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 Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 4:56 pm
 The day was later in the afternoon and the summer sun was finally starting to fade away into the skyline. Mercy was relieved to see such, as she had spent her summer hiding in her usual cave not only from the heat, but from anyone who may have spotted her. Her life had become rather strange as of late, and it had been ages since she'd had interaction with... anything. Perhaps a part of her was running away from her family since she hadn't seen them in so long, while another part of her had nowhere to actually go. Her cave had become the only safe place she knew, but today she needed to get out, much to her dislike. Her food source had run low so it was time to attempt hunting again. She wasn't a great hunter, mostly because she wasn't actually marvelous at anything. She would have to attempt a couple of times, which stressed her out. She hated being out in the open for too long. Her confidence level was a bit shot at the moment, so her cave felt like the only safe place where she wouldn't bother anyone, and vice versa. As Mercy ventured out, she felt a light sweat develop on her forehead from both the heat and nervousness. Hopefully she would find something and be done with this already, so she was alert and shuffling quietly throughout the array of trees.
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Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 5:49 pm
He bent over the fallen creature for a moment, low and savage until he lifted his head to focus on the sound that had caused the deer to bolt so suddenly.
A mare. And not just any mare. her tali, her wings--she had no horns, but there was no doubt in the stallion's mind that this was a kalona.
Which meant that this had been her deer.
Gruffly, he stared at her for a moment, torn between savagely protecting the kill, and, well. Clearly she was underfed. With a grumble rumbling low in his throw, Nemesis slowly, stiffly, stepped back to surrender the prize.
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Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 7:14 pm
Mercy had found a specimen to follow, a young buck who made her mouth water when she smelled him. He was meaty enough for his age and would make a fine meal to drag back and save in the cave. But as usual Mercy tactics would have it, she was not graceful in her hunt, so she was not surprised to hear him bolt away the second a sound was heard. She too ran faster, until she and her heart stopped at what she saw next. Nothing could prepare her for coming face to face with this Kalona stallion. If there was any composure in the world, it was holding her jaw in so it wouldn't drop to the ground, as well as everything else on her body. He was huge and strong, and the blood stains from the deer only made him more scary in his abilities. How quickly had he destroyed that creature? So was she going to die finally for coming into his turf? These were things she had always prepared herself for, immense pain, choking fear, ultimate death by one stronger than her... But what happened next made absolutely no sense. Why was he offering her the morsel he had so obviously killed? "I should not accept, its unfair in this situation. You made the kill, I am not worthy of this." Her bright red eyes matched his, but they held non of the confidence and composure she was staring right into. "Buu-ut, thank you though.."
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Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 7:58 pm
The wings on her head instead of horns--clearly a mark of Kalona, somehow, but he had never seen such an oddity on a mare or a stallion before. She did not hold herself like a kalona though, meek and timid where she should have been defiant and enraged, chasing him off of the deer as though it was her firstborn. Theia surely would have, and Maeryn would have lashed his ears until they bled with her razor-tipped tongue. Instead, this one claimed she was not worthy, thanked him as though he had done something truly generous.
His nostrils flared wide at that, as surprised as he was disgusted.
"You shame yourself." His black muzzle curled to bare crimson-stained teeth. What was wrong with this mare? "You are a kalona. Why do you act like a lesser before me?"
It was maddening, and perhaps more than a little revolting. "Stand up. Claim it for yourself. Without food, you will die--and a kalona does not wither away from starvation." He made no move to back off though, daring her with his posture and the intensity of his stare for her to stalk forth and take the carcass at his feet.
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Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 8:27 pm
The shame part she understood, but what else was this stallion talking about? Mercy was completely justified in her manner to the situation. It was very scary that she had pissed him off, so apparently she needed to watch what she did and how she spoke in response. Crap crap crap, this is literally why she never left the cave or found others to interact with. The only instinctive thing she thought of next was to circle him, and act as though she was intimidating. "Fine.. I will claim it as mine if you insist so much." ... she was hardly convincing, she may have looked like the part but any real Kalona could tell she was a weakling. All she could imagine was her grandfather Wrath seeing this now... oh the shame. Perhaps thinking about her grandfather for that slight moment brought out an actual emotion she liked-- destruction. So as Mercy ended her circle around the stallion, she noticed she was right by the buck's head. The only natural thing to do was take her front hoof and stomp on with all of her strength. Watching and hearing the deer splat calmed her, and she suddenly felt better. There was only one good thing she could actually do, and that was destroy things. If her brain and body learned to communicate as one as it did for her grandfather, she may have been impressive one day. It was the anxious thoughts the poisoned her. "If you don't eat either then you will die, so I invite you to eat with me." She felt a bit better and bolder now that some blood was on her as well, and felt her shoulders un-slouch slightly on their own.
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Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 7:34 pm
The sudden, vicious stomp of her hoof was enough to instill some relief in him yet, the splatter of blood and brain matter not enough to make him so much as flinch. In fact, it only seemed to temper the fire in his eyes, quieting that ferocious temper that so often threatened to rage within him. There was a strength within her that promised she was not completely lost,
His ears pinned back with uncertainty at the invitation, debating with himself for a moment until, grudgingly, the stallion seemed inclined to acquiesce. The mares had always ruled the Black Skull herd, and though she was not one of them... well, mares never took it well when one refused them.
His head snaked forth, his sharp teeth tearing at the soft belly of the buck before he pulled back to swallow. "Where do you hail from?" He asked her gruffly, wondering if this was, in fact, her territory.
Perhaps she was on her own. That should have instilled even more strength and independence in her, shouldn't it? But not everyone had been raised by a mother as clever as Maeryn, and a father as powerful as Rot.
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Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 7:53 pm
Mercy's destructive tendencies seemed to work in keeping her survival in front of this stallion. That was good to know at least.. so when in doubt, bring out her inner monster. Although once the urge of destruction was fulfilled, she got worried on keeping herself relevant in front of this stallion. If he got bored, she'd probably get hurt. She was not fast enough to flee from him. It was a relief to see him eat some of the meat at least and as he dug in, she too took a taste and savored every warmth and feeling that went into her mouth. She realized how hungry she really was, and how grateful she was that he had basically kept her alive a few more days. The saddest part as well, was her being too uncomfortable to even thank him. She had no idea what was appropriate in this situation. His question on where she lived startled her, and she wondered the best way to proceed. "I have a cave not far from here. What about you..?" Her question was cut off as she realized she did not have his name. "What name do you go by?" Now she was just copying his language...She wondered if she was even worthy enough to get his name under her belt. Sweat was filling on her forehead as she pondered her next move. Why did talking to him feel like chess game of life or death? Where was her own pride when she needed it? She didn't get that side of her family. It was so frustrating all of the time. "Tell me." she finally said, while realizing she had nothing else to lose. What else did she have going on in her world? Why not take a chance? Perhaps she could understand. "This confidence you have. Where did it come from? Were you born with it?" For once she didn't care if the question sounded strange- her glowing eyes were locked on to his completely and she was serious as she asked. It was the first time she looked at him and allowed his eyes to look back into hers.
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Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 8:04 pm
Sight alone told her that she was ravenous, but he could not bring himself to call her on it. Had she been abandoned as a foal, left to fend for herself? No, surely she wouldn't have survived this long... or had she? His twitching ears betrayed his thoughts, though Nemesis was oblivious to it. The question served to be a good distraction. "I am Nemesis, of the Black Skull herd. My lands are not too far from here." But far enough.
By right, he should have demanded her name in turn now, but her next question threw him so off guard that he only stared at her, his eyes mere slits as he studied her. She was not jesting with him. No, she was completely serious.
Nemesis had never been eloquent with words, and he angled his head to get a better look at her to better stall for time. Where did he get his confidence? His pride?
"All pure-blooded Kalona are born with it." It was a low rumble, but the stallion seemed... uncertain. "But you lack it. You are a kalona." He tossed his head, one hoof irritably pawing the ground as he sought to explain. "You stand head and shoulders above the other creatures of this land. Both the skies and the earth are our domain. No one can best our power."
His face darkened like a thunderhead at those words. No one save for one, cursed race, at least.
"Were you not taught?" He demanded suddenly.
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Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 7:33 pm
Black Skull Herd? She had no idea what that was but it sounded kind of... scary. How could she be so close and unaware of something like that? "Nice to meet you, Nemesis. You can call me Mercy." His name fit him well. The more she looked at him up close the more she realized she was so pathetic compared to him. Did she have any redeeming traits? Besides sudden urges that made her look cool, probably not. She listened quietly as he explained his reasoning. Ok.. well she was a Kalona too. But she had never heard anything he was talking about before. She never knew it was her birthright to be that way. She was silent even after he demanded an answer from her, while feeling a horrible feeling in her gut. "To answer you question, no I was not taught. This is all new to my ears, and now I feel foolish." Perhaps even asking him about his confidence was a foolish move as well, but she already had learned something new to absorb. Something so validating to what she was... "How were you taught? My family didn't discuss our breed at all. Just our lineage or relatives I suppose." Was that strange? She knew of her grandparents, and their redeeming traits. But what was her path, then?
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