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 Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 2:34 am
The winter sun peeked shyly over the horizon, and morning rolled in after it, sunlight spilling over seemingly neverending plains of green grass like a wave from the sea spreading out onto the sand. The air was crisp, cold, and eerily silent, and the sky echoed its sentiments, a pale, strained blue, unusually clear for the middle of winter. It seemed like the eye of the storm, a single peaceful day within the weeks where torrents of rain beat the land tirelessly for days, and Thera thought that it would never stop.
At this time, she was relishing the lack of rain, picking absently at the fresh sprigs of cool grass pricked with early morning dewdrops. Her figure was uncharacteristically weary - it was evident that she hadn't slept that night. It was still indecently early in the morning, but there were already distant sounds of diurnal life waking and shifting into their daily schedules.
The relative quiet was broken by the beating of steadily approaching wings, and at the corner of her eyes, Thera sighted a birdlike silhouette coupling the distant shrieking of her companion, which verified Aldora's presence. The mare lifted her head to acknowledge and greet her friend as she circled overhead, before the hawk came to a rest on Thera's back, carefully positioning herself so as not to p***k the soquili with her talons.
"G'morning, Thera. You're up early. I was wondering where you'd wandered off to."
Thera made a face, shuffling her wings closer to her body to warm herself, "It's too cold these days, I can't even sleep."
Aldora made the bird equivalent of a tolerant smile. "You should actually utilize shelter. Or, you know..." the smile took a distinctly more deviant nature, "find yourself a partner to keep you warm."
The other made a noise between a dry laugh and a derisive snort, before returning to her lazy grazing, letting the morning fall back into a languid silence.
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Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 6:46 am
With the rising of the early morning sun, Windflame Bloodrider was already up and about, as was per his usual routine. It had been a long time since he had last had company, for the past several months he had been training a certain Wind mare for her wings, and then, once she'd vanished out of his life, he'd returned to being solitary for another few months, though he doubted his absence was missed. Deciding to come out of his dark home, where the sunbeams rarely played, danced, or came near, he silently tread out into the brightness, his sense of time only telling him it was morning.
Birds chirped cheerily with all their own original songs, although many seemed to be chattering about whatever little things they cared about; not that he really cared, it was just mindless, thoughtless, idle chatter that was not needed. One only spoke to make conversation when one needed it; such as, gaining information, for example. He made it a point to always never speak of anything unless it was important, though he had found his time with Ringlet had changed him in a way he was not sure he approved or disapproved of. At the moment, though, he had spotted a hawk, one that did not look familiar to this territory... or maybe it was he who was unfamiliar.
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Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 2:43 pm
"Well, for the time being," continued the hawk, "find yourself a place to warm up. Perhaps a dry cave or something that shelters from this cold. Not going to lift very soon, so might as well find a comfortable niche, eh?" Aldora nodded reaffirmingly and took off in an instant, leaving the unsettled mare alone to complete her wishes.
A sigh escaped into the bleak air, along with the beginnings of rhythmic beats on the ground as hooves pitter-pattered on a seemingly urgent mission. As soon as the mare got far enough, however, leg movement gave way to the gusts of wind that surrounded Thera as she took flight.
Inquisitive eyes scanned the horizon; distinct shapes came at her like realized carves on a stone etching. A place to stay... a place to stay... A place away from the cold outside...
A call from above disrupted Thera, the familiar voice bringing a small slanted smile to the mare. "Other eyes are in this area, Thera. Watch yourself!"
Cautious now, the mare slowed her pace in the air, bringing herself almost to a complete, simple hover. Watch herself? Whatever Aldora had sensed, it clearly presented somewhat of a possible source of danger, thus Thera narrowed her eyes, gazing for any signs of life, other than her hawk companion.
Was that... No, it couldn't be. She stared at the black figure that was so daunting contrasted with the morning's rays casted light on the surroundings. She felt the need to call out in perhaps a form of a greeting, but pure instinct held her back. "Aldora?" she called, a shake in her voice.
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 2:23 pm
The hawk's piercing call signaled to him that the predatory bird had spotted him, and he paused, frowning. Why would a warning shrill be called out? He had yet to noticed the airborne horned mare; the first alicorn female he would soon meet, it would seem. Shrugging it off as something random, he continued his silent, smooth tread across the lands, thinking to return to his temporary home for now. He had come out to this area because he felt he would be completely isolated, and thus far, he was and had been. Now, all he wanted was to find a place more supplement to his... needs... and he was now on a new quest; a quest to find the answer as to why his kind needed flesh... needed blood... so much.
Soon, however, his roving sensitive ears told him he was being watched, and his scarlet stained eyes slowly moved upward, towards the sky's home. And there... he saw the same hawk, the unusual one, along with the mare... both horned and winged. He was not sure if they met eye to eye, for she was nearly a speckle in the sky, a brown-like blur, while he knew for sure he was the same to her eyesight. But from the way the hawk was now hovering over her, he now understood the warning call. The hawk had been warning the mare about him. Somehow, this stung him, but he ignored it. Why did he care? Schooling his face to an emotionless mask, he merely continued his steady pace across the land, not really wanting to fly at the moment.
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Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 1:24 pm
Thera was by now, wide awake, and she continued to fret in the air for a moment before her eager nature and curiousity overcame the initial trepidation caused by the ominous black figure. With a toss of her head, she descended slowly, and Aldora, somewhere above her, made another despondent warning cry before choosing to stay airborne. The mare touched the ground still some way away from the stallion, but close enough to be able to perceive more than the silhouette she had seen before and be within earshot.
He was quite a sight different from any other soquili she had seen before, and she couldn't help but be thoroughly impressed (if not intimidated by) his appearance - his color, wings, horns and adornments made quite an eerie combination. Amongst this sea of impressions she made a private note to ask him some time how on earth he does his hair if she ever got the chance. Regardless, he seemed like... one of them--the ones she had been warned about since youth. But then where was the arrow-tipped tail? Perhaps he was... different.
These thoughts aside, Thera lifted her head, not letting her unease show, though she was clearly alert, ears pricked and muscles tense. She called out a greeting, hoping the other would be sociable, "Good morning, stranger!"
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Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2007 4:35 pm
He had been ignoring his 'stalkers'--so to speak--to the best of his abilities--especially that annoying hawk--as he continued his tireless trek across the lands, in, he hated to admit, open area. Windflame did admit that he was, however, having one of his very rare good days, where everything around him was peaceful, quiet, and relaxing. Although he was a pure Kalona--despite how his tail indicated otherwise--he was only pure by blood. Blood alone--and possibly scent--spoke of his true heritage. Now, he would find he would be in good company with someone soon, and being Windflame, he didn't mind good company at all, despite all appearances.
"Good morning, stranger!" caught his attention as he walked forward, making his ears swerve forward, his scarlet gaze moving until he had pinned the owner of the voice. It seemed he would have company today, he realized. In a good mood, he did nothing more than stop and stare at the brown-furred mare in front of him, his emotionless mask in place as he regarded her. Her comment had been nothing more than a greeting; no threat detected, though he did not doubt this mare could be dangerous. Contrary to popular belief, Windflame did not bode well in females' presence. He only went along with what he could; maintaining control and a calm, collected air. Female Kalona terrified him the most, but he would never admit such an embarrassing weakness.
Finally, after a long moment of silent contemplation, he replied with a barely audible "Good morning." He continued to observe the mare--alicorn, from her looks--and stood at a respectable distance. (More for himself rather than her, however.) He did not show his nervousness with meeting this mare; earlier, when he had noticed she was high above him in the air, he had been relaxed and felt safe; being alone made him feel he could be on the lookout for himself. Now, however, he wasn't alone, and... he did not like the looks of his situation, even if today was one of his rarer good days. He, as an odd looking creature, always attracted more trouble than he wanted when he had company... but he prayed that this day did not have that.
"What brings a mare like you within my presence?" he finally asked.
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Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:34 pm
While in the stallion's presence, Thera could not help but feel conflicted. Her instincts told her to fly away, but her mind told her to be at ease. And she also couldn't help but feel that the stallion himself considered, if only for a fleeting moment, that Thera may have even posed a threat. Perhaps the two had nothing to worry about, after all.
She was about to call back Aldora from the skies, but as she turned her head slightly to scan amongst the clouds, she couldn't really see anything. Hopefully her friend didn't abandon her, but you could never tell what the little hawk was up to.
And when the audible voice of the stallion spoke, Thera did not know what to say. She hesitated, picking over her words carefully, "I was not seeking your presence, specifically, if that is what you mean." Would a slight slip of the tongue invite the black beast to feast on her? She shouldn't look too lost or weary in the situation, so she made a small white lie, "I sensed something quite strange near, so I decided to... well, confront it. You're not exactly a typical kalona, are you?"
She shifted her wings, ready to take flight if trouble presented it to her. She was uneasy, yes, but the other stallion was as well, which may prove to be in Thera's favor in the end...
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Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:44 pm
He tensed ever so slightly, the slight fear and worry radiating from the mare taunting him as he tried his best to control his bloodlust. He was in no mood to kill innocents--at least, not at the moment--and it was criminal to kill alicorns, majestic creatures that they were. It was more of a crime to kill unicorns, but Windflame knew he'd already done his fair share in murdering innocents... he would not particularly stop, but he would control himself.
He almost felt sorry for this mare, for he knew that, many times as his prey had tried to defend themselves, they died in the end. His victims lost their blood, their flesh, and their souls; for they surrendered to him. There were few in his memory who escaped alive and lived to tell their tales. "No?" he asked, the simple word meaning more than its simplicity. "Typical? No, I am not typical." He inclined his head, and then a wry smirk adorned his face. "But then, what about any of us are typical?"
He was referring to all Kalona in general, though he understood that his kind were a violent, deadly kind, and stood to reason why many feared them. He, in turn, also upheld their stories, but those were his younger days. He continued to watch the alicorn, unsure if she was a threat or merely a passing companion.
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Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:24 am
Thera froze. Something about the stallion's speech frightened her, and she hoped he did not catch her slight flinch. But she could not turn back now, she had positioned herself far too close for him, and he could have easily caught her if she tried to fly away, now that she thought about it. She was in no mood for a high speed pursuit... Where was Aldora when you needed her for a distraction?
She didn't know how to go about interacting with the kalona any longer, but she couldn't escape, and she definitely couldn't stand here without motion much longer. Sure, her horn would heal anything inflicted upon her if he managed to make any fast moves, but that wouldn't exactly be helpful if she were scrambling away for her life...
"Smart, smart," she replied slowly, face attempting to squeeze into a smile. "Then what makes you so special?" she dared to ask, raising an eyebrow. She tilted her head and looked to his braids once more, and wondered how the stallion would've ever let anyone come near him to help him with that. Then she absentmindedly wondered how she would look in those braids. Ah, typical mare.
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Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 8:52 pm
Her tight smile bought out her features even more, he noted. Too bad she was giving off her terror and wish to leave... too bad, indeed... "Thy smile is like the sun, bright, but it hides itself eloquently with the clouds," he commented, and then answered her real question, "Special? Can you not see what makes me special indeed?" he countered, smirking every slightly. "I have yet to attack you... you are not yet dead, but remain alive... do you think that, one such as I, would allow you to live this long?" He was probably scaring her to bits, but that was okay. It seemed a game to him, anyway.
Slowly, he shifted so as to not scare her--for he was not in such a mood for that intention--and moved away from her for a bit of distance, giving her enough room to maneuver in case she did wish to leave. "Your pet bird seems to dislike me greatly," came his idle comment. "But that is not what we are to talk about. What, indeed, makes me special, mare?" He noted neither of them had introduced themselves, and he was fine with that. If the mare wished to know his name, she would offer her own and then inquire about his. He never gave his name first out of personal reasons. "Beauty, thy art daring... Wouldst I hope thou art different, but thou canst proveth thyself..." he spoke to himself, not making any sense whatsoever. It was strange, he thought to himself, how he suddenly began to speak poetry.
This mare brought out a side of himself even his former mate Ringlet did not. Poetry? He hadn't made poems in ages! After he'd left his Clan, he had hoped to roam free of its shackles, but not so, not so. It seemed it was in his blood to continue their deathly, vicious ways... True, he was a pure Kalona, but it was only his nature to wish for flesh, to wish for blood... himself, as the individual, did not always wish for those things. He smiled to himself, before smoothing his facial features to a neutral expression. Perhaps this mare would unweave all his mysteries that made him who he was. She herself was no typical mare, let alone alicorn. Ah, this day had certainly turned out unusual.
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Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 5:42 pm
The brown alicorn soon found herself listening to poetic, complimentary speech--the last thing she would have ever expected from something like the kalona standing before her. But along with the compliment came a threat--a smart one, possibly intended to throw a deep fear into her heart; instead, it did just the opposite. True, it was, that the black stallion hadn't made a move to attack, but who was he to claim all the control in this chance of a meeting?
"What an astute creature you are," she started simply, "but whatever gave you the notion that I would allow you the privilege of deciding whether I live or not is quite curious, to a point." She eyed him as he began walking away, giving her free reign to leave without much of a backwards glance. But she was intrigued by this movement from one such as a kalona, and felt the need to take the few steps it would to be closer to him.
"Aldora is a great companion, wise beyond her years, and makes for the best scout to warn for cases such as yourself. Why I didn't heed her might be my demise, but not today..." Thera commented back. She had listened to the kalona's speech, which, though she had trouble recognizing what it was exactly he was attempting to convey, was either extremely unsettling, or... quite deep, and nice to hear. She couldn't help but remark sarcastically, "I suppose you are trying to tell me what makes you special is the quirky way of your dialect!"
And with that, she walked straight up to the kalona, trying to get a look at the face he had hidden while walking away from her. It was obvious that he had been lost in thought, and though it was the typical kalona way to think only of raw flesh, cunning deceit, and evil deeds, something about the aura the stranger emitted told Thera that murderous intentions weren't runing through his head. "Who exactly are you?" she dared to ask, knowing well that if he did choose to attack her, she was well quipped with flight and horn to handle the brute.
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Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:43 pm
At first, when she made a move, he had thought she was using her chance to escape--smart mare--or... not. Had she actually moved closer to him? Madness! This mare was mad; why would she wish to move closer to danger, to her death? ...Well, okay, he wasn't actually planning on killing her--strange, why wasn't he in the mood to kill her?--so in the end it was merely a game of wits. "Should I take that as sarcasm, or as complimentary words?" he bit back, humored. She was certainly a spirited mare!
"Whatever gave you the idea that you could possibly escape me?" he countered, eyeing the majestic creature with amused scarlet eyes. "Ah, indeed, it is good to have such a loyal companion," he agreed, and then stared at her, belying his shock. So the hawk had warned her, but because she did not heed the warning...? Truly, this mare was mad... insane, crazy, call it what you will, but she did not seem to understand the danger in the situation... at all. Or at least, she understood, but ignored it. And then, for the first time in a long time, her words made him... laugh. Laugh!
It was not the kind of laugh that was known among the Kalona to be called the "Death Bell", but it was the kind of laugh that spoke of true humor. He couldn't help himself; he laughed. "Truly, you are a mad, strange, enchanting mare," he said, chuckling. It occurred to him, then, that the mare had broken his mask so thoroughly he hadn't noticed until after he had stopped laughing. "Such bravery, to make demands of me," he noted, and then made a small smile at her "request" for his name. "You wish to know my name, knowing the consequences of such a burden?" He questioned, but did not allow her time to answer, for the answer was too obvious.
"...I am Windflame..." He breathed slowly as he moved to whisper in her ear. "Windflame Bloodrider of the ancient Kalona Night Clan."
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Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 11:57 pm
"Take my words at whatever value you deem them, of course," the alicorn mare smartly replied to his sudden retort. She even had to stifle a laugh at his next counter remark. Though it was true that this was the closest encounter she ever had with one of his kind, her intuition told her to first greet him, and now, stay--surely this wasn't a most fearsome, bloodthirsty kalona driven on killing first, speaking later--no, he was already holding up some sort of conversation, and was higher than those standards. At least, she had hoped, for her sake.
Thera was far from being unworldly, but because she and her hawk friend kept away from straying into dangerous scenarios like the one she had presumably placed herself in this time, there was an implied lack of defensive maneuvers she could have practiced for if she had been caught in a scuffle with those that dine on flesh. Confrontation with those could be called something new; however, the years of traveling, journeying with her hawk mate surely labeled some form of aptitude to the mare. Though she wouldn't have called herself one of the most intelligent, it was not naivety or bliss ignorance that brought her here.
Then, out of nowhere, a quaint, even hearty laugh emitted from the dark fellow before her, and it wasn't a laughter of mockery or hunger; instead of one that was menacing, which usually led to trouble, Thera thought nothing of it, comparing it to the laughter of the other male alicorns she had associated with in her youth. The front he put up had either been a very clever ruse, or perhaps there was something more to the kalona than what one regularly perceives.
Before she knew it, the stranger swiftly maneuvered his way right beside her--he had been quicker than she thought, but before she could even be startled, his whisper rang in her ears, making her recoil and withdraw immediately, though she kept her head postured towards the kalona, eyes never leaving his form. She pointed her horn straight at him in reflex, narrowing her eyes and raising her voice, "What kind of a threat is that supposed to be?!"
She hesitated before attempting to make sense of the situation, speaking once more in a louder tone, "Windflame, is it? You speak such high and mighty words, and seem to possess a matching name, but I have seen those of your kind that have the type of quality that puts fear in our hearts... You do not have this, at first sight."
Her judgment in words was direct, and held no restraint. She locked her pale violet eyes onto his, and continued, though she hushed her volume some, "Bloodrider--a family name? I have never heard of such clans; do your kind not war amongst themselves so often that the thought of a union is laughable?" She shook her head and prevented herself from asking more; the background of the so-called "Windflame" piqued her curiosity, but it would be too soon for this ill-fated meeting to pry in matters like that. That, and, he was, after all, a kalona...
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Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 11:12 pm
He smirked at her reaction, but it was a good reaction; he had expected her to jump into a defensive maneuver, anyway. Better for her than him, as he had--yet again--give her a chance to escape, and merely because he already found this situation amusing. He needed to really work on his tactics a little more... Ah, but nevermind that, this alicorn was proving far more entertaining than his daughter, Blackfire, was and that in itself was interesting. "Take mine how it pleases you to interpret them," he countered again, seeing as she somehow took him introducing himself as a threat.
"Bloodrider is the name of my old Clan, torn apart from old days gone by," he explained vaguely. "Family name, Clan name, call it what you will, but it is meaningless in these times, not that I intend to throw it away," he quipped. He wasn't intending to ask her for her name, and he doubted she wished to give him the honor of learning it, not that he cared at that moment. All she needed to know, it seemed, was his name, and therefore, he gave it. Short and to the point... well, mostly.
"Oh..." he suddenly spoke, "...by the by... it was no threat. Of course, as I said before, you could always interpret my words as you wish... threat or no threat they may be." He moved so that, again, the alicorn mare had room--and time--to escape him should she wish to leave. He did not intend more harm than an exchange of wits and words, for he did not feel up to the task of hunting. Her next words came as an insult to his pride and his intelligence. "I do not put fear into your kind unless I wish it," he snarled, angry. "Do not think so highly of yourself, to believe I will not attack you and pleasure myself upon your flesh, alicorn," he softened his tone into a growl.
"Union? You think "union" to be laughable..." he had recalled her words, and then gave her a raised brow of curiosity. "So, to you, you do not believe there can be those of the flesh-eaters to have unions? You do not think that, perhaps, we too, have intelligence, have emotions?" He approached her slowly this time, still giving her time to escape should she wish for it. "You, who are so strong-willed, have wits, and intelligence, think so low of my kind as to deem us useless in a union?" he demanded, angry again, but controlling himself. "Do not mock me, mare. You dare to insult me, after I had already given you the common courtesy most of my kin would not!" He stopped his approach, and schooled his expression.
He had thought her, at first, trustworthy... but to insult him in such a way... Was he truly like that in her eyes? Surely, this mare was far from such stupidity? Not that he was the usual Kalona himself, but he didn't particularly like how his kind was deemed without control, without thought, without emotion... He became lost in thought for a moment, and then he returned his sharp gaze on the mare. Perhaps, now, it was time to judge her character... It was not amusing to himself in this position as he had originally thought, but then, his mood to kill had no further been aroused as was his mood to continue conversation at the time.
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:06 am
Windflame's words were smart, well-thought, and somehow challenged Thera's own, yet, it was the ones who were more well-spoken that interested her. This, coming from such a thing..? Perhaps the shell of an evil breed hid the core of a righteous being, but that thought was too inane to bear. A fraction of a percentage of Thera believed it could be possible, and that meager portion of thought was what now allowing her to willingly stay, and maybe even share more time with the kalona. She braced herself as she listened to Windflame's words of familial history.
A kalona clan called Bloodrider seemed absurd, if one even possessed the much needed flood of belief that kalonas that were willing to gather themselves in a unit. Time would eventually tell whether those on the opposite end of the purity spectrum would prove themselves to be able to cooperate with others, but Thera dared no further inquiry into the matter. It was curious why the kalona stranger would even have given this much information, for some could have been used against him, even...
"No threat..." Thera repeated, with an even smile. The comedy of a kalona informing her something was a threat just made her willingly look cheerful in the situation. Though that was the remainder of what she left said as she quieted for the black kalona's words.
She had surely angered the brute, for one thing, the thought quickly raced to the top of her mind--while that would be bad in normal circumstances, the stallion before her seemed to keep his composure before he could put himself in an enraged craze. He seemed to rationalize with her that those that partook of flesh could share in the blessings of those who knew and shared peace among the lands. But how could something who kills so cruelly know kindness, unity, and emotion, which was what Windflame was implying right before her very own eyes?
As a response to Windflame, Thera stepped swiftly up to him, forcefully positioning it so that the two were close, staring eye to eye. Had he desired, Windflame could have snapped easily at Thera's face to leave a deep impression, but the alicorn's caution had long since subsided, and the only thing left was a fired female.
"And when do you so wish to terrorize our kind?" she started, "Tch. As one would suspect... ruthless authority does not confide itself in sense. You may pose a great source of danger for most, but while you think you may have the upper hand in choosing prey, there are many capable of withstanding you. You don't choose at all, kalona. Heaven forbid I senselessly stumbled upon you, and prolonged our meeting without any thought of what you can do." She huffed, a skeptical look emblazoned in her eyes. "By my choice alone did I stay, and by the same choice I would have allowed you to let me be your prey."
She held her stare and continued, "Relating emotions to something like you is an insult to actual feelings. There are many things I dare say you can never experience, for lack of a heart. Wouldn't associating emotions to your race be lowering your kind, in your eyes? Wonder why there aren't exactly a majority of the population bearing parents with grisly-winged feathers and sharpened teeth and hooves? I dare humor your trickery; so be it. And here I was, thinking you'd find my words to be quite comforting compliments."
There was no slowing Thera down now that she was riled up, though perhaps that had put her in more treacherous grounds than she originally bargained for. The only thing that could have pierced her locked gaze now was a physical counter by Windflame, which she almost did fully expect.
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