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Post by ebbarie on Mar 2, 2019 7:38:00 GMT -6
- A series of mysterious events -
Fox & Fijalahr
Location: Ambassador Quarters - Study Rooms Time of Day: late morning | The day after the events of chapter 7 plot Portents |
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Post by ebbarie on Mar 2, 2019 8:34:27 GMT -6
 Fijalahr;War-Forged | Ambassador
Even in death may you be triumphant.A chill breeze greeted him as he left the house early in the morning. The nights could still get somewhat cool, even though summer had already arrived. A typical occurrence in regions as far north as Skeldr Town.
Other than usually he did not wear a single accessory, not even his cloak. Ever since his return from Aquore he had always took great care to be dressed properly. Today however he could't bring himself to focus on something that trivial.
His tired eyes focused on the road while his thoughts swirled back to the events of the past day - like they had all night.
He had left the town square in all quietness whilst the others were still completely in awe after the encounter with the Earth Goddess. It took him only a split second of consideration before he picked up the circlet that laid in the dirt before his hooves. What a fool he was. He should have left it behind. He knew better, but the frustrating urge to keep it had been stronger than any rationality.
After starring at it for hours back in his house the stallion had tucked it away in a small box, determined to never open it again.
To remain faithful to that intent, and to distract his mind from that otherworldly encounter, Fijalahr decided to spent the day in his workroom next to the large library that was freely available to all Ambassadors. Maybe the eventful history of Aquore was enough to occupy his mind for some time.
He quickly gathered the required books in the, thankfully, still empty library before he retreated into his work room. Right when he wanted to sit down he was startled by a scratching noise. The Ambassador raised his glance just to find his pygmy gryph hoovering outside the window. She looked almost as tousled as he did. Morwen hadn't returned home after the storm last night, but seemed to be alright.
He opened the window and immediately the moody creature rushed into the room and lunged right at her blanket without greeting him in any way. She often spent her days sleeping, while he was working and so he had arranged her a small sleeping place in the corner of the room.
"Good morning to you as well" he mumbled with a shake of his head before he returned to his books.
WC: 397 | Post 1 |
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Post by tarriedsea on Mar 11, 2019 10:13:46 GMT -6
 Sleep evaded her. Fox spent the night twisting and turning and staring at the ceiling, listening to Lila's soft snores in the corner. She braided her hair then unbraided it. She threw on another blanket then shrugged it off. The circlet sat on her windowsill. Every so often she stared at it, half anticipating it to levitate or glow or do something ethereal. But were she unaware of its origin, it would appear dead- just a tangible object with no life breath of its own.
She knew better.
At some early hour her senses fluttered with the reverberations of hoofbeats and the thump of a heavy door on the floor below. She yawned. Sun glow began to poke through her window as if the storm yesterday was a dream. If the world was waking up, she wouldn't fight it. Might as well get something done. Perhaps her mind would allow a nap later.
She grabbed an apple off her desk and clucked to Lila, who squeak-yawned and shook her mass of white fur. Fox would try to get some reading done before the rest of the Fortress stirred. Fiji had wanted her to read some ancient book on war strategy- it was dry and seemed so irrelevant to their job, but he insisted there were some valuable diplomatic tenets in there. She wanted to ruminate more on the strange occurrences yesterday, but she had tried that all night to no avail, and it wasn't like her work could be put on pause until she figured all that out.
She stepped quietly down the stone stairs to her study room below. Fiji's door was closed but not latched all the way, a sliver of light gleaming through. Fox paused and her nerves stirred. After witnessing Fiji's downright odd actions yesterday, she wasn't entirely confident to see him.
She had seen his circlet- saw the way Kaia looked at him- saw the way he hypnotized the injured child into compliance- and realized there was a lot about him she didn't know. Was it too early to prod his mind? She suddenly didn't care.
She took a deep breath and opened his door, the creaking of old wood enough to announce her entrance. Lila rushed past her and jumped up on Fiji's legs, panting happily.
"Stone beneath your hooves, Fijalahr," she greeted him. "Didn't expect to see you here so early."
The tension of unspoken questions lingered in the air. The events yesterday begged to be talked about but Fox was hesitant to charge too quickly into a discussion Fiji might not like. Kaia had stiffened toward him. He had accepted his charred circlet with resignation instead of surprise, and that meant he knew something. |
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Post by ebbarie on Mar 11, 2019 13:28:14 GMT -6
Fijalahr;War-Forged | Ambassador
Even in death may you be triumphant.
The more he tried to focus on the dark marks written on the pages, the blurrier became the words before his eyes. Too many sleepless nights paired with his own internal unrest ruined the attempt to create some distraction for his troubled mind.
His gaze wandered to the small window. The sun was already shining, it promised to become a nice day. Maybe he should give up work for today. Perhaps some fresh air and exercise could help to clear his head for a while.
Right when he decided to close the book the creaking of wood attracted his attention. The stallion turned his head towards the door just in time to see a whirlwind of white fur leaping towards him. "Good morning Lila" he laughed and picked up one of the dried meat stripes he kept in his room as treat for Morwen with his Teke and gave it to the dog. He did it because he actually liked Fox's familiar, the dog was so much more sweetly than his moody gryph, a nice change. On the other hand he bought himself enough time to make sure that he could maintain a friendly smile. Usually the competent mare was good and welcome company, today however he really had hoped not to see her. She was smart, one look at her face told him that she definitely had noticed the tension between him and the goddess. Of course. The questions she wanted to ask were clearly written on her face. She was just too polite to ask them right away.
"Stone beneath your hooves, Fox" he replied friendly and slightly dipped his head. Fijalahr bought himself another moment of time, by throwing another meat strip to the by now awake gryph, to consider which information he was willing to share with her. Which he could share, without her being horrified. Realizing the truth had left a deep scar on his soul, he needed to be careful to not scare her off. They didn't knew each other well or long enough for him to reasonably expect her to believe any of his words.
"I hoped the books could distract me a little from yesterday. That was...intense, huh?" he asked with his smile slowly fading. "Again I want to apologize again for pushing you away. I hope you didn't get hurt? I left without making sure you are alright, pardon me." He was not eager for the conversation to come, yet his words resonated the still permission to her to ask her questions.
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WC: 421 | Post 2 |
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Post by tarriedsea on Mar 25, 2019 9:16:08 GMT -6
Fox laughed lightly. "Intense is one word for it." She was glad he was the one to reference yesterday first. He opened the conversation. He had made the first move. This was going well.
"No injuries at all, I'm grateful for your interference. Sometimes I get so lost in my own little world that I lose track of my surroundings." She laughed again, shaking her mane. "I'm sure I'd be bearing more dust & scars today had you not intervened."
That was what made Fiji different from the Raiders & Scouts she knew- none of them would hesitate to protect a mare in the face of danger, but few had the sensitivity to apologize for it the next day. Most would probably boast for their prowess.
She glanced at his bookshelves, not really looking at them but not looking Fiji in the eye. Her approach had to be strategic to not make him feel threatened. Noticing his cold hearth, she moved away from the door and began lining up kindling on the ashes of previous fires. Regardless of the weather outside, the Fortress's stone walls always radiated a chill that never seemed to dissipate even in the warmest months.
She didn't ask if he wanted a fire- but she didn't plan on leaving soon, and wanted the warmth of flame to shadow their conversation. Probably to prevent total silence between them. Probably for her comfort more than anything. Her heart raced in her chest.
She didn't fear the stallion- she never had reason to feel afraid of the innermost parts of his mind. But something tickled her spine. Something felt heavy and repressed.
"What do you make of the events yesterday, Fijalahr?" She avoided looking at him and grabbed the flint off his shelf, sparking the small sticks with crackles & pops. |
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Post by ebbarie on Mar 31, 2019 9:13:39 GMT -6
Fijalahr;War-Forged | Ambassador
Even in death may you be triumphant.
Despite the tension he felt in anticipation of the conversation he suspected to follow soon, Fox's infections laughter made him smile as well.
"That's good to hear. It's almost a miracle that no one besides that poor filly got hurt yesterday." He shook his head at the thought of what could have happened there. They all had been incredibly lucky.
How many other's wouldn't have that much luck in future event's? A question that scared him as well as strengthened his belief in the decision he had made months ago.
Thoughtfully he watched the mare igniting a fire in the room's hearth and his brows furrowed for a moment before his expression relaxed again. Apparently his presumption was correct - this would be a longer conversation.
When she asked her question he couldn't suppress a dry snort. "I guess you are not hinting at the obvious fact that it is absolutely beyond comprehension to suddenly and unexpectedly stand in the mere presence of a god, huh?" he asked and looked directly at her. No, she didn't came here to discuss the apparent.
"It's hard to describe such a situation...it was..overwhelming. Terrible and beautiful all together. And I'm more than worried. If you saw what I saw, then you noticed that Kaia didn't intended to be here. The world's balance has shifted, like she said, and it seems like it's affecting the old gods."
He watched her reaction to his words closely to estimate what he should tell her and over what he'd rather held his tongue for now.
Yes the balance was lost, and he knew exactly (or at least had a good guess) why.
Fijalahr tilted his head slightly and looked at her forehead. "You are not wearing her circlet...why?" he asked bluntly.
WC: 294 | Post 3 |
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Post by tarriedsea on May 20, 2019 9:57:32 GMT -6
Suddenly feeling the nakedness of her brow, her eyes widened. "Should I be wearing it? It feels too sacred right now to parade around. But perhaps I'm being too cautious."
She met his gaze then, chewing the inside of her lip. Ought she bring up the irony of the question, considering Fiji wasn't wearing his? If the blackened thing was even wearable.
She'd wait.
Content with Fiji's snacks, Lila flopped down in front of the hearth not unlike a shag rug. Fox ruffled her teke into the dog's fur, scratching all the itchy spots. Lila's hind leg bounced happily.
Fox laid down, folding her legs under her, and stared into the flames before speaking again. She mulled over his words. He was playing it very cool for someone who met a god and received a broken gift.
"The world's balance has shifted."
"It's affecting the old gods."
"old gods."
A peculiar phrasing.
"Calling them 'old gods' would imply there are new gods," she laughed. "Or a new cosmic force to shake them from their mountaintops. Which is silly, isn't it." It wasn't a question- she just wanted to test his reaction. What this had to do with Fiji's circlet or hidden knowledge she had no idea, but gentle prodding was her best way to open up the stallion. He knew something. |
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Post by ebbarie on May 21, 2019 13:49:03 GMT -6
Fijalahr;War-Forged | Ambassador
Even in death may you be triumphant.
It was interesting to watch her reaction to his question mindfully, not so much the words, but her expression, for it told him more than language ever could. It was clear that Fox was still trying to find some sense in the events of the day before and what he'd just told her.
From her eyes he could tell that she demanded answers. And answers she should get. The only reason why he hadn't told anyone about his connection to Digend yet was that here hadn't been any reason for it so far. It was no secret he tried to keep at any price, however it also was nothing that he'd freely tell anyone.
"I don't know. Is it too sacred? Maybe. In my opinion that depends entirely on you. That object holds no power or meaning unless you give it to it." With a shrug of his shoulders he turned away from the desk and walked a few steps to the nearby window. He would have acted just like her until only a few months ago. Meeting his patron in flesh and blood, and even receiving a gift from her, would have been an incomparable honor and joy. Today however it had left him with a sinking feeling in his stomach and more questions than he liked to have.
For some time after she spoke again the dark stallion remained silent, simply watching the birds circling around the nest they had build in the pine tree under his window. What was the best way to introduce someone to such an sensitive topic? Was there even a "good" way to do so?
Eventually he looked back at her, searching for eye contact. "We are not close friends but you know me long enough to know that I'm a rather reasonable person, or at least that's how I hope that others see me. Therefore I ask you to listen to my words objectively, if you can." That was all he could ask for.
The stallion took in a deep breath to sort his thoughts before he spoke. "You have noticed how strangely Kaia acted yesterday when she saw me. That was not a coincidence." Another deep breath and a moment of hesitation before he continued.
"Shortly after my return from Aquore I had to face a painful truth. We pray to our patrons, we look up to them. In bad times we seek their wisdom and guidance and in the good times we thank them for a good harvest and the peace we have. We do that because that's what we have done since the very first equines walked this lands, and for the most time we flourished. Even after the corruption of Ignacio we still prayed to them and mourned about their self-imposed distance towards us."
A blink. Another. A sadness that slowly spreads across his face.
"I prayed to Kaia ever since I was old enough to speak and my faith in her or the rest of the pantheon was never shaken until I visited the Talorians. When the terrorists came and bombarded the city I prayed. No one answered me. I saw horses using their god-given blessings to hurt, to kill each other. I saw so much fury and grief unleashed, and for what? Because for hundreds of years they celebrated a ceremony twice a year in which an innocent Pegasus was chosen, their wings brutally removed and then thrown off a cliff to be reborn in Cascades image. Neither Alya nor Cascade ever did something to stop them."
The traumatic memories brought back emotions he had carefully locked-away months ago. "I don't dare to suspect if they simply didn't noticed what was going on, or if it simply didn't mattered to them. It doesn't really matter. Their distant influence is harmful for all mortals. They are just close enough to keep us praying, we yearn for their attention and guidance, but too far away to actually know us, or know what we need. They frankly give away blessings without realizing how much harm can be done with them." He had experienced both sides. Strangers had tried to harm him, just as much as his necromancy had hurt the feelings of that mare, when he used the dead Defenders body to buy them time. Or how much Argus blessing had hurt him once the magical barriers of Torrine had fallen. Hearing the thoughts of thousands of people in completely mortal terror.
A small but noticeable trembling remained the only externally visible sign of the turmoil inside him once he started to fight off the emotions again. Although these events had happen so many months ago he still hadn't really worked it through. Right now however wasn't a good moment to do so either. "It took me a while but in the end I made a difficult decision. I think the gods still do care about us, but they are so distance from our lives that their intervention is more harmful than good. You called the thought of a new cosmic force silly, but the truth is that it isn't. At my lowest point I found something that wanted the same as I do. Progress, in which we learn to live our lives independent from their immortal influence. I know that it is hard to believe, but another god has arisen. She has always been here, although too weak to be heard. Her name, is Digend."
WC: 903 | Post 4 |
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Post by tarriedsea on May 31, 2019 18:47:04 GMT -6
The way he opened the conversation sent a shiver down her spine- not of fear or malice, but because it confirmed her suspicions. She’d try her best to be objective.
But the intent slowly fizzled away the more he spoke.
Talori had never been a blip on her conscience- she had learned more about it from her brief time with Fiji than in her entire prior life. To be honest, she had always envisioned it as a loose alliance of tropical inhabitants- rogues and citizens alike. Their climate, culture, and landscape felt so foreign that they seemed fantastical. Until recently no one knew what exactly the coastal herd was like, and even hearing about the civilization from Fiji was hard to believe.
Her first instinct was rolling anger and she wanted nothing more than to interrupt him, to shout and stamp her feet and claim that he was just wrong. How anyone could treat divinity with such arrogance and flippancy? How could he decide to just turn his back on them?
How could he go so quickly in her perception from a man of honor to betrayal?
A thousand thoughts flooded her mind. Fiji’s experiences were valid, of course, and she didn’t dare try to empathize with them- her cushy existence, even in the ragged Skeldr locale, was nothing compared to his grief. And his choice to disregard the pantheon wasn’t actually betrayal- it meant nothing personally or politically. But it felt like a cold dagger to her heart.
To propose a new god- one previously unseen- bordered on heretical. What about his upbringing? What about the ways he had seen Kaia do good? What about meeting her? Could someone come face-to-face with a god and say ‘no thank you’?
She stared into the fire, blinking back tears that popped up despite her best efforts. Her whole life revolved around the truth of Kaia’s provision- even when she doubted the goddess’s sovereignty, Kaia was always the North Star, the thing she was destined to return to.
“How did you learn about Digend,” she asked finally, flat and cold. A thousand more questions pressed the back of her throat- how and why, why why why. She blinked the wetness in her eyes back furiously, avoiding eye contact. She wouldn’t accept this. He was wrong.
Despite the fire, her body shivered. |
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