[PRP]A promise is a promise ... (Masquerade and Dyson)

[Devil NightShade]

A lone figure moved through dark woods, weaving between trees her eyes seeming to be lanterns guiding her through the shadows. Long gone were the days of foal hood for the kalona mare and now she was holding true to her promise, she was in search of something ... well someone actually. The silence around her would have unnerved any other, but not masquerade... no instead she began to sing. As a foal she'd had a pretty voice but as an adult it was hauntingly beautiful, it almost sounded like a a mourning church bell ringing out a death on a crisp winter's morn. She wasn't singing in words, but instead an eerie tune that floated through the woods searching out ears that she hoped were nearby.

As Masquerade had figured she wasn't a large mare, she was petite and dainty. Yet if someone let that fool them they were sadly mistaken, hidden beneath the silken brown coat were powerful well honed muscles.

Long gone were the days of her innocent youth, dreaming of beauty and power ... Masquerade WAS beautiful and she knew it. She wore a perfect deep ebony rose with faded icy tips wound around her neck on a crimson thorny vine. It was beautiful, yet dangerous much like the mare that wore it. She also wore a simple silver necklace with a single red stone that seemed to mimic a single droplet of blood. Her bright blue mane had grown longer, and she left one section thickly braided and left the rest to hang about her neck and face. She had yet to mar her perfect coat with battle scars, and she didn't intend to anyway, she was a beautiful angel of death and that would be the way she stayed.  

[Sabin Duvert]

When Dyson wanted to be found, sometimes it seemed eerily easily to find him. It had been some time since he had last encountered the coffee-colored Kalona foal. The meeting had been interesting - and certainly a welcome departure from the normal encounters Dyson had made since his arrival in these lands. Certainly, the Kalona had no difficulty keeping himself entertained. Many soquili here had the potential to provide entertainment at the very least - and sometimes much more than that. But Masquerade provided something more than merely a diversion - she had true promise.

So when a slender, dark form slipped through the trees nearby, Dyson's ears pricked, knowing immediately who it was. In fact, the kalona had intentionally wandered back to this area of the lands, hoping to encounter the filly. One season had given way to another, and foals were not foals for long. And even if she were still young, it could not hurt to imbed his infleunce deeper.

"If it isn't Masquerade." A booming rumble reverberated through the glade, shortly followed by the massive form of the stallion himself. Unlike Masquerade, he didn't appear to have changed a bit. His form was just as poised and powerful, the gleam in his eyes just as dangerous. And even though Masquerade was now fully grown, Dyson still dwarfed her. He was tall and thick, even compared to most draft horses. There was an appraising smile on his mouth as his eyes licked over her, noting the glimmer of the almost sequin-like droplets on her pelt, her longer blue mane and her newfound jewelry.  

[Devil NightShade]

First her ears snapped towards the deep voice, then her head as a smile stretched across her face showing pearly fangs. She had found him and that had been her plan all along "Dyson!", his name came from her in a silken purr as she turned and moved towards him hoof barely making a sound as she shifted in and out of the shadows. "Fancy meeting you here," her wide grin became a coy smile as she stopped barely a few feet from him her tial switching lightly back and forth behind him.

The huge stallion didn't scare Masquerade, no, he actually drew her in like a moth to a flame with his sheer size and power. She would never have bowed to him in true subservience but she would have followed this stallion to the ends of the earth, that was how much admired him.

Her coat shifted as the muscles hiding beneath rippled. The movement made the diamond like sparkles shimmer in the low light, but nothing in her gleamed like her white eyes. They were bottomless pits of blinding white, and the hide her many emotions and thoughts beautifully so one never knew what might have been on the mare's twisted mind.

She purred again and her tail swished smacking the ground for a moment "I told you I'd fine you again when I grew." She straightened up arching her neck making her forelock fall gracefully into her eyes. She was showing off her beauty in her own proud way without speaking about it.  

[Sabin Duvert]

Dyson strode towards her, his own muscles rippling under his flesh. Dyson at times really did seem to be more bull than horse. Where Masquerade glided silently and almost wraith-like through the woods, Dyson made no efforts to hide his thunderous plodding. His long, barbed tail swished through the leaves as he closed the distance, his shadow seemin to engulf the small mare as he stood over her. "And I kept my word as well, little one." He purred in his barratone. "It was no mere chance that we met here today." He raised his head, eying the familiar bend in the trees. It was the same place they had last parted.

"And what a fine mare you have grown into." He complimented, looking unblinkingly into her glowing white eyes framed with blue filligree. Not a blemish crossed her fur, even the thin membranes of her wings were unbroken. She had either been keeping herself out of fights, or doing very well in them. "But what has filled your time since we last parted?"  

[Devil NightShade]

She looked back at him still grinning "so you have," she boldly glided forward moving past him deliberately brushing her body against his with the most feather light of touches. Her body weaved in a sultry manner before she turned back around and over to his other side standing close beside him, a soft purr rumbling deep in her stomach. "Well thank you, you're still the same powerful bull I remember you to be ... though maybe more handsome," her wings shifted against her back and brushed against his sides thanks to their close proximity.

"Mostly training with my mother to learn to fly," she loved to fly, feeling the wind beneath her wings and the freedom to drop unseen and unheard on her prey was amazing and thrilling. "Mother has also taught me the art of what she call's 'Death's ballet'" she giggled in that unmistakable crazy manner "I'm becoming rather experienced in taking out my prey without getting even the slightest of scrapes."
 

[Sabin Duvert]

He watched her slink by him, her tail's swish accentuating her sinous movements. Undisguised approval shone in his eyes. He strode after her, looking down along her spine.
Dyson drew in a pondering breath before speaking, "And you still posses your sublime grace." His hot breath fell on her neck, right beside where it was gathered into a braid.

"Ahhh... flight." He mused. "It certainly has its uses. To swoop down on oblivious prety below. Most creatures here do not even bother to look up. However, the feel of the earth beneath my hooves and perfecting a hunt without needing to take to the skies is vital as well. Soaring above those flightless weaklings is priceless, but do not grow dependent on it."

He continued walking, his tail flipping back and forth. "You know..." He mused. "Well, no. I wouldn't want to keep you after dark." He turned back to her with a smirk.  

[Devil NightShade]

She grinned back at him "grace is grace, all kalona mare's have it ... but few dare to use it." She arched slightly at the fell of his breath running over her spine and her grin twisted up even more. Growth had not mellowed the filly out from her foal stage, no not at all, it had made her bolder and very much a flirt.

"flight is a glorious thing, even when one isn't hunting. I love to soar high above the earth and feel the wind beneath me blowing angrily against my face .. it's like mother nature herself and hates us ... yet we spit in her face with our life." She sneered as if at the deity of the earth and flicked her tail. "I can fight well enough on the ground to, though I rely on my stalking skills than starting a full out battle, I don't like the ideas of marring my coat for these foolish lessers much."

She raised her brow noted his smirk then started to laugh picking up on what he was saying.

She rubbed close to him again purring "you know, I don't go home unless I want to anymore, mother doesn't much care." She purred louder as she nibbled on the area where his neck and body meet.  

[Sabin Duvert]

Dyson strode alongside her, shortening his steps so as to match her pace. This, he was thoroughly enjoying. She had kept all of the fire that filled her as a foal, and if anything now that she was a full mare, that fire was stoked.

"Mother nature hates us?" Dyson asked incredulously. "Don't tell me that you believe that. The lesser races like to spread that falsehood. Perhaps seeded by those so-called 'angeni'. It is propeganda; insidious lies. We have just as much claims to these lands - or any lands - as any soquili. Just because a cougar kills a deer, does that make them abominations to the land? Because we are gifted with both flight as well as horns and sharp hooves, you think that makes us hated by nature? Quite the contrary, we are blessed with all of its gifts. Do not let others try to dissuade you otherwise - they are scared and jealous, as well they should be."

And at her declaration at independance, Dyson's smile widened. The spikes of his tail graced ever so lightly against the fetlocks of her hind legs, tickling with the points but not scratching the skin. "Then if you have no curfew... and you thrill in the flight... come... let me take you somewhere..."

He spread a wing, laying it over her and drew her closer to his side as he pulled her gently towards the right, and out of the treeline of the forest.  

[Devil NightShade]

Masquerade laughed at him and nipped hi neck again "Dyson, Dyson, Dyson. You should know me well enough to know I couldn't give a sh** what the lessers say. F*** I barely care what some other kalonas say to me, there are only a few of you so far that I have an ear too and care about what you guys say." She flicked her tail and giggled crazily again shifting her wings on her back so that the spikes grazed his side.

"If she truly hated us our race would have died out because of her, not because of the weakness spreading like a disease within our kind breeding out to the lessers." She let out a disgusted hiss that turned into a low growl right from her gut that made her whole body rumble. "I now understand what my mother keeps saying about the distressing situation among our kind that needs to be remedied." She paused for a moment then snorted "but this is talk for another time not when we're catching up" she grinned coyly at him her glowing white eyes half-lidded.

She tossed her mane tail flicking behind her and a grin stretched across her cheeks as he offered to lead her somewhere. The spade of her tail rubbed lightly back and forth across his tail as if it had a mind of it's own and worked of it's own accord. "I would bot honored to travel somewhere with you Dyson, lead the way."

Without a fight or any hesitation she pressed her smaller body right up against him as they veered together to the right and left the forest behind.  

[Sabin Duvert]

Dyson nodded his approval. "Good. I would not want your beliefs sullied by them, even if it was subtle. Their beliefs have taken deep root in these lands and many do not think to question them." He took and held a breath before smiling. "But you are absolutely correct, Masquerade. Now... is the time for other things."

His large flank radiated a warmth against her smaller frame as, pressed together by his leathery wing, they exited the woods. It was an overcast day, to which Dyson seemed to nod. "Perfect." He rumbled in approval.

He lifted his wing off of her back and spread the other, fanning widely. For a soquili as large and massive as he, his wingspan had to be impressive. Completely featherless, and thickly muscled, Dyson's wings seemed a continuation of his thick frame.

With a canter, and pumping his wings, he leapt into the sky. It was surprising to see something as heavy as he take to the air - and yet he did so with a practiced gait. Despite his large wingspan, it almost didn't seem possible. It seemed to work because of the belief and control that Dyson exerted over everything around him. He gained elevation and spirialed around once he had caught a suitable updraft, waiting for her to take off. "Come, Masquerade! I will show you wonders!"  

[Devil NightShade]

She scoffed slightly "no lesser, or lesser loving s**t hole will ever change my beliefs, mother instilled that in me very well."

Masquerade grinned wide when he said 'other thing' it sounded utterly suggestive ands he liked it.

The mare rubbed her cheek against his shoulder rather hard, could she have claimed this stallion as all her own she would have. She was smart enough to know that even if she did he would still enjoy alone time with other kalona mares or just mares in general, just as she would enjoy alone time with other kalonas, but in the end he would have been hers to come back too.

She raised her brows and looked at the sky, oh this was going to be fun Mother Nature would seem more than wrathful today. Her blood was already full of adrenaline as she stretched her wings up.

Her eyes raked over his wings and she grinned more, they were glorious and suited him perfectly just like every other aspect of him. She watched him take off with the ease of age and she danced nervously for a moment. Masquerade could take off but she wasn't yet too good at the landing .. maybe she could get it right this time... maybe?

Without a second thought she spread her own wings, the semi-transparent leather almost seemed to be made of smoke and not allow her flight but with a few cantering steps and two strong beats she lifted off the ground and flew after him. His promise caught her ears and she giggled crazily "well then Dyson, lead the way!"  

[Sabin Duvert]

The overcast skies seemed heavy with thick, dark clouds. There was a distinct promise of impending rain, the clouds were heavy and laden with moisture as Dyson led her just beneath them. His wingtips pulled at the dark giants as he raised his wings in his even strokes. It seemed as if the clouds could open up and release a downpour at any given moment and that Dyson was mocking them, daring to fly so close that he brushed against them.

The ground below them was cast in the shadows. The vibrant colors of summer dimmed and washed out under the presence of the darkness mid-day. Somewhere in the distance, a peal of thunder rumbled across the skies, washing over them as they soared. And yet, Dyson just smiled. "Nature does not abhor us, Masquerade." He continued. "Nature is powerful, like us. It is a force to be respected and admired. But if you fear it, then you let it take a hold of you." He pressed on, and the rains did not yet fall, although it was humid up here.

He soared over plains, forests, until the ground began to buckle and raise into cliffs, dotted with woods. He began to angle slowly downwards. "I come here sometimes... let me show you." The cliffs were rising up more sharply now, although were heavily wooded, and overlooked a long, clear valley. It was almost as if the cliffs were rising up to greet the pair of Kalona as opposed to them dipping down to land. With a confident, controlled flap of his wings, Dyson's heavy hooves touched rock. His wings continued to beat for another flap or two - making the segue between flight and walking almost imperceptable. He turned, took a few steps back, and cleared the way for her to make her landing.  

[Devil NightShade]

She had to pump her wings more often than he and seemed to strain harder to stay at the height. Masquerade as still young, her wings not yet used to long flights, but still she wouldn't let herself look weak in Dyson's eyes so she forced herself to stay beside him yet far enough away that they could fly without their wings smacking against each others. The wind tossed her bright blue mane into a furry about her small head. The sound of the thunder seemed to vibrate within her body and she shivered delighted by mother nature's furry and power.

"Ah, I like your views far better than mine dear Dyson ..." she pumped her wings again and watched him angle down towards the cliff.

Masqurerade flicked her ears back for a moment, landing was her greatest weakness for the time being and she hated landing when others could see. She knew she couldn't stay aloft though as she banked after him turning her wings slightly against the wind to slow her descent. Her back hooves touched down first and for a moment she seemed to run along on them flapping her wings. A few running steps later and her front hooves came down and she trotted on till she stood in front of him. She puffed a little rather proud of her relatively smooth landing, usually she ended up on her a** which was soon followed by a furry of loud cursing.  

[Sabin Duvert]

While Masquerade made her uncomfortable-but-decent landing, Dyson watched with that lingering, bemused smile that seemed almost everpresent on the kalona's face. He said nothing, but he watched with what seemed like a critical gaze. He saw the ghost of a triumphant smile on her face as she managed not to spill herself on the ground and nodded his head. She was still quite young - her wings only recently strong enough to carry her in the air. He offered no congradulations, no words of encouragement.

The strip of bare rock was now very wide, but enough to give Masquerade the short landing strip that she required. The rock backed up to a few feet of scraggly scrub-trees before falling away again to more rock and ragged cliffs.

But when she was once again on firm land he strode past her, to the very edge of the cliff without a moment's hesitance. There, he surveyed the fertile valley below them. A small herd of soquili- seeming to be barely the size of ants from this height, could be seen in the far distance. Closer to the cliffs, a few deer nibbled at the grass. Every now and then, a doe would quickly lift her head and glance from side to side before returning to her grazing.

"You see the land down there? This stretch of grasslands is like many others here in the Kawani lands. Full of life. Our ability to fly grants us a certain... perspective. All one at our position needs to do is just open our eyes to see the cornucopia of opportunities laid before us here. The prey here is oblivious to our presence, even as we talk. Most animals bigger than a rabbit never bother to look to the skies for danger."  

[Devil NightShade]

She didn't mind one bit that he hadn't praised her, she hadn't been expecting the praise anyway. Her own pride had allowed that smile at her somewhat successful landing. She surveyed her surroundings for a moment tail swishing slowly, deliberately as she tried to memorize this place so she could return here long after they left.

She turned to follow Dyson as he moved to the edge of the cliff to look out over the lands.

She slide right up beside him, her small body resting comfortably against his polar opposite massive one. She was silent, almost serene as he spoke while she watched the creatures mill around bellow them eating their lives away.

Her tail whipped to the side suddenly as if in anger "most animals bigger than a rabbit think they are indestructible .. and some of the kalonas here have just let them keep believing it without fixing the damn situation." Her tail snapped again this time in obvious anger "we almost seem to be laughing stock in this land and it makes my blood boil. True there are some fine kalona out there ... but they seem to stick to the shadows instead and hunt only when they are hungry. I see the need coming to kill anything and everything that crosses my path to prove a point to these stupid lessors that we are not as merciful as we have seemed to be for far to long."

Her ears flicked back and her eyes narrowed a determined look upon her normally very crazed looking face.