This is a solo RP between Orpheus and Hallows Bane with some of Hallows' mother Kasadya and various NPC's. All are owned by Nayci.
- Note: Hallows and Orpheus are colts during this time period. -
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- Note: Hallows and Orpheus are colts during this time period. -
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The air was cool as the sun began to dip behind the clouds and hillside, and a young colt named Orpheus found himself already nervous. Today was a big day, not just for his family and his herdmates, but also himself. Tonight was a big night, the retying of the bonds of blood that they had with the Infernals, their ruling body. Tonight was the night that he would be presented to the shaman Kasadya, to be found either of sound mind and body to help strengthen the herd, as was expected of him, or to be cast out as a failure, a beast, someone unworthy of the bond. Eons had passed since this first ritual came to be, eons since the first tie of blood, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. A lot rode on his young shoulders, multitudes of expectations, and he couldn’t be the first one to fail.Orpheus couldn’t fail.
His green eyes slid shut as he sighed softly, his body doing what it could to not shiver in both anxiousness and anticipation. He wouldn’t fail. He wouldn’t fail. It wasn’t possible.
But it was possible.
It was absolutely possible that he would fail. See, Orpheus knew he had been born a bit too early, even for soquili standards, and his healing capabilities impacted as such. He knew his training in the healing arts had started earlier than anticipated to make up for this fact, his families desire to make up for that underdevelopment from womb to basket, was a sticking point in how they treated him from birth. Heavy were the expectations. Harsh were the punishments when he failed. Hungry for the approval of the Infernals dealt upon his flesh and blood. He was by very definition, a potential c***k in his herd’s proverbial strong armor. It was unacceptable, and they told him such. As Orpheus stood upon the precipice of his young life the weight of everything was doing whatever it could to come crashing down around him. All because he dared come early from him mother’s womb.
“It’s time to go,” his father’s cold voice spoke from behind, “to be late is to be left behind. Or have you forgotten your place?”
“No father, I have not. I’m on my way,” Orpheus allowed himself to speak as he turned away from the last remnants of the waning sun dive into the darkness and the moon taking it's proper place in the sky.
“You’ll do fine my love.”
His mother, the only kind one towards him his entire life, gave him a small smile and watched him take his place behind her mate at the front, “I have every faith in you”, and took her spot behind him.
Orpheus’ eyes lay downcast as every one of his family and herd mates fell in line behind them as they began making their way towards the mountainside, towards his destiny, whatever that may be. Compared to their home within the trees the looming jagged peaks staring down at them all was foreboding, terrifying even, for the young colt. This was a place of darkness, of ritual, of death, and of blood. It was a place where Orpheus felt he didn’t belong. But Orpheus didn’t have that choice. Thrust upon him the expectations of everyone and everything, their livelihood. There was no choice here. He could only obey and accept whatever was coming…or die.
He didn’t know which he desired more.