|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:09 am
Silarial didn't like this place - not one bit. The trees had an oppressive feel to them. It was as if they were leaning over her, menacing her, blocking out the sky - not like the trees where she'd been born, which strove for the sun and whispered in the wind.
Also, it was raining in an undecided way again. Thunderstorms, she was alright with. Light rain that went on incessantly without stopping or getting heavier, she wasn't. It reminded her of things she didn't want to remember - abandoning her eggs, meeting Alucard and Khalidia.
As she plodded on with these heavy thoughts on her mind, there was a flash of bright light. One tree burst into orange and gold.
The mare stopped, stunned and awed by the sudden beauty before her - then it spread closer, and she sensed the murderous heat.
With a panicked whinny, she wheeled on the spot and ran.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 9:56 am
This wood was dark... dark and colder then the lake near where he had hatched, Neptune realized. Peering up at the leaves high above him that barely let an ounce of shimmering sunlight drip threw their leaves. In away, the cool and the dark were calm and refreshing to the colt. Neptune blinked away small wet that had landed near his eye, followed by more that lightly wet his body and the world around him. 'What was this?' wondered licking off a little rain that had fallen on his scales. It tasted like the water, like that lake he was born near, but it came from above the tree tops. How very pacular this world was to his young mind.
Heart suddenly lept ears caught wift of a large clash and the dark forest suddenly burst into light a fair distance from him. Neptune staggered back staring with horror at the red and gold that hissed and crackled in the trees. 'What was it? Why so suddenly?' asked, unable to understand. From the corner of his eye saw a flash of gray and green coming from the direction of the flames. Grey and green like rock and moss.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:03 pm
Suddenly a brilliant flash of light broke the forest’s darkness, and liquid yellow danced through the near distant vegetation. Elune remembered the awe she felt when confronted by this strange force as a foal one night when she secretly strayed far from her parents’ protection. Though the power possessed by the flame was just as intoxicating it no longer held a curious beauty for her; she’d witnessed firsthand the sort of havoc it wrought upon living entities, and even the very earth beneath her hooves. She turned away from the inferno in haste, and fled into the darkness.
Thoughts raced through Elune’s mind as she galloped; Why is it that my spirit or another brought me to this odd stretch of forest, forcing slumber when danger threatened me hoof and horn? Heart pounding, muscles stretching she leapt high over a fallen trunk, dipping her head quickly thereafter to avoid low branches. The drizzle continued to fall, but it only lightly slowed the angry heat. The trees seemed to welcome the fire; despite being well saturated it engulfed them effortlessly. Every part of their physical being was turned to smoldering ash through and through.
By chance Elune’s franticly darting eyes spied a small creature huddled in a shallow cavity in the bark of a tree. She rushed to the opening and nudged the furry one sharply with her muzzle. It stirred quickly, and before it could mutter a sound of discontent, its little eyes met the roaring flames. Without flinching, it sprang forth and scurried off; Elune followed suit, realizing at last why destiny’s invisible strings drug her to this place. I must warn all mobile beings of the approaching wrath! Tossing her head back, she cried out as she ran, ”Aaawwwrrrraaaaaa! Aaawwwrrrrraaaaaa!”
(( The Warning Cry | 2))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 8:39 am
Dodging roots and fallen tree branches, Silarial fled from the flames in a straight path with no plans. Because of her panic, she didn't spot the foal until she was fairly close - then, and only then, did she pause.
Glowing green eyes met blue ones, and she realised how very young he was, both from his size and fuzziness of his mane and tail. It would be a tragedy for all that potential to go up in smoke. The stone mare glanced around quickly for his dam and, finding no sign of her, nosed him firmly in the opposite direction of the flames. Those had been delayed slightly by a favourable wind, but she knew this would not last long.
"Run, run for your life."
Meanwhile, there was a curious alarm-call to the side - it sounded like an exotic bird - and a flash of pale green went past. Highly aware that the fire was closing in on them, Silarial pushed herself forward again... to find herself running beside another mare. It wasn't too hard to see why the Aririn was making so much noise, as a sizeable group of forest creatures before them, alerted by the warning, fled their homes.
"Considerate - of you," she panted when there was a lull in the other mare's cries. "Wish - I had - your - voice."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 2:44 pm
Neptune awakened from his dazed stare at the flames by the rough prodding at his side. Stumbling several steps back colt glanced from the stone mare to the fire. His mind trying to comprehend what was happening admits his ignorance and the on coming threat. Neptune's ear lifted in curiosity at her warning to him, before the mare speed of in the direction she had directed him. All though the young one didn't understand her words her message was clear. He had to escape to run it.
'I don't understand. What is this stuff? Why is it eating the trees and where did it come from?' was what he wanted to ask her. Something told him little of that would matter if the flames made him vanish along with the forest. With one last glance over his shoulder the colt sprinted of after Silarial. Determined to make it out, scared to death not to but also to be with other Kirin and too learn what things were. How he should act around them. To never be trapped by ignorance, he needed others to teach him.
Ran after Silarial, his leg short legs tring hard to keep up with the long faster ones of a Kirin adult. Striving to always keep her in site as he battered along the wood determined to keep running. Ears pricked he heard a call echoing threw out the woods, warning all of the danger. Like the mare had done when he spoke with him. With that sound a sudden realization dawned on him, 'Where was mother Kenshi?'
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 10:53 pm
As Elune tore through the vegetation relaying her message of warning, all manner of animal life sprang forth to escape the ravenous flames. As she glanced far ahead she mistook the moss accented stone mare for a part of the landscape; her eyes instead focused on the green foal struggling to break his attention from the raging torrent. Suddenly a voice came forth warning the little one of danger. Elune bolted past catching the scene from via her peripheral vision; the stone she mistook for inanimate scenery was in fact another Kirin, now catching up to her, and the wide-eyed youth followed close behind.
Elune's heart soared at the other mare's kind words, and she broke her cries with a sharp breath to reply quickly, "Thank you...perhaps...you could...learn..."
She wanted to say more, but could not. There was too much to say, and it would have to wait. She only wished she could have told the mare that she too had been more than considerate to stop for the little one who was obviously lost, with no herd in sight.
It seemed as though the trio were gaining ground from flames, but one wrong move could spell disaster, especially for the young one. If only they could find an opening somewhere in the trees, some sure escape route from the heat, from the ash, from death, and from the pressing forest itself.
Just then a large gnarled branch gave way in front of Elune, and she sprang from the ground hard, opening her wings to quickly dodge the debris. She only hoped the other Kirin would realize she was not abandoning them for the sky, and a possible guaranteed escape.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:48 am
Silarial kept an eye on the foal next to her as she followed the pretty winged mare. The mare was very, very worried - she had no idea how long he could keep up with them, and he seemed rather distracted. Hopefully he'd have the sense to stick with his own kind and keep running from the fire.
She was about to respond that there was no way her throat could possibly make such fantastic noises when the Aririn took flight. Sil glanced upwards with a puzzled frown. If the mare sought to escape the fire by going upwards, it probably wasn't the wisest choice - strange thick black clouds were billowing upwards, and she probably wouldn't be able to see where she was going. Someone who had the sense and consideration to warn forest creatures would not try to flee that way without so much as a by-your-leave, though.
Maybe she was looking for a river they could cross, or some place they could escape.
Silarial made a mental note to ask when the other mare came back down again. Meanwhile, she began to use her peripherals as she ran instead of looking only straight ahead.
"Tell me if you spot some way to escape," she said to the foal in one breath. Three pairs of eyes beat two.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 7:30 pm
Though she hadn't meant to, Elune's fierce attempt to doge the falling debris caused her to gain more than a decent amount of lift; she rose into the canopy and her head emerged just above the trees. Despite clearing the canopy top it was difficult to see anything through the billowing black clouds. She strained to catch a glimpse of a path of escape; it was becoming more difficult to hold on to the hope in her heart without one. Suddenly through the thick smoke she saw something narrow shimmering not far from their current position. Perhaps it is a stream she thought excitedly, praying that if her eyes had not deceived her it would lead them to safety, and far away from this unnatural stretch of land.
Elune turned back to the earth, descending quickly. She extended her legs into a bounding position and touched down with ease, returning to a heart pounding pace. The stone mare was still nearly beside her, and appeared unharmed despite the debris and approaching flames. With a sense of relief Elune attempted to relay her observation between breaths.
“It seems…there…is…water…not far…from here…”
The rain continued in its unchanging rhythm, slow and light, and did not phase the raging torrent of heat close on their hooves. It seemed as though ages passed as they galloped through the brush. Were my eyes playing tricks on me after all Elune questioned her mind, for they had yet to find the body of water that seemed so near which she'd viewed from the canopy.
Suddenly the scent of algae ridden water hit her olfactory glands as if she'd run horn first into a tree; it was thick, and nearly nauseating, and just as unnaturally stagnant as the rest of the forest.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 2:47 am
Silarial had willingly followed the peacock Kirin when she mentioned water, expecting to see it running. As a result, the stench and sight of still water was a nasty surprise. Aggravated by the smoke and the stench, tears sprang to her eyes and she spluttered out a few coughs.
But between getting roasted alive and going through the sludge, she'd willingly take the sludge. Without breaking her stride, Silarial plunged into the relatively shallow water and began to wade through it.
As she pressed on, she could see that this was not the only body of water around them - there were several others to the sides, and a relatively large one ahead. Glad to be alive but not particularly happy about her current situation, the stone mare looked back to see that the flames were being held at bay, then turned to the peacock mare.
"We appear to be in a swamp," she stated, voice hoarse from the smoke.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 9:57 am
An odd sensation touched each of Elune's nerves as she listened to the other mare's struggled breaths, and glanced back witnessing her tears. She felt almost guilty for leading them into this muck, although even this was surly safer than the torrent swatting their rear hooves. A twinge of fear followed that guilt, for despite her adept swimming abilities there was no way to know the danger that might lie beneath the cloudy surface. Unfortunately no alternate route revealed itself, so she brushed aside her thoughts and leapt in. The stone mare accepted the task with ease, and Elune hoped her silly hesitation wasn't as obvious as she'd felt it had been.
The water was very thick near the surface, but thinner beneath, so it was a little less difficult to move through than her first observations predicted. She turned to the mare then, listening intently as her observations were confirmed.
"I wonder where it leads..." Elune asked in reply, more out of the need to say something than true wonder. It didn't really matter where it lead, for they could not stay, nor turn back toward the fire.
The two pressed on, and the mind numbing rained continued without a hint of relenting; it created a monotone melody as it hit the pools of water and spongy earth there. It was not loud enough to be considered deafening, and yet the droning of its never changing pace was .
The swamp as a whole was very shallow, and even in the places where it deepened their determination did not allow its conditions to hinder progress. Elune sensed they would escape this place along this path, and the invisible strings which drug her forward through most of the journey thus far could no longer keep up with her movements.
It was impossible to tell if hours or days had passed by the time the edge of the swamp appeared before them, for the song of the rain left sleeping out of the question, and the clouds that birthed the drops blocked all hinting of the existence of the sun. Regardless, the end was before them suddenly, and as Elune pulled herself from the last of the pools she observed the great beyond.
A desolate land greeted their hooves. The ground was much more solid than that of the drier parts of the swamp, however it was still a waterlogged mess of thick, brown mud. As Elune scanned the horizon she noted not a single tree or shrub was anywhere to be found, dead or alive. Only large stone clusters presented themselves in the distance. The rain was slightly heavier here than it had been in the forest or swamp, and it was just as disheartening here. The air was oddly warm however, which gave Elune the impression that life must exist somewhere in this foreign place.
The fire was far behind them, and immediate danger at bay. The invisible force which called her very soul was quiet then, and did not show her which path to take, which direction to follow.
She turned to the stone mare, noting her expressions as she gazed at the barren land, and asked,
"Which way shall we go?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:59 am
(( Elune appears to have emerged unscathed from the swamp - Silarial, however, has not.)) Silarial A mare clearly under duress but still quietly determined had entered the swamp with her friend; but a shattered one was now exiting it. The only reason she was still pushing herself onwards was that she did not wish to leave another Kirin, Elune.
"Anywhere," she answered quietly. "It matters not. I will follow where you lead me." ((To be continued in .))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
