01-22-2019, 12:17 AM
<link href='https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Quicksand:300' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'> <style type="text/css"> .naia_container { position: relative; z-index: 1; background: #1c1d16; width: 600px; padding: 0 0 0 0; border: solid 1px #000; box-shadow: 0px 0px 10px 1px #000; } .naia_container p { margin: 0; } .naia_name { position: absolute; z-index: 10; color: #717969; width: 100%; bottom: 40px; left: 10px; text-align: left; font: 100px 'Quicksand', sans-serif; text-transform: uppercase; text-shadow: 0px 0px 10px #000; } .naia_image { position: relative; z-index: 4; width: 600px; } .naia_text { position: relative; z-index: 6; width: 560px; border: solid 1px #717969; background-color: #00000050; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: -150px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 10px 1px #000; } .naia_message { position: relative; font: 12px 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: justify; color: #717969; padding: 30px; line-height: 1.3em; } .naia_quote { text-align: center; color: #717969; font: 12px 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: 800; line-height: 1.5em; padding-top: 30px; } </style> <center> <div class="naia_container"> <div class="naia_text"> <p class="naia_quote">it's a guarantee that he won't forget me. <br>my body little, my soul heavy.</p> <p class="naia_message">“Let’s take the path to the left,” she murmurs to Jesper, typically mechanical voice firm with decision. The fox nods his head and follows, soft pads a gentle opposite to the rocky clop of Naia’s hooves. “Good luck,” she tosses back over her shoulder, denying the worry that wants so desperately to change her tone.
The walls are just tall enough to house the equines and so clear blue that the two year old thinks they may be playing tricks on her. She keeps her head erect and eyes observant. The only straying from their path she allows is an occasional glance at her fox companion. Naia offers no conversation; instead, she falls into her stony disposition and thinks for once this puts her at an advantage: no menacing beast may sneak up on them.
Every inch of the tunnel’s walls is the same: mirroresque and near-confusing, reflections of the two and white lights toying with the girl’s vision. She shakes her head a miniscule amount, snorting and faltering in step. Her gait stops, head drooping to peer at Jesper. “Do you think we’ve been walking for too long? It’s been a while . . .” There is no telling the right direction, forcing Naia to wonder if they took the wrong path. Should they turn back? Worried brown eyes search the fox’s canine ones.
Out of the corner of her eye, the appaloosa sees the wall shimmer and jive. The second is just long enough - the creature is much faster than the horrified whip of Naia’s head. She breathes out heavily, the noise almost a hiss. Before the two travelers is a sphinx of the material that surrounds them, solid and yet fluid, grinning and whispering riddles over and over again. Before she even registers the creature, the warrior moves a single muscular leg in front of Jesper. It is no insult, merely instinct to protect the man in his smaller form. The disconcerting whip of her tail overpowers the utterings of the mythic, rhythmic with irritation stemming from fear.
You ssssseek ssssomething, yessss?
The voice is neither masculine or feminine, nor is it spoken aloud. Naia cocks her head.
I sssssee many who ssssseek, few who ssssuccccceed. But I am no evil creature, I assssk only one thing of thossssse who passssss through my protected territoriesssss: ansssswer a riddle, jusssst one.
A loud gulp echoes between the three, followed by a bemused chuckle from the Sphinx.
No need to fear, girl, I do not wisssssh to hurt you; and I refusssse to, if you ansssswer correctly. Are you ready, child? I will not wait all day for an anssswer, and the second my riddle finisssshessss the clock will sssstart ticking. Oh, and I sssssee your thoughtssss asssss they panic.
Naia shifts uncomfortably, forcing her escape plan from her mind.
Know that you cannot turn back now, the only way is forward.
The clear gaze of the girl steels with determination: “Go on, then.” Her eyes are defiant as she glares at the creature that has raised the ceiling to tower above them.
It laughs again, rich and menacing. I do like when they feel more than fear. You cannot fathom how boring it issss for mosssst to run away upon laying eyessss on me. Now, for your riddle. Let me ssssift through my favoritesssss. The Sphinx mimes the facial expressions of one with too many decisions. Ah, there we are. My favorite. It hassss been sssso long that I cannot resssissst.
The ominous smile the creature possesses terrifies Naia like nothing she has seen in her two years. It places one crystal blue paw in front of her, retracting the claw she only now realizes it had flexed.
What hassssss a head, a tail, isssss brown, and hassssss no legs?
Naia gawks, having absolutely no idea what the answer is. She casts one more look down to her companion only to find he hasn’t a clue either. Slowly, she returns her gaze to the sphinx, instinctively cowering into the wall.
It laughs now, a disturbing rumble that echoes and grows as the seconds pass. Over and over again it passes down the path, forcing the two to flinch further toward the ground. It knows what it has done: drawn on its endless knowledge of universes, finding an answer the equines of Beqanna would know nothing of.
You don’t know, do you? It cackles, throwing its humanoid head back. I bet you would like to know. With each question its eyes grow more crazed. Naia finds quickly that she should have turned back, knows that its talk of peace was a deception to draw them in.
A penny! Its eyes stretch to an alien size. A penny, you sssssilly children! It giggles, inching closer.
Naia turns to look at the fox before uttering, “I -”
The sphinx lurches forward.</p> </div> <img class="naia_image" src="https://i.postimg.cc/rwRFPhQb/naia.png"> <div class="naia_name">Naia</div> </div> </center>
@[Jesper] hi feel free to powerplay naia with whatever you need in your post
The walls are just tall enough to house the equines and so clear blue that the two year old thinks they may be playing tricks on her. She keeps her head erect and eyes observant. The only straying from their path she allows is an occasional glance at her fox companion. Naia offers no conversation; instead, she falls into her stony disposition and thinks for once this puts her at an advantage: no menacing beast may sneak up on them.
Every inch of the tunnel’s walls is the same: mirroresque and near-confusing, reflections of the two and white lights toying with the girl’s vision. She shakes her head a miniscule amount, snorting and faltering in step. Her gait stops, head drooping to peer at Jesper. “Do you think we’ve been walking for too long? It’s been a while . . .” There is no telling the right direction, forcing Naia to wonder if they took the wrong path. Should they turn back? Worried brown eyes search the fox’s canine ones.
Out of the corner of her eye, the appaloosa sees the wall shimmer and jive. The second is just long enough - the creature is much faster than the horrified whip of Naia’s head. She breathes out heavily, the noise almost a hiss. Before the two travelers is a sphinx of the material that surrounds them, solid and yet fluid, grinning and whispering riddles over and over again. Before she even registers the creature, the warrior moves a single muscular leg in front of Jesper. It is no insult, merely instinct to protect the man in his smaller form. The disconcerting whip of her tail overpowers the utterings of the mythic, rhythmic with irritation stemming from fear.
You ssssseek ssssomething, yessss?
The voice is neither masculine or feminine, nor is it spoken aloud. Naia cocks her head.
I sssssee many who ssssseek, few who ssssuccccceed. But I am no evil creature, I assssk only one thing of thossssse who passssss through my protected territoriesssss: ansssswer a riddle, jusssst one.
A loud gulp echoes between the three, followed by a bemused chuckle from the Sphinx.
No need to fear, girl, I do not wisssssh to hurt you; and I refusssse to, if you ansssswer correctly. Are you ready, child? I will not wait all day for an anssswer, and the second my riddle finisssshessss the clock will sssstart ticking. Oh, and I sssssee your thoughtssss asssss they panic.
Naia shifts uncomfortably, forcing her escape plan from her mind.
Know that you cannot turn back now, the only way is forward.
The clear gaze of the girl steels with determination: “Go on, then.” Her eyes are defiant as she glares at the creature that has raised the ceiling to tower above them.
It laughs again, rich and menacing. I do like when they feel more than fear. You cannot fathom how boring it issss for mosssst to run away upon laying eyessss on me. Now, for your riddle. Let me ssssift through my favoritesssss. The Sphinx mimes the facial expressions of one with too many decisions. Ah, there we are. My favorite. It hassss been sssso long that I cannot resssissst.
The ominous smile the creature possesses terrifies Naia like nothing she has seen in her two years. It places one crystal blue paw in front of her, retracting the claw she only now realizes it had flexed.
What hassssss a head, a tail, isssss brown, and hassssss no legs?
Naia gawks, having absolutely no idea what the answer is. She casts one more look down to her companion only to find he hasn’t a clue either. Slowly, she returns her gaze to the sphinx, instinctively cowering into the wall.
It laughs now, a disturbing rumble that echoes and grows as the seconds pass. Over and over again it passes down the path, forcing the two to flinch further toward the ground. It knows what it has done: drawn on its endless knowledge of universes, finding an answer the equines of Beqanna would know nothing of.
You don’t know, do you? It cackles, throwing its humanoid head back. I bet you would like to know. With each question its eyes grow more crazed. Naia finds quickly that she should have turned back, knows that its talk of peace was a deception to draw them in.
A penny! Its eyes stretch to an alien size. A penny, you sssssilly children! It giggles, inching closer.
Naia turns to look at the fox before uttering, “I -”
The sphinx lurches forward.</p> </div> <img class="naia_image" src="https://i.postimg.cc/rwRFPhQb/naia.png"> <div class="naia_name">Naia</div> </div> </center>
@[Jesper] hi feel free to powerplay naia with whatever you need in your post