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Post by GingerBlues on Jan 21, 2017 21:53:43 GMT -6
Hello Starborn, and welcome to Talori Plot 305: The Edge of the World
Plot Journal | Chapter III Journal | Plot Music
Leader: Thalassa Participants: Sinclair, Seven, Laurens, Jala, Teagan, Lorelle, Isaac Please keep the following in mind!- Posts must be a minimum of 175 words. There is no maximum!- No strict order is enforced, but there must be at least two posts between your own character's.- No god-moding or reading characters' minds (unless your pony is a literal telepath, anyway)
- Always get consent before harming another character!- Your team is precious. Try to interact with everyone. <3- Have fun! Even if your pony isn't. 8'DPrompt:
Watching the sacrificial ceremony from afar, you watch with bated breath as the pegasus leaps from the cliff, taking note of the crowd around you. There is no screaming, no dissent, only acceptance as things once again appear to return to normal. Equines of all species, standing together in unity to return to Inaria’s center for the celebrations end. Taking a deep breath, you turn to go, only to notice dark shadows overhead… The flight. It only takes a few moments before the entire scene is thrown into chaos, smoke grenades and small explosives pouring down over the unsuspecting crowd. Fearing for the safety of those around you, you group together, hoping to make it out of this alive. Time of Day: Early Morning |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2017 22:04:34 GMT -6
J A L A
"It's time I found my place in life."
___________________________________________________________ This was his first ceremony.
For fifteen years, and almost thirty solstices, he recounted all the instances where his parents shamed him for wanting to go, insisting that it was "not for one your age to watch." He didn't understand it; after all as he grew older he began to see other foals his age or even younger come prancing alongside their parents flanks to watch the sacrifice being paraded through Inaria's streets.
It hadn't been until the previous one, six months before, that he had begun to second guess his thoughts about going. Even now as Jala lingered on the street, far from the edge of Pegasi's Leap where the sacrifice was taking place, the vibrant memories replayed in his mind like a broken record; his mother, sobbing in tears, and his father struggling to ease her troubled spirit. Hours later the family would hear of the chaos that had engulfed Inaria's streets. Jala assumed that Cascade was watching over them that day, for his parents had come home early, long before it would have broken out.
Now, after fifteen years of scolding, thirty solstaces of briefing with no detail, the young quagga decided to go on his own willingly, now that he had no one but himself and Ta'Keet to take care of. The river otter was perched on his back, unfazed and practically unaware of the celebration that unfolded in the distance. Though, as Jala stood there for longer, he began to have second thoughts.
The sacrifice's wings were removed. Jala felt something in his gut twist. He thought of Tegan, the young pegasus colt whom he had not seen since before the child sacrifice. Before his golden eyes an illusion out of fear played out. Tegan standing there, getting his wings removed. The sacrifice spoke of unity and tradition, both things which Jala himself valued. But in his mind, he saw fear.
"Oh, Cascade..." He knew that the sacrifice would be killed, but he never imagined it be done before their very eyes. The teenager's jaw was slung open, and he stood where he was, oblivious to the hushed whispers of horses surrounding him, and Ta'Keet's body feeling weightless against his withers. Memories and thoughts plagued his mind, and played out, over and over, like a broken record.
Had he snapped out of his daze in time, he would have noticed the shadows. A high-pitched squeak from Ta'Keet brought him back at last; a screech that screamed, "LOOK OUT."
The next thing he knew, there was smoke. Then there came screams. Something hissed loudly into his ears, and he felt something knock him clean off of his hooves. One heavy gasp and Jala slid hard onto his side. Ta'Keet tumbled a short distance away, and was now struggling to evade a barrage of hooves now scrambling down the cobblestone streets, struggling to evade a stray smoke bomb that had been flung into the area. He eventually made it to Jala's flank again. "Get up, get up!" He could hear the otter squeak in it's language.
Jala coughed, and felt another hoof knock him clean in the back before he finally found the strength--and time, to push himself back up again. The smoke was already clouding the air, but the stallion managed to maintain his senses--albeit barely. "Ta'Keet! Taka!" He called, only to realize that the river otter was already scrambling onto his back. "Hey! Hey, what's going on?!"
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Post by fediarwoods on Jan 23, 2017 10:41:34 GMT -6
Lorelle | Talori | Cleric
For the first time in what felt like a long time, they were allowed to set foot outside of Torrine again. It felt weird to her to be free again. All this time inside she had cursed those fences on how they felt like a prison, how she had done nothing wrong, and how she did not deserve it to be locked up like a little singing bird. But now that she got her freedom back like she wanted she felt like the prison she had left, had actually been her safe haven. She didn't feel safe on the streets anymore. No matter how her mother tried to tell her otherwise, she felt even more insecure about her wings.
It was good for her to get out again, she had said. It was good to be at the solstice ceremony again, she had said. Oh, how she sometimes hated the decisions her mother made. She rested from one leg upon the other, her gaze shifting over the crowd around her. The atmosphere was a little tense, as if everyone was just waiting for something to happen again. Yet there was also a certain peace that, the longer everything stayed normal, seemed to wash over the equines around her. There were no screams, no chaos, only acceptance. The Pegasi sacrifice himself beamed with peace. He spoke to them, his deep voice ranging all the way to her ears. She took over his calmness. Maybe it was just how things worked. They were children of the Wave Mother after all -- all of them. And uniting with her was a blessing, not a curse.
She closed her eyes as he leaped of the cliff, his withers dripping with blood, just before he hit the surface of the ocean. She could hear how his limps crashed in the waves, and how silence felt shortly after that. Her ears turned around as she tried to find peace herself, hearing the soft whispers of her mother to her father, like they always did just after the sacrifice. Her mother was a talker, one who--
BAM! A loud crack ripped through the silence of the crowd and screams could be heard. She could feel bodies hitting hers, and as she opened up her eyes again and looked around her, it was as if she was thrown back into the past. Chaos. All around her was chaos. She could feel the hit of an explosion not far behind her and she tried to brace herself from the impact. She could feel pieces of debris hitting her side, her wings, some of them cutting through her pelt. Small driblets of blood painted her white speckled coat.
The pain didn't reach her. Her mind ran on adrenaline, her eyes fighting to find her parents in the panicked equine around her. But they were no where to be found. She tried to keep her footing as equine ran past her, hitting her sides and almost throwing her off her feet. ''Mom!'' she yelled above the screams and silencing blow of another explosion. She noticed the shadows of Pegasi in the sky, but her mind didn't register what was really happening. ''MOM!'' her voice now laced with terror and panic, trembling, tears swelling in her eyes as she fought to find her way through the crowd around her. What was happening? Were they hurt? They had to get out of here now that they still could!
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Post by kaiyacksoda on Jan 23, 2017 16:51:29 GMT -6
He felt obligated to come. To stand amidst the herd that had just freed him from the imprisonment of Torrine, please them if you will. Even against his parents' wishes, in-fact his father screamed at him with forbidding words against attending the ceremony. He said it was too dangerous after what happened last year, but an odd urge tugged him out of the household. Tegan slipped from his room undetected and headed to The Pegasi's Leap, bright multicolored feathers creating an eyesore where ever he went. It felt good to walk freely once again, really it did, though while the gates of Torrine had opened, the constant aching in the young colt's chest remained. He still had trouble sleeping at night and was absolutely worried about walking the streets alone, though even with the eerie sense of uncomfortableness, he found himself craving company even less. He wondered about the friends he had here, the colt had yet to reconnect with any of them since he returned. Swishing his tail of feathers, he wondered if his dear friend Jala, even knew he was back. Maybe once Tegan would have stormed right up to his home to announce his freedom, but that sense of certainty was long gone. The peacock pegasus seemed to be a someone completely different since leaving his home originally, a once loud and happy colt was turned into a trembling mess of nerves. Tegan's guard was up as he stood watching the ceremony, with hunched shoulders he seemed to be guarding himself from the world around him. His green eyes shifted left and right defensively until his expressive turned to that of pity. The sacrifice marched up to the Divine with pride. This is what he wanted, what everyone wanted, Cascade included. It was an honor, or at least, that's what Tegan had been told. The colt squinted toward the Divine and Sacrifice.. a moment later the pegasi's wings fell from his body in a torturous way. Tegan threw his head down in shock and pulled his piebald wings close to his sides, subconsciously protecting them from the pain he just witnessed. The boy's eyes were shut tight as a shiver ran over his spine, how could this take place? How could it be a ceremony none the less? Tegan waited for the shouting, the riots, just like last year, but they never came. Instead, he slowly opened one of his eyelids and flicked an ear forward, a few of his head feathers following the motion. As he slowly lifted his head and managed to catch a glimpse of the wingless pegasus, Tegan saw a trail of blood follow the horse into the sea. It made him sick as he heard the body crash into the waves below. The colt dropped his head once again, and closed his eyes. Oh, please Cascade, please. Let him come back as one of your children. After all I'm sure he's been through enough, please just-- Tegan's eyes shot open, screams erupted from all around him and suddenly he couldn't see as the clusters of equines were surrounded with smoke. His eyes lit with fear, Tegan was a deer in the headlights, he felt his body begin to tremble. This wasn't supposed to happen, they were freed from Torrine, because Aquore was supposed to be safe. As the smoke began to clear Tegan saw shadows overcome the ground, shadows of wings-- pegasi. What was going on? His curved ears twitched as he heard screams of, "The flight! The flight!" Shocked from his frozen state, Tegan jumped back into motion all at once, only to tangle up his lengthy foal legs and tumble into the ground beneath others' hooves. Post 1
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Post by mariahwhy on Jan 23, 2017 21:22:09 GMT -6
Seven | Tenderfoot
It was happening again.
Seven squealed as a smoke grenade exploded nearby, throwing everything into a hazy cloud. Blinking furiously he could see another panicked, spluttering face. Over there the hindquarters of another horse. Each piece of some stranger shifting erratically in and out of the smoke around him. Suddenly a horse would be next to him, and next minute they weren't. He stumbled forward, coughing, trying to fight his way out of the cloud. The days leading up to the solstice had filled Seven with a sense of anxiousness that he had not felt before. He could not push out of his mind the last sacrifice: how the crowds had gone wild, the city had shut down, the storm had raged, and the pegasi had revolted. But he desperately did not want to fear it. He loved Cascade, and wanted to honor her as they always had. And so it was that, when the morning of the solstice celebrations arrived, he felt that trickle of childish hope that things would be as they once were. As if nothing terrible had ever happened, and no one had been harmed. All past misgivings would be forgotten, and they would go to bed safely that night after a day of food and fun in the name of their goddess. And it had seemed that this might be the case.
"Come on, Five!" he had shouted for his brother, pushing as far through the crowd as he could. "Wait! Stay where I can see you!" the older sibling shouted back. The brothers wove their way through the crowd, left to fend for themselves. Their father was once again a part of the ceremonial vanguard, and their mother was off with her friends. She felt they were old enough to watch out for each other, and was in no hurry to give up a chance to socialize without her children. And so Seven and Five were left with each other. Seven talked nonstop to his brother as they stood waiting for the procession to begin. He spoke of Cascade, and all he had read about her and their herd's history since his return from Cascade's ruins in the Wilds. Five was the only horse Seven had talked to about this for fear of protecting the sacred place, and he talked fervently about it now, his nerves unloading themselves through words. Five listened patiently, but hushed the younger foal when murmurs began to pass that the sacrifice was approaching. They watched with baited breath as he passed - a stallion this time - and took to the Pegasi's Leap. Seven watched on, eyes once again alight as they had been six months earlier. All fears forgotten he remembered that awe that he had felt for the filly - that this horse was about to meet Cascade herself, and take on their true form. This time, though, he was not jealous. He had spoken to Cascade as well, and the necklace that sat lightly against his chest was a constant reminder (though he could never possibly forget it).
Would the other horses be mad this time though? When the pegasus spoke he didn't know how they possibly could be. His words were calm, and spoke of unity, and Seven's heart soared. This was what Cascade wanted all along! She would be so proud of her children - from the common horse to the noble hippocampi. His eyes brimmed with tears as he watched the final, climactic steps of the sacrifice. And then he was gone.
He stared at the cliff where the pegasus had last stood for a moment longer, before Five nudged him to go. It was then that Seven realized nothing had happened. Everyone was pleased, and was returning to their celebrations! "Oh, Five! Isn't this wonderful!" He turned to his brother just in time to see an odd shadow pass over his face.
Seven finally emerged from the smoke, and cast around wildly. But there was no one he knew. "FIVE!" he shouted uselessly. The crowd had erupted in screams and yelling, and he would never hear his brother's voice. Fear clawed at him as he looked for his brother. Suddenly a fleeing horse ran into him, shoving him carelessly to the side. He stumbled, but maintained his balance. Just as he felt he had come to a stand still, another horse ran full force into him. His light body went tumbling across the cobbled street, long legs flailing. Someone else tripped over him, and he felt one of their hooves tear into his upturned belly. He squealed again, eyes now wide with terror. A small explosive cracked into the ground nearby. He flipped himself, blood smearing the stones, and turned his face instinctively away from the blast. Small pieces of debris pelted him, but did no considerable damage, but the fright of it was enough to finally bring him scrambling to his hooves. Eyes shut against the commotion he ran. In his blind panic he didn't get far before running into another horse. Losing his momentum so suddenly he crumpled to the ground, and looked up dazed. Whether it was the culmination of all of his terror or the shock of a familiar face Seven sprung immediately into tears. "Thalassa!" he cried, sobbing into the ground at her hooves. "Why is... why?" he tried, but could not get out his complete sentence. Some understanding of urgency reached through his crying and brought him again to his hooves, this time shaking visibly. (Post 1: 915 words) |
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Post by GingerBlues on Jan 24, 2017 3:55:52 GMT -6
Thalassa I remember tears streaming down your face
When I said, "I'll never let you go."
When all those shadows almost killed your light
The mare prayed silently as she watched the sacrifice leap from the cliff, hoping against all odds that there wouldn't be the same backlash to follow as there had been that last winter. Much to her relief, he prayers paid off as the herd just stood in quiet reverence for a moment before slowly turning to make their way towards the city. "Come on, lets head back to the Temple." She said softly to the small foal beside her. The child had arrived at the temple only a few short weeks before and was having a difficult time adjusting to city life. She smiled reassuringly, nudging the cloaked unicorn along gently. Everything had gone much better than anticipated, and Thalassa was eager to speak to Eve about it all.
As the spotted mare began heading back herself, she heard the unforgettable sound of horses screaming in fear. Wheeling around quickly, she saw chaos as winged intruders flew in from the north, dropping smoke grenades and explosives on the unsuspecting crowd. "The Flight.." She whispered breathlessly, staring in shock at the scene unfolding before her.
Thalassa was forced back to reality as Seven screamed her name before crashing into her. Looking down at the frightened colt, she heard him utter a single question, "Why is... why?" The cleric shook her head, not truly having an answer. "I... I don't know..." She whispered, concern evident in her voice. "But we aren't safe here, Do you understand?" She paused waiting for the colt respond, glancing at Isaac to make sure he understood as well. "We need to get away from here..." Looking around briefly she turned back to the children.
"Seven, We're going to go back to the place the Wave Mother led us in the wilds...Do you remember it?" She only stopped for a moment to make sure the little unicorn had heard her. "I need you to be brave right now, and if anything happens to me, I need you to keep Isaac safe and keep going until you get there..." She said, nodding slightly in affirmation. "For now, just stay close and keep your head down..."
As she finished speaking, Thalassa nudged the young colts along, knowing she needed to get them to safety as soon as she could. Looking around the crowd in search of familiar faces, she spotted the young craftsman, Jala, who often made deliveries to the Temple, along with Lorelle, a young talented Cleric who had been forced into Torrine for the past few months.
"Jala, Lorelle!" She called out to the two younger equines, urgency evident in her voice, "Grab whoever you can and come with me!" Not willing to wait a moment longer, she began heading away from the chaos, praying Cascade would lead them safely to the ruins once more. While she was aware that she couldn't save everyone, Thalassa hoped more would follow....
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Word Count: 463
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2017 12:55:02 GMT -6
J A L A
"It's time I found my place in life."
___________________________________________________________ Another blast. Debris flung onto the street, striking down surrounding mares and stallions of all ages. A few pieces of rubble managed to come pelting down onto him, and the impact of the blast alone was enough to send Jala stumbling onto his belly again. He could feel Ta'Keet digging tiny claws to his withers, struggling to stay on his equine partner.
As the shockwave subsided, he could hear the panicked wails and screams of mares and their foals, all struggling to their feet and trying to get clear of the madness. The fifteen year-old could have sworn he felt something trickling down his flank, slowly streaking his fetlocks with crimson. Finally, through the haze he could see shadowy, winged forms, all in flight and charging for the front of the crowd in the distance. Outsiders! "Outsiders!" Jala hollered.
Deep down he couldn't have been more terrified. What were they? Why were they attacking? What herd did they come from?!
"The Flight!" A fleeing stallion cried. "Hurry, my children, the Flight is invading! Run for the shores!"
The Flight. Jala had heard rumor and tales of them, but never imagined that they would strike. At least, not now, not when Pegasi had finally returned to the city streets, freed from Torrine under the emperor's orders.
A thought crossed his mind; His parents. Where were his parents?! Were they anywhere near here? And Judas, was he here at the ceremony as well? Heat washed over his withers, and his golden eyes widened. Jala had not seen his family since he left, and although he knew his younger siblings would be safe and were probably not allowed to come along to the ceremony, he knew of how often his mother participated in these ceremonies. She could be here, with his father, perhaps in the middle of the crowd where there was barely any escape from the Flight's wrath.
Massive ears flat against his skull, the youth ignored the new wound on his flank and proceeded to whirl around, about to run for it when he heard a voice call out to him.
"Jala!" It was the cleric, Thalassa, from the temple. Jala had seen her a few times when he delivered incense. "Grab whoever you can and come with me!"
"What?!" Jala could barely hear her voice over the wailing crowd. He barely managed to turn his head in time to see a massive draft horse come barreling over him. The larger stallion had been too desperate and hasty to escape the chaos that he scarcely even saw the much smaller fifteen year-old at his hooves. Jala was once again, knocked clean onto his side, shoulder scraping against the cobblestone and grit. He grunted and clenched his teeth in the pain.
He was pinned for all about two seconds, until the other stallion had found his footing again and galloped on without care for the little quagga mix. Despite the humming pain now oozing from his shoulder, the teenager slowly pushed himself up until he was lying on his stomach. Ta'Keet had flopped onto the pavement, dizzy.
Jala's vision continued to swim. His hearing briefly blinked in and out before it recovered. From where he lay, he could get a view of what lie beneath others hooves; some were bodies, hopefully all just unconscious--but among them, he saw what looked to be a familiar patch of white, roan, and peacock feathers.
Peacock feathers. White and Roan. Tegan. Oh Cascade, was that Tegan?! "Tegan--" He was cut short as another hoof struck the back of his head. The teen sputtered and struggled to his hooves. He fought with the frenzied crowd, fear twisting into pure adrenaline, and it surged into his muscles. "TEGAN!" The fjord horse hybrid launched into the air, and landed a short ways toward the colt, hooves hitting the cobblestone just inches away from a small mare who had been too panicked to care.
Through the stampede, Jala charged, the pain of his new wounds numbed by the adrenaline driving him on. Having broken into a full gallop, the little stallion hadn't hesitated to push and shove aside other horses who were between him and his pegasus friend. "RRAAH!"
At last, he shoved himself through and leapt over the winged colt, already feeling another horse bump into his side. Little did he know that all those weeks pulling carts over Inaria's hills had improved his strength and endurance greatly; and the adrenaline continued to ease the pain of each shoulder and flank that rubbed against his wounds. He'd guard the colt beneath him, acting a shield between Tegan and the surrounding horses.
"Tegan! Tegan, get up!" Oh, please don't be dead, please don't be dead. It had been six months. Six months since he had seen his best friend. Six months too long. Of all ways to reunite, he wished, oh, how Jala wished it wasn't here: In the middle of a crowd, threatened to be trampled by panicked horses. "C'mon, buddy--" Jala grunted in pain. "Work with me!" He pressed his neck against Tegan's own and tried to lift him up. Ta'Keet, who had finally made it back to Jala after miraculously dodging a frenzy of hooves and bodies, finally made it to his companion's side.
"Ta'Keet!" Jala cried. "As soon as we get out of this crowd, go back home! Run for the brush! Don't come out until this is over, you hear me?!" The teen ordered. He then turned his attention back onto Tegan again. "Buddy, buddy it's me, I'm here, it's me, Jala!"
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Post by kaiyacksoda on Jan 25, 2017 19:06:37 GMT -6
Behind the ringing in his ears, the young pegasus could still hear the faint booming of hooves on cobblestone, though in that place and time, his brain couldn't comprehend what it meant. Tegan's misplacement of his own feet had left him nose-diving into the ground, crashing his head onto the hard, unforgiving surface. As his consciousness began to waft back through his body, so did the massive pain erupting from his temple. Slowly, he managed to peel his eyelids apart slightly to see only blurred colors and figures. He let out an exhausted gasp as he regained his bearings, if only a little. Get up! Get up! The little colt yelled inside his mind, yet his body continued to fail him. Tegan could feel droplets of blood rolling off the top of his coat from where horses had blindly, yet continuously, grazed him while passing. Some swerved to the side of the momentarily unconscious pegasus, while others attempted to leap over him, only to scratch up his shoulder and wings. As the marwari foal failed to try and drag himself up onto his feet, vision blurred, he laid lifeless in the chaos. It wasn't until he felt a slight pulling on his roached neck that his senses began to return. Eyes squinting, he could see flashes of a tan coat and striped mane. "Buddy, buddy it's me, I'm here, it's me, Jala!" Jala. A rush of adrenaline pumped through Tegan's body as he began to rock his weight onto his forehand, leaning into his old friend as he pushed on his neck and withers. Slowly, the two friends managed to get the peacock pegasus onto his feet. Tegan was wobbly, and looked drained already. As he regained his footing he shifted a soft gaze onto the fjord cross that he had missed for so long, a look that said an obvious thanks. "H-hi." Tegan said genuinely, a smile cracking his lips. For the moment, it was all the chimeric colt could voice, but as their current predicament began to come back into realization, Tegan's body shook with panic and his expression quickly shifted to that of utter fear. Fear that once would have been considered foreign to the colt, now showed up more often than not. It took a moment, but the small pegasus soon jumped into a movement that sent a shock through his joints, "Jal-JaLA! What are you doing here?!" Tegan's head swung in every direction, ears flicking aimlessly as his little hooves danced frantically upon the pavement. His bright green eyes seemed to pop out of his head as he looked over the madness of the current scene. "We-- We need to get out of here!" Stuttered the frightened colt to his striped friend. Tegan absentmindedly huddled closer to Jala in a subconscious attempt for protection. Though the two boys were about the same height, Tegan was built like a string bean, while Jala had grown like a brick house. Post 2
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Post by posy-punch on Jan 25, 2017 22:55:03 GMT -6
 remained as impassive as she could as she watched the sacrifice begin his procession up the cliff, the only thoughts on her mind being that of the tearful statue and her newly gifted necklace. She couldn’t help it, it was as if ever since traveling into the jungle and finding the “hidden grotto” as she had begun calling it… that she could not tear her mind from it. Her white coat shimmered in the rising sun, the pink and blue-ing sky bathing all in warm light. There was no more beautiful a day that a sacrifice could take place, and she was assured that Cascade was waiting in reception for the soul that would soon join her to prepare for rebirth. Her blue eyes swept the crowd, daring to leave the sacrifice for a moment.
To her right, a younger stallion stood, pretty and vibrant colors making him stand out. His striping made her quirk an eyebrow, as did the familiar resting upon his back. He looked concerned, even nervous and Sinclair silently sent him a prayer of well-wishing. Sometimes the sacrifices did cause some queasiness, pray Cascade help him to watch such a sacred ceremony. She blinked, blonde lashes hooding her eyes momentarily. She looked around again, spotting Thalassa, the cleric that had witnessed the same event as Sinclair Casimir had only months ago. The teardrop felt warm against Sin’s skin, and she dipped her head softly, not minding if the hippocampus saw or not. She noticed yet another, a colorful pegasus that interested Sinclair. It seemed as if seeing the vibrant plumage actually clued the mar into the fact that the gates of Torrine had been opened.
That made her smile, she could return to the brewery later today and find Zenith. Perhaps, they could begin proper work again. Or, if the pegasus was unavailable, perhaps she would go back home and greet her brother, having retired to stay back home, teaching the children of the workings of the capital. Occasionally teaching them how to read and write. Wistfully, Sinclair wished she were there in a class. Then she could write letters home, or could have to the palace for him. She sighed and turned to face the event before her eyes again.
The Divine allowed the pegasus to speak. He was eloquent, but not a push-over; Ms. Casimir could quite tell that he spoke from the heart, just as many sacrifices before him had. His wings are removed next, and Sinclair blinks. A beautiful ceremony. Cascade awaits him. She closes her eyes to mutter a prayer as he leaps from the cliff, wishing well to the pegasus falling to his new life, and a note of thankfulness to Cascade herself. Just as soon as she opened her eyes, however, shadows were again flitting over her. A scream shattered the air, “The Flight!” Sinclair whipped her head up, wide blue eyes easily picking out the shapes as smoke grenades began pouring down. A small explosive went off not to far from her and she fell in her haste to avoid it, lightly scraping her knees. The crowd pushed about her, but she found her feet yet again, her telekinesis instantly working to preserve her braid (which was practical, considering it was the only thing keeping her hair from laying in a pile on the ground to be trod on).
She instantly knew. They had to get out of here. Anyone watching was surely prey for the “birds” in the sky. A devout practice would turn to something that would persecute them. Then again, perhaps… No. Sinclair shook andy doubts from her mind as she parted the crowd to get to a startled looking cleric shouting for her mother. “Dear, here, your mother is going to get to safety, but let me help you, please.” She said calmly, noting how frantic the bespeckled pegasus was. She was injured, and if she stayed here she would get hurt ever more so. Sinclair didn’t much wait for an answer before she began moving again, clearing a path for the pegasus mare, but not forcing her to follow.
“Thalassa!” Sinclair called out, again locking eyes with the cleric from before. “Please, can you help,” She simply felt as if she could ask this of the cleric. They had not spoken much on their previous journey, but Sinclair felt as if the bond of the tear-shaped necklaces drew everyone closer, regardless whether they wished it or not. She looked around again and saw yet another familiar face.
“Laurens!” She called, blinking tears out of her eyes, the smoke irritating her annoyingly and painfully. “Laurens! Come with us!” She motioned to the gathering group, her pale face smudged by grey and dust. If anything blew up near them, she was so fine boned, built for work inside… she’d quickly be injured. As if on cue, the still-healing scar on her neck seemed to sting. Her braid was arranged to hide that weakness of hers, but with all the movement… She threw her head up to look at the pegasi overhead. They didn’t have much time to even gather many more. She looked back down and her glassy blue eyes fell upon Seven and the other foal. Her heart swelled, the poor children caught in such a terrifying situation. She stepped almost protectively around them, ready to curl about them. Anything to help the young of the herd, Sinclair would easily take bits of shrapnel or the brunt of a blast if it protected another.
“Thalassa, we need… we need to go somewhere, and soon… the Flight.” She trailed off fearfully. If the rumors were true, she was more than terrified of the newcomers.
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Post by fediarwoods on Jan 26, 2017 13:05:54 GMT -6
Lorelle | Talori | Cleric
Her eyes pricked from not only the tears that came up, but also from the smoke that surrounded them. She couldn't even count the amount of small explosions that erupted around her, some far out of reach, others so close she could feel the blast interrupting her balance. She tried to find her way through the crowd, even though she had no idea where she should go. Everywhere seemed to be danger. The horses around her ran in different directions, all in a state of panic, too blind to see where they were going, or who they were running over. She could feel them brush against her sides and hitting her wings in the progress, almost knocking her out of balance. But she didn't notice. All she was desperately trying to do, was find her parents. They would know what to do. They would know where to go.
"Lorelle!" She recognized her name in one of the voices yelling. Her brows furrowed, her amber eyes glancing from the tears that formed there, as she looked around to where she thought she heard the voice coming from. Before she'd found it's origin, she could hear another voice close by. It was a gentle voice, with a kind nature. Something so calm and peaceful, in a place so full of terror. She turned her head around, and her gaze found two light blue eyes. Blue as the clear summer sky, a coat as white as the ocean's foam. It took her a few seconds to comprehend what the mare was saying, everything around her going straight by without Lorelle noticing it. She turned her ears around, and than nodded to the mares words.
It was only than she noticed the dark spots against the sun's light. Her amber gaze wandered up to the sky for a brief moment, and her eyes found all the Pegasi that clouded up there, ready to attack. The emperor had been right. It wasn't safe out here. Oh, how she would love to be back in Torrine. Back to the safety of the walls around them, back to the small, cozy hut that they had called home the last few months. No matter how it felt like a prison, it was worth it if the other option was this chaos.
She trembled upon her hooves, her head trying to wrap around what was happening, but it was just too much. As the friendly pale mare cleared a path through the crowd and Lorelle followed in her footsteps. She tucked her wings closely to her side, and as she began to move, she felt the pain in the scratches that were scattered over her body. A shiver pulled through her spine as her amber gaze found the horses that she saw on the ground. Were they injured? Or... She quickly averted her eyes, her ears pinned back. No, no, it couldn't be that bad. They couldn't be beyond help. This wasn't happening. She tried to inhale through widened nostrils, but as she did she inhaled smoke too, which made her cough in return.
''We-we can't just leave all these horses,'' Lorelle mentioned, her voice soft and trembling more than she noticed herself, almost inaudible amongst the noise around them. As they gathered with an appaloosa Hippocampus mare she recognized as a Cleric, she noticed the two small foals. She felt a sting of pity in her gut. She had to get herself back together. There were others out here that needed help much harder than she did. She blinked a view times, trying to get the tears away that had gotten up so suddenly earlier in the panic she felt, but her heart was still raging inside of her chest.
''They can't just attack us -- there are Guards out there, they can protect us,'' she said as her eyes darted over the crowd. She ruffled her feathers nervously as she did so, shifting her weight from one leg unto another. Even though she knew there were Guards, it was only her hope that spoke of protection. She knew deep down that reality was far from it. No matter how the Guards would fight, there was no way they could get so many horses to safety, when there were so many Pegasi soldiers stranded down upon them.
That was when her eyes found the colorful feathers of another Pegasi. She recognized him as the colt she'd met inside of Torrine, locked up just like she had been. Tegan, wasn't it? He was injured from the looks of it, leaning unto a striped colt, dizzy from the looks of it. In a reflex she darted forward towards the two colts. ''Are you okay?'' she said when she reached them, taking the other side of Tegan than were the striped Quagga was standing. ''We have to get away from here.'' She doubted for a moment, but than raised one of her wings to slightly hoover over them, as if she could protect him and the other with it. Maybe if she could proof others she was brave, she would eventually start to believe so herself.
[Word Count: 857 | Post 2]
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2017 13:53:54 GMT -6
J A L A
"It's time I found my place in life."
___________________________________________________________ He held himself steady, hooves firmly planted onto the cobblestone even as all sorts of horses, large and small, brushed past him aggressively. He wouldn't move, wouldn't even budge, until he knew his friend was safe. Until he knew he was alive. And, oh, thank the gods, Tegan was. Jala sucked in a deep, hiccuped gasp as the younger pegasus slowly pushed himself to his hooves.
Jala lifted one hoof, to give Tegan more room to get up out from under him, but he roped a telekinetic arm around Tegan's side to keep him close and far away as possible from the crowd. "Hey," Jala replied through a loud sigh of relief. "It's me, I'm here." But even in the midst of the chaos, the poor teenager, barely out of childhood, could hardly hold back his emotions. They poured out in the form of small tears, which he struggled to keep from streaking down his striped cheeks.
"You're okay, I'm here. Oh, thank Cascade you're alive!" He hugged Tegan's neck with his own. There was no other horse besides his own family that he could stare in the face and be so happy. All the letters that had gone unanswered, all of his concern--he hoped and prayed that after this was all over, he wouldn't have to face it again.
But, Jala had to remind himself that they were still in grave danger. The brief moment of untimely emotions were finally reined in as he looked away from Tegan. "We're following someone I know--s-stay close to me! Whatever you do, don't leave my side!" The crowd was so massive and moving so quickly that it was as though they were standing in a flood. Even a few inches of space between them could be enough of a gap for a horse to squeeze through and separate the two of them yet again.
From the crowd emerged another pegasus, one whom he had not met before. Thankfully however, she stood out from the uproar, rather focused on Tegan and himself rather than the others. "Yeah, yeah I'm with you. Thalassa! Thalassa!" The quagga called, until he at last spied the cleric nearby. "I got an idea! We make our way after her. I need you two to stay on the inside of me! Don't lose each other!" He had his father's strength and stability to thank for getting himself this far, and if his body was as much of rock as he hoped, then he volunteered himself to take the brunt of the crowd while the other two stayed on his side.
"Ta'Keet, stay under me," He felt his "older brother" status creeping up on his withers; the very same behavior he used to make sure that his younger siblings were safe and well-behaved when he was responsible for watching over them. Jala wasn't too fond of giving orders to others outside the family, but did he really have much a choice in this situation? He figured he'd be the strongest of the little trio he's formed with Tegan and the pegasus filly.
As quickly as he could, he'd make his way toward Thalassa, hopeful that both Tegan and his pegasus friend would stay close and follow suit.
Post 3
Word Counter: 537
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Post by mariahwhy on Jan 27, 2017 20:21:36 GMT -6
Seven | Tenderfoot
Seven looked up pleadingly into Thalassa's face. Surely she would have the answer. If anyone would, she would. But she didn't. She made no more sense of the situation than the foal, and the realization sent a renewed wave of fear shivering through him. He nodded his head vacantly to her question - the only thing he seemed to know currently was that they weren't safe. Though he had derived a slight sense of familiar refuge from the mare, and this made the chaos around them seem abstract and muted The colt looked out on it like watching it all through a window, tears still dropping silently down his cheeks as his sobs turned to hiccups. He dragged his eyes from the screaming, fleeing horses around him to look back up at Thalassa as he realized she had begun speaking to him again. Again he nodded dumbly to her question, her words not quite breaking through the tumult of sounds and sights that craved his attention. But as she continued the meaning behind what she said began to sink in, and his blue eyes widened in realization. She was giving him a task - a mission of dire importance. He looked at the other foal standing with the cleric, truly noticing him for the first time. He could not see much of the other foal under the cloak. He wasn't even sure if the other was older or younger than him, but immediately he felt the need to protect him like an older brother would do. He knew the knowledge of Cascade's grotto, and it was his turn to impart wisdom on another. Swinging his head back to face Thalassa he nodded fervently. The tears had stopped, leaving dark, wet tracks through the dust on his cheeks. For once he felt no need to speak. He hurried along, just in front of Thalassa, allowing her to direct him from behind. With head lowered and hide tensed, Seven huddled next to this new foal. He paid little attention to Thalassa's calls behind him. His full focus now was on his task to get them out. But suddenly they had stopped, anticipation covering the group. The unicorn foal looked up to suddenly find another familiar face floating about him. Sinclair! He hardly knew her, and yet.... she always seemed to appear when things became tense. She had been there at that first attack on the city. She had accompanied him to the grotto. And here she was again. He knew nothing about her, but her constant presence was enough to make her a friend. As she shielded him and Isaac, he broke his focus for a moment to press up to her, and touched her beautiful, pale shoulder briefly with his nose in thanks. The smile he tried to give her was marred by fear, but still innocently trusting. He stepped back to his charge and looked around, suddenly anxious to start moving away from the blasts again. "What are we waiting for?" he asked impatiently, but immediately saw where the adult's attention lie. A trio of horses, two supporting a pegasi in the middle, were approaching, and Thalassa seemed to know them. Seven looked doubtfully at the pegasi, their current situation clouding his judgement. He loved pegasi, but given right now - he glanced up, flinching as one passed overhead - he wasn't entirely sure that this pegasus hadn't fallen from the sky. But he looked hurt, so if the others trusted him then so would Seven. He just wasn't certain how Cascade might feel about a pegasus entering her secret hideout... The group had remained untargeted for a blessedly long time, but they would not escape the pegasi's attention indefinitely. An explosive dropped dangerously close, whistling to the ground before Seven knew what had happened. A hole was blasted into the ground, sending pieces of stone flying. Seven ducked down, squealing, and his eyes threatening to fill with tears again. A few pieces of stone skidded off his hide. A larger piece cut across his cheek, leaving a small, crimson line in its wake. When the pieces of stone had landed back to the ground, he jerked his head up and spun around. "Please!" he begged, sidling closer to Isaac. "I want to leave!"
(Post 2: 710 words)
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Post by kaiyacksoda on Jan 28, 2017 9:48:54 GMT -6
Tegan let out a puff of air to vent his frantic state. There would have been an overwhelming happiness inside the chimeric colored colt to see his closest friend again, if it wasn't already swamped with fear. He was hardly aware when Jala wrapped him in a hug, yet he returned it thankfully. Jala's words began to put him at a bit more of ease, it was nice to see him again. Though this was no time for a chatty reunion, still on edge, he nearly jumped when he heard a familiar voice shout over to the two of them. Lorelle. He recognized the mare from Torrine, a pegasus who looked just as worried as he was, rushed to the opposite side of him, offering immediate support to his shocked state. ''Are you okay?'' He could here her ask through a foggy head. For once, he seemed tongue tied, his nerves seemingly shoved down his throat. Tegan only managed a friendly nod, whether it was convincing or not, he wasn't sure. Shifting his attention back toward the fjord cross, Tegan could hear Jala shout out protectively, "We're following someone I know--s-stay close to me! Whatever you do, don't leave my side!" and he had no plans to. Huddled next to his old friend, and now with Lorelle on his other side, gave Tegan an exceeding amount of comfort as his fuzzy vision began to shift back to normal. Though his head was still pounding and sore from the fall, the rush of adrenaline that was pumping through him seemed to act as a wonderful painkiller. The colt had little feeling of a headache or swollen temple, though was still riddled with panic. He trotted after Jala, numb to any possible injuries, with his wings pulled in close to his sides, ears flicking frantically as they headed toward a group made up of two mares and two foals. Tegan eyed them wearily, though made little a fuss as they reached the small huddle, he had no desire to question Jala's intentions. Tegan stayed right at Jala's shoulder the entire time, too frightened to be left behind but too nervous to go ahead. "Where are we-- GOING?!" He began to whisper to his striped friend, just as another explosion erupted a few feet away. Tegan threw his head into the air as his voice cracked, resulting in quite an obnoxious shout. Glancing in nearly every direction, Tegan's little hooves began to shift nervously on the cobblestone as they huddled between the chaos. Post 3
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Post by GingerBlues on Jan 31, 2017 2:41:58 GMT -6
ThalassaI remember tears streaming down your face
When I said, "I'll never let you go."
When all those shadows almost killed your lightThe spotted mare looked around at the faces of those gathered near her, inhaling deeply. "We're going now." She said, nodding at Seven before picking up a quick but steady pace. "Sinclair, Laurens, we're heading to the ruins, where the Wave Mother led us...We'll be safe there. " She said, her eyes searching the crowd for Jala and Lorelle. She knew she'd seen the two younger horses just a few moments before...
She let out a sigh of relief as she watched them rally around a young pegasus, helping him stand and get moving after almost being trampled by the fearful crowd. "Stay close!" She called to the trio before glancing back down at the two tenderfeet at her side. Seven was still so young, and Isaac was even younger... She hardly felt equipped to care for them, and yet here she was.
Bending her head low as she continued moving, she whispered softly. "We'll get there soon, and we'll get there safely. Cascade will protect us, just as she has in the past."
Thalassa winced as another explosion went off nearby, shielding the children from the debris that followed. Urging the group to keep moving, the Cleric kept an eye out for the Divine, hoping she was safe and unharmed. As they moved through the terrified masses, the mare called back over her shoulder. "Once we reach the edge of the Wilds, just keep moving, and don't look back!"
She swallowed hard as her thoughts raced through the dangers of the wilds. There were plenty of things that would rip them to shreds if they got the chance... but their chances were better there than they were in the cities right now, and that was all that mattered. Thalassa whispered a prayer to the goddess, asking her to keep the little group safe as they ventured forth. She only hoped Cascade would make good on her promise to them almost three months ago...
Post #: 2
Word Count: 323
Posting Frequency: Once a Week
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Post by sansatine on Feb 1, 2017 20:20:41 GMT -6
1
The solstice came swiftly after Laurens returned from the temple that was hidden deep in the wilds. Her time was spent shopping with Nagisa and taking meeting notes. Visits to temples were less these days, but that just meant Laurens prayed more. She'd taken the day off for the solstice, though she wouldn't really be working today anyway. The mare watched the sacrifice intently just as she always did. Laurens did not share the ideas of the Flight. Cascade did not take what she could not return. Still, Laurens knew the uneasiness that swelled on days like these. Laurens watched as the sacrifice lept and as he left from view, a stallion in front of her caught her eye. He was a guard, very large and very red but with a white face. He was watching the sky while unfolding his wings. The dusty mare was quite confused, but he was not. He took to the air and as he did it seemed that his wings had brought the clouds among them. Smoke, not clouds, smoke she thought. Laurens was stunned, still in a world moving frantically. As the smoke consumed her, the sounds of screams and words like 'run' or 'flight' filled her ears. she couldn't make sense of it. Laurens was battered by fleeing bodies, but still she was motionless. She finally began to look around slowly. Someone was calling her. A white horse, familiar but more white than familiar. Laurens searched for a name... Sinclair! Laurens shook her head and stepped cautiously towards them.
Through the smoke Laurens saw a familiar body. Jala was with Tegan. She was happy they stayed friends even after the separation. They had formed a small group and were following Thalassa. Laurens fell in behind them, making sure they did make their way to the ruins as planned. No one was getting left behind. Especially not here and especially not now.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2017 20:49:36 GMT -6
J A L A
"It's time I found my place in life."
___________________________________________________________ He was grateful for his strength, because the oncoming herd was rushing past like wildebeest from a croc-infested river. Every so often a horse would bump into him, and further agitate the annoying, humming pain from his shoulder. He let out another grunt as a stray hoof stepped on his own. At least having that stepped on was better than his own head, though. He kept Tegan as close as possible, ensuring he was sandwiched safely between him and the pegasus filly. They were both shielded from the brunt of the crowd with Jala as their bodyguard. As small as he was, the quagga hybrid could stand pretty well on his own.
At last, they reached Thalassa. The crowd here was a bit slower and easier to work around, being closer to the outside of the road than the center where Jala had been caught in the first place. The smoke in the air was only just starting to agitate the teen's lungs. He turned his head away from Tegan and Lorelle and wheezed. "I-I can't--I can't believe this!" he sputtered.
With his massive ears flat against his neck and and his head kept low, the young stallion had finally taken the time to quickly examine the other horses joining them. Among them, two colts--Jala's heart immediately went out to them. He was barely out of colthood himself, and still had some of its traces. Beneath that brave composure and the coursing adrenaline, there was plenty of fear to go around inside him. He had been keeping it under wraps until now, in his determination to find and rescue Tegan.
He also recognized a friendly face; Laurens, the young mare whom he and Tegan and the pleasure--and luck--of meeting in their younger years. Jala still remembered the day he accidentally hit the councilor Nagisa Marinus in the face with a ball during his tenderfoot days. Laurens had been there to try and quell her anger. It wasn't a day Jala would like to remember, but he would take an angered Nagisa over all of this. The stallion offered a small smile in sympathy toward Laurens.
It wouldn't come now, but eventually that sympathy would also prompt hate as well. The fact that The Flight were attacking innocents, and tenderfeet like the ones in his company...What in Hireath was their beef, anyways?
"The Wilds..." He heard the words fly off his own tongue, and suddenly, Jala paled. His skin went white under his hair. The Wilds, he'd be told, was a place to be feared and avoided...most agriculturists in his large family ventured in in groups without hesitation, but not him. Not his father, or mother, or siblings. The Wilds had already claimed his uncle, whom his older brother Judas was named for. He figured the whole ordeal had traumatized his father, because Nomer made all of his offspring pledge countless times never to set hoof in that jungle.
If he wasn't himself, Tegan could possibly feel the older stallion begin to shake. Jala wasn't going to argue with it, he figured their chances of survival were a lot better in there than out here, but it was hard to shake off his own personal fears about the Wilds. They were predator-infested, thick with vines, labyrinthine...in his mind it was impossible, and crazy, for him to set hoof in there, even coming from an agriculturist family.
Guess he was about to do the impossible.
"O-o-okay," The stallion stammered, his word broken up by a hard swallow. "Tegan, remember, just stay close to me. Even when we're in the Wilds." The stallion was afraid to admit his own personal fear of the place. He was uncertain what to say for Ta'Keet, the river otter who was hiding underneath him. Should he send him home, where he had risk of being struck by the hooves of frenzied talorians, or take him along, where he had the risk of being preyed upon by larger animals?
"Taka--"
The river otter chattered. I'm going with you.
"Ah--yeah, okay. Jus', stay on my back." Man, of all days he had chosen not to wear his saddlebags, it had to be right when the Flight had decided to strike.
Post 4
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Post by Flarism on Feb 2, 2017 19:10:37 GMT -6
"Mind Auntie Thalassa to the letter."
Those were the words his mother had said before she'd sent him away. A kiss, sad eyes, and a cloak tied tight. Isaac intended to obey. He couldn't disappoint mother. This was the only certainty in his young mind.
If he follow mother's words, they'd be reunited soon. So the young colt kept a tight grip on Thalassa's mane, velveteen muzzle all that was visible of his face. He could barely see, so covered was he, but mother had put the cloak into place, so he would not disturb it.
The sounds were terrifying. Bangs, crashes, the smell of smoke hung heavy in the air. Along with.. something else. The babe couldn't place it, other than to note it smelled almost like coins. He didn't like it. It made his heart race. The ground shook at his hooves, nearly tripping him again and again. He heard Thalassa cry out other names, but he did not know them. If they were his Auntie's friends, than he supposed they were his friends as well.
Run, she said. To the wilds. Isaac had no quiet to wonder what the wilds were. Most of these words were unknown to him. But if they were further from the screaming, the booms, he was eager to go.
So he moved in Thalassa's shadow, his wobbly legs somehow managing to keep up.
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Isaac - Talori Tenderfoot
Post #1 - 231 words
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Post by GingerBlues on Feb 3, 2017 17:59:31 GMT -6
 As you make your way through the frantic mob, you see shadows overhead, drawing closer. The flight is almost upon you! Smoke grenades drop from the skies as the assailants attempt to disorient you and separate your group. You must try to stay together and press on if you all wish to make it out alive... |
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Post by mariahwhy on Feb 3, 2017 21:58:36 GMT -6
Seven | Tenderfoot
Seven stuck close to Thalassa, Issac, Laurens, and Sinclair. The other three young horses following behind surprised him every now and then, as, in his current state of worry, he mistook their hoof steps for those of an assailant. But, he reminded himself, the pegasi this time would not be coming from the ground. They'd be coming from above. The foal tried not to think about it, but every time a movement caught his eye he flinched, and sidestepped closer to the others until he was pressed up tightly against them. The wound on his stomach bled slowly now, most of the gash having been clotted with dust and sweat. He tried not to think about the pegasi. Seven tried to recall the memory of the ruins to his mind to calm himself. But the act that was normally so easy was now impossible. The pictures upon the wall, the filtered light, and the moss covered stone - normally it sprung to mind as if he was looking at a picture, having been so ingrained to his memory. But now he could picture none of it aside from the statue of Cascade that had stood at the center. Her face, crying then, and surely crying now, had looked down upon them, and came to him every time he closed his eyes. Still now her visage stood in front of him, and it was all he could do to not close his eyes to keep her image constantly in front of him. Already he found himself distractedly falling behind, and he stumbled to catch back up. But even without calling the picture to mind Seven felt a familiar tug. It was as if someone had attached a rope to his chest and was gently dragging him along, leading him towards the correct path. He had no fear of the Wilds; he was a child, he believed in his Goddess, and he had survived a journey through the jungle once already. Ignorance was bliss, and he felt that nothing in there could compare to the monsters currently closing in. A shadow slowly overtook them, and Seven looked up to see several Flight members directly overheard. "No!" he screamed, fearing they would drop explosives upon the little group. Though it was just smoke bombs, that was bad enough. One exploded right in the middle of the group, blanketing them in a thick fog. Seven drew up quickly, vision once more obstructed. He coughed and gagged, and his eyes burned too much to keep them open. He tried to blink through the automatic tears, vision swimming, so that he might keep track of the others in his group. He turned, once, then twice, then stumbled forward, hoping to run into one of them. His large blue eyes closed hopelessly, his will-power to fight against the pain of the smoke completely gone. (Post 3: 476 words) |
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Post by fediarwoods on Feb 4, 2017 4:26:53 GMT -6
Lorelle | Talori | Cleric
Her heart raged in her chest as she tried to keep her mind in a clear state. She could hear the Cleric mare, Thalassa, call towards them, and as her eyes found hers, she gave a firm nod. She was almost shocked by how she was so well in following orders when there was complete chaos surrounding them. She had no idea what she was doing, or what she was supposed to be thinking. It was almost as if the adrenaline that was running through her veins was making her run on autopilot, and she could only hope that would end well.
She stayed close to Tegan, trying to shield him -for as far as she could- from the blast and the running equines around them, but she could only do so much. The Quagga colt on Tegan's other side was doing a much better job than she was. He was build like a house, and kept them both safe from the blast that went off not far from them. She could feel the air brushing over her speckled pelt every time an explosion went off, and her heart skipped a few beats when she saw flashes of Pegasi hit the ground in the distance. Oh, Cascade, please, keep us safe, she softly prayed with just a mumbling of words.
Her breathing stuck in her throat as shadows fell over their little group heading for the Wilds. Her eyes darted to the sky, where Pegasi flew above them. It felt like the moment before a storm would hit and she was right. Only seconds after smoke grenades fell and hit the ground and took their vision. She coughed and closed her eyes as they stung and prickled with tears. She kept close to Tegan, her sides softy brushing his and that way making sure he was still next to her now that she couldn't see. As she tried to push through in her steps she lifted both of her wings. They were not fully grown yet, but they were large, and -if she wanted- strong too. With fierce, strong claps of her wings she wafted the smoke away from their little group.
The first thing her amber eyes caught as the smoke slightly cleared, was the young flea bitten unicorn colt in front of them, who had fallen behind the Cleric mare and the other tenderfeet. She stepped forward and softly touched his shoulder with her muzzle. ''Come on, little one. We're okay. What's your name?'' she softly said, trying to sound friendly and caring. Her gaze found Tegan and the Quagga stallion. ''We have to stick together,'' she said to them, slight panic evident in her eyes. Than her gaze desperately shifted to the curtain of smoke that had separated them from the other mares. ''Thalassa!'' she yelled, her voice slightly breaking in the middle. She could pretend she was brave, but she too had her limits, and she was slowly starting to panic more and more. If they weren't to move away from here, and wouldn't reach the Wilds, the Pegasi would drop upon them... and they would have nowhere to go.
[Word Count: 529 | Post 3]
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2017 7:57:42 GMT -6
J A L A
"It's time I found my place in life."
___________________________________________________________ He squinted, golden eyes fixating solely on the fin on Thalassa's back, which stood out amongst the crowd. He still kept a steady telekinetic arm around Tegan, assisting in guiding the colt to safety. He had to remind himself to thank the young mare opposite to Tegan's side for her efforts--as well as introduce himself to her later. Ta'Keet's claws still dug into his withers, clinging for life--but the quagga mix didn't mind, it wasn't half as bothersome as the wound on his leg and the blood on his shoulder.
Jala was finally distracted by dark shadows that swooped overhead, and the crowd around him went erratic. The stallion didn't even have time to shout before smoke bombs erupted through the street.
The pain was alarming. Jala's hoarse coughs broke into equine grunts as he ducked his head low, trying to keep himself oriented. It stung at his eyes and nose, and all Jala could do for all about five seconds was stretch his neck over Tegan's and try to shield him from the effects.
To Jala, the flock was a threat. Not just to him or the hippocampi, but to any Talorian; winged, finned, horned, or nothing at all. They were here to destroy the herd, and cause harm to any that belonged to it. In Jala's eyes, that included the pegasi beside him.
"Great Wave Mother, help us, please..." The teenager sputtered between coughs. At last he found the strength to see through the prickling smoke, and his large ears keened forward at the desperate cries of another colt. "Whoa--whoa, easy, easy!" He tried to comfort the unicorn child on his own, but thankfully the pegasus mare was already making efforts to coax him.
"We're going to be okay, I promise. We're gonna find Thalassa and--" Jala's words were interrupted by another cough, "Ge-ou-tta he-ere...'scuse me." He squeezed his eyes shut, yet again trying to rid of the tears in his eyes. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and he too, was starting to feel his composure slipping away. The only thing compelling him to drive forward was that instinctive urge to keep the younger horses around him safe.
"Hey! Why don't you put him next to Tegan; that way both of em will be between us!" Being the second eldest of six, Jala had been given the idea that the oldest horse always take the brunt of force in dangerous situations. Keeping two tenderfeet sandwiched between two older horses would keep them from being exposed to the brunt of the crowd. "Thalassa! Thalassa, where are you?!" The quagga cried through the smoke. His large ears swivelled and swished like satellite disks, searching for the cleric's voice.
Post 5
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Post by kaiyacksoda on Feb 11, 2017 19:27:30 GMT -6
Tegan
Squished between Jala's striped pelt and Lorelle's speckled wings, Tegan shuffled along with a low head, his gaze rarely shifting from between his two front hooves. He could feel nerves creeping up on his withers, nerves that had been lingering since they had managed to barely escape the chaos of The Flight's attack. Of course they were still susceptible, after all he could still see shadowy figures in the distance and tasted smoke from a previously unavoidable grenade.
With a quick trot step to keep up, Tegan refused to leave Jala's side. Maybe it was out of fear that he clung to the quagga cross's presence like a life line, yet as the colt thought, he began to realize The Flight's true intentions. If they were merely trying to save the sacrifices, help the pegasi. Then, they weren't out to hurt him. They were here to protect him. Stand up for him even. How could a herd-- flock-- that set out to do so much good, be deemed as bad? Tegan's green eyed gaze shifted to the horses that trudged along in front of the group made up of him, Jala, and Lorelle, of course The Flight wasn't seen as good here. They were surrounded by hippocampi who looked down on any pegasus who were to voice their opinion, let alone act on them as strongly as The Flight did. Tegan shook his feathers and hugged his wings even closer to his sides, of course the chimeric tenderfoot could never voice his opinion, he'd be locked up, branded even! Like Selora.. or that spotted donkey he met in Torrine! What would everyone think? Tegan's ears shifted to Jala, Tegan was sure he wouldn't approve, after all the issues The Flight had caused already? No way, he mumbled to himself.
The boy's thoughts were only interrupted when a shower of smoke erupted between the center of their little group. Coughing, the winged colt hopped into a small rear in search of clean air, he was thankful when Lorelle wisped away the suffocating substance. After a thankful look to the young Cleric, Tegan's face was quickly dosed in panic- they were separated from the adults!
"W-where-- whaddo we d-do?!" His head swung around to look at Jala, as if that could help, he scolded himself. Jala was only a few years older than he was, and just as frightened, he just hid it better. Yet still, the older boy gave off an astounding amount of comfort and it wasn't only to his dearest friend. Tegan watched as Jala calmed the flea-bitten unicorn foal who had been traveling amongst the group, Seven, he had heard others call him.. What an odd name.
Shaking his head, Tegan clambered after Jala, and following his lead, began to yell, "Thalassa! Thalassa!!"
Post 4
WC: 465
Posting Regularity: 1-2 a Week |
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Post by GingerBlues on Feb 12, 2017 16:51:51 GMT -6
ThalassaI remember tears streaming down your face
When I said, "I'll never let you go."
When all those shadows almost killed your light"No!"
Seven's fearful voice startled her as smoke overwhelmed her senses, snaking through her airways like a poison. Quickly, she pulled Issac's cloak over his nose and mouth, hoping the smoke wouldn't affect the tiny child as it did her. Pulling her long mane free of it's ties, she looped one of her braids, tossing it about Issac's neck so as not to loose him. "We'll get to saftey soon... I promise." She assured him.
With Issac accounted for, Thalassa began her search for the others who seemed to have scattered when the smoke bomb fell from the sky. "Seven?!" She called, coughing violently and frantically looking for the young colt who seemed to have vanished. 'Wave Mother, please watch over Seven and keep him safe...' She whispered as she continued her search."Seven!?" She called again, "Sinclair? Laurens!?" Her voice caught in her throat, unable to project far enough for the others to hear. Where are you all...? She wondered, feeling her way through the smoke as panicked horses continued to flee the scene.
The cleric flicked her ears around as she heard her name being called from not to far away. Picking up a trot, she made her way towards the familiar voices, maintaining a pace she knew Issac could keep up with. "Lorelle!" She called as she approached, the burning in her lungs still present but more easily ignored by now. "I'm here." Her voice almost seemed sad as she spoke, the full gravity of what was happening to their homeland weighing heavily on her shoulders.
Pressing in closer to the trio, she spotted Seven among them. A wave of relief washed over her. He was alright. They all were. She glanced around, squinting to see through the heavy smoke but to no avail. "Sinclair?! Laurens!? If you can hear me, keep moving! We'll catch up with you!" She called, hoping the other two mares were safely out of the fray. Once out of the city they'd be able to regroup quickly, but they needed to get free of the smoke first.
Thalassa quickly untied her tail binding, allowing to hang loose like her mane. "Grab on." She said, motioning for the small group to grab a hold of her tail. "I can get us out of here, but I need us to stick together and stay close, ok?" Her voice almost wavered, but she managed to keep it steady. She needed to stay strong for those by her side. They were young, but brave, and she couldn't compromise that.
Post #: 3
Word Count: 423
Posting Frequency: Once a Week
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2017 19:04:14 GMT -6
J A L A
"It's time I found my place in life."
___________________________________________________________ "Darn it, if I knew this might happen I wouldn't have set hoof out--" Jala's hasty words were interrupted by another hoarse cough. Now the haze of the smoke was starting to blur his senses; some things were fuzzy, and his sense of smell was clouded by the overwhelming smoke. All Jala wanted to do was stop, in an attempt to queasiness and dizziness starting to form inside him, but he couldn't. If he stopped now he'd risk being hit by another horse. If he stopped now, he'd risk putting himself, and everyone else at his side, in danger from the Flock.
"Thalassa, is that--" Jala tried to sigh with relief, but instead, more wheezing came. The mare's form had emerged from the blinding smoke, but he could barely make it out. "I can hardly see--I can hardly see!" Okay, now he was starting to panic. All Jala could do was rely on blurry shapes and his hearing, which right now was overwhelmed by terrified screams and explosions. Hot tears leaking from his eyes from the pain, he squeezed them shut and kept his head low. On his back, he felt Ta'Keet flatten himself out against his withers.
His telekinetic embrace searched wildly for Thalassa's tail, his concentration having been disrupted by the chaos all around them. For now, all the stallion could do was put his faith in Thalassa and hope she could find their way out amidst this crowd. "Thank you, miss Thalassa..." Was all he managed, giving a silent prayer to Cascade in the process.
Word Counter: 258
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Post by kaiyacksoda on Feb 18, 2017 19:30:40 GMT -6
Tegan
Eyes squinting through the smoke, Tegan's little body shook in nervous anticipation as he began to see a figure shift toward them, yet relief quickly wafted over him as he began to make out the familiar mare, an appaloosa, Thalassa! The pegasus colt knew very little of the cleric, if anything, yet she already seemed to give off a much needed sense of security.
Lungs heaving in a desperate need for clean air, Tegan followed the mare's request, in a thankful embrace he clenched onto a strand of her multicolored tail. Perhaps they would finally be led to safety.
Tegan's green eyed gaze was caught by his dear friend Jala as he noticed tears building in his eyes. Jala had been through as much as he had today, and what was Tegan doing? Cowering. While the quagga cross pulled the rest of them together. Tegan's ears flinched backwards in disappointment of himself. Coming back to the familiar side of his friend, Tegan bumped him softly on his shoulder with his own and gave him a reassuring smile.
"It'll be alright." Was all he could cough out in the circumstances, yet the colt hoped he got his message across.
Post 5
WC: 198
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Post by mariahwhy on Feb 20, 2017 14:43:59 GMT -6
Seven had never been so amazed and thankful for pegasi wings as the moment when Lorelle cleared away the smoke. He had momentarily cowered at the rushing air, fearing the approach of a Flight member, but her gentle voice had broken through the fear, and he had forced his eyes open. They stung, and he looked on her through blurry tears, but he tried a thankful smile anyway. "Sev-" he began before coughing hard. His throat felt as if he had swallowed thorns, and his voice came out gruff, but he finally managed a stuttered "Seven." Though none of the trio were adults, in Seven's young mind they were just as old and experienced as Thalassa, and he found comfort in their presence. With Jala's encouraging words he allowed himself to be squeezed between the two pegasi.
His chest felt tight from smoke and the pounding of his heart, and his tongue felt too heavy to move. Fear had given way to shock, and it held such a tight hold on him that he could not assist with calling for Thalassa. Instead he simply allowed them to usher him along, his lean body shivering.
His mind has reached its limit, and he barely processed any fear as a form too shape in the surrounding smoke. But as Thalassa reappeared he did feel a great sense of relief. The foal gladly grabbed onto her tail, glad to see Isaac was also still with her. He looked around though, not finding the other faces he hoped to see. Where were Sinclair and Laurens? Bright blue eyes looked up to Thalassa, assuming she had all the answers, but she was already moving away. She had called to them... hopefully they weren't lying on the ground among the other horses that Seven had seen in their panicked retreat. His young mind could not fully process the dead bodies they were leaving behind, but he hoped they, Five, and his dad were not among them. Breaking into a quick trot to keep up with the hippocampi mare, he sent prayer after prayer out to Cascade. Please, help us get to the Wilds. Please, let dad and Five be okay. Please, let it stop. Please.
(Post 4: 369 words)
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Post by posy-punch on Feb 20, 2017 18:17:57 GMT -6
just as quickly as she had been united with Seven and Thalassa, she was once again alone. Her hooves carried her to Laurens, as quickly as possible. It appeared as if the horse had attempted to follow the striped craftsman, but had been separated. Sinclair, however, only knew to get to the city and then to possibly group up with Thalassa once again. Her only hope was that those she had seen joining the other group would stay safe from the bombs going off. And just as that happened, she was jolted to the ground again, and horses swarmed over her. Just as, she found her feet again, pushing away the bustling bodies of those around her with a scream of panic and frustration.
"Laurens!" She called out again, catching sight of the mare from the temple in the Wilds. This time she was able to push through the crowd and the smoke to almost collide with the other mare. "Please, just, follow me. If it gets especially rough, just call out, please." Fear dripped from Sinclair's words, and still, she attempted to show some semblance of calm. Then she was moving, making sure to jostle others this way and that, clearing a fast disappearing path through the crowd.
And again, a bomb exploded, and then soon after hooves dove for the ground. Sinclair couldn't even find the equine to identify whether it was a guardian or its foil. She blinked tears of panic from her eyes and then like that, they were through the bustle of the heavy crowd and towards the city homes. There was a momentary peace and then Sinclair turned her blue eyes to Laurens. "Thalassa spoke of going back to the Temple. The one where we were given our necklaces by our Lord." She said glancing down to see that her Tear was still strung around her neck.
"I don't see them, but the Temple. It seems safe, we– we should go there?" Her voice lilted into the semblance of a question, offering Laurens the deciding say. "Chances are that we'll, meet up with them there... if, if nothing else happens." Her voice got quieter and quieter, until it could hardly be heard. She feared losing any of the horses that she'd quickly considered friends.
"What should we do, Laurens?"
❧ WORDS: 392
❧ POST: #2
❧ HEX CODE: #17385e
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Post by sansatine on Feb 21, 2017 13:04:51 GMT -6
2
The mare stood frozen. Smoke had once again taken away everything she knew, consumed it. Though the black she saw flashes of those she knew and didn't. Laurens was drifting, walking aimlessly, not even knowing she was. Everything was happening so quickly. She prayed to Cascade- or rather tried to. The mare, so very devout she was, couldn't even find the words to tell her goddess. She did not know what to do. Then a call came though the smoke. Laurens looked around. She'd been separated from... everyone. Flashes of white caught her attention. "S-Sinclair?" she called, too, vaguely even remembering the horse's name. The dusty mare only truly picked up every other word the other was saying. One made it to her ears, "Follow." That she could do. Training her eyes on Sinclair, Laurens stayed close behind her. She was saying... something. Laurens couldn't hear. She began praying, or rather tried to again. No words came but a feeling consumed her even more than the smoke had. The tear strung over her forehead was humming. It was all she could feel. Sinclair had turned to her for a reply, but Laurens had not even heard the question. The tear had stirred something she'd only had once or twice in her life, confidence. "Sinclair- can you hear me? We need to go to the temple. That is what Cascade is telling me. I know the way. We will find the others there." Laurens had never been so sure. The brown mare unraveled her tail and gave it to Sinclair, "I do not want to lose you, hold this, and tell any others you find to do the same." Laurens turned them the other direction and started walking, nothing but blind faith leading them. |
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Post by fediarwoods on Feb 24, 2017 7:26:04 GMT -6
Lorelle | Talori | Cleric
The way the small Unicorn looked up at her with his big, watery blue eyes stinging from the smoke broke her heart. She could read the fear from his eyes, the tears swelling behind them. It was so unfair. She couldn't comprehend why this was a way to get your way. Somewhere in the back of her mind she always had a little piece of understanding why Pegasi would turn their backs to Talori and would leave the safety of their isle in Hireath. They weren't treated equally, had not as many rights as any of the other horses and she understood that some horses couldn't accept that. She didn't know any better. She was raised this way and with Cascade being one of the Gods she was most close to, she would never turn her back on her own herd. Let alone attack it in a way death would drop upon them like snow would on cold winter nights.
''It's okay, Seven. I'm Lorelle, but you can call me Lori,'' she could just finish her sentence before coughing. Her throat burned, and she could only imagine what damage the smoke had done on the little Unicorn's system. There was no water here to wash his eyes out with to help the stinging, nor had she any herbs that could ease the burning in his lungs. She nodded as the Quagga's words reached her ears. It would be best to stick close together. As soon as Seven was safely squashed between her and Tegan, her wings close to her side, slightly hovering over him to keep him safe from any other damage that could come from the sky, her ears caught Thalassa's voice. Her ears pinned up and so did her head, her eyes searching for the spotted mare.
She felt relieve wash over her as Thalassa erupted from the curtain of smoke, the other colt stuck close to the mare's side. She could hear Thalassa reach out to the other two mares, but with the smoke surrounding them, it was only guessing if they were in ear's reach. She wished she could wave away more smoke with her wings, but there was only so much she could do. At least for now, they didn't have to breath in any more of the thick smoke.
She kept a close eye on Seven by her side and on Tegan on the other side of him, thankful for the strong Quagga that barricade the other side of the two colts. He was young too -- probably not much older than she was, but he was strong and willing to help and defend his friend no matter what. She smiled, than her eyes searched for pieces of recognition around them, but all she could see were vague silhouettes moving in the thick curtain of smoke that surrounded them. Dead bodies in the distance, feathers moving Pegasi through the sky. She felt like she was in a nightmare and there was no possibility for her to wake up from this horror.
As Thalassa untied the thick braid of her tail and offered them all a string of hair so they could keep close, she eagerly picked up a string of hair with her telekinetic touch. She had no idea if it would help, maybe it was just a false sense of safety, but for now that was all she needed. ''We'll stick together, and we'll follow in your footsteps,'' she said to Thalassa, her voice braver than she felt. ''If we can just find the trees than we can get away from here,'' she said, more so mumbling to herself as her eyes fought to find clarity in this mess of smoke.
[Word Count: 620 | Post 4]
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Post by GingerBlues on Mar 2, 2017 22:58:55 GMT -6
ThalassaI remember tears streaming down your face
When I said, "I'll never let you go."
When all those shadows almost killed your lightThe mare pressed on through the smoke and debris, keeping her head low in an attempt to find fresher air to breathe. Though each step and each painful breath of smoky air felt like an eternity, it didn't take long for Thalassa to make her way out of the smoke and past the city limits, with Issac, Lorelle, Jala, Teagan, and Seven in tow.
Leading the small group a little ways into the wilds, Thalassa paused by a large tree to catch her breath and assess everyone's condition. Coughing heavily for a moment, she expelled most of the remaining smoke from her lungs, finally able to breathe freely again. Turning to the horses behind her she looked each of them over. While they all had their fair share of scrapes and bruises, everyone appeared to be uninjured for the most part.
"Are any of you hurt? Are you alright?" She asked, looking each of them in the eye trying to gauge how they were doing even before they replied. She bent down to reassure Issac that he was safe, nuzzling the young tenderfoot's cheek before returning her attention to the rest of the group. "I know you are all concerned for your families, and I understand the fear you might be feeling right now... but we need to press on. We still have at least an hour of travel before we reach the temple and I know we are all tired. Once we get there and rest for a bit, I promise we will all sit down and come up with a plan." Her voice was firm but compassionate as she spoke, hoping the younger horses would understand.
"Stay close and keep an eye out for anyone else who may have made it this far." She said, a bit more encouragingly than her previous statement had been. "Hopefully Sinclair and Laurens aren't far behind, and maybe they've brought along some others as well."
Post #: 4
Word Count: 322
Posting Frequency: Once a Week
You've made it to the wilds! Though a bit worse for ware, the next stretch of your journey should go without issue and you should make it to the Temple in no time.
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