[PRP] Taraxippus & Sheol - Dance with the Devil

[Sabin Duvert]

It was at the death of the day, in the last lingering moments of light before the sun hides away for the night that a single dark shape threaded through the thick woods. At first, the figure seemed to be one of the lengthening shadows cast by the trees and bushes granted life by the fading sun. But it moved deliberately, evenly, flowing around and through the grasping vines that would snag and tear at the fur of most of the forest denizens.

At a closer look, one could determine that this was no lifeless shade, but a being in and of itself, although one that seemed to share more in common with the curling smoke than the other life of the land. It seemed to move as if it had next to no weight, its legs too spindly to hold him if he were of full flesh and blood. One could even see straight through him in places, the rolling shadows of its being constantly moving. Only hooves darker than the smoky shadows, fierce amber eyes, and a very solid, very sharp horn seemed solid in this beast. At a distance, seeing this form against the sun, one might call this a unicorn - the noble breed of soquili that lived in these lands. But truly, the creature that roamed this dusk was a mockery of that noble beast, in more than just appearences.

But this evening, the creature was not traveling with a purpose. He was not on a hunt, he was not seeking out prey to sate his stomach or his wicked desire to control. Tonight he was deliberately out in the cool eve to let the thoughts roll through his head.

It had been some time since Taraxippus had been away from his herd and truly alone. While he was the protector of the herd, he had shouldered a much greater role than that willingly. He was driving them, shaping them and making them strong. And beyond that, he was ensuring that if they were worthy, that they trusted him. It was a slow-going process, but he could not deny that it was going wonderfully well. His foals with Izusa had grown into fine young mares, deadly and smart. Megaera, her sisters, and her daughter trusted him. Pooka, his young half-sister, he had been given by his father to raise, had grown into a very... disturbed mare. Every bit as fierce as he had hoped, but she was difficult to control. There was a madness about her - not quite like the skull-faced mare that had mothered many of the members of his herd, but a madness all the same that made him wary. His father was proud of him, and despite the monster that his father was, Taraxippus did not question the fact that despite the strange way that he showed it, he would support him.

Arcana was gone. She was weak, and after it had been revealed that she truly was no sister of his, she had left, and the herd was better for it.

Now, there were no foals left to protect. The herd had grown, and they had made alliances. Izusa, the deadly Kalona mare whom he had given foals, now was intertwined in his life. Just as he had hoped. Now was the time to take his plans a step further. There was more out there in this wide world. Taraxippus craved power, control, respect, and fear. Much more than his father had sought in the mere fleeting pleasure of fear. Taraxippus had a vision. A vision that had not been clouded with time or fatherhood. And it was overdue time to make more steps towards it. A couple strong allies was not enough. But he had to be selective, and make certain that the bonds were strong or the plan could unravel.

And of course, most of all, Taraxippus needed direction. This was the irritating doubt that churned his insides. For all his desire: for power, for control, for dominance... he lacked a direction.

So, with this in mind, he had decided to let this directionless take him and his movements. His hooves chose a direction and, for once, Taraxippus relinquished control to fate itself, seeking guidance.

He kept walking as the woods grew thicker, his semi-solid form slipping between the clawing branches and thorny brambles. He kept walking as the woods began to thin again, and the last rays of light cast the land in a reddish glow. And he kept walking as the red faded into a deep violet, and the calls of the nightbirds began to serenade his journey.  

[Amy D]

Just as Taraxippus was at home in the shadows and fading light of the day, the early morn and the late dusk was when Sheol could move virtually undetected, hidden in the melting reds and oranges of the setting sun. As darker hues began to pollute his beloved fiery atmosphere, he began to leave the openness of these plains, skirting the edges of forest like some fiery apparition. His physique, considerably bulkier than Taraxippus', and his wings and horns hampered his travelling through thick forest, so he avoided it unless absolutely necessary.

With his back to the sun, Sheol walked with heavy steps, the chains and hooks in his mane and about his waist tinkling lightly with the momentum. He cared not for being discreet though, his appearance saw to that. He'd lived a life where he'd not been challenged by man nor beast, but he was not cocky because of it. Pride always came before a fall, so why take the risk?

Ears perked, he stopped a moment and looked around. The last of the sun had gone and only his fiery hooves gave light. He thought he had heard something, albeit incredibly faint. Maybe it wasn't even a sound...maybe just a feeling. A sense of someone else being there. Glowing eyes narrowed, he peered at the forest but saw only shadows.

Still...something didn't feel right. He stood a short while longer, perhaps something would make itself apparent. Maybe it was just a deer or even a wolf or bear hiding in the forest. Or something else...
 

[Sabin Duvert]

There. A crunch and crackle in the brush in the distance, and a strange clinking noise. A faint reddish glow. Taraxippus's brow furrowed. The sun had already set and the sky faded to a rich violet. Furthermore, this could not be the last dregs of the dying day for the sun had set in a different direction. Taraxippus paused for a moment, testing the scents on the air. There was something distinctly other there. There was a faint burning smell, and the smell of another creature - a soquili perhaps? But there was something differnet about it.

Cautiously, his hoofbeats barely making a sound as he passed through the thinning underbrush, staying to the deeper shadows, he approached the light. He could not ignore the coincidence that he had set out looking for answers and before him, through the brush, there was a proverbial guiding light.

So as Sheol scanned the vegetation with his glowing eyes, the shadows seemed to move.

Soon enough, Taraxippus had closed the distance to find the source of the light, and it nearly took his breath away. This, he thought to himself, was not something he had expected. A massive kalona stallion was standing in the thin woods, staring fiercely in his direction. Long horns curved backwards over his neck and flame licked at his front hooves. Powerful wings were folded at his sides and a long, thick tail snaked out behind him. Chains and hooks hung from the great beast. But most notably was the sheer force of presence that was almost palpable in the air. Taraxippus's eyes shone with curiousity and eagerness. Perhaps, some spirit had heard his thoughts and guided him here.

Boldly, unhesitatingly, Taraxippus strode forward out of the concealing shadows. He pulled himself out of the darkness as if the darkness itself was giving him his form and presenting him to the kalona. Taraxippus's own amber eyes fixed confidently on this demon.  

[Amy D]

Just as he was about to tear his gaze from the brush, the shadows seemed to move again, only this time, they dared leave the protection of the dark. The very essence of darkness had left the forest and felt the need to travel the earthly plane.

Sheol greeted this, however, as if it were nothing unusual. His nostrils flared as he breathed in the scent and kept his breathing measured, slow, casual. His serpentine tail, almost an entity unto itself, came to a rest on the ground. His wings neatly folded by his sides.

Even out of the shadows, Taraxippus held that certain air of being caught between real and unreal, transparency and solidity. Sheol could see the advantages of such an existence but also the disadvantages.

He stared Taraxippus straight in the eyes. His own were too turbulent to be searched at times but this stallion's...hmmm....

"You look like you're caught neither here nor there..." he spoke in a deep, 'gravelly' voice.
 

[Sabin Duvert]

A cryptic smile passed over the shadowy being's face and he inclined his head almost imperceptibly as he was regarded by the fiery kalona. When his voice came, it was confident and almost more material than his wavering form. "And perhaps that is the truth. Although, I would argue, I am by no means caught but here with a purpose."

He took a few more paces towards the demon, eyes roaming undisguised over his powerful traits. "And you do not seem like one who belongs in this realm any more than I. And yet... here we are." This time there was a wider grin as he came to a stop about ten paces away, his tail giving a flick.

Taraxippus did what he could to disguise his enthusiasm and inerest upon encountering such a being. Curiousity danced in his breast as he wondered what could come of this fateful encounter.

"I am Taraxippus, birthed of shadows and fear." Taraxippus saw no harm in exaggerating the importance of his role. His unconventional appearance often left others that he encountered wondering about him. And where they had no answers, he was happy to provide them, inflating his own importance.  

[Amy D]

There wasn't much on Sheol's face that could convey emotion. His eyes often glowed too bright to reveal whether he actually had pupils or irises, and the lines and swirls that were affectively carved into his skin could distort even the sweetest smile into something sinister. However, there was just a sense that he was smiling at this other stallion.

"Indeed...how strange that we should tread this plane, a world so alien to us and in which we are the aliens, and stranger still that two alike should meet in such a place," he replied, a little cryptic but the words just dripped in theatrical presence.

Sheol actually lowered his head and bent one fore-leg in a bow to Taraxippus. He was always one for occasion and greetings must be exchanged in a proper fashion between equals. Had Taraxippus been any old horse, he wouldn't have even received a glance.

And it was a great show of confidence on Sheol's part, to leave himself open for a random attack. Although anyone stupid enough to charge a horse who had large horns lowered and ready for spearing deserved to be injured.

"I am Sheol," he stated his name, rather simply given what else could have come attached to his name. He always enjoyed what others made of his appearances.
 

[Sabin Duvert]

Taraxippus was impressed and more than a bit flattered by the show of respect. Decorum demanded that he return the gesture, and the shadowy creature did not hesitate to mimic the bow. He lifted a foreleg and dipped his head, his horn almost brushing the ground momentarily. "I consider it an honor, Sheol." Taraxippus did not think that a counterattack likely after the display of good graces. And even if he had, he trusted his semi-solid form to protect him long enough to be able to get his footing. He had never had the chance, nor desire, to truly put his physical capabilities to the test against one such as he.

He raised his head, meeting the ambiguous eyes. "Perhaps it is not coincidence at all. Not that I have been one to place much value in the spirits." He added with a mirthful chuckle.

"What brings you to this realm, if you do not mind the boldness of my question?" Taraxippus queried. If he found the theatrics strange, he certainly did not question them. Quite the conrary, he brimmed with curiousity, and no small amount of admiration. The only Kalona he had had the singular pleasure of working with had been Izusa, and she, while distant mentally on more than one occasion, was still a formidable hunter. And while she did not seem to have the mind for great strategy, he knew that that was not a trait of their breed, and he was eager to meet one more his mental equal.  

[Amy D]

Sheol was silent for a moment, somewhat hesitant. It was rare for him to stall on anything really. He was choosing his words carefully. Should he reveal the real reason he was still on this plane or tell a blatant lie? He had nothing to hide, and a show of sentimentality was not a weakness.

"If I was honest, I was here to see my son," he replied. "He's never touched our plane, but belongs there. He is wasted in this world..."

There was a touch of disgust in his voice. The topic of Sheol's son was a touchy one, especially considering how proud a creature he was. In his eyes, his son had been reduced to the lowest common denominator - subservience. He liked to tell himself that he'd had no choice, but many return visits proved otherwise. And it infuriated him at times.

"Do I need to ask you the same? Or do you truly enjoy the company of your brothers, the shadows and the night?"

 

[Sabin Duvert]

Fascinating, Taraxippus thought to himself as he listened to the demon speak. Not just with the story, but with the seeming honesty of his words. He spoke of a logical purpose, and a sentimentality. A desire to connect with another, even if it was his own brood of which he spoke. And that was quite promising to the shadowy stallion. It also showed a confidence that the stallion admired. He saw no reason to hide his intent/

"What a pity." Taraxippus mused aloud. "By your words, it sounds as if you had aspirations for this child, and still do. There are many of such weak bodies and will in this land."

At the returned question, Taraxippus shook his head. "Shadows and darkness, while my companions, do not keep very entertaining company. While this land may full of many lesser creatures, there are the occasional surprises... and I have sought out many of those out. Moreover, it is that promising lure that this land is ripe, one might say, if one had the temerity and proper direction..."

After a moment, he looked back to Sheol. "Is there a plan that you have for yourself and your wayward son? Or merely to show him his potential?
 

[Amy D]

"Indeed. It is the total waste of his abilities that bothers me so," he added his final words on this topic, unable to let it go very easily.

For all his dignity and grandeur and supposed elegance, Sheol was victim to his temper at times. Something his son had inherited as well. He sighed finally, as if breathing out his aggression, his breath very warm even in this mild evening air. His temper was far more measured than his son's. He lifted his great head and gave his neck and shoulders a quick shivering-shake and had to move his limbs a little.

He looked to Taraxippus.

"I try not to stick to any plans. Fate does not always have your best interests at heart, so it pays to be flexible for whatever she might throw at you. Why do you ask?"

The answer to this question is what pressed Sheol the most.
 

[Sabin Duvert]

"What a shame," Taraxippus mused, imagining the frustration and disappointment that must reside in this kalona's chest. He quite vividly remembered the ire and frustration towards his lesser "sister", Arcana both by himself and his shadowy father. It had come as no great surprise, but a great deal of relief when the truth of the matter had been figured out: that she truly was no blood relative to either. Subsequently, she had rightly left the herd that she was not worthy of. But to know that ones own flesh and blood was weak, not living up to the expectations? That would truly be a misfortune.

He paused a moment, weighing his words. The kalona had been quite honest with him, and Taraxippus saw this as a priceless opportunity. "Fate can be fickle, and yet I would not let such an intangible force keep me from my goals. Planning, determination, and the proper manipulation of a situation can defy even a poor starting hand. Certainly, flexibility and ingenuity is often required to turn it around, but being in control of yourself... and of course those around you, is beyond compromise."

He raised his head, meeting the demon's gaze. "For myself, I seek a greater dominion in this land. Although I am not foolish enough to expect this to be a task achieved alone. While perhaps not the same as the realms you or I call home, there is a wealth available here, untapped. Weaker soquili that could be put to a use, that would rightfully know fear in the face of their superiors." Taraxippus looked to Sheol with a note of inquiry, wondering his opinion on the normal denizens of the land. There was a bit more self-aggrandizing bluff to his words, but Taraxippus, while born to this land, did honestly consider himself to be of a very other lineage.  

[Amy D]

Other to his visitations of his son, meeting other beings such as this Taraxippus was another bonus, another lure and pull to frequenting these lands. The strong could rise from the weak, and often did, with such deliciously disastrous or chaotic results. He often enjoyed these struggles, watching them from germination to climactic culmination. It was an even greater joy if he had played a part in such workings.

Taraxippus spoke of control and planning. Sheol was not one to want to control everything. It was too grand a scale or too epic an undertaking for merely one horse. And what of others wishing the same? It can't all be shared, and inevitably ends in chaos once more. And so it was the potential of chaos that excited Sheol. The potential to put a spanner in the works and see what little use control and planning had then.

Suddenly, the stallion before him became far more interesting. Perhaps hearing him out would bear fruit, for either his gain or his delight in destruction.

"Oh...? And what plans would you have for these weaker soquili? What use are they to you in the grand scheme of things?" he asked, that sinister smile creeping back on his maw.

"And more importantly...what use had you in mind for me? Else you would not be trying to capture my attention so."
 

[Sabin Duvert]

And control was precisely what Taraxippus thirsted for. He wielded influence in his small herd, granted, but it was small, and not enough. He had cultivated those soquili close to him, securing their loyalties, and distancing himself from those that were weak. He trained the young to be strong, unwavering. And he was begining to form alliances with outsiders he respected. Thus far, there had been just one other, a kalona mare he had given foals to to closer interweave her loyalties to his. He had been ... pleased... with the progress. The two fillies had grown to be powerful mares.

He was building his influences, albeit carefully. He felt that he needed more... and here he had found another with such potential. But an alliance needed to be formed on something much stronger than just an agreeance. Taraxippus was no stranger to the concepts of greed driving conspirators apart. If one could not secure control among allies, then there was no way to hold control without. In seeking out a powerful ally, there was always the potential of creating a powerful enemy if one was not careful.

But Sheol's question was the same one that lingered in Taraxippus's own mind. For what purpose? What use of power if there was no land to conquer? No great enemy? But no, absolute power stood against no epic challenger. True power was such that none would dare to face it, was it not?
The land brimmed with so much potential. Weak minded and bodied soquili that lacked direction or purpose. Taraxippus longed to give it to them, bending them to do his will. Commanding their fear and respect. Taraxippus had an idea of the feeling, but not the specifics.

"Pawns." Taraxippus responded honestly as he sounded out his own plans in his mind. "Subjects, more accurately, I suppose. Their kind blanket the land, directionless for the most part. They meander about, many caring for little other than their next mouthfull of grass. They would be unprepared for subjugation. But could you imagine it? A group of the strong snatching up these patches of land and those that live in it, commanding them? Shaping them. Those that protest we would have the strength to quiet, making an example and a meal out of them. Those that we choose could be the nobility in this world, commanding the fear and respect of those beneath us. And once we are there, well, we would have the strength to do great and terrible things."
He knew it was vague, but it was his dream. If this demon had an enemy, a goal - be it to lure back his son or command himself... there was potential.  

[Amy D]

"So you wish to show them, by example, of what they can be? What they're missing out on by carrying on in their meaningless lives," he added. "And instill in them that, obviously, your 'direction' is the right one."

Although power was never high on Sheol's agenda, he couldn't deny its intoxicating qualities. But he knew from experience how much of a fall it was from power. That didn't scare him though, he would recover should it happen to him. It was watching OTHERS fall that brought joy to this Soquili.

"You make it sound almost like a grand army or a new ruling order for this world. What designs do you have for it? Are you driven by what can be, given the proper application of force and intellect?" he pried further.

 

[Sabin Duvert]

Taraxippus snorted. "Nothing so altruistic as a display of potential. Their lives are meaningless, true. Wrapped up in petty affairs and directionless. However, I do not seek to inspire them to greatness. I seek to rule."

Taraxippus seemed to have been born with a thirst for power. Even on a tiny scale - when he held the life of a small animal pinned under his hooves, it gave him such a rush. It was one of the only emotions that truly seemed to stick to his shadowy flesh. He wanted that, more than that. He wanted the awe and subservience of more. He wanted to cultivate that power. And he wanted absolute control.

He rolled his shoulders like curls of smoke. "The world.... that is quite the endeavor. One cannot plant ones hoof in the ground and call all those in the world his. But... every ruler has to start somewhere. Some were born to their positions and inherit land and subjects from royal families. Does that make them more qualified to rule? If they have the drive, perhaps. If they take to the knowledge that they need to hold their power, perhaps. But just as many rule - and more the powerful - because they have the drive and the intelligence to take it. It is this domain that I seek to enter."

EDIT Feb 22, 2010: Since it's been so long since there's been a response, I'm going to assume that this RP has been abandoned. If I'm incorrect, and you have any desire to continue, just drop me a PM <3.