paperboat
Yearling
Alias KesiLegend
Posts: 249
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Post by paperboat on Aug 30, 2012 12:14:55 GMT -5
((Sure, go ahead! yay bad guys!)) The flies were becoming more than irritating for the stallion. He stamped his hind leg with annoyance and whisked his tail around his flanks like a thing possessed, wheeling to the side and flicked his ears back. "Ugh, these flies are worse than normal", he grunted, smacking his tail again to further show his anger and distaste. He looked behind him and felt a little bit of pity for the smaller stallion. His tail was clearly unsuitable to fend off the winged pests, and Vester had never had to deal with such a thing. Then he smelt it. He stood rigid, ears suddenly pricked forwards to seek out any sound coming from around them. "I smell it too", he said quickly and quietly, and he smacked his tail against his flanks again. It seeped into his nostrils and rendered him feeling slightly sickly. Death. Yet more death.
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lemuria
Foal
In Somnis Veritas
Posts: 78
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Post by lemuria on Aug 31, 2012 0:30:15 GMT -5
"..... " Taro stood frozen in place, shifting his ears. The very atmosphere had changed and not only because of the smell.
"They where here... you can feel it in the air" he said quietly, the scent was driving him crazy, he snorted and without warning, galloped straight toward the sharp vegetation, straying away from the path Vester had lead him trough.
He ignored the pain of the thorns and branches but did his best to evade the larger plants, he didn't care about the pain or the pieces of dead vegetation sticking to his thick mane or the blood some thorns had drawn in some places, he kept on going, nimbly evading the bigger plants at a pace no one would expect from a pony.
He halted just in front of the source of the smell, his eyes widened in fear... a dead pony lay before them, Taro approached the corpse and gave a sigh of relief... the pony's coat was dapple grey, it was not him... Flies buzzed around the decaying, half-eaten body but everything was completely silent... there where no signs of a fight, no smell or tracks from predators... the atmosphere was heavy and there was this lingering feeling of being constantly watched...
"This is it... this is where they appeared, they are not done with their meal, that means they will show up again" he turned around to see if Vester had followed him.
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paperboat
Yearling
Alias KesiLegend
Posts: 249
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Post by paperboat on Sept 2, 2012 8:14:26 GMT -5
Vester watched calmly as the other male suddenly charged off the beaten path, and slowly meandered around the tougher parts in his wake. He was clearly bothered about something, but Vester had assumed it was merely the smell of death; having lived here for a while he had seen the worst of it and smelt death very often. But he scolded himself for being so naive; Taro had seen death just as much as he had. The stallion moved through the bush and stopped as they came upon the corpse of a pony. Vester's coat twitched in discomfort.
He walked around the body of the unfortunate pony thoughtfully, an ear flicked back. "I should have noticed that it was in my territory", he said with a murmur. "This is...most strange..." He leant his head down to the corpse, trying to ignore the stench of death and decay, and looked it over. "This isn't the work of mere coyotes or wolves", he said finally, looking back to Taro. "This really is the work of demons, isn't it?" He looked up at the sky and inhaled some fresher air. "You're right, they won't be far." He flicked his tail closer to his companion to aid him in batting away some flies. He wasn't a compassionate stallion, but he thought the pony deserved to be free of the pests.
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lemuria
Foal
In Somnis Veritas
Posts: 78
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Post by lemuria on Sept 3, 2012 0:19:17 GMT -5
"No, it's perfectly normal you didn't notice, it wasn't there before, corpses mauled by demons decay quicker than usual.. they where, indeed, demons, they travel and carry their prey trough paths that can't be seen or heard" Taro said while watching the pony, he felt tense, unnerved by the unusual aura of the place but he kept his stance calm and turned to look at Vester, thankful for his help with the flies "Thank you for leading me here, I shall wait for them here, they should appear after sunset, when the moon is high"
He took one last glance at the dead pony, he felt sorry for it but knew it would be best to leave it untouched, judging by the damage done to the corpse, he knew the battle won't be easy but he was willing to risk his own life for his son "you have helped me get closer to finding my son, thank you" he bowed "you may leave now if you like, you don't need to risk yourself in a battle that doesn't belong to you" he didn't mean to sound rude and he would definitely be thankful if a powerful ally could aid him, but he didn't want to risk somebody else's life for his own affairs.
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paperboat
Yearling
Alias KesiLegend
Posts: 249
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Post by paperboat on Sept 3, 2012 10:18:25 GMT -5
Vester looked back at the corpse wordlessly, digesting the information given him by the smaller male. The world of demons and superstition wasn't usually a world he dared stray into, but it seemed that this time it had come to him instead. He lifted his head up to the sky and sought out the Sun. Seeing that it was only just beginning to dip down downwards from its midday height. He'd slept in for longer than he'd realised, it seemed.
Vester nodded his head in appreciation as the other horse bowed, but he made no attempt to leave. "By the looks of that victim over there, you'll need all the help you can get", he said softly and in such a way it didn't sound offensive, merely a matter of fact. "Besides", he said, looking back to the body of the pony, "You wouldn't be keeping me from anything. I might as well stay and help you. I haven't fought in a while, and sometimes you begin to crave it." He rippled with discomfort at the thought, but it was true. His last battle had been little over a year ago now, and he was spoiling for something to get his heart pumping and limbs pulsing again.
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lemuria
Foal
In Somnis Veritas
Posts: 78
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Post by lemuria on Sept 4, 2012 0:15:24 GMT -5
Taro looked at Vester in the eye for a while and smiled "I see... I can't deny you the right to fight again, you are welcome to join me, if it's battle you are carving then you will not be disappointed" ...his own son had carved war once. "if I cannot find my son, then I swear by my master's honor I'll avenge him" he pressed his ears against his skull and snorted fiercely.
he took one last glance at the dead pony "we should move away from here and remain hidden until the time comes, surprise is always an advantage." he was not sure they could even surprise demons but it was worth a try
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paperboat
Yearling
Alias KesiLegend
Posts: 249
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Post by paperboat on Sept 5, 2012 9:51:32 GMT -5
Vester offered him another rare, grim smile. "I suppose it's just the way I was raised. If you're born a soldier you die one, it never really leaves your blood." Vester snorted and looked back to the body. If this pony's son was involved in something with these demons, then he didn't really hold up much hope for the poor soul. But he had to remain optimistic to some extent; if avenging was to be done, he would gladly invite himself in on the carnage.
He nodded simply at the pony's suggestion. "We could always go back to where I'm staying at the moment, it's safe and not only has a good range of sight but is hidden rather well too." He flicked his tail and pointed his muzzle towards the cliff face. "We would know if something was returning here."
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lemuria
Foal
In Somnis Veritas
Posts: 78
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Post by lemuria on Sept 5, 2012 22:03:27 GMT -5
Taro smiled back "yes, I know what you mean...." he tought back to his fighting days, the thrill of battle, the honor of carrying his master and working for a greater prupose, the sence of pride when he defeated someone larger than him. "my father was a soldier, so was my grandfather and those before him"
he walked to the largere male's side "lead the way" he was not the talkative type so he waited for Vester to move first without saying another word.
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paperboat
Yearling
Alias KesiLegend
Posts: 249
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Post by paperboat on Sept 6, 2012 13:55:52 GMT -5
Vester listened to the smaller male's talk idly, his ears still alert for any other noises. Finding they were safe- for now- he answered, "I was the first of my family. I suppose you'd say I wanted to prove myself." The thought of it all was still rather...raw and fresh to his mind, despite it being many years ago, but he did miss his family. Just a little bit. Even his father, who had irritated him to no end. It wasn't as though he would be able to return to them now, though...not like this...
He lowered his head and nodded at Taro's words, glad to have an excuse to rid his mind of such thoughts, and began to walk away leisurely, his dusky legs making the pale ground seem even more bleak. He pushed through the thicket with ease and the wind, again, began to pick up, though it seemed to swirl about the scarred stallion like Vester himself was its epicentre. He broke into a lazy trot and the wind seemed to get fiercer, the thicket beginning to crack under its violence.
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lemuria
Foal
In Somnis Veritas
Posts: 78
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Post by lemuria on Sept 6, 2012 22:39:35 GMT -5
just like Hayate... Taro though, that restless spirit was what had gotten him into this... he couldn't help it, the young pony had blood from warriors on both sides and these where times of peace, it was not easy for him to cope with farm work when a fighting spirit blazed trough his veins.
He trotted besides vester, his mane swirling around his head, he had to shake every now and then to keep his thick forelock out of his eyes. This unknown place sure had strange wind patterns, still he said nothing and continued to follow Vester trough the thicket.
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paperboat
Yearling
Alias KesiLegend
Posts: 249
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Post by paperboat on Sept 7, 2012 5:37:18 GMT -5
Vester looked behind him and saw that the wind was proving irritating for his companion, and as he turned back he muttered a quick, "Sorry for the gale. Can't seem to shake it nowadays." He used to be able to, but since he had stopped fighting the power had built up within him and longed to burst out with a vengeance. Vester had to keep it contained, though; he didn't know what these demons were, but maybe it would be helpful. He dropped back down to a walk as they reached a rather steep incline, and he nodded his head at the walkway. "My home is at the top. Think you can get up here?" He knew the path was treacherous at the best of times, and maybe a smaller horse would find it difficult. But then again, Taro was full of surprises...
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lemuria
Foal
In Somnis Veritas
Posts: 78
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Post by lemuria on Sept 8, 2012 0:49:30 GMT -5
Taro turned sharply as Vester mentioned the gale "you mean you're actually doing this?" he glanced at the broken vegetation around them "the wind, you can command the wind?" he looked at Vester in the eye, unable to hide his amazement.
Taro looked upwards "no problem" he pulled himself uphill, it was easy to find small crevices between the rocks for his small hoofs, he climbed a few feet... then the ground gave in and he slipped... he fell backwards and landed in an awkward sitting pose, he got up quickly and shook the dust off his coat, he snorted a few times and sighed "I'm not so young anymore, I can climb but it will take a while"
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paperboat
Yearling
Alias KesiLegend
Posts: 249
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Post by paperboat on Sept 8, 2012 10:05:58 GMT -5
Vester looked Taro in the eye and nodded carefully. "Yes. Though I'd say it was more like I have wind sympathy. I can't command all wind, but wind flocks to me", he explained, tossing his head and making the wind slowly lessen. "It's powerful magic, you'd say it was a side effect." He stopped then, feeling the sinking sense that he had said too much, and began to climb up the incline, his hooves worn but used to the difficult climb. He looked back at the other horse and waited patiently until he struggled up to his level. "We have the time. But I can help, if you need it." As he spoke, the wind began to gently swirl around the pony's hocks and cushioned him to prevent any backwards slipping. Vester did all this wordlessly, but he continued to watch Taro with interest. He was a determined little horse, alright.
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lemuria
Foal
In Somnis Veritas
Posts: 78
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Post by lemuria on Sept 9, 2012 14:25:50 GMT -5
The old gelding climbed after Vester steadily, the wind was making it easier to hold on, even if he had no problem finding firm footing due to his small hoofs, it was not easy for him to know which parts could support his weight, he slipped a few times but didn't fall again. "Well, whatever it is, it's impressive" he nodded "no wonder your home is so high up, it is just as you said, a good vantage point, like a falcon's nest" both his hind legs slipped and he had to jump forward to avoid falling.
Once he caught up with Vester he took a quick glance down and quickly regretted it... he turned around sharply and shook his head. "You can see lights when demons are close, men call them foxfire, those that follow them end up lost or dead... if we see them, we should head down once they fade, we may be able to surprise them then" He turned to look at Vester and said with a serious tone "this fight may not be like anything you have ever seen... demons will play with your mind, they can change the way they look and smell, don't hesitate, no matter what. There is always something that gives them away, something they can't hide, no matter how hard they try" he looked down once more and shifted his weight to better adjust his footing.
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paperboat
Yearling
Alias KesiLegend
Posts: 249
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Post by paperboat on Sept 10, 2012 8:01:47 GMT -5
Vester let a slightly more genuine smile cross his features and nodded, reaching the highest point an equine could go and leaping onto the flat ground. His hooves, worn from the climbing, resisted somewhat as he landed, but he soon regained his foothold and turned back to watch Taro. He didn't seem that far behind now. "Home is where you make it", he said, "and I just know the best spots."
He listened to the other horse carefully and looked down at the expanse of plain and grasses stretched out before them like a map of the world. The wind picked up once more and whipped his mane back from his face, the stallion becoming an icon dwelling in the bosom of the largest mountain in the area. "Fox fire...I have heard of such things, but only in stories", he said, turning back to Taro. "Seeing as you're the expert, Taro, I shall follow your lead, if you're willing to give it." He sighed at Taro's following warning and turned his head to the sun, inhaling deeply and feeling the scents of the earth envelope his senses and snare his inhibitions. "I come into this fight knowing they are demons. I'm not surprised that they have tricks up their sleeves." He opened his eyes and turned back to his cave, his hooves resounding through its depths as he called over his shoulder, "and I have nothing in which they can tempt me. Come inside, out of the weather."
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