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Post by BRONZE on Mar 21, 2012 23:38:57 GMT -5
As night’s darkness set in overhead in the lands called Rahn’akke, and the full moon illuminated the territory, all was quiet and still. These lands, normally so vibrant and bustling with activity, had an eerie and almost peaceful aura about them, for something new was taking place. A new chapter was being written in the chronicles of the herd’s history. And this all began with one single, solitary horse, whose name was Bronze. She was a horse unlike any other that had come here before, and there would never be another after her. The Friesian mare had come to make a new life for herself, and on this night she did just that.
Bronze had recently come upon the lands after a year and a half of traveling alone. She was merely two and a half when she left her first and only other herd she’d belonged to. There was an altercation that occurred after the death of Bronze’s father, and she no longer was welcome in that place. Her father’s death that was her fault…all her fault. The bloodied corpse that was once him was permanently engrained in Bronze’s mind, no matter how hard she tried to shake it. A Cougar took her by surprise when she was a filly, and it all went downhill from there. She wore the scars on her dark black coat as a constant reminder of that day. The mare was just now able to climb out of the pit she’d been in. And there would be plenty more to come, that Bronze was sure of.
The Friesian equine had arrived late in the Rahn’akke lands around sunset, and she ascertained all she could about the lands very quickly. Within minutes, she saw that there were a few mongrels hanging around here like her, ones that had little to no soul whatsoever left inside of them. And she’d felt right at home with them too. That year or so alone had corrupted her mind, telling her things that she was forced to believe. Her thoughts were her only friends and lifelines, for she trusted no one near her at this point. How could she? The ones that she’d loved and cared about so much in the past had turned away from her. They blamed her, berated her, and more importantly they made her an outcast. Bronze stayed until she could take it no longer. She was fed up with their petty antics, and she left.
As she’d walked into these lands her mind said to her, ’Lookie here what we’ve found. We would be comfortable here. This is where we belong. That place before, they cared not for us at all once their minds were made up. But we will make a name for ourselves here, we will make these ones care,’ it hissed in the mare’s head. Bronze flicked her ears on her head, and a short smile crossed her features. Rahn’akke. That name sounded so very good to her. However, it wasn’t long before Bronze ran into something that absolutely shook her up.
After she’d completed her initial inspection of the land, the mare went looking for a tasty morsel to call her own. The thought of tasting iron-like blood in her mouth made her salivate profusely. She was no mere herbivore, rather one that seeks out the lifeblood of another. A carnivore. Bronze wandered through the lands until she came upon a more secluded spot. The lass caught a glimpse of sandy brown fur farther ahead, and her almond brown eyes lit up expectantly. Bronze’s shoulders rocked back and forth within their sockets and a low grunt of tainted happiness was produced. The mare stalked closer and closer towards the other creature until she was within viewing distance, and what she saw stopped her dead in her tracks. Another one of those wicked creatures lie in waiting. A Cougar. One the demon species that took her father away. It would not live to see another day.
Bronze didn’t hesitate or pause for more than a second, for her instincts drove her forward without her consent. If she didn’t get the upper hand on this beast, it would get to her first. That was not going to happen. A warrior-like screech tore from the throat of the banshee, and her chipped, rounded hooves were upon the cat instantly. There was a clash of paw and hoof, incisors and curved teeth. Each monster had its own weapons that readied it for battle. Normally, this fight would have been on of equal prowess and strength.
However, the mare was equipped with a little more than the big cat. Her pure deep, dark hatred for all of the feline species urged her more and more. Her sheer disgust, hurt, and pain that she’d experienced in the past released in that moment, all at once. Bronze had honestly lost her mind and her actions were involuntary. She slaughtered the Cougar, not feeling her own wounds that it had inflicted. “Die you piece of insignificant, useless life. Your kind killed my father, and I will exterminate every last single one of you for it. You don’t deserve to live. He was a good horse, and sacrificed his life for me. Say your goodbyes, for you will perish at my hand,” Bronze said cruelly in the Cougar’s face.
The mare grabbed the Cougar’s neck in her mouth, and she pulled violently at its vocal chords. A disturbing ‘pop’ was all the mare needed to hear, and she tasted blood. Excellent. She dropped the carcass to the ground, and she rose up onto her hind hooves, slicing the air. Bronze shook her mane and gave an overjoyed whinny of triumph. When she returned to earth, the mare dismembered her enemy, and scattered the remains. Though she wanted meat, there was no way that Bronze was going to eat a Cougar. Then it would become a part of her. As night began to fall on the Rahn’akke lands, Bronze spoke softly the memory of her beloved dad. “Father, I hope that I have done well in your eyes today,” she whispered. “Vengeance was mine, and I did it for you. Be proud father, be proud of your daughter, and please do forgive her…”[/b] Bronze whispered.
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Post by CASTIEL on Apr 11, 2012 7:05:56 GMT -5
Half deranged from lack of... everything, Castiel limped precariously forwards. His head spun and his vision shook as he moved, but he kept on. Don't stop moving. You stop moving and you're dead. A searing pain had begun to well up on the skin on his shoulder, almost as if that little part of him was on fire. Along with the headache, nausea and vertigo - it made for one interesting combination.
When he had first eaten that wretched plant he had thought that this nightmare would be over - but he couldn't have been more wrong. And now he was lost. Hopelessly. There was nothing near him that looked at all familiar, and worse yet - he couldn't find any of those so-called 'miracle cures'. It felt like he had been wandering for days. His throat ached with thirst, but try as he might, he couldn't drink. He'd get through possibly half a sip before the nausea would hit him... Hard.
Wobbling to a halt, Castiel let out a deep sigh. "This must be it." He murmured to himself, closing his eyes slowly. In one last hopeful attempt, he raised his muzzle to the sky and scented the air. Something horrid made him open his eyes. It must be that damned flower! It must be. He launched himself into a trot, instantly regretting the decision as his muscles shot into spasm. His head drooped as he slowed to something just above a crawl. The ground seemed to whizz by him - growing further and then throwing itself back in his face. It was no surprise when he stumbled fell onto his knees, and then his chest. The dead earth below him bit into his skin and tore at his knees. For a hopeless moment he fell to his side and lay motionless, clenching his eyes tightly and wishing for the end of this nightmare.
"Get up. At least have to honor to die standing." His voice was husky and strained, strange even to himself. Carefully, he pulled himself up. His legs trembled as he stood, but he fought through and took a step. And then another. And he was walking again. Slowly, but walking nonetheless.
The scent was getting stronger now. His unstable mind couldn't quite place it yet but his heart kept telling him that it was the flower. The 'cure'. The only thing that would make him well again. But as he stumbled closer, he began to sense something odd. Sniffing the air again, he realized what it was.
Blood.
Carnage. He lifted his heavy head, eyes suddenly alert and ears perked forwards. Before him he could see dark shapes lying scattered on the ground. Thanks to his pathetic vision and the quick falling darkness, he couldn't tell what it was though. Curiosity pushed him onward, and he reached the first dark blotch. It stank. It reeked. But for the life of him he couldn't tell what it was. It just appeared to be some blood piece of jelly. Prodding it with his hoof prompted it to wobble a bit. Oh dear lord it's somethings innards. He jerked his head up, snorting and then taking a sharp breath in.
Whatever had done this was probably still near. Judging by the fact that the wobbly thing was still warm. And Castiel had just given himself away. |
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Post by BRONZE on Apr 13, 2012 12:27:20 GMT -5
Bronze watched as the pitiful excuse for a horse crawled forward as best he could. She saw him stumble and fall, only to pull himself back up. Bronze just barely recognized the scent permeating her nostrils, and knew he wasn’t one of them. He belonged to another herd, for if he was a Rahn’akke the mare would have known it most definitely. She had already taken a quick rundown inventory of all that called this wretched yet beloved place home. The Friesian had surely added to her collection of scars with that encounter with the Cougar, and was in no what presentable, but what did she care? There was a foreign stallion on her newly lands for whatever reason. And Bronze wasn’t one for tea parties and crumpets. She would go forth as she was, rancid drippings and all. The mare hadn’t traveled far from the remaining pieces of the bloodied carcass, for she was trying to figure out what to do with it. She was a carnivorous lot, but there was no way that she was going to ingest one of her most despised enemies. The rotting beast would do well with the Crocodiles she concluded. That would happen in the near future, for the longer the cat stayed there, the more putrid it would get.
Bronze watched the stallion touch and be disgusted by her kill. Her mouth twisted quite sadistically and her brown eyes narrowed. He wouldn’t last a day here, nonetheless until daybreak. Flicking her tail behind her rump, the lass revealed her position, facing the stallion head on and almost hissed at him, “You have five seconds to answer me and answer me straight or you end up like him. What are you doing here? What do you want with my lands?”[/b] Her tone was low and dripped with venom. The lady’s eyes bored into that of her visitor as well. She was merely a hoof step away, and at the snap of a finger, she could be on him like Elmer’s glue. For now though, she hesitated. Bronze was surely the queen of all darkness and had little heart for anyone, but having to dispose of one carcass was bad enough. Two would just be a travesty. Of course now she could just get one of her bonehead herd members to do it.
The mare waited for the answer in reply to her threat, and her patience waxed and waned. She had better things to do than this, and none of her threats were idle. Something did catch her attention though; the fact that the stallion seemed disoriented and weak made her wonder more about his present condition. There was a sudden moment not too long ago when she herself was struck by a massive headache and her vision was horribly distorted. The disease. He had come bringing disease and death upon them all. And the latter was Bronze’s job, not his. In another world, if Bronze had hands and some Lysol, she would be spraying it like crazy all over the place. The mare snorted indignantly and this time she almost growled at him. “Are you a mad man? You’re sicker than a dog. Are you trying to kill my herd? I will not allow it. Take what you want and leave my presence; some of us have already experienced just a taste of what that disease can do. We don’t want more of it!” Those words were mainly in reference to herself, and she could only hope that no one else contracted this.
The inky colored lady pinned her ears on her head but stood bravely in the way. She was no coward, especially now that she was responsible for the lives of others. That thought it seemed so weird and different to her after so many years of traveling all alone. However, Bronze wouldn’t let this stallion get any farther. The herd had instilled their trust in her, and the mare vowed to protect it. Her own vision blurred for the minutest of seconds, but she would stand firm. Their lives, and her own life for that matter, depended on Bronze keeping this stallion as far away from everyone else as possible. The realization daunted the lass as little bit, for she could very well deteriorate to this condition too. She would fight it too as the stag seemed to be. ‘What shall we do with him? He might be the key to unlocking this mystery for us. Shall we chase him away? Kill him? Or would a temporary quarantine be a good option?’ Bronze thought to herself. “Wait a minute. Don’t go. Tell me what you know about your condition.”
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Post by CASTIEL on Apr 25, 2012 9:38:43 GMT -5
He saw her hazy form before him. Darkness. A black mare. He couldn't pick up a scent at all off of this one, as she literally smelled as if she had rolled in the carcass. It occurred to him then that she was the one who had done this, and never before had Castiel come upon a carnivorous horse, let alone a mare. Something flickered in his vision, something darker than she, hovering around her like a parasite. Formless and menacing. Cas took an edgy step back, knowing very well that the action was in vain.
When she spoke her voice boomed in his sensitive ears and rattled around in his head. It took a miracle for him to not shudder and clench his eyes shut.
...my lands.
So not only had Castiel stumbled across a relentless killer, but he had stumbled across a relentless killer, with something terrible attached to her, who just so happened to be ruler of these dead lands. That's a fine mess if he could say so himself.
To be honest - Cas had no idea what he was going to do with himself. He had the strength to possibly answer her, but there was no way he could leave and no way that he could fight, not that he would ever dream of battling the fairer sex. He considered his single option for a little too long, for she spoke again. Louder this time. Accusing him of madness and scorning him for his disease. Stubbornly, she squared herself between him and the vast open space behind them, her auds pinned back on her skull in both a threat and a warning. Cas opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it again. A sound much like whispering was buzzing in the air. Sharp and quick and venomous. It made his hair stand up on end, and in an automatic reaction he stood to his full height and perked his ears forward, but he couldn't make a single word out, and just as quickly as it had come, it was gone again. But then the Queen spoke, not with anger this time but with a commanding interest. Tell me what you know about your condition.
It was odd to be asked of the disease. Nobody had questioned it before. But as it seemed to be his only way out of this situation, he obliged. "My lady, I know not much of what it is that hath befallen me. I know of the unspeakable pain and the way if makes me feel, but nothing more." He was telling the truth. He knew the simple things. 1 - there is a disease. 2 - he has it. 3 - it hurts like hell, and 4 - ...
"But there is a cure." He added quickly. "Or at least I thought it to be the cure. Unfortunately, as you can see..." He was cut off as a volley of painful coughs shook through his body. He could feel a small trickle of blood running from his nostril, and watched it fall and stain the dirt. "It's only temporary."
"Lady I wish I could tell you more of this curse, but my vision is failing me and I need to drink. Please let me pass. Lead me to the water. I will tell you all that I know of this cure once I can speak without pain." His throat ached from lack of moisture and his legs shook as he shrunk back into a slouch. "I sincerely apologise for trespassing." His voice was thin now, strained beyond belief. "My fragile state has led me astray yet again." |
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Post by BRONZE on Apr 25, 2012 17:41:15 GMT -5
Bronze’s patience was reaching the end of its leash quickly as the seconds passed. Her temper wouldn’t hesitate to escalate into furious action within a few more moments. The lass stood near the other horse contemplating her options thoroughly. Something stopped her though, and reigned in her temper. It was as if Bronze had been rhetorically, and violently, jerked sideways. The stallion’s words caught her off guard. Bronze had never heard speech like his in all her life, it was so old timey and ancient to her. However, the inflection and diction weren’t the only thing that fascinated her. What he said made her want to listen. Believe it or not, she was a horse of splotchy wisdom and growing discretion. Her mind was filled with thoughts that not many could perceive accurately, but she was no dummy. The mare vowed not to let this wolf further before because he was a danger to all her people that lived here. But there is a thing called selfishness in the world. There is a greed, a wanting, a yearning even, to end one’s pain even if only momentarily. She wanted more, oh so much more. The mare was bewildered by the emotion that washed over her like waves. A cure? There was a cure for the harping pain that hovered over her like an apparition? A cure for one of the few things that made her vulnerable?
Beauty, eh? Beauty.
It was obvious that the male rather speak quickly than be killed, and luckily his words hadn’t fallen on deaf ears. His information was vital to her, for Bronze didn’t know what was going on really. Her duty was now to protect herself, her herd, and wreak havoc on those that opposed her. She liked that last part. She liked it a lot. The mare closed her brown eyes and sighed softly. She didn’t know if she would regret her next actions, but many lives, including her own, were at stake. If she wanted her reign of terror to last beyond a few months, she would have to bite the bullet and go against her treasured values. He had done what she’d…ahem…requested even if it was to save his own hide as a last resort.
Opening her eyes the Rahn’akke Queen swallowed and bent down to retrieve the carcass at her hooves. She let it hang rather limply over her back before returning her attention the stallion. “This way,” Bronze said merely before trudging deeper into the lands. Her pace was a tiny bit slower than her average one, for this stallion was the closest, most reliable information she could find. If he dropped dead now, it would be back to square one for her. And she didn’t want that, not when she was so close to gleaning more much needed information. How in the heck he was going to navigate the caves without difficulty was beyond the lass. These were the wrong lands to show up in. But if he was willing to put in the effort, she would be the stallion’s guide to the nearest water source. The second that Bronze got what she could out of him though, other escorts would promptly be provided. Bronze’s most recent attack was enough to cripple her for an instant. Bronze didn’t need the severity of this disease to increase further. When she was with the one called Rumpelstiltskin before, she was fortunate that he wasn’t out for blood and power. Otherwise there would be no Rahn’akke Queen at present. There was that physical and emotional attraction there between them and that was it, thank the heavens above.
It seemed like a quick jaunt for Bronze to a discreet location of a fairly nice sized water source hidden within the caves. She gladly threw the carcass off her back and it landed with a pleasing thud. The hissing of reptilian carnivores was another welcome sound to her ears. They would be more interested in a free, dead meal than trying to attack to live ones. Bronze slid into the water, almost grateful to get cleansed of her enemy’s blood. She splashed about a little bit, and her black fur soon was wet but shiny again. ‘How simply divine this is for us, no?’ her mind questioned, ‘What about him?’ Forgetting that Castiel was still around, she said, “You are welcome to quench your thirst here, but then we will further discuss our previous conversation.”[/b] There was no option to elect out of this. Her words weren’t a question. No friggin’ way Jose.
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Post by CASTIEL on Apr 26, 2012 2:26:35 GMT -5
For a short while that felt like years to the stallion, they stood together. No doubt the Queen was probably contemplating whether to grant his request or simply kill him where he stood. Even though Cas was bigger in size than she, and usually fully capable of defending himself - there was no way he could do it today. If he was attacked now, that was the end of him. Hell, even a strong deer could take him down. Knowing this, and feeling this way, was no way that any stallion should feel. It does things to you that take your personality to new kinds of low. But Cas had long ago accepted this. And he had no problem asking for help. There was no other way he was going to rid himself of this curse without aid.
This way. She spoke. Her voice somewhat bored with the situation, but still crisp with power and pride. Wasting no time, she began to move away, taking her kill with her.
Cas tried his best to keep up. What was once a strong walk was now nothing more than a crawl of sorts. He moved slowly, his muscles aching and pulsing with a searing fire-like pain. Each step he took was a battle. His amber eyes half-lidded, focused on the only solid figure in his vision. He felt that should he blink, he would lose sight of her completely and be lost in these strange lands. Not looking where he put his heavy hooves, he stumbled once or twice, but he didn't go down - which was pleasing for him. Falling now would be the ultimate show of how pathetic he was at this moment in time. It would surely get him killed.
When they reached the water Cas saw why she had trudged all this way with a dead thing on her back. There were creatures in the water, those carnivorous reptiles with jaws like steal. The Queen was distracting them with the already dead flesh. This mare was definitely one who had earned the title of Queen. Not only was she viciously protective, but she had a brain on her too. Once Cas saw that it was safe to enter the water, he moved forward as fast as he could, hearing her speak but not listening. The cool liquid was welcoming on his hot flesh, he felt it absorb little parts of his pain, and as he drank he felt more of it slipping away. The dryness in his throat was banished, but the ache remained. This was no problem to him though, because he had lost one ailment and that was enough. Lost in the pleasures of the water, he knelt down in the shallows and rolled making sure every part of his body was saturated before standing and fulfilling his end of the bargain.
"My lady. The cure is but a mere plant. A rose of sorts, but baring the color of coal." A memory of the Carnicula presented itself to his minds eye. "Once you eat of this flower, I swear it, your pain vanishes. You are renewed, completely. As if you were just birthed. Senses are restored to a point that you never knew you could have." He was recalling his encounter with the Carnicula poison. And how it had made him feel like a god. "They call this plant the Carnicula. One surefire way to locate it is by its..." He paused, searching for the right words. "Less than pleasing scent. You haven't come across such a thing here, have you, Queen?" [/blockquote] |
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Post by BRONZE on Apr 30, 2012 17:31:40 GMT -5
When Bronze was satisfied that the horrid reeking was completely off of her coat in its entirety, she shook her mane with twisted delight. Tiny spatters of water vacated the pool immediately and landed all sorts of places, but she didn’t care where. That was one less of those fowl beasties she had to put up with. If anymore decided to show their ugly mugs here again, in her lands, she would promptly do the same to them. Deep down in her core, the mare felt a sense of redemption and pride. Her father’s death would not be in vain now. Nor never ever. Bronze would make sure of that. Or the mare would never forgive herself. His sacrifice would have been for nothing at all, and that was not allowed.
Bronze stepped out of the water, and the feathering on her hooves dripped with the liquid. The silver scars lining the equine’s body were more visible due to the fact that her onyx fur was laying down more. On her chest, rump, ribcage, and neck the healed scars crisscrossed in a random manner. Bronze was refreshed though, and the Crocs were diligent in their work. It wouldn’t be long before the bloody carcass was just a remnant in everyone’s mind. Maybe those reptiles were good for something after all. The mare had never got the chance to taste their meat on one of her recent ventures with another one of her members, and perhaps she never would. The thought would be saved for later however, for the mare had more important things to deal with currently. She wanted to get all that she could out of her visitor. For whatever reason, she was gifted with knowledge that she hadn’t expected. And though the mare had only been attacked by her symptoms once, that was most assuredly enough in Bronze’s book. Her kingdom was in great jeopardy both with her and without her. On the one hand, she was protecting the members here diligently, making sure that each and every member lived in a decent “home” per se. But there was this foreign ailment that seized her body out of nowhere. And Bronze did not want that to spread. It was like a catch 22, darned if she didn’t, darned if she did.
The mare watched as the stallion got his share of the water and noticed his slight renewal too. This water was good and pure for the most part, a small percentage of it notwithstanding. In this wild and barbaric setting, there was bound to be a little bit of contamination in the water. However, it served these lands well, and quenched the thirst of the thirsty. It cleansed the coats of the community, and that was all that was needed for now. Bronze was careful not to look into the water at all though, for her very own reflection caused her fear and unspeakable mental and emotional heartache. It always had too.
Finally after washing and drinking, the two horses could speak to each other at once. At Castiel’s description of the plant, Bronze’s furred brows crinkled together in a rather curious manner. She was trying to absorb all that she could from the words spoken to her. The pain would go away due to a flower? A simple flower? Bronze knew that some plants had a healing affect such as aloe and things of the sort, but she had only dibbled and dabbled in things like that. She didn’t rely on plants or medicines as her crutches. There were some who did, who thought that herbs, roots, and shoots could do everything. But Bronze knew that things could turn bad at any time even with those as an aid. “Carnicula? Car-ni-cu-la? Carnicula,”[/b] the mare repeated. Her head bobbed a couple times as she phonetically pronounced the word to herself. That was a name that she would not forget.
‘Is this boy telling us the truth?’ Bronze’s mind questioned. ‘How do we know that his word is valid? He could be some sort of spy for the other herd leaders and has come to attempt a wrongdoing.’ The Friesian mare carefully eyeballed the stallion carefully questioning his motives and truthfulness. “No, I haven’t seen it,”[/b] Bronze remarked a little crossly. “How do I know it really exists? Where would I find it?”[/sup]
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