Living slow and loving fast.
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She/Her
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Post by aliyaah on Apr 1, 2024 15:45:32 GMT -7
The fire-licked bitch galloped unevenly across the rocky terrain. Her limbs were exhausted, flints catching on loose stones and constantly forcing her to catch herself, lest she misstep and take a tumble. But she could not risk the fall now, not when she was in pursuit. Hunted by those she had wronged, those who had finally had enough of her antics. The sounds of those tailing her were loud and evident in her thorns, indicating their close proximity, and driving her onwards. Forwards towards the volcano, up a treacherous path, towards where she hoped she might find advantage. She was unafraid of the lava, the heat - it was so alike to the fire that had fuelled her for so many years. Perhaps it would compel the others to falter, to question whether it was worth imperilling themselves in order to continue tailing her. She was running out of room - the higher she ascended, the less traversable the ground became - creeks of lava poured from the precipice, and the ashes beneath her flints were hot... Much too hot. She gritted her incisors painfully hard as she considered her options. It was getting to the point where she could no longer continue onwards. So it was either her pursuers turned back, or she turned to face them. If the latter was required, she would faee it head-on and without hesitation. All she had done had lead up to this moment, after all. And what would this story be without a dramatic climax?
For some time, Solovey's imprisonment had been of little concern to her - a play to hold onto for a later date, when she might take most advantage of it. Her focus on participating in the war alongside Xerxes had forced her efforts elsewhere, leaving the former Light King all but forgotten... That was until the Lord himself had approached her, asking her for her cooperation once more. And suddenly, the stories of the war and the former royal had become entwined, and had guided the Helkaer Commander down a fateful path.
Solovey had ended up with Sly when the Helkaer Commander had been seeking out another. Little Princess Naida. The crimson witch had happened upon the child by accident when visiting Rain Forest Beach one morn. Sly had been fascinated to see a cambion babe roaming the sea-side domain, and even more so to find out that she was the daughter of none other than Queen Nixi... Indicating to Sly that something quite curious had unfolded between the Light Queen and an individual who associated with the Underworld... But intrigue aside, Sly had detested the idea of the Light Kingdom having access to such a precious resource - a weapon that, when used correctly, could cause so much harm. Such individuals were much better suited to the likes of the Helkaer, which was why for years the brotherhood had been working on collecting them. They had tirelessly sought out these unique beings, and even assisted in the creation of them, so as to increase the number that the Helkaer had on their side. It was for this reason that Sly knew she could not let Naida remain with Queen Nixi. Yet, when Sly and her second-in-command, Undead Legion, had traversed to Rain Forest Beach in the dead of the night in order to secure the foal, their progress was halted by none other than the king himself - Solovey. He decided to intervene in a manner that was most detrimental to him, not allowing Sly and Legion to continue onwards, Unfortunately for him, he had been no match for the well-versed combatants, and neither he nor his daughter Luna Sparrow had been able to best the Helkaer. But, his work had been enough to pull their attention - to his credit, he had made the commander and general focus on him, instead of continuing on to the child. The result was Solovey and Luna Sparrow being brought back to Oinaze by force. Tossed deep within the system of caves that served as Sly's dungeons, forced into the dark... And it was there that Solovey had remained. Until his death.
Sly had attempted to convince Luna Sparrow to betray the Light Kingdom, and to join the mighty forces that were the Helkaer instead. It was not the first time that she had indoctrinated the minds of her enemies, but perhaps this time, she had underestimated the resistance she had met. Luna had been stubborn, steadfast - had it not been for her ability to utilize Solovey as a pawn, Luna likely would not have given into Sly at all. But so long as she had him, Sly's grasp over his daughter was tight.
In fairness, the Light Kingdom had come looking for their king - a spotted being had turned up shortly after Solovey's capture, seeking their royal. But Sly had turned the being away, stating that the femme was too late - that Sly had already disposed of their king. She had to admit, she was surprised that a reaction from the Light Kingdom had not been immediate. After all, Sly was stating that she had murdered their leader. But with all the interactions she had had with Queen Nixi over the years, she had seen growth... And Sly had to wonder if the monarch knew that an immediate retaliation might not be in their best interest. So though Queen Nixi and her forces had not showed up, the Helkaer Commander had stayed on alert, awaiting the day that others would come to make her pay for being responsible for the death of yet another king. First it had been Grizmar. Now, Solovey. Sly had repeated history, taken after the creator of the Helkaer brotherhood himself... She had, as far as anyone knew, become a kingkiller.
It was after this unfolded that Sly's attention had been turned towards the war, and fighting alongside the Underworld as they sought to destroy the Utopians. For the first time ever, Sly had agreed to an official alliance with the Underworld. One that stated that for her support of them, they would offer her protection against the Utopians - the only foe that Sly knew could easily depose of her. Her protection from the demons of the Underworld allowed her to weaken the Utopians forces, without fear of being met with otherworldly powers she could not defend herself against. And that relationship had been going splendidly, until now. For it was that agreement that had driven her down her current path, and caused her to be where she was - being hunted down, outnumbered, and already at the point of exhaustion.
Xerxes had come to her one day within her home. He told her of a deal that he had made with a mortal named Regina - an individual who Sly had met herself only very recently. This mare had come to Sly's territory, seeking answers regarding Solovey - she had somehow come to discover that the brute had not, in fact, been ended. Supposedly she felt for the stallion, or something of the sort. When Sly did eventually reveal that the previous reports of Solovey's death had been a ruse, this had put the light mare into action. She pursued a way to free him, through means other than attempting to bargain with the Helkaer Commander. The means of which she found just so happened to be Xerxes. She had wished for aid from a higher power, and Xerxes had answered her call. He had graciously made her an offer - that should she forfeit her life, and in exchange, he would ensure that Solovey would be free. And so, the agreement was made. Regina was to be killed and become a member of the Underworld. That part of the deal performed, that only left managing Solovey... Although Xerxes had other plans for the stallion. When the dread lord approached Sly, he explained that he had no intention of allowing Solovey to go. Instead, Sly was to kill him, and freeing him from his mortal life. Regina had asked for him to be free after all, hadn't she? Eager to participate in such a fantastic ploy, Sly eagerly brought the former king his death.
And this was where things had changed. Sly had previously been utilizing the threat of Solovey's death as a way to manipulate Luna Sparrow. But when the young woman found out that the Helkaer Commander had gone and killed him anyways... Well, that had driven her over the edge. Luna Sparrow had fled the Outlands, to where, Sly had not known... But now, that answer was made quite clear. For it was Luna Sparrow, along with others that Sly recognized from the Light Kingdom - the spotted bitch, and Nixi - who chased Sly now. Fuelled by rage. Having now known that Sly had lied - that she had had Solovey all this time, that he had been alive, but he had suffered. That he had been killed, when he possibly could have been saved. That others' lives, such as Inertia and Regina's, had also been forfeited... All because of Sly.
She did not know how the group had found her in the Lands of the Free, away from her allies... But they had. She had been wandering the unclaimed territories when she had seen them, coming purposefully towards her, their intentions clear. Perhaps had she not been a more capable and attentive individual, she would have met her fate right then and there... But Sly was not going to make this easy on them. She had bolted, attempting to escape them - but they had used their numbers to their advantage, keeping up with her, keeping track of her, and keeping her from being able to return to the Outlands. Sly was no fool. She was a capable fighter, but she knew she could not outmatch such a great number of foes all at once. And so, desperately, she had turned her course toward Mount Malvolia, where she now found herself. Part way up the volcano, with no where left to go. She could climb no higher, and below her approached her enemies. She silently directed her thoughts towards Xerxes, wondering if he would hear her call, if he would come in time. Until then, the group who sought her could be damned sure that she would fight like hell. So, planting herself with more stability upon the ashen earth, Sly's fire-filled glare gazed down at the approachers, and she yelled to them, "Why don't you come closer? I'd love to show you how unforgiving this volcano truly is."Tagged - Sunfrost A z z y ღ ∂ιѕαѕтєя ღ + ebonite + Pippin ➳ T e c h n o ➳ illɘgal JUNI!Notes - This will be after the agreement between Regina and Xerxes, and after Regina and Solovey's death. Luna Sparrow would have returned to Rain Forest Beach to report what had happened, and the group set out to pursue Sly. This will also be after Inertia's death. This will be prior to Act 3 of the war. Please let me know if anything said in this post needs to be changed. Xerxes will not appear to help until after irreparable damage has been done.
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i'm not afraid of god, i am afraid of man
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she/they
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165 posts
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Weanling
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Post by JUNI! on Apr 2, 2024 9:18:47 GMT -7
may the light of the alliance guide you from one shore to another.
this wild goose chase had made a strange turn as sly headed for mount malvolia. it was not long ago that adora was none the wiser to what evils that danced within WE. tides were changing, and there was a whisper, a scream, in the back of her mind; kingslayer. for all this time, they'd thought solovey dead - the opportunity to save him stripped from the queen and the kingdom like it had not existed. there was no surprise that sly had played this tumultuous game and done it well. from all accounts, this was her specialty, and adora would give her the credit she deserved for that. she would not, however, credit her for the foolishness for lack of consideration to the consequences of her actions. alone in the free lands without a savior in sight. there was a thrill of it, one that adora knew well. yet this time, she was not running from her enemy. the baroness had little to do with this, really, except the yearling tucked away in her home who was motherless, filled with uncertainty and woes, scared. adora wished she had been a better friend to regina, convinced her against this foolery of bartering with demons, beckoned her home to ensure her life would not go without a fight. adora was angry for the boy, for her friend, and for her queen. when she had promised her loyalty to nixi, it was with unwavering confidence in the ideals of the light alliance. as little as she understood of the innerworkings of the royals, she burned at the thought of not having a say in fate. solovey was dead. they had no say. it had happened so fast that she'd barely had time to comprehend things. in tandem with the others, adora sprung into action. the sound of their hoofbeats shook the earth beneath them. sly was good, but adora knew that the choice to head them up the volcano was nothing more than a desperate attempt to shake their advantage of numbers. there were no words spoken between them. they talked in glances and motions toward the directions they'd be taking. the few words that were shared were choked out through bated breaths. this cat and mouse continued, but the group made sure that there was nowhere worthwhile for sly to go - and so sly went up. adora watched as she climbed the sloping volcano before her cerulean eyes searched for nixi. the group, strewn across the ashy underfoot, leant into her climb. they pushed, and pushed, and pushed until sly had stopped and finally turned to them. it was then that adora noticed the molten red of her eyes as they pierced down at them. the palomino positioned herself below her queen, every hair on her body standing from the way the nerves in her muscles twitched. she wanted to keep on, but she remained a statue, toes dipped into the ground to secure herself there. "why don't you come closer? i'd love to show you how unforgiving this volcano is." sly taunted them. she expected nothing less from the helkaer commander. from her perch, adora lifted her head and swiveled her gold sonars toward those behind her and then to sly. "you think us so foolish that we'd give you the satisfaction?" she called, a short laugh erupting from the depths of her lungs. "it is over, sly. the underworld leaves you to die. by the time your allies get word, it will be for naught. have you gotten what you wanted?" her voice was hoarse from the chase, but her breathing had steadied. there was a short pause and adora spoke again, this time her tone was ... different. the undertone was dark, one she did not recognize as her own. "face your maker with pride, helkaer. and please, watch your step."
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The Outsider walks among us
riposte and tear until it is done
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They/them
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10,848 posts
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Addict
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Post by + ebonite + on Apr 2, 2024 18:40:59 GMT -7
Adrenaline filled her body to the brim. This was the third time she could recall pushing her body this hard, but this time, she was pursuing instead of fleeing. The ache in her legs paled in comparison to the rage that flooded every muscle. In this moment, she was every bit the warrior that her mother had created her to be. The sword of justice would fall upon this mare, no matter how far she ran. She would not escape. Seph's icy gaze was pinned to her. Every ounce of her training fueled her, every single instinct that she had instilled in her to stick to the mission. This was her mission now. Sly would pay for what she had done. It was inevitable. After what had happened with Naberus and her two sons, Seph had thought she'd been numb to abrupt events. Vas was still recovering from his injuries and Sariel, Baltsaros, and Naberus had yet to be found. She had been proven wrong. Luna Sparrow had returned to Rain Forest Beach and had revealed that her father had, in fact, been alive until recently. That Sly had been using him as leverage to force his daughter to do what she wanted. The revelation had sent a shockwave through the entire herd and it was clear that there was only one thing left to do now. The Helkaer had gone unpunished for far too long. And so they had all gathered to take their well-deserved revenge upon the Helkaer Commander. She had been wandering alone in the Free lands when they had descended upon her, an entire group of them. Sly had opted to flee, which was really the only option she had if she wished to survive any longer than she had. Seph did not care if the Light Kingdom was supposed to be opposed to violence - she had never been a Light anyway. She would avenge her friend, even if she had to do it alone. How far were her companions willing to go? She didn't know that and so she had decided not to rely on them if it came down to the fatal option. She would deal the killing blow if she had to. She knew that this deed might expose her to the enemies that she had been hiding from for so long, but she found she was no longer as afraid as she had been. Was that the anger talking? Was it foolishness? All she could think of was Solovey's face. Her friend, murdered. And she could have done something about it sooner. He had been alive when she had confronted Sly the first time. Perhaps she could have saved him. But she knew from experience that focusing on what-ifs did nothing but drive one to madness. Pursuing his killer - that was far more productive. There was a simplicity to the chase. Sly had fled to the volcano - an apt choice, Seph thought, for someone who utilized fire. But the volcano would not save her. Even as she climbed the precarious cliffs, getting closer and closer to the lava that rolled down the sides, Seph continued to pursue. After all, the closer they got, the closer Sly would have to get to the volcano. Perhaps the lava would take care of the Helkaer Commander for them. What an awful way to die, Seph thought. She'd rather die fighting. Would Sly feel the same? 'Why don't you come closer? I'd love to show you how unforgiving this volcano truly is,' the Commander bellowed down at her pursuers. Seph cocked her head, wondering why Sly would think they would fall for such a taunt. All they had to do was maintain their distance while Sly continued to get closer and eventually that would be the end of her. Seph did not care how the Commander met her end - just that she met it. 'You think us so foolish that we'd give you the satisfaction?' one of Seph's companions called out to the Commander, echoing her thoughts. 'It is over, Sly. The Underworld leaves you to die. By the time your allies get word, it will be for naught. Have you gotten what you wanted?' Seph cast a sidelong glance at the palomino, wondering why she tempted fate by invoking the name of the Underworld. There was definitely a chance that they would still appear to stop them. 'Face your maker with pride, Helkaer. And please, watch your step,' the mare finished. Seph turned her icy gaze back to the chestnut mare. It was so hot. Seph was visibly sweating both from the pursuit and the stifling heat that surrounded the volcano. Any closer and Sly would burn where she stood. Seph did not have much to say to the Commander. She had always been a mare of few words. So, her own comment was a simple, "goodbye, Sly."profiletimeline after naberus' escape, after luna sparrow's announcement of course tag aliyaah Sunfrost ღ ∂ιѕαѕтєя ღ ➳ T e c h n o ➳ JUNI! A z z y Pippin notes if i need to change anything, let me know <33 "Speech"
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Dongo the DongDong King
Icy is responsible for this
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They/Them
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Post by ➳ T e c h n o ➳ on Apr 24, 2024 11:01:54 GMT -7
Perihelion TW: language/violence?Peri's hooves thrummed steadily over the terrain. He kept in time with the rest of the decently sized group that had been rallied in pursuit of the Helkaer Commander Sly. Word had gotten out that she was responsible for the death of Solovey, one of the former Light Kings. His daughter Luna Sparrow had spilled the information to them, and the hunt began. The fire that coursed through his veins had been ignited. Thee were few things that Peri truly hated, but killing for the sake of it was one of them. The Helkaer were on a growing list of equines he'd felt truly wronged his king and queen. Second on that list were the Dark Royals. Their grudge over what Underoath had done persisted, and he had been violently suggested to leave their borders. That message did not bode well for the Light Kingdom's status amongst the other groups. The war complicated things further, and he hoped that another was not on the horizon. Peri kept pace somewhere near Sephenia. That was another complication, she was Coreion's mate and therefore he felt a very strong obligation to make sure she didn't get hurt while they were hunting down the Helkaer Commander. She'd taken them through the freelands, until they'd reached the volcano of Mount Malvolia. It was swelteringly hot. A thick sheen of sweat dripped from his hide, and the stench of sulfur filled his nares.They chased and hunted her until she had nowhere left to run, and lava bubbled ominously below her daggers. Just over the lip, and she turned to face them. Sly taunted them, daring them to come closer and she would show them how unforgiving a volcano could be. Peri scoffed and his lip curled with disdain as the masses slowed and cut off her only path of escape. The palomino mare spoke first, and added her own insult to the mix. Sly's allies would not come for her. She would be long dead before they even realized that the life had left her bodice. Sephenia chimed in too, but all she had to offer was a bid goodbye. "And yet, I think you'll find that we are the ones who are the most unforgiving..." Peri sneered ominously as he took one step towards Sly in preparation of what was to come. aliyaah + ebonite + JUNI! Sunfrost illɘgal A z z y ღ ∂ιѕαѕтєя ღ Pippin
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