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 Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 1:44 am
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Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 2:15 am
Desolate.
Alone.
These words flashed through Terra's mind as yet another flash of lightning illuminated the sky and the ground around her. Her red eyes took in the features of the terrain before she lost the vision. There was another flash of light and another look around. Nothing had changed. It was still the same scene. The only thing that changed was her position in relation to everything else. She was the lone non-static object in this unforgiving landscape. The storm had caught Terra by surprise. One minute it had been partly clear skies and what seemed like no time at all a monster of a thunderstorm had whipped up. Grinding her teeth the mare pushed on. Her wings were essentially useless. Along with the blinding torrents of rain that this storm was intent on releasing, came large gusts of wind. Had she tried flying she would most likely end up being blown off course. There was also the additional risk of being struck by the bolts of lightning that seemed impossible to predict.
Walking was the only safe option that Terra had. The batwalker groaned; forced to walk with hunger clawing at her insides like a ravenous beast did nothing to soothe her temper. Another illuminating flash of the sky and Terra caught the sight of something dark in her line of sight. Rocks seemed to tower out of the ground. Her pace increased as she realized that she was looking at a place where she could wait out the storm and possibly find something that would satiate her hunger. Rain-drenched, the thought of food motivated the batwalker enough as she crossed the threshold of the cave. Almost immediately her ears began to pick up the sound of small creatures fleeing into the inner depths.
Terra Stryker took in the sight of the cave mouth as she briskly shook the wetness from her body. Her larger form would be a hindrance if she tried hunting in here. Shifting to the form of the bat she was named after Terra began to hunt.
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Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 5:32 am
The following meal hadn't been nearly enough. In her bat form Terra had managed to track and kill half a dozen mice. The creatures were small and pitiful but she could not afford to be choosy at a time like this. Now in her larger form the batwalker scraped a hoof over the site of remains of her impromptu meal. It had been small, yes it had, but the small portions had helped with restoring her energy. Terra grimaced. The cave walls were hardly large enough for her to move freely around. Stalactites hung from the cave's ceiling and she knew that it would probably be best to shift again and roost among the rock formations. It would have been more comfortable and more roomy but Terra was stubborn enough to stick it out on the ground.
She remained on her feet as she stared at the cave walls. The very sight of their closeness had the batwalker remembering another not so pleasant time when she was in close confines. Snarling at nothing Terra tried to dispense the images from her mind. Exhaustion set in as the earlier meal began to lull her into a fugue state. The storm continued to rage outside as she fell into a light slumber.
Terra's mind began to wander. Stone walls transformed into wooden ones. The thunder outside morphed into thunderous applause. Imaginary voices began to invade her sleeping mind. It was the beginning of a nightmare...
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Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 1:09 pm
(Flashback)
The crowd was roaring. The cacophony of sound crashed over the captive creature waiting in the wings. Teeth gnashed together as the mare was ushered into position. The lights, the smells, the sounds - all of it whirled together to create an atmosphere of confusion. A chain that was latched to the floor secured the beast to the ground. The locks would be removed when the show started. The waiting was the hardest part. Soon though she'd be free to fly.
At last the moment she'd been trained to wait for. A loud voice pierced through through the crowd's cheering and signaled the start of the show.
"Welcome to your worst nightmare. What you are about to see, my despicable creatures, will haunt even the bravest dreams ... behold ... the batwalker!"
That was her cue. The shackles fell away from her legs. The curtains parted and she strolled into a dimly lit circle of light. Her wings flared as she took in the scents of the crowd. Fear reigned supreme. It stoked the embers of rage in her belly as gasps of fear and awe came from all sides. The creature stood in silence as her vision slowly adjusted. The atmosphere cleared as eerie music began to play. That was the second cue. The batwalker held absolutely still as a slim chain was secured around her neck. The urge to attack the carnival members had been strong when she had woken up in this strange place. As the weeks passed though the urge had diminished. It was a mystery.
For now though the mare felt the small jolt of pain which indicated she had missed her next cue. With an angry snarl she lashed out with her hooves before shifting into her bat form. The slim chain still held her firm but extended in length to allow her to fly freely above the crowd. She chittered angrily as another command pulsed through the chain. What was her next cue?
(( Please also note the black font belongs to Barker Hook. The phrase comes directly from Syaoran-Puu ))
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:39 am
(Cont. flashback)
The performance was over. The creature had missed more than one of her cues and would most likely go hungry again as a punishment. Missing cues, the creature had discovered, meant missing meals. So it was a strange turn of events when she was led backstage and into her enclosure that she found a small pile of dead creatures. She had transformed into her larger form after the show and now stood baffled at this turn of events. Why was she being rewarded for an imperfect performance?
Snarling angrily at no one the mare gave into her hunger and snapped up a small mouthful of succulent flesh. The sensation of food sliding down into her stomach was one that she would never tire of. So lost in her meal though she didn't recognize the voices on the other side of her prison. The voices went on about how popular the show was becoming and even though the creature had missed a few cues it wouldn't be wise to keep denying her meals. It should not appear that she was underfed. Another voice broke into the quarrel and warned about keeping the creature's strength up. It would begin to interfere with the process of keeping her under the enchantments set upon her. The first voice made a scoffing noise and walked away with the second voice cursing softly under its breath about the stupidity of stallions.
All this was lost on the batwalker as she continued to feed. The chains around her feet rattled as she moved back and forth questing the last vestiges of her meal. She could feel her body come alive as the meal she ingested granted her its power. Soon ... soon ... soon.
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:13 am
(Cont. flashback)
Her strength was growing. She played it down and still pretended that she was weak. It seemed as if her act of deception had not been discovered yet. The batwalker gazed up through wooden slats to gaze skyward. Something kept drawing her attention towards the sky as of late. The chains that held her immobile rattled as she attempted to pace and work out the kinks from standing too long in a single position. Her wings wanted to flare out but there was not enough room in this tiny prison to allow that movement. What was it about the sky that held her transfixed with fascination?
The mystery would have to wait and this caused the batwalker to snarl. She hated mysteries. The biggest one she had on her mind all the time is the one of how she ended up here. Try as she could to scan her memories ... no answers were ever revealed. It seemed she would have to force the answers from someone if she could ever find a way out of this blasted prison.
The world would come to fear her when that day came. She would be no longer a plaything of anyone ... no one would dictate what she did or didn't do. Her gaze caught an unusual sight as she peered through the slats again. The ground seemed covered in a pale, reddish light and it seemed that the cause was high in the sky. The moon??? What was the meaning of this?
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:03 am
It seemed as though answers would have to wait. Terra's gaze became focused as she shook the last vestiges of her dream/nightmare from her mind. It had the usual effect of unnerving the batwalker to admit that she still didn't know everything about the blasted carnival. She had be getting closer in unraveling the mystery though. She could taste victory dancing at the edge of her awareness. There had been others willing or not-so-willing to help her track down the movements that Barker Hook had taken the carnival in. Her planning sessions of vengeance were getting more detailed.
She could not let vengeance rule entirely though. That could lead to costly mistakes.
Terra's mind was now fully awake. She took in the rock walls around her before voicing a displeasing cacophony of trills and whistles. The walls bounced her sounds around her and she emerged from the cave with the haunting sounds dissipating. Her gaze swung up to inspect the sky for any trace of the storm. It seemed that while she slept the storm had blown itself out. A full moon bathed the land in bright light and for an instant Terra believed that it flickered into a darkish red spectrum before returning to the natural white hue. Her gaze sharpened on a solitary image drawn up from the depths of her dream. The land bathed in pale red light. It could not just be a coincidence ... it had to have stemmed from something real.
Another question to store amongst the list in her mind. She'd continue to track Barker Hook down and get her answers. Terra Stryker flexed her wings a few times before shifting into her bat form. The storm might have delayed her progress for a short while but it had also brought along a new surge of memories. Even if nothing she had dreamed was true Terra wouldn't let it stop her from continuing her mission.
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