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 Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 9:06 pm
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Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 9:32 pm
It was in the later afternoon time when SkullKandy had awakened from his nap. The sun was just starting to dip down behind the trees as it made its way towards the horizon. His joints couldn’t help but crack as he somewhat less than gracefully got to his feet. That would be the last time he opted to take his afternoon nap in a sparsely grassy area. It wasn’t as comfortable that was for sure. At least he had the shade of the large oak tree overhead. He snorted a sneeze as the dust from his hooves rose up to meet his muzzle, yeah, definitely the last time he napped here. As it was the bones on his tail decided that they wanted to collect some extra color too, something he wasn’t terribly fond of. Either way, it was time to move on again to find a place to rest for the night, hopefully by a stream, lake, or river. His throat was a tad parched.
With a swish of tail and ears pricked forward he started to make his way towards one of the clearings he knew other soquili to be settling for the rest of the day. Maybe he would hear something of interest. Luckily for him, it wasn’t terribly far for him to get to his destination. When he did make it at the edge of the forest he couldn’t help but overhear two other soquili talking by the small stream nearby. He didn’t know them, but they were loud enough to where he could still hear them as he made his way to the stream to drink.
”Did you hear? There’s a soquili nearby who stands over your body when you die. They can predict death.”
His ears swiveled back to listen more closely. Now that was interesting.
”I certainly did. Apparently they don’t care either if you’re a skinwalker or a ground soquili. Talk about being completely undetered to the danger a skinwalker can be.”
‘Huh, now that’s something I could certainly be interested in. I wonder how this soquili does that.’ Skull thought to himself as he flipped some water onto his tail to clean his bones.
”Careful though, there’s been word that they live near the cave up north, or so I'm told. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near there. Who knows what else they could do.”
‘Ah, there we are. Looks like I will have something to do this evening. I’d love to finally learn how to keep neutrality. It would be quite helpful in dealing information to my clients.’
Taking one last long drink from the stream SkullKandy picked his head up and walked back into the forest, this time heading north towards the cave those two soquili were talking about. The sun began to dip lower behind the trees, this time touching the horizon to bring a bright orange red color to the once bright blue sky as Skull kept going further into the brush. His eyes becoming quickly acquainted with the changing light. He had to wonder just how much further he would have to keep going to find this place. But in due time, he came upon a break in the trees and a dark cave opening in the hillside.
'Very interesting place for a soquili to live,' he thought to himself as he scanned the area, 'but then again I have no right to judge. And who knows if this is even the soquili's home.'
And so, Skull waited to see if the rumor was true.
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 6:49 am
The cave was dark and cool, as so many are, through it was no easy feat to get into its bowels. The pathways were large enough for a Soquili to navigate - but just barely. The rocks were sharp and the cave formations seemed to gape and loom like some hideous monster's teeth. The light of day eventually could no penetrate through the twists and turns and it looked as thought Skull would of had to chosen between heading back or plunging himself into complete and utter blackness. But, before he gave up to leave, a very tight crevice was tucked away in the far corner of rocks.
The passageway looked foreboding - tight and suffocating - but there did seem to be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. Eventually the constricting rocks gave way to a chamber: large and spacious this inner sanctuary was a sight to behold. Sconces on the wall of the cave held slow burning torches that cast an ethereal, flicking warm glow over the room. A small creek bubbled down the middle, the distant sound of dripping water echoing dramatically in the hollow's of the cave. A few strange, otherworldly grasses and plants clung to the glass-like bank of the tiny river.
Besides the torches a few other signs of life could be found. A few wooden bowls littered the ground, as did clay urns that lined some of the outcroppings. Skulls, both two-legger and Soquili, pitched on sticks and adorned with feathers and beads seemed to serve more as an alter or decoration than a warning.
Near the middle of the room, close to the water, a single, thin, ray of sunlight carved through the choking darkness illuminating a small spot of bright green grass. Near that, in the shadow, was what appeared to be - at first - an unmoving corpse of a grand looking Soquili: its skin looked old and desiccated and seemed to be wearing the decaying remains of an ancient garment.
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Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 5:44 pm
He had to admit, the waiting game he was playing was starting to wear his patience down. There wasn't anything really changing on the outside of this area and that didn't seem to be changing any time soon either. He began to wonder just if this was all a folly and he'd wasted his time for nothing. Should he wait a few more minutes? Or should he just say screw it and be on his merry way to a different change of scenery. Skull snorted in slight annoyance. Quite frankly, he was done and ready to go. However, as he came out further into the clearing and stretched his hindquarters his eyes noticed a gap in the rocks by the corner. Normally he wouldn't have paid any mind to such a small thing, but something was different, and he couldn't help but wonder if that's what he had been hearing about instead.
Curiosity getting the best of him, Skull made his way closer to the crevice, and made quite the discovery. It seemed the path had been walked upon repeatedly, maybe even today, if the light hoof prints in the dirt had anything to do with it. The ground also caved a bit inward, furthering his hunch that this path was used a lot. Taking one last look at the ground he allowed his gaze to move towards the crevice, did he dare enter? It was completely black inside so he would be almost completely blind and have to rely on his hearing and sense of smell. It didn't seem like a good idea. But at the same time he had come this far already, so why go back without finding out the truth of the matter. Decision decided, Skull entered the cave quietly and made his way down into the crevice tunnel.
Luckily for him it wasn't terribly small, but it wasn't very big either. The looping path only served to make him almost bash his head against the tunnel wall if he wasn't careful enough. So when the passageway became bigger and a dull light met his eyesight as he got closer Skull was quite happy. Allowing his eyes to adjust as he came to the opening and room of a grander scale, he took in his surroundings. Quite frankly it was nothing that he had ever seen before. It didn't scare him really, just surprised that a soquili would live in here. Well, he didn't know that yet for sure as he hadn't noticed the one standing in the back near the shadows. So when he did notice was gave a surprised snort half way under his breath and stepped back, only to accidently kick a rock into the wall behind him, the sound echoing a bit loudly in the room for his taste. Eyes wide, his bright blue irises lifted to where the other soquili was. He couldn't see their features very well, but they were definitely bigger than him and the urge to flee came across his mind. Hopefully they would decide to not attack...
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 7:01 am
The corpse like Soquili stayed still for several moments, before the creature turned its head over so slowly towards the entrance were Skull was standing. Very slowly - as if taking great effort - the desiccated body put a hoof forward, than another, coming a few steps closer and allowing more of the light to shine over its dusty form. Though it was facing right at him, the face of the creature bore no eyes - just a shield-like boney plate over its skeletal face. However, splayed behind it was a veil of thick, dark, raven-like feathers. The large wings - in stark contrast to the Soquili they were attached to - seemed healthy and shiny. Suddenly an array of yellow eyes opened up between the black feathers and seemed to stare directly into Skull's soul.
"You have ventured where few have the bravery to do," came the harsh whisper from the throat of the creature - which from closer inspection seemed to be (or have been) female. "Tell me, stallion, does this make you brave, ignorant, or foolish?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 8:18 pm
If SkullKandy was suprised at just how loud a single rock could be against the overreaching cave walla, he sure was surprised now at the large soquili in front of him. For once he found his throat completely dry and unusable, it wasn't quite normal for him. His gaze was never blinking as he really had the ability to take in mare's features. Skull couldn't help but be shocked that she had no eyes, but at the same time he could feel that she was intently watching him with the many eyes upon her darkly contrasting wings. It was rather unnerving to be frank. He gave a small shiver down his spine; no, this soquili was definitely not normal by any means and he would be lying if it didn't scare him a bit. He wouldn't show that to her if he could help it. However that notion certainly felt like it didn't matter, those eyes, they seemed to go right through him.
Swallowing what little saliva he had let Skull finally tried to speak. His words, while seemingly normal sounding to any other soquili who didn't know him very well, were just a bit...off. And he was sure whatever his answer was didn't really matter to the lightly colored mare, for whatever his response was he was sure she could tell the truth despite of the words spoken outloud.
"If I was to be brave I think it would entail much more than what I have done so far. However I would think it would have to be a bit of all three. Ignorance is not necessarily bliss in this world. Foolishness requires some stupidity, and bravery is all a matter of opinion. The desire to find knowledge is the driving factor of this little quest of mine. Regardless, one must face the consequences of their actions, good or bad, but would you spare this stallion an answer to his question? Are you the soquili I hear all the rumors about? The one who can predict the death of another?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 7:09 am
The strange mare stood still as she seemed to contemplate on his words, thought the yellow orbs on her wings still seemed to be watching Skull intently - most of them at least. Some seemed to be swiveling in their sockets, as if looking for something. "It takes no special talent to predict something is going to die," she said matter-of-factly.
After a pregnant pause she continued, "However if you are referring to my accuracy on the time and place, then yes. It i a gift and a burden that cannot be broken down in such simplistic terms, however. I know everything and I know nothing."
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:39 pm
SkullKandy couldn’t help but tilt his head in semi-confusion and contemplation. Her words echoing in his head like a mantra. If she knew everything yet nothing at all then wouldn’t she need to know something in order to understand the concept of nothing? And if she did know nothing then wouldn’t she be unable to know everything? As he kept thinking about it the words started to jumble in his head like a large knot. If that was the case and she was unable to know everything then wouldn’t that mean she knew nothing? The circular thinking pattern kept going around and around in his brain, effectively starting to give him a headache.
Shaking his head repeatedly to try and get his thoughts back together in a coherent manner Skull gazed upon her again, this time looking at all the eyes on her wings. What did she see with them? Could she even see with them? If so what secrets did they tell her? Did they help her know everything and yet nothing? Her entire presence assaulted his senses and he felt himself wanting to know more from her, what she knew, what she could teach him; if anything. Would she even be willing? There really wasn’t a good way to go about asking this.
With one more shake of his head to get rid of the strands of his mane in his eyes he tried to go about asking her in the best way possible. “If you were to know everything and yet nothing then, if I’m interpreting this correctly and please forgive me if I’m wrong, but if you were to know everything and yet nothing then are you assuming 100% neutrality in everything you do, see, and learn?”
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 8:29 am
"Whether or not you learn from what I observe depends on your interpretation of the word," the dried voice said. The eyes on her wings seemed to focused harder on the stallion, the pupils narrowing to fine, still points when she spoke. "I observe, but I do not judge. I can see so much, but I do not bear a mantle of responsibility. From my vantage point, there cannot be light without dark, good without evil, or even life without death."
Her wings flared up as she took another few steps, this time heading towards a stone ring on the floor of the cave. It was filed with dust and what looked to be various refuse - small bones, tumbled rocks, seashells. The mare tilted her head as she seemed to look it over with her eyeless face. She lifted a hoof and swept it over the pit. causing the dust to puff up like smoke. When it settled, all the little pieces of fodder fell back into the bed of dirt, and the strange mare's wings looked over it carefully, as if their position meant something significant.
"Birth and Death," she finally spoke. "Can you tell me about these things, SkullKandy?"
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 1:40 pm
SkullKandy knew he should have been more wary when the mare spoke his name even though he hadn't said a word to her about it. Granted, proper manners would have dictated that he should have introduced himself straight from the get go. But none of this was under the subject of proper though. Here he was standing in the entrance of a cave that had a very interesting mare living in it and here they were talking about life and death. How normal is that? Not much. But, it didn't matter anymore, the cards were played and he was here to stick it out.
He mulled over her question in his head; birth and death. Two opposites of a whole. Like the yin and yang. There couldn't be one without the other. And so, he told her such.
"Birth is the beginning while death is the physical end. You cannot necessarily have one without the other. We are born to die and we die to let others live. They are two parts of a single whole, always together, always apart at the same time. You can't have one without the other."
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 8:03 am
The eyes on the wings observed SkullKandy has he spoke, their subtle movements in the dim cave catching the light on occasion. She was quiet and contemplative as he spoke, though she continue to mess with her divination circle. She movements were slow and deliberate, and she seemed to be concentrating on the tasks at hand more than SkullKandy except for her wings; which almost seemed like their own creature - watching him intently, turning to 'look' at him, regardless of what the mare herself was doing.
"What you say is true," she finally said, just when SkullKandy might be wondering if she was ignoring him. "Everything is born and everything dies," she elaborated, "From the flea to the bull, to the humans and Our kind alike. Even the grass and the trees and the mushroom were creation and will ultimately, one day, perish."
She faced him again. "Is this why you came here today? To learn of life and death?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 3:23 pm
Why was he there? He couldn't help but wonder about that himself. It was one thing to act on a whim, which he did through acting on a rumor through the rumor mill. But that brought about the underlying question. Why did he act upon the rumor? Was it out of pure curiosity? A desire for something new? A change? Skull's mind continued to process it as he shifted his weight from one hoof to the other.
It was for a change, he realized, a change to bring about something new in his life. He was always a wanderer, never staying in one place for a long period of time. To say he didn't enjoy that would be a lie, but at the same time he wasn't...happy. So as his light blue eyes looked around the cavern before falling upon and staring directly into the golden eyes of the mare's wings, he made his choice, his desires known.
"I desire to learn of life, of death, of rebirth, of change, and of complete neutrality. I desire to expand my knowledge of the world, transcend the boundaries of what it means to be who I am, who others are, and act accordingly. I want to leave behind the confines of societal norms within the world and within myself."
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Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 7:01 am
"Those are hefty goals," the mare observed, not sounding either surprised or expected. "Tell me, Skullkandy, for one that was born here in the mortal world do you believe you can learn these things that you seek? To transcend the mortal limitations of your body and your mind and learn that of the Angels?" Once again, the tone in which she spoke was subtle, direct. Not accusatory or goading, spoken as if asking the most mundane of queries. The mare took a few steps closer to him, her eyes scrutinizing him more - seeming to peel back the boundaries of his physical skin and looking directly into his soul.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 4:18 pm
Skull couldn't help but shiver as she drew closer. Her words echoed against the cave walls and left a rather heavy dose of a pregnant pause. Were they really too hefty? Was it stupid of him to think that he could overcome everything and become truly neutral? He shook his head. No, he couldn't think like that. He couldn't already turn around and give up before it had even begun. She could teach him. He knew she could without fail. And he would not fail her. For to fail her would mean to fail himself. Low and behold he had a vendetta against failing himself.
His light blue eyes gazed not at the many eyes on her wings who were staring at him intently, but at the crown and area where her real eyes would be on a normal mare. For some reason he felt that was the proper thing to do.
"I will transcend those boundaries and more. I will learn anything and everything you have the ability to teach, and perfect them, expand them, and bring them into my being, my soul. I will not fail you and I will serve diligently until I cannot do so anymore."
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Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 7:39 am
The old mare lifted her chin slightly. Was it a nod? It was difficult to tell with her indifferent expression. "I can tell you mean the words you say," she finally said, "But intention is a wholly different realm than ability." She was quiet again for a few, before she spoke again. "Very well. You will leave now and contemplate what it is you have set out to do. When you have considered all the implications of what you desire, then you will return here and be prepared to stay. There will be much to learn."
She turned now, heading away from him and back towards the darker recesses of the cave, saying nothing more to him that day.
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