Talori Plot 404: Renegade Rescue

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In the early morning light, everything was tinted with a foggy gray cast. It was eerie, seeing the trees looming up from damp, black soil, their branches reaching like claws to the cloud-filled sky. Vines choked the trunks of the trees, winding up and down them like snakes, blending into the foliage at the canopy, and into the underbrush on the ground below. Ferns, heavy with dew, covered the dark earth, hiding it almost entirely from view. Everything was dark, stained with the lack of light from the sun, and shadows loomed on all sides of the forest. It all appeared so ominous. Or perhaps, it was only ominous because of the task that faced the rag-tag band of horses. It would not be easy, forging their way through the Wilds, especially considering the kinds of creatures that often lurked in the tangled underbrush.

Shivering, more from fear than from cold, the black overo mare stepped forward, her nostrils quivering. Blue eyes scoured the darkness of the underbrush, flicking from tree trunk to bush, as if expecting something to leap out at any moment. Perhaps the mare was jittery simply because she knew the dangers of the Wilds, or perhaps it was because neither of her children were beside her. Matronly instincts rang alarm bells at the back of the Overo’s mind, urging her to turn and run, to find her family, and bring them close, hiding until the trouble passed. But she could not turn tail and flee. Somewhere, in the distance, her husband was, hopefully, living. She would have to trust that Cascade would keep her children safe. She had a mission, as did all of the other horses strung out behind her. The group was small, but full of familiar faces, and Kali felt she had a responsibility to the horses that she had lived with, scrabbling out a living in the old, abandoned Temple.

Now, even the Temple was behind them. Nearly an hour’s journey from the makeshift home, the group was deep into the Wilds by now, and not far from the encampment of Torrine - their final goal. It would be treacherous to traverse the Wilds, despite the fact that the group had survived thus far without injury, and even if they did somehow struggle all the way to the edge of the forest, there was the small matter of the prison camp, Torrine, being held in hostile Freedom’s Flight hooves. If any of the Talorians were caught, they would be captured, possibly tortured, and perhaps even killed. It was not an endeavor they took lightly.

Snapping back to the present, the mare realized that she had stopped moving entirely, and was standing stock still on top of a large, flat, and mossy boulder, her body tense with fear and anticipation. She was supposed to be scouting out the group’s path, not fretting about their impending deaths. Each of the group members could fret for their own safety. If she became absorbed with fearing for them, she might very well put them in more danger. Shaking her head, the mare felt her short-cropped mane shudder as her crest moved. With a small snort, she began walking again, whispering just loud enough that the others could hear her, “All right, let’s keep moving. We’ll be at the edge of the woods soon. Not long now, Friends”

Post: 1
Word Count: 556

Kalakara | Brewer | Post Three

With one ear turned back to listen to their charges, Kali moved forward slowly, anticipating the abrupt transition from forest to sandy township. In the strange manner that their spirit always seemed to work, femininity was shed in bits, as the black overo moved closer and closer to the edge of the Wilds. Whenever threatened, the kind, motherly side of the Brewer disappeared, replaced with the stronger, more hard-edged facet of their personality. While it was not something they could control, it had proven advantageous before (although it had almost gotten them killed when they turned tail to fight the flock member that had brutally amputated their daughter's front leg, and they had survived only thanks to Kennith knocking some sense into them). It brought little to no outward shifts, save for the fact that Kali stood a little differently, hooves farther apart and planted with more confidence as they crept forward. Too, the timbre and pattern of their speech changed slightly, dropping deeper and moving into more curt, less enunciated patterns, which would become evident when they stopped to address their group once more.

"No need for titles, Roxanne," the paint assured her, giving the slightest of smiles to the mare. "We're equals here." Not to mention, thanks to the horse's identity, which shifted like water running through a stream, being reminded of their physical attributes was not always a kindness. Kali had found it easiest to keep themselves happy, and other horses unaware of their "unconventional" personality by simply doing away with titles altogether. Thus far, it had been a tactic which proved useful.

As the light of the outside world began to penetrate the thinning underbrush, Kali flicked their tail impatiently, wanting to be to the end of the Gods-forsaken forest as quickly as possible. They did not share Addanc's trust for the wild, and relief flooded through them as the brighter outline of the forest-free world appeared, growing larger and more inviting the closer the group got.

"Eyes peeled," the black overo whispered, their gaze falling on Wilbur, who seemed to have puffed himself up with much-needed confidence. They weren't just making up tasks for the sake of it; they needed the Tenderfoot to catch what they missed, and the true Cleric to bring aid when the Brewers' abilities fell short. Hopefully, there would be no need for that, but the mustang was prepared for the worst. With their heart hammering in their chest, the mustang crept forward until they were at the edge of the Wilds themselves. It was rather an accomplishment that the group had survived so far, and the night-colored horse stopped for just a second to let them soak in their success.

"That's one part of our journey complete," they said, purposefully leaving out the return journey through the Wilds that would have to be made. That was a struggle for another moment. As their blue eyes fell upon the ruins of Inaria, Kali couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness in their chest. This had been their home for so long...how could they possibly wander through its wreckage, survive the Flight, and free the prisoners, without feeling a bit nostalgic at the very least. So many memories were had. So many plans which had failed fruition. But they must push forward.

Taking a deep breath, the pearl-adorned mustang stepped forward, into the over-cast light of mid-morning. They kept their eyes down and their steps even, moving quickly and smoothly towards the city, in an attempt to find safe shelter before anyone noticed the band of strangers.

WC: 597

Kalakara | Brewer | Post 4

Although each step pained them, Kali forced themself to push forward, picking their way through the wreckage that had once been their home, where they had planned to make a home and raise their children. How could they possibly dream of that now? It was an impossibility in their mind, almost like an unreachable dream.

To distract themself from the shattered reality of their capitol city, Kali swept their gaze over the group, taking in their features. Kenneth and Sven standing strong, two boulders amongst a raging river. Addanc, wily and stalwart as he forged ahead. Cygnet, seemingly uncomfortable with being exposed, Roxanne sticking to her makeshift leader, the Tenderfoot taking his duties seriously.

Cygnet's question was a fair one, and although Kali would have liked not to speak about their plan in the open, they decided to answer it anyway. Sweeping the area, they decided that no listening ears were in the way, and so divulged.

"We're on our way to Torrine," they confirmed. "It's going to be our duty to gather information about any survivors. If all goes under Cascade's blessing, we will be bringing our loved ones home with us," they explained. The very thought of having their husband home again was enough to make their heart pound in anticipation. Perhaps that very excitement would be twisted into bitter defeat, but they could only pray that the small thread of hope would not be severed upon their arrival at the prison camp.

With so much of the city destroyed, it was fairly easy to pick their way through the ruined streets, and soon the group was passing the once great statue of Cascade that had been in the central plaza. Like the rest of their home, the image of the goddess had been damaged, and tilted at a crazy angle, melted and twisted wildly out of shape. A pang of sadness passed through the overo as they passed the broken image of the deity. It wasn't fair. They had never agreed with the unjustness and strict, even cruel practices of their herd, but the flight had become so unforgiveably evil that they could not fathom sympathizing with the venomous Pegasi's movement. How anyone could kill children, and destroy homes, they could not understand. How ironic that the death of one Pegasus child had lead to the deaths of so many others. Was it worth it, Kali wondered. All they wanted was to get their family to safety. How much of this could have been avoided if the safety of others had been more valued than rightcheousness?

Despite the depth of their thoughts, Kali never stopped moving. Only when the wavery outline of Torrine's magic-barring border appeared on the horizon did they stop. Halting, the hippocampus glanced around, expression grim. "We aren't far now," the black mustang announced quietly. "Remember, the area will be crawling with Flight members, so we'll stay to the underbrush. If we do get inside that border, none of our blessings will work," Kali briefed. "Keep close, and keep your wits about you." With this, the the black horse began to plod trepidacoiously forward again, towards their mission's destination.

WC: 525

Kalakara | Brewer | Post 5

It made the brewer's heart ache to see Wilbur pleading to be left behind. How frightened he must be, considering how much fear they faced, and taking into consideration the fact that Wilbur was far younger and less cynically inclined than Kali was. The poor child was just that, a child. It shouldn't be so that he had to traipse directly into enemy territory, risking his life and livelihood, just to make sure that his herdmates received some small shred of comfort, some hope of escape. It was far too much for a child to bear that weight. Blue eyes churning with sadness, Kali gazed at the youngster, wishing they knew what to say to comfort the colt. Cygnet's voice took over the silence, encouraging the child to be brave, and join his herdmates on their rescue mission. Just as strongly, Roxanne's own opinion was voiced, claiming that the boy shouldn't be forced to face the task before them if he felt he was not capable of handling it.

As much as Kali would have liked to leave the matter to sort itself out, there was little time before the guards came back from their assumed rounds, and the black over knew that if they let their team begin to argue, it would only work against them in the long run. "It would be a lie if I told you I wasn't afraid," the black overo stated, eyes on Wilbur. "I can't say that I know what we're going to find in here, nor can I promise that I'll know what to do. But there are children in there, and horses who may be injured, either in body or in spirit. My feelings aren't more important than that," they stated. "So despite that fear, I must be here for each of you, and I expect that all of you will be here for me," they added, pinning each horse in turn with a serious stare. "We are a team, and if one of us breaks, we all do. It is far too dangerous to allow our chain to break." For a moment, the horse fell silent, gathering their thoughts.

"We don't have time to debate who should stay and who should go," they finished finally. "Our guard has already been appointed, and I cannot leave any member of my team here alone who is not supposed to be there," they added. "And that is final. We need to get moving." With this, they turned back to the task at hand, pushing through the key-lock barrier, and entering the sphere, assuming that their team would follow.

With ears pricked, Kali swiveled their head left and right, wondering where the guards were in their rounds. If they were on the other side of the compound, the group had some time to make their way into the depths of the camp, but if they were soon to approach, the band of Talorians would have to move quickly to avoid getting caught.

It was incredibly strange to be back in Torrine, and Kali felt a wave of emotions wash over them as they skirted the underbrush. Their firstborn child had been brought to earth here, they had been married here, had made friends, and had survived through the turmoil following the child sacrifice's death. All those memories, bittersweet, came crashing down as the overo lead their group through the prison camp. Shaking their head slightly, as though they could physically dislodge any cobwebbing thoughts that threatened to distract them from their task. Any slip up now could lead to capture, injury...or worse.

"We need to make our way to the living quarters," the black mustang ordered in hushed tones. "If there are prisoners to be found, that's where we'll find them," they asserted, using their mental map of the prison camp's layout to steer them in the correct direction. They just hoped that if they reached the thatched huts, and did indeed discover their herdmates, they wouldn't discover their guardians as well.

WC: 670