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Post by Zugunruhes on Aug 25, 2019 0:21:15 GMT -6
Marius & Cynbel
Outcasts
... ...
Silence is not treasured nor longed for until is it broken.
The night had been blissfully tranquil for hours as it was undisturbed by voices for most horses were sleeping at this hour. The creatures that rose at this time practiced silence as a careful art, as the owls and bats gliding above the desert landscape did not wish to be heard by the insects and rodents quietly scurrying below.
Then, with a preternatural rushing sound that rose into a roar like violent winds the silence shattered. The initial clamor was indescribable, the sound of energy pulling something back into the world, and yet was over in an instant. The oddity was followed by gasping breaths and the sounds of hoof scraping and scrabbling against their surroundings.
Four eyes opened and regarded one another first. The red eyes were focused at once and narrowed in suspicion as they drifted around the dark, tight space surrounding them. The yellow eyes were distant and confused, and did not stray from the face of the other kirin.
Then memories began to trickle in both of their minds and the pink-eyed kirin reacted first with a yell that splintered into a scream. He could not put into words his immediate thoughts, but he remembered the war and their enemies and became very much aware that he was not within a kirin stronghold or city.
As he struggled to stand he kicked out violently with two legs, smashing a nearby cup and tearing pages out of a book propped on the floor in his panic. "We have to get out of here!" He shrieked at the other kirin, wondering why the grey stallion had not gotten up. Yet as he dragged himself upwards something pulled him back down and he fell, taking out another cup with him. Still he did not understand anything that was happening, but managed to muster the strength to dart forward and drag himself and the other kirin towards the door.
They fell against it and as it swung open landed in the dry dirt outside. Moonlight spilled across their coats and the grey kirin gasped as he saw his white fur meet and grow into the splotched chestnut fur of the other kirin. "Ignacio help us-what- where are we-" He whispered in his own panic-stricken voice.
... ... Word Count: 386 Post #1 |
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Post by hydrus101 on Sept 1, 2019 10:35:41 GMT -6
 S H E P H E R D• Vagabond | Harbinger •
”The phoenix must burn before it can be born again.”
Shepherd had awoken with the sound of the coming storm, the splitting roar dragging her away from dreams of her god and her beloved back into the not-so-still darkness of the caravan car. She immediately knew she was not alone.
Still dazed, the harbinger tried to focus her eyes on the form moving in the darkness, puzzled, but not yet awake enough to be afraid. How had they gotten in? Lockbox should have alerted her to any approaching-
Something fragile shattered her thoughts and shocked her to full awareness. Grimacing, Shepherd rolled to her hooves, slipping out of bed and snatching up her crook with practiced fluidity, holding the staff up in a protective stance.
Whoever this person was, they wouldn’t get the chance to strike. Much to Shepherd’s surprise, however, they began to retreat. Tentatively she lowered her weapon with a raised eyebrow and watched as a sharp voice rang out, deafening in the close quarters, and the tangled mass of antlers and legs went tumbling out the door into the night. Odd. Nevertheless, Shepherd stepped over the broken remains of her teacups and hastily followed the figure down.
They hadn’t gotten far. In fact, they were still lying where they’d fallen, whispering to themselves quietly. They sounded scared.
As Shepherd drew closer, hoping that the figure wouldn’t run, he noticed pink scales glinting in the blue light as the figure shifted. A kirin, he thought with a sort of giddy yet terrified excitement, but then as a second head raised up, Shepherd’s ears fell back against his skull. Two? He’d heard of conjoined twins before, but this...this was going to be more difficult than he’d expected.
Silently calling upon Digend’s gift, a small detection field sprang up around them, hiding all three of them from the world. Best to keep things quiet for now, more horses meant more confusion, and confusion wasn’t good for someone who had recently been reborn.
Shep had never truly seen a kirin come back into the world before, but she’d heard countless stories of the phenomenon from other mullahs and vagabonds. Newly reincarnated kirins were usually volatile, Shep knew that much, so she kept her distance as she spoke to these newcomers for the first time, staff raised in case they decided to attack. She didn’t want to hurt them, but sometimes there was no other choice.
“Steady there,” she murmured soothingly, still standing a few paces away, “Please, don’t try to hurt me, I’m a friend. Are you two alright?”
WC: 452
Post: 1
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Post by Zugunruhes on Sept 8, 2019 23:05:26 GMT -6
Marius & Cynbel
Outcasts
......
Their sides were heaving rapidly, heart thrumming in their chest as the two kirins regarded their conjoined form with frightened expressions. The chestnut kirin's eyes roamed over the patches of fur that blended so seamlessly into the neck of the other horse and instinctively he tried to bolt. His right leg obeyed, scrabbling in the dirt and heaving to pull both kirins upright while the right leg- stark white and missing bright pink scaling- remained limp. The chestnut kirin toppled again and kicked out at the dirt in anguish. "We have to get out of here-"
He hissed at the other kirin who merely stared back blankly, unable to muster more than hoarse, scattered words. The chestnut could not begin to explain what was happening to either of them, but he understood they were far from home. The only familiar thing was this grey kirin and he would not leave the other horse behind- could not- he remedied the thought, for they were now strangely dependent on each other.
Something flickered in the chestnut kirin's vision and his thin neck whipped around, glowering at the approaching figure. "Stay back-" The chestnut hissed. Though his voice shook from pain and confusion his words were laced with venom. The stranger had wings. The pegasus did not alter their course and as they drew nearer the chestnut kirin felt his skin prickle as something manifested in the air around them. It was vaguely familiar, but he did not dwell on it as fear clouded his judgement- they were ensnared!
"A friend?" The chestnut kirin spat, his wide-eyed, darting gaze betraying his fear, "A child of Alya is no friend of mine! Did you do this to us? Take us from our home and- and-" He coughed as the rising dust clouded his nostrils and broke off spluttering, too panic-stricken to continue.
The grey kirin, who had been largely quiet and observing both his surroundings and the stranger finally spoke. Though his hoarse voice quavered he did not falter and met the eyes of Shepherd at last. "H-help us. Has some strange magic joined our bodies? I do not know how I got here. I-I do not know what has happened to me. I do not know h-him." Yet as he spoke a memory flashed through his mind- the chestnut kirin's pink eyes, so determined and fierce, meeting his as they gathered with the rest of their kind as their enemies fled. "We were in battle..."
... ... Word Count: 412 Post #2 |
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Post by hydrus101 on Sept 30, 2019 20:06:45 GMT -6
S H E P H E R D• Vagabond | Harbinger •
”The phoenix must burn before it can be born again.”
Keeping himself at staff’s length, Shepherd watched the pair writhe in the sand like a double-headed serpent. Neither had moved to lash out yet, but it was never too late for an added to strike. Besides, pushing boundaries with the pair now would surely result in an explosive reaction from the chestnut; he seemed much more aggressive than his counterpart. He needed to be calmed before Shepherd tried to speak with him. His lips produced nothing but venom, wether it was from the rebirth or merely his innate nature. The grey one, however, seemed willing to listen. He could be reasoned with.
“I did not do this to either of you, no, but I think I may know what did,” Shepherd soothed, keeping his voice soft and even, not longer concerned with being seen. “This is all probably very foreign to you now, I know, but don’t strain yourselves...please. I will explain everything I can, but you need to stay calm and trust me. I will not hurt you as long as you don’t try to hurt me.”
Shepherd dared to take a step closer, and something in the air around them quavered. He extended the curved end of staff towards them, an olive branch and a helping hand.
“I want to help, will you let me?”
WC: 221
Post: 2
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Post by Zugunruhes on Oct 28, 2019 17:51:25 GMT -6
Marius & Cynbel
Outcasts
......
Both of the kirins reacted instinctively to the proffered staff as though a blade was thrust at them. The chestnut hissed his displeasure, but the grey kirin recovered himself and leaned towards the staff, pulling both of their bodies to it. His teke, though weak and confused as he was, shakily grasped the staff. The grey then tried to rise, using his - their - tail to push themselves upwards. For a moment he felt the chestnut fighting him, then something seemed to stir in the other kirin and he relaxed and let himself be pulled up.
The moment they found their footing the grey kirin relinquished his grip and the duo stood, shaking slightly. While the chestnut immediately went to studying their new body, determined not to look at the pegasus before them and relay his fear, the grey continued to stare at Shepherd wearily. "You have my word that I will not hurt you. I am... too weak.. to fight... and in dire need of answers. You saw what did this to us?"
He tried to take a step forward, his expression pleading, but was stalled again by his companion who ground his own foreleg into the ground. "This could still be a trap. " The chestnut hissed darkly, his gaze darting between Shepherd and any route to escape. "Where are all the other kirins? We- they- I.. they were all around us. Where could they have gone? Answer that!"
The grey kirin's expression darkened and he turned to regard his new companion with a low growl, his lip curling. "Still your questions and do not drive away the only horse here who could help us now." Though his voice was even his body language was still fearful, as if he was unsure whether or not to run away if they had the chance. Yet his mind was racing and reasoning with him. How could they run? All around them was unfamiliar, the air around them occasionally shimmering.
"I.. I am Marius. I accept any help, anything to explain what happened so we can be returned to our original bodies." The pleading edge returned to Marius' tone, as though he was willing Shepherd to have all the answers. It was the only thing keeping him calm, strengthening him while his heart continued to thrum and beat against his chest. "Where exactly are we?"
... ... Word Count: 392 Post #3 |
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Post by hydrus101 on Nov 6, 2019 11:46:51 GMT -6
S H E P H E R D• Vagabond | Harbinger •
”The phoenix must burn before it can be born again.”
“Marius,” Shepherd tested the name, meeting the grey kirins weary gaze steadily, “thank you. I will do the best I can to help you.”
His eyes then drifted towards the chestnut, who would not look him in the eye. “Both of you.”
With the kirins somewhat steady on their hooves, Shepherd pulled back, lowering her staff to rest in the soft relenting sand. For a moment, she debated how to go about telling these two that they had died a long long time ago and that all the things they loved and cherished were now ash. Sugar or vinegar? Honesty or comfort? A harsh reality or a brutal truth?
She took a breath. Slow down, take things slow.
“Right now, you are in Sedo, Alya’s land, but you were last in Eithne, right? In...Valore?”
She paused a moment, suddenly unsure of her knowledge. Shepherd’s mental library of the God’s War was great, but she knew her knowledge of the kirin’s culture was spotty. She had only ever met one other reborn kirin and he had been reluctant to divulge any secrets of the long dead breed. Preaching falsehoods to people who had witnessed the event was not a wise thing to do, after all.
WC: 207
Post: 3
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Post by Zugunruhes on Nov 28, 2019 15:07:13 GMT -6
Marius & Cynbel
Outcasts
......
"Alya's land? I knew it- we were captured during that battle-" Cynbel looked up for the first time and stared at Shepherd, his wild eyes boring into her. Though they were at the mercy of any enemies that came after them his first instinct would still be to fight. In his mind they had been taken prisoner and the only way to redeem them from that shame, from being bested by undesirable beings, was to win their freedom. Marius took the shocking words more thoughtfully and continued to regard their host with an observant though weary expression. He spoke up, determined not to let the chestnut kirin break their vow to not attack. "We were fighting against armies- armies of unicorns and pegasi- at Valore. I remember nothing else."
The grey kirin titled his head, still considered the presence of pegasus speaking so calmly to them. "I assume, then, that we were captured by your kind and brought to Sedo- then why help us?" He could make sense of very little. How did their conjoined bodies factor into their capture- why did they wake up in the pegasus' home. Was he sheltering them? Beside him the chestnut kirin snorted derisively before piping up, "Ask the questions that will help us survive, don't waste pondering over the how's and why's. First, tell us who did this to our bodies so we can find and kill them. We won't harm you." The afterthought came as a stab at reassuring both Marius and Shepherd, though the chestnut's words were still drenched with malice.
He continued, seemingly placated by his own violent idea, "I am Cynbel. I don't know if that is any use to either of you, but... whatever it takes to get me out of this." The idea of returning to his own body was the sole factor preventing him from lashing out once more.
... ... Word Count: 313 Post #4 |
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Post by hydrus101 on Nov 30, 2019 20:48:20 GMT -6
S H E P H E R D• Vagabond | Harbinger •
”The phoenix must burn before it can be born again.”
Shepherd held back a slight grimace. If Cynbel wanted to make good on his threat, she reckoned he’d have to take it up with the Gods themselves.
“No, no, you are not captives here. You may come and go as you wish, but I would strongly advise against it. The desert can be dangerous at night. Especially for those who don’t know it well.”
Taking in a sigh, Shepherd stepped back and gripped her staff tightly. She knew deep down that the truth needed to come out, sooner rather than later. Delaying it would only cause trouble.
She looked up at the pair, regret already welling in her chest. “I am going to explain what happened, on the condition that you hear everything I have to say before anything else, alright?”
One last breath, and she began.
“The armies you say you were fighting...all of those troops have been dead for several hundred years. You have been dead for several hundred years.”
She launched into her next sentence, knowing they would interrupt if she didn’t. Without meaning to, her voice took on that hushed, stoic tone reserved only for children’s bedtime stories.
“The war you fought, the battles you faced, we call that time the God’s War. I don’t know what it was called back then, what your army called it, but I’m sure you both know that part of the story well enough.”
Shepherd eyes began to shift as she scrambled to piece together a retelling that didn’t include the atrocities these people had likely committed. The other kirins has all seemed to believe they had been doing the right thing, through some twisted sort of logic.
“After all the fighting, the kirin army was pushed back and the Gods had to make a choice. In the few minutes before the war was finished, Alya, Argus, and Kaia united and with their combined powers, they snuffed out every last kirin soul in an event we know as the Smothering. No kirins have walked Hireath since. We all thought they- you, were myths, until you started coming back to life.”
“They come back, out of nowhere. No indicators, no signs, just a flash of light and suddenly, there they are, lost and confused. I had only heard stories, I’d never seen it happen until...”
She gestured towards them, a finished sentence.
“Truth be told, I don’t know exactly why you’ve come back...together. The other kirins I’ve met haven’t been this way, except for one, but I can help you find out what has happened. I can even try to separate you, though it would take some time.”
WC: 439
Post: 4
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Post by Zugunruhes on Dec 8, 2019 21:26:04 GMT -6
▸Marius & Cynbel◂
Outcasts
Shepherd's words seemed to quell Cynbel, if only momentarily, as the chestnut kirin considered the predicament he was in. Bound to a stranger, in the company of a pegasus, and then surrounded by an unknown desert far from home. He would wait, listen, and then find a way for himself and the other kirin to leave and reclaim their bodies.
Marius was not lost in musings and escape plans as the other kirin was, his full attention on the pegasus before them. Any answers were welcome here, any guidance he would take. It felt shameful to ask for help, to be vulnerable and frightened, but he had already spoken all of his theories aloud and nothing was yet clear to him. He nodded at their request and listened, silently bidding Shepherd to provide all the answers he sought.
As they spoke images rushed into his mind, his senses flooded with the sights and sounds of ancient battles, and he knew with building dread that the pegasus was not lying to them. He murmured his assent allowed nodding, while Cyn's eyes narrowed and he ground one foreleg into the ground grimly, staring at the mark he cut into the sand.
"Have we truly been gone that long... our proud and noble kind remembered only as myth? We waged war to create a legacy..." Marius closed his eyes, swayed, then spoke in a quavering voice most unlike him. "I understand why we came back this way. For our failure in the war. Until we redeem ourselves this most be punishment from a divine being."
At once Cynbel let out a hostile snarl, almost closer to a whine, and stamped his hoof. "Liar! That is a lie! I was dutiful and passionate in the war and never dishonored my people. Whatever this is I take no blame for it and will not bear such remarks from you." Though the chestnut glowered at the grey kirin the older one did not take much notice and spoke aloud once more in the quiet, pleading tone to both Cynbel and Shepherd.
"It does not matter if we disagree how this came to be, as long as we vow to work together to separate ourselves." He looked directly at Shepherd then. "Can you help us- will you? We are lost here in ways I can't put to words."
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Post by hydrus101 on Jan 10, 2020 16:53:08 GMT -6
S H E P H E R D• Vagabond | Harbinger •
”The phoenix must burn before it can be born again.”
The harbinger waited quietly as Marius spoke. He had only met him but a few minutes ago and yet his heart still ached for him. Genocidal warmongers or not, Shepherd was compassionate towards others by nature. Learning that everything you had ever known was now rubble and ash would never be an easy revelation, and neither would thinking you had been punished by the gods you loved so dearly.
Shepherd, however, wasn’t convinced that this was the work of the old gods. He knew them well, and this was too odd for them, too unusual. He would pray later and ask his god if this was her doing, though he was certain he already knew the answer. What Digend intended for her to do with them was the real mystery.
Cynbel’s sudden screech of defiance pushed Shepherd’s ears back against her skull and she quickly looked up to ensure the detection field was still in place. When she looked back, Marius’s eyes were on her.
Shepherd returned his pleading gaze, golden eyes steady as ever, and dipped his head.
“Of course. I am honor-bound to assist and guide the lost, and by the looks of it, I think you two certainly qualify. I’m called Shepherd for a reason, after all.”
Her mouth opened once more then quickly shut as Shepherd’s keen eyes caught the flickering of a lantern in the distance. Someone was coming.
It wasn’t necessary to keep the duo hidden, but Shepherd found herself edging back towards the vardo regardless. What was critical, however, was keeping her blessing a secret. Knowledge would bring questions and questions would bring suspicion and suspicion would be her undoing, so with a twitch of her feathers, Shepherd broke the field.
“Please,” she said, gesturing back towards the still open door, “would you like to come in?”
WC: 309
Post: 5
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Post by Zugunruhes on Feb 8, 2020 19:13:05 GMT -6
▸Marius and Cynbel◂
WC 304 | Post Six
"I am grateful for the offer." Marius drew himself up wearily, his eyes firm and his manner composed despite the vivid memories of the war flitting through his mind. He took a step and then lurched forward, caught by the other kirin's right leg rooted firmly in the sand. Cynbel was staring back at him and for a moment he thought he saw the chestnut's mouth twitch into a pitiless smirk. How easily Marius had forgotten they were now bound- it was not his right leg to move forward. That was Cynbel's choice.
Yet the chestnut kirin looked away suddenly, his gaze hard and unreadable, and took a step forward to match Marius'. Marius amended his words in a curious tone. "That is we are grateful for the offer." Cynbel snorted but remained silent and brooding as the pair moved stiffly towards the vardo together, taking each step into consideration.
If either kirin had not awoken in their predicament they both would have refused the pegasus' hospitality coldly. Marius wore his face of dignity only to preserve some semblance of pride, but his mistrust lingered. As different as the kirins were they both perceived one need - survival. Cynbel had made no attempt to hide his ire, but a fear of the unknown kept his tongue bound temporarily.
As they entered Shepherd's home it became obvious that they had disturbed her quiet dwelling. Multiple clay and glass objects lay shattered on the floor marking the path of the kirin's flight. Yet both kirins were too distracted to notice and their eyes instead traveled all around the home, taking in sights so different from the world that they knew.
"Do you have a map?" It was the first time Cynbel spoke without yelling or hissing, though there was still something excited and greedy in his words.
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Post by hydrus101 on Feb 16, 2020 22:23:25 GMT -6
S H E P H E R D• Vagabond | Harbinger •
”The phoenix must burn before it can be born again.”
Shepherd smiled as they moved past her into the vardo, only sighing in relief once they had passed. Thank the gods they had made it easy.
Tucking her crook beneath her wing, Shepherd mounted the steps gracefully, sweeping her way into the vardo as she’d done hundreds of times before. She set the crook in the corner and pulled the door shut, suddenly taken aback by the unconscious realization that she’d invited someone else inside the vardo. It had been such a long time since she’d done so that it was strange to see the interior filled. Her fiancée had been the last one to share this space with her, she realized with an aching sadness.
The crunch beneath her hooves only worsened the sting. Kneeling down, Shepherd carefully collected the pieces of the broken cups his beloved had made and set them in a pile on the counter.
Cynbel’s relatively calm voice tugged on Shepherd’s attention and the pegasus has to stifle a surprised look.
“Yes, I do, though I’m afraid it’s not terribly detailed. Mind your tail”
Carefully dancing past the pair, Shepherd weaved around behind them to get to the space built into the frame beneath his bed. For a moment, he tensed, realizing he’d just given them an opportunity to attack, but relaxed as they remained rooted to their spot. After flipping a latch, the door slid open and the harbinger extricated a leather bound book from its depths, holding it up with a flair.
Straightening up, Shepherd flipped through the countless loose papers until he found the map. Taking his sweet time, he spread it out on the counter next to the broken cups and smoothed out the creases, moving aside once it was flat so the kirins could see.
”So you two came from Eithne, up here, and were currently in the Oasis, around here,” Shep commented, pointing to the two locations with his golden teke.
WC: 322
Post: 6
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Post by Zugunruhes on May 19, 2020 15:15:15 GMT -6
▸Marius and Cynbel◂
WC 309 | Post Seven
A shard of smashed pottery crunched under a cloven hoof as Cynbel started towards the book. He looked down indifferently and then back at the maps, while Marius' gaze lingered longer on the broken possessions. For a moment he looked as though he was going to say something, then the other kirin dragged them both forward with a jerk of his foreleg. "Look at this-" Cynbel's eyes roved across the map, resting on Eithne for a while before traveling all the way through Sirith and into Sedo. Fascination at seeing the names scrawled onto the Eithne he once knew blurred to anger.
"This world is all wrong. But that can be fixed..." His voice was low, barely audible as he studied the map. Marius was focused more intently on Sirith. "H-how.. how long would a journey through Sirith take?" The names and places of Sirith were a mystery to him. He had gone to war, he had studied the enemy's lands. Yet this map was keenly different than the ones the dragon hoplites had planned over. "Or is there a better way to get back home- through the water perhaps?" He would rather avoid bartering passage with non-kirins, but if it brought them home sooner...
In both of their minds a sensation was dawning; sunrays streaming over mountains or fog lifting from a deep forest. Their sovereign awaited them somewhere in Eithne. They could feel her pull as it settled in their chests, along with a forlorn yearning to return to her. Cynbel spoke aloud, unknowingly responding to the feeling they were both questioning.
"Our kind need us. I will not wallow away here while I sense- I know there are other kirins out there." Marius did not look Cynbel in the eye as he answered, "But not like this. I will not return until I am whole again."
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