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 Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 6:24 am
He didn’t like the idea but it was planted firmly in his head and wouldn’t depart until he had settled the truth of the matter one way or the other. What if Vox was not at the ocean because he was here. A slave to the brindled idiots who lived on the mountain. The thought made him shiver; strong though he knew he was he also knew that there was no way he could take on the Katilenuck. He just had to hope that he found somebody who would know for sure one way or the other. It didn’t seem likely that he would meet such a creature but what choice did he have but to try. Sighing deeply to himself, tech red-maned Aeri trudged onward.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 6:27 am
Dahak frowned at the diminutive plant before him and lowered his head to give it a sniff. Didn’t look special, didn’t smell special but it felt special. There was an... and aura? Not the right word at all. A feeling. Perhaps.... No, no it was more like a half-forgotten memory. This fleshy leaved little plant was useful for... for... “Damn. It’s on the tip of my tongue I swear it is,” the tall stallion muttered, swishing his curling tail and ruffling his wings in frustration. If he didn’t get this feeling or memory or whatever it was sorted out now it would slip away from him. The tri-coloured Jala took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Small dull green plant with fat fleshy leaves was for... for... “Paste,” he mumbled, “make a paste of it and rub it onto wounds. Seals out badness.” As he finished mumbling to himself, the slim creature grinned and raised his head, opening his eyes and turning to his companion as he did so. “There, see; knew I’d get it in the end.”
Aeolus whickered his approval at the other stallion and moved forward to inspect the plant in question. To him, it just looked like a plant but that was why Dahak was the magic Nequus, he supposed. He had to admit he was glad that his father, his real father, had charged him with looking out for the slender Shaman; he hadn’t been doing anything of use up the mountain after all, there were only so many princes one really needed. It made him feel somewhat special, honored to be included in this secret. He couldn’t wait for Dahak to tell everybody; it would be so useful!
To think of all the soldiers whose lives would otherwise have come to an end through broken limbs who could be saved! And this plant, and doubtless there would be more like it, could only be a good thing. Obviously the tall Shaman would not be able to magic everyone who needed it better but this special knowledge of helpful plants would extend the good that could be done for the herd no end. It was a very exiting thing to be included in, very exiting indeed.
“So, do we head back up now?” the prince asked of his companion. “I can come back down here and get some two legs to put this plant in a pot and to look for others like it.” Perhaps it was odd for a prince to ask a citizen what he ought to do but, as the chestnut had already thought, there were several princes in the herd and but one Shaman. Besides, his father had told him to help the bright-coloured stallion however he could, and he didn’t want to disappoint his father.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 6:37 am
Lucius heard the pair before he spotted them, but once he had heard them he spotted them very quickly. One of them anyway. Blue red and white stuck out a little bit. Katilenuck. Bugger. He hadn’t intended to run into the feather-winged zealots themselves... but these two seemed to be alone and didn't look like soldiers. Vox was a distinctive creature; perhaps he could get news of him, or hopefully a lack of news, and then move on before they had a chance to call on warriors to bring him down. It was a risk, Lucius considered as he changed his course and trotted towards the two stallions, but it was a risk he was willing to take.
As he drew nearer, a frown overtook the black-coated Aeri’s face beneath its bone mask. What were they doing? Peering down at a little plant by the looks of it. One of them, the chestnut, was suggesting they go and get some humans to pot it. “What in the name of all Gods are you pair doing?” Lucius asked with a snort, deciding that this was as good a way as any to announce his presence. He hoped he scared the living daylights out of them, but not enough to make the pair of slim young things faint; that would do him no good at all.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 6:57 am
Dahak spun around at the sound of the deep voice and, as he beheld the creature that had spoken, his eyes widened and he took a few involuntary paces backwards. A demon. It was a demon. Oh sweetest Jala there was a demon. He was going to die. It was wearing bones! What creature had it murdered and stolen them from? How were they so very red? How did they fit the creature so well and not fall to pieces? It was going to eat him! Frozen with terror, the tri-coloured stallion could only watch as the thing -had it once been and Aeri?- regarded him with featureless orange eyes.
Aeolus turned with Dahak and could not repress a gasp as his blue gaze fell upon the horrible apparition. Wishing abruptly that Hidalgo were with him, the chestnut planted his hooves as Dahak backed away and pinned his ears flat against his skull. “What business is that of yours, monster?” he growled, pawing at the rocky grounder underhoof and snorting.
The Aeri-like thing was much much taller than he, and it was muscled like... well like an Aeri and then there were those bones; they’d protect the brute if it came to blows. It would not be a long fight, not long at all. He doubted he’d even buy enough time for Dahak to get to safety. Wings quivering, the blue-eyed prince held his ground. No matter how afraid he was backing down was not an option.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 7:10 am
Lucius wing-shrugged, pleased with his effect on the pair, and took a few paces forward. The tri-coloured fell back, but the chestnut held his ground. Brave boy. Stupid, but brave. “I’m looking for news,” the well-muscled Aeri informed the Katilenuck stallions, “I wonder if you can help me. Might be able to let you go if you can help me, see.” Usually he wasn’t one for intimidation, but he wasn’t above using what he had won for himself when he needed to. After all, what was the point in scaring the bejeezers out of people if you didn’t use it when you had to? Asking nicely was all well and good when it worked, but when it didn’t... well, that was the time to start throwing your weight around.
“So,” the stallion half-unfurled his wings, knowing the effect would make him look larger than he truly was, “first of all I ask if you plan on being useful to me. Answer that, and then we can move onto whatever comes next, humm?” He hoped they chose to cooperate. The three-coloured boy would agree, he thought, be the chestnut with his trembling wings, set jaw and determined blue eyes might be a difficulty. Ah well, if he had to hurt him he ahd to hurt him; doubtless seeing his comrade struck down would make the patchy Katilenuck all the more likely to do as he was told.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 7:34 am
Dahak opened his mouth to speak but somehow all his clever phrasings had abandoned him. His mind was as frozen as his body, and all he could do was stand there with his mouth half open, his eyes wide and his ears flat back. Distantly, he hoped that Aeolus would be sensible and at least hear out what the demon thing had to say; making it angry seemed like a very bad idea. It was a dim, distant thought though because mostly he was watching how the red spine bent and flexed in perfect synchronization with the awful stallion’s movements. Surely there was some kind of magic there, but it was not the black thing’s own; he’d be able to sense it if it was... Right? He’d sensed Mordre, no troubles there, but he hadn’t asked the brindled Jala if you could sense everyone with magic. If he survived this he’d have to ask the old Illusionist about that.
If he survived.
Aeolus bared his teeth at the encroaching black terror and willed himself to remain in place. His father had charged him with keeping Dahak safe, and he would not fail his father. He wished Hidlago were here; his brother always seemed to know what to do, he wished that he was as smart as his brother was. “Speak your piece Aeri,” he managed eventually, stamping a forehoof. “I make you no promises of my actions once you have spoken, but speak now and let your intentions be known.”
Of course he would not help such a creature, never in ten thousand seasons would he help it, but he needed more time to get his brain into gear and to think of what to do next. It was entirely possible of course that there wasn't anything he could do other than put himself before Dahak and hope the other young stallion managed to get back to the herdlands proper before the monstrous Aeri finished him off and gave chase. Still, if all he could do was die to buy time then he would die well. Nobody would be able to say he had not tried to do as his father had asked.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 7:43 am
Lucius snorted at the expression on the taller of the two Jala’s face. Half Nequus, half fish; all coward. He did dislike cowards. The smaller one, the chestnut, pleased him a little more. He respected such courage and, were the Jala not a Katilenuck, he might well have tried to strike up an acquaintance. As it was however... Well, the only way he planned to let the rich-coated stallion become acquainted with him was in the way of becoming acquainted with his hooves. Despite not yet openly resisting him, Lucius still suspected that the headstrong young stallion would have to go, or at least be battered a good bit.
“Good boys,” the boned Aeri said with a snort and a smirk, “so good to see some sense in the world today. Now. My question. I am looking for an Aeri, a specific Aeri, and I was wondering if either of you had seen him. Dark green coat, pale dapples, yellow mane and tail, pale eyes.” If they recognized the description, if Vox was a slave up on that awful mountain range, things were going to go very badly for these two indeed once he’d got all the information from them he could. After all, he couldn’t afford news of him to go up to the herd if he wanted to have any chance at all of sneaking up there to recover his son. Watching the chestnut carefully, he didn’t think the other needed to be watched that well, Lucius awaited a response.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 8:00 am
Dahak hadn’t seen such a creature, but he knew himself to be something of a recluse especially of late; he might well have missed the presence of such an Aeri so he kept his mouth shut. Well, closed his mouth at any rate. Besides, Aeolus seemed to be handling things alright; thank sweet Jala that the chestnut had come along with him. If he’d been alone he didn’t know what he would have done. Pissed the Aeri off and got himself killed probably. Well, actually he was probably going to die anyway and be added to a bone collection that the demon no doubt had but hey, a bit more life was a good thing, right? If he was very luck he might even get a chance to leg it back up the mountain. He’d just have to hope that the Aeri only beat Aeolus enough to stop him giving chase rather than stopping to kill him. If that happened, whilst the soldiers were dealing with the orange-eyed monster, he could sneak back and heal the smaller stallion.
Shuddering to himself, the curly-maned stallion trained his eyes on Aeolus and hoped like hell once more that the lightly built Jala wouldn’t do anything to make the Aeri-demon angry.
Aeolus however, had had just about enough. Snorting and stamping a forehoof again, he forced himself to take a step towards the towering Aeri. “I have seen no such creature in my lands, and even if I had you would have no chance of recovering him,” the stallion snapped. “We are the Katilenuck! Mighty herd of mighty herds and one Aeri, even one so clearly touched by demonic Reya as yourself, would be crushed beneath the hooves of our warriors.” Half raising his wings even as the orange-eyed Aeri had, Aeolus took another pace forward. “As a prince of this realm, and as a true-blooded Jala I tell you to leave this place now or face our wrath!” There, it was said; let the brute chew on that one, surely the black coated thing had enough sense to back off now while he still had the chance. Surely nobody was stupid enough to face a force of Katilenuck soldiers alone...
But there weren’t any soldiers here.
There was just him, Dahak and the Aeri. Oh dear. He’d just made a slight error in judgment, hadn’t he? Had one of his little moments of utter stupidity. Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear. This wasn’t good. This was in fact very, very bad.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 8:28 am
Lucius pinned his ears back flat against his skull and narrowed his eyes at the young chestnut. “Wrong answer,” he growled before bunching his muscles and launching himself at the slim Jala. The chestnut was quick, the boned Aeri noticed with a grin as the Jala’s hooves clattered harmlessly against the shoulder bone of Pyrus’ skeleton. Quick however wasn’t going to cut ice for long. Smiling as the feather-winged thing lashed out and caught him a glancing blow on the neck, Lucius twisted about, reared up on his hind legs and brought his massive forehooves down on the chestnut’s withers.
The smaller stallion fell to the ground and Lucius gave him a sharp kick in the head. “Some wrath,” he growled, stepping back and watching disdainfully as the blue-eyed stallion staggered dazedly back to his hooves. “This isn’t even vaguely taxing,” the curly-maned Aeri sighed, kicking the swaying Jala in the shoulder and sending him tumbling back to the hard earth. “Is that really the best the mighty Katilenuck prince has to offer?” he spat. “Is this the strength of mind and body with which you earned your position over your people, your position over the slaves you keep? You are pathetic, a soft son of rank with no virtue of his own save your prettiness and a dash of courage.”
As the Jala tried to rise again, the orange-winged stallion gave him a solid kick to the belly before shoving him prone again. “People like you,” Lucius hissed, lowering his head to whisper in the chestnut’s ear, “make me sick. You think you have the right to do as you do because of what you were born; a Jala and a Jala prince. I have news for you, boy, you are nothing but an insect in my path and for your evils and for your false pride I shall crush you as such.” With these words, the mighty Aeri rose up on his hindlegs and bared his teeth before bringing his hooves down in an arch calculated to crush the little pretender’s skull...
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:38 am
They had been wandering through these lands for the past few days, taking advantage of the relative lack of fruits at this time of year to relax and stretch their wings. Despite all his protests to the contrary, Jacques was a surprisingly good flier: while he couldn't match Vox over a long distance, he was better in a sprint and swifter to start and stop. On the ground, Vox had to amble just to let his small companion keep up. He didn't mind. It was good to have someone else to work with, and something to work for. The moon had surely smiled upon him the night he had found Jacques' hiding place.
The sounds of a commotion up ahead came to his ears. Vox frowned, turning his head toward the sound. "Do you hear that?"
Jacques turned his head as well. "...Sounds like an argument - a fight, even," he said quietly. "We'd better stay away."
But Vox was already heading toward the source of the noise at a gentle trot. "I'm not afraid, Jack," he said. "I've broken up fights before. People don't often argue with an Aeri my size - "
He stopped dead in his tracks. Jacques, who had scrambled a few paces to keep up, almost ran into him. "What?"
Vox didn't answer. He was staring in horror at the distinctive figure before him, the dark Aeri with his bone armour, and at his hooves raised above the head of a helpless Jala. Panic kicked his brain into gear and filled his lungs with air, and with all his strength he cried out a single word.
"FATHER!"((Jumping in with Tawnz' permission. 8D))
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 11:07 am
As the voice reached his pinned back ears Lucius paused where he was, balanced high on his two rear hooves. It wasn’t a voice he recognized... or was it? The boned stallion dropped back onto all fours, avoiding the chestnut’s head, and turned about. The figure was a way off, but he recognized it, recognized its colour at any rate. “See,” Lucius said to the Jala still on his hooves with a grin, gesturing with one orange wing at the other Aeri. “That’s the chap I’m looking for.” Vox. He couldn’t believe he’d actually found him! It was hard to tell from this distance, but it looked as though his green son had grown up tall. He certainly towered over the Bae by his side.
“You,” the red-boned Aeri added, turning his gaze down on the prince who still lay stunned on his side, “are a very lucky little zealot. You get to live, unless of course he was just yelling for the joy of seeing me and will happily let me get on with squashing you once we’ve caught up a bit.” Turning his gaze back to Dahak, the curly-maned stallion gave a snort. “You, stay where you are or it’ll go hard for you, clear?” Confident that the three-coloured coward would obey, he the orange-eyed stallion turned aside from the brindled pair and set off towards Vox and his friend at a trot, ears perked forward, wings trembling a touch against his sides in anticipation.
Vox! After all this time he’d finally found him, and here of all places! He was glad he hadn’t passed the red mountain by, very glad indeed. Some way off from the two Jala, Lucius came to a halt. He was fairly sure the tall one wouldn’t make a break for it but he wasn’t certain and if the twerp did try anything he wanted to be close enough to stop him. Doubtless Vox would come the rest of the distance to him anyway. Though he kept one ear trained back for the sound of fleeing hooves, most of the black Aeri’s attention was reserved for the large figure before him. The distance he had come had put size into perspective, and Vox was big, bigger than he was if he was any judge at all. Lost for words, the curly-maned stallion waited for his adopted offspring to approach; he had so much to tell him! This was the best day since... since... well, since a good while for sure, probably since Alice had hatched.
He almost fainted with relief when the big black Aeri paused and then turned. So, so the creature the evil stallion had been seeking was his son then? How horrible that a demon like that had reproduced. Swallowing hard as the muscled stallion turned away, Dahak dared himself to creep forward and sink down by Aeolus’ side. The slim prince was breathing, but not much else. Fighting the terrified tremors of his body, the blue-eyed stallion nudged at his friend’s brow. His pale muzzle came away somewhat bloodied; the brute’s hoof must have split the skin. Not sure of what to do next, the brindled Jala watched the monster Aeri come to a halt and waited to see what would happen next; he’d used up all his daring in moving over to his companion’s side, he had none left to act any further until the situation changed in his favor.
At the nudge, Aeolus blinked dazedly. The world was swimming and spinning about him, but for some reason he was still alive. Frowning in confusion, the chestnut Jala attempted to focus on the scene before him. A blurry shape, probably the Aeri who had been about to kill him, had just come to a halt and off in the distance there were two smears which were probably other Nequus, and maybe the reason he hadn’t died. Groaning softly, the Jala prince reached out to touch Dahak with one wing to let him know that he was still alive before letting it flop back down and focusing his energy on staying awake and taking in the scene before him.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 11:19 am
The first thing that occurred to Vox as his father approached him was the height difference. The dark Aeri seemed almost diminutive now. Had it really been so long? Had he grown so much that his mighty father was small? And Lucius looked so happy, trotting towards him with his ears perked forward, that Vox didn't know how to act. He closed the gap between them at an unsteady walk, but didn't go close enough to touch his father. It didn't feel right to do so, not when he'd just witnessed such a display of brutality.
"...Have you changed completely, my father?" he said faintly. "Or has that Jala committed such a terrible crime that he is only fit for death?"
Jacques was approaching from behind, but from the sound of things he'd been wise enough to stay a few paces back. This wasn't his business. Besides, Vox realised, Lucius probably scared the hell out of the poor Bae. He stood almost completely still, his expression full of uncertainty, and awaited his father's answer.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 11:33 am
Oh. That. Well he supposed he ought to have expected it really. Somehow he didn’t think his reasons would please Vox in the slightest. Suddenly the black stallion found himself afraid that he would lose his son in the same breath as finding him almost.
“He is a prince of the Katilenuck,” Lucius said, hardly able to believe that this was the first conversation he was having with Vox after all this time. “He endorses slavery, places the lives of Jala above all other lives and believes that all Nequus should serve the Jala, save for Reya and crossbreeds who should die. That added to the fact that he challenged me was reason enough to fight him to my mind. Had he his little soldiers here, doubtless he would have set them to kill me for appearing as I do, too.”
There, that was his reasoning and it was the best he could do. Lucius sighed wearily and shook his head. “I’ve not changed Vox,” he said quietly, “not at all. There have always been things I believed with fighting and killing for.” If he had it his way every Katilenuck would be taken from the mountain and either killed or forced into the slavery they had thrust upon others but he didn’t say that aloud, he had a feeling Vox was going to disapprove of his thinking enough as it was, no need to go making it worse.
They were to far off for him to catch their words but too close for him to up and run. Besides, he couldn’t just leave Aeolus to the brute and his massive son. Dahak shuddered again, wishing fervently to be anywhere else in the world but here. The wyrd forests of Casa Tiner would be better than this mess.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 11:46 am
Vox took a deep breath and slowly let it out. His father had become angry, got into a fight, intended to kill for what he saw as right. Perhaps he was justified. Still, Vox himself could never have done it.
"...There are plenty of people who judge you unfairly for your looks, my father," he said softly, stepping close enough to nudge the older stallion's nose - or the bone that covered it, at any rate. "If you killed them all, would you not be the very monster they think you are? True, if those Jala are what you say they are then they are wicked indeed. But have they not been raised with that wickedness all around them? How can they be anything but what they are if they are never shown any better?"
He felt Jacques nudging against his flank. His friend was on edge, looking for comfort. Vox was hesitant to reach back and touch him with a wing: he couldn't see him too well, and he feared to accidentally poke him in the eye.
"Will you spare that Jala," he carried on, "just this once? Perhaps he will come to see that all is not as he has been told, and begin to mend his ways. Consider it a gift to me, and I shall give you a gift in return. ...Please?"
Hopefully Lucius would respond to the second part of that, if not the first.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 12:09 pm
Lucius sighed out a heavy breath and nodded. “Alright, only for you Vox, only for you.” Nudging the other Aeri back, the orange-eyed creature smiled softly. “I have missed you, my son.” So, the two Jala got to live. He’d have to scare them into not telling anyone about him or doubtless the herd would come down on his head for harming a prince of theirs. “I’d better go and talk to them, then,” Lucius said with another sigh, “after that we can get back to catching up.” The boned Nequus gave a wry smile. “You would not believe all that’s happened to me since we last met.”
Turning about, the muscled Aeri plodded back over to the pair of Jala, giving a snort of amusement when he saw the three-coloured coward try to scrabbled back to where he’d been before. “You get to live,” Lucius said bluntly, “and you have Vox there to thank for that but I think it would be healthier for both of you if you didn’t tell anyone about this, humm? Make up what you must to explain chestnut here, but if I catch wind of my description in connection to this believe me, I will be exceedingly angry.”
Dahak’s legs almost buckled with another wave of relief. Why the bigger Aeri wanted him to live he neither knew nor cared; perhaps he recognized the natural order of things or something. “No need for lies,” the tall Jala said at last, speaking for the first time since he had laid eyes on the horrifying Aeri. This said, the tear-marked stallion gazed at his friend’s battered form in an unfocused manner before allowing his eyes to slide shut. The pulsing redness was there but he was far too shaky to dance with it. He’d just have to hope that chanting alone would work.
This in mind, the Jala began to muttered to himself. Perhaps it was an ancient language, perhaps it was just nonsense but whatever the sounds he was making meant or did not mean they were having the right effect. As his voice wove and rose and fell, the redness began to twist and writhe in his mental grasp.
The chant and its rhythm went on and the slender stallion’s voice took on an eerie echo. A wind picked up out of nowhere then, a vortex centered upon Aeolus and the currents of air moved with the rhythm of the chant too. As he muttered on and as the wind blew, tugged at his curling mane, Dahak focused on the unraveling strands of the redness. As each one pulled away from the whole, he sent a sliver of his awareness to... he wasn’t sure; snap it, he thought, something like that anyway, he didn’t really have time to analyze what he was doing.
An indeterminate length of time later, Dahak snapped the last thread and the Shaman opened his eyes in time to see Aeolus climb to his hooves and give himself a shake. In that moment, he forgot to be afraid of the two Aeri and grinned stupidly to himself; it had worked. He didn’t know how he knew his work wouldn’t unravel but somehow he knew, and he wasn’t about to question himself. He’d done it. He’d really done it.
It had been like nothing else he’d ever felt. Like pleasure but of a different hue somehow. He hadn’t wanted it to end, ever, but when it did and he blinked back to awareness, the chestnut stallion scrambled to his hooves and shook himself off. The horrible Aeri, for whatever reason, was not attacking him anymore and Dahak, Shaman Dahak, was grinning stupidly at him. Not knowing what else to do, Aeolus grinned back.
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