"Where brilliance is good and madness is better..."
Helovia Info
Helovia opened in February 2012! We are an active fantasy equine RPG
Where once the world narrowed into naught but gray dust and desolation, the gods called for life. Wielding the elements of fire and light, dark and wind, earth and water, spark and time, they have created Helovia. The realm is set within the mythical globe of Loorien, a planet rich with all variety of creatures and blessed with all manner of magic. Originally populated by nomadic, tribal characters, they've since grown into massive empires saturated with culture and history. Separated into four distinct segments of Helovia, called "The Regions," each band of horse strong enough and capable enough, took up the power and responsibility of leadership. Unicorns, old, wise and mysterious, took to the north, hidden in forests of mists and shadows and rarely making themselves known beyond their cliffs of the World's Edge. Equines, vast, organized and militaristic, split into two, one group went north to the Windtossed Foothills and the other group went south to the Dragon's Throat. Pegasus remained nomadic, making their homes in various parts of The Wilds in a migratory manner. For many generations, the land was peaceful and calm, but peace was never the way of the gods. With a clash of argument, war and bloodshed massacred Helovia, and in the aftermath, the realm was eerily quiet. Now, as newcomers sweep into this land, they are met with the lingering bitterness of the gods and the struggle to reclaim what was lost. Nothing remains safe or certain while sorcerers and soldiers alike brood and bide their time for revenge, honor and glory.
Site Wide Plots
Kaos :: The Beginning of the End ☼ - 6/2017 - Kaos placed Helovia in a time-bubble for a short period of time, but the Helovian gods are fighting back. But Kaos is powerful- far more powerful than anyone thought. This may be the beginning of the end of Helovia as we know it.
Kisamoa :: A New Kind of Kaos ☼ - 3/2017 - Kisamoa asks Helovians to help him restore the Spectral Marsh. Which side will you choose?
Invasions :: All Out War ☼ - 5/2/16 - New layout and the brand new invasion rules are up! Thank you for your patience and we look forward to getting started with this new adventure.
The Rift :: Gods Do Die ☼ - 8/2015 - Helovia Gods are saving the Rift from corrupt gods! Can Helovians band together against these foreign deities?
The Literal Ship ☼ - 2/8/15 - Oh no! You have to pair up for Valentine's day!
Sky Island :: Murder ☼ - 10/25/14 - Vesta has been found dead on the island, and the gods have called to you to solve the murder!
Sky Island :: Peace ☼ - 7/7/14 - An island has appeared in the sky! Clouds carry Helovians from the Veins to the sky.
Restoration :: We Welcome the Dawn ☼ - 9/21/13 - The sun has finally risen on this day, giving the land new light, but the Time God and the Sun God have yet to be seen.
Endless Night :: Broken Magic Plot ☼ - 8/30/13 - The earth god has returned and is walking across Helovia to heal the land. Every area can now be considered lush and prosperous, but the sun has still not risen.
☼ - 7/19/13 - The moon has risen in the sky, heralding the return of the Goddess of the moon. Lamp trees which light the paths have grown brighter, moon flowers which grow in dark places have begun to grow and prosper and the world is brighter, filled with a new hope.
Endless Night :: Dead Magic Plot ☼ - 6/22/13 - The gods of Helovia, in order to protect the world, have disappeared into the rift, leaving the world sunless, moonless and magic-less in their absence. Only the herdlands have a source of light, but lamp-trees with glowing leaves and branches sporadically line the popular roads and paths from place to place.
Doppleganger Plot ☼ - 6/20/13 - The God of Time is still struggling to close the rift though which the dopplegangers have come. He has requested that his brothers and sister assist in closing this hole, but without knowing why it opened, the task is proving difficult. Magic still remains faulty and hard to control, but the herdlands continue to be places of refuge for those who are fortunate enough to call these lands home.
ORANGEMOON cools off the lands with a a viscious force. Colder than normal, a sign of things to come during Frostfall, Helovia is bathed in a rich tropical lushness - albiet a cold one. The coastlines of the Dragon's Throat are pelted constantly by tidal waves, and the desert climate is humid but chilly. Ice begins to form early in the Aurora Basin leaving the winding trails slick and dangerous. The mists of the World's Edge coat everything in a glistening crystalline shine which encourages mould to grow everywhere. The Spectral Marsh is the only area which remains fertile, blissfully temperature and lush.
Cotm
Character of the Month for
June, 2017
WEAVER, Corporal of the Aurora Basin, is a relatively recent addition to Helovia and has taken it by storm. Branded with the seal of Death on her chest, intrigue and interest follow both her past and present. Though she is assuredly beautiful, her sometimes sharp personality reveals that there is more to this uni-peg hybrid than meets the eye. Proving herself able on the battlefield in the Basin’s warrior ranks, we can’t wait to see her test her mettle against the looming Kaos happenings! Congratulations!
Helovia RPG was created by Tamme and Blu and coded by Tamme also known as Schwartze. All coding, palettes and imagery are copyrighted to the website and are not for use outside of Helovia. Thank you to our ServerMaster for hosting Helovia. A special thanks goes to Neo for all of her coding help and fixing Tamme's errors, Boom, for her loyal service and creation of the Time God, and to Ali for her consistent contributions and dedication.
Right, this is the beginning of the end. If you want to join, please put this thread on priority and post within 48 hours of your round beginning, otherwise I will ask the next person to skip you. Thank you for understanding. <3 This is situated near the Throat borders, and in case nobody replies I will keep posting to myself xD But I figured it could be fun with a little belated heart-attack for you guys.
and it's like you're shouting out my name in the dark
but I can't hear because there's ice in my heart.
He was shining, a beacon in the night, illuminated in the softest of silver, painted with painstaking detail, like the wave-ripple upon a moonlit ocean his outline swayed with each movement. His shadow haunted his steps, running across the frigid red sand with every step, letting go of its physical anchor only to rush right back in and nip his frosted hooves. The moon painted it starkly against the ground, the cloudless sky foreign after long hours of complete darkness; his soul thirsted for the light, longed to howl its welcome to her return, but his mind desperately wished it would cloud over. He was far, far too visible, his path arcing along the desolate coast north. The godless darkness had seemed like a friend, cradling him and keeping him safe from prying eyes, but now it had betrayed him yet again. Too bright, too light, the in-the-corner-of-the-eye flashes of his own body nearly blinded him. Pristine white and shining.
He couldn't deny the constant thrum of adrenaline in his veins. Get away.
It was the only goal he had now, to get out safely before the axe came down, salvage what he could of this mess – maybe he should just outright damn Sumati and and shout out for Kri, battle her here beneath the moon with their teeth pulled out, wreak the fragile relationship he had with the Sinbird and tackle the Resolute. It was tempting, like something honeyed and sweet just out of reach, and his long strides collected as he thought, listening to the faint rush of ocean and the ringing of his steps. Everything was too loud and too bright and he didn't know what he wanted, what he should do; he wanted to scream, until the world aligned, and the path lay clear before him. He didn't want to run blindly through the fog, where he could trip and fall any moment, and the monsters of his mind would devour him.
And at that point, as he was loping along the coastline and thinking about scattered plans, conquests and slowly fraying dreams, things entered a whole new dimension of weird. A dark creature rose from the sea, salty water rushing off its withers and back to spiral down its legs, the mane a tangled mess of long, thin cords – this all he could deal with, but the creature opened its mouth in the darkness and shouted, sounding relieved and excited, "Mauja!". And Mauja, he thought, well, fuck, and ran faster.
Water splashed as the stallion with the deep voice powered through the shallows, and somewhere far above, Irma's pale silhouette began its usual pattern of watch-keeping. Mauja's stride lengthened again, pounding the alternating terrain of sand and rocks, but the stranger who had so carelessly shouted out his name to the quiet dark was not too far behind, his dark body just another shadow on a moonlit night. Chased, and desperate to get outside the Throat before the warriors were roused by the sound of the enemy's name, Mauja allowed the dark creature to shepherd him north, their hooves leaving lonely crescents in the moist sand as they thundered forth.
[ this other horse is maybe 16.3 tall, built like a friesian, black with queer white brindling along his sides, double ice horns, a furry lion tail, and a thick black-and-white mane. ]
It wasn't the name that drew the beast down from his patrol, because let's face it: Gaucho isn't so good with names. Mahd-Jha, wasn't one that he had heard before, and although the frosty air allowed sound to project farther, it was still nearly indistinguishable as a name, by the time it reached the bay's dark ears. But a sound that loud, in this eternal night, was something to draw the warrior's attention.
Stiffly, for flying in the frigid breezes has caused his muscles to tense and become stiff, Gaucho banked towards the direction of the call - towards where the Throat broke away into the sea. Far below, his stormy gaze detected a blur of white amongst the rocks - missing Erma entirely. The smear below appeared to be moving with haste, and Gaucho's primitive mind wondered why it was moving toward the border, and not towards the ever burning fire, in the heart of the Throat. Drawing lower, it was only until the roar of the sea was nearly deafening in the stillness of the night, that Mara perceived movement in the waves. Their minds working as one, Mara bit her companion lightly on the neck - just enough to draw blood. The temperatures made her body sluggish and useless, but her teeth and Gauchos' blood, were the gateway to his magic. Three large spirit-eagles poured from his antlers, moving swiftly towards the creature, to, if nothing else, distract and illuminate it with their ethereal light.
With a burst of speed, Gaucho tried to fly down alongside Mauja. "FIRE" He roared in Mau's direction. "Go to fire. Be safe!" His deep tones were demanding and at the same time reassuring - as if Mauja was just another member of the Throat that Gaucho would ensure was protected.
and it's like you're shouting out my name in the dark
but I can't hear because there's ice in my heart.
[ Gaucho is pretty amazing atm xD oh, and simply hover over funny speech for translations~ ]
The sound of wings through the still night air was too heavy to come from his owl. He could barely hear the thrum of it over the sound of his own breathing, and the gentle lullaby of the surf almost drowned it out completely, but she was there, in his mind, and she had no thundering breath to fog her senses. She wheeled around, elegant yet precise, and saw the dim outline of someone moving towards them; he blotted out the stars with his shape and span, but she couldn't make out his silhouette properly. Best keep running they thought as one, and Irma split her attention in three; the hunter, the unknown, and the rest of the dark, quiet world.
But suddenly, light erupted, and it wasn't coming from the moon – nor was it the gilded rays of true sunlight. It was a silvery, ethereal glow, something he saw in the corner of his eye and almost went flying when he craned his head to look. Three ghastly eagles swept down on his dark shadow, sweeping through his wet frame and nearly sending him flying, too; Mauja had slowed to an arcing canter to watch, knowing that curiosity often killed the cat. The stranger had ground to a rather rapid and graceless halt, his bright eyes wide in the darkness, breath coming quick and shallow; Irma said she could see his skin trembling like the ripple of moonlight on waves across his brindled sides.
It was a blessing enough, he guessed, that he had some strange aid to keep the stranger from trumpeting out his identity again, and Mauja turned back north, preparing to thunder away across the wet sands again, but suddenly the Pegasus was there. Cool air stirred against his sides, and Mauja wondered what he was, crowned with antlers yet bearing wings. A hybrid? Probably; he shouted fire! and Mauja's heart skipped a beat for a moment, wondering where?! before it became clear he was being ordered back, to the center of the land: to the fire pillar.
To safety.
Yea, right. Death, more like it. Mauja planned on living another day, but he didn't want to simply ignore the stallion who had swept down to his aid, but at the same time- go back? No. He couldn't. Nodding, he began to curve away to the left instead, as if intending to take a big loop down back south, and to the fire. If the flying man decided to hawk over him.. he'd have to find some other solution.
The dark stallion from the waves had begun to find his voice and mind again, and his feet; he drew forth a few steps, seeing that Mauja was coming back, and his black ears swept forward, but it was plain to anyone that the moon-bright stallion had no intention of running to him.
"Hætta að hlaupa!"
The voice seemed somehow both exasperated and desperate, and Mauja, well, he planted all four feet firmly in the sand and came to a very abrupt halt, eyes widening.
Gaucho barked his approval as the white-splattered stallion began to crest - albeit too gradually - towards the heart of the Throat. Gaucho wondered if it wasn't simply the case that this creature was lost - he certainly wasn't one who Gaucho had seen around the Throat before, but of course with the multitude of strays that the Throat had taken in since the black-out, he wasn't terribly surprised. His primitive mind concluded that indeed, the stallion must be both lost and scared, thus not doing an efficient job of running away. Grunting, Gaucho bobbed up in the air, aiming to move more onto Mauja's right side. His physical presence, along with a grunt and shake of his antlered brow, seemed to indicate No. "That way-" He advised, nosing at a steeper angle to the left, than Mauja was currently running. Then, realizing that in the spotted ones' presumed terror, he likely would not want to take a path closer to the creature, the beast clarified: "I Gaucho. I protect you."
Letting his wing beats grow slower so as to allow Mauja to pass him. Gaucho turned in the air, landing upon the frigid sands. His dark ears lay pinned against his skull, and even Mara hissed weakly - her cold and numb body feebly trying to appear intimidating in his antlers. The beast pawed at the ground, sizing up the opponent through the eerie light caused by his eagles. His wings splayed to increase the space he appeared to take up, and his antlered brow tossed dangerously. Upon his chest hung a thick band of sharpened bone spikes, just waiting to add red lines to the already brindled coat.
With an uncanny grace for a creature so primitive in appearance, Gaucho danced across the sands, trying to stay ahead of where he believed Mauja's arc would take him - try to block the white stallion from this creatures view. Just as Gaucho was about to charge and incite the inevitable battle, the creature issued a call so strange, Gaucho thought it was choking.
Birds do that? He wondered, though the steed did not appear to be having any sort of trouble breathing. With a hiss, Mara alerted her bonded to the fact that the snow-steed was no longer moving towards the fire. With an annoyed grunt, Gaucho turned his head, nostrils flared, towards Mauja. With a frustrated hiss of her own, Mara mentally replayed the creature's call to Gaucho, indicating that it might be some sort of speech. Certainly that would explain why Mauja had stopped running.
Even if it said something comprehensible, ain't nobody got time for that.
"GO" Gaucho bellowed towards Mauja, the word sounding thick on his tongue, and his powerful voice pushed it to the white steed through the frosty air. Turning back to the beast, Gaucho took an intimidating step forward, his dark tail lashing against his hocks; daring the beast to come forward.
08-04-2013, 05:42 AM (This post was last modified: 08-04-2013, 05:42 AM by Mauja.)
and it's like you're shouting out my name in the dark
but I can't hear because there's ice in my heart.
There is that moment when the pieces suddenly fit together, but at the same time, nothing makes sense at all. Silver moonlight washed the unfamiliar contours, bathing him in a gentle glow; Mauja could see the frost melting where the silver creatures had struck his chest, a fading imitation of the brindling – Mauja could also see the mingled wariness and hope in his eyes, and how they rested more upon the tall Gaucho, who had given up his attempts to herd Mauja away in favor of standing between them. It felt strange, to stand protected by someone else, almost peeking around his wild form to look at the stranger. Touching, almost, to have someone's shadow to rest in, to have the roles reversed. He could understand those who lived like this, cared for and kept safe by someone who was brave enough to put his or her life on the line for them. He could understand it, but it wasn't for him.
He was someone who did the protecting, too, and right now, he found himself having someone to protect. Gaucho yelled "GO!" at him, his thickly accented voice breaking the spell of stillness and silence, and Mauja's nostrils widened too, his pale eyes sliding past the muscled bay rump and onto the face of the black stallion. The challenge by the feral man went unanswered; uncertainty flickered in moon-grayed eyes, and the shorter stallion took a step backwards, the waves rushing in kissing one hind fetlock again. Smart, Mauja thought, and took one single glance at the Throat protector. His sharp antlers were outlined in silver, the hissing snake's fangs glinting in the cold light.
He wouldn't wish that upon anyone.
"Hlaupðu!" he cried, his voice finding the familiar tongue, but damn, it wasn't enough: the black stallion leaned away, half-convinced, but he hadn't come this far for nothing. Mauja skittered sideways, as if he could draw Gaucho back with him if he only sent the other on his way. "Ég finni þig seinna," he called again, wondering why they didn't just butcher Gaucho on the spot; was it because he was too shocked to do anything, or because it would be such a mess, and someone else was bound to notice? It was bad enough that someone who had no idea who Mauja was had been robbed of the chance to know him as Dreven...
Or was it simply because he didn't know why he was here? Whatever the case, the other stallion hesitated a second longer, took a last look at Gaucho, and then turned to flee, bursting into a powerful canter along the coastline north. Mauja was left standing where he was, still shaken, and turned his eyes to Gaucho, quietly wondering what he would do; take after the dark stallion, or insist on herding Mauja back to safety?
Or just leave him here?
Mauja knew what he would prefer, but he doubted fate would be kind enough to grant him it.
[ Sorry - another wave of heat butchered my brain for a few days. :x ]
And as the black shape turned to run down the coastline, Gaucho of course assumed this was his doing.
We must forgive him this arrogance, for it is in the nature of very base and primitive creatures to often mistake causal relationships. It is for this reason that Gaucho also believes that appropriate prayers and dances will make it rain, that it is because of the many battles that he has won, that his daughter has been gifted with magic, or that it is the fault of someone here in Helovia, that caused the God's to disappear.
Causality, combined with a misinterpretation of the sounds escaping Mauja's throat is ultimately what had led the bay stallion to rise upon his hind legs, hooves scattering the stars as they paw into the dark sky, in triumph. He knows not what Mauja cried out, though interpreted it (quite wrongly) as a frightened admonishment of some kind. Bits of sand catch into his dark mane and tail, as his hooves dance the dance of balance upon the rough terrain, before his front legs join them and he steadies. Pierced-nostrils flaring, Gaucho turns behind him, to where Mauja stands. Grumpily he frowns, wondering why the lighter stallion persists, and has not gone back to the safety of the fire, in the heart of the Throat. If he had, Gaucho could have followed the dark trespasser to ensure that he did not stop until he was out of the borders. As it stood now, he would wait and alert Kreee and My-dus and Heck-tur, and together perhaps they would cross the Throat in a grid, to ensure that the intruder was gone.
With a rather prancy stride, Gaucho makes his way towards Mauja; his antlered brow intimidatingly slicing through the air as he moved unknowingly towards the FrostHeart.
"He is gone." Gaucho advises, his voice exponentially more resonant and pleasing to listen to (if not a little thick-sounding when pronouncing words), than when he is barking orders across the sands. "You, safe now. Then, with a somewhat skeptical tilt of his head - "You to fire. Gaucho to Kree."
His dark skull nods affirmatively, though his great wings do not unfurl, as if waiting for confirmation from Mauja that indeed this time, he will follow his orders. You to fire; how difficult was that?
Unless...ought he accompany the stallion to the Throat? Mentally he probed Mara, as he waited for a response from the painted stallion. Member to safety? Or catch intruder? Or ask Kreee? Hissing slightly, the snake edged herself forward, looking down upon Mauja from her perch; beady black eyes washing over his shape with an emotionless stare. SsssssssS She replied, mentally pulsing the idea of Kri.
08-06-2013, 12:09 PM (This post was last modified: 08-06-2013, 12:12 PM by Mauja.)
and it's like you're shouting out my name in the dark
but I can't hear because there's ice in my heart.
The black stranger disappeared through the darkness, silver light arcing across his fading outline as he left the odd pair behind; Mauja watched with a sense of sorrow as the ocean rushed up to wash his tracks away, melting the faint padding of frost and filling up the dents. His heart constricted in his chest as another piece of his past washed away again. He yearned to follow, to burst into canter across the sands again, not only because he wanted away from this wretched moonlight. Questions fired rapidly through heart and mind, and if he'd got things his way, he would've been left alone to track that fleeting glimpse of his past – but he wasn't, and his gaze snapped to Gaucho the moment the tall stallion danced around. He was light on his feet for his size, but Mauja knew that simply because you were tall, you weren't clumsy. The brute seemed proud, and Mauja's blue eyes seemed to dance and ask what now?
Gaucho's voice seemed to vibrate in the darkness, deep and rich, but the syntax of his speech was oddly clipped, as if some pieces of padding were missing, so gears rattled around when the wheels turned. Gone, indeed, he agreed silently, black-rimmed ears politely tipped forward. He tried to deny the fact that he was desperately listening for another trace of the black stallion's existence, but he was, of course, doing exactly what Mauja had said. Trusting what he had said, too; another life saved for now, and all he had to do now was get himself out of this mess. Safe, now; laughable, that assessment, but he didn't say anything about it. He was as far from safe as he could be.
Though, apparently it could get a hell of a lot worse.
Going to the fire would be stupid enough, but Gaucho going to Kri was about fifty times worse. "No need!" he said, rather hurriedly, trying to plaster on a reassuring, confident smile. Whoever this Gaucho was, he'd better not go to Kri, or Mauja would have his balls. Briefly he glanced up at the snake tangled in his antlers. It had crawled forward again, hanging from somewhere, its black body burnished to a fine pale sheen in the moonlight – and it was hissing. At him? At someone else? Saying something? Tasting the lies? Mauja's mind shield was probably as broken as his soul, but he was desperate not to give the game away. Desperate to keep Gaucho on the ground. His eyes flicked down again. "He's gone. He's not coming back. I promise. You don't have to go." An empty promise, because naturally, he didn't know at all where the brindled man had truly gone, but if he still had any brain cells to rub together, he would've done what Mauja said.
Beneath the white skin, his blood raced hotly through his veins, a throbbing pulse matching his- fear? No, not quite fear, but a mounting anxiety, a deep, desperate desire to send this stallion obliviously on his way, and leave in peace.
No need to get Kri involved.
08-06-2013, 12:17 PM (This post was last modified: 08-06-2013, 12:21 PM by Midas.)
Midas
Your heart strikes the gold in me
The wind blew and with it carried the cries of stallions, their voices sounded so familiar that for a moment I didn’t register a single idea that a threat could be present. For all I knew, it was likely just a pair of our family sparing away the time. An empty desert could carry mighty voices far and wide with nothing to bounce the sound from. I stiffened when full recognition kicked in, Guacho was crying out. His wild voice was like none other. Fina glanced up from her perch in a bare bush like tree, real concern fluttered through our link from her half-awake state; concern was a rare emotion for her. We had been resting, trying to catch a few z’s.
Curiosity would keep sleep away. I charged into the sky, followed by a bird without fire. Rising from the ground after only a few steps, we left earth behind. Wings passionately thrust their owner toward heaven and with speed that came from traveling between the Foothills I closed the distance. The strange voices that seemed to rise and fall over the land like bewildered phantoms kept on.
Eventually the outlines of said criers come into sight, both were standing beside the oceans calm water. An alabaster spotted stallion with an icy horn, and the other a large beast that can only be my most loyal Soldier. The shock that filters across my mug is one of pure disbelief, Mauja? Ivory feathers pump harder until I am directly over the pair, calling out I cry, “Mauja, why are you here?” didn’t he know this was a dangerous place, surely he must know.
No need - even that wasn't surprising to Gaucho. Kri was an imposing figure, if not height-wise, to even the toughest of Warriors. She had bested him easily with her skill and dexterity in their spar, and the beast was constantly reminded of her impressive skill as a leader. Had Gaucho even the slightest sense of vocabulary or the subtle implications that tone of voice could convey, he might have noticed just how quickly Mauja answered him; might have been a little skeptical. As it stood, the bay simply shrugged it off, as another stallion who was fearful of their chocolate leader.
Before the warrior had time to formulate a response, from the skies descended a happy sight. "My-dus" He whispered to Mauja, although he was certain that all members of the Throat knew who the gold-adorned paint was. Tossing his antlered brow as Midas descended, once again Mara's beady black eyes peered out from his antlers, eyeing Fina with interest.
Mauja, why are you here?
"Mawd-jah?" Gaucho repeatedly uncertainly, looking to Midas with furrowed brows. Then after a moment, his stormy gaze suddenly brightened, as he looked to the flecked white stallion. "Mawd-jah!" He echoed again, this time seeming to understand that Mauja named the unicorn. "Dark unicorn attack Mawd-jah. Run down beach. Mawd-jah safe now." the warrior replied to Midas, grunting at the end, and nosing down the stretch of beach where the darker stallion had run.
Once again, had Gaucho a stronger hold of language, he would have wondered why Midas was questioning a member of the Throat, about why they were in the Throat. But of course, Gaucho's initial assumption that Mauja was a member, coupled with his poor grasp of communication and complete inability to read-between-the-lines, once again caused him to fail at deciphering Midas's meaning. Instead, the bay stood happily now that Midas was here to give instruction.
and it's like you're shouting out my name in the dark
but I can't hear because there's ice in my heart.
Irma whispered in the back of his mind, a silver trickle of thought and moonlit imagery slipping through their bond. Midas' collar was shining in the monochrome light, and Mauja felt his heart sink. There was no mistaking where the General was headed, just as there was no way to mistake his own shining form for another. If he'd been just another black.. he could've run into the sea, disappeared among the gently rolling wave crests, but fate had dealt him a hand that was riddled with curses and blessings. Even though his insistence on not fetching Kri seemed to keep Gaucho groundbound, he knew that things were going to get harder. "My-dus," Gaucho whispered to him, and he nodded. He didn't feel like saying I know; he felt like sinking through the sand, a mirage that was disappearing.. melting through the cracks of the earth.
But of course, there was no way he could, so he was forced to stand there with his head raised, watching Midas' silvery shape grow larger and larger. It felt a lot like doom, waiting for the axe to come down over your neck, and he didn't like how the odds were stacking up against him. He had to get out of here, sooner rather than later.
The air whispered with feathers, Midas' voice calling out, asking why he was here, and he fought down the desire to say damned if I know. Instead, Gaucho answered for him, repeating his name as if not sure what it was – gods, was he going to remember it was the name of someone who happened to be Kri's worst enemy? The thick bay was unsettling, with his wings and horns and snake, and his clipped voice and seemingly simple, yet fierce, drive to protect. Mauja kept his tongue, watching as something dawned on him, but it wasn't the kind of condemnation he had expected. Instead, he simply seemed to recall that Mauja was that white unicorn standing next to him, and that he'd been chased by a dark stranger. "Gaucho here saved me," he said with a slight smile, letting the incomprehensible truth remain buried in mystery a little longer. But the next moment, his face grew more sober, and he looked up at Midas with serene eyes. "I'm not precisely sure why I am here either, but I was actually trying to leave when Gaucho found me. If you want to escort me out that'd be welcome, but maybe we could walk and talk at the same time?" His eyes spun in the moonlight as he looked up at the tightly circling Midas, and the shadow of his usual smile ghosted up along his face. "Or fly and talk, if you prefer that," he added with a hint of amusement in his voice.
The sooner he was out of the Throat, the better. He wasn't sure how much of the game that was totally blown, or if he could still salvage something from this unfortunate wreckage.
Sometimes I wished things could just be simple. I prayed one day this silly life wouldn’t throw wet shit in my direction—at our current moment I and Mauja shared one unspoken desire. To simply sink away. Vanish completely into a state of ignorant unknown. Let the earth swallow us by darn, perhaps then, my heart wouldn’t beat the rapid speed it did. My ears listened but this mind had already come to it’s conclusion; I knew his sin, and my orders. Gaucho appeared to have no inkling of what was happening or about to happen, “Mawd-jah?” he repeated in broken English.
Normally my lips might have curved into a smile, I would have accepted this as easily as breathing air. But not today. My face remained impassive, and underneath a thinned mask, concern had turned to dread while both dark corners deepened into sober lines. What had been learned, could not simply be unlearned.
“Dark unicorn attack Maw-jah. Run down beach. Mawd-jah safe now.” My stomach felt sick as I spun overhead, sunkissed wings seemingly able to move of their own accord whilst their owner grew more and more anxious. I had absolutely no idea what Sergeant Gaucho was talking about, nor would it be further pressed.
Mauja spoke next. Loud, and fondly enough for my ears to catch the tone-- words intended for no harm. “Gaucho here saved me.” Both perked senses flicked back against my skull in annoyance, 'why was he here in the first place?' Fina hissed and circled along my left side, her comfort would do no good. A poor explanation came, one that settled nothing. The ice King was fleeing our land? Why? What had he done? Fear for my comrades override the softness that was for my friends. What. Had. He. Done? A ringing entered both ears, loud enough for his words to muddle themselves into a mere hum.
Kri spoke. Her face clear and direct— a face full of trust and assurance that I would complete each syllable to the letter.
Did he kill one of my family? Cera?
“Or fly and talk, if you prefer that.”
My mind snapped back like a whiplash, mouth was slightly ajar and it took everything I had to not suddenly say, “Huh?” like a complete idiot. Pitching forward I landed roughly, not caring how my legs might feel from the jolt. Wings remained half arched and my head rose—I was much smaller than both in company. Good thing size didn’t matter to someone who was short by design. Fina alighted on my spine, her eyes having caught sight of a nearby owl. Snow white and likely Mauja’s bonded; she screeched loudly at the creature. Not entirely unfriendly, but wary all the same.
“I’m afraid…. I can’t allow you to leave.” tongue flapped and words came out slower than I would have liked, strained, why….did I hesitate? “It has come to my attention that you are a wanted man for the death of Torasin. It is my sworn duty to bring you to my superiors for judgment.” I didn’t have the faintest idea who Torasin was, or why Mauja had seen fit to kill him. Then again, it wasn’t a soldier’s duty to ask unnecessary questions—I only had to follow. But why…did I feel so heart sick.
Turning halfway to Guacho while still keeping Mauja in my sights I gave an order, “The Basin King is to be escorted to our Sultanas who will then assure safe transfer to the Edge for a trial.” My throat was burning, and when my eyes flicked back there was sorrow within the bottomless depths.
Oh boy. Do you know what just happened? A whole lot, that's what, but much of it went unnoticed by Gaucho. It is often difficult, as i'm sure you've surmised by now, for the bay warrior to piece together instruction when it isn't given explicitly to him. We should do this...Gaucho do this. What he heard, was something like this:
can't..leave. ... death Tor-sin...soup...ree-ors, judgement.
As My-dus turned towards him, a stony look befell his features, as his full attention was given to his General. Bay-sin King to be ess-kort-ed to our Sull-tan-ass (that means Kreeee, his mind interjected)...safe to Ed-geh for try-elle.. Gaucho's large head rose immediately, as if he was some machine to which Midas had just given a command. All doubt and uncertainty disappeared from his stormy gaze, which quickly fixated upon Mauja. There were no lingering questions in his mind, which perhaps was a comfort to both Mauja and Midas. No, But I just saved him or He isn't a member of the Throat? or What did he do? Who is Torasin?. If anything, deep in the back of his mind, he wondered if My-dus sounded sad - but that couldn't be right. My-dus sold-jer too. Follow orders. For Gaucho, there was no sadness or emotional conflicts when following orders, and to the extent, his antlered brow lowered to Mauja's shoulder height.
With a grunt Gaucho's wings expanded to their full width, to give the illusion that the dark shape was larger than it actually was, and to prepare for flight, should the white stallion try to run. In his antlers, even Mara's gaze had dropped from Fina, and was hungrily eyeing Mauja, poison building up within her steely mouth.
"Yes" Gaucho offered, his voice husky and rich with the excitement of what was to come. He had been robbed of a battle earlier, when the dark steed had simply taken off. Perhaps Mawd-ja would try and fight, or run, and he could recoup his loses.
and it's like you're shouting out my name in the dark
but I can't hear because there's ice in my heart.
It's funny, isn't it? When things slowly start to slide from bad to worse it just never stops, like that one rock setting off the whole damn landslide. He could almost see it, that lonely rock jumping down the steep slope, bouncing into others.. the moon, the shadow of his past, Gaucho, Midas... The world was so quiet, except for the sea, that the thud of Midas landing had some ring of finality to it, a premonition of doom. Mauja felt his pulse, too loud, like his heart had suddenly come alive in the darkness: adrenaline leaked into his system. Somehow, this didn't feel good. It felt bad on every level it could be bad, and his blue eyes sought for Midas' gold ones. What's wrong? they seemed to ask, laced with that mild concern and seeming honesty, and Midas' strangely lackluster bird cried in the night. Far above, circling on her pale wings, Irma made no move to respond.
“I’m afraid…. I can’t allow you to leave.” Is it that simple? Just a few words, and suddenly so many doors slam shut in your face, and you realize that there's no real way out? You have to break down the walls, find the route that doesn't exist- aut viam inveniam aut faciam. So just as the heart hardens, the blood begins to boil. Mauja's eyes did not grow stony, did not freeze over like the frigid winters of the north, simply turned to sorrowful disappointment. So, they found out. At the mention of his name, Mauja turned his head aside, gazing out at the black waters. Torasin. Would the sunny gentleman enjoy what he caused from beyond the grave, or would he mourn it? That half-step forward, frozen when the spike pummeled its way into his chest, was forever engraved upon Mauja's memories, so easy to call up.
“The Basin King is to be escorted to our Sultanas who will then assure safe transfer to the Edge for a trial.” A trial. The thought held a bitter tang, because from all he had seen and known, a trial within the Edge would not be a fair business, and Mauja had no wings with which to fly. A life for a life? The heartbroken revenge? Surely someone had already written his lines for him, and pleaded guilty in his absence. He clenched his jaws together, and looked back at Midas; the sorrow in his golden eyes seemed to match the one in Mauja's. Was this the end, then? The end of a tentative, half-formed friendship, one that defied certain boundaries? Mauja had never, truly, had a problem with being around the hornless, yet everyone had branded him a racist and he was still paying for that. Loyalty, he mused to himself, watching Gaucho's antlers point at his chest, and the dark wings flare. Loyalty to the cause; I am their smoke screen. A purpose, to protect, and he forced the sickly feeling aside.
"Huh," he breathed, so softly, and a small smile curved his lips – serene, tinged with that same bitter sadness that seemed to haunt his every step, until it had finally caught up and mired him. "So I am wanted for his death..." Slowly Mauja drew himself to his full height, raising his white head above Gaucho's lowered one. Sometimes, when things seemed just.. so dark, one had to reach towards the light. "I do not believe I would be given a fair trial within the Edge," he continued, his voice growing stonier but his eyes never did. "My experience with them tell me it would just be a sham, death for my honor if I came; they do no trust me, so I doubt they would recognize the truth even when I spoke it." All those stars reflected in his bright eyes, and slowly he canted his head to the side. He offered Midas a small, sad smile. "I'm sorry, friend. I cannot go with you."
And with that, Mauja took the first step to walk away, to pass beside them and track the ocean's lonely edge north – but every sense was strained, every nerve pulled taut, ready to explode.
He very much doubted they would let him go far at all.
08-09-2013, 10:54 AM (This post was last modified: 08-09-2013, 11:31 AM by Midas.)
In another life, in another time—perhaps we might have become like brothers. Duty was duty though, and my vows sang their bitter sweet melody like the chimes of mother birds returning home only to find their nests vainly torn to ruin. They cried doubly for that loss. Family. Guacho straightened after I had spoken, his gaze grew hard but yielding toward my words; no voice of doubt or underlying questions. I was thankful for this. “Yes,” he said in agreement before drawing that large crown lower, with all threatening points shifting toward Mauja’s breast. His Mamba was coiled inside the framework that my native friends token, her forked tongue slithering past fangs. Both ready for my word. These actions rang in my ears just as effectively as Fina’s screech had; they would die today if I asked—all for the sake of loyalty.
Softly I whispered something that the icy one had told me not more than a season ago, “Sometimes duty forces you to run against what you wish….herding me down a path I wouldn’t otherwise walk.” Who would have thought, that his words of wisdom would return to haunt us both in such a cruel manner? If the sides had somehow been reversed and I was his General; my response would have been the same to all who threated our families. Loyalty, it was my father’s greatest virtue—what terrible consequences would befall me if I choose to break the historical line? Just the idea of such treachery set my heart to thunder within its hot cavities, I couldn’t betray the clan any more than chop off my own wing.
His smile wounded me, it was tautly drawn up; like the face of a man grasping upon his last string. “So I am wanted for his death…” he says…regretfully? Or perhaps my ears were just making it up. Somewhere inside my soul the faint hope that had been praying he would deny the charge died a little more. It was foolish to grasp an ideal that was impossible. Something. Anything. I might have been able to defend his honor if there had been no guilt, my name held value within this land. “I do not believe I would be given a fair trial within in the Edge.” I stiffened but did not interject—he wasn’t going to come quietly. Those sad eyes found mine and we both knew in that moment where this was going to lead. There was only two options, one path he couldn’t ask me to walk.
Kri whispered,“The Dragonheart has placed a price on Mauja’s head for the murder of her beloved Torasin. If you see the Ice King, you are to capture and deliver him to me.”
To let him walk would be a direct defiance against her orders.
“I’m sorry, friend. I cannot go with you.”
I didn’t know how lenient the Dragonheart was, he might have been correct in stating that they wouldn’t offer him a fair trial. That white feathered forelimb rises and my heart speeds on. Quietly I say, “The sorrow is mine, for we are at a cross roads…I had hoped…” Voice breaks off and my heart takes one final moment to gather itself, grief that would be handled on a later date. My wings explode from my barrel and thrust heavily down to send this body into heaven. Fina soars up from my spine in the same instant, her talons turning toward the distant owl that had been watching us. Beak is wide and thirsting for blood spoiled with the ghost of another.
My mouth opens to bellow out a warning for those that might be residing close by; the shattering sound is my cry tainted with pent up pain. It rockets up to heaven with enough force to resound for miles away. Magic pools within my spirit, I had been practicing my powers since the moon returned. An attempt to master what had been mastered once before. Though not perfect, it would have to serve me now in the state which it was in. The earth shifts and moves at my command, a mighty earthquake breaks open the soft sand around my Appaloosa friend, and likely beneath his feet. It was plenty strong enough to throw even a steady mate off-balance at the very least, and topple someone who wasn’t so surefooted.
OOC: I will be posting this to the battleground in just a moment. I'm assuming that we will go by the posting order already set ^^? http://helovia.net/showthread.php?tid=9176
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