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Post by strixx-variaa on Nov 9, 2016 17:54:00 GMT -6
He was proud.And really, there was no way he could've known the painstaking discussion which fueled the Defender's decision, so why shouldn't he be proud? It was the sweetness of his character and the subtlety of the play which blinded him to cynicism in this instance, perhaps, but if that were so then he was bound to learn from it and come out the wiser in the end. Zephyranthes had secured a fixed position.Guardians with fixed positions were few and far between, indeed, and generally considered to be the top of their class. Look at Taishen! He guards the Great Divine day in and day out, knowing her and protecting her as only a fixed guard may do. And now Zephyr was to be like Taishen, and the thought of that was overwhelming to him. Of course, an emissary isn't quite on the same level as the Divine as far as charges go, but it was still plenty respectable enough for him. After all, Defender Anereus's own mother had been an emissary, and wouldn't it have been the honor of honors to guard her? "We're expecting a new ambassador from Sedo in two weeks, or thereabouts," Defender Anereus had told him. (He'd had a private counsel with the Defender!)
"You are being offered a fixed position as her escort while she learns her way about our Herd and our Home. Do you accept?" Of course he accepted, and with a very solemn honor, too. So he'd been trained in personal security -- things to watch for in a crowd, things to watch for in the open. Where to stand. Where to walk. Where, exactly, the line between guide and Guardian should lie. What she was allowed to see, and what she wasn't allowed to see. Things to say and things not to say. And, perhaps above all: things to listen to. Things to listen to, and to report. He felt ready. Today was the day; he'd finally been given word that her ship had arrived from across the Southern Gulf. (Well, from across the Southern Gulf, and then around the horn of Aquore and the Isles of the Dead, because of course they wouldn't have forced her through the Wilds on foot.) He'd been called to post in the early morning, though at what time the Ambassador's ship would actually dock, and disembark, and finally send its charge up through the palace complex was anyone's guess -- -- and so here he waited. Here, in the bustling port of Inaria, waiting for the sight of her sails coming 'round the jagged mountainsides and into the marina. He waited in the sun, always standing, always stone, and watched the water. He would play his role entire. words: 454 tags: PennthePony notes: closed flashback thread for zephyranthes and selora! |
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Post by PennthePony on Nov 9, 2016 19:14:10 GMT -6
The crashing of the ocean waves had become a drone-like sound, and oh how Selora had grown entirely ill of it. Being on a ship, even just for five days, had driven her to near insanity. It had been her first time sailing, and having grown up in the dry deserts of Serora, she couldn't say she was particularly fond of it. Sure, the views she had seen those last five long, torturous days and the scent of the salty waves, the sound of sea birds cawing to each other and the sailors going about their daily chores, the calming rock of the ship... She had loved those features of the venture, but oh was she happy to be docking soon. She had heard earlier the lookout, as they called the scrawny child who sat in the crow's nest all day long - most likely braiding his hair and picking at his teeth, call out his sighting of land. She had sighed with relief then. Again, she could find herself complaining little about the views, the scents, the experiences. But the ship itself, the cramped spaces and her miniature, and curses it was minuscule, cabin space, the hooting and hollering men who would never leave her be with their incessant cat-calling, and the uncomfortable advances from the older, more experienced sailors who had propositioned her - oh, she couldn't bare to even think about it. The very memory of it made her seethe, made her feel impure. Yet she reminded herself diligently, You will be on land soon, you will find a hot bath and a prayer shrine. Perhaps you dine with barbarians tonight, but Mentor always said the Talori were not as they appear. You are safe, silly girl. Surfacing from her tiny cabin space, Selora emerged to the main deck, breathing in the humid, salty air. Yes, this would do. The tiny, newly appointed Ambassador was happy with this, despite the possible peril she was putting herself in. Yet when she looked over the ledge, she noticed the bustle from afar of the Inaria coastal port, and she could only feel the strange mixture of excitement and anxiety within her chest heighten. There it is. Inaria. It was gorgeous even from this far - far, far more grand than she could have ever imagined a city to be. The streets seemed to be paved in gold that could never tarnish, the buildings were gilded with the whitest stone she had ever seen. It was so bright, it seemed to simply glow. She noticed how everything was garnished in shells and faithful dedications to the Wave Mother, and her heart swelled. This is where I wish to be. The simple word beautiful dare not be used to describe this city, for it was far better. It was so close to how she imagined the afterlife to be - full of beauty, a constant cool ocean breeze blowing her curly chocolate locks about her face, the strands thickly coated in sea spray. It gave her a regal look, truly, between her long hair swirling about her, and her hair being elegantly pinned up with imported hair clasps, which were from Aquore, actually. She had acquired them through an acquaintance - a chatty gossip of a mare who sold beautiful imported jewelry in the busy marketplace of Osulas. Her thoughts getting away from her, wandering like a lost Vagabond among the vast forests of Onea, Selora did not even notice the ship had docked until she was pitched forward slightly. She caught herself, of course, gracefully recovering and making it look as if she had done it on purpose. When she rose again, she lifted her head high, as the board had been lowered to allow transit from ship to cobbled port street below. The sailors who had finished their duties had already started leaving the ship. Looking over the side of the ship, Selora saw that her large oak trunk, carved with dedications to the Goddesses of Air, Earth, and Water, had already made it to the street, placed neatly on the ground. Standing beside it was a rather large - goodness, was he huge - Pegasus stallion, with wings of the brightest sapphire and body as dark as night. His mane was styled into a sort of spiked crest, and his tail tied up so that it did not drag on the ground. He was, if she dare think it - yet she must, absolutely beautiful. But the Ambassador was not there to notice the beauty of strange stallions. He was her escort, she gathered, and he would be nothing more. Yet, he was beautiful. Selora descended down the ramp, treading carefully as the board was rather narrow. Her step was graceful, swaying her body as if she were floating onto the golden cobblestone. The breeze caught her hair and made it flow around her shoulders like the ocean waves, wild and without bounds. Meeting lilac eyes to crystal blue, the petite mare dipped her head in greeting to the much, much larger stallion ( Oh, dear was he tall.), greeting him first as was socially appropriate. She was an outsider, and despite having a high political standing, she held a lower rank than him. " Greetings, Sir Guardian. Thank you for the sacrifice of your time in these coming days. I am Lady Selora, Seroran Ambassador. Of course, though, you already knew this. My apologies." She spoke with an air of extreme formality, her quiet, steady voice holding the most even of tones. As one who was new to Inaria, it was her place to start the conversation - if there was to be any. And she was certain there was. Personally, she wished to know everything about the Talori that her Mentor otherwise could not have told her. She knew quite a bit - enough to blend in with the society easily. The mare knew everything from the appropriate farewell to the correct times of year for the Solstice Celebrations. Perhaps she didn't agree with all customs of the mysterious herd, but she was not there to agree with political views. She was there to create peaceful relations, to learn about their herd and the secrets it held, and to create a new life for herself - nothing more. So with this, she stood quiet, her stoic features held with dignity under that blazing sun.
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Post by strixx-variaa on Nov 10, 2016 9:37:51 GMT -6
And there it was. It was massive, and seemed to grow larger as it drew nearer, and then when it was close enough he realized that it was thoroughly similar to almost all the other trading ships of the line, and he felt a little more at ease. "That'll be your'n," shouted a grungy-looking colt as he passed by in a flurry of badly-wrapped canvas bundles and glowing telekinesis. Zephyr nodded his head once, sharply, in acknowledgement, but did not smile and did not speak. The harbormaster hadn't been particularly pleased to have a Guardian quite literally standing guard over her operations all morning long, and now that his short tenure as a docksman was coming to a close, the tall winged stallion felt rather petulantly disinclined to do anything in much of a hurry. Still, he needed to meet the ship as it docked, and so with all the righteous bearing he could muster, Zephyranthes walked the length of the offshoot dock to which the ship was being directed, pushing through humming throngs of sailors and docksmen who seemed to be moving at a downright frantic pace. The din was unreal. Someone shouted at him from the railings of her ship, and he couldn't hear a word they'd said -- but he knew the shout was for him, because the horse shouting it stayed put and stayed with his eyes fixed on Zephyr, and seemed to want some sort of reply. For a moment, Zephyr didn't know quite what to do, but then -- As the wide ramp-plank came down to meet the warped timbers of the dock, Zephyr met the demanding stare of that horse on the ship, squared his hooves beneath him, and in one swift, smooth motion extended both of his wings straight up so that the tips of his longest pinions nearly touched over his head. Around his neck, his Guardian's brooch shone silver in the sunlight. I heard you.This nonverbal reply seemed to satisfy the stranger on the deck, who turned and shouted something else over his shoulder at someone else on board, and promptly disappeared from view. Zephyr put his wings down, and folded them against his body once more. As the ship unloaded, he kept a careful eye on the bodies on deck, looking for -- well, he knew she was a mare, and knew she was Seroran, but -- Ah.And there she was, descending the gangway. He wondered at first how he'd missed her on the waist -- she was slight, and finely-boned, and had a contrast in her coat so stark that he was surprised she hadn't caught his eye the moment she ascended from the lower deck. And then another horse followed her, and he realized why he hadn't been able to pick her out from his low vantage. She was tiny.In fact, she was so small that he wasn't sure he'd ever met a grown horse of her size before. The top of her back -- the top of her back -- just about reached his elbows, and to be perfectly honest it was a bit of a shock. (Are all the horses in Sedo this small? Best not bring it up.) There was something distinctly wind-borne about her. Large amethyst eyes were set in a delicate face, and were it not for the sheer volume of her mane he could imagine her at a full gallop across oceans of sand with ease. She was, immediately, different.He made a bow to her, holding the tips of his wings away from his body for just a breath's worth of time as he dipped his head and neck. "The pleasure is mine, Ambassador," he replied, his voice appropriately sombre, but plenty warm. "My master and my Emperor bid you welcome to Aquore. I am Zephyranthes and, should it suit you, I shall guide and protect you until you feel at ease in our homeland." The roaned stallion turned his head to follow the motion of the dock workers who were carting away the Ambassador's belongings. "Your things are being taken to your suite in the palace complex. I have been instructed to bring you first to the Sage. If you will follow me, madam?" words: 706 tags: PennthePony notes: ❤ |
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Post by PennthePony on Nov 11, 2016 20:52:45 GMT -6
Sweet, sweet Cascade was he tall. Having to crane her neck rather sharply to look up at the midnight stallion - yet not daring to make full eye contact, the tiny Ambassador put a small, kind smile to her lips, yet the air about her still remained stoic, regal, almost cold. In fact, despite the warmth of her smile, her eyes were ice cold and searching. Everything else about her seemed warm, elegant, diplomatic... Everything she was supposed to be. But those eyes. They were daggers carved of ice, seeking into the very heart and soul. " Yes, that will do just fine, Sir Zephyranthes." There was a pause, as she looked out to the sea, her long lashes kissing her cheeks as she blinked. Sedo was hundreds of miles away now, but could she call it home? She had always felt disassociated with it. Her mother had died in Sedo, her father taken from her. Her life there meant nothing to her anymore - except, of course, her dear little sister Taline. She was excited at least to go and spoil her rotten with all the beautiful trinkets she expected to find in Inaria. She knew the Guardian would think it odd, but she made a mental note to ask him about the shops later that day. But for now, she would go and meet the Sage. Oh, how terrifying, to meet the Sage - the overseer of all Emissaries and one of the most conniving and receptive horses known to the Talori, aside from the Emperor himself. The Sage knew all, saw all, and worst of all, could read anyone as clearly as script on a scroll. Selora would not make it that easy for him ( or was it a her now? Mentor was never good at keeping tabs on the Sage). She refused to allow it, for no one had ever been able to read her cold disposition, outside of it being just plain icy. She was not about to start allowing this stranger into her heart. Snapping her attention back to Zephyranthes - goodness, what a name - Selora craned her neck to look back up at him. " Yes, yes, lead the way." She managed to keep her tone steady, though her heart pounded, pumping her blood with anxiety driven adrenaline. Whatever conversation that occurred on the way to the palace would determine her place among the Guardians - among the Talori people. Yet it was a challenge she had accepted upon boarding that ship five days prior. She begged Alya that her hair had blown into a beautiful cascade of curls, and not a frizzy mess. How simply unbecoming it would be to look like a rogue on her first day in Inaria. Tossing her mane onto the top of her shoulders, the curls falling in a strangely entrancing way. Her mane was well groomed, her tail neatly trimmed prior to her trip on the rogue ship, her eyebrows sharp as a knife, her eyelashes curled daintily, hooves polished, coat shined. Everything was perfect. And there she was noticing how beautiful he was again. Those large eyes were crystal clear, like a pool of water sparkling under the mid summer sun - blue as nothing Selora had ever seen before. He was well built, extremely tall, and his wings. Also a rich shade of blue, but she felt herself grow envious of those wings. All her life she had wanted beautiful feathers adorning her shoulders - but alas, she had been born as a plain common horse. Cursing her dull parents inwardly, the Ambassador looked once again to the ocean - searching for an excuse to avert her eyes from the marvelously handsome creature that stood before her. Have dignity, keep your head high, and never forget your goals. Were her thoughts before they left that dock, setting her first steps into the golden streets of Inaria.
words: 642 tags: strixx-variaa notes: oops, she's falling. <:
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Post by strixx-variaa on Nov 14, 2016 11:39:02 GMT -6
The wind sweeping off the sea must've been a relief to her. Zephyr hadn't ever traveled on a ship of the line before, as he had his wings to take him places where others could not go, but like any Talorian worth his salt the pegasus knew that even iron ballast was bound to hold the stink in. Invisible fingers dug into the Ambassador's long mane and tickled the Guardian's wing feathers, swathing them in a clean, salty smell that Zephyranthes identified as home. As he led his charge out of the maze of docks in the marina, the roaned stallion was almost immediately reminded of a rule from his training. The protectee sets the pace, he'd been told -- and everything about her was so much smaller than everything about him, and so from the moment they set off in pursuit of her boxes Zephyr made a conscious effort to shorten his stride. He'd learned that being assigned to watch over an individual, rather than the aggregate populace, was in large part a balancing act between his privileges, powers, and duties as a Guardsman and the protectee's own autonomy and authority. It would not do to ignore their differences and be seen striding through the streets of Inaria with his charge trotting along beside him like some common page-girl. And, speaking of her authority -- "'Zephyranthes' or 'Zephyr' is all that is required to catch my attention, madam," said the pegasus as he guided the little mare through bustling midday crowds. The sharpness of the street beneath his hooves as they ascended from the docks made him pause. Her first steps onto Talorian soil, and I am here to see it. "Was your journey comfortable?" The streets were built almost in layers here as the city sprawled across the sometimes steeply inclined terrain. In the distance, Aquore's tall green mountains rose high into the sky and trapped the moist sea air over Cascade's earthly dominion. Here in the street, the briny smell of the sea itself was less apparent as they climbed out of the marina, but it was replaced by wafting odors of freshly-cooked food. Vendors favored the markets and the docks, which were by far the most populated areas of Inaria in daytime (and, realistically, in nighttime too, but they had to sleep at some point). The sharp, acidic smell of sun-dried tomatoes mixed with the earthy scent of pan-fried beans and the refreshing aroma of at least five different types of citrus fruits, not to mention the sounds -- the sizzle of frying mushrooms, the popping of corn, the clack-scrape of a stone-ground avocado dip. This smell was home, too, but in a different way than the smell of the sea. The sea was the sort of home that fed his soul and nourished his spirit. The city was the sort of home that he could see, and feel, and breathe. He could show her the city, and she would understand it right away. He wondered if she would ever understand the sea. words: 519 tags: PennthePony notes: i might be kind of hungry. :'D |
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Post by PennthePony on Dec 1, 2016 10:11:22 GMT -6
The sea. A marvelous creature with very little understanding by that of its earthly cousins. There was so much to learn, so much to know about the sea. And yet Selora found herself knowing only what she had learned on the long cruise from Sedo to the abundant lands of Aquore. Her adoptive parents, the old fools, had always told her the sea was something to be feared, as it was so vast and so full of the unknown. What a silly mistake. Though yes it is vast and full of oddities, that does not make it frightening. Or so she believed. It was a beautiful expanse of blue - which, of course, were one of her favorite colors. The sea reminded her of her birth mother, the wildness of her mane and spirit. Her mother never stood to be tamed, and quite frankly, even after Selora was born, this was quite evident. The dear shirked her responsibilities as a mother, running away out of fear. Father had told her as a foal that her mother had meant no harm to either of them, yet it had caused harm. Her Planter father had to work endlessly to make ends meet, always traveling to sell his voluptuous produce - which always seemed bigger than everyone else's. There were rumors he used potions to make her fruit large, so he could charge a prettier penny. But Selora had never known her father to use potions. Only his sheer talent. But yet, of course, she was hardly old enough to understand if he had been cheating his way through life. She only saw his tireless efforts to care for her, and that was enough to make him her super hero.
The young mare realized she was daydreaming - again. Gods, when would she ever learn to stifle that awful habit?
" Oh- my apologies. To be quite honest, I am not very used to the sea. There is hardly any water in Sedo, you see. But yes, the journey was comfortable enough. The ship itself was a grand expedition in itself. Sailors are a breed all to themselves, I have gathered. They seem almost to have their own language." Selora looked ahead, setting the pace for their walk to the Palace. Despite her small size, she walked briskly in a disciplined manner, although she could not help the slight sway of her rump as she walked. She had her short legs and curvaceous body to thank for that. Though was not by any means overweight, Selora had always been healthier than the other children, as her father reserved the best of his goods to feed his little girl. When he had disappeared, this continued with the family she was adopted into. The mother doted on her endlessly, having always wanted a little girl. Selora had never truly been without her every want and need, despite the droughts that often occurred in the hot deserts. As the pair entered the busy market district of Inaria, Selora lifted her head, noticing an odd but mouth watering smell. She couldn't quite place it, though it seemed oddly familiar. Her Mentor had cooked all types of Talorian food for her, allowing to taste the differences between the two cultures. While Seroran dishes tended to be more earthy and organic tasting, Talorian delicacies were much more flavorful and rich. Selora adored the sweet undertones in every plate, even distinguished in the sauteed mushrooms and pan-fried beans that were so common among the common folk. Yet it made her palate water all the same. She then noticed the quite grumble of her belly. It had been days since she had last had a full, home-cooked meal. Tirzah was a wonderful cook, evident in her husband's round belly. Yet Selora found herself craving something else, something foreign. A stand stood not far from where they walked in the bustling streets, with a lone mare behind its counter, tossing crackling vegetables in a sizzling pan held by her focused mind. The smell from the searing pan, the concentration of the cook, the methodical motion it took to toss the vegetables and have them land back in the pan. All of this made the petite Ambassador smile. It reminded her so much of her mentor, Cascade bless his poor old soul.
words: 715 tags:strixx-variaanotes: You made me hungry just reading that <: sorry for such a late reply. busy busy Thanksgiving. |
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Post by strixx-variaa on Dec 15, 2016 11:53:49 GMT -6
"They certainly do that, madam," replied the pegasus to his foreign charge. The language of the wave-riders was never something Zephyr had felt required to learn. He knew enough, as a Talorian ought to, you know, but past the absolute basics -- the parts of a ship, the positions of the officers, the meaning of the most important naval command jargon -- Zephyr was a dead novice, and had on more than one occasion found himself surrounded by words and phrases which made him feel alien in his own home. Perhaps that's something as like what she's feeling now, he thought, assuming that the little mare must feel out of place because she was, for all intents and purposes, out of place. It never crossed his mind that she might enjoy the feeling of total immersion in a strange, new culture, or that she might have studied it so well as to feel somewhat at home already. This ignorance generally narrow worldview is a product of his age, and something his author desperately hopes he will grow out of. He was pleased to see her wonder as they made their way through the market district. He was a proud citizen, after all, and had been hoping for the sort of reaction she was having -- looking at everything with a healthy dose of curiosity, seemingly pleased by what she saw, that sort of thing. Showing off his herd and his homeland to their new Ambassador was not something Defender Anereus nor Sage Rycaron had instructed him to do, but it wasn't that far outside the boundaries of his duty, was it? Zephyr wore a satisfied grin and noticed how the food stalls seemed to draw her attention more than others. Ah! he thought, inspiration striking. Here is a way. How does Sedo choose its envoys?"Would you like to try some?" he asked, indicating the vendor Selora watched, his face still sporting that look of amused satisfaction. "Or shall your first taste of Aquore come from the palace kitchens?" words: 337 tags: PennthePony notes: no worries dude! i just got done with exams myself (yay!) :D |
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