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 Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 11:25 am
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 11:41 am
xxxxxx[Syntyche]
He was unique.
He was imposing.
Every fibre of her body had screamed for her to provide him as a sacrifice to her god, and former experience had taught her that those who looked the most imposing were often the weakest. Always relying on their appearance to intimidate, they rarely came into combat simply because others wouldn't dare to challenge them. Alas, on this day experience had failed her for the Purewalker had met her match - she had underestimated him and his strength.
He was by far stronger than anything that she had ever faced and it was one of the few times in which she had been forced to flee...while her target had been relatively unharmed. In fact, with the exception of other Purewalkers, none had walked away from her unscathed - and more importantly, none had begun to heal before her very eyes. It was like nothing she had ever seen before...
Whatever the gleaming objects were around his legs where, they proved to be impenetrable. Those whip-like ethereal chords that had swept around her, the chains that lashed from his tail and more vitally, that thing around his neck.
...She had seen it before.
But where?
As she tore through the forest the Purewalker racked her memories for the information she sought. It would only be when she encountered her next victim that she would remember.
That thing belonged to him... Her Nemesis and the Dark Lord's one, true adversary.
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 11:58 am
xxxxxx[Conduit]
"You weren't lying," she released in breathy tones, her lips parting as she regarded the stallion in the clearing below them. She'd never seen him before, but she'd heard plenty of stories surrounding the mighty, yet corrupted stallion. His corruption had caused a series of events that had culminated in a rather definitive battle, one that had defined what freedom and ultimately what free will had meant. While the stories had held much bias when told by her nephew, her father had always urged caution.
...There were two sides to a story and Kiyoshi Yukio had never had the opportunity to explain his.
Outcast and ignored by his family, he had disappeared into anonymity and it was only due to the unusual activities of one of her other nephews, that the family had been reminded of his existence. As a young child Tempest had always heard voices and his father, rather than explain them, had instructed that they be ignored. However, rebellious as ever, Tempest had ignored him and in seeking answers, he had discovered his grandfather.
Azumoth had not been impressed.
Alas, Tempest had continued to visit his grandfather and had received guidance and instruction. As he grew up and matured, he found a greater sense of self... and when Tut had been attacked by the Purewalker, he found true purpose.
... No one knew that Kiyoshi had been instrumental in this.
Or rather they hadn't until Tempest had been overheard discussing it with his sole ally.
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 12:19 pm
xxxxxx[Lil Tut]
"Why would I lie?" Tut flicked his gaze towards Conduit, his expression incredulous as he regarded her. He had been spying on Tempest for quite some time, particularly when he had started to slip off more and more often. As he and his uncle were around the same age, they had both been subjected to the same rules and at the same time. Tut had attempted to obey them, while Tempest had been perfectly content to ignore them.
Curiosity had been piqued and eventually Tut had followed him, soon discovering that without fail, at least once a week, Tempest would visit his grandfather. What they spoke about had always evaded Tut as he had never gotten close enough, however the day he and Kaia had been attacked had been a turning point. Tempest had disappeared almost instantly when Tut had been recovered by Sylph, and when he had returned he had seemed...withdrawn.
From that point on his behaviour had been more peculiar, he had disappeared more often, and as such...Tut had followed him more frequently.
The conversations continued to evade him, but as the months went on it appeared that Tempest had sought out Kiyoshi's advice and expertise. Sparring was frequent, lengthy discussions well into the night were common and every now and then, Tut could have sworn that Kiyoshi had tested his grandson. It had been through these series of observations that Tut had concluded that Tempest had been trained by Kiyoshi, but now that he had seen the giant stallion fight against Syntyche...
Well now it seemed to have been confirmed.
Connie had seen Tempest fight against Syntyche before, from a distance and within the air, and now she had seen Kiyoshi in the same situation. The fact she agreed with him...
"Connie I genuinely don't think he's as evil as Azumoth claims, not if he's instructed and guided Tempest to the point that he can withstand that kind of assault..."
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 12:36 pm
xxxxxx[Conduit]
"You have to admit that we've had very few facts over the years surrounding Kiyoshi and his nature," Connie tilted her head to the side, lifting an eyebrow as she turned to face Tut. A wry smile lifted on to her lips as she knew she'd made a valid enough point. The family had known next to nothing, and those that did, never brought it up - Tempest had always been tight lipped and even Azzinoth had held his piece. Language barriers aside, they had never discussed his nature, simply because it caused so much bad blood.
"To suddenly be informed that he had received a personality transplant seems unlikely," she furrowed her brow as she regarded the stallion. Much like Syntyche, she had never seen anything like Kiyoshi or his abilities. He had been impenetrable, the Purewalker had thrown virtually everything she had at him and he was still standing. She'd never been this close before, and it was only now that she realised he wasn't bleeding.
How was that even possible?
"But he must have had a reason for guiding Tempest, even when he was at his worst he acted with purpose and always had a plan. It seems unlikely he would revert to an unpredictable being, even now he seemed to know exactly what he was doing..." she lapsed into silence and grimaced.
"He stared her right in the face, it's like he wasn't afraid to die."
...and perhaps she knew why.
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 1:06 pm
xxxxxx[Lil Tut]
Tut could do nothing more than shrug as the mare theorised over what Kiyoshi's motives might be. He'd never been one to think that deeply into something, everything had always seemed so simple to him! Nevertheless, Connie needed her moment to ponder and he would at least give her that. Admittedly he was doubtful that Kiyoshi had completely changed his stripes but it had been many years and a number of generations since he'd last attacked - it was as if he didn't care any more.
"Well I don't know if your vision is going but he's not exactly bleeding," he pointed out after she had finished what she had to say. He flicked his gaze back towards where Kiyoshi had been stood, yet when his eyes fell on the scene there was no one there... He had disappeared with an unnatural amount of grace and that was something that Tut hadn't thought possible!
Big stallion, lots of weight, right?
"She didn't make a damn dent in him, I think that might explain why he stared right at her..."
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 1:17 pm
xxxxxx[Kiyoshi Yukio]
"I can assure you that she made a dent."
He had always been aware of Tut, from foal-hood, right through to adulthood, the stallion hadn't been terribly stealthy, but up until now Kiyoshi had never seen reason to face him directly. Of course, up until this point he had never had reason to and he had rightfully assumed that the child had been following his uncle. However, now that his uncle was no longer present and had embarked on his quest, he was still here and that was curious.
Thus, when he had realised that both Conduit and Tut were hiding in the bushes on higher ground, he had decided that today was the day that he would at least say hello. All things considered he had been very considerate towards Tut until now, despite the fact that he might be a spy sent by his wayward son.
... It was unlikely, but why else would he be here?
"However I made a bigger one, that is genuinely how such things work," he pointed out smoothly, lifting a brow as he regarded the now wide-eyed paired of soquili, though he did pause to observe Conduit with slightly more curiosity.
Evidently, the Angeni had spawned.
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 1:36 pm
xxxxxx[Conduit]
"Oh dear gods, where did you come from?" Connie squeaked in the most undignified fashion, and with a flurry of feathers and hair, swept behind Tut. It had been instinct to find something to hide behind, though she knew that Tut wouldn't stand much of a chance anyway! However the fact that the stallion had crept up on them so silently came at a shock - he was just so big, he should have made more noise, like her father did!
...Then again bells did chime every time her father came near so that was a tiny bit of a give away.
"You were down there, and now you're up here," she murmured, aware that she was stating the obvious but at a loss as to what else she could possibly contribute amidst the shock and confusion she already felt. Suffice it to say that she didn't exactly handle herself well on these occasions!
"Oh gods, can you teleport too?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 1:41 pm
xxxxxx[Lil Tut]
"No Connie he didn't teleport," Tut replied in exasperation, flicking his gaze between Kiyoshi and the mare who had now decided he was a sufficient barricade between herself and the much larger stallion. Truth be told, he sincerely doubted that he'd be able to stop Kiyoshi if the stallion elected to go through him. Nevertheless she had raised a valid point about how he'd gotten up here, after all neither of them had heard his approach so maybe...
"Did you?" he clarified, leaning his head forward and up slightly to get a better look at the stallion who seemed to have adopted a regal pose, though his expression seemed bemused by the appearance of both Conduit and himself - particularly when it came to his combat prowess. "I mean I'm fairly sure that's impossible but..." he pursed his lips and shook his head.
"If you're able to move around that quietly then maybe you should strap some bells onto your horns," he offered slowly.
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 2:01 pm
xxxxxx[Kiyoshi Yukio]
They weren't spies.
In fact, despite their clearly adult forms they resembled children in many respects, although he had always associated mild cowardice or shock with childish behaviour. If an individual started to stutter or chat incessantly about nothing then they were not of an adult nature in awkward situations... Suffice it to say that in the case of both Conduit and Tut, neither of them had met the grade. Granted he hadn't expected them to make the grade but stranger things had happened.
"I did not teleport," he confirmed in a patient tone, his expression unreadable as he regarded both stallion and mare. Even to this day creatures were still intimidated by him, his stature tended to have that affect, but he hadn't been in the public realm for a long time. "I walked," he clarified and gave a nod of his head towards the pathway he had used - to prove his point, the twigs and foliage on the ground had been bent or flattened to make way for his large frame.
...How they hadn't heard him was beyond him.
"So I would say that both of you have rather poor hearing, or your spacial awareness is terrible," he mused and returned his attention to the pair. "Nevertheless, I generally don't mind individuals wandering through my home but I'm not the greatest fan of spies."
"...Why are you here?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 2:17 pm
xxxxxx[Lil Tut & Conduit]
"We uh..." Tut was at a loss for words as Kiyoshi addressed their queries relatively quickly and indicated that he hadn't used any form of power to sneak up on them. More importantly, he hadn't been quiet about it either! Now that he'd pointed out the damage to him, Tut could only marvel at how he hadn't heard the stallion approach! Suffice it to say that he had done quite a bit of damage to the undergrowth.
"We were just looking for answers," Connie offered after a few moments, finally finding her voice after she too had stopped staring at the undergrowth the stallion had walked through. She had never thought of herself as a mare who lacked spacial awareness, but now that she saw evidence to the contrary he did appear to have a valid point. She was fairly certain that they hadn't been speaking too loudly either so the sound of footsteps would have been heard!
"You see in recent months Tempest has been less communicative with us, he's virtually gone from our site and we never know if he's alive or...well," she shrugged gently and sigh.
"We know you trained him, I watched you," Tut cut in and pulled a face. "In fact he seemed to talk to you more than he did with Grandpa," he murmured, referring to Azumoth. "So we thought that you might know something that we don't, if he's safe, if he has plans..."
"Sylph was meant to help him when he had settled affairs at home but as Tut says, he has proved impossible to locate, we're getting worried."
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 2:27 pm
xxxxxx[Kiyoshi Yukio]
So they were after the boy then.
Kiyoshi was inclined to remain tight lipped regarding the matter, well aware of the rift that had been born as a result of his relationship with his grandson. It was true that Tempest had come to him to seek answers, ever since he had begun to hear whispers in his head. He hadn't understood it, not completely, and his father had elected not to tell him. Kiyoshi could understand Azumoth's motives, but at the same time, was acutely aware of what keeping another in the dark could do.
...Tempest would have become his father had he not received direction.
"Tempest is alive," he said at last and released a sigh. Furrowing his brow he regarded both Tut and Connie critically, it was only then that he gave a weary shake of his head. "And if your father, his siblings and my son had been prepared to heed the call of their own blood bonds then they would know that as well," he pointed out. As if on cue the orb around his neck shimmered and then dulled.
"He was recently in combat, but he is alive and is being attended to - where he is remains to be seen, that is not a piece of information I have attempted to acquire."
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 2:54 pm
xxxxxx[Lil Tut & Conduit]
"Wait, what?" both soquili spoke in unison and caused the larger stallion to raise a brow. As neither of them had been prepared for such an answer, neither of them knew how to respond in the appropriate fashion. He had stated everything in such a matter-of-fact tone, yet there seemed to be no evidence for it and they both knew he hadn't gone anywhere as of late and Tempest hadn't returned.
"I'm fairly sure that none of them are psychic," Tut said at last, raising a brow of his own to match that of Kiyoshi. He had heard a lot of nonsense in his time but this genuinely took the cake. The stallions in his line had never so much as mentioned a bond, but then again, they tended to suppress anything unusual - was this what he meant? It all seemed terribly far-fetched to him... it was for this reason that he ended up looking towards Connie in the hopes that she might be able to provide him with some insight.
...She was more into the weird and wonderful after all.
"I don't follow," she confessed at last, shaking her head towards Tut. Unfortunately she had as little insight into this as he did and was as much in the dark. She had heard of many mystical powers, particular in pure-blood Angeni, but she knew for certain that Kiyoshi was not one of those and while Angeni blood might now have mingled in the line, such gifts didn't pass from generation to generation!
"As Tut says, none of them are psychic, they would need to be in order to -"
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 3:05 pm
xxxxxx[Kiyoshi Yukio]
Really? Really?
Kiyoshi was momentarily stunned by how oblivious the pair were, if there was one trait that nearly all of his descendants possessed it was the unusual, glowing green jewellery. In fact, the vast majority that had been spawned while he was corrupted and during the turmoil in his line had orbs that radiated with a unique glow...some of which that were embedded into their body. He couldn't help but wonder if perhaps, in some respect, they had elected to live in denial rather than stare the obvious in the face.
Granted, the offspring that had been born after the turmoil had all received orbs as well, but due to the purity of their mother's blood and their father's will power, all but Tempest's gem lacked the potency of the older generations... And yet despite Tempest's rebellious nature and the qualities and 'quirks' he had possessed, no one had put those two things together?
"As you are aware I am not entirely normal," he replied at last, closing his eyes for a short period of time. "The blood that flows through me is unique and the abilities I possess even more so," he glanced at Conduit, who looked so much like her father, yet lacked his strength. "It is hereditary, and any who have it, are blessed with the same abilities to an extent if they so choose to pursue them."
"I know of Tempest's existence because I pursue them, I define them, and he knows of my existence because he embraces what he is," he stated.
"My son has chosen to hide, and in doing so he has sheltered his children from the truth. That is his choice, but in doing so, he limits their talents considerably."
"He weakens a blood bond that is otherwise invaluable."
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Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 3:24 pm
xxxxxx[Esper]
"You make it sound like this is all instinct, like how a mother knows when her young are in trouble," with a thickly laden accent and a deep rumble, the winged 'Angeni' stepped through the trees, ducking his head under some of the lower lying branches as he sought to avoid any unnecessary collisions. He had only just arrived, but he had noted the tail end of the conversation and had remained silent. Admittedly he was silent more often than not, but in this circumstance he had elected not to let his presence be known until he had heard what he wanted to.
Unlike the rest of his family, Esper had not been raised directly under the influence of Azumoth or his rules. Given his precarious nature and health as a child, he had been whisked away by his uncle with a solemn promise to return him when he was well. It had been during that time that Esper had learnt much of himself, his Great Grandfather, and the history of this rather tragic past.
It had been a series of events that had been very difficult to grasp when he was young, and even into adult life he had struggled with them. While Azzinoth had solved many of the riddles that plagued him, there were still questions that remained in the back of his mind. Nevertheless, like the rest of the males in his family he had gotten into the habit of suppressing them... or at least he had until he came face to face with Kiyoshi.
While Tempest may have embraced his blood, it had been Esper who had been subjected to the terrors of it.
"But it has been proven that that sense does not exist," he flicked his gaze towards Conduit and Tut who were regarding him with something akin to surprise. "You are both atrocious when it comes to stealth," he stated, "Your motives are so easy to read."
However he soon returned his attention to Kiyoshi and pursed his lips. "You say he is alive and I believe you," he stated. "You make reference to not knowing his location -"
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