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 Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 12:23 pm
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 6:11 am
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:26 pm
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:26 pm
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Sabin Duvert Stormchasers
RP with Thunderbird and Stormcloud  Thunder pealed across the sky and echoed across the stone mountains that sheltered the alpine valley that the Thunderbird herd called home. The winds were whipping about, whistling through the feathers of the double set of wings that grew from the broad back of the stallion who dared to fly.
A fine mist of what was threatening to be rain clung to him, giving his coat a wet sheen, and it was only a matter of time before the fat drops of full fledged rain would begin to fall.
Most logical soquili avoided travel in weather like this, especially flight. It was dangerous. The strong winds could send even those expert at flying careening out of control. You could feel the thunder, it resonated through you, shaking you to the bone. And the rain could cling to wings, making flight even more difficult.
But, this was the weather that Thunderbird loved. He lived for days like this. The storms were an extention of himself. Flying with the winds whipping all around him was a pleasure that knew no match.
He had been accompanying Balrog on his patrols for months now. Listening to his instructions. How to watch and scout from far above. How to recognize what shifting grasses might be a deer, and what might be a dangerous cougar.
He had been itching to go out alone for some time. But always, he wasn't ready yet. He wasn't ready yet. Finally, Thunderbird proved that he was competant. His anger had boiled over, and the skies had darkened to mirror his frustration. And Balrog saw how adept he was in the air, even in bad weather.
He could see the pride in his eyes.
Balrog was no stranger to flying in poor weather either - he had been flying for more seasons than many of the younger members of the herd combined. But something about the angeni that he called his son showed that he was almost more at ease in a storm than in calm weather.
And so from then, he had believed in his competance in the air, and let him share the patrols. He had agreed to let him take the skies during the storms - after all, as Thunderbird had pointed out - one should never cease to be vigilant.
And perhaps, it was no coincidence that the summer storms seemed to be particularly common this year...
As Thunderbird grew, so did his realization that he had a connection with the weather. It seemed to echo his emotions. Balrog and Stormwild perhaps hadn't realized how appropriate their name for him had been. The spirit of the storm they followed had indeed blessed his arrival.
The frequent storms over the mountains had drawn the attention of another. The storm-chaser, the mare who lived for the exhaltation of the storms. While she had no control over the forces of nature, she followed them. She had never found her place among other soquili. She was strange looking, she didn't seem to relate well to others. And she had a hard time staying in one location, especially when the weather was fair.
The storms had been calling her. She could feel it in her blood and her bones. She could never quite put it to words, but she felt truly alive when she was out in a storm, feeling the thunder and watching the lightning arc all around her.
She had closed her eyes, letting the winds guide her. It wasn't until a boom of thunder rattled very close by that she opened her eyes, through the grey skies, and saw that another soared and dipped through the clouds.
Thunderbird was suddenly aware that he wasn't alone. Another soquili had braved this storm and he angled his flight, navigating the swirling winds with a practiced ease. Was she lost? Trapped in the strange currents of air in the storm?
Even members of his own herd who exhalted in the power of nature and the skies only flew in weather like this out of necessity.
But as he flew closer, he saw a very different story. The mare's wings were spread and held solidly, beating occasionally to angle or fly up into the heart of the storm. He could smell no fear on the air, he saw no frenzied struggle against the wind. He saw a calmness, an intensity.
He was intrigued.
He flew after her, following the air path she had taken.
 Stormcloud turned her head quickly, seeing as the stallion raced to catch up with her.
With a snort of disdain, she flew harder into the storm, shouting out to him, "I do not need you help, stallion. Leave me to the winds and the rain." She scoffed at him with a flash of lightning in her eyes.
Rebuffed! Thunderbird could hardly believe his ears. How dare she!
With a challenging whinny, Thunderbird raced ahead, his powerful wings giving him the advantage. "Perhaps you don't need my help yet!" He responded boastfully.
With a strange blend of indignance and surprise at the gall of the stallion, Stormcloud refused to be shown up. This was her element. No one else understood. Was he just doing this to try to impress her? He'd likely wind up hurt - whipped around in the air or struck by lightning.
With a crackle to her voice like the buzz of lightning, Stormcloud whinnied a laugh.
"You're going to get yourself hurt, foolish Stallion." She chided. But he was a strange one. Too many wings. How did he not get them in the way of each other? Surely, he could not navigate the storm well... but as she watched, she found herself proven wrong. He knew how to catch the correct updrafts, to ride the ripples of thunder and fearlessly dove through the dark clouds.
Was it possible... no.. in all her years, Stormcloud had yet to meet a soquili cut from the same cloth. She had been convinced she was unique. A misfit, with only the thunderclouds to be her herdmates.
"NEVER!" Thunderbird trumpeted as he went into a spin, thoroughly showing off as he danced with the wind at truly dizzying, breakneck speeds. The winds themselves seemed to bend to the direction he wanted to go, lifting him, carrying him in a display that seemed nearly impossible.
He loved it. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the mare chasing him, her mane almost indistinguishable from the thunderclouds themselves as she tore after him fearlessly into the storm after him. Electricity arced between the horns on her head, seeming to shimmer over her coat and dance over the moisture that clung to her as well.
It was beautiful. No! Concentrate.
Side by side they raced. Stormcloud couldn't fathom how he seemed to always catch the perfect updraft. How he could match HER in stormchasing?!
And with each windbeat, the competition escalated until there was no more forethought, just action. Reaction to a change in winds, pushing themselves harder, harder, until it was hard to distinguish where the horses stopped and the winds and driving rain began.
They flew, time meaningless as they fought eachother and the storm, as it intensified, so did their flight. They raced and dove and soared until the pelting rain began to ease.
Only when the last peal of tunder was an echo in the distance did their hooves once again touch earth. Their sides heaved in and out, as they regarded each other. There were no more baiting words, no more mocking. Just one mutual look of respect.
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:28 pm
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Sabin Duvert The Prodigal Son Returns
RP with Firestorm, Shinoma, Firestarter, Vesuvius, Balrog, Stormwild, Thunderbird, Stormcloud, and Maeltrom & Cataclysm  It was a grey, misty morning that Firestorm stood at the precipice of the cliff, looking down at the lush valley that he had once called his home. The moment seemed frozen in time as the ramifications of what he was about to do gripped him, pulling at his wings and weighing him down. It was as if the early-morning dewdrops that still clung to his wings were made of lead.
By Firestorm's account, this land was rightfully his. HE was the golden child of the herd, and yet he had been dismissed as casually as if he were one of the wingless lessers. He was Balrog's son. The only son that had stayed in the herd... at least until that pretender arrived. He was an alicorn - brandishing a golden horn in the center of his forehead. Balrog himself had taught him the ways of being a protector of these lands. He taught him how to defeat, to kill the cougars and other predators that threatened the lives of the soquili that rested in the alpine valley. He had told him that these lands that lay in the bowl of the mountains were theirs... his home.
But Balrog hadn't cared when Firestorm called him weak. He hadn't stood up for him when Stormwild - who wasn't even his mother! - had taken offense at the mare he had chosen as his mate. She had wings. She was strong - stronger than any of the lazy soquili who rested in the valley. Stronger than the old alpha and protector who had grown fat and sedentary. And she dared to imply that she wasn't good enough? She was scared. Scared of the power that she lent him, that she gave their foals - their THREE foals!
Firestorm was young. Firestorm was strong. And it was time for a shift of power.
The other members of Balrog's herd could stay if they sided with him. But Firestorm's frustration with Balrog had become outright hatred. The final straw had come when that little freak had broken free of his basket before his very eyes. He had heard the story - the skinwalker attacks that had killed their foals (that Stormwild wasn't even strong enought to protect!) And this foundling they had adopted and called their own. Firestorm didn't care how similar the markings were. It didn't smell right to him. And the little freak had too many wings, which Balrog seemed to adore. How could something fly and keep those things straight? Balrog virtually forgot that Firestorm was standing there when this colt had emerged, so eager to transfer his pride to IT. He had even named it "Thunderbird". The totem that Balrog followed. It added insult to injury.
Balrog had cast Firestorm aside like so much garbage. He doubted that he even lent him a passing thought on any given day now that he was out of sight and out of mind.
Well, Balrog would remember him Now. Three figures stood nearby. Firestorm's NEW Family. With a wicked smile, Shinoma stood by his side, crooning with pleasure at the impending assault. It was in no small part to her careful prodding, saying just the right words when Firestorm was ready to listen that he stood here now. She delighted in the fact she had pushed him to this confrontation, truly severing him from the herd of mostly peaceful wind soquili. She loved seeing the fire of hatred in his eyes, and the willingness to kill.
She had done precisely what it was that Stormwild had feared. But had she not initially tried to dissuade Firestorm from taking her as a mate, then it was possible that this confrontation would never have come.
But now, the worst fears were about to be realized. Firestorm had been turned against his birth-herd, and stood now by her side. It was an ultimate conversion, and an ultimate expression of her power.
And while she was pleased just knowing this day had come, she woudl not back down from the impending fight. She was strong. And behind the couple, two figures, slightly smaller but full adults in their own right watched, listening to Firestorm explain what he knew about the placid soquili that nested in the valley below. Talking strategies.
One was Vesuvius, a hotheaded stallion who delighted in causing chaos. He could barely restrain himself at the thought of the havoc that they would wreak on the unsuspecting soquili below.
The other, a unikalona mare stood with a wicked smile, listening carefully to Firestorm's words, calculating the attack. Firestarter knew how integral she and her brother were to his plans, that he had waited specifically until they were grown and had proved themselves able hunters, and unhesitatingly willing to kill.
She looked with contempt at the tiny figures below. Those that had cast her father out and not understood what they were casting aside.
She cast a knowing smirk to her brother, and knew that they both were thinking the same thing. Missing from the collection on the edge of the cliff was the third child, Yamika. While she seemed to ebb and flow with a passing breeze even more so than their demonic mother, there was something in her that was weaker than Firestarter or Vesuvius. She didn't have their fangs, their bat-like wings. And unlike their father, she didn't have the anger that boiled in their breasts like a rolling fire. She had no stomach for meat, and when there was talks and strategy on the attack... she had grown distant.
They had understood the signs, and eventually Firestorm had agreed, albeit gruffly, that if she did not have the stomach for what was needed to be done, than it was better off without her. She would have been a liability.
And with her distance, Firestorm had thrown himself more into this plot. He would prove to his other children the strength of their family... and give them the home that they deserved.
Finally, with a signaling nod, He snapped his wings open, and tore towards the valley.*****  It was a quiet morning for the Thunderbird herd. Balrog had been slow to rise this morning; it was a blissfully cool morning respite from the heat of mid-summer. And a particularly hot summer it had been. Waves of heat rose from the browned grass, and even the mountain streams did little to alleviate the heat for long.
Something had not settled right with Balrog these past few weeks. He couldn't put his hoof on it, but something had seemed askew. But if any others were aware of a problem, they hadn't indicated it. There was the same pleasant conversations, same familiar faces, and the patrols had not yielded any strange activity. No skinwalkers had launched an attack, no demons had been sighted. And yet, something still did not seem right with the aging stallion. Stormwild had tried to alleviate his anxiety, telling him that he was looking for problems where there were none. And, perhaps she was right. Thunderbird was growing into a magnificent stallion - one that did his parents proud. He had even taken a mate - a strange, but seemingly genuine mare. While she did have strange horns on her head, her wings were as grand and feathered as Balrog's or Stormwild's. And she truly seemed to love nothing more than soaring with the clouds, and racing the storms. Even her name brought a smile to Balrog's face, Stormcloud. She had been looking for a place to call her home. No one before his son, Thunderbird knew the love of flight and the passion of the storm. It was almost as if she was destined for this herd. She had found her home here. And while she and Thunderbird were prone to long meandering flights that took them far from the herdlands, they always returned, chests heaving with pure, simple exhaustion. They seemed to understand each other even better than Balrog or Stormwild knew them. But, he was happy for them. Thunderbird still had total loyalty to his family, and to his herd, and Balrog and Stormwild were glad to welcome her to the herd.However, it was right as Balrog was rising, flicking his great wings to cast off the dew to begin his morning patrol of the herdgrounds that he spied four shapes moving towards them.
He was immediately at attention, bellowing a deep whinny of alarm. The movement wasn't casual, it was direct, fast, and carried the sound of leathery wings.  Stormwild was immediately up and ready. For her gentle nature, she knew when the time came to protect what she loved. However, when one figure at the front drew closer and the light of the rising sun glinted off ebony and crimson fur, her eyes widened in horror.
"Firestorm.." She whispered dismayed to her mate. Shapes were already begining to approach from the herdgrounds - his fiersome daughters who were ever so aptly named Cataclysm and Maelstrom, Thunderbird and his mate when Balrog heard the word leave Stormwild's mouth.
"No." His blood ran cold as he now could see for himself the stallion that flew towards them. This was no visit - everything about the posture of the careening stallion spoke of hatred and fire and challenge.
That was his son.
he had always been stubborn, hot headed, and aggravating to deal with. But a part of Balrog had always been proud of that. He never knew just how much he took after him. Although when Balrog was met with Firestorm's Ego and temper, he rarely could keep his own in check.
Fleetingly, as the moment seemed to stretch on before the impending clash, Balrog remembered once, long ago, when he had called out a challenge to the spirits themselves. Something to prove his strength against - something for him to do to prove the worthiness of the herd that he had been instrumental in pulling together.
But not this. Not his son whose mind had been twisted by demons and turned against them.
But Balrog knew that there was not reasoning with him now. No time for regrets or apologies. Now, he had to do what needed to be done.
Balrog readied himself, murmuring only one simple instruction to the collection of herdmates that had flocked to the defense of the herd.
"Don't kill them."All at once, the silence of the valley was broken in a great clash. Beating wings, screaming whinnies of anger and pain as the two forces came together. There was murder in the eyes of Firestorm and his Kalona ilk. And that gave them the initial advantage. Many of the herdmates paused when they saw the soquili at the front of the invading force - this challenge to the leadership of the herd that had gone unquestioned for years. And this challenge had come in the form of none other than the protector's very son. Very quickly, Balrog sprung forward, facing Firestorm's challenge directly. "You have come here for ME, Firestorm! COME! FACE ME! If you come to take my herd then you have to defeat me first!"Firestorm wheeled, seething hatred darkening his face as he flew towards his father, wrapping all of the resentment and hatred into one lunging assault. "You b*****d!" He whinnied, attempting to spear the elder with his shining horn. "You cast me aside! NEver listened! You have grown WEAK!""I will show you strength, boy. You will see now the impetuousness of your words and see the strength that it takes to lead a herd!"And soon, words were lost in the frenzy of the fight.
Firestorm was indeed strong and vivacious. He had trained for years to be an adept fighter. But for all his ego and training, he was not ready to face the full force of Balrog not holding back on him.
The smirking mockery was quickly wiped from Firestorm's face as he quickly began to realize just what he had gotten himself into. Balrog was larger than Firestorm, easily outweighing him by at least a hundred pounds. And Firestorm didn't remember just how large his wings were. He maneuvered as if there were no boundary between land and air. He was faster than he looked and knew just how to use his weight to his advantage.
His hooves came down on him like falling boulders. And Firestorm began to feel the chill of fear... as for the first time the thought entered his mind that he might not win this.
He glanced around wildly, seeing his mate... his children clashing with the members of the Thunderbird herd. He saw his sisters tag-teaming against his son... and his heart began to strain with anguish.
 
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
This wasn't right.
But the more he looked, the more members of the Thunderbird herd there seemed to be here, fighting against them. Soquili who he had seen as complacent now rose to the challenge - their strength that Firestorm had always mocked before now became apparent.
For a moment, Firestorm looked around wildly, realizing that Balrog wasn't around him. He had been distracted, and his ears were back, eyes wide. And then, seemingly out of nowhere, Balrog was on him again from above, His hooves knocking him down, pinning him to the ground. Balrog lowered his head to his son, struggling fruitlessly under his pin. "You have lost, Firestorm. You have called me weak for the last time. Leave now, and NEVER return. You are no longer my son.Despite the powerful blows that the stallion had landed against him, and despite the anger that had overridden the love that Firestorm had felt for his father, these words fell heavier on Firestorm than any other blow.
He cast his eyes aside, snarling in contempt and feeling every mix of emotions tumbling in his chest. Hatred, anger, sadness - all to such an extreme.His ears back, Balrog lifted his hoof to release Firestorm, his head down, entire posture a powerful challenge. Firestorm quickly extracted himself from the humiliating position of defeat, unable to look Balrog in the eye any longer. He turned, begining to call his family to him, to retreat, when he spied Firestarter - his daughter, slender and small being buffeted by HIM.
All memory of the defeat and intent on fleeing was gone. It was Thunderbird. Now grown to be an even bigger freak, attacking his daughter.
Without thinking, he was on him, striking at him with his hooves, lancing him with his horn. All He didn't care, all he wanted to do was hurt and scar this "perfect" son, to expose him for the imposter that he was.
But right as the angeni began to turn, calling out in surprise at the sudden assault from behind, a slamming blow hit Firestorm on the side of his head, and the world went fuzzy.
The last thing he saw before the world went dim was Balrog's enraged face...
*******
Firestorm eventually came to with the rushing of water and the roar of the waterfall where he had first met Shinoma.
His head pounded, and he felt an enormous welt making the entire side of his face swell painfully. He saw the scorn on the face of his son, the shaking head of his daughter - both of which sported large welts.
He lay his head down, exhausted beyond reason, wishing that he could just close his eyes forever in his shame.
He had lost.
He was not as strong as his father.
And he could never, ever return.
And more than that, he could see the loss of respect in the eyes of his children. Before this foolhearty venture, he had at least had that. Now, he was beaten and bruised. His wings ached and felt as if one of the bones had been crushed, to add even further insult to injury.
He groaned, slipping his eyes closed once more and welcoming the blackness of unconsciousness. |
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:29 pm
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Sabin Duvert The Wreckage of the Storm
RP with Balrog & Stormwild It had been a day since Firestorm had launched his failed coup on the Thunderbird herd. And while Balrog and his family and herdmates had been successful in defending their herd, Balrog didn't feel like he had won. There was no victorious celebration, and he didn't feel like a champion.
After the seige had ended and Firestorm'sNew family had drug his unconscious form away from his territory, Balrog had plodded off to a shady corner of the valley and lay down to be alone with his thoughts.
He had sustained injuries; Firestorm was an able fighter, just not able to best his sire. His flank had a gash where Firstorm had gored him with his horn. His leg was sore where a hard blow had landed. But that wasn't what bothered him the most.
Had he been responsible for his son turning away from the herd? Should he have gone after him when he had initially left? He was lost to him now, consorting with a demon. Having created demon-spawn with her. Balrog had never heard of Kalona until Stormwild had said something after Firestorm described the mare he had met. But now he knew she was right. They may have wings, but they were not of the same ilk as his family.
Stormwild had let Balrog have some breathing room. She knew he probably needed to be alone for a while. She occupied most of the day by tending to the wounded of the herd - nothing serious but there were a few patches that need a tender caress and perhaps a bandage supplied by the medicine woman that shared a part of their herdland. No one seemed to really know what to say - everyone was quiet and shocked. Herdmembers that were not directly involved, such as Zhuri and his children, had no idea the rift between Balrog and his son had gotten so unstable. Regardless, they were quick to come to the aide of the herd and its leaders and fought valiantly. Not only was Firestorm outgunned by older and more experienced Soquili, his family was significantly outnumbered as well. The young impetuous stallion didn't understand loyalty like she did.
Part of Stormwild felt... vindicated. That Balrog's mating with that spindly outsider had resulted in nothing but heartache. But she was too kind and far to wise to let those thoughts fester. That was not what was important.
As the sun began to sink into the sky she finally found Balrog alone and brooding just as she expected. She padded over to him softly, stopping beside him and nuzzled his face gently, silently asking if he wanted to talk. Balrog avoided eye contact with his mate, but she could see frustration and shame written across the great stallion's features as she brushed him with her muzzle.
They had known each other long enough that she did not need words to express her sympathy, and he understood her intentions. She had given him room when he needed it, but now, that the sun had set and risen again, she was coming to see how he was doing, if there were words that he could give to his thoughts and feelings.
"I suppose you owe me an "I told you so." Balrog began bitterly. He knew that his mate would never use such words, but she had every right to. Not only in his selection of Anemone as a suitable mate - a decision which had begun to seem poorer and poorer on the actions of the children that had come from their union. Children that were supposed to be strong, and uphold the tenants of both of their beliefs. But also of the nature of the mate that Firestorm had taken. Stormwild just shook her head, a few thin silky strands of snow white mane falling across her muzzle. She settled down next to him, pressing her body close to his and outstretching her wing slightly so that it fell gently across his back. She was silent for a few minutes, searching for the right words to say while enjoying the simple pleasure of his company.
"There is no wound that can not eventually be healed in time," she finally said softly, looking over to him. "Firestorm is still young. And in love. It is her presence that poisons his mind, not your blood." She didn't know if that was completely true - Stormwild had no idea what kind of history Anemone had in her lines. And Balrog himself wasn't exactly an angel.
But she was positive that is Firestorm had stayed with their herd he would have eventually found his place. He was strong, he would have been a great edition to their proud family.
"But don't count him out forever, Balrog." Balrog didn't try to break the silence as Storm lay by his side. He breathed. Her scent comforted him, it was something familiar and calming, letting him ease his mind and not think as hardly about what had just occurred.
An ear flicked back as he listened. "You were right about the demons. She has turned my own son against me... against us." His eyes darted aside. "There was murder in his eyes. Had he the chance, he would have crused my skull. He wanted to take this land from us. I am pleased that others were willing to fight to defend it from him and his ilk."
He breathed a heavy sigh. His words, while still spoken in the deep, booming voice that he always used, sounded more hollow, detached than characteristic for the stallion.
"Perhaps not, although at this point, it seems just as likely he may attempt another takeover as return to his family."
Stormwild kept her voice soft, steady, and comforting. "I think it is unlikely he will try again. He's stubborn but not suicidal. He knew we were holding back,I think he will understand that he cannot win."
She fluffed her feathers a bit, gently stroking them down Balrog's back. "Besides, even if he does we will fight. He is already outnumbered and our herd has been growing by leaps and bounds recently. It is a good omen. We made the gods proud today protecting our and our family... perhaps we will be rewarded. Thunderbird has a mate, now. The heat of summer should be breaking soon... good times for foaling. I am not worried at all. We are strong." "I hope that you are right this time as well, Storm." Balrog rumbled with a sigh.
"But... you are right. The spirits must bless our herd with foals, and the members who have come to us, knowing and agreeing with our ways. I am proud of Thunderbird. His mate... is a bit strange, but she understands our ways."
He hesitated a moment, as if deciding whether to give voice to his thoughts. "I... did not tell you, Storm. But seasons ago I called to the spirits to give us a purpose for our strength, a challenge to show them... and my own pride the value of this herd. That if called on, we could be strong - that there was a reason for collecting such strong soquili here." He shook his head, guilt on his features. "The spirits must have resented my ego and my restlessness. To have answered my wishes in a way such as this - my own son being the challenger that they sent." |
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Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2012 9:03 am
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Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 6:54 am
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 7:26 am
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]http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=10721921&page=1
RP Link: http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?page=1&t=22728675#331825059
Sabin Duvert  Balrog angled his massive wings as he brought his flight around in a wide arc, looking once more with a nostalgic fondness at the lush
herdgrounds that ages ago he and Stormwild had laid claim to as their own. How their herd had grown from just the pair of them and their two daughters.
The transition that fissured the winged from the nonwinged and how he and other members of their herd had groomed new members and tightly patrolled their
borders and reinforced the trecherous mountain pass to make it even more difficult for unwanted visitors.
He was hardly a spring stallion any more... but he never doubted his strength. If anything, age had tempered the hot-headed stallion, and carved him out
to be a powerful leader and a stoic protector.
He was proud of the herd they had built, and the spirits had smiled upon them. He couldn't ask for a more perfect, safer foaling grounds - the high altitutude meadow shielding them from most predators, but also providing them with the freshest water that came from the peaks themselves, and lush grass that grew unhindered from cloying forests or destructive feeding of boars, deer, and other larger herbivores besides themselves. Of course... things had not always gone untested, and Balrog still harbored regrets - from seeking companionship in the form of the roaming alicorn, and the son that had betrayed him... but every great leader had to be tested.
With a final look of approval over the lands, Balrog nodded to himself, drawing his attention from within back to the land below and calling down a whinny at Thunderbird, signaling that it was time for him to take to the skies and patrol before he came to a soft landing besides his lifemate, Stormwild.
He greeted her with a pleased whicker and a swish of his long tail that had gone untouched by the knives of two-legs and now trailed behind him in a proud train. She had been so quiet lately, it seemed. Did the attack of the stallion that they had both once called Son still trouble her? Was she thinking about the new arrivals to their herd? Was she merely enjoying the first touches of spring and the warming sun? Or, perhaps there was something else?
"What is on your mind, my love?" He spoke, his voice rumbling deeply.
Kamiki Stormwild was standing at the edge of an overlook, giving her a great vantage of her herdlands. The rustle of the winds swept through her mane and she closed her eyes as she felt the sensations of her long hair and feathers tickle over the rest of her skin. She felt the breeze slips through the long feathers of her wings-one of her favorite feelings in the world. The wind carried just a touch of chill - the last remnants of winter rolling down from the snowy mountain caps - though the sun of spring shone down on her face, warming it.
Her eyes opened as Balrog landed beside her, her mouth turning up in a small smile as he spoke. She leaned over to nuzzle his face gently as he came close, her tail swaying slightly in anticipation. "Spring is coming," she said to him, nodding off over the cliff. The greens of the grass were especially bright, and all the non-evergreen trees who had spend the winter months baron were beginning to spot with new leaves and buds.
Sabin Duvert Balrog rumbled an ascent. "Our herd has survived another winter." He answered proudly. Despite their numbers, the herdgrounds they had claimed had supported them. All possessed wings and could take to the skies if one member found a spot that bore food in the lean times.
"Our borders have held, and now, we can enjoy the bounty of spring." He returned her nuzzle, gazing over her midnight fur and beautiful contrasting mane.
Kamiki  The rustle of leaves was easy to disguise as the wind washed through the lands. The small, silver fox slipped further and further into the mountains, keeping her large ears open for potential victims. She was going through her usual rounds: constantly moving and traveling: picking up rumors and intelligence from as many Soquilil as she could. She loved being the little unnoticed fox in the bushes - a fly on the wall in a matter of speaking, unknowingly polishing her arsenal of damaging secrets or blackmail fodder.
Kumiho was not your typical skinwalker. She worked with a malice grace that was unmatched by anyone. She wasn't satisfied by a simple kill - no, the beautiful kitsune reveled in torturing her victims. And not just in body;, her form was slight and fragile compared to many of her ilk. She liked long, slow festering wounds of the heart and mind.
She especially loved to 'check in' on her earlier prey - once was never enough for the vicious beast. She didn't want to be a healed scar over someone's heart: she wanted to be the salt in a constantly reopening wound.
She had been following Stormwild for days now. The grass-eating old mare didn't take much notice or care for a small fox slinking about her lands. She was no threat: no mighty wolf or coyote to chase off. She remained undetected and out of sight...waiting.
Kamiki
The mare chuckled as Balrog spoke, finding his wounds delightfully appropriate. "Somehow, we managed to find ways to stay warm," she said coyly, slightly nudging her mate's shoulder. But speaking of bounties," she started, her voice sounding more serious, "I think the Spirits have plans for us this spring," she said, catching his eye. "As I can feel them working within me now."
Sabin Duvert Balrog's words fell silent as he processed the information Stormwild had just given him. He blinked, and the proud stallion that rarely missed a beat and was almost always in command of his situation went silent as he looked her over, eyes moving to her stomach. "You.... are with foal?" He finally asked, his thunderous voice barely a whisper. It was almost as if he were afraid to hope. He had been worried that after.... after the last time that perhaps Stormwild would not even be able to bear foals again. She had been so badly hurt, and the baskets... the poor baskets. It was a miracle that the spirits had saved one of them.
Then, his wings flared and one lay over her back protectively. "My love... this news... it is fantastic!" He elated. "Children! OUR children! Is it true?!"
Kamiki
Stormwild couldn't help but laugh in elation at Balrog's reaction. There wasn't much in the world that could elicit such a reaction from him. She tossed her long mane and leaning into his touch. "It's true," she said with a happy smile, "As far as a mare can tell. They are young... its just a feeling I have. I just know... but I am confident in it as I am about anything." She her smile fade, just slightly. "You don't think I am too old for this, do you?"
Sabin Duvert Balrog let loose a booming laugh. "Too old? My love you are stronger now than you have ever been. You take the breath from any - stallion or mare - that lays eyes upon you for the first time... or second... or even countless times. You steal the air from my lungs every time I see you, Stormwild."
Balrog knew a mother's connection to her unborn children was a sacred one - and he trusted her words, even though he could not perceive any change in his mate. And yet, there was a warmth to her, a happiness and she, too, seemed to be brimming with a life not unlike their herdgrounds in the coming spring. "This is a good sign, Stormwild. This will be a bounteous year for us, and ... perhaps even a new begining as our herd grows, and OUR family grows with it. The spirits smile upon us again."
Kamiki
The mare felt a blush sting the pink of her ears as Balrog spoke: she knew what he said was true and Balrog was not the type of stallion to flatter or sugar his words. She leaned even heavily into him, running her muzzle happily over the thick black coat on his neck and netting herself get tangled in his long, beautiful fiery red mane. "We are blessed indeed," she said with a determined nod of her head. "I have a good feeling about this as well. And we have our family here to make sure - to make sure everything happens as it should," she said, her eyes darkening ever so slightly as she remembered the tragedy of her last pregnancy.
Sabin Duvert "You will stay on the herdgrounds this time." It wasn't a request. He wasn't about to risk their foals again. "If there is a problem, someone else will see to it." He continued firmly.
"After all, you should take it easy. There is no reason with the arrival of spring and all of us here to see to your needs that you should leave the foaling grounds."
Kamiki Kumiho was nearly shaking with unbridled glee at overhearing the conversation. The spirits - Kalona himself perhaps - could not have blessed her with better timing. She had been wanting to spread her influence again - to use Cerberus to create more perfect wickedlings like had done before. But motherhood was strange and unnatural for skinwalkers... it didn't come easy to her to make such a decision.
But this... this was gift she could not pass up. She would become pregnant again - and just like last time use this powerful mare's baskets and children to help nurse her foals. She would have to work fast - to make the timing work. But it would be perfect - she would wrench the wind mares baskets away from her... kill the developing foals inside and place her own perfect progeny in them with plenty of fresh meat to grow and develop on.
She chocked back a foxy hiss of delight as her tails swayed behind her like a mass of unruly snakes. She had things to do! She slipped quietly into the woods and quickly made her way back to were she had left Cerberus. She must set things into motions with a moment to loose...
Kamiki
"I'm not going anywhere," she said with a hint of exasperation as she wasn't being asked she was being told. "And no more being unprepared. I will be prepared for anything that comes my way this time."
She puffed her chest a bit and held her head up. "After all, I'm strong even when heavy with foals...but even stronger with my family here with me" she admitted, happily surveying the herdlands. "Congratulations, Balrog," she said after a moment. "You get to be a great father once again."
Sabin Duvert Swelling with pride, Balrog chewed at some of the hair behind Stormwild's ear. "I am glad to hear of this, Storm." He barely contained his enthusiasm. It would be perfect this time. He would see to it.
"If there is anything you need, please, do not hesitate to ask. Make sure that you have chosen a foaling ground before you become too heavy to fly." He added playfully, already the wheels in his head turning at what he needed to do, and the new life that they would bring into the world.
"I shall tell the others!" He finally boased without segue, his mind racing. He barely heeded the rustling in the bushes as he took to wing and called out to his twin daughters Cataclysm and Maelstrom and his unusual son, Thunderbird, to tell them the news.
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Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2012 3:36 pm
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Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 1:16 pm
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We have a shiny new thread!! Well, the thread is not new, but the front page is chock full of NEW information. Yes, after EIGHT YEARS the Thunderbird Herd is finally getting a bit more structured, with formal roles for each member to take the mantle on.
If you’re already part of the Thunderbird Herd, please let me know if you would like your Soquili(s) moved to a new role. Everyone is set to default “member” for now.
Also, please let me know if anyone is missing from the Member's list, or needs to be removed. If you have family/children I've missed, please let me know or direct them here!
Thanks guys! Feel free to use this thread to chat, plot, or ask any questions you may have! |
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Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 1:30 pm
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Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 4:33 pm
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