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Post by tarriedsea on Aug 12, 2019 9:15:12 GMT -6
 The last riddle made him uneasy. Its request was cryptic, but Whit had been in enough fights to suspect what it hungered for. And he didn't like the way it sat gaping for their contribution.
Despite Othala's reassurance, she seemed tense. He pressed closer to her, his side fitting against hers. He heard her words but didn't respond. Although she accepted the risks the moment she stepped into the Flock's community, Whitaker still never wanted to see her in the face of danger.
Whether it was innocent defense of his loved one or a creeping sort of misogyny, he couldn't discern. Though he knew his rank asked him to defend all the individuals here from threat, and he'd do so in a heartbeat. His chest swelled with renewed honor. Seeing Perseus again reminded him of that promise.
Wordlessly, he handed the dagger handle-first to Sonador.
"You start," he said to the red stallion. "Though given the unspecified riddle, I wonder if we all need to contribute. Let's see what it does with your gift alone." |
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Post by data-bull on Aug 12, 2019 10:13:29 GMT -6
Sonador
Nodding in agreement as he felt Whitaker’s teke fall away from the dagger, Sonador took it carefully with his own. It had been some time since he last held a weapon; even the handle felt foreign in his grasp. Because blades were for the brave, and that was something he could never be. Always running away when things got tough, hiding his head in the sand. From Inaria to the Aerie and back again. It was a wonder he’d gotten so far on so little. Surrounded by such young rebels, he wondered if he belonged among them at all.
Turning his head toward Othala, he smiled. “Hopefully, what needs to be done.” The stallion replied. And what I can do, he said to himself.
He wished that would be the end of it, but there was no telling if he was right until he took the plunge. Shifting the blade to the proper angle, he wordlessly slid it across his skin, pushing just hard enough to draw blood. He breathed in sharply but remained focused, lowering himself so it could drip into the lock’s open mouth.
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Post by hawkshadow743 on Aug 12, 2019 11:05:15 GMT -6
Jerusalem || The Flock
With each new lock that shattered, Jerusalem felt a tingling mix of dread and excitement. He had remained quiet, standing at the back of the group and watching in silence as he tried and failed to puzzle out who exactly had left this box for them. It had obviously been crafted by exceptional magic. It knew things about them. Whether or not the box was specific because it had been meant for them or because that was part of its magic he didn't know.
Now he stood, breathless, as he studied the final lock. The riddle chilled him almost as much as seeing Sonador took Whittaker's offered blade and draw it across his own skin. Jerusalem shivered, not in revulsion so much out of horror. What kind of sick being would have invented a lock like this? Requiring the touch of their Blessings could have been construed as confirming that the correct equines had found the box.
On that thought he supposed the same could be said about requiring their blood. But sacrifice? It was colder, crueler and it reminded him of his old herd. He had been as much to blame as any other Talorian. The thought writhed in his stomach like an angry sea snake as he watched the glistening drop of blood turn over in the air, glinting like a ruby as it splashed down into the menacing lip of the newest lock. The world seemed to hold its breath.
Post #4
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2019 5:44:51 GMT -6
The blood drips into the gaping hole. At first, nothing happens. Then, the chest makes a distinct, gurgling sound, almost like a living being. The blood rises to the surface, and drips into the seams around the keyhole. Like tiny, perverse rivers they trickle on, and then. Click.The seams pull apart, and the chest lays open.  And within, lays a single item - a white and blue instrument emitting a soft, ethereal glow. There is a magnificent blue gemstone embedded in it, a gemstone with moving patterns within that remind you of a great and terrible storm. The instrument itself looks to be made of bone, but you don’t know what creature could have yielded such a bone, for the construction seems seamless, with no signs of glue or nails. A single, perfect object, carved from bone. Vafud.A single word echoes through each of your minds, spoken in a gentle, melodic voice. You know, instinctively, that this is the name of the object before you. You also know, with equal confidence, that she has given her allegiance to you and your cause. |
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Post by ThatDenver on Aug 13, 2019 6:00:11 GMT -6
ELIJAH
He stared in wonder as the lock opened. It seemed very easy, just a single touch.
Then he remembered he was wearing someone else’s skin, and rapidly Elijah shed the form of the former Primary. It felt almost sacrilegious to wear Perseus’ form, even if just for a while. He was so well respected and so integral to their cause that even with him not being around anymore, the legacy loomed large.
In a rare moment of thinking, Elijah wondered how the Talori would react to seeing Perseus again. Would it terrify them, even if it was just him pretending to be the Primary? Would the presence of ‘Perseus’ bring confidence to some of those who were unsure about their cause?
Difficult thoughts. Elijah decided to leave the thinking to Jun.
He observed as the remaining locks were opened, and they were confronted with the strange hole of a lock. He would have offered to help, but the others were quick to act, and soon Sonador had offered his own blood to it.
The unnatural gurgling sound made shivers go down his spine, but then, the chest was open.
“She is beautiful”, Elijah said, eyes shining as he looked at the instrument whose name had just echoed within his mind. Elijah wasn’t really sure what she was, or how to play her, but she was beautiful, and she was theirs.
Word count: 230
Post #6
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Post by data-bull on Aug 13, 2019 11:59:46 GMT -6
Sonador
Watching his blood flow across the contours of the box, Sonya tensed, prepared for the worst. But when the aura of unease subsided he was finally able to breathe. As the contents were revealed and her name echoed in his head, the pegasus marveled at their prize. She was like altogether familiar and strange; her detailing resembled waves and the inlayed gemstone seemed to invoke the sea itself. Even her strings seemed to glow with an ethereal blue light. It was as if she’d been touched by the goddess.
She didn’t seem dangerous, at least not to them. Placing Whitaker’s dagger beside him, Sonya raised Vafud reverently in his teke. Feeling the contours of the instrument she seemed able to play well enough. A first, tentative touch confirmed his suspicions. So he ran his teke along the strings, plucking slowly to the tune of an old Talori lullaby. Her notes echoed when she sung, as if accented by some greater power. He played gently, unsure of the weight Vafud’s voice held. Something about it told him that her’s was more than just music.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2019 12:28:33 GMT -6
The instrument strums gently in Sonador’s grasp, her echoed voice making the lullaby somewhat solemn, but sweet. It is a gentle kind of sound, but there is a mourning in it, and as Sonador plays, the instrument seems to tune itself, ever so slightly to his memories and experiences.
Vafug’s voiceless voice, a gentle assurance, echoes in Sonador’s mind.
Now awoken and with her people, she truly sings.
A patch of air in front of you begins shift into drops of water. The drops shift into tiniest gemstones, and vanish again before they hit the ground. The transformations, like a strange rain, follow each other seamlessly and to the rhythm of the music, dancing around you almost joyfully. As the music shifts and progresses, the patch of air shifts around you as well - now here, then there. It is the strangest display.
When the lullaby hit its highest note, the waves of turn to stone, and small gemstones and tiny nuggets of gold bloom from the sand beneath you where tiny blades of grass just stood.
Then, the music stops. She releases the wave, and it is water once more. But the grass of gold and gemstone remain, and you sense that she is pleased with herself.
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Post by ebbarie on Aug 13, 2019 23:54:16 GMT -6
 Othala;Vagabonds | Flock Medic
I don't wanna hurt you, it's not my nature.
The mood of the situation shifted noticeably as Sonadors blood vanished in the last keyhole. Opening the other locks had been exiting and fascinating. That sacrifice however concerned her more than she wanted to admit, especially after she had just reassured Whit that everything would be alright. Now she wasn't too sure about that anymore.
The boxes reaction came promptly, it almost seemed to become alive now that it finally had gotten everything it wanted. Watching the blood rising back to the surface increased the sudden unnerving feeling to a point where she just wanted to throw the chest back into the ocean. For that however it was too late now.
She almost winced as the box suddenly went open with a click. There was no way to say what she really had expected to be in there, but that was definitely not one of the things she had in mind.
An instrument of incredible craftsmanship. Vafud. The voice that echoed through her head was completely foreign, yet it had an undertone to it that was also strangely familiar.
While her thoughts still revolved around the what, why and how, someone else had already taken the initiative.
She knew that lullaby and it brought back feelings that she had been able to suppress in the hectic of the passed weeks and months. That music felt like home, like the village she grew up in. She missed it terribly, home and her family.
The mare turned her head away from the others for the moment and gazed at the sea. Someday. Maybe someday.
Gladly she had not much time to bury herself in the depths of her memories for too long for something strange was going on suddenly. She had to blink a few times to make sure that what she witnessed wasn't just in her imagination.
At first she thought that someone in their group must be an Illusionist, but for that it just felt too real.
"Has anyone of you ever heard of such a magic?" she asked almost awestruck and gently lifted one of the little gemstones with her teke. No this wasn't an illusion.
WC: 357 | Post 5 |
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Post by data-bull on Aug 15, 2019 10:15:35 GMT -6
Sonador
As the song's notes came to their natural end, Sonador's attention was drawn to what Vafud had created. And he shared in her delight.
"I'm not sure," he said, somewhat breathlessly. "But there's no doubt in my mind that it is no ordinary magic. Perhaps even greater than the blessings used to free it."
Surprised as anyone by the instrument's abilities, Sonya lowered her back into the box for safekeeping. His first instinct was to insist they hide their discovery; perhaps that was just a remnant of his training as a spy. Or else his misgivings with the direction of the Flight's mission had concerned him more than he thought. Given their current company however, and Jun's blessing shown on full display, he couldn't very well keep the secret alone. Vafud would be an invaluable asset to their cause, whatever that had become. But he would make a point to keep her close until they reached their Primary. There was no telling what else she was capable of.
"Should we tell the Primary about this?", the pegasus asked. His voice betrayed the uncertainty he felt. Yes, her powers had been peaceful that once. But there was no telling what she might do if used differently. If she fell into the wrong hands, or perhaps even the right ones, that could change very quickly. And that frightened him.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2019 10:46:20 GMT -6
Jun’s heart sang as the instrument was revealed, her name settling to her mind. The music touched her very soul, or so it felt at least. Finally, another step forward.
“I don’t think it’s an ordinary blessing”, Jun added in, more assertive than usual: “I’d only ever heard mere whispers of such a thing, so I couldn’t be sure what it is. I hope it will be revealed to us in time.”
She plucked a gold nugget off the ground, inspecting it. It was solid in her teke; real gold. For a moment she just wanted to clutch it, to hold onto something of that power, but she then gathered what was left on the ground into the small saddlepack under her wing with a bit of an apologetic smile: “I think it’d be worthwhile keeping them, for trading and such.”
Her teal gaze was serious as she looked at Sonador: “I think so. If we can’t trust our Primary, who could we trust? I think in the right hands it could give us a great advantage in our future endeavors. Who’d know better than Primary and the Commanders?”
Word count: 189 | Post 4
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Post by ThatDenver on Aug 15, 2019 11:08:58 GMT -6
ELIJAH
Elijah gasped with delight and amazement when the instrument showed its power. He knew the tune as well, for he had grown up among the Talori, but it was the magic that inspired him, not the tune. Elijah had never seen such power, and it was beautiful.
After Sonador put Vafud back in her box, Elijah walked over to gently tap her with his muzzle, saying: “Thank you.”
He then turned to help Jun gather the gemstones and gold, eager to be useful. He knew such things were very valuable, and also that the Rogues liked everything shiny, so it shouldn’t be hard to exchange them for something that they could use, such as weapons or medicine.
“Of course we should tell the Primary. He’s the Primary,” Elijah says, sounding very confused and almost indignant. To him, the matter was very simple – the Primary was their leader, and should know about everything. Otherwise, he couldn’t do much leading. Besides, Vafud seemed very powerful, and Elijah was sure she could be very useful to them in the future, especially if they chose to try and take Aquore once more.
Word count: 188
Post #7
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Post by data-bull on Aug 16, 2019 22:52:54 GMT -6
Sonador
Not altogether surprised by the reactions to his question, Sonador smiled down at Vafud in silent acquiescence. Whatever wheels had been set in motion by their actions that day, he had no more control over them than he ever did. Casting his gaze across the beach, the pegasus realized that not much time had passed since their discovery. Even though it had felt so long in his mind. There was still work to be done before they could depart; best to get back to it.
"Then we should wrap things up here so we can return to the Aerie as soon as possible.", he said. "Can we agree to keep her out of sight until we arrive? We wouldn't want any Rogues getting the wrong idea."
He chuckled softly, his weak attempt at a joke before retrieving Whitaker's dagger to wipe it off and return it.
"Thank you, for trusting me.", he said, offering the weapon back. The small pain of the cut finally reached his mind as the adrenaline subsided, and Sonya rubbed at it for a moment; his eyes went to Othala.
"And I'm sorry for worrying you." the stallion said apologetically. He had never intended to distress her, and being caught up in the moment was no excuse.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2019 5:48:55 GMT -6
Jun looked up along with Sonador, mostly to see if someone was coming, but was then struck with the same realization that it hadn’t been that long. Somehow time had seemed to warp, so immersed had she been with everything. She felt light, now, lighter than in a long time. She felt like they were finally on their way to the right direction. She wasn’t yet certain what that would entail, but she had pledged herself to this no matter what. She had been scared, once. Okay, maybe more than once. But she felt less scared now.
“I think that would be smart. We could put her in the chest and pack some supplies on top, so it wouldn’t be that obvious even if there were some… nosy rogues around?” she suggested, trying her best to be helpful; back to her more meek style of speaking. She offered a small smile, an effort to lighten the atmosphere.
She made double sure her saddlepack was closed and the gold nuggets were safely in there, but not before taking another quick peek. They were still gold, not transformed back to their old form. She smiled to herself. It would be nice handing them to the Port Commander once home.
Word count: 207 | Post 5
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2019 4:14:28 GMT -6
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