[PRP] Shadow of the Mountain (Viggo Tomislav & Alexandrite)

[xo maho]

This is a private roleplay between Viggo Tomislav (Mahogany Sunset) and Alexandrite (Nayci).

 

[xo maho]

Up, up, up. The foothills were growing taller around Tomislav as he walked, eyes on the ground to make sure he didn't trip. Both his tail and his wings were held aloft, providing some semblance of balance; without them extended, they'd just be dead weight, cooling against his back in the mountain air. They also added to his size, and while he was unafraid of the predators here, he did not care to add a new scar to his pelt today. If one decided to come after him, it would be far more hesitant and give him time to take off. Or slice its throat. It depended on his urges.

He had been hiking toward the distant peaks for weeks, heading north for the summer. And the further he hiked the more distant they seemed, and the more the ground seemed to hate him. If not for his uncertainty of when he would be able to come down again without dying (for there looked to be trees ahead), he would have taken to the skies, but he could not risk it. As much as his existence was rather worthless, he did not want it to end with a plummet to the earth slowed by tired wings.

Hooves clacking on the stone beneath his feet, Tomislav took in a cool breath. The temperature had dropped again, just as he liked; this was the whole point of walking so far out of his way. In the old lands, there had been mountains for his family to migrate too, with icy rivers and air so chill that even his breath had frosted in the air. It made his lungs burn, and if there was one thing that he loved, it might just be that feeling.

Pain shot through his leg as a rock shifted beneath his hoof, and Tomislav rocketed into the air with a flap of his wings, saving himself from falling into a hole. Cursing, he lowered himself back to the ground a ways away from it. The combination of breaking a leg and chipping a hoof would not make for a great day.

Nayci

 

[Nayci]

For the most part Alexandrite kept to herself since the breaking of the great kalona herd. She had struck out on her own, created her own life, and spared little a glance to those not worthy of her time. Bartering information for better information. Created simple truces between differing herds when necessary. And blackmailing those who deserved it, at least, those who deserved it in her own world view. So, when Proserpine had come to her with a proposition of leadership and strength, Alexandrite wasn’t quite sure what to do with it at first. On one hand Alexandrite wasn’t all that keen on getting involved with conflict again. Proserpine had called it conflict during their negotiations, but Alex saw the truth behind that description. It was war, it was going to be war. Alexandrite wasn’t stupid, not by a long shot.

However, Proserpine had something that Alexandrite hadn’t seen in a long while, a glint in her eyes that showed promise. Even if Proserpine didn’t see it herself. And through their discussion and bartering Alexandrite could not be helped but be drawn to the dark kalona mare. Something was there that Alex couldn’t quite place. Something new, something…exciting. And so Alexandrite said that she would help Proserpine in gathering her team. And in exchange Proserpine promised cohesion and preciseness that the kalona herd had lacked nearing the end of the war. Apparently Proserpine had some sort of ace in the whole, a “Dragon Lord” she had called it. Not that Alexandrite believed in dragons. No, Alexandrite only believed in what she could actually see.

But alas, she digressed, it wasn’t up to her to decide on what to do. Proserpine was in charge of that. Although Alexandrite could pull strings where she could. Proserpine had told her that she was to be her right hand, her intelligence broker. Now THAT, Alexandrite could do. In fact, it was her specialty. Her role during the war was intelligence. Gathering through her scouts and creating reports for the Guard to use. Which reminded her of just why she was traveling towards the mountainside anyway. Word around the valley was that one of the Guard was there. She wasn’t quite sure which one, for there were multiple guards as a whole, but honestly it didn’t totally matter. Alexandrite wasn’t one to be picky.

Silently Alexandrite banked left around some of the lower level hills and climbed upwards with the draft. She wasn’t quite sure what to look for, but It’d be there somehow regardless. She just had to be watchful and alert. And luckily the great god Kalona deemed her worthy of keeping her search short. For in fact when she glided upwards for a third time, beginning to feel the clouds rub against her skin, a rather familiar looking stallion came into view. A familiar guard that Alexandrite had given intelligence to. A small smirk adorned her maw as she landed quietly behind him, just far enough away to where she couldn’t be kicked, but close enough to where she could be heard.

“Tomislav, didn’t realize that you had taken to mountain climbing.”

Mahogany Sunset

 

[xo maho]

Tomislav lowered his wings, the leathery membrane making a snapping sound as he folded them. As he turned to face the mare behind him, his tail whipped up, the icy spade pointing threateningly at the female. If not for the fact that he recognized her vibrant coat, he might have sliced it and spilled red over the black stone. As it was, he did recognize the mare: one from the Kalona army, who went by the name of Alexandrite. And she was no good friend of his. He did not have good friends. Of course, she was a lovely creature, in the way most Kalona are lovely: predatory and sinuous. Alexandrite was unique in that her coat was as vivid as the night sky in the north.

"Alexandrite," Tomislav said, "I prefer snowshoeing, but mountain climbing must come before snowshoeing. Isn't this weather too cold for your blood?"

How long had it been since he had seen this mare? Years, surely. Two, perhaps three of the most. He had had two grown daughters in the time since he had seen her, but he did not like to think about that. He liked to think less about them, and even less about their mother. Their mother, however, was one of the most pervasive thoughts he had. It was not wise for a Kalona of his breeding and bloodline to have ever associated with her, let alone have had children with her. And that have been proven to him with blood. Her blood, their first daughters' blood. The tricksters had nearly given him something to live for, and then had taken it away again... And so now he was headed up the mountain, toward isolation and peace, where he could do no more harm to anyone he cared for - which had been limited to the Kalona herd and Eva and his barely-born-now-dead fillies, and now included a total of... no one. And so it was to isolation and peace he went.

Well, it would have been isolation and peace if not for this intrusion.

"What do you want of me, Alexandrite?" He asked the question with a good helping of bitterness, turning back around and continuing uphill. "Did you not hear that I abandoned the vanguard? I'm certain that my family has made it the news in the herd. Did they look for me? I've not seen them since they left me to bleed out on the battlefield."

His tail swished in irritation, cutting through the air with a whistle. "I heard they lost the war." The stone clacked under his hooves, and the air he exhaled from his nose formed clouds in the air before him. The air was growing friendlier to him. It was about time - it had taken him this long. Soon he would see snow again, and then he could rest.

Nayci

 

[Nayci]

What did she want from him? Surely he should know. She only spoke with the guard, sorry, VANguard, when there was work to be done. So truly her presence should not have been one of surprise. However, she had to admit that it wasn’t wartime any longer. Her services weren’t just for the long dead kalona herd any longer. But that was okay, Alexandrite wasn’t without cause, wasn’t without a means to earn a living. Tomislav should know that quite well. Not that they spoke very much. Maybe one or two times during the mid to end of the war.

“Tch, you flatter me with your words Tomislav. You know that my kalona blood runs just as hot as yours. Your coat may be a living example of snow incarnate, but that doesn’t change the fact that you and I are still just the same breed. Given life to us by the god Kalona.”

She smirked as his spaded tail twitched close to her face. Tomislav was always the one to strike first and ask questions later. Regardless of who it was, friend or foe. Alexandrite was never afraid of him. She wasn’t afraid of most things. She’d been threatened, attacked, almost blackmailed, but she never fell to them. She was too intelligent for that. The stallion before her was no exception to this rule. And it wouldn’t change her current course of thinking. In fact, running into Tomislav onl heightened her current objective. He’d be perfect for the job she was trying to fill. The question was, how could she convince him?

When he turned tail and began up the mountainside again Alexandrite didn’t hesitate to follow him. Even with the wind chill starting to seep into her bones. What did she want of him? Everything she could if possible. Alexandrite wasn’t a fickle or evil mare persay. However, she knew how to get what she wanted, when she wanted it, regardless of who she was wanting it from. At least, that what she told herself. Her plans weren’t always perfect, not that she’d admit to it.

“What do I want with you? Surely you should know enough about me to know that it’s not what I really want. But what you want and how I can get it for you,” she spoke with wry grin on her maw.

“The kalona herd has vanished, I no longer work for them. Granted, they no longer worked for themselves either. Stubborn and hard-headed the leader was. Quite frankly it was a waste of my time. He never listened to the sound advice anyway.”

She thought for a brief moment to his family, “A part of me wishes to apologize for the utter ridiculousness that is your sire and dam, but the other part really doesn’t care. They’ve been nothing but gossiping fools. Nothing has been given to me by them that I can actually use for the better of the kalona breed. I woudn’t worry your precious nose about them. They’re not worth your time.”

When he gave her a look she remembered that she had a purpose for being up here with him. He had to remember that she gave her punch line in due time. It wasn’t her way to be upfront and blunt, at least, all the time. Where was the fun in that? Was Alexandrite not allowed to have some fun?

“I care little that you abandoned the vanguard, what I care about is the current and present time. I want to strike a deal with you for your abilities and strengths. And if I know you like I think I do, you want something new. Don’t tell me that you’re idea of fun and peace is climbing up a snowy mountainside looking for isolation. Its not in your breed and you know it.”

Mahogany Sunset