the Rift


[PRIVATE] dig a shallow grave [apollo]

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




Snow crunched under her hooves as she walked the edges of her herd land, peering into the darkness that was now somewhat illuminated by the return of the moon. The complete and total darkness had left her feeling paranoid. Every night (or was it day?) she woke up she expected the worst to come slithering out of the darkness and disrupt her way of life further. It wasn't the slithering, creeping things in the darkness that had disrupted her. It had been her own sister giving up her position within the herd that they had built together. There was a mixture of feelings that Ktulu felt in regards to that and, yes, betrayal was one but it was not strong. She felt sadness that she no longer had her sister close. They had drifted apart during their time as leaders. She felt guilt because she felt as if she had forced Ophelia into the Grey, when she had not. There was also a touch of pride that her sister was now standing on her own four hooves and making decisions like the one she had made.

But she left Ktulu holding the bag, so to speak. Now she not only had to lead warriors and executioners, but Ophelia's spies were left without a leader and there was no one to handle diplomacy. There was a split second where she thought she might handle the diplomacy as well as everything else, but who was she kidding? Allowing her to handle diplomacy was like putting a racist unicorn in a cave filled with equines. It wouldn't end well.

The Constrictor halted and stared into the darkness lost in her own thoughts. All around her the fireflies continued to float and glow as if they were earthbound stars. A breeze blew the mare's mane back off of her neck and in response she raised her nose toward the sky and breathed deeply. She smelled the earthy scent of the Foothills and nothing else that would make her suspicious. It still did not ease her paranoia.

A flick of her ivory tail and she set in motion once more, crimson eyes now sweeping toward the heart of her home. What was she going to do? There was a lot that went into running a herd and making sure the system of diplomacy and war were balanced effectively. She was in no way capable of balancing that by herself, she wouldn't lie, but she would do her best until she figured something out.






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Apollo the Merciful Posts: 251
Outcast atk: 5.0 | def: 8.5 | dam: 5.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 15.3 :: 11 HP: 63.5 | Buff: NOVICE
Zola :: Black Cat :: None Sparrow
#2
Brown eyes roamed the frozen plains of his home, soaking in the familiar sights, enjoying the brief light that the moon offered. Before this darkness had plagued their land, Apollo would have been frightened with just barely enough moonlight to see... But now, he was grateful for the return of the moon, and the brief lighting illuminated. It was enough to see, enough to give him hope, and in such bleak times there was nothing else that he could ask for.

Sleep on this particular night was nonexistant. His dreams were filled of nothing but twisting, dancing shadows, echoing with the departing words from Ophelia, and the last words he had heard from his sister... Such dreams, or nightmares, were what had driven him onwards, sending the normally complacent and peaceful Earth Medic wandering around the frozen tundras of the Foothills like a lost colt. He was troubled in many different reasons.

The balance of the Grey felt disturbed since Ophelia decided to leave, and although he wouldn't place blame upon her pale shoulders, he did find himself missing her. They weren't close, not at all, but she was like a balm, her personality twisting around Ktulu's and creating a certain kind of balance within the Grey. Was he the only one that felt it? The lack of this balance since the Forsaken had left the Foothills? Had Ktulu felt it, as well?

The thought caused Apollo to pause mid-step, his lower lip trembling slightly as he thought. What could Ktulu even be thinking during such an event? The monochromatic stallion had heard, with his very own ears, Ktulu say that she had held nothing against her sister for her decision, but... Wasn't this now a heavy weight to be carried upon Ktulu's own shoulders? As he had thought during the meeting, Apollo didn't doubt his dark lady's leadership, and he would continue to serve and follow to the best of his abilities... But he couldn't help but wonder.

How could she do it alone?

Lithe legs continued to take Apollo through the snow, the frozen landscape crunching and shifting beneath his muscled weight. Tossing his head to the side to rid his mane from his honeyed gaze, Apollo was nearly startled to see the Constrictor a ways in front of him, looking as if she was plagued and stuck in her own thoughts. The stallion paused, glancing left and right, wondering if he should leave her be... But he was the medic, and the urge to help, to make sure she was well filled him, making his decision for him.

Taking a few steps closer to Ktulu's dark frame, Apollo cleared his throat and spoke, coming to a stop a few paces from her. His neck stretched out towards her, horn glinting in the moonlight. "Lady Ktulu...?" He questioned, eyes shining curiously in the moonlight, "Are you well, my lady? Is there anything I can assist you with?"

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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




"Lady Ktulu..."

The Chieftess stopped in mid-step and swung her head around to look toward the one who had called to her. "Apollo." She said his name before her eyes really registered that he was standing there in the darkness with her. It was his voice she recognized easily. It was gentle and soothing, slightly accented, inquisitive. It was the voice she thought a medic should have. He could tell someone they were dying and they would not be frightened because he had such a soothing voice. It was a gift, she thought, and sometimes she wished she could speak as eloquently as the Earth Medic could. Perhaps if she did she wouldn't foul things up with insults. But then she wouldn't be herself, would she?

Ktulu's weight shifted as she turned to face the medic, his questions making her ears tilt forward and her brows furrow. Was she well? What could he assist her with? She missed her sister, though she was loathe to admit it for fear of appearing weak because of emotions. She was still aching in her heart from her son leaving because he'd been called to duty by his father, but then her sister had to up and leave as well? She had put on a brave face and told Ophelia she held no ill will against her, which was the truth. It did not mean she couldn't miss her and want her back. Hopefully as time went on the ache would lessen and she'd get back to her old self. As for helping her... Unless he had ideas for who could help her run a growing her there was nothing he could help her with.

"What brings you out so far from the heart of the foothills?" She asked. The dark mare turned her head to look in the direction she had been going and began to turn back again. She had to complete her patrol for her own peace of mind if nothing else. "Walk with me." She called back to the Earth Medic. It was not everyday that she asked for someone to accompany her on her patrols, but what was the harm in this?






Icon by Tay

Apollo the Merciful Posts: 251
Outcast atk: 5.0 | def: 8.5 | dam: 5.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 15.3 :: 11 HP: 63.5 | Buff: NOVICE
Zola :: Black Cat :: None Sparrow
#4
Apollo's head tilted slightly in curiosity, watching his leader closely. It was something that he had learned as a youngster; keep your eyes open and your mouth closed. A feat that had served him well over his years in life, certainly. Still, hearing Ktulu say his name, her softly accents dancing around his ears, he couldn't help but smile. It wasn't a full-blown grin, no... Just a simple upturn of his lips that his presence hadn't been unwelcome. Or, at least, he hoped that it wasn't.

For a moment or two he stood in silence, and it was then that the uncertainty began to fill his breast once more. Did he bother Ktulu on a late-night patrol, perhaps? Was she battling demons of her own? Apollo dared a step closer, one dark hoof crunching in the snow upon the ground, when Ktulu's question reached his ears. Answering a question with a counter-question, hm? His concern merely grew, but Apollo knew better than to call the Chieftess out on it. Respect for his superiors had been ingrained in his skull early on, as well.

Still, before he could answer her question, an order was spoken. "Walk with me." It wasn't demanding, or abrupt, simply... There. A plea, maybe? He wasn't one to know. Still, ever dutiful, the black and white stallion moved forward, his pace set at a slow jog until he walked side by side with Ktulu. Honey-brown eyes lingered on her for a few moments, attempting, but failing, to gauge her emotions before he cleared his throat and spoke. "Nightmares and haunted shadows have led me to wander," he admitted, finding no reason to withold the truth from his dark lady, "Sometimes it's hard for me to find peace of mind, especially in such bleak times. With the departure of miss Ophelia and Osiris, I fear that, well... I fear that things have become unstable."

Apollo paused, bit his lip, and risked a glance to Ktulu once more. He couldn't help but worry if she would think his words too bold. They had never been close, he and the Constrictor, and they had never truly spoken or indulged each other in talk... But, perhaps, things were changing.

"The Grey is my family, and I worry for its well-being. Of course I don't doubt your leadership abilities, lady Ktulu, I am just... Concerned. I would give my life, if you asked it, and so I only feel it's right if I share these very concerns with you."

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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




The Chieftess listened as the Earth Medic told her of nightmares and haunted shadows that forced him to wander. So he felt uncomfortable with the shadows as well, did he? The constant darkness made her uncomfortable in ways that it never had before. This darkness felt different, though. She always felt as if there were something watching her out there. She felt threatened and there was no worse feeling than that, the dark mare thought. Ktulu was proven wrong, however, when her sister's name was spoken. Apollo moved swiftly along and voiced his concerns, the very concerns she'd been thinking about just a few short minutes before. Was the unbalance already that palpable? It needed to be corrected soon, if so.

His concerns caused her to stop her patrol and look intently at the stallion, studying his face and listening to the tone of his voice. There was no accusation there, blaming her for Ophelia's departure, only concern for the herd. He was the first and only to come to her since her sister left. Was he the only one that was concerned or was he the only one that had the nerve to come and speak to her? Ktulu didn't want to come across as mean and unapproachable, but she knew that she did and in ways she tried to make up for it.

"What would you propose to stabilize the balance, Apollo?" The Chieftess asked, wondering what he would suggest. Someone to replace Ophelia? An attitude change? Hah, like that would ever happen.






Icon by Tay

Apollo the Merciful Posts: 251
Outcast atk: 5.0 | def: 8.5 | dam: 5.5
Stallion :: Unicorn :: 15.3 :: 11 HP: 63.5 | Buff: NOVICE
Zola :: Black Cat :: None Sparrow
#6
When Ktulu stopped in her strides, Apollo did the same, allowing his body to turn slightly so that he could more readily face his dark lady. The stallion's head tilted as he listened to her inquiry, and a soft breath of relief left him. So, she didn't think him out of line for voicing his concerns. Then again, surely Ktulu had been thinking the same things as he. If anyone could feel the unbalance that had been cast upon the Grey, surely it was she.

"What would you propose to stabilize the balance, Apollo?" The question was spoken, but it was not in a mocking tone. No, Ktulu truly wanted to know what he thought.

For a moment he stood, his brown eyes staring deeply into his dark lady's own, and then he had to look away. His mind roamed, wondering just what they could do to regain their previous balance. A new leader, perhaps? But who? Ophelia had been with the Grey since the beginning. She and Ktulu had made the Grey what they were today. How could one compete with that? And yet there was the true question. Ktulu oversaw the physical side of the Grey; the executioners and the warriors. She accepted the contracts, made the plans... But who would lead the intelligence branch of things?

Sucking in a deep breath, Apollo allowed his eyes to return back to Ktulu's, and he dipped his head slightly. "I do not want to say that we should replace your sister, lady Ktulu," the Medic started softly, "For she isn't one we can simply replace. What we should do, however, is continue what you and her have started. The Grey has grown too comfortable here, I think... We should grow more to our numbers, strengthen our herd, train our members. Return to the way that we were, do you understand? Before we took the Foothills as our home." Once more, Apollo stopped, hoping he wouldn't be saying anything that the Constrictor found offensive. Allowing a furtive silence to pass, he went on.

"We should send our spies out to survey the land. We have a herd now; just as it was ripped from the grasp of those who previously called these plains their home, someone could attempt to do the very same to us. If we send our spies to simply keep an eye on things, perhaps we could spot trouble before it brews into something dangerous."

He paused, wondering where these words were coming from. Still, clearing his throat, he went on, his accented tones softer. "There is no one to lead the intelligence branch of things, unless you wish to do so yourself. But... Perhaps we could start there? If you believe that you know of someone who is capable of handling it, maybe you could appoint them to lead beside you?" The question was genuine, and even as he asked such a thing, the stallion wondered if there even was anyone in the Grey that coud lead. Archibald was a good candidate, but he fitted the spot of General to the letter. A warrior he was, strong and firm and reliable.

"Forgive me if what I say is bold, lady Ktulu. I know I'm just a medic, but... My concern for our family is true."

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I Just Want You To Know Who I Am

Please Tag Apollo in All Posts!

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
#7




He chose is words carefully, Ktulu noticed, as he spoke of finding someone to bear the burden of the herd with her. He was right in his observation that the Grey had become too comfortable in the Foothills. It made her skin twitch just thinking about how lazy they had all gotten. The warriors weren't sparring, the spies weren't spying (if they were it wasn't that often.) Everything he was saying was right and she knew it but she didn't feel like even being bothered with it. Perhaps she was taking her sister leaving harder than she'd previously let herself believe. She needed a good kick in the ass to get herself started once more and get back to where she had been before.

Ktulu eyed Apollo carefully as he continued on saying that the spies should go on and survey the land. Her ears pricked forward, however, when he said the herd could be ripped from their grasp just as they had ripped it from Jackal's. Her teeth ground against one another and she got a hard look in her eyes as she thought about it. Maybe that was the reminder that she needed. Being a leader took a delicate balance and her selfishly wallowing in her own pity over Ophelia leaving upset that balance. She could already feel the herd slipping away from her.

"Well." The Constrictor said as she began to walk again, still considering Apollo's words. "I suppose you had better begin thinking about how you're going to help restore the balance in your position as Chief." Her gaze drifted up to the sky as she walked before falling back to the once medic. The decision had come quickly on her part, but he was the only one who approached her about his concerns and he seemed to be the only one who seemed to share the concerns she had. More importantly, he didn't make her want to put a hoof through his skull. She could talk to him and he seemed to understand her body language at least a little bit.

They could work together, couldn't they?






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