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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Aug 16, 2016 14:01:06 GMT -6
“Oi, don't knock yourself out on all those muscles.”
Chirin bit back another snort as he side-eyed Tem with a smile, 'Stop making me laugh, I'm trying to be serious!' he thought. He was just glad the large stallion he had run into wasn't offended..... that and he had never been bopped on the head like that before.
The voice of Fox, raised to get everyone’s attention, was his next area of focus.... after having missed half of what she said.
“There are two logical solutions- forward or backward. Backward means retracing our steps, pushing through the rocks, and possibly taking another day to get to Skeldr Town. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be stuck here overnight.”
Chirin raised a sceptical brow at the suggestion of pushing through the rocks to back-track, 'She can't be serious...'
“The other option is forward- or, I guess more accurately, downward.”
It took every ounce of Chirin's will power to not let out that excited squeak that had risen in his chest and even more effort not to smile. He looked behind him. The mountain they were on graduated into a steady slope, albeit a slightly vertical one. They could climb down that no problem.
. . . .
Well, maybe some problem. Some of the members were not exactly in the best condition for this...
He tuned out everything else Fox said afterwards, walking up to the edge of the cliff and calculating a way down that wouldn't kill him, Maple or any other horse who decided to follow him (if they did).
There were some stable-looking pieces of the bridge just below him and then there was the pile of rubble he had pulled himself from. He knew that would hold even the big stallion. It hadn't even shifted when he had used it for leverage to jump to another rock.
“Lets go.”
Fox's voice drew him out of his concentrated trance. Looking over, he could see that Tem had already started climbing down. Chirin took a moment to run through his stratagy again and, despite his efforts, let out and excited squeal. He whistled to Maple and jumped down onto a piece of bridge, then another, and another, steadily making his way over to Tem with Maple always one step behind him.
He jumped onto a flat rock that slid slightly when he moved off of it, “Don't step on this rock! If someone heavier steps on it it'll slide!”
Word Count: 414
Post #4
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Post by tarriedsea on Aug 17, 2016 11:53:41 GMT -6
Oh, to be young again.
Fox watched Chirin hop along down the mountainside, plopping his tiny hooves on stone after stone. She grinned at his enthusiasm. As if she were so much older- she was only about 10 years his senior but acted like she was elderly.
Or even just... small. She glanced over at the tiny unicorn- what was his name? Ten? Tem? He was a noisy little thing for sure. What was that thing he said about stealing Ezzie's "beau?" As if this were an appropriate place to flirt. But he was stable on the cliffside. Fox wasn't worried about him.
Speaking of the beau, she turned her head to look for Muiris. He said he'd take up the back, but if he slipped he'd come barreling into the entire group. He better not fall. I'd kill him.
And that pale mare was starting to grate on Fox's nerves. "I'm ready when you are" she'd said snottily. What did that mean? Did she think Fox WANTED to scale down a mountain? Did she think this was anyone's preferred plan for the day?
Her own feet slid slightly on the rocks. It was hard to tell what was safe and what wasn't. She was thankful for not having horseshoes- the metal on stone would be an ice-skating spree- but she wasn't accustomed to sitting on her heels and driving downward. Her knees started to ache and tremble almost immediately.
"Everyone okay?" she yelled backward. "Hope no one has vertigo."
She was fine herself, but the empty space in front and below them was dizzying. So much empty air they could tumble into with one misstep.
Fox looked to her side and suddenly saw the freckled mare. She'd been so focused on her feet, she didn't notice she'd sidled up to Nivinara. Feeling like this would be a good a time as ever for conversation (what else were they going to do, tread downward in tense silence?) Fox did what she did best and started talking.
"I haven't talked to you yet. Are you okay? You seem to be treating everyone else but I don't think anyone has asked about you." Nivi was a mother hen, tending to everyone else in a quiet and calm manner. "Do you know Chirin? You two seem to have a good rapport."
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2016 20:27:56 GMT -6
Well, shit.
He waited for the others to pass him before stepping up close to the edge, gravel crumbling under his hooves as he dipped his head down to examine the path everyone else was taking. He wasnt going to lie- the thought of trucking down into the chasm and then somehow going back up the other side scared him a little, and Muiris wasnt one who got scared easily. His shod hooves were built for power and snowy terrain, not mountain goating down the rocky side of the mountain; but this was his only way out, so he would have to suck it up and move on. Taking a deep breath, he took his first step.
It wasnt too bad at first. He tested his footing here and there with a telekinetic push to see if it was at least somewhat stable. His hooves slid here and there, but were able to find traction pretty quickly. His ears laid back against his neck as he tried to block out the conversations from below. It wasnt that he didnt want to talk to anyone, he just simply didnt want to lose his focus. One wrong step and his massive body could be falling down the side of the chasm with no way to stop. He counted his steps in the back of his mind.. 6..7..8.. to keep himself occupied. Every now and then he would pause to check on the rest of the group, making sure everyone was still in sight and not trying to kill themselves. His eyes always subconsciously wandered to Ezmeralda. Her leg still worried him slightly, as an injury like that could not be comfortable when walking down an angle such as they were. She seemed to be handling it rather well, though that didnt stop him from worrying.
Ever since he had gotten home from Valore he had been worrying. Mostly about his friends, his family, and even his herd as a whole. There was always a constant itch in the back of his mind that said, what if things go wrong? Which he would then proceed to scaring himself with all the possibilities. He didnt blame his mother's death, but he surely knew it was a factor. If he had been more worried about her, maybe he would have went for her sooner and she'd still be alive.
He stopped himself quickly, shaking the thoughts from his head and biting his lip. Now was not the time to think of that. Now was the time to get to the other side of the chasm and somehow keep himself and everyone else from meeting their rocky death at the bottom. His ears flicked as Fox called back to check on them, but he didnt reply. He had to focus. 11..12..13.. he went back to counting his steps. One at a time.
It was then, when he was actually feeling confident, that his hooves decided to give him a reality check. The rock beneath his step slipped, catching the stallion in surprise and sending him sliding down several feet before suddenly catching traction once more. He nearly toppled over from the sudden stop, rock debris and pebbles sliding down the path before him from his slide. The stallion let out a large breath, just realizing that he had been holding it the whole time. His heart raced against his chest, his eyes wide as he looked back down to his hooves for another place to step. His knees trembled as he regained his balance and took to continuing on his way. He did not sign up for this.
Word Count: 606 | Post #4
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Post by moontiger456 on Aug 19, 2016 13:46:04 GMT -6
Nivinara
[ War-Forged | Medic ]
Nivinara sighed softly as she watched her last patient wander off, bandaged and doing fine for now. Hopefully those mends would hold until they got to the other side. She wasn't looking forward to this trip down the cliff, especially now with the mountain so unstable. If they weren't careful they could trigger another avalanche or fall to their deaths. "Careful Chirin," Her own panic over the situation wasn't helping any when she saw her patients try their luck with rocky trail they were heading down. Chirin just made it worse as he, in almost childlike excitement, seemed to just wobble down the path as quickly as his injured leg would let him. This was so nerve wracking to watch. She didn't like her patients being in such a dangerous situation, but there was nothing she could do about it. For it was either walk down the cliff and try and reach the other side or stay here with the possibility of even more dangers to get them. At least he was heading towards Tem, and Ezmeralda was taking it nice and easy so that was a relief. Now she should probably follow... Nivinara stepped up to the edge, and gaze down past the horses and into the drop below and she felt her heart rate increase, the memory of being trapped under rock and snow still fresh in her mind. Only when someone spoke to her did she come to her senses and look up to see Fox standing beside her, "I'll be fine. Besides my patients always come before myself," That was her firm belief anyway. She didn't know how other medics would feel about that but she personally believed that no matter what her patients survival was more important than her own. They had so much to offer the herd after all... "I do, but not personally. I tend to his Apana from time to time." And now they seemed to have this odd affinity for getting into dangerous situations together. "I suppose this isn't the first time we've been in a dangerous situation before either." She added with a loop-sided smile, trying to make light of it, but probably failing at it. She was panicking and her patients were getting to far away from her for her comfort, "Well here goes nothing..." She muttered, more so to herself then Fox, and nervously tested her footing on the rocks before slowly following the others.
Word Count: 412
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Post by BlueUnicornJ13 on Aug 24, 2016 13:08:14 GMT -6
Ezmeralda | War-Forged | Herder
Ezmeralda's head turned up from watching her footing on the nearly-vertical cliff to watch as the young colt, Chirin, and his canine companion traveled over the rocks fearlessly. He was like a mountain goat, hopping from one boulder to the next. It worried her for a minute to see how easily he could get too far ahead of them and be out of reach if he did slip, but as he continued downward, it was evident that he was confident in his skills. Being a herder himself, he was probably just as used to doing this occasionally just like she was. Not that the little experience she had with this kind of climbing was making her feel anymore comfortable. She was distracted from the onslaught of anxiety though when Tem spoke. "Be careful, Ez! I'm stealing your beau otherwise!" Ezmeralda nearly fell to the ground after losing focus on limping as his words hit her, but she simply chuckled back to him. "Y-you be careful too, Tem."
She limped along on the bigger pieces of rubble that she could find, not trusting herself to wander onto more unsteady ground. Thankfully, the broken pieces of the bridge provided some nice, sort-of flat surfaces to walk on. Of course, the going was still difficult. Most of the rocks that made up the cliff had only small footholds, and with hooves as large as hers (along with some of the bigger horses of their group) it was hard to find good places to put her hooves. She used her long tail to keep her balance, waving it back and forth as she felt her balance shift with each step she took downwards. Her heart raced in her chest, and sweat was already forming on her pelt. The cool wind kept her from becoming excessively hot, but it was a worrisome reminder of how cold it would be out here if they were stuck on the side of the mountain over night.
Her head whipped to the side as she heard the dreadful sound of hooves sliding on loose gravel, and she turned behind her to see the horrifying sight of Muiris sliding down the cliff. Her heart clenched in her chest, and she nearly slipped herself as she turned to try and help him. Before she even got a chance to breath, he had caught himself, gaining the traction that he needed to stay upright. Her green eyes were wide with fear when she finally gained enough control over her emotions to speak, "Muiris, a-are you okay?" The herder asked him, concern etched on her face. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all. If no one made it to the bottom of the chasm alive, they might as well not do it at all.
It was too late now though. They had already started this descent, and it would be much harder climbing up rather than down. Taking a deep breath, Ezmeralda let it out in a nervous sigh. "P-please be careful." She spoke to him before continuing to find a steady path downwards. Her tone wasn't condescending. Instead her words came out more as a plea. She didn't know if she could continue if Muiris or anyone in there group were to get injured... or worse.
Word Count: 546 | Post #5
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Post by arcanamajor on Aug 25, 2016 8:21:33 GMT -6
Tem | Herder
Tem had a lot of experience with scaling down mountains - his flock was the type to find the nearest crevice and plunge down it, the cretins - but it didn't make it any less scary. He was at the front of the group, testing rocks with shaky hooves and bouncing occasionally to make sure it'd be able to hold heavier equines. It meant he'd be the first to drop through holes and if any of his herd mates slipped they'd likely push him down too. It made him nervous, but he tried not to show it and kept up a constant chatter.
"Careful about this bit here!" he called. "There's lots of loose stone. Don't let it sweep you down the mountain side. Oh, and this rock wobbles like crazy but can hold your weight, I think."
Chirin, looking every bit a mountain goat, seemed to have less of an issue with it. He was jumping, for one, and looking rather pleased with the situation. It made Tem glance back at him every so often, hoping he wouldn't fall. He hoped none of them would, of course, but Chirin was their youngest and he felt protective. It was a weird sensation.
Fox was talking to them, but Tem just looked ahead. If he was going to lead them, he needed to focus. And not get distracted, even if behind him he heard something heavy - Muiris? - stumble and knock aside some rocks. The small stallion held his breath, ears pressed to his neck, but breathed a sigh of relief when nothing came else happened. It seemed the large stallion had regained his footing.
"Careful, big guy!" he called back, but didn't look. He was looking at his hooves, after all. "I'm very fond of you, but I don't think I could keep you from falling if it came down to it. Even my passion is not that strong."
As he moved along, he thought it was going rather well, actually. The bridge had been made of solid rock, so the pieces that had dropped down were still pretty sturdy. Yes, the sides were a bit brittle, but the walking was still going better than expected. And his legs weren't aching half as much as he'd expected.
It was when he paused to gauge the distance to the canyon's floor that he heard it. A small rumble, from behind them. This time Tem did look and his eyes grew large when he saw a lone rock pick up speed as it tumbled down the mountainside. Something had dislodged it. Maybe a breeze, maybe a careless step. It wasn't big, but its edges were sharp and it was was coming right for the equines at the back.
"Watch out!" he cried, but knew they wouldn't be able to move in time. The rock fell and fell, nudging other rocks along with it as it created a downpour. He turned swiftly.
"Watch out!!" he bellowed again, his blessing flaring and rippling the air. Just the edge of it hit the large rock that had been about to hit his friends and the push caused it to change direction and careen towards the other side of the canyon. It spun wildly, but Tem soon lost interest in it, because his call had dislodged more rocks and the rumble grew louder.
"Oh no," he breathed, before he dodged to the side.
It looked like the mountain was coming down on top of them.
Words: 580
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Post by tarriedsea on Aug 29, 2016 14:42:36 GMT -6
Holy shit.
If the surprise of an ear-busting boom exploding from Tem wasn't enough, she felt the inklings of what was about to happen almost immediately. The mountain was going to crumble- again.
"Hold on!" she screamed. The ground beneath her hooves started to shudder, bouncing pebbles and dirt. A low groan rose from above them, like Kaia herself was moaning for the cliff's demise. The noise was low and deafening, making her ears feel like they were full of cotton.
She looked upward. "MUIRIS!" She preferred not losing any of the group today, but her heart shot toward her non-biological brother. Sweet Muiris who was already unsteady on the steep decline. One hit and he could lose his balance altogether.
The shaking grew. Fox squeezed her eyes shut, flattened her ears, and pressed herself longways against the mountainside. Thank Kaia for bare feet and a steady grip.
She could feel dust and dirt shower her, and she lowered her head underneath to protect her face from falling rocks. A few small ones slammed onto her back, but the largest ones were in free-fall & skipped down without touching her.
The land was roaring, roaring with demise and destruction. She loved Onea. She loved its mountains. But the risks that were always held precariously in the back of her mind were now literally falling down on top of her.
A large stone bounced off her withers and she staggered, one forehoof slipping. She scrambled to get back into balance.
What had she done?
Leading everyone downward when they had literally just witnessed the fragility of stone crumbling into the chasm. Leading everyone to their deaths, apparently. Good job, Fox. You'll never be tasked with any Scouting again, after losing numbers like this & proving your ineptitude for logical decisions.
It seemed like hours, but finally she sensed the avalanche slowing down. Even when it was quiet, she waited a few seconds before opening her eyes and lifting her head.
Dust was everywhere. She could barely make out the forms of those around her. She coughed hard, her whole body spasming. She could feel dust coating her fur like an additional pelt.
"Who's here?" she called hoarsely. Figures started to become identifiable around her. Muiris, Ezmeralda, Tem...
And that was it.
The speckled mare Nivinara, the pale mare Sativa, and... and....
The kid. Chirin. They were gone. Claimed by the avalanche.
"No..... no...."
What had she done.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2016 18:01:45 GMT -6
The stallion found himself pausing when Ezmeralda spoke to him, his ears flicking forward as a lopsided grin played across his lips. "Im fine." He replied, his now short, tied up tail flicking behind him. "I'll try." He added in response to her asking him to be careful. He was trying his hardest, but his hooves were already punishing him. Sweat lined his dark neck and tense haunches. Luckily he had been trained to endure fighting through pain and exhaustion, or he'd already be at the bottom of the mountain.. and not in a safe way either. His ears flicked to the side with uncertainty as Tem's peppy voice called back to him. His muzzle twitched as he tried to think of a way to respond, but found himself dipping his head with warmth crawling across his cheeks.
Then he felt a rumble beneath his hooves. Tem's shout had bounced rocks away from the group, but sent several more tumbling their way. His heart stopped at the sound of Fox's scream, his eyes widening as he sought her out among their group. "Fox-" He shouted back, but was cut off quickly by the rain of dust and debris. Another avalanche came rolling down at them once more. Muiris tucked his muzzle against his chest, pressing himself up against the side of the chasm as narrowed eyes stared down the path. He could hardly see a few feet in front of him, but he knew Ezmeralda was only a few steps ahead.
With shaky legs, he tried to take a step forward. The ground roared beneath him, the tremors making him slip.
What had once been ground beneath him was now naught.
His panic had sent off a trigger that he had worked on during his trip back from Valore. Multiple attempts to meld the Earth always ended in failure. He often focused to much, stabbing trees or nearly himself with spikes that he somehow made merge from the ground. Thank Kaia above for giving him a sense to act under pressure, as his blessing was suddenly activated and a jagged spear of Earth suddenly jutted out beneath him, just large enough to catch his large form before he went tumbling down the mountain. The stallion found himself frozen, his breath wild and eyes wide as his hooves laid sprawled out before him.
He quickly scrambled back to his feet, shoving himself back up against the side of the mountain and closing his eyes. An ache ebbed in his side where he had fallen, his lungs burning from the dust. Blood dripped from a scuff on his knee and burned with just a brush of air.
But he was still alive.
After what felt like an eternity, the avalanche slowed. The dust slowly cleared, revealing sooty equine below him on the path.
Their group now only consisted of four.
Muiris coughed hard, his lungs aching as he spit dust from his mouth and shook soot from his coat. "Fox, we need to keep going! They will be fine, the kid is basically a mountain goat." He called out, his voice hoarse and scratchy. A glance to the side showed the pile of rubble from the avalanche, his heart skipping a beat as he realized that was probably where the remaining members of their team was doomed to. However, his Raider blood didnt allow him to waste time on thinking about the what-ifs. If any of them wanted to survive this, they had to press on. His gaze shifted between Tem and Ezmeralda, hovering on the painted mare before he glanced back toward his sister. He could see the terrified look in her eyes.
He wanted to get down to be by her side, but a shift of his lined hooves threatened another slip again. He stayed where he was, a light breeze brushing against his dirty coat.
The silence after an avalanche was always deafening.
Word Count: 654 | Post #5
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Post by BlueUnicornJ13 on Aug 31, 2016 12:29:58 GMT -6
Ezmeralda | War-Forged | Herder
Ezmeralda limped along the best that she could though it felt like she was moving nowhere in her attempts to move further down the mountain without tipping over. Her wounded leg throbbed from the effort she had already exerted on it, and they were nowhere near the bottom of the cliff. Thank the gods she had persuaded her younger sister not to join her on this mission. She was safe and taking care of their flock which was a comforting thing to think about as she forced herself to continue on. ‘Just a little bit further. We’ll be down at the bottom of the mountain and on the way to safety in no time.’ She tried to reassure herself, and for a moment, it was working. Her anxiety had subsided, and she focused solely on where she was placing her hooves. Just as soon as she was calm though, the earth erupted from underneath her.
She heard Tem’s warning first and looked up to see the massive boulder heading toward them. Her muscles were frozen in place, and her entire body locked up in fear. Her ears folded down against her neck at the piercing sound of Tem’s gift as his voice changed the boulder’s route toward them. For a split second, Ezmeralda breathed a sigh of relief. Thankful that they had narrowly made it out of harm’s way, but that was when she heard the deafening roar of an avalanche. Her green eyes widened in terror at the sight of the thousands of pounds of rock that was cascading toward them. Smaller rocks began to hit her, creating more cuts and bruises on her pelt, and yet she was frozen still. Where was she supposed to go? Ezmeralda took a deep breath and clamped her eyes shut. There was no way out of this. This was how she was going to die: just like her parents. She would know the pain that they had endured and be reunited with them as well as the earth goddess herself.
A large boulder knocked her off her hooves, and it sent her toppling over several feet before she landed on a large flat piece of the crumpled bridge, knocking the wind from her lungs. The paint mare wheezed and sucked air into her lungs in a desperate attempt to regain her composure as she laid in the rubble. The sounds of her gasps seemed to echo around her, and she slowly lifted her head to see that the avalanche had stopped. The world it had left them in was chaotic, and the fear on everyone’s faces was evident.
"Who's here?"
She heard Fox call out to them in a hoarse tone, and Ezmeralda wheezed again before attempting to answer, “I-i-i’m…. here…” The Herder said between gasps. The unicorn mare rose on shaky legs, her entire body aching with each breath she took, to look around at the remains of their group. ‘Oh no…’ She thought as tears stung her eyes. Chirin, Nivinara, and Sativa were gone. The avalanche had taken them.
Ezmeralda looked up to where she heard Muiris telling Fox that they needed to keep moving and reassuring their leader that their missing members were fine. It was comforting to at least imagine that they were okay, but from her past experiences with these deadly forces, she could only assume the worst…
The quiet sound of the wind around them was the only thing that could be heard, and it gave her enough comfort that the avalanche was truly over to attempt to regain her strength and move on. Her entire body shook like a leaf in the wind, but she gave the remainder of her team a slight nod of her head that may have been mistaken as a tremble. They needed to find the rest of their group and get off this mountain.
Word Count: 650 | Post #6
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Sept 1, 2016 0:43:51 GMT -6
As Chirin steadily made his way towards Tem, he made sure to keep tabs on the others in his group. The stallion he had bumped into earlier, Muiris, seemed to be having a bit of difficulty keeping his footing on the rocks. Who could blame him with hooves that big though. Fox and Nivinara were talking, what about, Chirin had no idea.
Ezmerelda was slowly but surely making her way down as well, however, it looked like her leg was causing her some problems. Chirin could sympathize with that. Despite trying not to complain like a whining child, he couldn't lie that his own leg was killing him. Not only that, but he could feel a few bruised ribs now and other minor scuffs and scratches here and there that stung from all the rock dust collected on his fluff.
'Well, at least nothing is broken.' he though to himself. Leaping to a large rock in front of him, he stalled when Maple started whining. Chirin turned around to look at her, ears pricked, “What is it girl?” he asked.
Maple wasn't looking at him, but was looking down the mountain side, her nose twitching as she smelled the air. The roan colt gave her a puzzled look, following her gaze. There was nothing down there that he could see or hear, but then again. Maples sense of hearing and smell were better than his, so there must be something down there that was attracting her attention.
That attention was quickly diverted by a deep rumbling sound, like distant thunder. Chirin noticed Maples hackles raise as the small dog started barking desperately at the mountain behind them.
“Watch out!”
Tem's cry drew Chirin's focus away from Maple and her constant barking. He watched in shock as a smaller jagged boulder tumbled down the cliff, heading straight for the horses farther behind, dislodging several other rocks as it fell.
“WATCH OUT!!”
The colt startled at the loudness of Tem's voice, the intensity of the shout causing his ears to ring. 'What on Kaia's green Earth was that?'
Re-focusing on the runaway rock, Chirin was glad to see it be knocked out of the way by the force of Tem's voice.
For like, a second.
That extremely brief pang of relief was soon torn to shreds the moment the rock slide started. Rocks of every size and horrible shape were rushing towards them at a blinding speed. Maple's barks became less purposeful and more terrified. No longer were they strong and defensive, but now they were more like squeals of horror. The ginger dog darted back and forth, spinning in circles. She wanted to run, but refused to leave the colt's side. He needed to run, but wasn't.
What the hell, dude!?
They NEED TO RUN! Maple could sense that he was in shock, that he was panicking, to afraid to move as the rocks just kept getting closer. Lunging forward, she bit hard at the end of Chirin's tale, snapping the colt out of his daze, “Maple, what-!?' the dog pulled with all the strength she had in her, hauling him down. Chirin's back hooves slipped off the rock he had been standing on.
He fell backwards, hitting the ground hard, sliding and rolling down the side of the mountain, just as a wave to rubble consumed where he once stood. Soon there were sharp rocks all around him, cutting into his hide and burying him all at the same time.
He felt his stomach drop as the feeling of solid ground left him. Apparently there had been a ledge that they hadn't seen from the top of the pass. He couldn't see. Whether there was too much dust or if he was keeping his eyes closed, he didn't know. He hit the ground again a few seconds later, the wind forced from his lungs. He could feel the rocks begin to slow in their dissent, and could hear the rush of water.
Just as the rocks were stopping, piling in the river he was now just feet above, there was a sharp pain to the back of his head as one final stray rock hammered him.
Chirin's world went black.
Word Count: 700
Post #5
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Post by moontiger456 on Sept 2, 2016 10:12:48 GMT -6
Nivinara
[ War-Forged | Medic ]
Everything seemed to be going okay so far, but in the medic's mind she was having a mild break down. Nivinara was trying her hardest not to have a panic attack during their walk down into the ravine, but it was incredibly hard to with her memory of her own incident with an avalanche playing in her mind. Not to mention the times when some horse would stumble momentarily sending the poor mare's mind into a tizzy of worry. But they recovered just fine and she forced herself to focus on making sure she didn't tumble down the mountain side. She was slowly but surely catching up to the others before her, cautiously placing one hoof in front of the other and testing each step before she took it. It was incredibly slow but it was better to be safe then sorry. Of course no matter how many careful and calculated steps she took it could never prepare her for what was about to happen. The mountain groaned again. She froze immediately, only to jump back, startled by the sudden booming voice that came from Tem. And all at once the mountain was upon them again and Nivinara's own mistake of moving backwards caused the ground beneath her to become unstable, added in with the shaking of the earth around them and the ground gave way. A startled cry left her as she fell, and all that bottled up panic immediately came rushing forward as she slipped and tumbled down the mountain side. She could feel the pain of rocks cutting her skin and bruising her, but in the moment of pure shock from the fear and pain she was in she didn't even seem to notice when she had stopped rolling and had hit solid ground. The breathe had been knocked out of her the moment she hit the ground but she wasn't able to move. Everything was a daze, her vision was blurred and her hearing was faint. Her body was tense and frozen where she landed, at the moment she was too far gone into a shock induced state to do much of anything but lay there, trying catch her breath and not slip into unconsciousness.
Word Count: 369
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Sativa
Nebula
War-Forged
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Post by Sativa on Sept 7, 2016 9:45:56 GMT -6
The dunalino mare rolled her eyes as she started following the rest of the group down the mountain side, or like she would have worded it - on a straight path to imminent death. What the fuck were they thinking? At this point she had given up hope when it came to her group leader making any rational decisions, and she could at least take comfort in that none of their deaths would be her own fault. As the massive stallion started clumsily sliding down the mountain, she took a step backwards and waited for him to find his balance before she went down behind him. She'd rather not get dragged down the brae by cause of his colossal hooves turning the mountain into gravel. She knew that if she was on her own, stranded up there, then she would've done exactly this. In theory it wasn't a bad idea, but looking at the herd... It was. Sativa was about as agile as an apana mixed with a mountain goat, and her frame was light with small rounded hooves. Climbing was one of her biggest talents, and it wasn't something she was the slightest bit worried about. Some of the equines of the group seemed quite well equipped to deal with this sort of thing as well. If it had just been herself, Chirin, Tem and Fox... Maybe it had been fine? Perhaps they wouldn't even had wrecked the bridge in the first place. It was mostly the draft horses of the group that made her question their abilities as a team.
Fox was talking to the other medic, but Sativa could only make out a small sentence by reading their lips. Besides my patients always come before myself. Really? She would never admit it, or say it out loud, but for a medic to say something like that made her doubt the fact that someone even let her become one in the first place. As medics, it is their duty to look after and help any and all injured herd members. And if they were to die, they wouldn't be able to help much at all, would they? Though she was fairly certain that if the group somehow were to end up in a situation where they were to choose between herself and Chirin - who lives and who dies - they would probably pick Chirin. He was fluffy and lovable and, not to mention, a child. He was an orphan herder, right? So who would be more of an asset to the group - a medic or a child? Some would probably consider her crude for even thinking this, but it was true.
All of a sudden the small unicorn stallion swiftly turned around and he was clearly shouting, thus awakening Sativa from her bitter thoughts. His face was dramatic, and she realised what was going down. If she hadn't been deaf, she would've heard it by now. She raised her muzzle towards the sky and quickly spotted the sharp boulder - heading straight towards her. Her front hooves immediately left the ground and her back hooves propelled her upward and to the side. A piercing pain shot through her head and down her neck as she landed again. As she looked back up to see if she had avoided the rock or needed to continue moving, she saw that Tem had appeared to somehow changed the direction that the rock was heading. From the looks of it, it was probably a sonic voice. He obviously meant well, but who in their right mind would use a sonic voice in this kind of situation? In this location right after an avalanche?
She could tell by the look on his face that the danger was not over, and she could soon feel the vibrations in the ground below her. Suddenly, the ground was no longer ground - and everything appeared to be loose rocks just flying through the air. The pale mare was agile when she had something to stand on, even if it was just a thin log, but now when there was nothing she was just as bad off as anyone else. A couple of minutes passed, but they felt like hours. It was a struggle to stay upright, move, avoid the falling rocks, and not die. But she made it. "Fuck you, gravity." She mumbled, as to not trigger another disaster. She must have slid down at least 50 meters, and no one else was in sight as the dust was yet again starting to settle. With nothing to lose, she started to slowly climb back up in order to maybe find the others. When she was approximately halfway up, she had to stop for a minute and let her head rest. A concussion was not something to be taken lightly, but in this very situation she wasn't really able to just lay down and await a rescue team. Right now, she was the damn rescue team. What if someone up there was badly injured? They needed a medic, and she wasn't gonna ignore her duties and ditch them, even though that would've been a million times easier. She knew she had to make an effort to be a team player. She was a member of the War-Forged now, not a lone vagabond. Sativa looked up and narrowed her eyes. She snorted loudly and a cloud of dust emerged from within her. This was no time to just stand around, she needed to continue moving upwards.
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Post by tarriedsea on Sept 7, 2016 11:21:00 GMT -6
Catching her breath, Fox assessed the bodies around her. Muiris was sprawled comically on a crag of rock, and Fox furrowed her brow. She had just come down that path, and that- that wasn't there before.
"Muiris, what.. did you-" her voice was cut off by Ezzie's meek confirmation that she was alive. Fox turned to her and brushed off Muiris's mysterious foothold. For now.
"I'm sure Chirin will be fine," she snapped. "It's the others I'm worried about."
She stretched her neck over the edge. What could she do, though? If they were at the bottom, she could only move forward one step at a time anyway.
Anytime Kell wants to come back, that would be great. She couldn't see the mare from her vantage point, up on the other side of the chasm, but certainly she heard the commotion.
Fox looked back. Ezmeralda was shaking like a leaf. Muiris looked uncertain.
She swallowed hard. Muiris was right. They had to just keep going. She clenched her teeth, steeling herself against the pessimistic thoughts of the death of her group mates.
"All right. We keep going." Was she crazy at this point? Probably.
"CHIRIN!" she yelled out, before realizing that another loud sound was probably not a good idea. She turned back to her group. "Sorry. I'll be quieter."
"Sativa! Nivinara!" Her voice was low, not loud, and carried down the chasm walls, sweeping along with the breeze.
She planted another pale foot forward. She wondered if Kaia would be so gracious to grant her another blessing in this predicament. Like teleportation, or a spontaneous sprouting of wings. She looked up at the sky. Kaia, want to help a mare out here? Seconds passed, and the only sound was a hawk crying in the distance and the low whoosh of wind. Was worth a shot.
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Post by arcanamajor on Sept 11, 2016 14:30:51 GMT -6
Tem | Herder
He'd killed them. He'd killed them all. Maybe he should have let those few get hit so this wouldn't have happened. They wouldn't now all die. Tem watched for several seconds as the mountain crumbled above them, raining down debris towards them. Then, heart thudding, he threw himself to the side and underneath a solid overhang of rock. He gathered his limbs together, then closed his eyes. Either he'd die, or the small hole he was in would save him. There was nothing else he could do.
He could hear the others shouting - Fox, voice panicked for Muiris, and the large stallion's worried reply - and it made him want to call back. He couldn't, because he had no idea if he could control his blessing, stressed and afraid as he was. So he just flattened his ears, hoping to stifle the roar of the falling rocks. What if he'd just killed them all? Little Chirin, young life cut short? Ez, his friend, whose family he'd already disappointed once. All the others, just because they'd made the mistake of asking him along?
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"
It wouldn't do anyone any good, though, and as rocks engulfed his little hiding place, his words ran out.
It took a while for the rumbling and moving to stop. At first Tem thought he was imagining it. That maybe he'd blacked out. He felt rocks on his legs, though, and the scraping of pebbles cutting into his skin. He was alive.
The world around him had grown quiet. He groaned as he moved his limbs, one at a time, and started pushing. He dislodged the bulk of them, then kicked for the rocks that he knew obscured the open air. After a few solid knocks, he could see blue. At least the sky was still there.
He crawled out and got to his hooves, looking around frantically. Where were the others? Did anyone make it?
"Who's here?" someone called out and Tem almost started crying when he realized Fox had survived. Muiris answered as well, urging them to continue. Tem wasn't sure he could.
"I'm...I'm here," he stuttered, tripping over rocks as he made his way towards them. He felt terrible. Seeing Ezmeralda, though, alive and well, helped him feel a bit better.
"Ez! You okay?"
Fox started a frantic search for the others and though Tem still felt like crying, he had to plaster on a brave face. He was agile and he was quick, so he'd be able to find the others easier than some of his heavier comrades. He made his way across the rubble and listened intently for noise. They had to find them!
"I'm sorry," he whispered again, this time to his friends who he might have buried alive.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2016 0:54:40 GMT -6
The stallion's eyes immediately sought out Ezmeralda's when he heard her voice croak out among the settling dust. He felt his chest clench at the sight of the rising tears in her eyes, his ears swiveling to the side as he offered a reassuring smile. He was about to speak, give her words of encouragement at least, but Tem had spoken up.. Tem..
His head swiveled as he turned back to look at the smaller stallion, his lips forming in a lopsided grin. Despite how many times the cheeky stallion had managed to fluster him in that day alone, Muiris felt sympathetic toward his troubles. Muiris himself was no stranger to trying to help and only making matters worse..
"It's not your fault, Tem." He replied to his quiet apology. "Kaia's mountains are fickle things." He continued as his shod hooves started carefully picking their way down the path, now scattered with rubble and rocks from the avalanche. His lip twitched as he caught himself mentioning the Earth goddess most of their herd followed, the name feeling foreign on his tongue. His gaze drifted back to the flat spike he had made shoot horizontally from the side of the mountain to save himself from a rather bumpy death, his brow knitting together with a small hum briefing his lips.
So strange.
His ears flicked at the sound of Fox calling for their lost companions, almost wincing every time her voice bounced off the rocks around them. Fox please.. Almost as if she had heard his thoughts, she quieted down, a low tone rumbling across the rubble in hopes that their fallen group would hear. It was unlikely, but it was worth a shot.
His hooves slid in place as he tried to stop upon reaching where his painted friend had fallen, catching traction just before he ended up off the trail with her. That was the last thing he needed. "Are you okay, Ezzie?" He asked softly, the soft lumbering breeze playing with his hair that had shaken loose from its tie. He noticed the broken rubble of the bridge beneath her, turning to glance back up the trail they had already hiked down. They had made it further than he expected, and just the thought of that lifted his spirits ever so slightly. He turned his attention back to his friend, waiting to move until she responded or tried to get back up, ready to help if he had to. Not that he knew how he was going to help, other than maybe making some hoof holds.
If he could even figure out how to do that again.
Word Count: 439 | Post #6
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Post by BlueUnicornJ13 on Sept 12, 2016 13:54:59 GMT -6
Ezmeralda | War-Forged | Herder
The herder closed her eyes and took deep breaths through her nostrils, slowly exhaling them out of her mouth just like her mother had shown her to do whenever she felt overwhelmed and close to a mental breakdown, which was the last thing she needed to be doing right now. With all of the stress and adrenaline pumping through her veins, she was surprised that her blessing hadn't gone out of control... yet anyways. It was times like these that she almost wished Kaia hadn't gifted her at birth with the ability to draw in animals with only her mind. It seemed that it was more of a hassle than a blessing having to control her emotions so cougars and eagles didn't end up descending and attacking them when she was so easily stressed out to begin with. But, as her mother had put it, 'It's a blessing in disguise. Kaia herself knew you could handle this gift. You just have to learn to believe in yourself. That's when you'll learn to control your gift.'
Ezmeralda opened her eyes when she heard Tem and, soon after, Muiris asked her if she were okay. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise seeing Muiris so close after not hearing him climb down from the jagged outcropping he had been on. 'When had that gotten there?' She thought quickly before shaking her head. It was probably just a piece of rock that the avalanche had stirred up and had, thankfully, caught Muiris and prevented him from ending up wherever the others might be. "I-I'll be okay. I just kind of hurt... everywhere." She stuttered out, her voice even shakier than usual. She tensed the muscles in her legs in attempt to keep them from quivering after her traumatic fall. Thankfully though it had only shaken her up rather than do any more real damage. It was bad enough that her leg was injured and possibly fractured. She'd definitely slow the group down if they had to carry her the rest of the way down. "Are you alright, Mui?" Ezmeralda asked worriedly, unsure whether he had only suffered surface wounds from all of the battering they had taken on this journey or if he was actually hiding more serious injuries from the rest of them.
Her head turned toward her friend, Tem, as she caught his soft whispers in the wind, and she felt a pang of sorrow for him. He probably felt like this was all his doing after having used his sonic voice to save them from being hit by a loose boulder. Ezmeralda opened her mouth to assure him that none of this was his fault when Muiris spoke before her. 'Kaia's mountains are fickle things.' He had spoken, and the paint mare looked over to him curiously. The corners of her lips couldn't help but turn up in a slight smile as she noticed how he said the earth goddess's name with such ease and confidence, as if he knew for certain that she existed and had such power as to control the mountains. It was very unlike how he had talked about her when the two of them had discussed Ezmeralda's blessing and made her thing that maybe something had happened that had changed his mind about the gods' existence.
"It's alright, Tem. Muiris is right. The mountain is unstable, and I-I'm sure the others are okay." She offered him a reassuring smile before attempting to move her sore body further down the mountain. Her ears flattened as Fox shouted for the others in their group, and Ezmeralda shot her an anxious look as she slowly followed her further down the mountainside. "M-maybe the others were able to run ahead or out of the way of the avalanche and are further down?" Ezmeralda tried to offer hope. Though from her past experience with these kinds of avalanches, she wasn't too optimistic about their friends' whereabouts.
Word Count: 653 | Post #7 |
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Post by moontiger456 on Sept 15, 2016 9:30:43 GMT -6
Nivinara
[ War-Forged | Medic ]
It seemed to take forever before her mind finally cleared and her breath evened out, but as her pain and panic seemed to slowly fade she was able to finally move. At first she only moved her head to see her surroundings and caught sight of Chirin laying un-moving not to far from her. Nivinara whined softly in worry and made an attempt at standing. It hurt to move, she was battered and beaten from the fall and her cuts and scrapes burned from all the dirt and dust that managed to get into them. Pebbles tumbled off her flank as she slowly stood, taking a moment to reassure herself that, yes, she was standing, before she moved forward to inspect Chirin's fallen form. "Chirin..?" She called gently, growing ever more nervous when he didn't respond. The back of his head was bleeding slightly and when she touched his neck she could feel a pulse. He was alive, just unconscious. A stray rock must have hit him during the fall, but besides this and his leg she didn't see much else wrong, but she could never be sure until he told her himself. She decided it was best to treat his head wound first but upon reaching for her saddle bag, she had come to find that it was gone. It must have fallen off during her fall. Now she was worried. She didn't have medical supplies, she couldn't see anyone else and Chirin was unconscious. Speaking of the others. Did they make it? Who else fell? Who did they lose..? Nivinara suddenly perked up when she heard voices and she clearly heard her name being called along with Chirin's and Sativa. It sounded like Fox! And she could hear other muffled voices from above as well. They were okay! At least most of them were, "Fox!" The medic called back, trying to be loud enough for the mare to hear, but not loud enough to start another avalanche. "Fox, I'm here! I'm with Chirin but he's unconscious and I've appeared to have lost my medical supplies."
Word Count: 353
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Sativa
Nebula
War-Forged
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Post by Sativa on Sept 18, 2016 10:55:12 GMT -6
As she was hopping along on her way up the mountain - for some dumb reason, apparently she was considerate enough to want to check on the others - she stopped every now and then to cough. The dust was still in the air, even though it had settled enough to make her vision fairly clear. This time she had to really stop, not just wait mid-step. She put all hooves down to stabilize her stance, and coughed for real. Suddenly the grimy earth below her hooves were stained with bright red blood. Was she injured? Or did she inhale something? The mare did a quick scan of herself to check for injuries, and found a large bruise on the right side of her ribcage. Perhaps the adrenaline that was pumping through her veins had concealed the pain? The moment she laid eyes on the injury, it started to hurt. She continued coughing and the ground was stained with a little more blood. She hadn't gotten very far along in her apprenticeship, but her main suspicion was a broken rib. It could explain the blood. Either way - there was nothing she could do about a broken rib right now, and in case this was a serious injury that made it even more important to find the rest of the group. Sativa braced herself and continued up the mountain, but in a slightly slower and more careful manner.
After a few minutes she spotted a chestnut coat among the vastness of the rocky landscape. Was that Fox? She made a weak attempt at contact. "Fox...? Is that..." she coughed. "Is that you?" She hopped a little further and her bright blue eyes found Tem. A faint smile spread across her face, she was happy to see him alive. The two drafts were there as well, but she didn't really find that meaningful. But where was Chirin? And Nivinara? Was she the only medic present? Seriously? The only medic had a broken rib and was coughing blood. Hopefully they weren't badly injured, since the coughing could interfere with her telekinesis if she needed to stitch something.
"I'm okay, by the way." she said in a hoarse voice. "This looks worse than it is. I think I have a broken rib, that's all." She made her way into the group and gave everyone a quick scan, but no one seemed to be in a life-threatening condition. As she was about to let out a sigh of relief, it turned into another bloody cough. She hoped this wouldn't shake any of the other equines. She turned to Fox yet again. "Does anyone need medical attention?"
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Post by Jennycallie on Sept 20, 2016 0:59:40 GMT -6
 Checkpoint: you know what you did, now your asses may or may not be saved depending on how magnanimous the horses on the other side of the bridge are feeling. A crude path of boulders and footholds leads up to the other side. |
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Post by hey-stardust on Sept 20, 2016 8:22:53 GMT -6
Clarke | War Forged | Scout:
You don't know what you've got until you've lost it all,
might I suggest you find a softer place to fall.
Growing bored with the mundane discussion of who was and who wasn’t okay behind her, the mule returned to looking over the chasm. She could barely make out the more ambitious herd figures now, only catching flashes of their coats now and again amidst the darkness that slowly swallowed them as they descended.
As Bjorn began to steer the conversation onto something that could prove to be more useful to them all, a familiar rumble made itself known, and yet more of the mountain broke off; tumbling and careening towards the enthusiastic mountaineers.
She closed her eyes for a moment, backing up rapidly from the edge as dirt and sleet spewed over them once more.
When quiet reigned, she found herself drawn to look at what had been made anew; a path had been rent into the cliffside, and she suddenly felt a burning desire to get moving, now that they actually had somewhere to go. Perhaps she could make herself useful elsewhere after all, or at the very least, get in some cardio.
Without waiting for the others to speak, or perhaps bicker, Clarke began creeping slowly down the mountainside; ever thankful for her donkey heritage, that helped make short work of scaling the rubble sure-footedly. She kept her head low and her oversized ears twitched at the sound of grit and debris still settling itself at the bottom of the chasm.
The mule’s body was just lithe enough to scale the narrow passage without hinderance, and somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered how the other raiders might cope if they chose to follow; as their massive bulk would be to no advantage here, dangerous even.
Despite a few missteps and shallow slides, she managed to reach the two stranded equines in what felt like record time. Clarke had been too preoccupied on keeping her sights on the track to look over the ledge before, but now as she reached the bottom, she let her gaze sweep across the rather somber scene.
The hybrid realised that the fallen must be the foal everyone had been fretting about. Blood littered his face, but she could see his narrow ribcage rising and falling, albeit shallowly. So much for them being alright…
Looking to the chestnut mare, she asked after them both, trying to keep her tone somewhat light, despite the rather dire circumstances.
“Nice shit show we got going on here huh. Are you alright? Is there anything I can do?”
Word Count: 415 | Post: #4 |
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Post by tarriedsea on Sept 20, 2016 9:23:04 GMT -6
"Unconscious?" she replied softly, not really meant to reach Nivi's ears but more to herself. Chirin was unconscious? What if he had brain damage? What if he didn't wake up? Her minor training in medical matters swept back into her brain, her mother's voice sweeping through her ears so matter-of-fact. "Blacking out, or falling unconscious, is like spinning a top. They could be back to normal in a few hours, or suffer the rest of their lives." Fox swallowed hard. Chirin was far, far too young to have the rest of his life suffer the repercussions of a foolish venture into one of Kaia's dramatic chasms.
Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a small voice. "Fox...?" and Sativa's head popped up over a ledge. Fox let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, and it hit her like a ton of bricks that she had just called out for the deaf mare like a moron. She glanced back at Muiris and Ezzie and Tem, who at this point were probably second guessing her logic and common sense as a leader.
She didn't make eye contact with Tem. He looked like he'd seen a ghost. He should've known not to use his voice, dammit. What was he thinking?! That the land would be forgiving? First rule of scouting, it was engrained in her bones like marrow. Kaia's earth sheds no grace. Was he born yesterday?
Whatever, it was inconsequential now.
"Sativa." She ducked her head under the mare's cheek and helped lift her up. "I think we're okay. Did you see Nivinara or Chirin? I heard Nivi, she's okay, Chirin is knocked out." Her eyes fell on the bruising on Sativa's side, and she winced. It looked ugly. When Sativa coughed, blood splattered the rocks under her. Fox frowned. "Are you sure you're okay? This isn't the time to downplay injury."
For a second it was quiet, the wind whistling through the canyon, Fox feeling wholly exhausted and exasperated and stressed out.
And then she saw movement out of the corner of her eye.
Across the chasm, where the bridge had ended, a small painted figure was making their way down the rocks. The way they slid and stepped sure-footedly on the steep decline was evidence they had done this before, or had mountain-climbing in their blood. Fox squinted. She didn't recognize this figure.
She watched in silence. In almost no time they had traversed the entire mountainside and was inching closer to Nivinara and Chirin. Maybe they were here to help.
Without waiting for anyone behind her to follow, Fox similarly started picking down the mountainside, this time not caring when her feet slid or when she teetered dangerously imbalanced. Her lips were pulled tight, her ears flat.
She'd had enough. Enough of this day.
She skittered down, plopping at the base of the chasm where Nivi, Chirin, and the gray painted mare stood. Chirin was laying flat and bloodied, but breathing.
She looked up. It was darker and cooler down here than at the top of the mountain, the stream's whooshing a backdrop to their conversation.
"Can we carry him?" she asked. "Kell might be able to lift him out of here."
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2016 10:19:28 GMT -6
He stepped to the side as Ezmeralda continued her way down the mountain, allowing her to pass and keeping an eye on her with his ears flicked to the side."Im alright." He replied softly, taking a beat and then plodding down after her. "Im sure theyre fi-" He was cut off by the chestnut mare shouting back to the group, pausing in his steps with his ears flicked in her direction. Unconscious? His breath caught in his throat as he attempted to look down the side of the mountain, only catching glimpses of the fallen equine where the rock and rubble would allow. Biting his lip, his gaze instantly turned to the light mare, Sativa, if he could remember correctly, as she pulled herself back up the side of the mountain. Blood sprayed from her lips and nose as she let out several coughs, causing the stallion to wince.
Movement in the distance caught his eye, his brow furrowing as he focused on a painted figure suddenly making their way down the mountain. He didnt doubt the figure was from the other part of their group, but it sure as hell did take them long enough to decide to help. His ears flicked to the side as he continued sliding his way down the mountain, rocks tripping his aching hooves up here and there, but it was nothing to worry about. By now, he was used to this damn terrible terrain.
By the time he made it to the bottom, his knees were screaming, his lungs were aching, and he was just about as done as one could be. His hooves splashed in river as he stood in the more shallow water, using his telekinesis to splash bits of the cool stream against his heated skin as he stared up the other side of the mountain. If he thought going down was hard, he didnt even want to think about going up. His ears twitched as he heard Fox and the new mare talking from the other side of the rubble, where he assumed Chirin and Nivinara had fallen.
Taking in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and listened to the soft flow of the stream beneath him, weighing his options. He really didnt want to climb up that side of the mountain, but he knew he'd have to do it if it were the only option.. however.. he didnt see an easy way to get the kid up it either. He opened his eyes and glanced in the direction of Ezzie, taking note of her leg once more. That would be tough too.
An idea crossed his mind and he started wading through the river, opting to stay in the cool stream for as long as he possibly could as he reached the barricade that separated him from those who had fallen. "Fox? Niviara?" He called softly, his ears twitching back. He didnt know the name of the other mare. "If you can get Chirin to me, i can carry him." He paused, glancing behind him and letting his gaze follow the trail of the stream. "If not, im going to make my way down some.. see if theres an easier way up."
Word Count: 536 | Post #7
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Post by annowre on Sept 20, 2016 10:33:49 GMT -6
Liam | Scout
Bicker, bicker, bicker. All they could do was bicker. The stallion sighed and walked to the edge, looking over at the other group scaling the mountain. Morons. There was no way the lot of them could make it down that incline. A few had a chance, the smaller and sure-footed, but even he would've been cautious about taking that route. And this was what he did for a living. The scout sighed and turned back to the group, ready to give someone an earful, when the mountain groaned. Eyes widened and Liam braced himself. "Get down!" he shouted to those around him as the opposite side of the ravine began to shift. The earth beneath him trembled and boulders began dislodging all around him. When it stopped it seemed as though his group was relatively unharmed. Most of the damage must be on the other side. His heart sank as dark brown eyes turned to see the devastation.
The opposite group was dispersed along the mountain side that had decided to fall apart. A handful were swept to the bottom where the stream was. The lot of them didn't look good, and the ones at the bottom were definitely worse off. Liam caught sight of a stack of boulders that had fallen during the avalanche. They didn't look remotely stable, but it was a path to the bottom. If anything, it was better than being stuck with this group. The bay followed after a grey mule that made her way down. Even though he was used to this kind of terrain, normally he would avoid this dangerous of a path. Luckily only a few uneventful slips and he was down.
He approached the small group, eyes turning to the kid covered in blood. Shit. This wasn't good. He turned to the mares gathered and looked at the pile of rubble. The large stallion he had seen on his trip down was on the other side, offering to carry the kid if they could get him over. Liam turned back to the mares walking over toward them. "I might be able to get him over, then I can scout ahead, see if there's a path up to Skeldr." The time for joking was over. For now, they needed to get out of this damn hole.
3/5 384 words
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Post by MusicalMagpie on Sept 20, 2016 11:35:49 GMT -6
Marshal | Raider Without any true focus on what was happening below, the moment a voice rang from what seemed the bottom of the chasm, the old grey’s stomach pitched. Who the in the fuck? The mountains answered the foolish question with more rocks, dirt, and dirtied snow. While the ground rumbled and chunks slid to greet the far bottom, Marshal stared with wide eyes at the gap. Oh gods no. The Pegasus had mentioned a group heading down. What if they had already reached the bottom? They could all have been buried.
“Those fools.” Marshal muttered through gritted teeth. Now with all the impulse nature of his youth returning all at once, the aged raider broke off to the new “path”. He initially started down at a janky trot to maximize ground coverage with an easy to maintain rhythm, but this was Marshal. Much like a swan in clogs, Marshal realized his mistake. The path laid by the mountain was by no means meant for… whatever he was doing. Even while keeping an ear cocked for potential cracking and otherwise keeping a smart head on his surroundings, the main bulk was a problem. Imagine a trot as normal except the body was cut in half and the back half was told to wait a minute before heading off.
Due to this natural unhealthiness of Marshal’s chosen gait, the level bottom came up quick. A hop, skip, and slide later, the scarred horse placed one hoof on solid ground with the rest of his body barreling up behind. Said hoof slipped forward and the stallion slid sprawled to the ground, the bridge of his face almost flat on the cool stone. Oh good, an entrance.
Marshal hastily brought himself up to all fours in his own personal best time. Bouncing his gaze between the standing horses, panting. Despite the quiet conversation, the world seemed remarkably silent. He struck off forward toward the low group slowly this time, the disconnected motion of his hind limbs more prevalent than ever. A certain dread crept up from the dark of his fears. It was the kind of feeling one gets when you lose a family member in a market, only that member was a child. It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced to many years and one he never wanted to experience again. Brown eyes shifted from the standing adults to the subject of worry. The child. The child they claimed was holding their own just fine.
Marshal’s eyes pinched shut at the sight. He had barely seen the foal’s ribs rise, confirming some amount of life, but it was not enough to quell the anger bubbling up. For now, he’d keep his mouth shut. _______________
Word Count - 449
Post Number - 3 |
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Post by BlueUnicornJ13 on Sept 21, 2016 12:26:23 GMT -6
Ezmeralda | War-Forged | Herder
Ezmeralda offered Muiris a comforting grin before trying her weight on her legs by continuing the trek down the mountainside. It was a blessing that they had made it out of the avalanche alive, but she prayed to Kaia that the others were safe somewhere. Maybe they had fallen into some kind of cave that could have protected them from the falling rocks, or perhaps there was a ledge that they had sat under to shield them from the larger boulders from hitting them.
She could only imagine how guilty Tem felt, and when she noticed Fox’s averted gaze in order to not look in his direction, the unicorn mare felt a pang of guilt. She knew firsthand how hard it was to control the blessings that the gods bestowed on the lucky ones of their kind and how dangerous situations like an avalanche only made it harder to suppress them. She couldn’t even recall all the times that she had accidentally brought hordes of birds, rabbits, mice, or even a rather large bobcat one time because she had lost control of her emotions. Certainly being close to death had stirred up some extra adrenaline and emotion in Tem to the point that he hadn’t been able to help what had happened. "It'll be alright, Tem. I understand," Ezmeralda said with a sympathetic grin in an attempt to comfort her friend. Hopefully he hadn't noticed any animosity toward him or thought there was any to begin with.
Ezmeralda was about to continue talking to Tem when her ears snapped up at the sound of voices far below them, and she strained to hear what the voice was saying. 'Fox, I'm here! I'm with Chirin but he's unconscious and I've appeared to have lost my medical supplies.' Nivinara and Chirin were alive! Her eyes widened, and she nearly missed a step as she limped forward a little too quickly. They had to get down to them quickly. Her green eyes turned toward Sativa who had thankfully been able to rejoin the group. At least they had some medical supplies at least, and from the sound of it, they were going to need them.
She traveled down the mountain to where Nivinara and Chirin were slowly, careful not to injure herself any more than she already was, and by the time she arrived, there were others there from the group that had made it across the bridge in time before it had fallen. The herder offered them an embarrassed smile, gingerly placing weight on her injured, hind leg. No way was she going to let her fellow War-Forged see that she was hurting. It was much better just to mask the pain and pretend she was as tough as anyone else there.
Her gaze traveled down to where Chirin laid on the ground unconscious. The young colt had blood on the back of his head where he had obviously been smacked pretty hard by one of the falling rocks during the second avalanche, and Ezmeralda sucked in a breath as the wound dripped more red fluid. "M-maybe while we get Chirin looked at by the medics, w-we can look for the best path up the other side." The mare offered quietly after Muiris and a bay stallion who she didn't know the name of spoke of scouting ahead. Fighting the urge to hide behind her long tail as she drew attention to herself, Ezmeralda finished telling the group her idea, "T-then the most able of us can c-carry Chirin however long he needs to be carried."
Word Count: 595 | Post #8
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Sativa
Nebula
War-Forged
Posts: 6
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Post by Sativa on Sept 22, 2016 10:07:10 GMT -6
"I'll be okay." she said while giving the sabino mare a reaffirming look. "I mean, I'm not okay. But there's nothing to do about it right now, and I don't need assistance." Sativa flattened her ears against her neck and looked around her. A foreign character was climbing down the opposite side of the chasm, and judging by the long ears and the slender body it was definitely a mule. She breathed out a light sigh of relief, thankful that they were finally receiving some sort of assistance. She looked back at Fox. "You found Chirin and Nivinara? Shit, I must've walked straight past them." Sativa could tell were they must've ended up by spectating the mule mare on her journey downhill, and she realised it at the same time as the words exited her mouth. "Take me to them. I've been in better shape but I could still help. Is anyone bleeding?" She asked as she started to carefully climb down the cliffside again, placing each pale hoof with precision. For now, she ignored the piercing pain in her side. If she could teleport back to Skeldr Town then she would've. She knew that moving around a lot with a broken rib obviously wasn't a good idea, but there was no way around it at the time. All she could do was suck it up. She threw a glance at the mule again, and couldn't help but feel intrigued. This was no time to mingle, of course, but there was something alluring about that odd figure. Sativa stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Chirin's motionless body on the dusty ground, his coat covered in crimson stains. Her blue eyes turned back to Fox and the rest of the group, and she noticed that the sabino mare was talking to the gigantic raider. He mentioned carrying Chirin but then turned away. Slightly frustrated that she couldn't communicate with the others with the same ease that they could, she looked to the mule at her side, for some reason feeling hopeful that this new face would be more accommodating. - "Care to fill me in on the conversation? Reading lips when they're faced the other way is quite difficult." Sativa looked at the champagne mare, and rolled her eyes jokingly, hoping she would be in a lighter mood than the others.
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Post by hey-stardust on Sept 23, 2016 8:29:31 GMT -6
Clarke | War Forged | Scout:
You don't know what you've got until you've lost it all,
might I suggest you find a softer place to fall.
The mule side-stepped gracefully as she heard the clatter of disjointed footsteps behind her, and suddenly Clarke found herself watching the old, grey raider fly past her as he caught a hoof on the uneven terrain and toppled arse over head, his body contorting and twisting rather spectacularly in slow motion. It was a bittersweet moment to witness, after all his rational talk at the top of the mountain and now this; but they really didn’t need anyone else with head trauma right now, one was bad enough. To save face however, Marshal did manage to get back up on his hooves rather quickly; though it was more than likely he would be feeling the consequences in one way or another from his rash actions soon enough.
More and more battered War-Forged were beginning to emerge from the other side, looking rather sorry for themselves. Despite their bickering and reluctance to move from the cliffside, she had to admit her original party was now far better equipped to help out over those that had had taken shall we say, the road less travelled (if one could really consider it that at all). Clarke quirked a brow at the painted mare that had made their way doggedly over to her, quietly pleased that it was a question she presented over yet more bemoaning. She smiled softly at Sativa, thought she was a little bemused by the request at first, read lips, what? Oh… Gathering that perhaps the bloodied mare was a little hard of hearing, she talked quietly to sum up the general consensus.
“They wanna carry the kid out right away… Seems kinda risky with a head injury we don’t know the extent of, but hey, what do I know.”
Flicking her tail nonchalantly, she waited for the backlash that would no doubt come her way for being cynical of their plans… I mean, their first had been executed flawlessly, right? Clarke understood their eagerness to leave the area as quickly as time would permit, what with the instability of the mountainside -despite the second rock fall being caused by their own volition- but trying to lug yet another body along when they were already struggling to man the cliffs individually seemed rather… foolish. Kell’s assistance -if she would take kindly to the idea- was perhaps a little more sensible, but even then, it was still asking a lot. She spoke up yet again, mirroring Ezmeralda’s thoughts.
“I agree that we should actually find a clear path back home before moving him at the very least, and I am happy to scout ahead too. Perhaps splitting up into smaller groups?” Word Count: 444 | Post: #5
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Post by dayzea on Sept 23, 2016 8:48:10 GMT -6
Hardly making any progress where Zireael and the other War-Forged stood at the top of the chasm, the Warlander mare turned to watch Clarke as she peeked over the edge of the cliff. One ear flicked toward her, and listening carefully she could hear the shouts from below. Something wasn't right. Turning on a hoof she trotted over just as the sabino mule began making her descent. "Gods, I don't know if my weight will hold down there. I don't want to cause more destruction," she called, watching the horses below. A few of them were at the very bottom, and likely they couldn't hear her anyway. Honestly, the remark was mostly to herself.
She pinned her ears at the realization that there had been another avalanche. Screw this, she thought to herself. Her group wasn't getting anywhere anyway. Carefully, she began to step down, doing her best to follow the same path that Clarke had. She was grateful for her horseshoes, they were proving to be useful on this more than complicated trek down the side of the cliff.
The grey mare made it down just in time to hear Clarke suggest they find a clear path home. She scanned her eyes at all the herdmates at the bottom. She recognized most of them, even though the lot of them were rather beaten up. She made it down just as the group from the other side of the mountain reached the bottom. Though she hadn't been there to hear the majority of the plan, she wanted to help in whatever way they wanted her to. She was no scout, but if she were to team up with one, perhaps it would do them some good.
"In any way I can, I'm willing to help," she stated, hoping she could be useful while nervously eyeing the unconscious young horse.
Post#: 4
Words: 309 |
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Sept 29, 2016 14:46:12 GMT -6
It was dark. So dark.
Dark
Darker
Yet, darker.
The darkness kept growing, the shadows cutting deeper.
Where was he? He could hear a faint rumble of stone and the ever-so-slight rush of water. A cave maybe? His one good eye adjusted to the stark blackness that surrounded him, he managed to make out a large pile of rock. Taking in a shaky breath, Chirin stepped closer to it. He didn't know why, but he couldn't seem to stop his legs from moving towards it.
The rock shifted and the wooly colt froze, eyes wide with fear. Why were the rocks moving?
A glint of color drew his attention. A bright orange eye, nearly the size of him, was staring at him through the rubble and shadows. The eye seemed to be made out of Topaz or Citrine gemstones, the slitted pupil, made of the blackest onyx. Chirin wanted to run, but his legs wouldn't move. He just stood there, staring at the eye and shaking in fear. There was another shift in the rock pile as the creature lifted its head off of the cave floor.
Chirin then noticed that the rock pile wasn't a rock pile. It was this things entire body. It shifted and lurched, unravelling it's long body like a coiled up snake. As the beast reared up it's head, it's front half now supported by two stony arms equipped with thick obsidian talons, a sort of bio-luminescent moss began to alight it's self in blotchy patches all over the creatures body. This thing was huge. Possibly five times bigger than Chirin himself, it would have very little problem dwarfing the biggest horse on the continent. It's head alone was held nearly thirty feet above Chirin. He could just imagine how long this thing was. It didn't appear to have any back legs at all, either.
It parted it's long, dragon-like jaw, glowing orange moss and lichen illuminating the inside of it's mouth, allowing the colt to see the large, thick, stone fangs within,
“You should not be here.”
It's voice was like the rumble of the rock slides that had plagued him and the others: deep and rumbling. It echoed within the cave, causing the floor it's self to vibrate. Chirin opened his mouth to reply, but a rumble from behind stopped him. Before he could turn around, a large stone talon, identical to the ones in front of him, came crashing down beside him. The orange eyes flicked up and it's snout cracked into a snarl.
“It is not your place to tell him where he should and should not be.” came a different voice. Softer and more feminine, yet still rumbling. It held a tone of authority and sounded almost scolding. Turning slightly, Chirin saw another beast, Identical to the first one, yet slightly smaller and with emerald eyes and green and white lichen.
“Who are you?” he managed to ask, his voice shaking. The female behind him looked down upon him.
“There is no need to fear us, small one. We would never harm you.” her voice was gentile and soothing.
“We are Lindworms. Golems created by Kaia herself. We are to her, what your Valkyries are to your War Lord. We would never harm a child.” answered the male, his voice lower and less fierce.
Chirin cocked an ear, “T-that answers what you are. N-not who you are.” he noted meekly, fearful of offending the stone titans.
A rhythmic rumble of stone echoed behind him as the female chuckled at his words, the male also huffing out a plume of ruck dust in an airy laugh,
“Quite right, young one. However, despite appearances, you do already know who we are.” said the female as she gracefully slid around him to stand by the male, her stone belly grating on the rock floor. Chirin gave her a confused look, “I don't understand.”
The male inclined his head, but kept his eyes on the colt, “Then perhaps I should correct my previous choice of words.” he stated, “What I should have said was ' we would never harm our child'.”
Tears sprang to Chirin's eyes as those words soaked in, “D-dad?” he asked, voice thick with tears. The male nodded his head, as did the female when Chirin looked to her with a teary, questioning gaze. These were his parents. The tears flowed freely down his cheeks as he hung his head, scrunching his eyes closed.
“You have been so brave these past years, sweetheart.” his mother praised in a smooth voice.
“We are very proud of the young stallion you have grown up to be. And are prouder still with who you want to be in the future.” his father continued, “I am very proud of you. Even if I never told you.”
“But you truly can't stay here.” his mother's words seemed sad. Chirin looked up at them with a slight smile, sniffling and trying to keep his tears back. He understood that he couldn't remain with his parents. They were dead, and for him to stay would mean that he would have to be dead as well.
“Can... can I ask you something first?”
“Of course you can.” his father said.
Chirin sniffled, “The umm... the trees I planted on your graves-”
“Do we approve of the choices?” his father said, cutting him off. Chirin nodded, tilting his ears back.
His mother and father shared a glance, smiling at one another,
“A Sugar Maple and a Black Ironwood. You chose those trees because they reminded you of us. It was your way of keeping us alive. You nurtured our trees, kept them alive through long winters and dry summers. You, our son, chose those trees for us. We wouldn't care what the trees were, as long as you were the one who chose them.” his father answered.
“But now it's time for you to wake up.” his mother told him. Chirin was confused, “Wake up?”
“You've been asleep for long enough, Chirin,” his father said sternly,
“WAKE UP!”
----
Light flickered into Chirin's eyes as he awoke. He was suddenly aware of the pain in his head and leg, as well as his ribs. Maple's faint whining filtered into his ear from where she rested her head on his neck, hearing still to dull to make out anything more than mumbles of horses talking.
He heaved an exaggerated groaning sigh, a tired smile and a note of humor on his voice, “Froya's gonna kill me.”
Word Count: 1083
Post #6
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Post by annowre on Sept 30, 2016 0:58:57 GMT -6
Liam | Scout
More arrived. Others from his own group, and still more from the group that had descended the canyon. The rockslide had been terrible. The topography of the entire ravine was shifted. Dark eyes glanced at the remains of the bridge. It was going to be hell to build it again. Attention turned to his feet and the water pooling around his hooves. The brooke was blocked by the rockslide. Looks like they had a new dam to clear. Good thing that wasn't his job. Liam wasn't built for moving rocks. Or for treating wounded.
The second a weak voice came from the colt below him, he breathed a sigh of relief. He was alive at least, now there was nothing he could do for him. And there were plenty of others gathered that would be able to look after him. Liam's attention turned to the massive raider who had mentioned heading down the ravine to find a way out. Liam quickly jumped over the rock pile, sure-footed as he was, it took him no time to reach Muiris. "I'll go with you. I've never been in the bottom of this ravine, I have been over these mountains plenty of times," he said and grinned. "Besides, wouldn't want you capsizing in the river with no one to pull you upright."
4/5 219 words
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