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 Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2010 9:39 am
"Huh?" Etoile's head tilted to one side. "Why would I come..." Her eyes met her friends frightened yellow eyes then wandered over to look over the stallion. He was pretty big and scary. Meanwhile Fleur was little and timid. "I guess I could come for a bit...but I'd have to head home once the sun reaches high point. Everyone would worry if I was out too long you know." She laughed a little a wide grin spreading across her face. "Don't need a whole search part combing the woods for me."
Torao had almost considered letting the sunset mare come along. His guide had a fairly good point. With two guides they were less likely to get lost along the way. If one didn't know a path there was still a chance that the other would. He had been opening his mouth to give the 'okay' when Etoile opened her's again. quickly he clamped his jaws shut and snarled at the pastel mare.
"You won't come." He growled planting all of his feet firmly on the ground. His golden eyes narrowed fiercely as he gazed upon his guide's friend. He could see what was going on here. It was a trap. The two had somehow planned to get rid of him. The mare would stay out too long and a search part would come for her. They'd find him and stop his search and he wasn't going to allow that to happen.
"You!" He shouted turning on his lion-tailed guide. He took a few steps towards her before roughly pushing her away from the orange mare. "Lead, now." While it wasn't his intent to hurt her, she was assisting him after all, it was his intent to make her think he wouldn't hesitate to kick her ribs in. There was no more time for playing around. The fog seemed to be lifting now anyway, he wanted to get as far as possible in case it set in or in case the orange one sent friends after him.
"Hey!" Etoile cried angrily. She was actually quite pissed. She glared at the stallion and marched over to him. "You don't need to get so angry! I'll stay, alright?! Just leave her alone."
Torao glanced over at the orange mare a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Shut up." He muttered just sounding bored and annoyed with the mare's antics. He nudged Fleur again, though more gently than before. "Go on, lead."
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Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2010 8:04 am
"T-Thank you, Etoile!" Fleurite beamed at her friend, sounding delighted and relieved at the same time. However, before she could comprehend what was happening, she suddenly felt the stallion push her to a side, away from Etoile. The shove caught her by surprise, and she almost toppled from the force used. Stumbling a few steps sideways, she could only listen helplessly as Torao forbade the other mare from joining them, her heart racing; is he really planning on doing something bad? Is that why he doesn't want Etoile to tag along?
Looking up at him, she opened her mouth to protest. However, before she could say anything, she saw the frightening expression on his face, and stopped herself; perhaps this is not the best time to argue with him... Turning to look at the seemingly enraged Etoile, she smiled, touched at how concerned she was for her safety, "D-Don't worry! I-I-I'll be fine! I'll g-get b-back to y-you soon!"
She then nodded at Torao, looking slightly fearful as she headed westward. This time, her pace was slightly faster as the fog had begun to lift, allowing her to see her surroundings clearer. This time, she would be able to gallop without the fear of running into a tree or tripping over a root or rock. Besides, the faster she gets to the west side of the forest, the faster Torao will let her go... He will let her go, right?
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Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 10:01 am
Etoile grumbled incoherently for a moment while glaring at the large stallion. He wasn't like the beast at all. In the end he had turned out to be nice, this one was just a cold-hearted creature. He'd probably been born from some cursed demon, that would explain the strange marks on him. They almost looked like paint. "You better come back and come back safe or I'm sending the entire village out looking for you."
If Torao hadn't already been white in color he would have gone pale. The thought of an entire village coming after him did not make him happy in the slightest. He glared at the back of the lion-tailed mare's head as he followed her easily matching her pace. Was she really that important to the orange mare? He could only think of one person that he would go through such lengths for. That made him wonder, what if this place was more accepting then where he had come from. If those two were like that then would anyone care if he was the same? That would be nice.
They had been making good time with the speed that they were traveling. At least, it felt like they were making good time. The Tiger honestly had no idea where exactly they were going but he could feel in his legs that they had covered a good deal of ground in a relatively short amount of time. The sun now hung overhead and the fog had all but vanished. It clung now only to the ground and was thin enough that it could not be seen at all except in the distance. That made it easier to search but how far exactly were they planning to go?
He stopped suddenly and growled at his guide. "Enough! Just where are we going to anyway? You have friends in these places too? Where are they?! I see no one!" He had never been a patient creature and that little bit had been stretched thin over the day. Now it had finally snapped again.
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Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 10:29 am
She was sure that she had been heading in the correct direction, but in a forest this big, you can never be too sure. To make matters worse, the fog was making her slightly confused. However, she tried to hide her uncertainty as she pushed forward, glancing back once in a while to make sure that the stallion was not far behind; it would be bad to lose him now since he looks like the type to hold grudges... At the thought of Torao hunting her down after this ordeal just because of one mistake, Fleurite shuddered.
"T-The western s-side, o-of course..." She muttered after skidding to a stop, sounding nervous all over again. She then glanced to her left and right before shaking her head, shifting about as she hung her head, "I-I... I u-usually don't c-come t-t-to t-this parts..."
He had the weirdest dream last night - there was a tiger chasing a butterfly and although the tiger did not hurt the butterfly, it refused to let it escape either. Whenever the butterfly stopped to rest, the tiger would roar just to startle it and make it fly again. Just as the butterfly looked too tired to continue, they came upon a fox's den hidden behind some thick bushes. The tiger then turned its attention on the fox living inside and the butterfly was finally able to fly away from it... Zuriel wrinkled his nose as he trotted through the foggy forest, deep in thought; he had rather prophetic dreams in the past and they had always been rather abstract... Perhaps this was one of them? He had never been able to tell if it was a vision or a dream until something happens to connect the dream to the event.
As he fumbled on, he heard voices coming from ahead. Curious, he picked up speed and peeked through the bushes, his small frame hidden behind the foliage. At what he saw, however, his eyes widened - a stallion with a tiger pelt slung across his back and a mare with small butterfly wings! Could it possibly be...?
Taking a deep breath, as if preparing himself for the encounter, the usdia stallion trotted out of the bushes and looked up at the two regular-sized Soquilis, "Hey... May I help you, by any chance? This fog makes navigating difficult, but I grew up here so if there's anything I can help with..." His voice faded away as he offered a smile and an encouraging nod. Of course, he took his chances, not believing in pure coincidences - everything happens for a reason, and perhaps his dream was telling him to help the butterfly before she exhausts herself.
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Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 8:43 am
They were lost then? Torao's eyes glinted dangerously in the sunlight coming through the tree leaves. "What?" He growled as though issuing the mare a challenge. How dare she lead him to places that she didn't know! She was completely useless for a female, more so than even the other mares he had known in his time. He had completely ignored the small fact that he had ordered her to guide him this way in the first place. It was far easier to shove the blame on another person than to take it on himself.
It was the Phoenix's fault that the Fox had run off. The Phoenix, the Turtle and the Dragon were to blame, not the Tiger. He had taken no part in it at all. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't.
His thoughts were often hazardous to the others around him serving only to throw fuel into an already out of control fire. He lowered himself slightly a snarl tugging at his lips. His muscles bunched and he prepared to tackle her to the ground. If she didn't know where they were than she was useless to him and was just as bad as the ones that had sent the Fox away in the first place. He sprang forward and stumbled over his own feet in shock as a minuscule horse came out of the bushes.
Anger abated for the time being Torao just stared at the small purple thing not quite registering that it was speaking to him. His head slowly tilted to one side a lip curling upward in what might have been disgust. What the hell was it? An appetizer for the ferocious beasts of the world maybe? Just as slowly as before his head tilted back to it's original position.
"You...know...here...?" It seemed he had momentarily forgotten how to speak the native tongue. He shook his head clearing his mind of the oddities that held it captive. If the bizarre creature lived in the area then there was a good chance that he had noticed something. It was time to get back to business. "Noticed anything strange? Vanishings? Weird smells?" He asked back to his normal bossy demeanor.
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Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 9:54 am
Fleurite froze in fear, her already small frame appearing even smaller as she looked up at the stallion. His tone of voice had sent shivers down her spine - never a good sign. When he snarled, a soft squeak escaped her lips as she squeezed her eyes shut, dreading what was to come. As she stood still, she could feel and hear her heart pounding loudly in her chest.
At the sound of an unfamiliar voice, however, Fleurite's eyes snapped open and she turned to see what it was that was speaking. Her eyes widened; is that a foal...? Her heart leaped to her mouth as she felt the strong compulsion to get Torao away from the poor, vulnerable foal. She inhaled sharply before taking a small, nervous step forward but froze again when she was able to take a closer look at the newcomer, peeking out from Torao's side.
Although she didn't notice it at first, the newcomer is a full grown stallion! Despite her circumstances, Fleurite couldn't help but smile a little; how adorable! She had never spoken to one before, but she was pretty sure that the male must be an Usdia.
He had seen the look of fear on the butterfly's face, and decided that coming out of hiding was a good idea; who knows what unspeakable horrors the stallion might have committed otherwise?
"Yes, yes I do! Well, there had been some reports of vanishings," He answered after a moment's thought, a small smile on his lips, "As for weird smells... Well, the forest don't lack any of those, to be honest!" He chuckled at his own joke in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere, but judging from how serious the stallion-wearing-a-tiger-pelt is, his joke would probably go unappreciated.
He then turned to the young mare first before addressing the stallion again, bowing his head slightly, "I am Zuriel, pleased to meet the both of you! What are your names?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2010 9:45 am
Torao's ears went straight up. There had been vanishings? He glanced sidelong at the mare peeking out from behind him. Perhaps she had lad him to the right place after all. Now he wouldn't have to kill her.
He scowled at the midgets failed attempt at being funny. The short one he might be better off pummeling on a later date. Torao could see if he felt like making poorly placed jokes then. He found very few creatures felt like laughing when there ribs had been snapped. Very few creatures seemed to want to do anything but cry after that experience. The whiny ones stopped complaining, the kidders stopped joking and the beggars couldn't find the wind to continue. Such beatings were awfully useful. They spared him of many headaches.
As it bowed a wicked smirk slipped over the Tiger's lips as he imagined kicking him right in his head. Then imagined knocking him over as he continued with his stupid greeting. His partner would have responded out of custom, Torao had better things to do.
Ignoring the short stallion's question Torao stepped closer. "Vanishing from where?" He demanded glaring down at the short pink and purple thing. "Where do they disappear. How far from here?" This information was crucial. Entertaining a freak stallion's desire to know his name was not. Turning his head back to Fleur he fixed her with a cold look as well. "You, whats-your-face, take me wherever this thing says they are." To Torao there was no gray area. If the stallion knew of vanishings then he knew where they occurred. There was no option of 'I don't know' available.
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Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2010 10:36 am
So this is the right place after all?
She listened quietly, the edges of her lips twitching up slightly at the joke. She bowed her head at the usdia stallion, grateful for his attempt at changing the heavy atmosphere; of course, it didn't work, but at least he tried, right? As she opened her mouth to return the stallion's greeting, she realized that Torao didn't seem interested in formalities, and quickly snapped her mouth shut... After all, she can't risk delaying this search for the place of vanishings any longer; something tells her that the pale stallion is getting increasingly impatient... And possibly increasingly violent as well. She was so sure that he was going to hit her that time, if not for Zuriel's timely arrival!
She shivered at the thought, casting a worried glance at the purple usdia, suddenly concerned for his safety. However, she jumped at Torao's demand, replying without hesitation as she nodded, "O-okay!"
"Its just a short distance away," The usdia stallion smiled, his voice calm despite the fact that he was feeling rather nervous and vulnerable; he did not like the way the stallion had been looking at him... In fact, when the tiger had smirked, Zuriel felt a chill run down his spine, like he was the target of some very evil thoughts running through the tiger's head. However, he silently prayed for protection - both for himself and the butterfly, and trust that his prayer was heard.
"I'll lead you there? I can't give the directions, but I can show you the way myself!" He nodded; it was true, for he was never good at giving directions, but he also wanted to stay with the butterfly to make sure that she's unharmed. He paused, looking in the general direction the vanishings normally happen, "But I'll stop where I normally stop... That place is not normal, and it is my intention to avoid it. With any luck, this fog will stop its horrendous smell from reaching us there."
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Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 7:28 am
The complacency of the flutter girl brought Torao the slightest bit of happiness. She did everything he said. That's how girl we supposed to be. The weird ones he had gotten stuck living with had been wickedly backwards obviously.
As the midget responded he looked the short horse over carefully. It was like someone had stuck broken chopsticks into a runty egg plant but even though it looked completely ridiculous Torao had to admit he was pleased by the information it carried. It seemed to know where the Fox's layer was. He snorted at the midget's ridiculous notion that the fog would stop the smell even a little bit. The fog was nearly gone. He bet that by then end of the hour it would have vanished completely like the two fools he stood with.
"You lead?" Torao scowled. He wasn't fond of company tagging along. If it couldn't give directions then there was nothing the Tiger could do. Wandering aimlessly had served them well this time but he doubted the kami would be nice enough to bring him good fortunes a second time. He wasn't stupid enough to rely on their help. They hated him after all, their being nice to him even once smelled strongly of a trap.
In the end he had no choice.
"You lead...but!" He took another step forward and lowered his head until he was close to eye level with the short male. "You try to trick me or betray...I snap your back and leave you to rot." There was nothing but cold seriousness in the Tiger's eyes. If he didn't want to go all the way that suited Torao better. He was not risking someone telling about his presence. Just because he would not kill the mare did not mean the midget had the same. The butterfly girl's friend didn't know about any dinky egg plants after all.
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 5:16 am
What Torao said to the usdia sent a shiver down her spine; she did not like the tone he was using... Or the words. Everything about that sentence was wrong - the intent, the idea behind it and the thing that frightened her the most, the way he said it like it was normal for him to kill another. Its just not right... The only type of Soquili she knew of who might tend to have that tendency are the Skinwalkers and Kalonas her mother had told her about. Although he sorts of fit the description of a Skinwalker, she was pretty sure their pelts go over their heads as well as over their back.
She held her tongue as she bowed her head, feeling helpless as Zuriel was being threatened. Her eyes rolled up to glance at the tiger-pelted stallion, shifting her hoofs about nervously as she tried to distract herself from what he might do after they found what he was looking for... Will he dispose of them? He seems mighty insistent on not involving too many people in the search after all... She frowned, feeling frustrated.
Why must he be so violent?!
"I won't, for there is no reason for me to," He replied firmly, looking back into the eyes of the tiger. He expected himself to shake at the death threat, but he felt strangely calm; perhaps it was just faith in the promise that both himself and the butterfly would make it out alive... Whatever it was, he steadied himself - physically and mentally - before turning towards the direction of where he had stumbled upon the place of terrible smells. He then half-turned to look at the stallion, "Its this way."
As fast as his legs could carry him, he led the way. To anyone, the forest is a big place. To him, it was like a maze at times - although he appeared confident, there was a small part of him that wasn't sure he could make his way back to the very same place he had tried to avoid. However, as they got closer and closer to the place he spoke of, the smell of something foul drifted towards them, carried by the wind that was also helping to clear the fog.
"Straight down, you would be able to find what you were looking for," He nodded, eying the stallion and wondering what his next move would be, "I kept my promise... And will not move in further. The smell will only get stronger." There was still hints of fog around the area, although it was obviously clearing; however, the smell was bad enough for Zuriel to want to stop before it possibly overpowers him.
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 9:03 am
"Good..." Torao muttered darkly at the midgets assurance. It wouldn't do any good to be betrayed when he was this close. When the little one took off Torao didn't follow at first. Instead he maneuvered himself behind the lion tailed mare and pushed her forward. "You are comin too." He snarled at her. If it was a bad lead he would still be in need of a guide after all.
Then he dug into the ground and tore after the purple stallion. The feel was reminiscent of a hunt gone bad but there was one crucial element missing. That one bit that calmed his turbulent mind. The bit that they were so close to finding. He could feel it. Something was resonating in his soul something that told him that he was near to his goal. The scent that drifted in and out of his nose with each breath only confirmed this.
The scent of death and decay; it was the right place.
When they finally came to a stop Torao couldn't stop himself from trembling lightly with excitement. The smell, the feel, the area, it was all perfect! It had to be it. Anxiously his eyes scanned the area for flashes of white and red in the trees. He saw nothing, that was only to be expected really. This was a working zone, he wouldn't be anywhere near this place until nightfall. That was how it stayed safe.
He smiled almost drunkenly before trotting, prancing even, off into the area that the midget pony wouldn't enter. "Don't follow me." He half growled and half purred to the ones behind him. "Or I'll kill you." Those words were entirely purr. He was so close he could taste it almost literally. It wouldn't be long now.
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Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2010 1:01 am
The fluttercorn stumbled forward at the shove before following the usdia stallion, used to Torao's rough way with her. A strange smell soon filled her nostrils, and it only became stronger with every step they took - it was a smell that made her sick to the stomach. Just as she thought she was going to faint from the overwhelming scent, they slowed to a stop. She looked up warily, feeling unwell all of a sudden. At his command, Fleurite silently nodded, her eyes following the stallion as he merrily took off on his own.
Its finally over?
When he was out of sight, she stumped to the ground, a smile on her lips. Never in her life had she felt this happy before! For a moment, she forgot about the terrible, lingering smell in the air and turned to the usdia stallion who had helped her through the ordeal. Offering him a smile, she then dipped her head in thanks, "T-Thank you... Zuriel... Y-You h-helped me..."
When the tiger vanished into the distance, Zuriel released a breath he didn't even realize he was holding. It felt good to finally be free... Although the tiger's sudden change in character made him curious about the secret behind this eerie place, he was not about to risk his life by entering it. At the sound of the mare's voice, he turned to face her with a grin, "No need to thank me, butterfly! It was God who saw us through..." He paused before nudging her side gently, encouraging her to stand up; long exposure to this smelly air can't be good!
"You should get home; your family must be worried about you," He suggested with a nod, flicking his tail as a thoughtful look crossed his features, "I must get home myself... Let me see you out of this place. I'm sure you must be unfamiliar with this part of the forest." He then trotted a few steps towards the direction they had came from, gesturing for her to follow with a nod.
Butterfly? Did he mean her?
She nodded before scrambling up; her knees felt weak, but she was able to stand without toppling over. She then followed the purple stallion, her long tail dragging on the ground beside her as she made her way away from the stallion who had forced her to act as his guide. Now that it was all over and she was able to relax, she felt both tired and sore from having to move around all morning; home does sound good right now...
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Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2010 12:15 pm
After only a few brief minutes he could no longer hear the two he had left behind. Good. That meant they hadn't followed him. It meant that they would be able to find him now. He was free to continue his search without worry of being caught.
With a wicked grin he charged ahead with no real direction on where to go. After barely any time had passed he noticed something unusual. The scent in the air was getting fainter with ever step he took. Bringing himself to a sudden stop he frowned and turned around. He was heading the wrong way. The scent was supposed to be getting stronger as he grew close, not weaker.
He growled, mildly irritated by this inconvenience, and turned about to head back the way he had come. After several more minutes of running he found the smell growing stronger. Unfortunately not long after that it lost strength again. Once more he dug his hooves into the ground to halt himself. He whirled about angrily trying to sniff out the proper direction.
It did him absolutely no good. While he was the Tiger it was little more than a title. His nose was not anywhere near as good as his namesake's. Beyond frustrated he stomped down on the root of an old tree that rose above the ground threatening to trip passer-bys and snarled.
From the upper branches of the tree a horned crow cackled. His blank colorless eyes peered down at the enraged creature below. It was not the first time he'd watched someone struggle to find their way deep in the forest, nor was it hard to spot the ones that were hopelessly lost. They were all very much the same and all were great entertainment.
"Kitty's lost its waaay?" He cawed hoping about on his branch. "Poor little kitty~" He continued laughing wickedly at the creature finding great amusement with the large soquili's distress. "Bad place t'be lost toooo. Nasty lights come out at night with a nasty hunter."
Torao glared up at the bird. If it had been a few branches lower he would have snatched it straight out of the tree and crushed ever bone in its stupid laughing body. The only thing that stopped him from challenging the dumb beast was what it said. "What do you mean 'nasty lights' and a 'nasty hunter'?" He demanded edging closer to the tree keeping his eyes locked on the demon bird. It knew something. It knew something important and Torao knew it.
"I mean what I say kitty." He canted his head to one side causing the fangs he wore to clatter against his beak. "White hunter comes at night with his odd lights. Bring new meat to feeding ground and new birdies." He clicked his beak a few times. The white hunter was both a blessing and a curse. There was always easy food with him around but the area also was getting crowded because of him.
Torao's heart twinged painfully. He was right. The bird did know something. "Your white hunter, is there red on him?"
"Oh yes, lots of red. Sometimes more than others." He cackled and picked at his feathers. "Tasty red."
"Shut up!" The Tiger growled. He hated crows. They never did anything useful, at least not fast enough. "Just tell me where your feeding ground is." That was the place that he would find the Fox. He knew it would be. His search was coming to an end finally. "秘密君。。。" He grinned. "I'm coming..."
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