ring clear.

That was when the other leader appeared, her 'sister' Eris. She spoke, attempting to call them to attention. She seemed to pull to the other side of Confutatis, but near enough to Seele that they both looked to be in the center. She said that we would do all we could to gather a home, already jumping ahead upon the meeting. But, alas, no other words were said. Apparently, we were awaiting a few other minions to join us before we went any further.

So, I stood and waited. My eyes flickering from Amara and then back toward the edges of the marsh. My eyes landing upon the mare Agrona, who I had met just a little earlier after Eris had dumped her at the border. No words fell from her mouth other than a comment about how this seemed to be adorable. Where did we stand now. We had Confutatis, Jasper, Amara, Agrona, Eris, and I. That was six. I could have sworn we had more. They are coming, mein puppe. Give them a minute. Schwere instructed. With a tiny snort I shifted my hooves ever so slightly in place only to see the other unicorn mare. The one who was blue and white with glass hooves.

She came up, though not beside us, which I am glad for. After all, my space is slowly becoming crammed and I want to find a way out of here. Reizend speaks up, asking if she may talk. I bob my head to give her permission to do so and she introduces herself. Her name, as well as the fact that she is a healer. Good, we have started to break apart into helpful nuances of the group. "Thank you," I say before shifting my attention to another pegasus mare. She acted young, but she was definitely far older than Amara. She came up on the other side of Eris, but never offered her name. No, she only offered a sing-song voice to penetrate into the air, claiming that we could do anything because we had a healer. Yes, Eris had definitely found a crazy one.

And then, the one who had switched between Gentleman and Demon appeared in the group. His white coat was covered in blood - that was not his own - and mud. The demon half of him was obviously the present one. His eyes shining with venom as he hissed a greeting and offered his name. I wanted to snap at him. I wanted to tell him that he needed to give some manners. I wanted to see him fight the gentleman lurking in his blood. That would be the fun portion, now wouldn't it? He will have to learn manners, even if he stays a demon, Innerste chides, obviously not enjoying the fact that he prefers to be covered in mud and blood.

Shifting my position, I pull myself a couple steps ahead of the line of equines so close to me. My eyes glint with warning to not touch me. My horn is sharp and prepared to prod them out of the way if necessary. "We are here, mein puppes, to gather the group and put everyone into a position which suits them the most. Eris and I are the leaders, we will choose second in commands depending upon who we feel is calling to us the most. The ones who can aid us the best in our eyes. We need warriors and healers, as well as informants. Crafters, possibly, if we have anyone who is talented in such an area. As of right now, there is no real Second in command position, but Confutatis and Jasper are both in my eyes for this position. Confutatis is more likely for me at the moment. Arlo, Agrona, Jasper, and anyone else who I might not have met who are like these three - will become warriors. We can deal with rankings later. Reizend, is obviously, our healer. Confutatis will be gathering some information for us." I started off, words spilling from my maw in swift tongue.

I take a slight pause, "Everyone will learn how to fight." I instruct, eyeing each and every member present. "Arlo. You are a war horse. You will teach those who lack absolutely no clue on how to fight, how to fight. Eris and I will aid you as necessary. You must know how to fight for self-defense. We may have a home in this marsh, for the time being, but that does not mean it is safe. Watch your step. The marsh is known for dead bodies and haunted screams. You will not be joining them, hopefully. And we will be pushing to find a more suitable home soon. But, until then, we all must know how to protect ourselves from harm and how to fight for when we have to attempt to take over some land."

I go to speak up once more only to have my eyes widen. What is that? I shuffle my feet and stand a little taller. Something is off. Prepare to fight. Instantly, I flare my nostrils and paw at the ground, watching as these black robed creatures come in closer and closer to us. "Everyone, prepare to fight. Those who are too young, stand in the very middle. I want a circle around Amara and anyone else who is incapable of fighting at this moment. Watch the marshes - do not step in them for chance you could be drug down to join them. If we can get out of here we will move together. The dead haunt these lands, nightmares lurk, it is time we start to show that we are not weak. Do not attack unless necessary." I instruct, looking at Eris to see if she feels the same way. They have circled around us, and it seems there is no real way to run. So, we will have to fight this beast if it is actually something we must fight. Perhaps it will only grant us with something to aid us in our fight to gain power. But I highly doubt that.

Still. Today is not the day we will perish - not when we just found a family to cling to...

SEELE

Seele scoffed and looked down at me after I scolded her for swearing. I just smiled at her, my amber eyes sparkling. She explained to me that we were here to meet each other, and discuss our future. She then ruffled my forelock, withdrawing to watch everyone that poured into the area. The first one to arrive was a stallion, who introduced himself as Jasper. I gazed at him, listening him as he told me Seele had informed him about me. If horses could blush, I would be blushing. Seele had mentioned me to someone? Was I really that special? That she mentioned me to someone? I looked at Seele, then at Jasper. "Nice to meet you, Jasper." I smiled and nodded, amber eyes spotting the next horse to arrive.

This mare didn't look very pretty like Seele. She had scars, and she had a creepy skull marking. She didn't speak, instead she just stood to Seele's other side. I shrank away from her, trying to hide myself behind Seele so the big scary mare couldn't see me. I just looked at her, pulling my gaze away as I spotted the next horse. This one was a pretty, red maned mare. She introduced herself as Eris, the other leader of the Asylum. I murmured a faint, "hello Ms. Eris." It was only a gentle whisper, but I didn't want to be too loud and attract any attention.

After Eris's arrival, the mare with the white hair arrived, the one Seele and I ran into earlier. She didn't speak, she just stood silently. And then arrived a blue mare, she said she was Reizend, a healer for the group. And then there was a filly, she looked like she could be a yearling, maybe younger maybe older. I couldn't be sure. I paid no attention to the last arrival, instead I just looked at Seele as she began to speak, talking of what we needed in means of ranks and horses to fill them. She then said that every horse needed to learn how to fight. She said that we should be careful, and that there were dead creatures that haunted these marshes. I shivered, pressing harder against Seele. In that moment, I thought I heard a scream, a moan, a plea. I squeaked, turning away from everything, attempting to bury my face in Seele. I left my face there for a moment when suddenly Seele started shouting, commanding horses to surround me and anyone else incapable of fighting. Confused, I was lost as to why she was having everyone form a circle. I looked up at her, and then in front of me.

My eyes widened at the sight. Robed creatures moved closer, surrounding our group. They carried baskets with them, the baskets holding something that gave off a lovely smell. Inhaling it, I smiled. What a nice smell. Sameira whimpered on my back, smelling the air. I looked back at her, and then at Seele. What was I supposed to do?! Panicking, I stumbled around, tripping over a tree root. Squealing, I flipped forward, stumbling off the path. I plummeted into the water, just able to touch the ground. It was soft, squishy. I kicked up a few rock like things (I hoped they were rocks, and not bones.) Sameira was struggling, her little black body sinking. I unfurled my wing, lifting it to keep her from falling into the murky water. I looked back, the robed figures closing in. I scooted Sameira up onto the path, and then struggled to get myself up. It was cold, and my wings were soggy. I unfurled them, my dolly dropping out from beneath my wing. Looking down I swiped her up and put her back in her place, whipping around to face the shady robed figures. The scent that emitted from their baskets. I looked down, Sameira whimpering from between my legs. She looked cold and wet, her body shivering. I looked at Seele, worried. What were we going to do about the robed things? Were they going to hurt us? Or were they hear to give us something?