"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
As the rays of the sun stretched longingly over Beqanna, casting eastern shadows, she had reached the channel separating the volcanic islands from the mainland. A smile kissed her ivory snipped lips as she thought of all that had transpired recently. The poison that she constricted so tightly within the confines of her heart had disappeared. She had done as she promised the fairies on the Mountain and in return the burden she carried was lifted. Replaced with the gift of life. She didn't constrict this magic but let it flow freely from her. With each step grass did not wilt as it had, but thrived. Flowers grew bigger. Brighter. Trees welcomed her openly. She had a new found purpose.
Through her travels - righting her wrongs - Tephra remained in the back of her mind. She would go there last she thought. This would end where it had begun...
Sienna eyes looked out across the tranquil waters. The opposing side wasn't far and in mid-summer it would not be horribly deep. Something kept her from entering the waters. A face... Telling her she shouldn't be here. That she should leave. Her expression sadden as she thought of turning around. Disappearing into the nearby forests to live amongst the wanderers. But she remained unmoving. Staring across to the tropical oasis on the other side. Her face lifted to the azure skies, a warm breeze blowing her ebony tresses about. Would he invite her in this time, she thinks. Or will she be turned away again? There was only one way to find out.
Her heart flutters with uncertainty as her maw parts to call his name from across the waters. A melody upon the evening breeze... Levi...
Levi spends much of his time on Tephra's largest island. It is less populated than the northernmost island - the one with the infamous volcano - and this southern island is the first place most newcomers and trespassers end up. Even if he leaves the actual greeting to others most the time he likes to be around when strangers show up - invited or otherwise.
But today as he trots along the coast, his mismatched eyes drifting to the beach across the channel, he spots a figure from his past. She is older but still unmistakable. The sight of her slows his momentum and as he halts he hears his name drifting across the waters.
The channel is narrow here, and he turns to sink his bulk into the surf. Levi is a decent swimmer, not naturally - practice and necessity had lent him aptitude. But still, the crossing takes time. Fortunately, he doesn't mind because it gives him time to think. He wonders how she has changed, for he had changed, surely she must have too in the time that has passed. He wonders if she is still looking for a home, or maybe she has found somewhere else after they parted ways and this is a diplomatic visit from her new kingdom. He seals himself off as he swims, he is ready for anything she can throw at him, subconsciously expecting the worst. There is a strong current today and he finally lands on the beach farther south than where he had intended.
His hooves find the sand and he heavily pulls his mottled body onto the shore, he steps towards her his ears pricked curiously.
"Kolera,"
where to start?
"...where did you go?" He questions her withought coolness but also withought warmth. It had bothered him, the way she had tuned with purpose and determination away from him and Warrick. She had a plan, but she had left him in the dark.
Levi
so scream you, out from behind the bitter ache.
lame i know- but i need to get back i my levi groove
Slowly the sun dipped behind the volcano. Painting the sky a vast array of hues. She couldn't help but admire the beauty before her. Or question why he had not come yet. Perhaps he had left just as she had. He had said his father ruled here so she had hopes that maybe someone would find her. Givingup was something she did not do but as time went by she decided it was best to return to the forests. Another day maybe...
As her limbs were about to retreat from the shores, her ebony ears capture a sloshing of steps nearing. With a quick snap of her crown in the direction of the sound, she first notices the familiar mismatched gaze upon her. A smile creases her lips as her name leaves his own. Delighted to not see the harsh scowl she had received her first appearance in Tephra. Though even now she remained outside of the kingdom. He questions her and the tone of his voice is stoic, as is his expression. His ears though show a curiousity that causes her to tilt her head, where did you go?
Her eyes - that had been trained on his - shifted down. Ebony traced crown tucked to her chest as her ears fell to the sides in what could be construed as shame. The words that left her lips were quieted, "I had to fix something. I had to fix me." Sienna eyes lifted to find him again looking down onto her. From the exterior surface she remained as she always had. With maturity she sported the curvature of a woman but nevertheless the same. So for him to know what she meant exactly was impossible. Again she found her smile and sweet voice,"I have been to many places fixing my mistakes. And in those places I found myself...my true self."
She shifted her weight from one hip to the other as she continues, eyes alit with curiousity,"How have you been, Levi? Tephra seems well." Her muzzle bobs in the direction of the territory. Ears erect in interest. She thinks to ask of Warrick but that can be left for another time. Her travels had been many and she'd enlighten him of them if he wished to hear of it. There was plenty to talk about. Plenty to show him...in due time.
Kolera's response leaves him with more questions than answers and it shows in the way which he stand still on the beach in front of her. But deep in his marrow empathy stirs, he is about to stop her as her warm eyes lift to his, to contradict her, but she continues before he can.
Mistakes?
"You mean Hyaline." That night had haunted many of his interactions afterward, but he still did not consider it a mistake. The attack had taught him many invaluable lessons, and after that night his flames had not had as strong of a hold over him as they had before. The night had been a right of passage.
After the attack had discarded much of the colt she had known- he had been tempered and was all the stronger for the burning. Some dark curiosity had been sated that night and he was able to free himself slightly for Her grasp.The mahogany stallion wonders briefly if she has considered that he too could have undergone drastic changes, underneath he was still the same, but his priorities were different. She continues her cryptic explanation and then goes on to ask about the health of the kingdom. But he shakes his head, refusing to move on from the first subject.
"Yeah, yeah, Tephras good, but what do you mean fixing your mistakes? What could you do to fix that?" Was there something she had been hiding from him back when they were younger? The Kolera he remembered would roll out a carpet of dead grasses for herself just because she could.
His brow is furrowed in confusion, (bordering frustration) he had always had very selective patients. He can't allow himself to be happy to see her until his questions are answered.
10-15-2017, 06:52 PM (This post was last modified: 10-15-2017, 06:52 PM by Kolera.)
Hyaline.
The night of the raid creeps from her memories and into her mind. It hadn't been long ago that they had gathered and unleashed their powers onto the unsuspecting kingdom. Long enough though that she had thought of her part in it. Realizes it was wrong to wreck havoc just cause you had the magic to do so. In the moment it had been an adrenaline rush, but now she regards it as immaturity. His stance borders irritation as he says the lands name. Nevertheless she nods her head, "Yes, I've been to Hyaline. I found Amet there and apologized for my part in that night." Her eyes shift down in shame but musters a smile at her next thought. Again rising her sienna eyes to look upon his molted face, "I fixed the wysteria tree I had destroyed and brought a gift to them from the Mountain." She watches as confusion and frustration ignites his face but so much had happen. There was so much to explain.
He's questioning her again and she tilts her head. The Levi she had known seemed to care about himself more than anything or anyone else. So why all of a sudden did he care so much about what she had done? Had he too changed, she wonders. She wants to tell him to calm down. She wants to tell him everything. To show him. Finding her voice again she continues to explain, "Levi... When I left Tephra that day I went to the Mountain. I pleaded to the fairies to remove the poison from inside me. I didn't want to bring death and destruction to everything I touched or looked at. It was a curse I was born with... It wasn't who I really was." Sienna eyes look deeply into his natural eye, "You can understand that, can't you?" She believes he can. Everyone had their inner demons...
In his working himself up he probably hadn't noticed the trail of flora that extended across into the commonlands for which she had came. Nor the alabaster daisies that surrounded them. She sees the life she has breathed around the pair. Her eyes slipping away to admire them before the sun has set. A delicate smile across her maw as she returns her gaze to him, "Can I show you something, Levi? Can we go find my tree in Tephra? The one from the day I left..." There was no more movement than a swish of her ebony tail as she looked up to him. The sun disappearing from the skies, leaving them under a blanket of star light.
She lowers her head and shame and his confusion only thickens. But, time had passed , he reminds himself. The bay mare was a child when they had played those games of havoc. Maybe the years had graced her with a sense of propriety that he had not been truly given. This last year, he had tried to act the gentleman, but most the time it left him looking shy or awkward, and he was growing tired of it.
But he doesn't try to shroud himself as something nicer, now, with her.
But as she confirms that she did see that night as a mistake he finds himself wondering why, if she saw their short time together as such a mistake, she had sought him out. He had been the driving force behind the attack, he held much more responsibility than she did, yet she was the one who had sought to make amends for the group's actions. Had the gilt truly been so heavy she had felt the need to sacrifice her gift?
"The fairies... they did it? Did they take your blight?" the thought of losing his fire puts him on edge. He knew the rulers of Beqanna haad tremendous power, but he can not fathom a situation in which he would seek them out and ask for his gift of burning to be removed.
She must have been deeply motivated.
Can I show you something, Levi?
At this point, all he can do is agree - he is curious.
"Yeah, I'll follow you... do you remember where it is?" He gives her face another searching look, trying to reasure himself that he can trust her - that he won't regret this.
Perplexed is all she sees in his features. She supposed that if she was listening to herself, she would also be in a confused state bordering frustration and wonder. His inquisitive questions are met with a nod of confirmation, "Yes Levi. I asked them to take it away. For me. So I could change... So I could be a better me." A wispy sort of smile finds her lips. So much has happened. So much has changed.
She has much more to show so when he agrees to escort her there her face is alit with joy. Even in the darkness of the night her smile shines thru. Bobbing her head excitedly, "Yes I do!" She is still facing Tephra when he answers and without hesitation she plunges into the channel. Her limbs have grown stronger with age so crossing is easier than it had been before. Each stroke bringing her nearer to the other side.
As her pale hooves meet land she climbs up the bank. Glancing briefly to see that Levi isn't far behind at all. Her hooves grip the land firmly as she lunges forwards. Ebony tassels flagged into the humid Tephran atmosphere. Even in the still of night she can see the placement of the tree in her mind. It was her guiding force as she galloped forwards. Moonlight gleaming off the white of her flesh. She didn't look to him, the sound of his heavied hooves were enough to know he was there.
Curving around a bend of trees she knew it lie just ahead. Tucked into the treeline now as the undergrowth threatened to consume the shell it had become. That's when she slides to a stop. Ebony ears held high atop her crown. From a short distance she examines it. In a years time it had leaned a little more. The heavy bark had all but crumbled to ash. When she had seen it a year ago it had brought a sadness to her heart. Not tonight. Tonight she smiled at all that it was. Tonight she smiled knowing all that it will be...
The delicate curve that is her dished profile turned to Levi. Looking into his unnatural eye this time she is smiling. "Everyone has the power to change their destiny," she states before turning to move forwards. Ivory dipped limbs drawing her nearer to the corpse of tree before them. This would end here. Tonight. Reaching her maw to caress the smooth heart of the tree a tingle left her lips just as it had in Hyaline. She didn't withdraw. Not this time. She waited until the magic poured from her heart and took hold. The roots gripped the soil once more, straightening the trunk again. Bark grew from it's insides until it was covered in rough brown matter. The branches that had hung in sorrow, uplifted. Reaching for the navy, starlit skies. Now she stepped back. To view the life she had restored. Death is not my curse...anymore, she whispers to herself...
Backing another stride to watch the tree returned to it's former glory. If anything it seemed taller than she had remembered. Her eyes remained trained on the scenery before her. Not bothering to turn to read his face. If he didn't understand what she meant now, no words would offer a greater explanation.
Her wistful smile is unfamiliar to him. She seems to be a creature transformed as she bobs her head in excitement and turns to lead the way. He follows in her wake, noticing the way her sleek body cuts through the water with ease. He lets his eyes drift down her crest and along her back as she swims in front of him, but only for a moment. His suspicion had been roused by this sudden transformation and once the feeling had settled over him it was a hard one to shake.
His mind was striving to reconcile the imp girl he had known with this humble, optimistic woman. Or, A better her, as she had put it. Part of him wants to believe this and welcome her to Tephra to join the flourishing kingdom with a clear conscience, but the other part of him can't displace the feeling that he is the butt of some sadistic joke on her part. Maybe she wanted some sort of revenge for his abandonment of her, or his refusal to provide her a warm welcome to his father's kingdom.
The bay mare finds the dead tree with ease, and he follows close behind, still unwilling to let her out of his sight. But she halts like she said she would, and he does the same, allowing her the space to show him what she had alluded to earlier. He stands a mute sentry and witness to her display.
In the moonlight, Kolera's pale muzzle stands in sharp contrast against the blackened bark of the rotting tree, but in the stillness of the night, it is the creaking of growing limb and the rustling of tender leaves budding which draws his mismatched eyes upwards. With his face tilted to the heavens, Levi watches as the young leaves unfurl. Soon, the branches extend above them, cloaking them in darkness and blotting out the night sky. The air even changes, the hint of musk from the decaying plant life is replaced with the fresh scent of spring despite the fact that the world around them is descending into autumn. The rebirth slows then, and he hears her step backward.
Levi feels relief (gratitude?) as he turns his broad face to her. Reaching out, he gives her shoulder a friendly push with his muzzle. "So, I guess we won't be burning down any more kingdoms together?"
10-22-2017, 11:25 AM (This post was last modified: 10-22-2017, 11:25 AM by Kolera.)
Life is a wonderful gift that so many take for granted. Some enjoy bringing death and destruction to the world given to them. She had done so when she was young and naive but those days were gone. She had a new found appreciation for life and in turn living.
Restored, the tree towered over them in its former glory. Smiling happily. Content on watching her new gift unfold before her, them. A slight pressure on her shoulder broke her gaze upon the tree. Lowering her eyes - with a slight turn of her crown - to find his molted muzzle against her hide. His voice holding a different tone now. It was not course nor demanding. It was almost relieved. In the time she had spent finding herself - over the last year - she hadn't given much thought to whether he would like the changes she had made. She had done them for herself and no one else. But when she met his eyes on the beach that night a slight feeling of doubt arose within her. When they had met in the forest and his flames consumed the dead trees she had created there was an immediate interest in her abilities. Now, without the blight coursing thru her veins, she wondered if she would still be of any interest to him. The tone he spoke in suggested that maybe not all changes were bad, so with a smile she replies simply, "No... I don't suppose we will."
Satisfied with herself now, she looks up to him. Turning to face him and the border of Tephra for which they came. A flick of her ebony tassels as kind words spill from parted lips, "Thank you, Levi." Her statement genuine with no hint of alternative meaning behind them. Sienna eyes look beyond him and into the darkness of the night. "I should go. Its getting late," she leans forward. Bringing her delicate muzzle to his cheek, placing a gentle kiss there, before her forelimbs reach forwards...
