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Post by kajeayn on Nov 12, 2019 20:10:55 GMT -6
She breathed in deeply, warm air and the distant taste of water, hooves sinking into the comforting roll of hot sand. Around her, Sedo moved on as normal, if with more water and greenery then she was used to. The sky was bright, cloudless blue, gleaming down in an endless sea above her head, ending in the bright reds and oranges of canyon walls reaching up towards the heavens. Before her, an unnatural, gleaming glass tower jutted up towards the sky like a spear aimed towards Alya herself. It stood eerily straight and flawless, and for an equine used to structures molded by wind and careful hooves, the perfectly smooth surface made her uneasy. She stood close enough to touch it but didn’t quite dare, circling it with one ear pointed towards the odd, reflecting surface. Her curiosity kept drawing her back to this tower. Danae had told her of the shaping, of the strange followers of Digend, that Alya herself had been here and had been worried for her people when the tower had been formed. She didn’t voice her concerns about it to Bellona, preferring to keep her questions about Digend to herself- a mullah did not even entertain the notion of ungods. It was unthinkable for them to even exist. And yet, the tower stood. What was this Digend? She had been reached out to, had been asked about her, and she had guided the askers back to Alya. They didn’t need anything from this chaotic ungod. They had Alya, and others besides. There was nothing someone like Digend could offer them. Everything about her made unease sing under her skin, nervousness humming in her bones like a distant drumbeat. Her ears flattened, staring at the glass. She had had to navigate several zesla in order to even get here. She wasn’t certain of their origin, but she suspected Alya had a hoof in it, for it was strange for several of them to gather in one place. It had nearly deterred her- Alya clearly didn’t want her here- but Alya had been here, and Esin had questions. She needed to see this for herself, to come investigate and see if she could learn anything of why it was here. Tentatively, she reached out, laying a hoof against the glass surface. It felt alive, somehow, the rush of water pulsing underneath her, hoof laying perfectly steady against the slippery surface. With a start, she realized that in the perfect glass, she could not see her own reflection. She had, for a moment, but it shimmered and vanished, like she was no longer there. Bile rose in her throat, and she dropped her hoof abruptly. Strange. Very strange.
post: #1 WC: 450 |
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Post by hydrus101 on Nov 23, 2019 19:08:21 GMT -6
 S H E P H E R D• Vagabond | Harbinger •
”The phoenix must burn before it can be born again.”
It had been a long while since Shepherd had last soared so effortlessly through Sedo’s skies and oh, how she had missed it. The feeling of wind on her feathers, the wild gusts that tousled her hair, the shrieking gales that pushed her higher, higher. If only she could’ve done it more often. There just simply hadn’t been time lately. Her work had grown exponentially, with Digend’s arrival to her homeland. New followers to recruit, more tasks to complete, more gifts to earn. Everything was moving along so quickly, advancing, warping, twisting, changing, all without a moments notice. Shepherd herself had changed, even if it only just a little bit. She was aware now of some sort of power within her, like a kernel or a seed, but she knew not how to make it grow. She didn’t know how to shape it, wether to douse it in light or darkness, to it water or let it be. At least, she hadn’t until the whispers had come to her, giving her directions on how to nurture the gift inside of her. She and successfully nourished one seed, and now it was time to bring another out of the soil. The second kernel was just as powerful and yet just as weak, just as strange, just as wondrous. It would take time to sharpen the second sword, but she was determined. She was ready, and to prove it, she angled her wings higher and coasted ever closer towards Digend’s glass tower.
The Serorans were afraid of the monument. They cowered under it, afraid and confused. Shepherd could not afford to let the tower remain a dark stain on her beloved landscape. She had tried already to place the tower in a better light, with help from the few cultists that wandered the desert, but there were too few of them to cover the entirety of the continent. The rumors they cultivated weren’t as persuasive as she had hoped. She and her forces were spread too thin, far too thin. Her scouts had reported a group of Zesla protecting the tower, but Shepherd knew they were not truly guarding it. They were hiding it from those few souls that sought its guidance. It wasn’t impossible to gain entry, she knew, but Shepherd could see that less emboldened souls would be easily turned away.
She had already thought about finding a way to remove the Zesla, but she bargained that their disappearance would do more harm than good. Now was not the time to make hasty decisions after all. She was here to observe, to see what could be possibly be done to help this glorious beacon shine. She had been traveling for quite some time to get here, no sense in rushing.
As she drew closer, Shepherd tilted into a wide arc around the top of the tower, examining it from every angle as she spiraled down to its base, entertaining and musing on ideas big and small. As she circled one last time, she looked down, and much to her surprise, someone was already there.
The figure shifted slightly, as if pulling away from the tower, revealing orange and blue tattoos upon her back. Shepherd’s heart leapt against her ribs.
Why was she here? A mullah, at the Tower? Horses, not to mention pious ones, usually didn’t seek out the tower unless... For a moment, Shepherd let her mind carry her away with ideas of another cultist recruit as she soared down and gently landed a few feet away from her old friend in a puff of sand.
“Esin!“ Shepherd called, tucking her wings against her back to trot up to the younger mullah with a friendly smile. “I thought I recognized you from way up there. What are you doing all the way out-“
Shepherd stopped upon seeing the uneasy look on her face. She looked like she was going to be sick. Maybe she wasn’t truly a convert, not yet, at least.
“Kiddo, what’s wrong?”
WC: 668
Post: 1
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Post by kajeayn on Nov 26, 2019 9:48:53 GMT -6
Her ears twitched, hearing the soft wisp of wind passing through feathers a moment before a familiar figure landed down lightly in the sand, sending up a cloud of dust. Her head turned, and though the whites of her eyes still showed, skin shivering nervously, her posture relaxed at once at the sight of the other mullah. Her shoulders dropped, a breath rushing out of her as her ears lifted, mouth turning in a sincere, if tense, smile. “Shepherd,” She greeted in relief. Another mullah, thank the stars, perhaps Shepherd would have some insight about this atrocity. The name kiddo made her ears flick, and she tried to stifle the immediate flash of bitterness that it produced. She was a fellow mullah, not a kid, but many older then her felt the need to remind her of her age, as if she were not aware. She took another, steadying breath, turning her head slightly to look at the tower once more, gaze flickering hesitantly over it. Unbeknownst to her, her third eye remained trained on Shepherd, unblinking.
“Does this not bother you?” She asked bluntly. Her tail flicked towards the tower, ears flattening as she gazed up at it, frowning. She made no move to approach it again, edging back another step.
post: #2 WC: #212 |
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Post by hydrus101 on Nov 30, 2019 19:54:47 GMT -6
S H E P H E R D• Vagabond | Harbinger •
”The phoenix must burn before it can be born again.”
Esin’s brash words quickly buried Shepherd’s hopes. She was definitely not a sympathizer. Time for plan b then, it seemed.
Tilting his head to the side, the harbinger followed Esin’s gaze and looked up the length of the tower, slowly and thoughtfully.
“I wouldn’t say ‘bother’ is quite the right word,” he mused.
“It’s certainly...different, that’s for sure. I’ve never seen anything like it, especially not this-“ Shepherd said and gestured at the water running upwards inside the glass. “It’s beautiful, in a way, yet unnatural at the same time...”
He let the silence hold for just a moment before looking back to Esin. They had met a few times before, though this was prior to Shepherd taking up the moth-eaten mantle of a harbinger. He had to evaluate her with new eyes now. Figuring out wether to lead her directly or from the shadows was easy, but determining how to go about it would be harder. He needed more information.
He cleared his throat quietly and dropped to a reverent tone. “You’ve heard what the people are saying, right? About this new god? About the new city in Sirith? They say she brings change, of some sort.”
WC: 203
Post: 2
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Post by kajeayn on Dec 9, 2019 1:00:10 GMT -6
Her ears pinned at the mention of the ungod. She had heard something about some going-ons in Sirith, but she knew very little about what actually happened. No one had been able to give her a straight answer, but Shepherd spoke as if he knew what was happening, and that gave her hope. She needed information. The new god was dangerous, and she had no idea how to handle this new foe, not when she had so little knowledge on it. She’d been asking people, had been scouring the library at Alhaj, but had turned up frustratingly little information. But Shepherd seemed to know a fair amount- she wondered if they were also seeking out information to combat the rumors of Digend. She felt a rush of relief that someone else was already taking steps- at least she wasn’t alone in this endeavor. And who better to teach her then a fellow mullah? Surely they would understand where she was coming from, wouldn’t judge her for wanting to know more about a god that should not exist. Something about their tone bothered her, but she couldn’t put a name to it, not yet. It slithered under her skin, a voice telling her to be on her guard, even if she wasn’t sure why, even though she counted Shepherd a friend. “I’ve heard very little,” She said cautiously, her eyes uncertain as she glanced towards Shepherd, gaze drawn back towards the tower, to the water rushing under its glass surface, the way it caught the sunlight. “...What new city?”
post: #3 WC: #258 |
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Post by hydrus101 on Jan 10, 2020 17:50:44 GMT -6
S H E P H E R D• Vagabond | Harbinger •
”The phoenix must burn before it can be born again.”
“I believe they call it Asylon,” Shepherd remarked. “but my knowledge beyond that is hazy. I’ve been told it’s a small settlement thus far, only a few hundred residents.”
Knowing she had to keep her words in check, Shepherd decided to give Esin enough information to be believable but not so much that would cause her to be suspicious. It was a balancing act she had performed time and time again on too many horses to keep track.
“They say she makes her home there among her followers, like the Gods used to, living with them and granting them blessings.”
Movement towards the top of the tower drew her eye and she looked up, watching the trickle of water as it pushed against Kaia’s gravity.
Her gaze swung back to the mullah, curious and sharp. “I’m not sure what to make of it myself, honestly. I would like to investigate further but my presence is needed here more than ever. I can’t afford to stray from the flock.”
Shep let the quiet hang for a moment before beginning a slow walk around the monument, purposefully making his movements appear cautious when all he truly wanted to do was step through the threshold into Digend’s embrace.
Gesturing towards the doorway, Shepherd looked back towards Esin. “Have you...gone inside?”
WC: 218
Post: 3
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Post by kajeayn on Jan 20, 2020 13:16:24 GMT -6
A god who walked among her followers. For a moment, just a moment, painful longing flashed over Esin’s face. The idea of Alya living amongst them as she had before was something she fantasized about, in a distant, painful way of a dream that could never be real. To know that there was an ungod out there, doing the same… it hurt in a strange way, piercing her heart like thorns. She held her tongue against correcting Shepherd from calling Serorans a flock- they were not their sheep, they were their fellow herdmates, but she didn’t dare correct a mullah older then herself, equal as she felt they were. She knew she was hardly a full mullah in the eyes of others, as much as it burned her from inside. Shepherd referring to her as kid only drove that in even more. Something prickled at the back of her mind, some sort of silent warning as she stared at the doorway Shepherd gestured to. Her ears swivelled, pointing towards the doorway and then away, only to point towards it again traitorously. “I have not.” She admitted. “I didn’t think it was… safe.” She didn’t think Alya would want her anywhere near the thing, the zesla had made her doubt she should come at all, but she had needed to see it for herself. The doorway yawned open, beckoning, and her coat stood on end.
post: 4 WC: 234 |
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Post by hydrus101 on Feb 16, 2020 23:06:56 GMT -6
S H E P H E R D• Vagabond | Harbinger •
”The phoenix must burn before it can be born again.”
“If it was truly dangerous, I’m sure Alya would’ve found a way to blast it from the face of Hireath by now,” Shepherd remarked, letting out a chuckle.
He let the laugh hang in the air for a moment before looking towards Esin in the same way a teenager would look towards his friends before doing something incredibly stupid.
“You can’t tell me you aren’t the least bit curious,” he said, a mischievous yet cautious look upon his face.
Flicking his ear towards the door, Shepherd lifted his hoof from the sand and took slow steady steps towards it, keeping himself from simply charging inside. This felt important, the crossing of a threshold, it wasn’t something to be rushed.
As Shepherd neared the border between the desert sand and the glasslike slickness of the Tower’s floor, he peered into the darkened interior, amazed at the feeling of safety and comfort emanating from it. Judging by Esin’s rippling coat, however, she didn’t feel the same way.
Taking a breath, Shepherd looked back at his companion for just a moment before he lifted his hoof and stepped into the Tower, the sound of his single,decisive step echoing softly throughout the shrine.
WC: 201
Post: 4
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Post by kajeayn on Feb 17, 2020 19:15:24 GMT -6
The warm chuckle made her relax, ears drooping from their nervous flicking. Shepherd was right- if the tower was dangerous, it would not be here in Alya’s lands. The thought made her feel better, if a little foolish- of course Alya could simply remove it if she did not want it here. Right? But still, the memory of the zesla trying to lead her astray lingered at the back of her mind as she watched Shepherd walk confidently, yet cautiously, into the tower. The mischievous look made her smile, expression still tinged with nervousness as she slowly took a step after the pegasus. She never really got the chance to do things like this growing up- her parents had encouraged her to break rules, but never with a fun, mischievous air about it. But she was safe with Shepherd, and safe in Alya’s lands. The thought brought her comfort as she carefully followed the pegasus into the tower, her ears flicking as she stepped nervously onto the solid glass floor, leaving her treasured sands behind. At once, the air feels different, charged somehow. She can’t say it’s a bad feeling, though, but her hair stands on end from the sheer force of it. It feels… safe.
Why does it feel safe? Why does she feel welcome here?The thoughts war in her mind, a silent warning against taking another step fighting against the beckoning presence luring her in. Her hooves made no sound as she walked, eyes drinking in every sight of the strange smooth glass, hearing the sound of rushing water quietly all around her, rushing endlessly up towards the top of the tower. She craned her head back, gazing up with wide eyes. Her blind third eye remains resolutely fixed on Shepherd, the rest of her gaze hungrily, guiltily taking in everything. “It’s so strange,” She whispered. “I feel… invited. Safe. Do you feel that?” She glanced towards the other mullah, shame flickering over her face. She didn’t want to feel safe here, comforted and afraid all at once, a churning storm of emotions building in her chest. Her form flickered, a strange want to teleport away, but she remained firmly in the tower.
post: 5 WC: 366 |
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Post by Dream-Lark on Mar 16, 2020 21:17:46 GMT -6
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