|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 2:19 pm
Life seems worth recording.
I tried to fly again tonight. I failed miserably. More bruises than I can count.
I met Lucius tonight.
I have a friend.
The hurt barely troubles me any more.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:03 am
RP Log: By the Sea
Location: Quirne
With: LuciusBegin Log DareDelvil Silently he stood upon the sand, eyes closed, letting the moonlight shine through his eyelids. The sound of the waves echoed softly in his ears. Alone and content, the dappled Aeri colt allowed himself to drift, the moon's weightless caress brushing all his troubles away.
He was bruised. Badly bruised. Early attempts at flying had resulted in little progress, and the cold night was being unkind to his abused muscles. Down in this sheltered bay, though, with the wind blowing gently out to sea, he was warm and safe. More flying could happen tomorrow night. No great rush. The moon would guide him.
Interrupting his meditation for only a moment or two, Vox wondered to himself who else she was watching over tonight. There had to be others out there, others beloved of the gentle moon. He had seen them from afar, but feared to approach - they were all so tall, so strong, so beautiful that he would have felt ashamed to stand beside them and try to call himself Aeri. He wished that one might instead approach him, that he might not have to further test his courage tonight. The flying, and the bruises that went along with it, had been quite enough. Besides, he was too tired to run away if any hostile creature should appear.
Perhaps it would be better if no one found him at all.
The waves murmured in the background. TawnyAngel The black-coated aeri soared over the bay, relishing the thermals that helped keep his bulky frame aloft. Today had been a good day, if a mostly uneventful one. Travelling along the coast by wing and by hoof was peaceful, a pleasant change from the bustle of the more inland areas he had come from.
He had encountered about as much conversation as he had that day however as he often did in an area such as D'ob. This was none. Many Nequus avoided him, intimidated by the bloed red bones that he wore upon his well-muscled body. That was all well and good in his mind for the red-maned aeri had no time for cowards.
A sigh escaped his throat and the Nequus pulled himself from thought. His orange wings were tiring again. Even with the thermals to aid him, he didn't have the stamina to stay aloft long. This was, he considered as he swooped towards the sand below, probably because of a combination of factors.
Firstly, there was the fact that he was aeri and therefore not designed for extended flight in any case. Secondly there was the skeleton he wore; it added somewhat to his weight and whilst the effects were negligible on hoof, their effect on his ability to maintain flight was appreciable.
The last factor was admitted somewhat grudgingly; his lungs were better than they had been as a foal but still didn't have anywhere near the capacity they ought.
Well, I will only remedy that by exercise and persistence, he thought as his huge hooves struck the sand and carried him a few slowly cantering paces before decelerating into an easy walk.
Pausing to catch his breath and calm his thundering heart, the brown-marked aeri cast about his surroundings. A moment later, featureless orange eyes alighted on the speckled green foal, his apparent companion on the shore.
Lucius gave a soft snort to announce his presence, if the thudding of his hooves hadn’t already alerted the youth to his approach. DareDelvil ...Those were hooves landing upon the sand, he felt sure. Opening his eyes and turning his head towards the sound, he caught sight of the great stallion just in time to witness the snort. It seemed threatening. His heart cowered at the back of his ribcage, and he chided it gently - the moon was watching over him. Besides, he could not imply that a Nequus meant him ill simply because he found them a little frightening.
Collecting his thoughts and remembering his manners, learned mostly through watching others from afar, he bowed his head respectfully before the newcomer and struggled to keep eye contact without flinching.
"...Hail, Aeri, beloved of the moon," he managed, his young voice trembling with the effort of holding his ground. "Peace be with you..." TawnyAngel Beneath his skull helmet, Lucius smiled to himself. All foals, of course, had potential but one that didn't flee at the sight of him... that was something special. The dark-coated aeri bowed his head in return, a little respect was due to one that held his ground against obvious fear he felt.
"Greetings, young foal." The small aeri's words were strange but courteous too and after all; he was the last Nequus in the world that should judge another on strangeness.
Lucius let his bright eyes wander up to the sky and the shining silver orb that it held in it's inky black grasp. "The moon, eh?" he half stated half queried, returning his gaze to the green aeri before him. DareDelvil Vox nodded slowly, turning his own face to the skies and letting the pale moonlight wash his coat silver-white. "Aye, the moon," he said softly. "She watches over all her children, and she loves us all no matter what we do. It saddens her when her Aeri are hurt, and when the cowardly prey upon the defenceless. She smiles and laughs with us, she leads us as we run and rejoices as we fly. She truly loves us, and it lightens her heart when we learn to love ourselves."
Turning back to the elder Aeri, Vox seemed far more at ease. "The moon," he explained, "smiled upon me at my my most helpless, my most ashamed, my most ignorant and my most inexperienced. Even though I was alone in the world at the hour of my birth, there she was, shining her light down to lead me into the world. Is it any wonder that I love her as she loves me?"
He did not expect the other to fully understand him, but nonetheless it felt good to say it aloud to someone. TawnyAngel "I... suppose not," Lucius replied, utterly bemused by the young creatures assertions. Well, it was no stranger than any other belief when it came down to it, he supposed. If one must believe in something, it may as well be something as impressive as the moon... Interesting that he has substituted it for the love of a parent. A mother more specifically it seems.
And what had he substituted for parents? The black stallion considered this for all of a moment before settling on values of self-sufficiency, courage and power of both the mind and the body. Whilst his values had not loved him as parents did a foal, or as the young colt thought the moon loved him; they had shaped him and made him what he was. That was a good portion of the function of a parent, was it not?
"Tell me, what is your name and where do you come from?" the stallion asked, moving away from the confusing topic so that he could think on it some before having to discuss it again. "I am Lucius and originally I hail from the west but my hooves and wings have carried me to many places since my birth and I claim affinity with no one place in this world." DareDelvil "My name is Vox, mighty Lucius," the colt replied, "voice of the night. I have not wandered far from my tree to come here - it is just at the southern edge of Shrilal, up on the land and away from the cliffs. And I must confess that I cannot yet fly. I have been trying to do so for many weeks, all to little avail." He sighed. "I lack the endurance for it. My wings will not hold me up - I cannot keep them steady. I have fallen many times tonight, and doubtless shall again tomorrow night."
He shifted, trying to ease the ache in his bruised shoulders. "Still, at least I am still whole and relatively unhurt. Had I tried to fly here as so many greater beasts do, I should have dashed myself to pieces upon the rocks by now." TawnyAngel Lucius nodded, he thought he had observed something stiff in the green colt's stance. "Learning to fly is not easy; I myself did not master it until I was near grown... but I learned later than most." At the foal's, Vox's, age he'd scarce been able to move above a walk let alone take to the air.
And mighty? well, so his muscled form must seem to one so young and seemingly inexperienced at dealing with other Nequus. It was pleasing to have his strength noted so early on. Oh proud creature, he mock admonished himself; it was not, he felt, a false pride so there was no shame in it. He had come far and more than far from what he had been born as.
"It is not so hard once you have managed even a few seconds of flight for a few nights in a row. The muscles need to become strong first and then durable and then a little stronger and then a little more durable... well, it goes on from there. It is better to learn in the summer months, too, when heat comes up from the earth because..." The stallion’s words ran out and he snorted in annoyance with himself as he scrabbled to bring them back.
They came, but only grudgingly. "Heat rises and so puts a little lift under your wings," he went on eventually. "The ocean and land nearby is especially good at this." DareDelvil A little overwhelmed, Vox took in the information as best he could with a grateful nod. "I will try to do as you say, sir," he said earnestly. "I want so much to fly - I want to do myself proud, to make the moon smile, to feel that I can stand among the others of our great race without being put to shame."
More than anything else, though, he wanted to be someone worthy of love. Not that he particularly felt he was unworthy of it, but...still, he wanted to feel that he deserved every bit of any good fortune that came his way. TawnyAngel "Flying is good," Lucius confirmed, tossing his head to throw his ruddy forelock out of his eyes. "Hard work though, especially if you see fit to carry around excess weight as I and fat, lazy creatures do."
The aeri gave an internal shudder of disgust; lumping himself in with such creatures, however loosely, was distasteful. Still, he worked at being strong enough to carry the weight of the elemental's bones into the sky with him and that was more than the slothful did with their paunch.
"And believe me," he went on, turning his attention back to Vox, "you already outstrip many aeri that I have met fleetingly, which is a good achievement for one so young." DareDelvil Vox resisted the urge to give a little leap as his heart swelled with pride. "Truly? I thank you for your kind words - but tell me, sir, is our race not so mighty as I have been led to believe? Are so many of us grown idle and apathetic when all seems provided to us?"
It was an unsettling thought. Some tribute that would be to the moon, if the Aeri no longer took care of the bodies with which they had been so graciously gifted. And what of the wide world they had to experience - what of that? Was it truly better to laze around all day? TawnyAngel Lucius snorted and flicked his ears in an equine shrug. "Some are as lazy as fat cats, some are... bearable and some again truly work to maintain their bodies although they do seem to be few and far between. Many are happy with a soft life of sweet grass and fruit and sleep under a warm sun or even under the moon."
Perhaps I have found someone worth spending time with, he at least seems to appreciate the value of strength. Too few who the morbidly adorned aeri met were like that; too few by far. DareDelvil Vox was saddened by this. "They...would sleep under the moon? Lie there useless and inert while she cries out to see them run and laugh and rejoice in the world? ...I only hope that at least some of the ones you saw were sleeping off an illness, that it might not be such a disgrace to them."
He looked out over the sea, trying to take his mind off such a troubling subject. "...Do you think, Lucius," he ventured, "that any Nequus could cross the Ocean?" TawnyAngel The black-coated aeri blinked, blindsided by the change of subject. Well, it was probably for the best; the child clearly didn't want to know that many aeri he had seen to be predominatly diurnal.
"Humm..." he said into the silence, reserving the next words in the conversation for himself while he considered the question.
"I have no idea," he said eventually. "I have not heard of it being done but that is not to say that it is not possible. Nobody even knows how wide it is so it is not possible to give a yay or a nay; perhaps it never ends." The stallion contemplated the gently breaking waves for a few moments longer.
"I think there must be an end to it somewhere," he went on eventually, as much to himself as to anyone else. "Too far, too cold and too rough to swim whatever strange shore it leads to. Too far to fly, too; certainly for aeri or bae and probably for jala too... yet there must be a way."
The orange-eyed equine couldn't have said why he thought it was so but a thought once lodged in his mind was hard to shift even with hard evidence, let alone ignorant, uncited assertions to the contrary. "I think it might just be possible..." DareDelvil Lucius' words seemed to fill him with a sense of purpose. Turning slowly back to look at the tall stallion, eyes lingering upon the bone armour that encased the powerful body, Vox spoke.
"Then I wish to cross it, Lucius," he said, quietly but fervently. "I wish to know what is on the other side, to carry the message of the moon to any creatures I might find there. This world has only so much space to roam, and my heart longs for adventure and experience. I would know what lies beyond the Ocean."
It was a strangely uplifting thought - almost like remembering some wonderful dream for long enough to record it.
"...But I suppose," he added, much of his amusement at himself finding its way into his tone, "that I should learn to fly first. Do you not think?" TawnyAngel The orange-brown marked aeri nodded. "Yes, and great consideration should be given to the means of the trip. Food and water, perhaps, would have to be carried somehow and perhaps some way to keep oneself afloat constructed..."
Lucius turned his eyes speculatively back towards the sea. "I think it would be an interesting trip. Perhaps I shall come with you, once I have devised a plan of some kind." Who knew what opportunities lay beyond that great expanse of water?
Opportunities worth investigating, if I ever come up with a workable plan in any case.
"Perhaps you should explore a little of the rest of this world before you tackle the ocean," he added as it occurred to him that the colt might go galloping off into the surf without a clue as to how he would make the trip. That would be a sad end to one who showed such potential. DareDelvil "Yes, I think I shall," Vox decided, shaking his short mane and wishing, not for the first time, that it would grow faster. "The land and skies must come before the Ocean, no matter how the stars catch so beautifully in every dip and swell. For now, I shall be content to walk along the shoreline. The moon sets every crest of every breaking wave to shine like purest silver - to come so close to that beauty is more than enough for one so small as myself."
As if to demonstrate that fact, he trotted a few paces forward and let the wavelets curl around his hooves. Each little break soaked his feathers with salt water.
"Perhaps I should learn how to swim, too!" he laughed, splashing in a little deeper but still well within his depth. "Do you not think that such skills would make a fine Aeri indeed? Shall I not be mighty like you, sir Lucius, when I am grown? Children of the moon, creatures of the sable night with none to match us! Hahah, look at the waves - see, even the ocean bows before us!"
If he had known it would be this much fun, he would have gone looking for company sooner. TawnyAngel Lucius gave a small snort of amusement and followed the green colt down to the water, allowing the foamy wavelets to run over his huge hooves, cleansing away the dirt of the day. He had never met a Nequus so happy just to be alive, nor one so poetic in his descriptions of the world.
"Swimming is a useful skill," the stallion confirmed. "It is good to have other options than flight for crossing rivers in conditions such as high winds... Of course one must always be careful of currents," he went on as the sea sucked hungrily at the sand about his hooves. "Even the strongest swimmer has little chance if a strong current catches them..."
The orange-winged aeri paused as he pondered the best strategy to employ should he ever find himself in such a situation. "It would be better to allow oneself to sink and put all effort into reaching the bank," he concluded after a while. "Kicking with hooves and 'flying' with wings one might have a chance of getting to one side or the other and climbing up the bank. Of course, you would have to be sure not to head to the sheer-banked side of the river."
Hadn't the colt asked him something else? Ah, yes; of course.
"And in answer to your questions, I do think that skills such as those are part of what makes a great aeri; there are others to consider as well of course but they come with time. All of our kind and indeed the other Nequus have the potential to become mighty creatures if they but try." DareDelvil Lucky him to have met Lucius. The elder Aeri was a veritable fountain of knowledge. Vox nodded gratefully to his advice. "I shall take your words to heart, sir Lucius," he assured him. "You are wise and worldly indeed, and I am endebted to you for sharing your knowledge with me. I have...never before known one who looks so terrifying to be so patient, or so kind."
In fact, he had never known anyone to have such patience with younglings at all. From what he had seen, hiding at the edges of the valley while the herds fed nearby, young Nequus were often brushed off by adults as frivolous. Their opinions were seldom sought, and their ideas seldom taken into consideration. This was another reason why he had been so reluctant to join them. Had it not been for Lucius' arrival, he realised all at once, he might have spent his life alone. The moon was good and kind, but she was too far away to speak to him. And she, unlike this good creature, was not a Nequus - in the end, that had to count for something. The company of one's own kind is not to be taken for granted.
He trotted a little closer to the stallion and gently nudged his flank with his nose. "Thank you, Lucius," he said softly. "I feel at last as if I have a friend." TawnyAngel The aeri smiled a slightly puzzled smile under the ruby red skull that adorned his head. "Umm... well, thank you. It is always good to have friends. I admit I often have trouble making them, people avoid me oftentimes and those that do speak to me tend to think me a trifle slow because I am not the best at applying what I know on the spur of the moment. This is why I think about things like what I would do if I were trapped in a current or other such scenarios..."
What was he doing? Telling his weaknesses to this foal he hardly knew? Who already seems to like me, to be fair. True, people did speak to him at times but they didn't get close, let alone allow physical contact to occur. Well, he seems like a good enough child and he could have guessed my trouble with practical application of knowledge by knowing me a little longer, no great seacret.
Lucius gave an internal shrug and bowed his head to be on eye level with the green-coated youth. "I have never been called kind or patient before that I recall but I think that I like it. We are heard creatures after all; the need for the approval of other Nequus is built into our very bones... I am happy to have helped as well, by sharing what I know. As I have said, I feel you have great potential and any aid I give you in reaching that potential is gladly given." DareDelvil He listened to the voice as much as to the words this time. His bruised limbs were beginning to trouble him again, and the sound was soothing. It was easy to see how Nequus might become lazy when offered the comforts of a herd - it was good simply to be near to another pair of eyes and ears, another set of hooves and teeth (far stronger than his own), and to feel a little safer in an ultimately dangerous world.
"...The night wears on," he said quietly, a little wistfully. "Needs must I be gone from this place - sanctuary though it appears it lacks food and fresh water, both of which I regretfully require. I am for my tree, Lucius, in a moment or two. You are more than welcome to accompany me there if you wish. Goodness knows there is more than enough clear water and good grazing to share, and I am loath to remove myself so soon from your company." And from company at all, for that matter. "Or if you will not, at least let me point it out to you that you may visit whenever you please. Even if you do not find me there, consider it as much your home as any place in the world: take from the land whatever you desire, and welcome." TawnyAngel The aeri raised his head to look at the skies and gave a soft snort of agreement. "I would be glad to accept the invitation, young one. I have travelled far this day; fresh water and food would be most welcome." Besides, even if he hadn't required sustenance of any kind Lucius suspected that he would have gone with the colt.
Pleasing to find agreeable company, especially when it warms so quickly to me.
"If you will lead on I shall be glad to follow you, friend Vox." Is calling him friend a little premature?... No, I doubt that this one is deceitful or full of hidden depravities. There is no harm at all in a little trust now and again. DareDelvil "Then onward in the prints I leave, sir Lucius," Vox laughed, suddenly filled with joy. His bruises mattered less by the moment. "Eclipse my marks utterly while you still can - some day I shall be tall and strong like you, and you shall have to try harder to scuff them out! Haha!"
He set off towards the cliff path at a gentle jog, not wanting to tire himself out before he reached the top or leave Lucius behind. It would be a terrible thing to do to his first real friend.
A friend.
Silently, he sent a prayer of thanks to the moon. She had done him a great service in guiding Lucius to him tonight. TawnyAngel The black Nequus smiled slightly to himself and set off after the exuberant colt; he had a feeling that this relationship was going to be thoroughly exhausting.
Enjoyable too though, I feel, Lucius mused as he placed his hooves over the prints that Vox had made as best he could. The younger creature's short stride made this somewhat awkward but, on balance, the stallion felt that the pleasure he gleaned from the youngling's joy outweighed this slight inconvenience of taking such small steps.
"I have no doubt you will, young Vox," he smiled at the green-coated colt. "No doubt at all." End Log
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:37 pm
(Reserved for thoughts on meeting with Oren)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:38 pm
(Reserved for RP Log: Casting Echoes (Shrilal, Oren))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:40 pm
Aku is a pleasant Rit indeed. I look forward to meeting with him again. I wonder about the others of his kind, and how they must be if he prefers the company of Nequus.
Lucius is my father. Need more be said of tonight? Need the stars wonder at my elation?
The moon has blessed us all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:47 pm
RP Log: Of Rit
Location: Quirne
With: Lucius, Aku
Begin Log TawnyAngel The black Aeri stretched his stride a little further, urged his muscles into greater effort. It was exhilarating to race along the beach under the moonlight, to gallop through the shallows of the ocean and to feel the salt-water splash up his legs and onto his belly, keeping him from overheating on his long run.
The orange-eyed Nequus bunched his muscles and launched himself over a clump of seaweed, landing on the other side with a splash and a dull thud of large hooves on wet sand.
It had been some while since he'd visited the coast but he probably wouldn’t have bothered to come back this soon if it hadn't been for the friend he'd made here. The bone-clad Nequus smiled faintly to himself as he wondered how much the colt had grown since their last meeting. DareDelvil "Lucius!"
The cry came from above. Something dark with leathery wings was soaring through the night sky - well, perhaps "soaring" was too kind a word. Its flight was somewhat wobbly, and punctuated with stray flaps that tried and failed to keep its course level, but it was nonetheless airborne and heading towards a fairly comfortable landing in the shallows. Someone, or so it seemed, had been practising.
Vox's hooves hit the water almost all at once, and he ploughed into the surf like a rather clumsy green waterbird. It reached up to his neck, and it was *cold*, but not so cold that he could not trot out of it almost at once. He broke into a run that brought him alongside the elder Aeri, breathing heavily, hoping that Lucius would slow down soon and allow him to stop for a rest.
"I flew!" he panted. "I flew! And look - all in one - huff - one piece!" TawnyAngel Lucius slowed to an easy canter and from there to a walk as the younger Aeri trotted out of the water. "So I saw," he smiled. "Very impressive, I don't think I could fly by your age... almost certainly not on greater thought."
After a few more paces, the large Nequus came to a complete halt and looked down upon the green-coated colt. "You've grown," he commented with another smile as his orange eyes ran over his young friend's slightly taller and more muscled frame. "You'll be as big as me in no time... It's good to see you again, Vox."
And it was, even though he hadn’t been around the youngster for very long upon their first meeting he’d still missed the little green face somewhat. It is always good to be back among friends. DareDelvil Vox nudged Lucius' shoulder with his nose. "I am equally glad to see you," he answered warmly, though his voice was shaking a little with the cold. "I have been practising most nights, training my wings, but I have not noticed myself growing - now you mention it, I am sure I remember you being taller." It was a mild jest, and he hoped Lucius would take it in the spirit in which it was intended.
Something occurred to him. "...Can we keep walking, please? I hate to push you onward after a long run, but I might freeze to the spot if I stand still for too long." His teeth would be chattering before long. How embarrassing. He would not give up the moon's light for anything, but sometimes he felt that day-dwellers had it so much easier. TawnyAngel Without a word, Lucius set off at an easy walk again. "I'm sure I haven't shrunk so it must be you that's got bigger," he smiled at the speckled youth. "And you needn't worry about keeping me walking, I ought to do so in any case. If you just stop and rest right away after a long run, or a long fly, you may well find yourself stiff and sore the next evening. Keeping the muscles working gently for a while is a good idea."
"So, how has life been treating you?" the orange-winged aeri quizzed, adjusting his course so that he walked a little closer to the chilled colt. Hopefully some of the heat that radiated from his muscles, and from the perpetually warm bones that he wore, would reach the youngster through the night air. DareDelvil "Well enough," Vox answered with a smile, heeding Lucius' warning and stretching his wings gently. "Flight practice goes increasingly well, as you no doubt saw, though I have yet to get the hang of the warm air trick. Oh, and I managed to lose myself in the northern part of Shrilal - that was interesting." He laughed. "Trying to navigate in a forest after having lived on the coast all one's life is...bothersome, to say the least."
As he walked beside the taller Aeri, he was sure that Lucius was giving off more heat than he ought. He frowned slightly, considering this. Did it have something to do with...
"...Lucius, may I ask you something?" TawnyAngel Lucius smiled slightly as the youth spoke, it was good to hear that he was doing well and to see that he was none the worse for his adventure in the forests. He envied the green colt a very little, he would have given anything to be able to do such normal things at the younger Aeri’s age. On the whole however, Lucius decided that he was far gladder for his friend’s happiness than he was bitter about his own decidedly dull foalhood.
The tall Nequus nodded to Vox's question, his curly mane caught and toyed with for a moment by a gust of wind. "Go ahead,” he said, tossing his head to settle his rumpled red forelock out of his strange eyes. “I don't promise to answer but I do promise not to be angry. I don't believe that asking questions is ever wrong for how else is one to learn?" DareDelvil Well, at least Lucius would not be angry. Not getting an answer was not a welcoming prospect, but despite his accumulating worries Vox resolved to ask the question anyway.
"...How did you come by your second skeleton?"
There. The words were out, and let the other do with them what he would. But the wind seemed rather colder now he was less certain of himself, and he had to tuck his wings around himself to avoid shivering. Much as he loved to live life as it came, there were times at which he longed for the gift of foresight: unlike its cousin hindsight, it was probably not constantly dogged by the shadow of helplessness. TawnyAngel Lucius laughed lightly and twisted his neck to inspect the rib-caged that encased his own. "That is quite a long story when told in full but I will be happy to give you the summery for now and fill in detail at some later date."
The bulky Aeri walked on in silence for a few moments as he worked out what he would say. "They belonged to a flame elemental, Pyrus he called himself, who lived two or three generations ago. He was an Aeri, like us, and possessed a brilliant mind along with his power. He had plans to improve the lives of those that lived around him but to do so he needed their loyalty and for a time at least their obedience."
The black-coated Nequus shook his head, feeling once again that mixture of rage and sadness at what had been done. "His offer was not refused," the stallion went on after a while. "His trust was earned and then, one night, he was murdered. Those who he called friend broke his legs and left him to die. I heard the story as a colt, older than you yet not a stallion by any means, and I went to the place where they had killed him to bring his bones back with me. I am not sure even now exactly why I did it, beyond a wish to allow him to live on in some small way. Since then I have tried to live up to his legacy as well as I may without magic in my blood." DareDelvil "...A noble cause indeed," Vox answered faintly. He could muster no more words for some time: the cruel injustice of the elemental's fate had wounded him. Turned upon by his friends? Left to starve to death in terrible pain? Were Nequus capable of such atrocities? The thought made him feel physically ill.
At length, he regained command of his voice and spoke. "...Why would anyone do such a thing?" he asked, more of the world than of Lucius. "Fear? Jealousy? Sheer unbridled malice? How could any stallion live with himself after killing one who called him friend? How could any mare look her foals in the eye, knowing that she had murdered one who held her dear?"
His throat was locking up. Augh. Lucius would probably think him ridiculously juvenile now. How humiliating. TawnyAngel The tall stallion sighed and gave the colt's shoulder a gentle nudge with his muzzle. Goodness knew he hadn't meant the story to upset him. "Some Nequus... they don't care about that sort of thing I suppose. They feared him and so they sought a way to be rid of him. I doubt his death troubled their consciences; the old Jala who told the story was one of the traitors and he seemed proud of what he had done. Indeed, he and those who carried out the killing were considered heroes."
The black-coated stallion sighed again and swished his tail idly. "Not everyone is as good as you, young Vox," he said quietly, turning his eyes up to the moon. DareDelvil Vox swallowed hard, struggling to regain his composure. "Then I...I suppose I shall just have to be the very best that I can be," he managed. "Someone must stand for the good in the Nequus. Someone must be be true and good and honourable - someone must love for those who cannot, or will not, love for themselves. You have taken up the mantle of Pyrus' truth, Lucius, and I feel now as though I ought to bear a burden of my own. My heart feels it, even if my limbs do not."
And he was damned if he was going to let anyone harm Lucius, he thought fervently to himself, no matter how keen the elder Aeri was to follow in the elemental's hoofprints. Even if someone threatened his life, he felt sure he would still stand in their way if they meant to hurt his friend. What if he could not? Why, then he would carry Lucius' mark with him everywhere, just as Lucius had done for Pyrus. It would only be fitting that such a creature as this should be remembered.
Almost subconsciously, he moved closer to his friend. His flank nudged against the elemental's bones, and it suddenly occurred to him that he had been right. The bones themselves were warm, as warm as living flesh.
"It is almost as if a part of him still lives in you," he said softly to Lucius. "His warmth lingers yet in these bones. Perhaps this is his blessing upon you, as he looks down from his resting place beside the moon. Perhaps...perhaps this is his only way of showing you that he is proud of you."
Were he Pyrus, Vox considered, he would certainly have been proud to see his legacy continue in the form of such an Aeri. TawnyAngel Lucius smiled down at the earnest young Aeri and gave him another nudge. "I am glad you feel that way... I admit I have on occasion wondered if he approved of what i did. I think he must, or as you say the bones would probably have gone chill and the spine certainly would not be flexible. By all rights it ought to have fallen apart by now but it seems as sturdy as ever."
As if to demonstrate this, the orange-eyed Nequus tossed his head a few times, extracting a series of clicks from the red spine. Display finished, Lucius turned his orange eyes back down upon his friend and smiled once more.
"Yes," he said after a moment, "you will grow up to be an exceptional Aeri." DareDelvil It was impressive, seeing the bones move as though they were a living part of his friend. Vox smiled back. "Thank you, Lucius. It is good to feel that someone has faith...in...me..."
He had stopped walking, trailing off as he stared at the ground. After a moment or two, he spoke.
"...er...Lucius? I think I may have found something."
Strange tracks were pressed into the sand, running off towards the cliffs. They were neither Nequus nor human, but they were undisputably from a living creature. TawnyAngel The black Nequus followed his green-coated friend and frowned down at the tracks in the sand. "Humm..." he said, bending his neck down to inspect them. "Rit tracks," he informed the colt, straightening up again.
"They're smaller than us and they have soft fur where we have our short hair, paws with pads - you see the shape of them from the tracks there - where we have hooves. Tails are differnt too, more like an extra limb than anything else, used for balance."
The black Nequus smiled down at his young friend. "Shall we follow them? Its hard to describe the look of a creature to one who hasn't seen anything of the kind before." DareDelvil His reaction to Lucius' description of the creature and subsequent suggestion was a silent internal amalgamation of excitement, curiosity and apprehension. "...I should like to see such a creature," he admitted eventually, "but...will we disturb it? I should hate to be a bother to the poor thing, particularly given it is smaller than me. I do not want to seem intimidating or bullying, or drive it away from whatever it wishes to do."
But he did want to see the creature, and so he hoped that Lucius would have some means by which they could avoid causing any disruption of the Rit's activities. TawnyAngel The big Aeri flicked an ear thoughtfully, holding his silence as he waited for his thoughts to solidify. "We could follow the tracks and see where they lead," he suggested. "We will be close enough for a good look before we disturb whatever he or she may be doing this night."
The black Nequus smiled slightly at his young friend's concern for the smaller animal. Such automatic compassion was not in his own nature but it was somewhat endearing nonetheless.
"I doubt it would fear us unless it were very young, which I doubt from the size of the tracks. They are used to being dwarfed by we Nequus and most do not seem to mind. They often like to find a high-ground from which to converse with us but do not seem particularly perturbed when such a surface is unavailable." DareDelvil His friend's assurances cheered Vox considerably, and he looked along the line of tracks with an inquisitive eye. "...Then yes, I should very much like to investigate," he admitted, slowly beginning to follow the pawprints across the sand. "Have you encountered many other creatures in these lands, Lucius? You did say you have travelled a fair distance - I know little of what lives here save the Nequus." TawnyAngel Lucius set off after his young friend, trusting the green colt to follow the trail in the sand. "Well, let me see now. There are humans, of course, most of them live far north of here but you may have seen one or two wandering around. Then there are the Shrila and the Zrun. Shrila are bird like creatures and the Zurn are a little more like us; hooved but smaller and with two horns that project backwards from their heads. Both of the latter can understand us but the humans cannot." DareDelvil Vox nodded slowly. "I...may have seen a Shrila, but not a Zrun or a Rit. And humans, yes, I have seen them. They seem friendly for the most part, though I admit I dared not approach the ones I saw. They were chattering away in a language I did not understand - it was a little intimidating."
The tracks became fainter as the sand became drier. He lowered his head, trying to see where the line of pawprints was leading. "...My tracking skills require some work, I fear," he murmured, slowing right down as he searched for the next clue. TawnyAngel The taller Aeri slowed down to match Vox's pace, careful to stay a little way behind him to as not to disturb any marks of the Rit's passage with his meat plate hooves.
"You might try looking by the little tufts of grass for prints," Lucius suggested. "They may have sheltered the tracks from the wind some little though I admit I myself have little experience in tracking it does seem to make sense."
The worst-case scenario was that he was wrong and no more trace of the little feline's passage would be found. If that happened he would have to try to give his green-winged friend a better explanation of a Rit. The orange-eyed Nequus frowned in concentration as he tried to formulate a suitable description. DareDelvil It made sense. "...mm, good idea. I wonder if..."
He padded over to the nearest tuft of grass and squinted at the pile of sand there. Sure enough, there was a faint imprint of a paw. "Aha! Found it! But...oh, I can hardly make it out. I have no idea which way the Rit was travelling..."
Perhaps Lucius would be better equipped to make something useful of it. "Just over here, by this clump of grass..." TawnyAngel Oh by all powers he was supposed to know? "I'll take a look," the Aeri said slowly, walking over to stand beside his green-coated friend.
There indeed was the paw-print.
It looked like a paw-print.
"Well... Its pointing that way," Lucius said, tossing his head in the direction that the front of the pads faced. "So... well I suppose we head that way and investigate all the clumps of grass in a sort of semi-circular sweep, larger semi-circles as we move further."
Despite not having the first clue if he was talking nonsense or not, the black Nequus found himself rather enjoying the prospect of the search. Almost like a treasure hunt, he thought with a faint smile. DareDelvil "You speak good sense," Vox agreed, cheering up considerably. "I think I shall try to the left first - oh, I do hope I avoid treading on the prints before I catch sight of them! This is all terribly exciting."
He paced carefully across the sand, searching eagerly for more Rit pawmarks. The first few tufts of grass yielded nothing, but the fourth was different. Not a pawprint in sight, but there, caught among the tough green stems:
"...oh, Lucius, look!"
It was a single smooth, perfect feather. Perhaps it had belonged to a Shrila, or some other bird, or...was it Nequus? Had a Jala flown past here and lost this little treasure? Vox leaned closer to get a better look, his nose brushing against the soft strands. TawnyAngel The tall Nequus talked over to join Vox and peered down at the feather thoughtfully. "I wonder what it came from," he muttered. "Could be one of the smallest feathers from a Jala, a larger feather from a young Jala, a Shrila... maybe something else but I'd make a guess at one of those two creatures."
Humm... no sign of more tracks. Ah well, the pale-eyed colt seemed enchanted enough with the discovery of the feather, perhaps he wouldn't mind if they found no more trace of the feline they had been seeking.
Nevertheless, the orange-eyed Nequus cast around his field of view for another paw-print. There was after all no harm in searching. DareDelvil Interesting though Lucius' insight was, Vox didn't much care where the feather had come from. He had already decided to keep it. Carefully picking it up between his teeth, he craned his neck around and tucked it under his wing. "I shall find somewhere safe to put it when I can return to my tree," he asserted, continuing the search for tracks.
It mattered less if they were unable to find the Rit now, he thought to himself. At least he would have something to show for his trouble - and something so lovely as this feather was not to be sneezed at.
"...If it belongs to a Nequus," he said thoughtfully, "will they want it back?" TawnyAngel Lucius smiled slightly at the colt's careful storing of the feather and shook his head. "I doubt it," he said in reply to the youth's question. "If they kept every feather that ever fell out they'd be swamped. Dropping a feather here and there is little different to a Jala than losing a hair from the mane or tail is to us from what I gather."
Thinking back to his early years, the black Aeri more or less recalled being as fascinated as Vox at each new discovery. Every new plant, animal and type of rock had warranted careful inspection and assessment. Not having run around playing games with the other little ones had given him much time for this private discovery, a pastime that he loved even to the present day though it was true that fewer and fewer things were truly new to him now.
Still, there is always more to learn and discover if one but looks hard enough.
So long as he lived, the tall Nequus considered, he would probably go on being surprised at least a few times a month. This was in his opinion a very good thing, life would be excessively dull if one ever knew everything. DareDelvil "Right, good," Vox said cheerfully, glad that he would not have to give up his new-found treasure to any more deserving owner. "...Ah, I think I see another pawprint - yes! And another! Here, Lucius, the trail picks up here!"
He began to trot off in the direction the pawprints were leading. The Rit, if Lucius was correct on that score, seemed to have been heading towards the cliffs - that suited him, provided they could find it before they reached the grass at the clifftop and there were no more tracks. He had done a fair bit of flying today, and he was beginning to tire.
Up on the clifftop, something - someone - was hunting the moths in the moonlight. TawnyAngel Lucius gave a soft snort of assent and set off after the green colt, his long strides allowing him to remain at a walk - if a swift walk - and not lose ground on his young friend.
"Ah yes," he said as he glanced down at the ground beneath his hooves. "Much clearer now, I suppose the Rit may have paused back there for a while and then moved on. It would explain why these are better preserved, if they are newer."
Perhaps they would meet the feline tonight after all. I hope its a friendly one, the black stallion mused. Some Rit could be horribly abrasive and that wouldn't be any fun for Vox. Humm, strange how solicitous I have become of his happiness. Shrugging internally, the large Aeri increased his pace a little to draw level with Vox, his orange eyes scanning the ground before them for more tracks. DareDelvil The pawprints were leading up the winding cliff path, weaving and hopping from side to side. There were little clumps of grass here and there: perhaps the Rit had been exploring them as it went. Lucius drew level with him, and Vox nudged the stallion affectionately. "Thank you for playing along with all this," he said quietly. "I must seem very childish to you, chasing feathers and following tracks to see where they go."
Flattened against the grass, the little black Rit waited for the opportune moment to pounce - moths were tasty when he managed to lay his paws on them. TawnyAngel Lucius smiled and returned the nudge. "I don't mind a bit; never did these sorts of things as a foal, it's..." the Aeri paused to trawl for the right word. "It's refershing, enjoyable to do them now especially with you."
Especially as this was probably as close as he'd ever get to having a family of his own, intimidating as he was. Lucius sighed internally and swatted at a biting bug with his curly tail. He'd chosen this life and given the chance to choose again he'd still take the bones; the solitude bothered him little most of the time.
He couldn't help but want a mate and foals though. DareDelvil Vox chuckled. "Thank you. I feel I am too self-conscious sometimes, and fear to allow myself to be young while I still am. After all, only so many Nequus are lucky enough to have trustworthy companions - I, of all folk, can afford to be childlike once in a while."
He watched a glittering beetle in the grass as they made their way up the cliff path, and wondered silently how he might get his coat to shine like that.
Aku pounced on the moth and chomped down on it as quickly as he could - a tasty little snack. ...And about all he could catch at the moment, blast his injured paw. A good thing the black daemon was willing to assist with his hunting. Large hooves came in handy when dealing with small rodents, though it was rather emasculating to let a mare do his hunting for him. Well, at least of all mares it was the wicked one. She understood. She always understood.
Chewing on the remains of a wing, he pricked up his ears - hoofbeats. What Nequus wandered the shores at night? This could be interesting. Though he was not particularly fastidious (as Rit went), Aku gave his face a token wash with his paw. No sense in meeting new friends while covered in moth. TawnyAngel The tall stallion smiled down at his young friend. "Indeed, you only get to do it once; though I do admit to doing a bit of catching up on childishness here and there. One is never to old for a game to tag and anyone who says he is ought to... Hold on a moment."
The black Aeri halted and sniffed the air. "Ah, Rit," he reported to Vox with a smile. Orange eyes scanned the immediate area for the flash of a bright eye or the flick of a tufted tail.
Nothing was immediately obvious with the black and white vision of night time against the patchy grass of the cliff top... but wait! Hadn’t that been something? Lucius focused on the patch of ground that had caught his eye for a few moments before a smile spread over his face. Not too far ahead of him, a dark furred Rit was washing a paw.
"Greetings, Rit," he called softly to the feline, suspecting its sensitive ears had picked up Vox's and his own hoofbeats by now. DareDelvil Aku watched the huge Aeri come into view with no small degree of trepidation. Was it - he - wearing a skeleton? How the hell had he got into the thing? It was bigger than he was, true, but not by much - surely it would have snapped or injured him before he could fit his body inside it.
"...Hey," he offered quietly, slowly replacing the paw he had been licking upon the grass. "...Uh. Yeah. Um. Don't...don't kill me or nothin'? Please? I've been good an' all..."
Vox, a little way behind Lucius by now, could barely hear the voices as he inspected the beetles in the grass. The feather was still tucked under his wing. He made a mental note to wait until sunrise and examine it properly. TawnyAngel The black stallion gave a soft snort of amusement. "I wasn't planning on killing you, or even hurting you, Rit. My young friend here," he twisted his neck around, the vertebra of the red skeleton moving with him seamlessly, to nod at Vox who appeared to be investigating something in the grass, "spotted your tracks and desired to meet you. He has never seen one of you kind before you see and is curious."
Orange eyes ran appraisingly over the dark coat that was, on closer inspection, elegantly spotted. "Will you comply? He'll be no trouble to you, he's a good lad." The big Aeri smiled slightly at the spotted feline, hoping to seem a little less intimidating. Having the spotted creature run away now would be most frustrating. "My name is Lucius, Rit, what is yours?" I do hope you are agreeable, I should hate for Vox to be disappointed. DareDelvil Aku relaxed visibly. "Aku, sir. That's m'name. And your son's name is...?"
"Vox," said Vox, having just joined Lucius, trying not to stare at the dark feline. Aku looked so soft! "Delighted to meet you, Aku."
He bowed politely to the Rit, hoping that his manners would not make him the subject of ridicule, not yet realising that this potential new friend had mistaken him for Lucius' son.
On the contrary, Aku attempted to mimic the bow. "You too, Vox - looks like I'm in luck tonight. I haven't met any Nequus wandering out this way in what feels like forever. You and your father come here often?"
And that was when it sank in.
"M-my father?"
Vox didn't really know how to respond to that. He'd never known a father. Nor a mother, come to that. There had been no fruit on the tree save his own on the night of his birth, and no Aeri had waited to take care of him. As far as he knew, not a Nequus in the world shared his blood and lineage. Perhaps Lucius, his friend and mentor, was the closest thing he had to a father.
Perhaps those were all the qualifications a Nequus needed to be called "father".
"...Now and again," he answered at length, smiling but not quite daring to glance at Lucius - his father? - as he spoke. "I enjoy the company of the ocean, and he is often all too happy to oblige me. I think he will spoil me rotten before I am grown."
"Spoil a little gent like you?" Aku echoed, chuckling and showing all his pointed teeth in a grin. "Never. You'll grow up a right knight in shining, you will. All the ladies'll love you!" TawnyAngel Lucius stood still for a while as the conversation flowed around him. He'd been about to correct the Rit - Aku - but... well, there wasn't any real need, was there? Hadn't he been wanting to have foals of his own? Well, now he did, suddenly, unexpectedly but maybe it was like that anyway... Vox really considered him that important? Cared about and respected him that much?
It was a slightly confusing thought and uncomfortable in his stomach but not in a bad way. A sort of... nervous twisting, an urge, a need, to do well by the colt and yet a comforting warmth at the same time. Knowledge that he loved and was loved in return.
That was what family did, it loved and watched over its members and because there were only the two of them they would have to be even more careful of each other.
Lucius smiled faintly to himself and lent over to nudge Vox on the shoulder. "He's right you know lad, I don't think it would be possible to spoil you even if I tried."
The tall stallion suddenly found himself intensely glad of his occasional slowness with words. If he'd jumped in first... well, the world would look a lot different, a lot lonelier, that much was for sure. DareDelvil The nudge was secondary to the words. Lucius had accepted him. He had a father. Vox resisted the urge to dance for joy: poor Aku would be excessively confused.
"I do try, Father," he offered, delighting in the new freedom of speaking the title aloud. "But I worry - you know how it is with me. You tell me tales of evil Nequus, and I cannot help but wonder if there are traces of their wickedness in me."
Aku sighed. The colt probably had no idea. "They thought that about me, y'know," he said, smiling sadly. "All 'cause my coat was dark, dark like those daemons who torment foals in Shrilal. So they called me Aku, because in their eyes I was evil. That's what Aku means. Evil."
Vox blinked, not quite able to believe his ears. "...they thought you were evil...because of your coat?"
"Yeah." He shook his head. "But you gotta remember: this bunch'a Nequus are pretty bad. They're enough to make anyone superstitious."
"And they hurt foals?"
"Uh-huh. And fruit as well, if they can find any."
"That..." This was not fear. This was anger. "...is...disgraceful." And he was sure his father would be thinking something similar. TawnyAngel The red maned Nequus gave a snort of disgust. "Bloody cowards. See what big strong creatures they are; they can pick on foals. How. Nice." Lucius spat the words, muscles bunching under his dark coat. Well he was damned glad there weren't any Nequus of that sort around here... were there? Those visions the seer, Storm had shown him of the two Bae.
He still didn't know where that tree he had seen was growing, if it was close... but no, Vox wasn't tiny anymore and all the searching he'd done on his way here had revealed nothing. They probably lived far away and were nothing to worry about. Probably.
If they were, if they did anything to Vox, to his son then there would be seven kinds of hell to pay.
At least. DareDelvil "We both suffer for it," Aku said bitterly, his tail lashing from side to side as he spoke, "me and Mel do. She's my buddy - black Reya mare, eyes like two fireballs. They all think we're daemons because of the fruit-killers. It's crazy."
He wondered what he might do if he ever came upon those monstrous Bae. ...Most likely run away, said the sensible part of his brain, given they're so much bigger than you. But if he was angry enough, he might well climb a tree just to drop down on them and scratch their eyes out. They'd have a job keeping up their cruelties if they had no eyes to see their victims.
"When I am grown," said Vox firmly, "I shall be big enough and strong enough to protect foals and fruits from them. I shall not see cruelties done that I might have prevented. I shall be strong - like Pyrus was, Father, and like you are - and if I come upon them in the middle of such acts I shall deal them each a blow they will never forget."
Aku grinned broadly. "You'll grow up huge, you will, lookin' like you do now. Ooh, they'd better watch out for you when you're a big stallion like your papa!" TawnyAngel Lucius grinned. It was not a very nice expression. "Yeess," he hissed, featureless orange eye blazing. "There will be a reckoning if I ever come across creatures like that. Oh they will rue the day they gave black coats such an evil reputation. Briefly."
Well, even if black creatures weren't considered something to avoid, he himself would still be looked upon as evil. After all, how could any that carried death upon his back be a good creature? As for bones of such an unnatural colour... Well, there was obviously something a bit off there, eh?
"I expect some of those ignorant fools think I eat meat," Lucius muttered with a trace of bitterness as he gave a nearby rock a really good kick. It sailed away through the darkness, falling to earth too far away for the stallion's eyes to mark it. DareDelvil "I do eat meat," Aku pointed out. "Mind you, I know Mel's had some Nequus sayin' she eats humans. And other Nequus - not even fruits, actual live Nequus. Tch. Even I wouldn't eat Nequus flesh. It's sick. I dunno how people can think things like that."
The world was beginning to get lighter. Scratching his ear with one paw, Aku frowned at the horizon. "Hn - s'getting towards dawn. I'm gonna have to get going. My legs aren't as long as yours, and I need to be back at Mel's tree by sunrise. - Say, can I meet the both of you again? Maybe in a couple of nights or so, by this spot? I'd like to see more of you. You're good sorts."
A new friend! Huzzah! Vox nodded enthusiastically. "I can be here for certain. My tree is only a little way away. You can see it from here - the oak with the dappled leaves, do you mark it?"
Aku squinted. "...Yeah, I got it. The big one?"
"Yes. Father?" He looked to Lucius. "Shall we go back there? I shall need to sleep soon, though I would like to wander longer." TawnyAngel Lucius firmly pushed away the anger that bubbled in his stomach and nodded to Vox. "Yes, I've been travelling for a good while now, some rest would be most welcome." The tall stallion then transferred his gaze to Aku and smiled slightly at the friendly little feline. "I would be most happy to meet you here again, and this Mel if she's willing to come too."
It was probable that Vox hadn't met one of the horned Nequus yet, that would have to be remedied at some point soon even if the Reya mare that Aku had spoken of didn't wish to come. Lucius suppressed a yawn at this point; he hadn't quite realised how tired he was getting until now, when he'd been still for some time.
The sooner we're back to Vox's tree the better, sleep is definitely on the cards. DareDelvil Aku winced at the mention of his companion. "Ah...Mel. It'll be a job getting her to come along - she gets irritated when she thinks I'm setting her up with people. She's not had a good set of experiences with stallions in general. Makes her kinda edgy. But I'll try. I'm sure she'd like you, it's just convincing her that it's worth coming that's gonna be tough. Two nights time, then, shall we say? Hereabouts?"
"Yes," Vox confirmed gleefully. "I shall be glad to meet your friend if you can convince her to accompany you - I have never seen a Reya before, and by all accounts they are a sight to behold."
"Oh, they are," Aku assured him, turning to trot away. "They are. Take care, both o'yaz, y'hear? I wanna see you both on top form when I'm next around..."
And off he went, swishing his tail, limping only slightly now.
Vox, after having watched the Rit bound off into the distance, turned to his friend with apprehension.
"...My apologies, Lucius," he said quietly, a little ashamed of himself. "I as much as threw you into that - I should have consulted you before letting him think you were my father." TawnyAngel The muscular stallion smiled under his red-bone helmet. "Aye, that you did but I am glad of it. I doubt it would ever have occurred to me to ask you to be family if he hadn't made that mistake and if you hadn't jumped in right away."
Lucius gave Vox a gentle nudge on the shoulder again before turning towards the youth's tree. Life was good tonight.
"Come on then," he said, turning over his shoulder to regard Vox. "Let's get back to your tree, son." DareDelvil There was nothing more he needed to say. Everything was as it should be, and the little nameless space in his life - for everyone should have a loving parent - was now marked with Lucius' smile. Silently elated, Vox followed on after his father with a smile. The feather was still tucked safely under his wing, and the last of the moonlight painted him silvery amid the glow of the pre-dawn world.
Nothing, the young Aeri thought to himself, could have made this night any better. End Log
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:51 pm
(Reserved for thoughts on meeting with Altair)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:51 pm
(Reserved for RP Log: Call of the Ocean (Quirne, Altair))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
