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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


    You’re dripping like a saturated sunrise, anyone
    #1
    She is not one of them. This land was wrought with history, she felt it vibrating from the emerald ground as she walked. Something hung in the air, like a suffocating fog. Something drastic had happened here, a change. But she is not part of it. She can’t even remember how she got here, a huge chunk of her memory a black void. On a beach she had awoken, the edges of the waves lapping at her crumpled form. Washed ashore like a battered piece of driftwood, she had blinked the gritty sand away with bleary eyes. This place was not home. And even though she knew she would be weak on her own, without the protection of a herd, she had climbed to water-weary feet, her eyes on the treeline that sprouted away from the coast.

    That was awhile ago, and still she feels lost.

    She can’t fit in with them. Try as she might, she has continued to be an outcast. For some reason she has found it difficult to mesh with them, her conversations feeling forced. The vibrant colors and other oddities that the residents possessed no longer alarmed her like they once did, but still she cannot help but to eye them wearily should she come across someone. She is plain compared to them. A black forelock against a black face, a black mane draping along a black neck, and black legs emerging from a black body. She is nothing but shadow, and it is no wonder that they don’t notice her.

    Avoiding the summer sun that blazes in the cerulean sky above she finds herself resting beneath one of the few trees that dot the field. She is willing to give this one last try, but she cannot bring herself to approach anyone.

    briseis.
    you’re ripped at every edge but you’re a masterpiece
    Reply
    #2
    Out with the golden we sew, and the lower past that crawls.
    Now, to the doorway you run, to the girl that's not lost.
    Something had happened, and for a long time, that event had, to me, felt like the end of the world. Up until the Reckoning I'd lived next to my father's side (Kavi, the dear fellow), but I'd lost him in the chaos that accompanied said happening. The shifting of a world that had for centuries been constant, into something completely foreign. Even now a heavy distaste for this New World often hangs where many cluster; but we've been making a name for ourselves. Making a new history where the old one lies stagnant.

    An integral part of this recreation lies here, in the field - or rather, in the hearts and minds of those who frequent it. I come often to this place, hoping against hope to find it populated; but unlike the days of old, quiet reigns now in this land, and I am turned away more than I am welcomed in.

    Today, I come naturally, with no dreamt-up additions. My mind buzzes too loudly for me to concentrate on my powers as such. So I arrive clad in but my natural bone-and-blood hues, a very simple, thin black horn spiraling from my skull the only attribute worth noting. In comparison to other resident Beqannians, I am rather plain; but when my eyes catch on her, it is not her plainness that I notice.

    I watch as the mustang settles beneath a solitary tree, ears perked and nostrils flaring to catch her scent; yes, a mare then, and not from any place I know of. Curiosity spikes within me, questions of every kind tickling my tongue though I have yet to even approach the ebony creature. But, with such energy at hand, I do move towards her; an easy trot working to close the distance between us, a low nicker issued just as I slow to a halt before her.

    "Hello there," I say in a friendly way, not allowing my excitement to show excessively in my tone. I flash my nutmeg eyes about and see no other potential recruits - this land truly is a shadow of its former self. But I digress, and my gaze falls back to the woman. "It's good to see a new face these days. I'm Kagerus; might I have the pleasure of knowing your name?" A small smile curls at my lips, and, hopeful, I settle into silence.
    Kagerus
    sweet nothing
    [Image: kag]
    dreamweaver
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    #3

    She is not alone with her thoughts for long before a two-toned figure could be seen approaching. Immediately she straightens herself, her head elevating and small ears flicking forward in attention. Her interactions with other horses have been few and far between, and she cannot help but to eye the stranger with caution. Where she had been born it was not so common to approach horses you didn’t know, and it was something she was still getting accustomed to. Learning to not put up such a hardened guard whenever a friendly face appeared was perhaps that biggest hurdle she had encountered.

    Her eyes are naturally drawn to the horn that spiraled out of the mare’s forehead, but quickly she diverts her gaze. It was easy to ignore since the rest of the mare seemed relatively normal. She can feel her muscles slowly begin to relax from their tense hold at the friendly tone of voice, and her head lowers just a touch. ”Hello,” Her voice is coarse from lack of use, considering it has been months since she last talked to anyone. ”Briseis,” she says after clearing her throat, still eyeing the mare carefully. ”Nice to meet you, Kagerus. “ With dark brown eyes she glances around, a small smile playing across her black lips. ”All of your faces are new to me, to be honest.”

    briseis.
    you’re ripped at every edge but you’re a masterpiece


    Omfg I’m so sorry. I type from my phone and Erica called me WHILE I was writing and I had to finish it since I have no way to save it D;
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    #4
    Out with the golden we sew, and the lower past that crawls.
    Now, to the doorway you run, to the girl that's not lost.
    The mare I approach lifts her head immediately upon seeing me, and I appreciate her alertness, already feeling secure in my decision to approach her. Hyaline, although not the quietest of the kingdom's, desperately needs individuals who will pay attention to the song the land there sings: whether that be by recruiting, stealing, warring, or simply just existing there to be among the throng. In any case, I realize that I'm getting ahead of myself as the stranger inspects my horn with a mild curiosity. There is no guaranteeing that she will agree to visit my lake-side kingdom, and even if she does, she may well disappear as many have before.

    A smile unravels across my lips at the friendly sound of the black's husky voice. Briseis. A beautiful name, unique compared to many that I hear these days. "The pleasure is all mine," I lob back easily, dipping my head with the words. My gaze flickers over Bri's black figure, noting that although we are nearly the same height, she is far stockier than me - a pure mustang by the looks of her. Besides the rarity of a pureblood, she appears to be normal; but I, too, appeared to be normal before I was gifted the horn atop my head to help me in the Alliance. But, I had been far from normal - and by all means, Briseis could be hiding powers, too.

    "We all start off that way I suppose," I allow, referring to birth and how we are all born tabula rasa. But for some, the isolation of a new existence ended moments after that event, whereas for others, the isolation could be drawn out for years. Something told me that this mare was somewhere between; that once, she had known many faces, but that in the wake of the massive changes lapping over the coast of Beqanna, she's a little more lost. That's what I'm here for - to reintroduce her to society; to be her guide, whatever she chooses for that to mean.

    "Are you familiar with kingdoms at all? If so, they are different now than they were some time ago. I can tell you about them if you want." With the words comes another smile, my nutmeg eyes glimmering in the summer sun. "I come from Hyaline, a sanctuary kingdom."
    Kagerus
    sweet nothing


    No worries, I couldn't even tell!! Your words are blessed, miss Whale <3
    [Image: kag]
    dreamweaver
    Reply
    #5
    Despite her better judgement she can feel herself beginning to relax. It was a knee-jerk reaction for her to be leery of any and all strangers, but Briseis was slowly beginning to realize that not everyone in Beqanna was born of ill intentions. The painted mare before her seemed to be friendly enough. There was a softness to her eye that lead Briseis to believe that she meant no harm.

    She expels a whoosh of warm breath between her flared nostrils, a sigh that seems to release the remaining tension that had lingered in her tautly drawn muscles. ”I guess so,” she muses in response to Kagerus’ observation. ”But from the outside looking in it appears everyone here knows each other.” Except for me, she almost says, but she lets the words die before they ever leave her tongue for she immediately realized how pitiful they sounded.

    Thankfully, her knew acquaintance keeps the conversation going, saving her from a task she would surely be poor at. She has spent so many months alone that she no longer possesses the necessary skills to keep things flowing. It is the kingdoms that she brings up, and her head tilts to the side thoughtfully. ”Sort of. I was invited to one, once, but I don’t remember much of it.” The very idea of kingdoms was still peculiar to her, because such a thing didn’t exist where she came from. ”What is Hyaline like?” She realizes how lame it sounds but she doesn’t know enough about this place to ask real, pressing questions. She is pretty sure her inability to hold an interesting conversation is exactly what sends everyone running but so far Kagerus was at least humoring herself by attempting.

    briseis.
    you’re ripped at every edge but you’re a masterpiece


    Ugh don’t even say that. Learning to write in my 15 break and then a little bit more on my lunch is definitely interesting.
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    #6


    kagerus
    as dreams are to the sleeper, so am I to you
    I catch the softening of her stance as our conversation goes on, though I do not stare or even point it out with too keen an eye; I'd once been the girl returning from somewhere to a place that should have felt like home, but didn't quite yet. It wasn't until I found myself in Hyaline that that began to change - though ultimately what decided that final shift from stranger to she who belongs was the return of my father, Kavi, and his marriage to my mother-figure, Insignificance; and from there, the birth of my brother, Khaedrik.

    But not all homes remain unbroken, and indeed when Khaedrik learned of my promiscuity and the death that would ensue because of it, our little family shattered. My parents are dormant residents of Hyaline, and my brother... I fear that I have scared him away.

    To say the least, I understand how she's feeling - and I want to offer her that intrinsic sensation of belonging, but I fear the repercussions of loving something as much as I love my family, and Hyaline, and Solace...

    "I've been there, Briseis; returning from the Beyond is daunting. The faces are all changed." I blink at her kindly, tilting my head, wondering just how far the plain black mare has seen - farther than I have, I dare to believe. "But there's always time to reacquaint yourself with society. And joining a kingdom is often the easiest way of doing so."

    She goes on to mention having been invited to a kingdom of old once, long ago, and I nod when she gets to the part about not quite having clicked with the land. Kavi had raised me for the first months of my life in the Chamber, but from there on out we'd moved to the Jungle together. I am lucky to have had such a steadfast father who kept me true to kingdomship and duty; but perhaps it also runs in our blood. My line is far form nomadic; very far indeed.

    "Hyaline is currently the only light-neutral kingdom in Beqanna; we seek to hold the peace, and to offer refuge to anyone who needs it, especially to children during times of war." The wind blows, and a chill runs along my red-white hide; autumn has come upon us quickly. Luckily this year I won't have the worry of a child threatening to end my life; but still, I physiologically yearn for such a thing. But Briseis is in no position to help me with that, and so I shove the thought aside.

    "There are a reasonable amount of full-time inhabitants in Hyaline who I really think you'd click with. We're not as startling as maybe Nerine, the warrior women, or Sylva, the newly-founded evils. How do you feel about it?" I chuckle a little and duck my head, embarrassed by how my phrasing seems to become less articulate the more excited I get at the thought of introducing someone to my mountainous home. "About Hyaline, I mean."
    [Image: kag]
    dreamweaver
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    #7
    Her birthplace is nothing like Beqanna, and the way Kagerus speaks of the kingdoms further cements the idea. Where Briseis was from, there were no kingdoms. There were no borders. The herds had their territories, sure, but nothing truly belonged to anyone. The idea of the pieces of land having names - their own identities, almost - was incredibly strange to her. Her birthplace was wild, in every sense of the word, and her relationship with those in her herd went little beyond protection and necessity. She didn't really love anyone there, or at least, she doesn't think she had. The storm that had swept her away had taken much of her memory with it, and she thinks that maybe this is why it had been so easy for her to adjust to the idea of never going back. She didn't miss her home, or her family. What she missed was not feeling so incredibly alone all the time.

    "The outside is all I've ever known. I don't remember how I got here," she says with a wry smile. She offers no further explanation, for there really wasn't much else to say. Briseis was always under the impression that she and her stories would seem so dull in comparison to everything the residents of this place have witnessed. Just by the horn on her head, it's clear that Kagerus herself has led a far more colorful life than the plain black mare.

    Her two fairly small ears swivel as she listens to the description of Hyaline, and her head tilts thoughtfully. 'Light-neutral' was a peculiar description for her. She wasn't sure if she classified as such a thing, or what that even entailed. Her eyes wander to survey the somewhat desolate field, and she thinks back on her previous fruitless ventures. The cavern of solitude was threatening to swallow her whole, and Briseis is sure she doesn't want to deal with it anymore. "I would like to see it, if it's not too much trouble." At this point, she has nothing to lose.

    briseis.
    you’re ripped at every edge but you’re a masterpiece


    You don't have to reply if you don't want, I'll just post her there whenever I get the chance Smile
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