[Solo] Eclipse (Ultima Canticum and Xerxes)

[Nisshou H]

This is a private solo RP between Nisshou H's Ultima Canticum and Xerxes.



 

[Nisshou H]

Ultima watched the moon with careful scrutiny. It wasn’t his imagination. The light of it truly was fading away. He had never witnessed such a thing before but somehow it made his heart tremble. It wasn’t fear he felt though, no, this was exhilaration. The last real light of night was being snuffed out by something unseen. It was instilling the same sort of thrill in him that he had on the hunt just after making a kill. He had enjoyed the hunt as a child but now he reveled in it. There was nothing quite like feeling the blood pounding in his veins as he chased some poor creature down. And there was nothing like the utter euphoria he experienced watching that last bit of light leave their eyes before he got his dinner. Maybe some children grew out of such pleasures but they suited him well, maybe too well and watching the moon fade away was bringing the beast out to play.  

[Nisshou H]

Xerxes had taken it upon himself to leave his latest home with haste. He had been planning a lovely moonlit stroll with his sweetheart, or at least one of his sweethearts. The unforeseen eclipse had put a bit of a damper on that plan but not as much as one of his woodland flings turning up in the village. Xerxes liked to keep himself entertained with pretty things but he had more sense than to let them meet each other. He made sure that they lived far enough away that they wouldn’t casually cross paths but he couldn’t do anything to stop them from traveling. He’d had quite a nice set up in the human village for the last few weeks but it was time to put that all behind him before the two mares figured out the games he had been playing. It was such a shame too. They’d both been quite lovely and now he’d have to go look elsewhere.  

[Nisshou H]

Ultima inhaled deeply and turned his glowing eyes southward. He could just make out a shape coming towards him in the fading light of the moon. He didn’t smile nor did he laugh but there was no denying the joy that he felt knowing that he was due to have some entertainment this evening. Keeping his movements casual he turned toward the other and began his approach, slowly. He had always been jealous of his sister’s beautiful wings but he had found advantages in not having them. In the shadows of the night his silhouette closely resembled that of any other horse. They could not tell his horns from his hair and if he kept his tail hidden they would be none the wiser until it was far too late.  

[Nisshou H]

Xerxes didn’t notice the other soquili heading in his direction for several minutes, he was too wrapped up in his own thoughts. When he finally did take notice he nearly jumped out of his skin thinking, for the briefest of moments, that one of the mares had somehow found out and tracked him down already. As soon as he realized that it wasn’t them he rolled his eyes in annoyance, both at himself and the stranger for startling him so.

“You really ought to give others some warning before sneaking up on them, you know.” He said brusquely. Honestly some people had no manners whatsoever and Xerxes wasn’t about to put up with it.
 

[Nisshou H]

Perfect. His pray was every bit as clueless to Ultima’s true nature as he wanted him to be. He was also arrogant. The gall of that fool of a stallion, dismissing and scolding a stranger, as though he had the strength to back up his attitude. He’d regret it. Ultima kept silent as though he had not heard the other’s words and continued to close the gap between them. The shadows were aiding him tonight before long the moon’s light would be gone and he could make his move.  

[Nisshou H]

There was no reply. Xerxes frowned openly. “The least you could do is reply when you are being spoken to.” Xerxes said irritably. Honestly who crept around on a night like this without saying so much as a ‘hello’ to the people they came across. If nothing else it was incredibly rude and unsociable. Mostly it was just downright unsettling. Xerxes was struggling to find a reason to stay while the other just continued his steady approach. It didn’t help that it seemed to be getting darker. He glanced up at the moon only to discover that only a crescent of it was still visible when just half an hour ago he could see the entire thing.

“That’s a bit unusual, wouldn’t you say?” He asked the stranger nodding at the moon in one last attempt to get some sort of reply out of him. At the pace he was moving Xerxes would get to see who he was dealing with clearly in just a minute or two. Then he would know who to be upset with.

 

[Nisshou H]

Ultima couldn’t help but find it laughable that the stallion was still trying to get him to talk. Surely he had to have some idea the danger he was in but perhaps not. It didn’t really bother Ultima. Easy prey to stalk was still good to kill; it just made it much easier to catch. In a few more steps he’d be in sprinting range. His size and speed made it easy for him to take down others so long as he judged the distance properly. Once he got to that point he would have to be quick though because even in the failing light the stallion would be able to see what Ultima truly was and would likely finally find the sense to run away.

Ultima counted the remaining steps in his head. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. He thought he could see the other stallion’s eyes widen in recognition just before Ultima lunged forward. His powerful legs propelled him forward at a reckless pace and without any ceremony he seized what he could of the idiot stallion’s throat in his jaws.  

[Nisshou H]

There was definitely recognition. As the other stallion came near and Xerxes could tell that his horns were not hair and his tail was simply wrapped around his leg like a viper Xerxes knew what he was. There was recognition and panic. He turned as quickly as he could, to run or perhaps shrink and fly away but he was too slow in deciding. His legs didn’t move right, he didn’t know what he wanted them to do. Before he’d even made up his mind he could feel heat on his neck and teeth scraping his throat. He froze for a moment just a moment as he began to realize he wasn’t yet dead. The thick, leather-like material around his throat seemed to be serving as more than a gentleman’s accessory. They may have just saved him from death.

Finally making up his mind about what to do he shrank abandoning his trinkets. He didn’t fly but rather let himself drop to the ground to land in a pile of leg warmers and beaded cords. His neck warmer still sat in the jaws of the beast that bit him and he could feel the blood running down his neck from the first strike. He may not have died immediately but he wasn’t safe, not yet.
 

[Nisshou H]

Ultima wasn’t entirely certain what had just happened. One moment he had his jaws clamped firmly around the idiot stallion’s throat and in the next they were snapped shut around nothing but the thick fabric the moron had been wearing. It took him a solid minute to put everything together and when he did he snorted in agitation. He’d just attacked a flutter. He couldn’t stand the useless things, now more so than ever, but he was finally able to understand the point of being able to shrink away into nothingness.

“You can’t hide, little insect.” Ultima growled as he scanned the area, the waning light of the moon was now only serving as a hindrance rather than an aid. If he couldn’t find his target Ultima would curse the shadows for betraying him later. His eyes were doing him no good, so he inhaled deeply taking in all the scents. He could smell blood on his teeth, on the bit of stiff fabric, and somewhere else. “I know you’re still here.”  

[Nisshou H]

Xerxes endeavored to keep his pride at bay so as to not snap at the kalona’s insult and reveal his hiding place. He was not an insect, but oh did he feel like one right now. Staring up at what was almost certainly his death wasn’t so much a humbling experience as it was a horrifying one. He briefly wondered if this was how grasshoppers felt just before being trod upon. And then he was back to figuring out how to survive this encounter. The kalona was trying to sniff him out and Xerxes wasn’t certain how good the beast’s sense of smell truly was.

Steeling his will, Xerxes moved out from under his pile of trinkets. He went as slowly as he could to keep from drawing attention to himself. He kept to the ground for now, using the blades of grass to hide him at least somewhat all the while wondering if it would be better to simply try to fly away while the light of the moon was absent.

 

[Nisshou H]

The light of the moon was entirely absent now. Ultima threw the neck warmer off to one side so the scent coming off of it wouldn’t confuse his senses. Then he focused on following the blood as he had done on many a hunt. It was coming from the ground, very faintly as the source was very small but still clearly there. He focused all of his attention on the smells around him finding first the accessories, there was blood on them but not what he was looking for. He inched forward to find the source of the scent. He was getting close, he could tell.  

[Nisshou H]

Xerxes began to panic as the kalona bent his neck and started sniffing about the ground like a hound. His heart was beating so loudly that he could scarcely hear his own thoughts. He was thankful that he’d had the good sense to leave his hiding place when he did, the beast had its snout pressed up against his leg warmers. He’d have been dead for sure if he’d stayed. He could still be dead if he didn’t get moving, the monster was starting to inch his way along the path Xerxes was making.

Heart clenching, Xerxes pushed himself to move faster while still keeping silent. He had to get away, but so long as he kept bleeding he wasn’t certain he could shake the fiend.