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 Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:35 pm
Even Aranthos could feel the sick lump in his throat that refused to let his head take back its normal course. His eyes burned from the nights awake, ears trained to the battering of water on the skulls of the earth. His yellow eyes remained closed from the world, desperately trying to catch sleep, but it would not come. The peaceful world was at an ill ease, as though their lives would come crashing down on them in any moment, and the sun would never show its face again.
They had reason to fear, he supposed. For all Nequus had malice in their hearts at some point, and he was no different.
Afterall, he had no discrimination, he hated everyone.
It was not a matter of Storm's ail. He did not wrap himself in a caccoon and slowly let the others penetrate, he was simply greedy, defiant, and cold. Not emotionless, surely, but possessing nothing anyone would wish to spend a lifetime with. Acquaintances would tolerate him, but he doubted an active search for his hide would ever occur - unless it was a hunting party.
He remained calmy aware of his solitude and felt no need to force it to stay. If someone wished to take on his dryness and daring nature, they were welcome to it. But he held no guilt for the headaches he caused, egos he grew, and dangers he created.
The dead could do nothing.
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 5:54 pm
Who knows?
She kept her pale green eyes fixed in front of her, staring through things rather than at them, her mind drifting to other thoughts just as depressing as the state of the day. She paused, a snort escaping her. How irritating it was that this dreary day could impress her so. She stretched a foreleg out, dipping her muzzle down to itch it on the extended leg. That done, she raised her head and continued walking. Walking to where?
Who cares.
Her ears flicked back towards her skull, irritated moreso at the depressing feeling wrapped so thickly around her. She inwardly wished that the sun would set as soon as possible so this awful, dreary day would end. It should be better tomorrow. It will be better. She paused again to look around her. She'd been so busy thinking to herself, she hadn't been paying much attention to her surroundings. Her searching eyes took in everything, but what they could not take in was anoter nequus. She snorted, pawing the ground in her irritation, looking about her again. She could feel him, he was close, but who? She took a moment or two to soothe her ruffled nerves, then gazed around her again. She was certain that another was close by, and that it wasn't merely the thick, depressing cloud that hung so low over all of them playing tricks with her. "Is anyone there?" She inquired to no one in particular, feeling foolish for talking to someone she couldn't see yet.
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:13 pm
Aranthos would have given a start in his younger years, brandishing a fear with flying hooves and agressive nature, but he was worn by the winds of time, and relaxation played over his features, a slight muscle twitch the only sign that he may be prone to violent action.
The fur on his back prickled, tickling his senses and causing him to shake his body from head to tail. For a while he said nothing, letting the golden Nequus nearby grow ill at ease with her awkwardness. They seemed to have a notion for the presence of the dead, these living.
It took him little time to sweep from where he was hiding, playing subtle tricks on the mind as he came to her side. She would not be able to hear him, for his airy hooves never touched the ground. Perhaps a whisper of the wind stirring her mane might warn her, for it enjoyed to taunt him in every way.
He would seem to travel as a mist, and large fluctuations of the wind could cause him a great deal of pain, despite the fact he was no more than a spirit. Not many has been granted eternal life, if that was what you should call it. Most were lonly, except for the kind words of the Speakers which had grown so few. They could not talk with one another.
He, however, was different. His living had been uncanny, and in the sorrowful end, was saved by the b***h he'd hated. She was a seer, of sorts, but she not once read his mind, too caught up in her own kind nature. However, she was infertile, and so did her no good. He started the fires, by tricking an elemental, and she'd saved him, the b*****d. But the burns had been to great, and his body showed the pains of his last years.
"You're the only one living," he told her softly, his eyes torn from her living flesh and into the void of grey beyond. His body shuddered from its color, so gloomy, as if foreshadowing of some event.
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Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 8:09 am
A chill ran down the mare's spine, ears swivelling about in every direction. He was closer now, she could tell, but she still couldn't see him. With a snort she pawed the ground again, taking a couple steps backward. She paused and shook herself again, more to help calm her than anything, and stood. The tips of her muscular tails twitched and flicked as she stood there, looking about her for whatever it was that made her feel so uneasy. She gave up speaking for the moment, too nervous for her voice to work at the moment. Why did I come this way?
A soft wind began to blow suddenly, pulling at her mane, and she snorted again. She froze as she heard the soft voice; it sounded like it was right beside her, but there wasn't anyone there. She backed up a few steps quickly, eyes wide and ears flown backwards against her head. "Who's there?" She managed to ask after a few moments, when her voice finally decided to work again. She most certainly hadn't expected such an encounter as this.
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Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 8:28 am
He hissed through his tongue, the sound mimicking that of distaste and anger, even a threat between stallions. However, Aranthos was not aiming it at her, it was merely a sign of annoyance. He always forgot that they could not see him.
Correction - Most could not. There were a few, whether speakers or not that could see the haze, maybe make out a form, or perhaps their minds just tricked them into thinking there was something there. He'd never bothered to stick around and find out.
He'd only met one speaker in his lifetime. An old man, whom he'd ended the life of with quick hooves. He thought the trickster would be better apt to speak to his dead friends if he were one of them himself. How ironic it was that he soon joined their ranks.
"Aranthos walks," came his thick voice, his eyes flicking over her flesh. She was far too golden for him to have liked her in his living, though he wondered if she had any children. He couldn't say he would have loved any, had he ever had the chance of his own, but he would know they were of his flesh and blood, and the living fascinated him.
"The day doesn't rest well with travellers." It was barely audible, as though he were playing on her fear by making her strain to pick up his words. Breaking a smile, he did the truly spirit-less thing, and passed through her body, coming out the other side. He had his eyes closed the whole while, he'd never dared to find out what it looked like to live in another. It was a frightening premise. It seemed to disturb them, this act, though some laughed at him, and left him behind with the wind, which was more than happy to oblige.
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Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 4:55 pm
With a snort, Cress backed up a few more steps, ears still pinned to her skull. She caught herself, however, and stood her ground. She shook out her mane, adjusted her wings, and forced her ears forward as she made an attempt to regain her composure and organize her thoughts and emotions.
Her ear immediately aimed to the side of her as she heard his next comment, although it didn't frighten her as much as before. Aranthos. Is that his name? He wasn't in sight, and she couldn't detect the scent of another, she could only sense him. His voice seemed to come from everywhere and no where at the same time, yet he himself was no where to be seen. A spirit, he must be. She nodded after that thought, trying to relax her muscles. So far, at least, he didn't seem violent. She flicked an ear at his next statement, although she wasn't sure what he meant by it.
Holy--! After a violent start she took a few more steps backwards, eyes wide. What in the world was that? It felt like something had... had passed through her. With another snort she attempted to regain her composure, doing so more quickly this time. If that awkward feeling was the invisible creature, he was to the right of her now. She turned her head accordingly, gazing out at the surrounding trees as if she could see him, although she knew that was impossible. She began to speak slowly, not because she didn't know what to say, but because she wanted to choose her words carefully. "Aranthos is your name, then? I am called Cressida, if the fact is of any importance to you, though I doubt it is. I apologise for intruding upon this territory, whether it belongs to you or no, and if you'd rather I leave, I don't mind." She really didn't mind; in fact, she hoped he wouldn't either, so she could get the heck out of there.
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Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 5:19 pm
Aranthos chuckled to himself, laughing even louder as the wind rose and tore, striking him in the heart. His knees buckled and he rasped.
"s**t," he grimaced, falling to his knees and snorting a few times, before forcing himself back up again. Damn wind.
It took him several moments for his head to clear and the searing near his chest to stop. The dead were not without pain. It was an unfortunate fact, but the good news was that only other spirits could inflict it, and they came on the wind. No doubt their agony was far worse than his, for while he could remain solid in a sense, they were scattered across the world, until a speaker brought them together.
His breaths came a little heavier than they should have, as the wind didn't cease, but kept on steady. He hated to look weak in front of the other, the only good news being she could not have been able to visualize him. Perhaps she'd put together the sounds, but he hoped not, or he'd find some other way to make her pay for his faults.
He chuckled. "My lovely living, names are a wonder to those who are dead. To hear one gives them a soul purpose, how ironic it is." Of course she didn't mind, but the fact was, he really didn't either. "The dead own nothing, if you wish to stay, do so, but my company is often short lived." Not that she'd wanted it, but sometimes a little company was better than none at all.
"Maybe the sun will shine in a few days pass," he murmured outloud, cocking his lower jaw to the left. "Or perhaps you'll have to shine for it." His eyes slid down her body slowly, tracing each curve. He could do things like this, no one could tell where he was looking. So bright, the white, it reminded him of Elizabeth.
"It's really too bad I'm not living," he said with another cold chuckle.
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Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 5:16 pm
The sudden wind blew over her body, winding through her tails and tugging at her mane, disturbing the locks of hair that rested against the side of her neck. She strained to hear his voice, making sure she missed nothing, and indeed she didn't. His sudden curse after the wind blew caused one of her ears to perk up, wondering what gave him reason to curse. Coupled with his strange breathing patterns, she discerned that something having to do with the wind must have been amiss with him, but decided it would be a good idea not to bring it up.
"Then I'm glad to have told you my name, if it is such a wonderful thing to one who is dead. I'm not certain if staying longer would be a good idea on my part or not, but I think I'll stay a while longer. Conversing with a spirit is a refreshing change to normal meetings," she said with a nod, turning her back-end so she could face the direction she thought he was in better, her muscular tails twitching. "I hope the sun will shine by itself, because I certainly won't shine for it. And yes, it is too bad you're no longer living, I would've loved to meet you in person." She remained unaware of his eyes roaming her body, although she had an uneasy feeling that she was being watched, and consequently pawed at the dark soil beneath her hooves several times.
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 5:18 pm
Aranthos paused, dragging his tongue over dry teeth. His ears flicked for and aft before he dared to make any movements again.
"Refreshing?" Aranthos asked, his curiosity picqued. "Really?" He'd never spoken to spirits himself, not being a speaker and all. "How are you to not know whether the voices have taken over your head?"
He pondered the thought now, following around Nequus and whispering things in their ears. Like how to kill their own mothers, or. . .
He grimaced, though it was fake and she could not see it, "Perhaps not," he corrected her. "In person, I do damage." As a spirit he could only haunt the mind.
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Posted: Sat Mar 31, 2007 10:37 pm
"Yes, refreshing. A lot of nequus are boring, and they're everywhere. Spirits, I suppose, are everywhere as well, but not many can ordinary horses speak to," she explained with a nod, tossing her mane to the other side of her neck after said nod. "I should think the voices would take over my head wherever I am, not just in this specific area, don't you, Aranthos?" She questioned of the spirit, peering about her curiously with her pale green eyes. He certainly was interesting to speak with.
She didn't see his grimace, nor sense it, and she merely waited. "I suppose that's true. Living things can harm other living things, but I'm not entirely sure what spirits can do to the living. I'm not entirely sure I'd like to be the guinea pig to test such boundaries, either," she added with a wry smile. She didn't know why, but she felt surprisingly comfortable around this nequus she couldn't see. Wait, was he a nequus? He must have been. No familiar was tall enough to feel so large as its spirit passed through her. Her muscular tails flicked behind her as she spoke, and her eyes shone with curiousity. "If you don't mind the question too terribly, Aranthos - how did you die?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 8:39 am
Aranthos chuckled, she had a point, as seemingly silly as it was. "No, I'm afraid this is my gift and my curse. Spirits, as a rule, are blown with the wind." He was just a bit different. What the glue was that kept him together, he didn't know, but he wasn't going to pry in an attempt to find out. He liked his form, as much as he hated it.
"Everything has to start somewhere," he mused, his eyes flicking over the surroundings, not much listening to what she said next. He vaguely caught the part about not being a guinea pig, and boundaries, but he hardly assessed what it meant. For him, spirits caused mental turmoil, no physical pain could be given.
The next question caught him off guard, and his ears pinned. He didn't like talking about it terribly much, and he wasn't about to give her a story. Not about Elizabeth, no, until she was a dead seer, she could not read his thoughts or find out about his past. It was best to warp this to his advantage.
"My b*****d father killed me," was all he gave her, when in fact, it was only a minute portion of the story.
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Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:47 am
His apparent amusement brought a smile to her face; this meeting was truly very interesting. "So not many are in the same predicament as you, able to converse with other creatures directly?" She didn't really know what he meant by his other statement, everything has to start somewhere, or how it related to the conversation, but she agreed with it. Everything, indeed, needed a starting point.
"I apologize for that, Aranthos," she said honestly. She could tell by the slight pause after her question and by his tone that his short answer didn't explain everything, but she decided not to press the question. It would probably bode ill for her if she angered a spirit. "I never knew my father," she said, hoping to re-direct his attention to a different, less irritating channel for him. "He left before I was born. I really don't know what happened to him, but my mother told me he was a good nequus." She paused after the explanation of her family history, feeling that it might seem very awkward, and searched for something, anything, to talk about. She pawed the dark soil beneath her hooves a few times, ears swivelling about slowly, but she ceased the disturbing of the soil by planting her hoof firmly on the ground. One ear flicked, and she peered at where she thought the other was. It really is too bad that I can't see him. "How long ago did you live, Aranthos?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:21 am
Aranthos shook his head. "Nope, I'm afraid I'm the only one I know of, the others are really to pieces." It seemed description enough. She'd find out when she was dead, anyway.
It had been a long time since he'd been apologized to. Normally it would have to be forced out of someone, leaving them writhing beneath his hoof. This one gave it willingly, but of course, she knew not of his past, or of the nature that would make most people grit their teeth and wish for his death. They got it, didn't they?
"Perhaps he was slain." It was not stated as a question, there weren't many questions the black liked to ask. "So many good Nequus are." Or were. . .
Again, a question that he couldn't fully answer, this time because he really didn't know. Then again, why was he answering all these questions. It wouldn't be hard to simply vanish, and leave her alone with herself. It might drive her mad. Now that was an amuzing dilema.
"A good few years best I can guess," he tried, uncertain of his own answer, though it did not show in his voice. He sighed and looked to the clouds. "I hope the sun comes out soon, and this wind goes away."
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 2:29 pm
"He may have been," she said with a thoughtful gaze. "Or he may not have been. But, I think the stallion who chased me away from my mother probably was slain. Mother was very protective of me, and she probably gave him his just desserts for running me off. I haven't seen either of them since then, unfortunately. I miss my mother, and I'm also curious as to what she did to the obtrusive stallion." She pawed the dead ground with a golden hoof, ears flicking, betraying her aggravated mood. However, she pressed her foot back onto the earth, flicking her ears forward. It didn't do to dwell on the past in such a way.
At his comment on the sun, she herself gazed up into the heavens, towards the cloud-covered sky. The sun didn't seem to shine in such a place as this, a place that seemed dead all over, but she supposed it could. She lowered her gaze, peering around her curiously with her pale green eyes. If only she could see the creature she was speaking with. "I'm sure it will," she said serenely, nodding to affirm this thought. "As a spirit, I suppose you travel a great deal, but do you travel on your own accord, or does the wind take you wherever it pleases to send you?"
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 5:43 pm
Aranthos chuckled. "Mother was a confused soul," he said allowed. He was, of course, speaking of his own mother. "And weak, I should say, died at a young age." Before he'd reached his full force, anyway. Perhaps she died so she wouldn't have to face the monster he'd become.
"The wind doesn't take me anywhere," he replied bitterly. "It tries to pry me from my being." And half the time it almost succeeds. He could hardly remember what the living worried about. It seemed like such a distant past, and so oddly unconnected.
He knew a few things, they needed to eat, and drink, and not the spirit world food like he did. Of course, he never need consume anything, but he did it out of habit, he supposed. Every world but his own was a strange and foreign place.
"That's what happens when you die, the wind whips your soul to pieces and tumbles it with the others, until your a ball of ether careening into nothingness, never to have a true thought ever again. It hurts, at first, but there is a hope. The Speakers can bring to back together." He didn't know all this from experience. He'd heard it, from him, their one and only, the old man he'd slaughtered in defiance. The geezer had been laughing at him all the while.
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