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  • Beqanna

    COTY

    Assailant -- Year 226

    QOTY

    "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


    Lightning never strikes twice; any/Offspring
    #1
    Of Hamilton & Yasmine
    Through the steamy air he marches along, carefully choosing his path across the lava streams.  This land was far different from any he had traversed before, even in the lands of his youth, now sundered and gone.  His bay coat is quickly becoming dark with sweat from the endless humidity, and Voltage wonders just how long it had taken the residents to become accustomed to living in a sauna.  He endures it, committed to his mission.  He had been assigned to visit not one, as the others of his new caste had, but *two* lands to extend the invitations to Sylva for Gryffen's six-day fiesta, and had tossed a mental coin to choose which one to start his trip off with.  He decides to halt before he gets very far into the interior; the cremello had warned him that this land's ruler was not to be trifled with.  

    Trespassing too far in without an invitation might jeopardize what he had been sent to do, and that would not do at all.  So the stallion waits, so motionless he might well be a statue, until he can hear the thoughts of someone approaching his location to suss out this intruder.  When they are close enough that he can hear their hooves as well, and he can acknowledge their coming without tipping his mental hand, he turns to face their direction, easily coaxing a pleasant smile onto his muzzle to appear nonthreatening.  "Hello, my name is Voltage, from Sylva.  I have been sent as an envoy from Gryffen, its new leader, to announce a six day celebration of autumn to be held within its borders.  All are invited and welcome to attend, and there shall be peace between the celebrants during this time.  "  And then he is silent, eyes fixed upon the other horse, awaiting their words as well as their inner thoughts.     


    (Yep he likes to snoop in other ponies' heads, and he's learned to be pretty good at it hehe.  He's still bound by telepath trait rules though.   Since they're also supposed to be fact-gathering, he will be snooping as discreetly as he can manage. )

    V O L T A G E
    #2

    I'm an invisible monster,
    and I'm incapable of loving anybody.
    You don't know which is worse.



    Scyla was flying around, mainly because she was bored. Also because the cloud formations that day had been curious and she wanted to explore them to figure out why they looked like that this morning. She finds herself over the volcano, watching the insides of the Earth spit up hot vomit all over itself. A messy drunk. At least the updraft was good. Either way as she dipped below the clouds and headed back towards the land of four legs and a breathable amount of oxygen, she catches sight of a bay horse at the borders.

    As she lands, she breaks into a steady trot, although her head it tilted at an angle as he stood so very still. "Are you-" but the herald immediately starts in on his proclamation of an invitation. When he's finished she finishes her question, "...a statue?" It might still be a legitimate question. Maybe it had a recording in it somewhere. Either way it would be rude not to address it right? "I'm Scyla, of Tephra...obviously. And that's exciting! A party!" She wondered if Dahmer would let Smoak come with her. It would be good for the boy to practice his observation skills and strategy skills. Perhaps she could find a good sparring partner for him.

    She wondered if there would be snow in Sylva and how far away it was. Maybe it was very northern and she could play in the snow. She had missed it last winter. "So who can come to this party? Like high ranking officials or anybody? Do you know who else is coming?" Maybe she would see the mare she had met in the meadow awhile ago, Heartfire. Or perhaps she could make a new friend. Or maybe Offspring would have some sort of directive for her and she wouldn't be flying around investigating clouds. Who knows? Although she wasn't exactly known for her tact or her ability to be sneaky.



    @[Voltage] ...She's a mess and rambling tonight. Sorry?

    (Sea-Dog x Desole)
    Half Sister to Dahmer



    #3
    You're looking at an absolute zero;
    I'm not the devil but I won't be your hero.
     The warmth is stifling, and the air is thick with fallen ash – a haze is lingering heavily between the swaying vegetation and the bright, vivid sky, encapsulating all beneath it in its tepid clutch. He has grown used to it – perhaps, because of the stirring, flickering flame that is burning so brightly within him; the heat and fire are as much a part of him as his wild and powerful heart, churning within the thick of his chest. A thin sheen of perspiration causes the otherwise dreary and dull blackness of his skin to shine, while unshaken beads of sweat line the gentle slope of his spine. He is still – quiet, watchful, waiting.

     The sun lay just beyond the horizon, but it is far from fallen, bathing the rich soil in its light, and reflecting over the ravenous but unbroken sea. He is nearest to the shoreline, cheek turned towards the shadow of the looming volcano in the distance (and he can almost feel it rumbling, almost) – with thick, luscious plumes of smoke rising from the top, darkening the atmosphere. He is content, with the updraft of the ocean breeze raking over the scalding heat of his skin – he is content, if only for a moment.

      An uneasiness stirs within the hearth of his chest – his gaze is cast toward the southern border, and there, an unfamiliar face – still and motionless. His gaze is narrowed, honing on the minute details of his stoic features and rigid posture, and there is something amiss. As his legs carry him closer, there is the scent of pine and maple – a scent he had only ever noticed in the presence of Djinni, an enigmatic creature he had come across by happenstance alone. (Later, he would learn she was the Queen of Sylva – she had said nothing to allude to it during their encounter, and he had been none the wiser at the time).

      He is quiet, listening to Scyla and her rambling (she seemed to have a knack for it – or an inability to contain herself; he had yet to decide which). Her excitement is not contagious – there is a darkness in his own gaze at the mere mention of Gryffen; of Sylva being under new rule. Leadership was oftentimes unpredictable, and if he had learned nothing else from his many years as a King and as an Overseer, he knew that change was often accompanied by disorder. His uneasiness is no secret; a shadow of doubt lingering within the darkness of his features as his fiery gaze studies the stranger with suspicion.

      The memory of Gryffen faltering in his attempt at feigning concern for the well-being of those he sought was not lost on him, and perhaps, Voltage would sense his reservations – perhaps he would see the image of Gryffen, lying through his crooked, yellowed teeth, planting a seed of wary doubt within him so long ago.

      ”I am Offspring, the Overseer of Tephra,” he begins, glancing to Scyla with a glimmer of disapproval within his scarlet stare. ”Gryffen, you said? Did Djinni relinquish her crown, or he did take it?” he muses softly, the inner-workings of his mind exposed for all to hear and know – Voltage would not need to filter through his thoughts to know that he did not care for the idea. ”What is the purpose of this "celebration"?”
    OFFSPRING
    another zealot with the weight of the fucking world.

    @[Scyla] @[Voltage]
    #4
    Of Hamilton & Yasmine
    It's a mare that approaches him first, a winged mare who comes down from what must have been an aerial scouting and lands before coming up close to him.  Her thoughts remind him of Crevan's when he first met the wolf-boy, the topics and words shifting and flitting about like a hummingbird at a flower.  She wonders about horses named Smoak, Dahmer, and Heartfire--none of which he is familiar with.  Perhaps Gryffen would, though, and so he files their names away for passing on later.  It seems from her thoughts that Smoak might be her son, but he otherwise "hears" no further details regarding him.  Her excitement over hearing about the festival to be hosted in Sylva causes the bay to chuckle, and he ducks his head to prove that no, he is in fact not a statue but living flesh.  Another horse approaches swiftly; it seemed that Tephra's border protection was not lax in their duties.  He is draped in a skeletal pattern of fire, the sight of which Voltage deliberately allows his eyes to briefly widen with surprise which continues as he watches Offspring shoot a disapproving glance Scyla's way.  What had caused him to stare so at one of his own followers?  

    Perhaps he preferred to be the first to greet strangers, which was a wise idea if one wished to know everything occurring within their realm.The other stallion introduces himself, after a brief glower at the mention of Gryffen's less-than-holy name, not as King of Tephra but as Overseer....unusual, but either way he is still the horse Voltage was sent to meet with.  The telepath lowers his head in respectful greeting, taking his new role of diplomat to heart.  "Greetings, OVerseer.  My name is Voltage.  " There was no point in lying to Offspring about how the cremello had come to power in Sylva, it would only come back to haunt him since the knowledge was far from a secret matter.  "Djinni stepped down, " he declares truthfully, "and after a bit of friction with the idea from those she left behind, Gryffen accordingly stepped in to fill the void of leadership.    His invitation extends to the kingdoms in entirety, all members of each one are invited to attend.    The reason for this festival is Sylva's wish to celebrate the autumn season for the next six days with the other horses who dwell throughout Beqanna, in the spirit of friendship.  " Oh, Offspring did not care for the wraith king, so very much did he not.  His thoughts are dark and filled with suspicion; indeed he is not a stupid horse.  Clearly he's had dealings with the cremello before......

    A quick idea comes to the bay, and he searches through Tephra as he waits for a response, counting a tally of each mind he senses and adds up to a total.  A head count probably wouldn't be a bad thing to be bringing back to Gryffen.

    V O L T A G E
    #5

    I'm an invisible monster,
    and I'm incapable of loving anybody.
    You don't know which is worse.



    Perhaps Scyla's excitement was not contagious but Offspring's obvious brooding and uneasiness in approaching the robot horse was very clear. It leached into her own excitement about a party. She became less animated, and backed a few steps to give Offspring his space. She dips her head, submissive to the one that allowed her to stay with her family. Still, the diplomat laughed at her jokes and moved to show that he was indeed flesh and blood. At least someone liked her jokes.

    She listens with pricked ears, excitement still boiling in her chest at the thought of a party! It appeared that this Gryffen was a new ruler, and although Offspring clearly did not trust him, Scyla had seen enough of the world beyond Beqanna to understand that things were rarely, if ever, what they seemed. Just because Offspring didn't trust Gryffen, didn't mean that Scyla shouldn't...still, she vowed to be on her best behavior at the party.

    She cocked her hip to the side and readjusted her wings at her side. "Well, I'll be there! It sounds fun!" Besides, never knew what you could learn with such an event! She glances at Offspring with a mischievous grin, "Maybe I can convince the Overseer to attend as well!" She held back her tongue from calling him old grumpypants, but she thought it, hard at Offspring with her brown eyes. Voltage would probably have a hard time not giggling at that. It was funny, and Scyla struggled to hold back her own laughter.


    (Sea-Dog x Desole)
    Half Sister to Dahmer







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