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 Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2022 5:07 pm
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Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 10:07 am
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Xanthus was enjoying a flight through the clouds, his hair tangling in the wind. The warm air of late summer was some of the best times to take flight. He hadn't stretched his wings in a while, and this gave him the best chance to do so. As he soared high above the trees, he caught a whiff of some delicious smells on the breeze. Was that....cinnamon? And apples? His mouth started watering just thinking about it. He looked down to see where the glorious scent might be coming from and noticed a gathering of humans and soquili in a small village ahead. That must be where it was coming from. He started his descent and landed in a small clearing not too far from the village. He shook his mane and tail, hoping he didn't look too disheveled, and preened his feathers a bit. After deciding this was the best he could do, he folded his wings close to his body and made his way through the trees towards the sounds and smells of the village.
It didn't take long before he broke through the trees and stepped out into the busy throng of people and soquili. Some stopped to acknowledge him, but most just went about their own business. He looked around for anyone familiar; this made easier since he was taller than most of the humans who were there. His gaze caught sight of a pink and purple kirin scales, and long soft purple hair. Could it be? He blinked and they were gone, his line of sight obscured by a group of soquili walking past. He made his way over to where he thought he had seen her...but was it? Just then a short human with sticky fingers grabbed hold of his tail and laughing, gave it a hank. Startled, he let out a shocked whinny, and turned his head to shoo them away but as he did his eyes fell upon...her. The beauty he had met only once before, and had yet to learn her name. The child became bored and ran off, but not before he ran his sticky fingers over Xanthus' coat, causing some of the fur to stick together. Xanthus huffed after him but didn't bother to go after him. He returned his gaze to the mare, his eyes locking on hers as he smiled at her.
WC: 395
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Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2022 8:42 pm
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Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2022 9:03 pm
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Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2022 3:29 pm
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Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2022 10:29 am
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2022 11:38 pm
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The soft coated angeni was about to say more to further their conversation when seemingly out of no where, a shifter ruined the mood. She let out a whinny in surprise, stepping back with large eyes glued to the scene of her acquaintance being bitten and grapple by his hind legs. The words Xanthus yelled, for her to run, rang in her ears which were pricked forward, but she didn't budge. Shocked, she stood watching the struggle until her hooves finally carried her away.
A shifter had always been just a story. Fairy tales like ogres and gnomes. It was told to scare the foals into always keeping watch of their backs. She had clearly forgotten and now she was running from a storybook creature. Or.. should have been just a story. They never failed to scare her as a filly, hiding beneath her parents or under her multiple wings in a small white and purple ball. Her family and her herd had not been fighters. When it came down to it, they fled more then stood their ground. Amelia was the same way. Untucking those wings now, each spread out before she leapt into the sky to add distance and air between her and the shifter. It didn't soothe her panic, racing heart, or the growls of the terrifying creature she was trying to escape. She felt an overwhelming feeling of being powerless. Fleeing while someone else took the brunt of the attack. He would be seriously hurt. Maybe.. even killed. She struggled to keep flying away, leaving him to his own like he was nothing. He was. He was worth at least a try. Her head shook and so did her whole body, trembling with the fear of the creature, the inevitable pain and even death those teeth and claws would bring. The mind raced. All the while her altitude stayed low, not realizing she needed to climb higher for safety and clarity that she was indeed fine. Hovered twenty feet from the ground at least she would be out of reach as long as the shifter had no wings.
WC: 352
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Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2022 7:46 pm
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Xanthus had trained for this years ago. His father had taught him as well as the elder of his father's herd. It was his duty to protect and defend. With the shifter regrouping for another attack, he had only a second to check if Amelia had made it to safety. His eyes darted back and forth and then he saw she had taken flight. 'Smart girl,' he thought, a wave of relief washing over him. As long as she was in the air, the shifter couldn't get her.
His attention quickly snapped back to the shifter, blood dripping from its fangs and claws. He knew that since it had gotten a taste of blood it wouldn't want to stop. He had to outwit or out maneuver the evil creature. Xanthus scowled, lowering his head and taunted. "You want a bite of this? Come at me!" He lowered his head, and braced his legs in front of him and his hind legs behind. His wings unfolded wide and proud. He stomped one front hoof, scraping it along the ground. It was a show of intimidation, something his father had taught him as a first line of defense to try and dissuade an attacker. Look bigger and badder than you really are. Make them think twice. His mind was oddly calm, going through the tactics he had learned.
The shifter had attacked in its feral form, but as the stallion took a defensive stance, the shifter transformed into it's full form. It stood taller than the angeni now. A menacing growl that changed to an even nastier laugh escaped its lips. "I see you want to play." It licked its tongue across its top lip where drops of blood had trickled from its pelt. "I always love to play with my food before I eat it." The shifter lunged at the angeni, swiping at him as it came near but missed as the angeni's large wings buffeted it away.
WC 327
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2022 3:53 pm
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Amelia took only moments to decide her fate. Her whole heart telling her to help in any way she could. Even if the creature terrified her. Something, be it fate or the soquili gods, brought her around this male again in a short time. She couldn't chance missing out on knowing him. It felt like hours that she wrestled with her fear to come up with a half cooked plan. Less then half cooked, she was winging it. Truely. Banking in the air she turned around and tucked in those multiple wings to glide quickly towards the target. The shifter busy and distracted by Xanthus on the ground he wasn't aware of the soft mare soaring towards them.
Tucking her head right before impact, she slammed her body from the shoulder into the side of the shifter. Knocking him off his paws a good foot or two away, tumbling from the force. She jumped up a little quicker then he did which gave her an advantage to stomp her hooves at whatever part she could. Her head swung around as the shifter scrambled away to get up himself, her long golden horn her best weapon. He swiped a paw at her with claws extended, scratching down the shoulder she had just used to body slam into him. Her head jerked and turned towards him, piercing the pointy end of the horn into his thick neck.
The shifter stared down at her with both hatred and surprise. "You.. will regret this." he sneered, gurgling on saliva and blood in his maw. "No, you will if you do not leave now." She warned with the hardest tone she could muster. Inwardly she hoped he could not see her body still trembling for standing up to him. A paw curled at her horn, pulling her head back roughly causing a gash by his throat. Bruised and bloody, he growled at the two. He slunk around at a distance to size up the two angeni and recalculate his approach. The female was now more of an obstacle for him then the male. The taste of angeni blood in his mouth was now tainted with his own. The two turned with him and the female stood with a warning look, his blood soiled on her horn like a promise she would do it again. Not one to easily give in, he lunged for the male again with teeth and claws bared. The female closed in seconds after, grazing that horn at his flank. He lashed out to claw at her, getting a grip on her to pull her in and bite down on her snout and block her airway.
WC: 444
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2022 4:50 pm
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Xanthus watched in surprise as Amelia came rushing back to attack. "NOOO!" He yelled, more worried for her safety than his own. The next moments were a blur as she attacked the shifter with her horn. A sense of pride and astonishment swept over him at her courage. With the shifter's attention focused on Amelia, he maneuvered around to flank it but doing so caught its attention again. He dodged the attack and the shifter turned to attack Amelia. When its attack landed this time, Xanthus felt a rush of panic and adrenaline overrun him. He charged at the shifter, wings tucked to his side and with all his force he threw his shoulder against the shifter causing it to let go of Amelia and go tumbling across the ground. Xanthus glared after it, moving to stand in front of Amelia. He was worried of she was hurt but focused his attention on the shifter for now.
The shifter landed hard on the ground, its wounds starting to weaken it. It slowly pushed itself up falling back to the ground several times before it finally regained its bearings and got to its feet. The shifter shook its head, now pounding with the effort. It seemed the angeni had the upper hand and it was time to retreat. With a loud growl, it shifted back to its feral form and slowly limped away into the foliage.
He watched as the shifter slunk away, making sure it was truly gone before he turned his attention to Amelia. "Are you hurt?" His voice was soft and his eyes roamed her body for injuries. "You were so brave." He then chuckled and added, "I guess it's a good thing you didn't listen to me."
WC: 290
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2022 6:44 pm
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2022 7:37 pm
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