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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


    Oh, what fickle flame {Lupei}
    #1
    Please don't post until after I've posted Lupei! Smile

    Tiberios leaves the Falls because he doesn’t know how much longer he can stand to be within them. That incessant crashing of water only serves as a reminder of how far he’s come from what he envisioned to begin with. He thought he could do great things, he thought he could change the Falls. He’d been wrong. He was just a horse, in the end, just a horse with half his body burnt to a crisp and a golden blaze to remind him of his true origins. A stallion, born of a shape-shifting mare and an Angel. Who was he to be king?

    Well they could have it back - the kingdom, the crown, the Falls. They could take their ancient traditions and keep them in some glass case until they dissolved into dust. He was through with trying to be the best he could be for no reason at all. In the end, all that had really mattered to him was Talulah. Her presence in his life has been a guiding light - the one small matter of truth and reality that he could grasp to when all else seemed to fade away.

    The silver mare who was now pregnant with his child.

    A smile causes his lips to turn upwards, and the infectious thought sends a chill through his body. Talulah - finally his to claim. All the time they had wasted trying to tiptoe around their feelings and now it was open for him to explore and appreciate. Of course, he’d always held the hope that they’d be together eventually, the timing had just been wrong on all accounts. This was, happily, not the case anymore. The sand that causes his hooves to sink is relaxing on his joints, and Tiberios enjoys the calming effect of the ocean. It’s been awhile since he’s seen the vast expanse of water, in fact the last time he was here had been his birth. Miraposa had died to bring him to life and her bones had lain to rest beneath the waves somewhere, where countless others also rested.

    His eyes dance curiously over the rounded waves, mind filtering slowly through his life. He’s come a long way, still there’s more to experience. He’s learned, he’s loved, and he’s given everything to see others succeed. He could even say that in some fashion, he’s happy with how things have turned out. Tiberios wasn’t meant to rule. He was meant to live and love Talulah, and that was what the painted man was deciding to do from here on out. The gulls above him offer a poignant cry and he inhales the saline breeze. In the solitude of the moment another sound catches his attention - a guttoral, unholy snarl that sends his eyes away from the peaceful scene of the ocean and back to the shore, where a curious-looking horse is standing.

    Perhaps, if Tiberios could have seen into the future, he would’ve still made the choice to see what was going on. Maybe, just maybe, he would’ve turned away and left his imminent death behind him. There’s no way to know. The only thing that is certain, is that the sabino turned and walked away from the lull of the sea to investigate just what was occurring farther up the shore and inevitably walked right into his own demise.

    The horse, as it turned out, was another stallion. Young, a rival of even Tiphon’s ethereal beauty, and boasting a coat of pale green that bled into teal. He was bent, it seemed, doubled over with his long neck stretched to the sand. His mouth was open, and he was … hacking? up some sort of black mass. Tiberios was less eager now to approach, and his forehead wrinkled in the manner that only someone who is equally bereft of knowledge and still terrified could manage. He perceived then just exactly what the blue-green stallion was hacking over - a rotted corpse of some horse long gone. Usually, Tiberios would have considered a more optimistic approach, but these days anger clouded his judgement, and instead of making himself known, he lunged forward, teeth bared to nip the coltish horse on the rump for his desecration of the body.

    “Stop that!” He commanded, amber eyes wide with fury that such a disgusting thing could occur right out in the open.

    And in the moment before his death, Tiberios still thought he was just doing the right thing.

    Tiberios

    king of the falls


    Reply
    #2

    lupei

    What the truth is, I can't say anymore

    The right thing isn’t always the best thing. That’s why Lupei is out here scrounging over a dead body, rather than being back at home in the Chamber (where he should be) chasing rabbits. At first, the hunger for meat hadn’t really been all that hard to ignore. Eat some grass here - forget about it. Chew on some bark there - forget about it. But then, it was a progressive thing that gnawed on his insides and kept him awake at night. He’d spend hours staring at the ground underneath him, contemplating the real efficiency of grass at all, and then he’d gobble up some insect or other because, well, the body wants what the body wants. The wavering crescendo of his strange appetite had come to it’s peak when he and Astri had been together and naturally they’d been bickering. His attitude had gone sour the longer he’d had to deal with the curdling stomachaches, and her constant bitching wasn’t doing much to help it out, so he’d let his anger get the better of him and in a moment of fury he’d shifted his mouth and bit her on the shoulder.

    In shock, she’d told him about his trait. The wolf-shifting, and how he’d probably gotten it from his father, a nameless magician. As pissed as he’d been about that, it hadn’t stopped how incredibly … satisfying the tang of her raw blood had been. He’d taken his time to roll his tongue over his teeth and the roof his mouth to savor every last drop. In that moment, they both knew they couldn’t deny the real animal that lurked somewhere deep within him - and so it had been her suggestion to head to the beach and scrounge over a carcass so that he could pacify the creature for a while.

    So I guess, if you really wanted to lay the blame, you could put it on the little green chamber mare.

    That’s not to say that Lupei isn’t responsible for what happened, because he completely is, it’s just that after everything was said and done, he’d rather place the blame on his mother’s shoulders than his own. Either way, he’d gone to the beach and he’d wandered around a bit, trying his best to catch one of those annoying gulls in his snapping jaws, and then he’d come across the corpse.

    It wasn’t really much of a body anymore. No true face or discerning features. Just a hunk of rotting meat, lying there nearly frozen in the sand. He’d stood over it for a while, thought about what he was doing, and then decided that it was the lesser of two evils and began to heartily chow down. At first - it had been hard, gnawing through the icy muscle with his ill-equipped teeth, but then instinct took over and he felt his whole body tremble before making his first ever complete shift. The creature that had been growing inside of him this whole time was a wolf, black as sin and filled with hunger. He’d engorged himself, and then like all things that eat far too much when presented with a proper meal, he’d shifted back from being sick and began to attempt to hack up the dead flesh he’d already consumed.

    That was almost more of a nightmare than eating the dead horse had been.

    When Tiberios made his appearance (one that Lupei hadn’t even noticed because he’d been so preoccupied with voiding his stomach) the greenish stallion was almost through with the ordeal, and still hungry. Off his guard and completely unaware of what was about to occur, Lupei was almost as shocked by what happened as Tiberios was. The nip came down hard, an electric jolt shot through Lupei’s body, and in the blink of an eye he was wolf again, yelping and twisting and then on top of the older stallion, jaws clamped frighteningly hard around the throat of the sabino.

    Now, to be fair, Lupei had no idea who he was. The two had never seen each other before and they’d certainly never heard of each other. So how was he supposed to know that what he was doing was wrong? It was almost entirely the fault of the attacker. You see one horse eating another, you don’t sneak up on them, common sense, right? But what happened, happened and as soon as it was over it was almost completely wiped from Lupei’s mind. One second he was standing over a rotted corpse, the next second, a fresh one. He heaves from the exertion of his act, lumbers back a few steps on bloody paws, and surveys his work. The limp body of the spotted stallion is lathered in his own sweat, mixed with the still-warm blood that’s pouring in sickening amounts from the garish, open wound in his neck.

    Despite the situation, Lupei is proud. It’d been a quick death. Skillful almost. He smiles a wolfish grin and circles the kill, sniffing here, licking there. A noise, some rustle in the distance, causes his head to snap up and suddenly he thinks of what the others will see.

    Not good.

    With a surprising burst of energy, Lupei dives at the upturned belly, ripping into the horse and consuming what he can. The hunger that had so long maddened him grew quiet. He feasted his way past the ribs, gripping on to something fleshy and rendering it free. It’s the stallion’s heart, and with the tactless manner of a victor he swallows it - every last bit. His mouth felt like it was on fire and his gut twisted in agonizing pain, but he whined and shuddered and continued past the feelings to finish his work.

    When he was done, the stallion was nothing more than tattered ribbons and spilled innards, nothing left to identify him by besides the glittering bits of his face that were scattered in the sand. Lupei was exhausted, and this exhaustion shifted him back to the horse he was known by. Night had begun to creep just over the edge of the sea when the newly-born killer turned his back on the scene of the crime and weakly began his journey home.

    Reply
    #3
    Here lies Tiberios. Son of a king, once Lord of the Dale, King of the Falls.
    He loved Shatter Me
    He loved Talulah
    Father of many, known only by his eldest, Tyrna, and his first son, Khalis.
    Troubled, broken, re-born.

    To Shatter Me: I should have been the person you wanted. You gave everything to me, and I gave almost nothing back in return. I'm sorry - but I know that won't suffice. Find your happiness now, without me to cloud your judgement.

    To Talulah: Love transcends all boundaries, and that's how I'll remember ours. I will always be with you, in the eyes of my father, in the gold of my siblings, in the blood of our children. You were, and always have been, the only match for my flame.

    To the Dale: You were home.
    To the Falls: You were something I tried to fix, that didn't want me.

    To Tyrna: You're more like me than you realize. I'm sorry I was never the father I should have been. I'll keep watch over you, though I doubt you'll need it.

    To Khalis: My beloved son, always keep our time together close at heart.

    To the unborn: Listen to your mothers, they were wiser than I could have ever been.

    To Ramiel: The only sibling I knew, the brother I never deserved. Hope to see you around some time in the afterlife Wink

    And finally, to Tiphon: You were my idol, my world, my protector and the only tie I had to my mother. Thank you for always being the Angel I never appreciated.

    Reply
    #4
    Tiberios, I am so sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't enough for you. I'm sorry I wasn't a good enough mother to our children. I'm sorry I was so weak in the end. 

    Maybe if I had been stronger, or loved you more, things could have been different. I feel like my heart has been ripped apart a second time, but I fear I'm to much of a coward to follow you.

    I have always loved you and I always will. I know I was never what you wanted but I hope that you found at least a little peace in the Falls with me and our son. I know I will see you again soon enough. I hope that you find the happiness that always seemed just out of reach for you.

    You'll always be my forever love even if I wasn't yours.
    Reply
    #5
    I can't believe you fucking left me again.

    I guess this time you didn't have much choice but, fuck dad. We finally had a chance and now you're gone

    I'll miss you as much as I could miss anyone who never gave a shit. You're still my father and I suppose that counts for something.

    I can't forgive you for breaking mom but I can forgive you for leaving me. Whenever I find you again we really need to have that talk.

    I love you pops. I know you'll be alright if I'm any indicator of your side of the family.
    Reply
    #6
    Tiberios,
    I love you, son. I can't even fathom how distraught this makes me. Losing you, my own child and my memory of Mariposa, will drive me to the brink of disaster. It makes me regret my immortal existence because the hardest thing to experience is losing a child.

    May you rest in peace, son, and know that I have always cared for you.

    Love your father,
    Tiphon
    Reply
    #7
    I'll never forgive myself. I was never the member I should have been. I am so sorry. Tiberios, I loved what you did as king. You did a great job. My heart breaks for you and your family. But, if your the Tiberios I knew briefly, you'll make it. Hey, even tell me what its like on the other side!

    ~Chezter.
    ~Horses
    ~Are
    ~Miracles
    ~Staying
    ~True
    ~Every
    ~Risk
    Reply
    #8
    I'm sorry for pestering you that day. For not realizing our kingdoms weren't allied. I wish we had met on better terms. If its ok with you, I'll name my next foal after you. You and Shatter Me. The royals of the falls. Look forward to seeing you on the other side. ?
    Reply
    #9
    Brother,

    I regret allowing my own prejudices to hold our relationship back for so long. I am proud to be your brother and grateful for the short time we had to get to know one another.

    Watch for me on the shores. It won't be long before we see each other again and pick up where we left off.

    - Ramiel
    Reply
    #10
    Tiberios,

    Our love was a fire that breathed and burned, healed and hurt all at once. You melted me in ways both terrible and terrifying. Only you could boil my blood and leave me wanting more. Only you could rend the stars from their place in the sky and cross the constellations for us. You were a half of my heart - the searing white alongside the golden light - and now I am lessened. I'll think of you for all of eternity and miss you even longer.

    Love,
    Talulah
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