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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2019 0:54:38 GMT -6
Hello Starborn, and welcome to Vagabond Plot 806: And Then There Was One  Team Leader: Lilliana Participants: Vigdis, Tulio, Asrai, Shep, Elenna, Madden, Emelisse Please keep the following in mind!- Posts must be a minimum of 175 words. There is no maximum!- No strict order is enforced, but there must be at least two posts between your own character's.- No god-moding or reading characters' minds (unless your pony is a literal telepath, anyway)
- Always get consent before harming another character!- Your team is precious. Try to interact with everyone. <3- Have fun! Even if your pony isn't. 8'D
Prompt: The Silverpine holds many mysteries, it seems. Whether the wood provides safety or danger is undetermined, yet many travelers seek out the constant mist and the comforting presence of the seemingly age-old wood. The missionaries were guided here by the gentle yet ever-present will of their God. The others are here by happenstance, or perhaps curiosity. Some might even have followed the missionaries here in hopes of learning of their intentions. Whatever the reason, you find yourselves here, in a small clearing in the midst of the Silverpine, even as that ever-present fog hangs in the air like a cloak smothering a flame. Date: October 5th Time of Day: Afternoon, not that you can really tell Weather: Extremely foggy Location: Deep in the Silverpine Forest, Onea Your leader is posted!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2019 0:02:26 GMT -6
The woods were dark. Lilliana wasn’t quite sure how long they walked nor did she care. The fog whirling around her made it almost impossible to tell where they were going so they walked slowly, deliberatly. It might have been eerie, lost in these endless woods, but Lilly had trust so she was calm, soothed by the blanket of mist.
After much walking and loosing track of both time and place, she arrived at a clearing. A little place cut out between the trees. Quite unexpectedly they stepped into the open, now surrounded with fog all around instead of fog and trees. A burst of anticipation coursed through her and she smiled as the feeling also filled the air around her. Whatever the purpose here was where she was ment to come. She marveled slightly at how this had all come to be. At how they were truely guided now, how they received help like never before. She took a deep breath, revelling in it as they waited, wondering if more would arrive like last time they were called some places. Ears turning, she’d have to wait and see what would come.
Post 1 | 192 words
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Post by hydrus101 on Jul 5, 2019 21:28:14 GMT -6
 A S R A I• Vagabond | Hedgewitch •
“I don’t care what it takes, I am going to do what I know is right.
The fog clung to Asrai’s feathers as though it were thousands of tiny, stifling weights. It had rolled in out of nowhere. Moments before it had been sunny, warm even, but now all Asrai knew was this suffocating dampness.
He had been out in the forests surrounding their home looking for the berries and plants he wanted to incorporate into a new balm when the fog came. He stumbled through the thickets until his sense of direction was so backwards that he couldn’t tell right from left or up from down.
He was terrified and despite himself, he began to cry. Soft sobs wracked his frail body and his spindly legs trembled.
He began to take a step forward, but hesitated. Maybe he should go left? No, back. No, forward. No right. No. No. No. No.
Desperate, Asrai spread his wings to their full extent and flapped them vigorously in a vain attempt to clear the fog. He just needed enough visibility that he could get his bearings, just enough to see. In the end, his actions didn’t clear the fog at all, just agitated it and made his presence all the clearer to anyone who might’ve been watching him. The little hedgewitch was too disoriented and scared to even consider that fact and kept beating his wings, flapping about like a wounded baby bird moments from death at the hands of a silent predator.
WC: 235
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Post by TinyMinou on Jul 6, 2019 4:00:20 GMT -6
Vigdis
Vagabond - Outcast
Note: Vigdis is mute. She speaks through sign language.
... ...
With a cloak covering most parts of her body, she walked through the forest with her head low seeking for herbs. Yue had been teaching her about being a hedgewitch and usually stays with her. But for today she wanted to go out alone. It hurt the kirin that she felt so afraid to be alone, so she wanted to overstep her boundaries today by seeking and learning of medical herbs on her own.
But the day didn't go as planned. Thick fog creeped up on her out of the blue. Her light blue eyes shooting across the area around her. She could see nothing, only fog.
Afraid to lose the way, she didn't move an inch. she didn't know these woods very well, so getting lost was an option she rather not take.
With unnease creeping up on her, she kept looking around to find a way out of the fog but nothing seemed to be there.
She could not scream for help. The only thing she could do was wait here till the fog leaves.
Until she heard the crying of a child. With a soft breath of relieve, she started to gallop towards it. She was wary of strangers due to unpleasant events from the past, but a child could do her no harm.
A small pegasus flapping their wings all about while sobbing is what she found.
Not knowing how to handle the situation, she slowly approached the child with her head low. She was not the only one stuck in this forsaken fog apparently.
While standing infront of the child, she softly stomped her right front hoof, trying to alert the child of her presence. While she didn't know how to make clear to him that she was no threat but rather also stuck in this fog, she hoped she doesn't scare him.
... ... Word Count: 308 Post #1 |
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Post by seechem on Jul 6, 2019 5:45:53 GMT -6
M A D D E N
a Mercenary of the Vagabond
'blood like rust on swords i knew, chests and hearts from lovers too'
......
The heat, the sand, the war. It was all wearing Madden down to a husk. Nero had departed a few days ago on an assignment, leaving Madden to watch over the kid. They were silent and brooding, and Madden was loosing his cool. All he wanted, all he craved, was escape. The vagabond blood that thundered through his veins screamed against the stationary life he had found himself in and compelled him to action. Leaving Virgil with to their aunt's care, Madden managed to find his way out of the Oasis and out into the wilderness of Sedo. The look she had given him followed him as he increased the distance between him and the Oasis.
He may have promised to be back soon, but something on the wind was calling him. Night after night he roamed, desperate to see something green after seeing only seas of red sand for months. Some days he caught himself galloping across the dunes as though spurred by a wildness he hadn't felt in years and it exhilarated and terrified him in equal measures. Whenever he stopped he attended to his weapons, polishing them in the bright moon of the desert night and looking northward towards the source of the pull he felt.
But something was wrong, as one morning he woke to find soft grass beneath him rather than scratchy sand. His red eyes shot open and he crouched into a defensive position immediately. Scanning around he was startled to see that instead of rolling dunes and sky, there was only thick grey swirls of fog. His teke flickered against the density, casting the red glow around him eerily, but illuminating nothing that could tell him where he was. "What in Ignacio's-" he caught himself and hissed in further frustration as he raised his throwing knives carefully and began to move.
The fog felt heavy as he stepped through it, as though he was walking through something with mass and weight. It pulled along his legs and neck, and he had to check his every nerve to not take off running into the wispy greyness that surrounded him.
"Hello?" He asked, with a low growl to his tone. His eyes shot left and right as every muscle in his body tensed and he crept forward. Then, drifting as though it were an echo, he heard crying and whimpering. It sounded like it was coming from all around him. The air smelt less and less like Sedo in that moment, and for a dreadful heartbeat he wondered whether he was hearing Virgil's cries. "Verge?" He half whispered. Bitterly, he stopped, trying to focus on what was happening, but the thick veil that cloaked him was throwing off his sense of direction and utterly overwhelming him. "Crap."
He held two knives aloft as he broke into a tentative trot, desperate to keep moving in one direction just so he could escape the cloying air that threatened to smother him. He could hear galloping, and half jumped as a shadow moved in the mist. He almost launched a knife, but instead faced towards where the shape had been and carefully moved away from it. "Where the hell is this?" He snarled in a low voice. He could even here the pawing of hooves, chorusing all around him and he bore his teeth fiercely as he kept moving. Then, as though the mist had decided to throw a new obstacle at him, it thinned for a moment. Trees, endless tress in every direction except one. A forest. Not possible. Madden tensed all over and moved stealthily towards the one direction that seemed to have less trees. But instead of trees, there was a figure with wings, long ears and their back to him. He grimaced as he carefully, and quietly approached.
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Post by Waterdrup on Jul 8, 2019 5:53:08 GMT -6
Emelisse | Missionary
Although Emelisse had only recently become a Missionary, her interest in Digend had been present for years. When the blond pony started to feel the gentle pull, guiding her steps, she eagerly and rather blindly followed it. Traveling from the comfort of Sirith, into the woods up north. The Vagabond was no stranger to the Silverpine Forest, but she didn’t like to be in Onea. It brought back memories she’d rather forget. This time Emelisse hadn’t been traveling alone though, or at least not until just a moment ago. The heavy fog that had closed in around her created a blanket of cool twilight and silence, bleaching the flora into a silver grey. Emelisse glanced at her feet, she could still see the dirt ground, she could still see at least some trees close by. She blinked her violet eyes, circled by dark shadows from a lack of sleep. Was she still in the real world? The little bard took a deep breath, letting the cold air fill her lungs. “Tulio?” She asked, her voice high in the hopes it would carry further. How in the hells had she lost sight of a giant Shire? Emelisse paused and looked around for her friend. Her sparkling teke started to absentmindedly pluck at the strings of her mandolin, sending lonely and eerie tunes into the fog. She wasn’t too worried, but still felt relief as she saw a large shadow between the trees. She started to approach, figuring it had be Tulio.
Wordcount 250 | Post #1 |
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Post by Svantanon on Jul 8, 2019 12:13:12 GMT -6
Shep | OutcastPost 1 | WC 639
He did not like this.
He did not like any of this.
~~~
Shep didn’t ask for much out of his new life. He’d given up on stability a long time ago but had endeavored to make his lifestyle a relatively peaceful and uneventful one. He picked up odd jobs, used it to buy food and a bed for the night, and on particularly bad weeks lived off whatever wilderness was nearby and camped out in the absolute safest cave he could find. It wasn’t always pleasant—his way of doing things—but it was predictable in its own way, and it was how he preferred it. Sure, there were moments when he pondered over greater things, but…
… He wasn’t… he didn’t think those were quite… possible. Right now. There was work to be done before he could even think of such things. Mostly on himself.
So, he made-do with what he had.
He settled—only in the meantime—for a safe, if not insufferably dull, living. ~~~
Inexplicably getting himself lost in the middle of goddamn nowhere did not factor into this.
The mist was so thick he could almost choke on it. The woodlands were unfamiliar to him and the entire forest emanated an ominous feeling, the sort that weighed on your chest and taunted and dared you to lose all sense of reason and give in to panic. Shep frantically pulled out his map, checking, double-checking his steps and the road he’d been taking. No, this was… he was supposed to have hit the town by now! Was this stupid map drawn wrong? No, that couldn’t be it, it had never failed him before but—
The sound of a young equine crying pulled him out of it. Oh, gods, a child was here? Okay. Okay. Find the kid, first, panic later.
Placing the map away, he fixed his pelt more tightly around himself and… pushed through the fog.
This clearing was no different from the forest— with the visibility being just as sh-tty as before—but through the mist he could now see at least a couple figures standing not too far from him. The kirin snorted, unsure whether he should call out just yet, relief at seeing fellow equines battling against his paranoia over bandits. But then again, that was stupid, right? Because one of them was a child, and the other figure must obviously be their parent and…
“… Asrai?!”
He had met the timid colt not too long ago. Asrai’s rabid owl had attacked Shep while he was passing by, and the poor thing felt so bad about the incident that he’d invited a total stranger in for some tea. Amiable conversation led to Shep offering to help the boy out around the home in return for his hospitality, getting some repairs done and tending to Asrai’s garden. It had been one of the few times that the kirin had been treated with such kindness, and it had meant a great deal to him. Of course he'd had to help.
… But… what was he doing here, then? So far from home? From his mother??? Because this equine, another kirin like himself, certainly held no relation to Asrai.
“How did you end up here? What happened?” he continued as he finally made his way to the group, glancing between the two of them and forcing himself to relax. Asrai didn’t seem hurt, and the kirin didn’t seem to be a kidnapper of some sort, so there was no point in getting all bristly. It was… admittedly nice to see another of his kind.
...He didn’t like the feel of this place at all. They needed to get out of here.
“Are you two alright?”
Wait.
Voices…
… Oh, sh-t, were there more people here? Shep tensed, bracing for the worst as he always did. |
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Post by hydrus101 on Jul 8, 2019 17:21:53 GMT -6
A S R A I• Vagabond | Hedgewitch •
“I don’t care what it takes, I am going to do what I know is right.
The muffled stomp of a hoof drew Asrai’s attention from his wild flapping. Whirling around, the boy completely missed the figure in the mist on his first pass. It was only when he turned around for the third time that he actually saw her standing there in the fog.
On pure instinct, the feathers on his neck puffed out, and his wings curled overhead like an owl’s, giving the tiny teen the appearance of a particularly ruffled cat.
When the figure, a kirin, he supposed, by the antlers jutting from her head, didn’t move to attack, Asrai slowly lowered his guard.
“H-Hello?” He managed the stutter out, tentatively lowering his wings to his sides.
Before he’d been able to move any closer, another set of hooves broke the silence, punctuated with an incredulous shout that echoed out across the clearing.
Starting to feel dizzy from all this spinning, Asrai turned once more and caught a familiar figure coming out of the mist in the corner of his eye.
Without a second thought, Asrai bolted towards the figure with a cry of “Shep!” before neatly tucking himself against the older kirin’s side.
In truth, he didn’t know the kirin all that well, but even Asrai knew that the company of a familiar face was safer than that of a stranger’s.
“I...I don’t know, I was just...I was just at home,” he explained, stumbling through his words, clearly shaken up, “but then I was here. I don’t know what happened. I... I am okay, though, I think.”
For just a moment, Asrai looked back towards the other kirin. She looked just as confused as he did and she wasn’t nearly as scary as he’d first thought.
He smiled at her nervously and began to speak when Shep suddenly braced, causing Asrai to drop into a protective crouch behind him. Were there even more people in these woods?
Without so much as a second thought, Asrai sent up a prayer to Argus, a desperate plea to protect him from whatever it was that would come out of those woods. Hopefully they could still see him, even through all of this mist.
WC: 361
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Post by SagaWolf on Jul 9, 2019 19:36:19 GMT -6
Tulio
Vagabond Bard
......
Emelisse was company that Tulio always welcomed by his side, a friend and fellow Bard, someone to share stories and songs with, and to bounce musical ideas off of. They made for a good pair of performers as people seemed equally amused by the height difference and entertained by their skills. But the height sometimes brought it's own set of troubles with it, like right now, as an incredibly thick fog had rolled in and swallowed Tulio's little companion entirely. He hadn't noticed at first, far too focused on the fog, trying to clear it with a few flaps of his wing, hat held tightly with his teke. The white fog did swirl and dance, but it did not relent it's grip on his senses.
A child cried somewhere in the distance and Tulio spun about, ears pricked. Hooves thundered somewhere just out of sight, and he was certain shadows jumped around out there, playing tricks with his eyes.
"Erh, Emmy? Perhaps we need to pick up the pace, " he mumbled low, then frowned when his companion did not reply. "Em? " Tulio called out, barely above a whisper as his throat tightened with worry. This was not right, this was very, very far from right, but just a freaky thick fog, nothing to actually worry about. No, it was what lurked in the fog that was worrisome.
He heard voices and a few eerie notes floating on the still air and then his name, which had him pick up his hooves and move. "Emelisse! " he called back, and in the fog saw a silhouette take shape, though much too tall to be Em. And it had wings, something Em most certainly did not.
It was Lilliana Tulio had spotted and who became much clearer once he suddenly broke through the fog, and found himself in a clearing.
"What in the world... " Tulio muttered, keeping his distance to the stranger, not because she looked to be any sort of threat, but because this whole experience was making his skin crawl. "Em! There's a clearing here, follow my voice! " he called out, using those impressive lungs to project his voice and hopefully guide his companion. Only afer did he give Lilliana a strained smile and an awkward: "Hello. Quite and unexpected way to meet, eh? "
......
  
Word Count: 384
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Post by celesaiira on Jul 10, 2019 12:26:00 GMT -6
Elenna Vagabond Peddler
Wandering through the Silverpine alone was certainly not one of the smartest things Elenna had ever done in her life, and yet there was little she could do to change it. Storms had given her little choice but to veer off flying above the road, avoiding the strong wind by flying low above the trees until it grew so misty she was forced to land. The fog was thicker than any she'd encountered before, and from the ground it was nigh on impossible to maintain a solid sense of direction.
It was her own fault, she supposed, although the realisation did little to give her any peace. She'd been adamant on flying, determined not to waste precious time by walking like a common horse. The winds had grown so rough and it had frightened even her, stubborn as she was, forcing her to circumvent from the road, and she'd never considered that she'd be forced to land just to avoid flying into the trees. Bloody fool, she muttered to herself angrily, trying to make any sense of the direction.
The lack of sight was a discomfort, and Elenna crept through the woods as silently as possible, listening out for any foes. On her back her fox, Fae, sat with her ears pricked, listening in every direction for a change. The woods would have been calming under normal circumstances, with the thick mist and graceful trees providing a relaxing backdrop as she wandered, but here, with no knowledge of the area or its dangers, it was a threat. The woods were impossible to navigate, even as she tried to make her way back to the main road, and it felt like she was wandering round in the same circle endlessly.
Until she wasn't, and she grinned with anticipation as the path seemed to move into a clearing, finally free of the suffocating rows of trees. Thank God, she thought, believing that she'd somehow managed to work her way back to the main road. Yet still there was nothing but the cold touch of the swirling fog, and the distinct feeling that she wasn't alone, with little ability to see beyond the fog. Elenna tensed, hoping that whatever was out there was either no threat, or easily subdued. She stood, prepared to defend herself if needed.
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Post by Waterdrup on Jul 11, 2019 11:20:14 GMT -6
Emelisse | Missionary
The shadow turned out to be just more trees and so the relief was replaced by a pinprick of unease and annoyance. Emelisse paused again, though she could tell she had not yet reached her destination. She thought she heard Tulio call out for her and she pressed hard against the snares, ending the tune abruptly. She swiveled her ears back and forth, picking up distant voices, crying. There were definitely more horses in these woods. The small pony raised her eyebrows in surprise, her mind trying to fit the puzzle pieces together. Slowly, her hooves started to take small steps again and Emelisse pulled the hood of her cloak over her horns. The fog was unnatural, she concluded, as was her intent to keep moving. Each step made her more sure this was Digend’s doing and she wondered if the others had gathered by the gods will. It was a strangely reassuring thought. Em! There's a clearing here, follow my voice! The booming sound of Tulio’s full volume slammed through the fog easily and Emelisse grinned to herself. There could be thieves or Raiders out here for all they knew and she did not reply, though she appreciated his call. She pushed her tired legs into a quicker pace, eager to reconvene with her friend. The fog started to thin noticeably and when a horseback came into her view Emelisse slowed and narrowed her eyes. This was not Tulio. She quickly concluded this, noticing the lack of wings and the apricot coat. She did not, however, notice the knives. Emelisse cocked her head, plastered her best I-am-an-innocent-child smile on her face and trotted up to the stranger. “Hello there.” She greeted in a high pitched, sing song voice. “Taking a walk?” She asked light-heartedly.
Wordcount 287 | Post #2 |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2019 13:26:40 GMT -6
One by one, you arrive. From all corners of Hireath, dragged towards the clearing by unforeseen forces. The clearing, innocuous and even pleasant after the thick woods surrounding it in every direction, has an air of destiny to it. You were always going to end up here. Right here. No matter what paths you walked, what measures you took, the roads and footpaths bent themselves to lead you here. Circles, circles you walked, until you accepted the call. And now here you are. As you get your bearings and eye your new, foggy surroundings, you take stock of those who are here with you. Off in the fog, you see another shape. Tall and regal, slides in towards you. Another wandering soul as lost as you are? The figure draws closer and you realize that they are tall – much taller than any equine you have ever met. They do not walk; they glide, a near serpentine body trailing after them as if in water. You catch a glimpse of iridescent scale and a coral crown as the figure stops on the clearings edge, opposite from you. A soft rain falls, and with it, the figure fades out of existence, as if melted by raindrops. At the very same time, the ground beneath you dips. There is the unmistakable sound of water, and as you try to ascertain the direction of the sound, your legs feel wet. Far too wet for just rain. You look down and find yourselves knee deep in murky water. It is rising still, until the smallest among you are covered to your sides. The ground beneath is muddy, your legs heavy to lift. Looking up, the forest seems to have become more spacious. The Silverpine stubbornly stick out of the water, but the distances between each tree have grown wider. Everywhere around you the murky, swampy water has covered the forest floor. But there is an elevated path, about 200 feet from where you are. You can tell by the trees – only their very roots are covered. You know you must make it there. Thanks to Denver for the writing! |
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Post by seechem on Jul 12, 2019 13:58:03 GMT -6
M A D D E N
a Mercenary of the Vagabond
'blood like rust on swords i knew, chests and hearts from lovers too'
......
He sensed something moving behind him, but was not prepared for high pitched voice, "Hello there." Madden's body tensed and he swung around just as the voice continued, "Taking a walk?" He angled one throwing knife under the small, champagne mare's jaw.
"Who are you?" He snarled, the knife moving forward as another hovered in the air beside Madden's head. Her light-hearted tone made him think she knew something he didn't and he used his height advantage to tower over her a little more prominently, "And where is this?" he hissed.
But suddenly he felt something. Like an icy shiver up his spine that suggested far more danger than this little mare. He dared to look off into the fog, and nearly balked at the tall, elegant shape that was moving closer and closer. Madden's red eyes flashed in alarm, and he backed away from the mare a little to better focus on this newcomer. The fog shifted to reveal an immense equine who almost floated towards them. The strawberry roan lowered his head, his knives poised for any sudden movement as he braced. The rest of the mysterious equine's body moved fluidly, as though submerged, and the light caught on the sparkling scales that adorned it. Suddenly, it stopped. It stood across from him and Madden briefly looked to the small mare by his side, before looking back up at the mysterious figure.
Madden could feel his heart pounding in his chest when something cold hit his back. Soft drops pattered across his back, and dripped into his eyes, and the equine before him seemed to dissolve into the air. "The hell-" Madden growled moving to take a step forward when he felt a drag on his legs. His eyes shot down to see the ground beginning to become submerged in water. He could feel the mud oozing around his hooves and he struggled to take a step.
Daring to look up, Madden stumbled at the visual effect, seeing the trees more spaced out and the forest opening up. The optical illusion-like quality of the sight had his head reeling. "How...?" He looked around desperately, feeling the water starting to creep above his knees, for a way out. But everywhere seemed submerged except one small patch a few yards from him. His teke angled the daggers back by the sides of his throat for protection as he looked to the small mare near him, distrust seering through his body. Madden moved, angling himself so that he could still see if the little creature made any sudden movements, but started to wade towards the clearer patch of land.
"Not much walking here," He grumbled, trying to sound a little less bitter than he had done, "but I can see somewhere to walk not too far ahead" He tipped his head towards the patch, in case she couldn't make it out. He carefully continued to drag his legs through the rising water, desperately trying to ignore the coldness, and the resisting, cloying feeling of the mud around his hooves and ankles. The smell of damp and rain was already in the air to the point where Madden felt like he was drowning. He kept an eye on the exposed path, but an ear cocked towards the little mare just in case she needed his help...or she decided to attack.
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Post by Svantanon on Jul 13, 2019 16:02:37 GMT -6
Shep | Outcast Post 2 | WC 383
“I...I don’t know, I was just...I was just at home, but then I was here. I don’t know what happened. I... I am okay, though, I think.”
Shep breathed out. At least there was something to be relieved about. He glanced between Asrai and the quiet kirin again, about to ask her if she had any idea how to navigate out of these woods, when the clearing quite suddenly grew more crowded.
There were too many people here for his liking. Shep could handle crowds—when he knew to expect them—but nothing about this situation was anything he’d known to prepare for.
… His already thin patience for the whole ordeal dropped considerably when one bastard in particular started pulling knives.
“H-Hey!” Shep shouted, bristling as he took a step forward. Trust his luck to end up with a violent wildcard in the ‘party,’ trust the unicorn to act like a damn brute. “Lay off! Why the hell would she know anything about…”
He trailed off, not because of anything the idiot with knives was doing, but because of the figure now looming in the distance. A strange and unsettling entity lurking just within the fog.
And it was drawing closer.
Everything about it was wrong. The snake-like tail, the flash of scales, the growth on the silhouette’s head. The kirin edged closer to Asrai on impulse, reaching for a sword that wasn’t there. Gods…. dammit, he did have one, at some point, hadn’t he?! What was going on with him? Why—
And then it vanished, almost as though melting with the rain. And the ground sank.
Dizzied by the new tilt in his surroundings, Shep shook his head and blinked his eyes, looking down at his hooves only to realize that he was now up to his knees in steadily rising water. His heart began to race as he looked around, frantically, for a way out. What had happened to the trees?! Hadn’t there been more of them, before? More clustered? Where was the water coming from—
Ah!! There! A dry spot, up ahead.
He nudged the young pegasus and flashed the hooded kirin a quick look, gesturing for her to follow them. “Don’t let the mud slow you down, any. This would be a sorry place to drown. Let’s hurry!”
Before that creature comes back.
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Post by Waterdrup on Jul 16, 2019 7:50:47 GMT -6
Emelisse | Missionary
Emmy froze as she felt the cold steel beneath her chin. She’d taken a gamble here and she eyed the angry unicorn as calm as she could, hiding her racing heart. His questions made it clear to her he was scared and confused. She allowed herself to smile, he was right to distrust her, though it was impractical for her. Emelisse could hear another horse call out to them, but she kept her eyes on the threat. Before she could make another move though they were both distracted by a tall shape appearing in the fog. Most everyone seemed tall to Emelisse, but this horse would even be towering over Tulio. She wasn’t even sure if it was a horse, or if it was really there. Mesmerized she stared at the fading figure and a raindrop hit her nose.
Great. Rain. She hated rain. The ground dipped suddenly and the small pony stumbled, catching herself as she looked at the murky brown water beneath her. Even though the rain wasn’t that heavy, the water rose quickly around her knees. Emelisse felt her already racing heart quicken its pace in fear and she glared at the water angrily.
“Oh no you don’t” She hissed softly as she used her teke to lift her mandolin higher, feeling the cold water hit her sides now. The stallion retreated his daggers and Emmy took the chance to step away. He grumbled, still wary, mentioning a better place to walk and moving in that direction. The blond pony hardly listened, she’d finally caught sight of Tulio and her tiny legs fought against the mud and water to return to his side. “This…” She started, her voice a lot lower now. “Is gonna be great inspiration for a song.”
Wordcount 293 | Post #3 |
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Post by moonlightwalk on Jul 16, 2019 13:35:55 GMT -6
Lilliana | Missionary
More horses arrived, one by one, but sooner did they or the air became tense as threats were being thrown around. Come, come, Lilly wanted to say. There was no need for this after all. She cocked her head and observed those around her. Various age, various breed. Short, tall. She decided that perhaps a distraction was better. “One does not fight who we trust, though trust must be built,” she commented. Not loud, but clear enough for those who wanted to listen. “I offer my name in good will. It is Lilliana.”
She cocked her head to the other side, appearing much like a curious bird. “Will you do me the kindness of sharing yours as-“
But she didn’t finish her sentence, quickly distracted by a figure appearing and drawing near. It rose and disapppeared again, the world around them changing. She looked up and down, marveling at the way reality slipped passed her, morphed. And then she came to herself again, feeling and being returnig as her ears picked up the whimper of the small body cowering between her legs. Blink. Oh. Blink. Luca.
She blinked some more as everything came crashing down around her or so it appeared. She had been so caught up wonder that she’d forgotten to pay attention, even to her own daughter who was now struggling to keep her head above water. Ah.
It took her a moment to catch up and then she was moving. “Go,” she said pushing her daughter forward. She knew it was right. Much louder she continued “It is where we should go.” A fact, not a command.
Post 2 | 270 words
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Post by SagaWolf on Jul 17, 2019 12:38:14 GMT -6
Tulio
Vagabond Bard
......
The way the world morphed and changed with the arrival of that odd figure was almost too much to take in; water falling, water rising and the very earth pulling and stretching away. Tulio felt a touch of vertigo as he tried to regain his senses, noting simply that one of the strangers shared her name, Lilliana, and seemed to have spotted a way out of the sudden pit. Tulio's old trusty scarf was sucking up water like a sponge, making him hiss a curse under his breath and wrap it twice more around his neck. He was beginning to move towards the mare when Em appeared, sloshing through water that threatened to swallow her tiny form entirely. Yet he saw excitement in her eyes and her words mirrored his own thoughts.
Tulio laughed and stretched a winger over his small companion to shield her from the rain. "Always seeing the bright side! But you're right, this will make an epic tale! But lets swap notes on dry land, eh? " he replied, infected by her good spirits. Following the gaze of the others he finally noticed the elevated path and seemingly the only way out of the mysterious water pit. In the back of his mind the shadowy figure haunted and made him question was on earth was going on, but he kept that to himself, instead sharing his name with the poor souls stuck with him, while making his way to the safety of the elevated path.
"Ah, introductions seem to be in order? At least so we know which names to mourn should the worst happen. I am Tulio, travelling Bard and Emelisse is my companion, " he said, as much to distract himself from darkening thoughts as to actually get to know everyone.
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Word Count: 285
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2019 15:13:02 GMT -6
As you stand in the still water, you notice it’s quickly starting to smell quite unpleasant. The smell is hard to place, but it’s not the usual smell of a bog, that’s for sure. It’s… Sulfuric, almost?
A look down to the water’s surface, and you find it surprisingly clear. It’s no longer murky at all, but instead a vibrant turquoise blue, like on the very best beaches.
The only elevated area is still clear before you, even as the now clear and foul-smelling water slowly rises.
Is that something moving beneath the surface?
No… It’s on the surface.
Images.
Visions.
You see a group of equines gathered around a high cliff facing the sea. At the edge of the cliff stand a pegasus and a hippocampus.
A knife falls. Blood is spilled. The pegasi is thrown into the waves as the crowd praises Cascade, the great sea goddess.
The scene repeats. Again and again. New faces, new sacrifices. The knife comes down each time, effortlessly. Hundreds of years pass as the scenes play out, fast and brutal. The reverent chants and prayers of the crowd sound like a lusting for blood.
Then, a child.
The knife still falls, and the scene changes.
You see a prison city, filled with pegasi, locked away from day to day society. You see the others look down upon them with distrust.
You hear a council speak in judgement of those who wish to end the sacrifices.
You see winged freedom fighters brought before this same council.
You watch the pegasi drown.
The scene changes.
A great city beneath the waves. Beautiful and age old. Equines in the streets, happy and satisfied.
A voice speaks, Cascade’s voice, commanding its destruction, and the city erupts, broken.
The waves are not enough to drown out the screams.
And again, the scene changes.
A grey pegasus stands on the edge of the leap. She shears off her own two wings, and throws them to the bloodthirsty sea.
The water turns to blood.
It is rising faster now.
Get out.
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Post by seechem on Jul 18, 2019 6:24:54 GMT -6
M A D D E N
a Mercenary of the Vagabond
'blood like rust on swords i knew, chests and hearts from lovers too'
......
Madden waded through the water until he reached the raised path. The others were doing likewise, and the unicorn bristled at the command to "Lay off," made by one of the kirins. As they began to assemble, the mare who had been in the clearing introduced herself as Lilliana.
"Ah, introductions seem to be in order." A new voice joined in, and Madden cast a suspicious eye towards the dark, tobiano pegasus. He provided his name as Tulio, and that the mare at his side, the same one Madden had earlier threatened, was named Emelisse.
"Pleasure," Madden said through gritted teeth, "the name's Madden. I apologise that my seemingly 'unnecessary' approach to figure out where we are caused...alarm." He was fully aware that his tone suggested no such regret.
But then a noxious scent hit his nose and made him blanch in disgust. "What in Ignacio's name is that?" He half coughed, startled by how sulfuric the smell was. In alarm he turned to the water, and watched as it changed from murky to brilliant turquoise. The roan took a step closer to the water only to see something dancing on the surface.
A vision.
Death, so much death. Sacrifices, innocents thrown to the waves. His jaw dropped in horror as he watched each mutilated pegasus fall into the waves. Then a child. So young, so like Virgil that Madden's pulse slowed as he saw the ritual continue, he wanted to reach out and stop it, but the scent and horror warded him off. His disgust was mirrored in a few faces in the scene.
"For centuries," a voice broke through from nowhere, "he leap was a privilege. Their brothers and sisters blessed to take it." It all felt so wrong, and his hair stood on end. What had happened? Was this real? More pegasi drown. How, why?
The scene changed to an underwater utopia, happy, tranquil. Then a voice and it was all destroyed.
Another flicker and change. A new shape, a pegasus who threw her own wings to the waves and as they hit the ocean of the scene, blood blossomed amongst the sea foam. The red becoming more and more vivid. It took Madden a moment to realise that the red was no longer just in the vision, but actually the water itself. It was all crimson with blood.
He reared his head back and hastily backed away, his hooves feeling the barely raised patch of land. "We need to go." He looked desperately to see where the path led, curving off out of his sight. "Now, quickly. It's rising!" He turned to the pegasi in the group, the smaller members of the party which included a child he had not noticed before, as the blood began rising closer, "Follow the path." He kicked off from his position and broke into a cautious gallop.
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Post by Svantanon on Jul 18, 2019 17:32:39 GMT -6
Shep | Outcast Post #3 | WC 422 This Pegasus was an idiot. An endearing one, admittedly, not at all the stab-happy unicorn’s brand of idiot, but a moron all the same. They were all about to drown. What made him think this was a great time for introductions?! “Shep.”Why was Shep responding while they were all about to drown?! Ohgods even the closet serial killer was introducing himself. Shep didn’t bother glancing his way, more focused on ensuring his own escape out of this muck, but his ears pressed flat against his skull with a long inhale. He couldn’t get away from this ‘Madden’ soon enough. Breathing in was a mistake. He gagged almost immediately. When did the muck get so putrid? And yet the water was clear, now, a brilliant healthy blue. That… that made no sense. How could it look like this and smell like… The kirin’s eyes widened as he—almost as though against his will—froze in place. W… W-why…? All this slaughter, all those lives meeting such a horrid end on this cliff… what was this place?! Why were they doing this? What was the meaning of this terrible pattern, why did he have to see it, over and over and over agai— His knees weakened at the sight of the child. “A… privilege…” Shep whispered, pupils shrunken to pinpoints. This was no ‘blessing.’ This was an ill, evil place. As far as Shep knew, he had never seen or heard any god in his life. So he wasn’t at all sure how he ‘recognized’ the commanding voice in the vision to be Cascade’s, perhaps a knowing bestowed on him by whatever curse had been cast on this water. The smell of death and decay grew stronger in his nostrils even as Cascade’s will tore her people’s city apart. Her presence was nothing like the gentle serene paintings he saw being sold by peddlers, nor the wise and wild sea spirit that Seton’s sailers had frequently called upon. No. No, they had all been wrong. They had all been so wrong.And yet he had met horses who called Ignacio a bloodthirsty demon. One final Pegasus sliced off her wings, and just like that, the water finally revealed its true nature. They needed to go. They needed to go now.Shep barked out Asrai’s name once before fighting through the rising water in full force, eyes set on the land beyond. They had to get there. They had to get onto that land, and then they were getting out of this damn forest. |
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Post by TinyMinou on Jul 19, 2019 6:47:01 GMT -6
Vigdis
Vagabond - Outcast
Note: Vigdis is mute. She speaks through sign language.
......
A soft sign of relief left her mouth as she heardanother equine approach, though a little part inside her was afraid. Were they going to attack her and this pannicking pegasus. She did not know, but all that she could was hope for the best.
And as luck it would seem, the one that approached seemed as lost as they were. They seemed to know this crying child and vice-versa.
But she only noticed a few moments later that he was one of her kind. She had never seen another kirin before her resurection, so joy overflew her. She was not the only one anymore.
But the joy was short-lived as she heard more people around them. All her insticts were telling her to turn around and run for it, but she knew that the fog would make it impossible. So she just stood, watching others talk.
She wished she could say something - anything - just to ask what was going on.
Rain fell out of the sky, softly dripping down from above. Oh great, first fog and now rain? But it didn't feel like normal rain, it felt more wet than ussual. Then a tall figure apppeared infront of them while murkyy water started to rise. Confused she looked around, and saw Shep gesturing at her to go to a spot that seemed to be dry from the murky water around them.
With heavy legs she tried her best to walk towards it, but the water had already reached her sides. But she tried as she was not prepared to die here.
Not soon after starting to move, a foul stench filled the air.
She tried to keep her head up from the water to avoid the stench, but when she looked at the rest looking down, she looked down too. The water was not murky anymore, but rather a beautifull turquoise.
And there, images appeared of pegasi being sacrificed multiple times, but everytime was a new face. It shocked the mare - sacrifices, but why?
But that answer remained unknown as the last pegasi sheared off her own wings.
And with that, the water turned crimson red. But not only that but it started to rise again, faster than before.
She had to get out of here, fast. She tried her best to reach that dry spot faster, but the water was getting higher on her body, her coat already drenched in the blood colored water.
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Post by hydrus101 on Jul 20, 2019 23:35:19 GMT -6
A S R A I• Vagabond | Hedgewitch •
“I don’t care what it takes, I am going to do what I know is right.
The thing that had slunk out of the woods was not natural, Asrai knew that much. The feathers on his neck rose, like the fur on a cat’s spine, as it swam towards them through open air. It reminded him of-
“Cascade,” he murmured, far too quietly for even Shep to have heard.
He stared at that mockery, that vile abomination, that thing that was surely not the goddess of water, for as long as he dared, looking away only when droplets of rain began to fall. By the time he glanced back, it was gone.
Water lapped at his sides. In the blink of an eye, the clearing had become a pool. The pegasus stared down at where his hooves should have been in shock, his mind reeling. No, no, not again. This was just like the last time. Just like... Digend. The colt stayed rooted in the water until Shep nudged him towards a landing, up out of reach of the murky depths.
Despite the terror and panic that threatened to pull him beneath the waves, Asrai struggled forward, lifting his wings far above the water’s surface so they wouldn’t soak and drag him down. He was almost there, the path was so close. He surged forward, out from under the protective guard of Shep’s body, desperate to get to high ground; the smell gave him pause. Then, colors, images, flashing by on the water’s surface. Horses, a cliff, the dull sheen of a knife, Cascade, horses, a cliff, the dull sheen of a knife, Cascade, a cliff, the dull sheen of a knife, Cascade, over and over and over again, then it all stops. A child. A child like him, a pegasus, wings ripped away and their frail body cast into the sea. Asrai shut his eyes, feeling his stomach churn. He did not see the rest of the vision, but the pictures from before burned their way into his mind like a brand. He stood there, stock still, eyes screwed tightly shut, wishing for everything to stop, wishing to to wake up, wake up, wake up.
“Asrai!”
The shout tore him from his stupor and his eyes flew open, blinking against the sudden redness of the scene around him.
He looked down.
Blood. He was up to his flanks in blood.
Blood roared in his ears, blood flowed between his hooves, blood danced its way across his wide, terror-stricken eyes.
He screamed.
Scrambling to get a hold against the thickening pool, Asrai leapt through the muck, sending foul smelling waves up in his wake. He was almost there. One more moment and-
Without warning, Asrai tripped on some unseen object and plunged headfirst under the surface.
WC: 451
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Post by Waterdrup on Jul 22, 2019 12:23:35 GMT -6
Emelisse | Missionary
Emelisse offered Tulio a grateful smile as he used a wing to shelter her from the rain. It was a great comfort to have the fellow bard here with her during this strange adventure. Emmy stayed close to his side as they made it up the elevated ground, which seemed to stretch into a path. The small pony shook the water from her legs, but she could feel the mud sticking to her feathers. So annoying. She glanced back at the other horses, still making their way over. The winged mare that joined them on the dry land introduced herself as Lilliana. Her voice was eloquent and she seemed rather calm as she asked for everyone’s name. Of course Tulio, being the optimistic guy he was, replied with a sense of humor that made Emmy shake her head in amusement. Emmy was skeptical to say the least when the knife-wielding unicorn offered a name that might not even be his. “Madden” apologized for his behaviour, though he didn’t sound sorry in the slightest. Emelisse didn’t mind, she understood his sense of survival. She pursed her lips slightly as she watched the stallion. Although their first meeting had been hostile, she thought she might come to like the guy. Those thoughts were disturbed by a harsh smell hitting her nose. Emelisse coughed and her eyes teared up as she looked at the water again. It had changed into a beautiful bright colour. Strange visions danced between the drops of rain hitting the surface. Terrible visions of pegasi suffering in the name of Cascade. Emelisse almost rolled her eyes at the mention of the goddess, look what praising her did to people. Sacrifices? A privilege? It sickened her. The blond pony watched as the vision changed into the destruction of an artwork of a city, by the hands of the goddess herself. A punishment? Instead of guiding those who were lost, she just spilled even more blood? Emmy felt the hairs in her neck rise as hot anger bubbled within her. She was disgusted to see yet another Pegasus on the cliff, this time cutting off her own wings. What madness, what a waste. She lowered her eyes as the water turned to blood… as the water turned to BLOOD! Emelisse had seen some terrible things in her lifetime and she was not unfamiliar with the sight of blood, but this was different. The coppery smell was overwhelming and she lurched back. “Alright time to go.” She stated as she started to push against Tulio’s leg, meaning for him to follow the path wherever it may go, as long as it was away from here. Madden seemed to have the same idea as he broke into a run. Emmy suddenly realized something and she poked her head from under the wing to see Tulio’s face. All those deaths had been Pegasi after all, she worried for her feathered friend, was he ok?
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Post by SagaWolf on Jul 23, 2019 0:04:14 GMT -6
Tulio
Vagabond Bard
......
The water began to stink as Tulio trudged through it for the raised land, making the stallion gag while others expressed the same disgust. He didn't look down until he was on dry land, and the clear tropic quality threw him off instantly. What the? Moment ago it had been muddy... and less stinky... and before that it hadn't been there at all. Before he could tell himself to keep his wits about him, images were flashing on the waters surface, mesmerizing the bard completely. If only they had been joyous images.
As sacrifice after sacrifice had their wings cut and their bodies tossed off the cliff, Tulio felt bile rising in the back of his throat, and an uncontrollable go through his limbs, wings hugged tightly to his sides. He had no understanding of what he was seeing, but he could almost feel that stained blade on his own wings. His horror grew as the vision continued; captured pegasi then drowning pegasi and an underwater utopia torn asunder. He began to back away from the water's edge as the grey pegasus cut their own wings and tossed them to the sea.
Tulio had never felt such cold terror grip his body as it did now, locking him in place despite his trembling. He didn't react to Em's pushing at his leg, and it took Madden's commanding voice to bring life back to him. "Y-yes, yes we gotta move! " he parroted, feeling a desperate itch to spread his wings and just fly away. But that would leave Em behind, tiny Em who would drown very quickly in the rising wa-blood, and the others... They were all in this nightmare together, and Tulio couldn't live with himself if he fled like a coward.
He caught sight of Em's head poking out from under his wing and gave her a strained smile, but it never replaced the terror in his eyes. He meant to tell her that he was fine when the child pegasus stumbled and fell, vanishing into the blood. There was no thinking, just reactions as the magpie stallion lurched forward, teke clawing to get a good grip on the child and pull him out of the 'water'. Then he noticed the speed of which the blood was rising, felt that cold terror in his body once more and he slung the child across his back without a word of warning.
"Quickly! Move! " he shouted to those still around before turning to bolt up the path, keeping a right grip on blood soaked Asrai with his teke. He kept an ear out for Em, hoping she knew it just took a single word for her to be on his back as well. No one would be left behind in that cauldron of blood.
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Word Count: 465
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2019 16:15:11 GMT -6
One by one, you find footing on higher ground. The rising of the blood slows with each one that stands on the elevated ground, and once everyone makes their way there, the blood pool is still. The smell is disgusting, and your coats are positively soaked, but you are safe.
From the blood, that is.
The surface of the still pool now bubbles, as if boiling. First on to the left of the path, but soon both sides are bubbling, steaming and roiling. The blood is drawn away from you into maelstroms.
Something moves beneath the surface in the distance.
A red head rises from the blood. On the other side, a purple one.
Two massive equines, like statues of marble or perhaps… Crystal?
One of them has an enormous eye on their chest, the other many eyes all over their face and neck and even their mane.
The two stare down at those on the path, unblinking.
All-seeing.
The whole world seems to twist. It is like you are drunk and losing your balance. Your vision blurs and waves. You see things that are not there - dreams, memories, horrors. The faces next to you now seem foreign.
It is like someone is in your head, violently tugging away at all the things you’d much rather keep hidden.
The giant statue-like horses fade into the mists.
Something else stirs.
Your minds are still clouded, each of you plagued with your own personal brand of hellish visions - but these you all can see.
Ghastly spirits. Gnarly, grotesque equine of all breeds pour out from the blood and come at you, screeching and wailing. The wounds and deterioration on their gastly bodies tell of the ways you died, and if you look too closely, you find that you might recognize some of them…
But perhaps you should run.
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Post by seechem on Jul 26, 2019 9:00:00 GMT -6
M A D D E N
a Mercenary of the Vagabond
'blood like rust on swords i knew, chests and hearts from lovers too'
......
Blood dripped slowly from Madden's coat as he heaved in breaths. His knives were out again, swirling at his side as he eyed the lake of blood that surrounded them all.
Popping sounds drew his anxious gaze back to the pool of blood as bubbles began to form on its surface. "No, no...not again." He snarled, ready to take off again if the water suddenly rose or something appeared. But the bubbling began to spread throughout the blood until the whole gory lake was alive with steam and froth and bubbles. The water moved from them, thrashing and pulling back as something else moved beneath the surface. Madden's whole body felt frozen as he watched a red head break the surface of crimson on one side, a great eye on its chest blinking away the blood. Then a second, multi-eyed, purple head emerged beside it. The two appeared unreal, as though crafted from crystal or marble. Madden couldn't tell if the glints on the equines were from the blood or the strange material they were formed from. But Madden knew who they were, had heard about Argus from Virgil. But here, now, the gaze of the many-eyed god bore into Madden and the group, making the mercenary shrink back a step. The unblinking, firm gaze unnerved him. As though they could stare into his very being.
Then it was like he was spinning on the spot. As though he were falling upwards and everything was moving around him. Dizziness, akin to drunkenness, made him fight to stay on his hooves. Everything, and everyone, around him began to blur together, black flecks dancing in his vision. Pain shot through his head, as though something were tugging and playing with his mind. Thoughts and feelings began to force their way into his consciousness.
He couldn't stand, his forelegs shaking until he was on his knees, eyes clamped tight to try and ward off the spinning sensation in his head. Madden tried to look around him, desperate to see something that could ground him in reality but suddenly finding forms floating out in the blood. Two faces, among many shapes, that he thought he would never see again were walking towards him.
"No, no, no, no!" He tried to get up and away, but couldn't find his hooves again.
"Madden," the familiar voice of his father cooed, "I've missed you."
"Stop it." Desperate to stop hearing the voice, he buried his head between his forelegs, trying to cover his ears. "Stop it!"
The darkness behind his eyelids faded away and Madden stood in the woods. His father and sister lay dead by their campfire. "You did this." It was his father's voice again, somehow breathing against his ear.
"I did what I had to do!" He wasn't sure if he was speaking aloud or in his head, and he didn't care. He wasn't standing above a sea of mystical blood, but rather the river of blood he had spilled.
"Madden," Una's voice called, and he was in Osulas, he was with his sister, "Madden he looks just like him. They must have been related. Madden, his father's death...it was our fault."
Nero. His mate. The blue roan stood ahead of Madden, flames licking at his hooves.
"Nero!"
"She told me everything."
"Let me explain!" Madden ran, he could feel his muscles tensing, the desperation, the pain. His head throbbed again as Nero looked at him, copper eyes searing with hate.
"You killed your father. Then, you killed mine." Madden was no closer to Nero, the two of them standing in a cavernous, black space. "I trusted you!" Nero's voice reverberated with the force of his beloved Goddess Alya, and Madden felt the pain of it wrench through his body.
"We trusted you." Beside Nero was Madden's father, and horror engulfed him as Quincey sidled up to Nero's side and caressed his neck.
"Get away from him, stop it!" Madden pleaded, his voice cracking with strain.
His body shook as he watched the shapes of his family. They were walking across the blood towards him, their mouths agape with wails and screams. Madden tossed his head sharply, trying to dispel the vision, one moment he stood in darkness with Nero's biting hatred, the next he was staring at the ghoulish figures of the family he had killed.
What was real? The mercenary struggled to find his knives, having dropped them when he fell. Maybe he could make himself feel reality again, if he could only find his blades.
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Post by Waterdrup on Jul 29, 2019 14:10:12 GMT -6
Emelisse | Missionary
(I feel like I should warn sensitive readers for some gruesome stuff, feel free to skip) Emmy was pretty sure she could lean into Tulio with all her weight without having him move even an inch. He voiced a response though and offered a weak smile that did not reach his eyes. He was scared, just as she was, but they needed to move. As to give an example Emelisse had just stepped forward when she watched Tulio turn around, moving to save a clumsy child. It annoyed the pony and she grimaced as her friend draped the little Pegasus across his back, their coats dripping with blood. She didn’t voice that annoyance though, but didn’t offer to help either, slowly advancing on the path herself until Tulio caught up and they started running again.
Only in the corner of her eyes did Emelisse see the blood bubble and move, but she slowed to look when two enormous heads broke the surface. One was red, blind but for the huge eye on its chest. The other was purple, with way too many eyes. As a traveling bard that frequented Sirith it was easy for Emelisse to recognize the god. Who’s appearance here looked suspiciously like crystal. “What now?” She thought, pursing her lips as she glared at the watching heads.
The unicorn stopped walking suddenly, but only because her world swayed and she didn’t want to fall off the path. It was not the dizziness from a lack of sleep or food, this was different, her vision started to blur. “Tulio…” he almost told him to wait. “be careful!” she shouted instead.
Emmy tried to fight whatever was happening, shaking off the weird feeling that someone was messing with her head. She started tapping her hoof to make sure she wasn’t having one of her sleep paralyzes. Then suddenly a gut-wrenching cry of agony split through the air and Emmy closed her eyes, pulling her ears back. “Not that, please, not that.” She mumbled, fighting against the memory. A pinprick of icy cold started blooming in her stomach, turning fear into panic. Her breath quickened as she squinted her eyes closed. It didn’t help, she still saw the horrors of that night many years ago, more lively than any dream she’d had about it.
The earth beneath her hooves rumbled and sank, the heavy rain slamming into her tiny body. When she pulled herself free from the landslide she had only bruises and bloody scrapes, but her mother was not so lucky. Emelisse could hear the gurgling cries of pain and terror, the mumbled rants and pleas of a dying mare. As if it’s a stage play, she watched a younger version of herself. A newbie bard who’s scared to approach her dying mother, half buried under thick mud and sharp stone. Her body tangled and twisted the wrong way, the sight still made Emmy sick.
She watched as her younger self tried to dig her mother free halfheartedly, knowing that even if she could move the heavy rocks, it would not be enough to save the mare. Her mother drifted in and out of consciousness, sounding terrified and delirious when awake, mumbling prayers of forgiveness, of mercy. Emmy couldn’t look away. In the memory, she gathered her old cloak to pull the soaked fabric over her mother’s face. Pressing down until her mother stopped moving, stopped breathing, stopped hurting. “Murdering your own mother.” Her mother’s voice was but a whisper. “You should have saved me, instead you finally got rid of me.” The whisper turned into a smile. “Wasn’t it easy? To take a life?” The whisper purred, then suddenly turned sharp and loud and angry. “I will NEVER forgive you.”
Emelisse’s legs buckled and her knees slammed into the road. The blond pony opened her eyes with a gasp, tears streaming down her hot cheeks. She had to blink a couple times before she could see properly again. As the two heads faded into the mist again she allowed herself a deep sigh and a shuddering breath. Good. It was over. She felt sick, her head thudded in the rhythm of her racing heart. The pony stood up slowly, noticing her trembling legs. She swallowed hard and tried to calm her breathing, determined to collect herself. Emmy distracted herself from the lingering pain by adjusting the position of her mandolin, pulling the instrument a little closer. Her violet eyes darted around, searching for the others, when she caught movement in the mist. It was not over.
A painful screech raised the hairs in the little bard’s neck and she watched as the fog started to take form. Her eyes widened with horror as the deformed ghosts of many horses appeared, one of them a mangled mess, steadily drifting closer. “Digend, please.” Emelisse mumbled, now shifting her mandolin in front of her like a shield as she started to move up the path again.
Wordcount 810 | Post #5 |
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Post by Svantanon on Jul 29, 2019 23:27:08 GMT -6
Shep | Outcast Post #4 | WC 291
“ASRAI--!”
He moved to yank the Pegasus out from under the rising blood, but was beaten to it by Tulio, who managed to drag him onto land. Shep couldn’t afford to be relieved in that moment, or to thank the stranger. Getting onto land and not drowning in blood was everyone’s greatest concern at this point. The thud of hard-packed earth underneath his hooves was a feeling he’d sorely missed. Shep didn’t realize he was counting heads until he allowed himself a shaken sigh once he saw they’d all made it. Even the shady unicorn. Gods know, not even he should die under such horrid circumstances— But the pool wasn’t done. Slowly—meekly—the kirin turned his head at the sound of angry bubbling. He wished he hadn’t looked back. What… was Argus… doing here? What was… the water—the blood trying to… His heart thudded in his chest, pounding against his ribcage with frantic urgency as the visions unleashed. More fighting. More killing, but this time it wasn't to do with torn wings and blood-tainted seas. He noticed with a growing sense of dread that nearly all of these scenes involved kirins. His people, acting like ruthless savages, tormenting and massacring and waging war and why did he need to see this?! He already knew what they had done, already knew that the pain of that knowledge had been so great that his friend had to seal it all away. Shep didn't want to see it. Any of it.
He stumbled back with a cry as he saw himself charging as though to leap out of the water, sword gleaming in his teke grasp… … What leaped out in ‘his’ place was something straight out his nightmares. The kirin screamed, and the ungodly creatures gnashed their teeth in gleeful response as he ran for his life. |
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Post by moonlightwalk on Jul 31, 2019 1:45:55 GMT -6
Lilliana | Missionary
What was by all means magic turned into something vile, blood streaming around their legs, holding them back as they trudged through the water. Well, not water. Lilliana was mostly concerned with keeping Luka’s head above it all, watching in concern as one of the littler ones around her took a gulp of the stuff. Their stomach turned in empathy, suddenly feeling like throwing up. The images didn’t help, horrors flashing on beneath them. But they recognized it, recognized the stories traded at Serora’s port, almost not having wanted to believe, but here the truth surrounded them, close, vicerous in it’s display.
Lilliana stumbled upon higher ground as did those around here, breath barely caught before the scene changed. Luca pressed close, whimpering. Her white wings, now dripping red of blood, covered their daughter protectively. Eyes taking in those around them as well. She made to reach for the younger one. They looked young at least. Older than Luca but too young to see the horrors of the world. But before they could reach the white pegasus, they were all moving again, running as images of decaying bodies chased after them.
Luca was crying. “Please!” Barely enough breath to say the words. “Please, we get it,” she begged, she called. Just let it stop. It were things she ran away from her whole life. Things she tried to ignore, keep away from, choosing for the magic, the positivity. It was self-preservation. It would bring her to ruin if she allowed it all in.
Digend take mercy, but these weren’t Digends horrors. They were of those before her. She could understand the need to show, but why this fashion?
Please.
Post 3 | 280 words
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Post by SagaWolf on Jul 31, 2019 8:27:18 GMT -6
Tulio
Vagabond Bard
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Tulio recognized the heads, the crystal statues, with ease but there was no calm comfort as usually followed his connection with Argus. The dual God of Imagination was his patron god, the one who had blessed him and whom he felt a deep connection with. But here they were, filling Tulio with dread and horror, warping his vision and forcing these terrible scenes into his mind. He stumbled, nearly fell as nausea overtook him. He kept clinging onto the child on his back, Asrai, his teke wavering and fading, and if the soaked pegasus wanted to, he could easy wrestle free of the bard's grip.
Visions of past friends and lovers descended on him in a flurry of still images, flashing one after another, each accompanied with scalding accusations of betrayal, abandonment, sacrifice. He backed away, shaking his head vigorously, nearly losing his hat in the process, mumbling 'no' over and over again. He hadn't been able to keep them safe from slave poachers, he hadn't been able to stop the raging fever of another, and he was forced to face the consequences of his failures.
When his eyes cleared and he saw the world once more, he exhaled a shaky breath, thinking it all over, only to be sorely mistaken as wretched rotting corpses rose from the pungent blood. And among those terrible spirits he saw the mauled forms of his parents, cursing him for abandoning them. It was a lie! They were alive and well! Weren't they?! This couldn't be true and still doubt frosted his heart and locked his legs. If not for the kirin Shep's cry of terror which made Tulio aware of the danger, he might not have moved at all.
Now he spun and kicked off, and his hooves roared against the dirt path. He galloped by Emelisse, only concerned with escape and safety, not even aware if the child Asrai was still on his back or not. Never before had he felt such crippling terror and he needed to escape it now!
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Word Count: 340
Post #4 |
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