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Post by BlueUnicornJ13 on Sept 30, 2017 12:37:47 GMT -6
Malik | Talori | Tenderfoot
The evening sun was just beginning to sink toward the horizon, casting the world with bright orange light as Malik grabbed his wooden sword and tied it around his shoulders with some string that he had found. It was a loose fit and not as sturdy as an actual belt and sheath, but it kept the sword from falling down or having him hold it all the time.
He tried to keep his hooves from making any sound as he walked through the house, getting ready to leave for his adventure. The hippocampus colt tip-toed and peered around every corner for any signs of anyone that might stop him and ruin his fun. The last thing he needed was for his mother to find him sneaking around with the wooden sword he had already gotten in trouble for having. She’d definitely never let him leave when he had lessons in an hour, and she’d scowl at the thought of letting him run off when it would be dark out in a few hours. He’d been warned of dangerous creatures like wild dogs, cougars, cheetahs, and quetzalcoatl that roamed the night for prey, but Malik was sneaky and quiet. He could find ways around them without a problem.
An exciting journey wasn’t the only reason behind him sneaking off. There was an ulterior motive to his mischief: escaping his evening lessons. On most days, he was okay with spending the evening with his sister and their mentor as they were taught about different cultures, the history of Hireath, and other not-very-interesting topics, but having had a morning session with their mentor already, Malik didn’t want to waste his entire day with his nose in his studies. There was a great, big world out there waiting for him outside those doors!
As he reached for the handle to the front door, the edge of his sword banged against the wall with a solid thud that made him twist his face in a flinch. Oh please don’t let Mom hear me!
Word Count: 344 | Post #1
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Post by arlybarlywartek on Oct 1, 2017 11:28:20 GMT -6
Instead the knocking of an object against the wall disturbed Pearl's nap, she was trying to get some rest before any studying otherwise she'd end up drooling over her scrolls. She let out a soft yawn, the bedroom empty-
Wait a minute... Pearl looked around the room quickly. Something was missing.
Malik.
Curses. He was usually here when she woke up, he was usually her pillow. Was it him that awoke her? She hissed lowly as she rose to her feet, hopping off the bed with a gentle clatter of her hooves against the cooling stone floor.
She slipped under the curtain that divided her room from the others and caught sight of a slightly larger body at the door. Her large white ears stood to attention, her eyes narrowed on her brother.
With a rush of energy, she charged at her brother and nipped his rump.
"Malik!" She spoke with a hushed tone, pouting and tilting her head. "What are you doing! You can't leave- We have studies do we not?"
She furrowed her brows, they did have studies...Right? She couldn't exactly keep track of what was happening today- Most of it was spent sleeping in a pile of pillows and blankets. Eugh, well, she was up now- But what was Malik up to?
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Post by BlueUnicornJ13 on Oct 2, 2017 17:36:10 GMT -6
Malik | Talori | Tenderfoot
Malik gritted his teeth and wished he could smack himself in the face for his stupid mistake. Stupid sword, stupid wall, stupid handmade yarn-belt. If he had real equipment, it would fit much better and wouldn't drag and bang around on literally everything. Since real weapons and belts weren't going to be easy to come by for someone as young as he was, he'd need to practice more on stealth and remaining quiet when he had the time, but right now, he needed to open the door and get out before anyone could try and stop him. It wouldn't be long before someone came to check out what the noise had been, and they'd catch him and lock him in the study until lessons started.
The young colt grabbed for the door handle just as the sound of hooves from around the corner reached his ears. With a yank, he pulled the door open only to be bit on the rump by whoever had run up behind him. With a muffled yelp, Malik slowly turned to see who was to get him in trouble and sighed in relief when he saw his twin sister's pale face instead of their mother's. Or at least, he thought he was relieved that it was her. From the quizzical, accusing look on her face, he might have to wield some of his charms to get her to let him leave.
The striped hippocampus sighed through his nose and returned Pearl's pouting expression with one of his own. "We just had lessons this morning. Why would we need two in one day?" He complained quietly, letting his face contort in a look of agony at the thought of sitting through another boring history lesson or worse... math. "I want to go out and have some fun today! There will always be another lesson tomorrow." Malik said with a slightly saddened look but grinned as he looked at Pearl. "Come on! Let's go! The sun is starting to go down, so it won't be as hot, and I really want to check out a cave I heard about earlier this week. I promise that you'll like what I heard was inside."
Word Count: 365 | Post #2 |
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Post by arlybarlywartek on Oct 2, 2017 19:12:52 GMT -6
Pearl had to stifle her own laughter from her brother trying to muffle his voice. She inhaled deeply and stared at her brother with a scolding look.
"We're children of the Emperor brother- What did you expect?" She murmured, brushing her nuzzle over his.
The idea of fun was great, she wasn't going to deny that but there were so many rules they had to follow and so many expectations to strive towards.
She looked at the floor, chewing the inside of her cheek in thought....Malik was grinning. Pearl returned her gaze back up to his slowly, squinting with suspicion as he was smiling away... Uh oh.
He was inviting her out. Her perfect two week streak would be spoiled by her brother's excitement and eagerness to go out and explore- It was a passion she shared at least.
Pearl looked behind them then back to the door. She took another deep breath.
"Fine. We can go and explore the cave and as soon as we find the back of the cave- We have to come right back home, okay?" Pearl's ear flopped to the side as her face washed over with worry and fear. She really hoped they wouldn't get grounded as soon as they returned...
Her eyes flicked down to the sword and she squinted once again.
"Wait here!" Pearl spoke up again, trying to keep her voice low. She darted away back into her room with steps as light as a feather.
She came back from the room with a wooden plate.
"Shield." Pearl stated matter of factly, with a blanket draped over her rump too.
Pearl tucked the plate into her blanket that was loosely wrapped around her stomach, carrying it on her side and she began to nudge Malik to get out of the doorway and start heading to this cave. She was curious about what they were going to find. Maybe some more Seroran treasure? Or perhaps a magnificent jewel or carvings? Anything archaeological had Pearl's mind racing with excitement. Oh this was so naughty!
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Post by BlueUnicornJ13 on Oct 3, 2017 17:46:22 GMT -6
Malik | Talori | Tenderfoot
Malik jokingly rolled his eyes at his sister's words- words that had been thrown at him so often that they did little other than make his mood sour. "Oh come on, Pearl. They tell us that like every day, and we've been really good the past few days. I've even been paying attention while Ry talks about all of that boring mumbo-jumbo. We deserve some time to explore." He explained, hoping to win over his sister's hesitation.
His smile didn't waver as he saw her scolding look be replaced by a defeated expression. He grinned wider and chuckled. "Deal. We'll come home as soon as we see what's in that cave." Malik agreed, knowing very well that he wouldn't be able to get Pearl to stay away longer than that especially when they would probably get grounded as soon as they returned anyhow.
His round ears perked up with interest, watching her dart back into her room and return with a blanket tied around her and a wooden plate that she slid under the folds of the fabric. Malik chuckled but nodded his head. After accidentally hitting her with his wooden sword while practicing, she probably wanted to keep around some added protection.
Malik grinned mischievously and quickly pulled open the door. "Let's go." He said excitedly, trotting out the door swiftly but quietly. Pausing just outside, Malik waited patiently for his sister to catch up so that he not to leave her behind. "The cave is just past those hills over there. We can walk around the hills to get to it." The young colt explained, turning to look behind Pearl to make sure no one was following them.
Word Count: 280 | Post #3 |
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Post by arlybarlywartek on Oct 15, 2017 15:45:56 GMT -6
She sucked on the inside of her cheek, blushing when he mentioned how well behaved they had been. "I think I don't have to tell you how frustrating it is when you are right Malik." Pearl whispered, ducking her head with a little smirk forming. She huffed a loose piece of her forelock from her face and followed after her brother out of the door.
Thankfully with the sun setting behind the mountains, the heat wasn't going to blister her skin again like many other days she tried to go out and play or explore with her brother or Seroran friends. Her brother was always especially thoughtful about that, she wasn't sure what she would do without her twin. Pearl closed the door behind her as quietly as she could and bounded forwards with a little buck of excitement. "These caves better be worth it Malik! Lead away!" Her voice was still low, but came across as a strong whisper to him. She grinned, waggling her tail as she did so much like a dog would.
Pearl took the lead, trotting ahead towards the hills and tossing her head back over her shoulder to watch her brother as she left him in the dirt- He'd easily catch up. She wasn't very fast and of course Malik wouldn't let his sister beat him in any race scenario. She tried to stifle her giggles, chewing her cheek this time. As soon as she was far away enough for her voice not to be heard by the adults inside, she called to Malik softly- A little out of breath from trotting. "Do you think we'll find something as amazing as the relic they found? Probably not- But I can always hope for more...Astonishing things!" She beamed again- It was a little too smug now.
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Post by BlueUnicornJ13 on Nov 5, 2017 15:04:15 GMT -6
Malik | Talori | Tenderfoot
Malik shifted his weight back and forth on his hooves as he waited impatiently for his sister to make up her mind. All the while his eyes drifted to interior of the house behind her, watching for any signs of movement. If someone saw them, this little mission would be over before it had even begun, and it wasn't every day that they got opportunities like this to venture outside of civilization. Most of the time they had someone watching them or they were doing their lessons to become 'proper citizens of society' or whatever mumbo-jumbo their tutor decided to call the reason behind their schooling to be.
A playful smile appeared on the young colt's face at his sister's words, and he hopping back further away from the door in excitement, causing his frizzy, often out-of-control forelock to fall in front of one of his eyes. His wooden sword bounced against his side until he came to a steady walk beside his sister. He made sure that he stood between her and the setting sun, making sure that it didn't burn her sensitive skin.
"These caves better be worth it, Malik! Lead away!"
A lopsided smirk pulled up the corners of his lips as his gave Pearl a sideways glance. "Trust me. Once we get to those caves, you'll be thanking me for figuring out about this place."
His fins dragged in the dirt behind him as he lead them toward the hills where the cave would lay just beyond them. Malik had only been out this way once or twice before, but he had heard many stories of the beasts that roamed these lands. If they stayed out for too long, it might be likely that they would find more than just what was inside the cave. Not that they had to worry about that though! It would just add to the adventure if he had to fend off some feral beast and protect his sister. Plus, nothing was worth doing if there wasn't a little danger, right?
As Pearl took off running, Malik let out a giggle and chased after her, his legs moving furiously under him until he was trotting beside her. He stayed there just long enough to cast her a grin before pushing himself faster and faster until they had rounded the hills and could see the dark cavern ahead of them.
Excitement coursed through him as he came to a stop to wait for Pearl to catch up, his sides heaving from the run. His gaze never left the mouth of the cave even as she stopped beside him and began talking. "I heard there's lots of old stuff in there... but I'm not going to tell you exactly what's in there because that would just ruin the surprise." He said, smirking at her as he walked toward the cave.
Post #4 | Word Count: 477 |
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Post by arlybarlywartek on Nov 22, 2017 9:00:46 GMT -6
The shade of Malik’s form he offered against the sun was cooling and as always, comforting. Malik always had her back, just like she had his. Pearl smiled and softly nipped his shoulder.
“Thanking my brother for getting me covered in sweat and sand… Mmmm. Right.” Pearl snorted and rolled her eyes, letting her legs line up with Malik’s stride. Curse Cascade that his legs were longer than her’s. She could only hope that she’d grow up to be the taller sibling in the end.
But back to that race! Yeah- He’d overtaken her. Of course and with that dumb grin too! Pearl stuck her tongue out at her brother and began to slow down as soon as the cave entrance was within her view. She ducked her head as she finally came to brother’s side and gave a small apologetic smile for holding him up.
She could see he was burning with excitement.
“That’s so mean! Do you think I’ll get to keep anything though? I hope so… Seroran culture is so fascinating.” Her words were staggered along with her breathing, Pearl’s nostrils were flaring and she tried to keep them under control but the little race was already enough for her to call quits for the evening.
She had to keep pushing.
This cave was supposed to be worth missing evening lessons.
Pearl swallowed and followed Malik to the opening, eyeing him suspiciously.
“So who’s going first?”
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Post by BlueUnicornJ13 on Jan 28, 2018 19:41:33 GMT -6
Malik | Talori | Tenderfoot
Malik giggled, his hooves kicking up dust with each step further into the wilderness. "Hey! Explorers and discovers have to get sweaty and dirty sometimes if they want to find anything cool." He said, playing nipping at one of his sister's ears. They were so different in so many ways, but Malik couldn't deny that he liked spending time with her.
The striped colt chuckled as Pearl finally caught up with him, giving her a large, crooked smirk. He'd won- of course! As his sister stuck her tongue out at him, he couldn't help but laugh and return the gesture. "Don't be a sore loser, Pearlie! Maybe you'll win one of our races one day." He joked before turning his attention on the more important matter at hand. They had made it to the cave.
Still slightly out of breathe from their race, Malik panted lightly as he stared up at the mouth of the large cave. "Hmmmmm. I don't know. I sure hope we find something that we can keep." He said, his voice quickening with excitement with each passing second.
Casting Pearl an eager grin, Malik raised his wooden sword. "I'll go in first. Follow me." He spoke, his long tail wagging slightly in excitement.
The striped colt walked into the cave, his green eyes scanning the darkening space around them. He turned his head to make sure Pearl was close behind him before turning down a small tunnel just big enough for the two, small foals to walk into. "Come on. Don't worry about it getting darker. Here in a few seconds that'll fix itself." He said, trying not to laugh at how much not knowing anything about this place was probably bothering Pearl.
"One... two...three." Malik counted out loud, taking one step with each number, and after 'three', the tunnel's ceiling was illuminated with a soft, blue light that provided enough light for them to see the path ahead. "Told ya so." Malik said matter-of-factly despite the smirk on his face. "I'm pretty sure they're glowworms. Cool, right?"
The tunnel lead into a large cavern that was lit by the blue glow of the glow-worms hanging from the ceiling. Malik stopping in the center of the cavern and turned toward Pearl. "Are you ready to see what I brought you here to see?" He asked, his eyes dancing with excitement. The young colt trotted toward the far wall and halted. "Look up."
From the top of the cavern wall to where they stood were intricate patterns and figures painted onto the wall. Faded with age, many of the figures were hard to tell what they were meant to be, but others still stood brightly against the dark walls where they were painted on many years ago. "See! It's some kind of ancient paintings. I thought you might like to see some old Seroran stuff."
Word Count: 479 | Post #5 |
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