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 Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 11:47 am
Moving slowly through the dark scene was the tall slender shape of an Ichsa, though his profile lacked the usual horn of the breed. He was being given a wide berth by the night-grazers possibly thanks to the looks of dislike he shot their way every so often but probably because, earlier on, they'd seen him wrap flames about his fore-hooves and strike at an Aeri who had fried to push him off the patch of clover he had been eating. The bulky stallion had fled, eyes rolling, with a pair of hoof prints branded into his flank.
The orange-gold creature responsible for the now passed smell of burning hair cropped the last of the contested flower and raised his head to look about. A blood sucking insect had just landed on his rump. Red eyes narrowed at it and, a moment later, the bug caught fire. Within moments it was nothing more than a burnt husk and, with a twitch of the stallion's richly speckled coat, it fell noiselessly into the grass.
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Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 12:04 pm
Storm did not like this darkness. Or perhaps she did. In any case, it reminded her mildly of Velg'larn, but fare more heatedly of a Nequus who shared a coat color to match.
For a brief moment she'd escaped the Katilenuck lands. She was not scheduled to meet Mordre or the queen for a few days, and she needed a way to eat up the time; and what better way to do that than to show interest in a particular flame wielding Nequus who had a ferocious anger to match.
Or was it really anger? Some simply through power around because they had it. Indeed, it was these Nequus that she tended to avoid, or chase out of her lands. However, she wasn't so sure where those were anymore. The Nequus were multiplying, fruit trees were everywhere. Even the Katilenuck boasted a barage of children. Something she hadn't seen from them in many a year.
Her eyes watched this flamed beast, and after a long while she dared to go a bit closer, swooping down a good hundred feet away, and watching with eyes, ears, and mind.
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Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 12:21 pm
The red-eyed stallion snorted to himself and sent a nasty smile at a nearby Aeri filly, which promptly fled. Presumably she had expected him to do the same to her as he had to the bug. Perhaps it would have been satisfying to singe her a bit but right now it was fun just to watch the little coward skitter back to her towering mother. Exchanging back-set ears with the mare he turned aside with a haughty toss of his head and scanned for something else good to eat.
Too many bloody idiots eating the best grass and the rarer treats too; why did folk insist on breeding so much? Some git had actually had the cheek to tell him to leave a bush of berries for his foals, as if being young and pathetic gave them more right to something nice to eat than anyone else. That time he hadn't even needed fire; a swift n** to the whiny Bae stallion's neck had sent him packing and then some. He'd seldom seen something with such short legs move so fast.
…Well there was something over there; a bush he hadn't investigated yet. Wondering if it held sweet fruits, juicy leaves or something else worthy of note he set off towards it at an easy trot. As he drew closer he noted that some way past it stood a tall figure that seemed to be watching him. The gold-speckled stallion gave in internal shrug; let it look all it liked, it made no odds to him if he was watched or not.
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Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 12:46 pm
Storm smiled inwardly, her ears flicking calmly. He was not kind in his actions. Then again, who in this area was, but the fools and cowards looking for a bite?
Who would agree? Lucius would. Yet, he'd frown on pure 'evil'. What defined such an attribute. Storm wouldn't hesitate to cripple another Nequus she found irritating or felt hatred for, but when it came to children, they were to young to know.
The bush, Storm noted earlier, had none of those things. In fact, it was a rather thorny bush, possessing nothing more than, well, thorns. Nasty poisoness ones at that.
"I wouldn't stick your nose in that if I were you," she said lightly, her gaze not moving from his figure. She wouldn't be caught of guard.
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Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 12:58 pm
Fawkes glanced at the mare that had spoken, peered at the bush and gave a disappointed snort. Oh well, perhaps this female would be of interest instead. Red eyes were raised to inspect the tall golden mare again and the stallion quirked a brow. Crossbreed eh? Didn't see too many of those about the place, most of them were either intent on hiding themselves or dead to the best of his knowledge. People never did like difference, unless it was a samey sort of difference that let them feel unique and special whilst still feeling like their friends.
"Hum, you've got a point there." Well it didn't matter all that much; he wasn't too hungry anymore in any case. "Nice horn," he commented as an afterthought, wondering if the dappled crossbreed would mention his lack of one. That seemed to be the one of the first things that people who didn't run away from him did. Maybe it made them feel big or something.
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Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:06 pm
Damn horn.
To be truthful, she'd wish it would just go away. She wasn't particularily exhaulted over her crossbreed position, regardless of the benifits of this horn. It meant her children were doomed, if she had them, and despite all that she was purebred. At least, as far as she knew.
In any case, she was convinced seerdom had done some funky things with her genes. Very funky things indeed.
She decided not to comment on his lack thereof. Mostly because her mind told her it was not a good idea. Her ego felt big enough as it was, she didn't need to make it bigger.
"Are you always up this late at night?"
Most Ichsa were not. Then again, most Ichsa didn't go running about branding their mark onto other's rears. She herself shouldn't have been awake. She needed rest to think, to act, but sleep refused to come.
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Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:17 pm
...Humm, that was interesting. No comment on his comment or on his dearth of horn. Perhaps this mare would be interesting after all, she certainly wasn't like most that wandered about the place. What he had yet to find out was whether this was a good thing or a bad thing for him. She was big, well built and horned as well as seeming to be utterly unphased by his magic. That had the potential to be bad if things got away from him.
"No," he replied simply, "why? Are you?" What name would a mare like this wear? Perhaps he would give her his name soon and hope for one to think of her by in return but there again perhaps he wouldn't.
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Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:28 pm
She shook her head, having no need to speak the words.
He was straightfowards, but not lengthy. She did not wish to be bored with tales, stories, random sayings, questions, or any other torture they could come up with to keep her grounded.
"Storm," she said with the bob of her head, as if reading his mind. Which was, really, what she had done, but nevermind that. If he gave her his name, she cared not, she already had it afterall. This seer business was perfectly exhaulting. One step ahead of the enemy, and so long as no others of her kind came into existance it would stay that way.
In the past, she would have worried about this Nequus far more. His ability to control the fire was that of a practiced elemental, but the mind revealed nothing more than simple talent. She could not ravage the lands of his accord, only the flames could do that.
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Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:12 pm
The stallion made a small noise of assent to the shake of her head. "Fawkes," he added after a moment, seeing no reason to keep his name back from the girl. For one thing, his name gave her no power over him and for another he had no particular desire to annoy the half-blood. If the two of them ended up fighting, though he might be able to singe her or even seriously burn her, he didn't fancy having that horn pointed at him in anger.
Even has he decided this, the red-eyed stallion found himself wondering if she looked beautiful when she was angry. Not that she was a bad looking thing in any case but he'd often found that strong emotions could make or break a form and a face for him. Well, if she did get angry with him for some reason at least he'd have that question answered even if he did end up battered.
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Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:32 pm
How wrong he was. Names were perhaps the central power in the world. They were part of words, which seemed to do a nasty business on their own. With a name she could write his downfall. With a name, well, you get the point.
She was surprised by this, never the less. She'd heard the name before, written into storylines. Minor parts, but still. It wouldn't appear that this was the same one, perhaps a decendent?
Well now, she frowned inwardly, but also laughed at his inner comments. It wasn't often that many knew what people thought of them. This, perhaps, was the biggest blessing at all. You truly understood it didn't matter at that point. We were all fools.
"Tell me, have you heard of the Katilenuck?"
What did the world think of them?
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Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:45 pm
Fawkes snorted in disgust and fire licked up his legs for a moment. "Those fanatical prats? Yes, I've heard of them and run across their long patrols on occasion. Seldom have I encountered a group of Nequus with their heads inserted so firmly up their backsides." It was a shame they always seemed to go about in such big groups; there was so seldom a chance to fight rather than retreat. He remembered them, back when they'd first taken to that mountain and started harping on about Jala and Reya the, blasted brindled and so very big-headed idiots. Still, their time would pass in the end; most things did.
"Any particular reason you thought to ask me?" the lithe Ichsa quizzed, looking the mare over thoughtfully. Did she have bad experiences with them? Perhaps; he couldn't see them being to happy about a Jala that was 'sullied' by other blood. What did she seek to gain by asking him about them? Was it simple curiosity or did she want something more from him? Well, with luck he know in a moment or two.
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Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:56 pm
Storm grinned. She was glad somebody thought the same. Most lived in fear or awe of their presence. Further still, they did not know who they were. Trapped on that mountain of theirs, they were vulnerable, but the majority of them were smart enough to save themselves. They knew the importance of an army and sticking together.
If he was willing to tell her the truth, she felt no need to conceal information form him, pushy though he could be. In fact, she reckoned that telling him was probably the safest thing she could do, because she had to tell somebody, and it wasn't going to be Melantho. That would be admitting she actually cared.
"I have a deal with their queen." She left out the part that she used to live with them, used to be promised to one of them. However, she could never be one of them. She was far too different, and it was something she hadn't realized until she'd stumbled across this 'change' as it were.
The anger that once was slowly subsided to be replaced by a tacticians mind, with the ancient self just boiling beneath the surface. She wondered, perhaps, what her mother had been thinking. . . Protection for her? Or simply a painful existence for the daughter that wished to be out in the world?
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Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:18 pm
The stallion stared in silence for a moment or two, lost for words for the first time in a long time. "A deal with their queen?" he echoed, intrigued and thoroughly glad he'd chosen to wander over. It wasn't every lifetime you got to hear about a crossbreed making deals with the highest authority of the teared herd.
What kind of deal could one dappled half-blood make with queen Savvie-who's-her-face of the Katilenuck? How would the deal even be struck in the first place? To see the queen one had to climb their mountain and either fight all the soldiers or be fortunate enough to avoid them.
"Would you care to tell me more? I must say I’m impressed you got to meet with her in the first place let alone strike a bargain." Come to think of it, what could Storm possibly possess that the Katilenuck queen wanted? This was all very peculiar, very peculiar indeed. If she was winding him up he was going to be most displeased.
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Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:31 pm
Winding him up she was not, though some of her wished she was. It wouldn't be an easy task to go about. No doubt she'd have to be readily disguised around most of the Katilenuck. Though her horn might not have been spotted from a distance, it was most clearly evident at the head of an army.
Really, what was there to say? It was a long story at best, most of which he didn't need to hear, nor probably care to. He just didn't seem the type. War strategies, death, magic. That, he seemed the type for.
"It was. . . interesting to say the least," she mused, pondering just how to word it. "As you can imagine, getting up there was the hard part, and I gave a little more information than I particularily cared to." She glanced around to make sure there was no one watching, despite her mind saying things were focused elsewhere. "There's a particular group of Reya, which despite the Jala's stereotype, are actually dark in nature, and they crossed over the wrong line with me. Problem is, the Katilenuck don't know how to handle them. It took some convincing on the queen's part, but I managed to let me lead a small force of them - with their Illusionist to hide this." She tapped the horn on her knee and looked am him sideways, wondering what he thought.
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Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 7:25 am
One group of idiots wiping out another didn't sound like too much of a problem to him; why was the mare getting herself involved? As unkindly as the Katilenuck looked on crossbreeds these Reya must have really pissed the golden mare off if she was willing to side with such purists to be against the Reya. The Katilenuck not knowing how to deal with a foe seemed odd to him too and odder still that this lone mare thought she knew better than the sum of a herd trained for war. Well, perhaps she did, wasn't as though he knew anything about her and maybe the Katilenuck weren't all they were trumpeted to be either.
If that was the case, it was worth remembering; he had a score or two to settle over one particular encounter he’d had with the teary gits. By now he'd probably have to take it out on the children of the soldiers who had cornered him and beaten him up until he'd managed to set fire to enough of them that an opening was left for him to escape through. Oh well, it might not be quite as satisfying as incinerating the generation responsible but if he got the chance at it, burning the next along would have to do.
"I realise this is prying," Fawkes said after some time had passed in silence, "but I shall ask anyway and you can decide not to answer if you choose, obviously. What line was it that these Reya crossed to make you want to side with the damn Katilenuck of all bat-s**t crazy sects?" Perhaps he was wrong but it felt to him as though this crossed line was more important than any 'darkness' of the Reya... Unless this Storm was a crusader for good, or at least the lesser of two evils, as he had been so many years ago. If she was he could almost feel sorry for her; there was no end to that fight and no point either.
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