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 Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 8:31 pm
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Not for the first time, Sandy found himself shaking his head to get his long mane out of his face. Only to have the breeze blow strands right back. Maybe he should consider getting it cut? A snort. Yeah right. He quite liked his long mane. Just not when at the moment. Maybe more trinkets and beads to hold pieces back? Yes. That was a possibility! He could trade with the local clan next time he traveled back their way.
"Still surviving up there, old friend?" Sandy asked, tilting his head enough to see the golden owl lazily floating up above.
A soft chuckle drifted down towards the stallion. "My feathers may be aged, but they are still sturdy and strong." Guide had grown used to the heat beating down on him, though he would seek out shaded shelter for periods of time. Not as often, he was discovering. But he was quite a bit smaller than Sandsablaze and therefore not able to withstand the harsh climate for as long.
Laughing, the stallion shook his mane again before falling into a trot, nostrils flaring wide as he took in a deep breath of the hot dry air. It filled his lungs in a way that the cold couldn't. He loved the heat! Should have been born for it. But this was a just as good.
"Perhaps next time, we'll get you a scarf to wear over your wisdom filled head. So your brain doesn't fry!" He ducked as the owl dive bombed him playfully. "That's 10 out of 14. I think you're getting slower!" Laughing again, a sudden change in the way his familiar flew alerted Sandy. "What do you see?" He asked, his green gaze falling to his right.
Guide didn't respond right away, having difficulty seeing as far as he could when the sun wasn't glaring down on him. "I believe we're about to join paths with another." He finally replied. |
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Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 4:31 pm
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The sand underfoot was warm, comfortably warm teetering on the edge of hot. In that, it was a perfect match to the sun as it beat down on the desert; the sun to send the heat, the sand to soak it up. And in the middle plodded Fuego, the meat in this particular heatwich. He didn't think today was a particularly nasty day, actually; the sun was hot, but the sun was always hot in the desert, and there was no blowing wind to kick up the sand and send it pelting against Fuego's hide or into his eyes. No, today the desert seemed to be on its best behavior, as though it was trying to remind Fuego of the good times they'd both shared.
Well, he might appreciate the nice send-off, but it wasn't going to change his mind. Fuego was on his way out; that is, out of the desert, and he wasn't going to cop out just because his last journey through the sands was somewhat pleasant!
As if the desert could read his thoughts, a slight gust of a breeze sent little flecks of sand against his cheek. With a frown, Fuego held up the thick end of his tail on the windy side of his face; he'd always been glad of his much-thicker-than-normal tail and tail tuft in sandstorms, but that appreciation was not limited to a crisis. A large, prehensile tail was a good thing to have at the best of times, too.
Walking along with his tail at the side of his face, Fuego contemplated both the desert sands around him and his journey ahead. A part of him still couldn't believe he was doing this; turning his back on the only life he'd ever known, leaving his desert home for a land he knew only from rumor and story. But the last couple years had been harsh; very harsh, and getting worse, to Fuego's way of thinking. He'd never before been so alone as he was now; before, he'd had family and/or friends around almost constantly; even if one companion had moved on, another would step in to take their place. But not this year. Now, Soquili were dropping like flies; even the hardened desert dwellers like Fuego himself were struggling to deal with the drier weather, smaller water holes, and general lack of food. One by one, they'd either given in or given up, leaving Fuego alone.
He was just mulling over that solitude when he heard something he hadn't expected: voices. At first, he snorted, thinking it was a mind game he was playing on himself. But after a moment passed and the voices remained, he realized, much to his surprise, that he wasn't imagining it; they were real.
And as he came over the top of a small rise, he saw exactly who had been speaking: a golden owl, lazily floating along on the desert air currents. A golden owl who was looking down at...the sand? No, not the sand; a Soquili, but a Soquili whose golden coat made him blend right in.
So much for being alone! Touche, desert, thought Fuego with a slight chuckle.
Kyrieko I promise they will not all be this wordy >>;
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Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 6:52 pm
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"Ah, there see? I told you we had some company!" Guide trilled, dipping a wing to circle wider and pass over the other stallion in a welcoming manner. As if he were leading the other over. "I promise we will not bite any harder than the desert, friend." He added before returning to circling lazily above Sandsablaze.
A snort was his response to his familiar, the stallion flipping his mane to the other side so he could watch for the other traveler. And he didn't have to wait long. A bright colored stallion appeared. Such a nice contrast against the tan backdrop of sand around him. He offered him a smile, watching Guide invite the other over to join them.
"It would appear I am not the only crazy soul that travels through the desert today." He said by way of greeting, turning his body a little more to avoid staring into the sun. Well, if he had to make any first judgements about this soq, he was certainly jealous over that thick tail! It was perfect for traveling through the desert and acting as a shield, as he was so demonstrating. Sandy bit back a sigh. Maybe he'd see about getting an extra long scarf?
Shaking his head, the stallion felt a light pressure of talons against his hindquarters as Guide winged down to perch on him. Probably to appear less rude and make speaking easier, he thought.
"Are you new to the desert area?" He asked curiously, not able to recall ever seeing this stallion before on any of his excursions.
Cajmera Hahah no worries at all! You should see some of my posts with She-Ra >>;; |
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Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 2:00 pm
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As the owl swooped overhead, Fuego gave a polite wave of his tail. He hadn't thought he'd be seeing anyone else out here, but he wasn't going to complain that things had turned out differently! The owl and stallion both seemed to be welcoming, so Fuego was more than happy to stop and visit for a little while. Still holding his tail up against the wind, Fuego gave the other stallion a friendly smile. "Is it really any crazier to be traveling than to be standing around, Friend? I've found that it's a lot easier for me if I keep moving, unless there's an oasis to be enjoyed." A slightly lift of his eyebrows as he looked at the surrounding sands said what didn't need verbalizing: this was no oasis.
Still, it was a nice part of the desert, as far as these things go; sandy, rather than rocky, with dunes that were actually passable! A far cry from some of the more central desert regions, where it seemed like you were constantly fighting with pebbles underfoot, impossible slopes, and dangerous inclines.
"No, I'm not new to the desert, but this part of it it unfamiliar to me," he admitted with a shrug. "I'm from further in, you might say. How about you? Is this your home region?" If so, the other stallion was being awfully friendly; there were some who didn't take kindly to travelers passing through. "If so, you must consider yourself very fortunate in your coloration; I don't think I would have noticed you if it wasn't for the owl."
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Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2015 9:02 pm
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 1:41 pm
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At the other stallion's gesture, Fuego fell into step on the windy side. He was no altruist for altruism's sake, but desert life tended to breed a strong sense of cooperation. On the windward side, Fuego's tail could provide a small buffer to the other stallion as well as Fuego himself, and for not much more effort.
He cracked a smile at the reference to lost souls; there were certainly times where it was an appropriate term for those Soquili insane enough to make their home in the rocky central desert region. "Well, you're a brave stallion in that respect, friend; the desert is certainly harsh enough to create lost souls...or perhaps even welcome a particularly breed of lost soul," he added with a chuckle at the sand-colored owl. "I'm Fuego, Sandsablaze; actually born and bred in the desert, but a bit too bold to blend in well." He shrugged at that, adding with a self-deprecating smile, "But I'd blend in pretty well in a lava flow."
Not that he planned to go anywhere near another of those hideous volcanoes. He'd take the dry heat of the desert over the oppressive disintegrating heat of a lava flow any day! When he was younger, he'd actually seen one while traveling with his family; the far side of the desert was bordered with a mountain range, and one of those 'mountains' had actually proved a bit more explosive.
Needless to say, they hadn't stuck around!
"So, Guide is a familiar?" He asked, looking from stallion to owl. He'd heard bout familiars, rare as they were in his part of the world. As were birds in general, for that matter; aside of vultures, anyway.
Kyrieko No worries; I've had muse issues this month, so I'm horribly slow myself >>;
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 8:20 pm
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A brief smile of gratitude was tossed at the other stallion as the small buffer was provided. Desert folk seemed to be the more appreciative of small things types. Maybe that was why he found himself dealing more and more with them? A thought to ponder at another time.
Sandy laughed at that. Perhaps he was a lost soul himself! After all, he was always wandering, never staying place for too long in a specific location. He hadn't even made the desert his 'home'! "Well met, Fuego! It's always a pleasure meeting those born of the desert." He paused, then added with a cheeky smile, "Or those of us haunting the area." Like himself.
Guide hooted softly. "Don't worry, my friend, you'll probably soon truly call the desert your haunting ground. Especially if you make such hair-brained comments."
The stallion rolled his eyes at his familiar, choosing not to reply as he thought about lave flows. "I can't say I've been near any before." He admitted, a curious look lighting his features. "Maybe I'll add that to my agenda of things to do."
Chuckling, he glanced along his back where Guide was perched, before looking back at Fuego. "Aye, he is what you would call a familiar. An obnoxious species, if you ask me. But he does help me keep my head about my shoulders."
Cajmera Ahh we can be slow together then ;u; <3 |
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Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 2:15 pm
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Well, Sandsablaze was certainly a friendly fellow, whatever else he was. Fuego, living true to his name, had always been prone to extreme emotion; whatever he was feeling, he tended to feel and display. When he was happy, he was beaming; when he was angry, he snarled at the world. His temper flared up like his namesake fire, but cooled down relatively quickly. He was a stallion given to passion, and this had, over the course of Fuego's life, proved awkward and unpleasant on more than one occasion. So far, though, this meeting had been a positive one and Fuego had met a stallion who was arguably every bit as enthusiastic as Fuego himself.
Chuckling, he returned Sandy's smile with a grin of his own. "Well, I imagine it's pretty easy to meet desert dwellers and desert goers out here; you aren't going to meet to many others in the desert, I imagine. And frankly, you're not likely to meet many others out by the lava flows; it's a very inhospitable place," he said with a disgusted face. "But if you want to go that way, it would definitely be an experience."
Glancing up at Guide, he nodded his head. Out in his part of the desert, there weren't that many owls; in fact, he wasn't sure he'd ever seen a bird that looked quite like Guide! But he knew a few Soquili who had vulture companions, rabbit companions, and even one very chatty lizard. "Keep your head on your shoulders?"
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Posted: Sun May 03, 2015 5:14 pm
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His head being turned slightly to the side, Fuego didn't notice the secretive smile on Sandsablaze's face; even if he had, it's questionable whether he would have noticed. While he'd experienced a lot in his time in the desert, romance of any sort had thus far alluded him body and spirit. He'd never felt moved to any secret smiles of his own, and whether or not he'd understand them in others, well...that remained to be seen. Friendship, on the other hand, was something he felt he understood pretty well!
"Yes, miserable is a good term for it. Though I know there are those who'd consider walking through a sandstorm to be pretty miserable as well," he said, flicking his large tail end against the dry wind. And this was a pretty nice day, desert-wise! "But they're probably not as hardened to this life as we are," he said with a smile over at first Sandsablaze, then at Guide. "It sounds like you two have worked out a pretty effective system. I've never really thought about whether a familiar would suit me; there really haven't been many options out my way other than those crawly lizards, and I'm really not a lizard fellow." For a moment, he wondered if he ought to add 'no offense' at the end of that statement, but Guide was no lizard; why would he be offended?
"At any rate, my head's done a good job of staying attached all on its own. Maybe a benefit of being so low to the ground?" That was a downside of being a Kirin; they all tended to be on the small side! Fortunately, he was good at digging in in a strong wind...
Though there was something to be said for the companionship aspect. "I suppose it's nice, having someone to talk to so often." Perhaps if he had a familiar, he wouldn't be leaving...
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2015 2:45 pm
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Sandy snorted, looking out at the desert around them. "So very true, my friend. And yet... there are those like you and I that seem to keep returning to it. So maybe it's not as miserable as we lead everyone to believe?" It probably was, but for some reason he enjoyed it. His daughter didn't mind it either, but Alarion had developed more of his love for traveling then he'd expected. Oh she would return to the desert every now and then to meet up with him. Or by the mountainous regions near the edge of the desert. But he had a sneaking suspicion she had acquired a love for the cooler climates, most likely from her mother's side.
Mention of the lizards made Sandy laugh out loud. "I have noticed their preference for those creatures!" He gave his companion a smile that turned to a thoughtful expression. "I really don't know how Guide and I managed to run into one another. Guess the owl is just as crazy as we are when it comes to traversing through this type of terrain." Though he suspected the owl had watched him long before they he had approached him.
The stallion tossed a look at Fuego at mention of his size. "Perhaps that is the secret to it! Though I've met smaller folk then even you that were... how can I say this kindly?" He paused in his speech, searching for the right words. "Well, they were a bit more whimsical then I can be." Maybe that was part of being an Usdia?
"I will admit, that yes, that is a boon to having a familiar." Sandy glanced at Fuego curiously, that little fatherly voice inside him nagging. "If you don't mind my intrusion of a question, why are you leaving the desert?"
Cajmera omg I'm so sorry for taking so long to reply ;___; |
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