[Sunfrost]

A roar of triumph ripped from Rianne’s lips as she reared and her hooves made contact with the skull of the horse in front of her. The horse’s head jerked sideways, their cheek hanging awkwardly and their eyes swinging around before they abruptly collapsed. Rianne came down, bringing all of her weight into her front hooves as she did so and slamming them into the horse’s skull and neck. The crunch of bone beneath her hooves brought another neigh of triumph from her mouth. Brown eyes flashing, the agile Akhal Teke stepped off the carcass of her former opponent and looked around for the next horse, unable to stop the eager light in her gaze.

Today had been a glorious day. She’d showed up to a fight and engaged in numerous skirmishes, always emerging the victor. She was barely marked from these battles, save from a bruise developing on her front chest and a bitemark on her right hind leg. Both were minor injuries, and Rianne was ready for more. She started for her next victim, a savage grin lighting her features, but was abruptly halted by some force greater than herself, something unexplainable. She suddenly did not have the urge to engage in combat, and that wasn’t like her at all. Furious but not fighting, the Dark mare cast her gaze about and alighted it upon the Vigilum, standing in the middle of the field and exuding their poisonous, peaceful aura.


ooc: 1/3 for Rianne

[Sunfrost]

Rianne wished that she had the gumption to stride across the battlefield and murder the Vigilum for their impudence. As it was, their otherworldly power kept her at bay, stemming the urge to combat and murder that still brewed through her blood. Rianne snarled, furious at them but unable to lift a single hoof to stop it. She muscled her way closer, horses around her backing off as they caught a look at her face. While she wished she could bowl them all over, she found herself unable to. The Vigilum’s power kept the ability to commit violence far from her hooves, a foreign concept even as her innermost soul hungered to commit what she could. Even as she drew closer, all she could do was snarl impotently in the Vigilum’s direction and spit at their feet.

She turned sharply on her heel, her tail swishing in contempt, and strode away from the Vigilum as though they did not exist. Even as the distance from them increased, their power remained constant. Rianne wondered if it was anchored into this earth, and if she would still not be free of their damn influence once she got out beyond the treeline. If this was something permanent, an unalterable part of her identity, Rianne truly did not know what she would do about it.


ooc: 2/3 for Rianne

[Sunfrost]

As Rianne neared the edge of the battlefield, she saw other allies making their way for the hills as well. She snorted at the ones she knew of the Underworld and sneered at the rest, threatening with her gaze what she was unable to commit with her hooves. Returning to Ittudale felt like an ill prospect. She had enjoyed this war immensely, especially her constant stream of visitors trying to talk her out of the war effort. They’d been fun to run off and torment. She’d made some interesting new allies along the way too, horses she could have fun with even after the war ended. If it ever ended. Ittudale’s borders would let her heal, but there was little chance of battle there, especially after this whole thing.

Rianne snorted, disgusted at the idea of peace, and a horse near her took one look and hurriedly stepped away. That made the slim bay mare smirk, the bone charms in her mane and tail clinking together delicately as she affixed a stare that promised murder upon this other horse. Rianne knew she’d grown a reputation as a warrior throughout this war, a reputation that had begun with the Gladiator Tournament. She hadn’t won, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t in the future. Anything short of victory would be unacceptable next time out.

ooc: 3/3 for Rianne

[Sunfrost]

The five year old silver buckskin tobiano could not believe what was happening. A full-blown battle had finally broken out, encapsulating both sides of the war, and it seemed to never be nearing the end. Gavin had arrived late and only just begun battling someone. He was losing. He’d gained experience during the war, but not quite enough to be able to handle this. His opponent knew that and was slowly gaining the upper hand, inflicting a few injuries to the front of his body. Gavin was desperately wondering how he would get out of the situation and if he would ever see Aelin and his children again when his opponent suddenly paused mid-strike. Confusion entered their gaze. Gavin’s violet eyes watched them warily, unsure what was going on. What could have dissuaded his foe from the attack?

Turning, the lead of Eacarrah’s gaze alighted upon the familiar form of Duramus in the middle of the battlefield. The scarred bay draft mix stood tall and sternly like an overbearing grandfather, his gray eyes unimpressed as he scanned the battlefield. Gavin imagined the Vigilum probably felt for every slain body he laid eyes on, all those he could not get to in time. But why was the fighting stopping? Did the Vigilum have some ability to stop violence and make things calm? Gavin eyed the stallion and the mare who stood at his side, also branded with the mark of the Vigilum, and wondered what would happen next.


ooc: 1/3 for Gavin

[Sunfrost]

Somehow, in some way, the Vigilum were making the violent battles around the field end. Gavin had already felt little urge to violence, aside from in defense of himself, and it was little effort at all to halt his battle once his opponent ceased their attack. But to see everyone doing it, from the fiercest of demons to the most ardent supporters of Utopia, really said something about the Vigilum's abilities. Gavin didn't know if they had ever been employed to this extent before. He didn't know very much at all, really, even after being a herd lead for as long as he had been. But if this was what the Vigilum could do...how powerful would they be, once they had a third member? This was how much they could do with only two horses between them, and one of them a brand new mare that Gavin did not recognize.

Violet eyes wary, Gavin watched as all battles on the field ceased, horses unable to fight on even if they wanted to. They turned away from each other, many disgusted and unwilling but powered by the same supernatural force to do so. Gavin felt the same urge, to turn and go back to Eacarrah, but he was unwilling to leave without checking on the status of his allies first.

ooc: 2/3 for Gavin

[Sunfrost]

Gavin saw a few of his Utopian allies making their way, injured but alive, and breathed a sigh of relief. That was about all he could have hoped for from this battle. His eyes cast about for Aelin, whom he imagined was likely home with the triplets. Aelin had only survived with Vigilum intervention; birthing triplets was no easy task, especially when two had been conceived via trauma. Gavin would treat them all as his children no matter their fathers. He was only confident of the final one, Anaelle, being his own; the others looked too much like Aelin's...other encounters. Gavin's teeth gritted, the urge to strike out at those allied with such monstrous creatures rising up within him, but he felt it almost immediately quelled by the calm the Vigilum exuded. There was no fighting it.

Wondering if he was going to feel this way for the rest of the war or if the Vigilum had plans to do more, Gavin turned, striding from the field with the confidence of someone who felt he was emerging victorious. He didn't know how Utopia stood in the war or if they would emerge victorious, but he did know that he had tried his hardest for what he believed in. Theoretically, that should count for something in this bloodied campaign. Gavin would return home with confidence and hope, knowing he had the support of his herd behind him no matter the outcome.

ooc: 3/3 for Gavin

[aliyaah]

Prompt 3

This prompt and the subsequent posts will be hypothetical.

Write about what you imagine your character's life might be like following the war. If you're making multiple posts, consider making posts that cover scenarios where your character was on the winning side, losing side, or if there were no winners. 

You have until November 9th, 2024 at 07:03:00 GMT-7 to complete your post.

Sunfrost

[Sunfrost]

Saniyya was unfamiliar with the feeling pulsing through her. It was uncertainty. Ever since the war had ended, she had felt this feeling. No winner had been declared; all of a sudden, the fighting had stopped one day. Saniyya knew the Vigilum must have had something to do with it – they had stopped the final battle, after all. But she had heard little to nothing from Utopia since, no grand announcement, just nothing. The days lapsed into uncertainty, in which the High Priestess of the Versai waited for the other side to retaliate or do something. But it appeared there was no winner, and they would be in an eternal stalemate. Sani did not feel well about that. The war needed a definitive conclusion to guarantee peace. Without one, what would happen to them?

Sani had spent the immediate days following the great battle recovering in her home. Amaravati was doing better, the plague unleased on it lifting. The Highlands in general were improving. Sani wondered if that meant Rasa and Cadence had done something for them during whatever occurred after the battle to combat the Underworld’s influence. But she knew nothing, and the uncertainty kept her awake every night, waiting for the next battle or attempted steal. The silence was unnerving. One week later, and Sani began to settle down back into normal Versai life. She’d checked on her fellow members, checked on their herds, and watched their lands heal. She’d tried to calm down, to settle in to normal politics. Over time, she’d begun thinking of how to let go of her grudges from the war and focus on the normal grudges and purpose they were supposed to have as the Versai. It was not a quick process.

Often, Sani wondered what she and the Versai should do next. They’d tried to cleanse their reputation, and she’d tried to lead in such a way that the new generation of Versai could not be mistaken for the old. She didn’t know if she’d succeeded. What else could she do? The space left by the war also meant she had time to figure it out. Perhaps it was fine, to feel this restlessness and know she could now devote her days to the Sisterhood, doing better, and leaving her own legacy behind her. Perhaps that was the right course of things, and Sani had only to adapt to it to experience the benefits and learn what could come next. The High Priestess tried to be accepting of that, and yet it continued to grate on her consciousness that she was missing something and that it would hurt her one day.



ooc: 1/5 for Saniyya

[Sunfrost]

Despite all the extra time she had to figure things out, Saniyya was no closer to an answer on what to do now with all of the free time she’d gained. The war was in a stalemate. Nothing had happened. The Highlands were doing better, the Underworld’s plague fading. And no one had won. Neither the Utopians nor the Underworld had announced it, but the Versai High Priestess knew in her heart that the war had come to a quiet end. And without a victor declared, Sani couldn’t help wondering if the war had been worth all of the issues that had happened, all of the lives which had been lost. What had been the point if there was no decisive result?

The mare wondered all of this as she settled into a routine of daily patrol and increased wariness. At one point, Sani knew she and the Versai would move forward in some way that was entirely outside of the war. They’d find some new cause, take that up instead. She’d only entered the war because of what happened to Dahlia and because of the side those aggressors were on. She was convinced there would be no peace until that was resolved, war or no war. But what did that mean? Sani did not know, but she knew she needed to find an answer and set the Versai on that path. Without a cause, they would flag, especially with the war ending in a stalemate.


ooc: 2/5 for Saniyya

[Sunfrost]

They’d lost the war. Sani learned of it the very next day after the battle, when the Underworld’s plague upon the Highlands strengthened to an unimaginable level. Whereas before it had appeared to be waning, now it was not. If anything, it had doubled, or tripled, in strength. Amaravati was almost unlivable. Lyrarcor, Rosemonde, Mersa…all were in equal or worse shape. Sani often wondered if the end of the war and victory of the Underworld equated to the end of the Versai. They couldn’t be Versai if they had nowhere to live! And to top it off, Utopia was being heavily taxed and basically tortured by the Underworld now that they had lost. The Versai could not rely on them for support. The Versai could rely on no one. They were alone.

Sani spent her immediate days after this realization trying to put her affairs in order and care for her herd. She spent the fifth day after wondering if this was the end, and if all her efforts had been for naught. She fully expected her herd members to begin abandoning them any day now. The Versai’s powers remained strong, yet there was no end in sight. What could they possibly do? What could they do that hadn’t already been done? Attempt to make their own peace with the Underworld in the face of their defeat? Xerxes would probably take their lives, bring them to the Underworld as slaves, end the Versai as they knew it, and be done with it at last. Saniyya knew she could not let that happen…yet with every day that passed, her despair grew, and her uncertainty strengthened.



ooc: 3/5 for Saniyya

[Sunfrost]

Saniyya did not know any longer if life was worth living. She’d finally hit a point where she’d approached the Underworld to reach a détente in exchange for the ending of the plague upon the Highlands. The price was…steep. Sani watched the curse recede from the Highlands with every passing day and attempted to find joy in the increasing strength and health of her herd, but she found it hard to come by. The price…the price had been too much, and Sani wondered if it had been worth it. In her heart of hearts, the silver dapple black knew she would do whatever was necessary if it meant helping the Versai, but she also wondered if this action had been necessary or not. Saniyya had agreed to give her soul to the Underworld upon her death. She’d also had to promise the souls of four others. After much negotiation, she’d convinced her fellow Versai to contribute their souls, and the soul of the cambion she now carried within her would also be promised to the Underworld. Her foal, whenever born, child of a demon, would be taken and raised by the Helkaer. Saniyya would never know them, and their service and soul would be to the Underworld.

Depression was the least of the feelings Saniyya felt. She’d been forced into carrying the child as a price for her personally to pay as an ally of Utopia, and she would never know said child. She’d been reduced to nothing more than a vessel for the child’s birth, and she’d be given no agency in the child’s life after it was born. As if that wasn’t enough, she’d serve the Underworld after death, her soul of Light turned to the Dark to pay whatever price the Underworld demanded. Her future looked dark, and her life after death looked just as dark. Sani tried to find the light in places like her herd and in her relationships with those around her, but she had not been able to recently.

Her life now was the worst it had ever been. Bishop had taken to talking to her with increasing frequency, the Vigilum mare concerned for her herd lead’s health. She had a right to be concerned. Saniyya had never acted this way before, and she felt hopeless. She was close to stepping down as herd lead and as High Priestess…all because of the price the Underworld had levied upon them for siding with Utopia. It was too much, and yet it was better than nothing. Perhaps one day, Utopia would become ascendant and save them. Until then, Sani was on her own…


ooc: 4/5 for Saniyya

[Sunfrost]

A smile split Sani’s face as she beheld the lush greenery surrounding Amaravati. Her herdland was bathed in blessed light, its residents at peace, everything bright with the tidings of things to come. They hadn’t been healthier nor happier in months. All of it was because of Utopia’s victory in the war. Utopia had fought hard, strengthened by the involvement of the Versai and other allies, and in the final stages they’d pulled ahead. The Underworld’s defeat meant the immediate end of the curse upon the Highlands and the recession of the Underworld’s influence from the lands. Wild Equines had never looked better.

With the victory of her chosen side, Sani’s life had improved in immeasurable ways. The Versai’s power was ascendant. No one dared to steal from their lands, and no one bartered with them without knowledge of the Versai’s power. Relations between the Versai and Utopia had never been higher, with several relationships blossoming between angels and mortals and leading to the birth of many Nephilim among the herds. They were stronger than they had ever been, and life was good. Sani had actually found herself relaxing enough to turn to the questions of life like finding a mate or at least finding someone to blow some steam off with. Being High Priestess was stressful, and she was now permitting herself these interactions. Whether they would lead to anything was another story, but Sani was not in a rush. She now had all the time in the world for these frivolous pursuits.

ooc: 5/5 for Saniyya DONE!

[Sunfrost]

The violet eyed herd lead of Eacarrah was uncertain how life would go. Utopia had lost the war. Gavin had fought valiantly from the very first battle, and yet it had not been enough. He’d gotten the news of their loss shortly after the final battle. Apparently the Vigilum had tried their best to negotiate a settlement, and instead the Underworld had walked away, declared victory, and forcefully imposed that victory upon Utopia. Utopia had had no power to stop it. And now Gavin waited for the next steps, for punishment to be meted out to Utopian allies. He stood by how Eacarrah had been attacked first, leading to his involvement in the war, but he also knew that the Underworld was unlikely to care. They weren’t much for subtleties.

Shaking his head, Gavin tried to refocus upon the cheerful story his companion Atlas was trying to tell him. The bright, curious squirrel had been his friend since birth and always seemed to know how to cheer Gavin up. Atlas had been with him through everything, yet Gavin felt like his life was falling apart as he listened to Atlas speak. What would happen to them? What would happen to Aelin, love of his life, and their children? Would the Underworld take them as recompense? They had all already been through enough…how could yet more be on the horizon? Gavin’s mind refused to comprehend it, and yet he knew he had to. It was his job as herd lead, and duty skipped no one.


ooc: 1/3 for Gavin

[Sunfrost]

Gavin felt soaring triumph lighten his steps as he ran to tell Aelin and Eacarrah of the news. An angel had come to him, one of Utopia’s many, and informed about the victory of Utopia over the Underworld. At last, justice would be served! Gavin fully expected that the Underworld would be ordered now that they had lost to pay reparations to Eacarrah for the harm his herd land had suffered from the Helkaer raid. That raid had been what got Gavin to join the war in the first place. Without that raid, Gavin likely would have lived up to the Neutral name and stayed out of everything. With the raid, though, the herd lead had had little choice but to join the battle and fight for his herdland. Utopia had been the only choice, and in the end it was the winning one.

Relief and joy overcame him as he told Aelin, sharing a relieved hug, and relief appeared on the faces of his herdmates as he and his beta who also happened to be his mate told everyone of what had transpired. Eacarrah was free. They would be rewarded for their efforts. Gavin waited eagerly to hear of what exactly the rewards would be. He hoped for blessings on his land, the better to repair from Helkaer fires way back in the beginning of the war. He hoped for peace, a calm environment for him to raise his children with Aelin and groom the heirs to his land. Unlike his mother, he would not abandon his mate and children. He knew all too well what that felt like, and he would do better.


ooc: 2/3 for Gavin

[Sunfrost]

A stalemate was not what Gavin was expecting as a result of this war. Both Utopia and the Underworld had fought too hard for that to be the result…and yet, that was the result. Gavin did not know what to do about that. How could he reassure his herd and family that they were safe now, when the result was undecided? What could he possibly do to guarantee their physical safety and mental well-being in the face of this uncertainty? He’d received no guidance from Utopia, and apparently neither had any other allies. They were all stuck here, waiting to see what would become of them.

To take his mind off of it, Gavin had thrown himself into patrols, training, and managing his herd. He’d never embodied his position as herd lead more than he had in the past few days, using work to take his mind off of everything. Though it kept him busy, it only worked halfway, and Gavin continued to find himself wondering what would happen next and if any of them would be saved. Twice he’d stopped himself from running to the Vigilum for answers, doubting they would necessarily know anything more than he did. All he could do was wait, living with the uncertainty and hoping for a good outcome for himself and his herd and family.


ooc: 3/3 for Gavin DONE!!

[Sunfrost]

Rianne knew at one point she’d have to stop taking out her frustrations on the herd and the land around her, but she couldn’t help it. The bay Akhal Teke let her usual morning snarl of frustration rip from her lips as she awakened to yet another Light-filled day. The Underworld had lost the war. Rianne, as one of the foremost warriors for the side of the Underworld, had been singled out for special treatment in the face of that loss. She’d been locked into her lands, guards posted to ensure she did not leave until the Utopians decided what to do with her. Her herd was similarly locked in, lest she use one of them to her own ends. Utopia had gotten awfully clever with that last stipulation.

Would her soul be sold to Utopia? Would they strip her of her herdland as punishment, punish them in some other creative way? Rianne knew she would not give them the satisfaction of having beaten her. She would give none that satisfaction. The Underworld’s loss was hers by categorization, but Rianne refused to view it as her defeat. She viewed it as the others not living up to their roles, allowing Utopia to get ahead. It was impossible for her to have messed up in any way, leading to this defeat, after all. That was the philosophy Rianne lived by even as she grew increasingly on edge waiting to see what would happen to her and what would be decided.


ooc: 1/3 for Rianne

[Sunfrost]

A stalemate. There were no depts to Rianne’s dissatisfaction with that word. After all of her efforts, all of the battles fought, all of the useless conversations she’d had with the stupid Utopians wandering into her lands trying to talk her out of the war…neither side had won. What the hell had even been the point? Rianne was almost mad enough to go rogue, abandon the Dark Kingdom, and join the Helkaer, where she’d get the chance to make her own rules. Only the knowledge that her stupid daughter Asteria had gone ahead and joined the Helkaer held her back. She would not be relegated to the similar or same position as her stupid progeny. Rianne knew she was above that.

But a stalemate! The Underworld should have been above that, too. Rianne spent her days prowling Ittudale relentlessly and restlessly, waiting to hear if the Underworld was preparing for their counterattack and ultimate victory. Surely this couldn’t be all that there was? Yet with every day that passed, Rianne became convinced that this was indeed it. No result would come from this war, no benefits or losses for either side. It was maddening, and Rianne gradually drew the conclusion that she might have to go into business for herself in order to keep things running and interested. This…complete quiet was unnerving. She would not have it.


ooc: 2/3 for Rianne

[Sunfrost]

Victory! Rianne had not doubted it for a second. She’d contributed everything she could, and the end result was clear. Victory for the Underworld! She would expect nothing less from those efforts. The word had come down, and Rianne had immediately hosted an incredibly rare and exquisite party in Ittudale. It had been for her herdmates, but she’d been kind enough to invite the rest of the Dark Kingdom and a few demons, too. It was best if they could all celebrate together. In addition to hosting, Rianne had engaged in a lovely array of hedonistic behavior with a host of the partygoers. She was far more relaxed now, happily considering the next steps while having a spot in many different horses’ minds. It was nothing short of an advantage.

The Akhal Teke mare snorted in a rare sign of contentment as she surveyed her lands, Screech coasting in on lazy circles to settle on her back. They’d won. Rianne could rest her muscles, rest her brain, and turn to strengthening her herd and legacy. She would strengthen her connections, tie many more into her service, and see if the Underworld needed any help enforcing any taxes on the Utopians. It was all so exciting and a lot to contemplate, and Rianne knew she was unable to wait to get started. The excitement and purpose of it all was perfect. Her days would be busy, and her urges satiated. She would dominate it all, and carve a path to further fortune. Times had never been better.


ooc: 3/3 for Rianne DONE!

[Sunfrost]

Regina spent her days in the Underworld trying not to smile. The gold cream champagne splash demon knew her smile would not be welcomed under present circumstances, yet she simply could not help it. The Underworld had lost the war. Regina knew that Utopia would extract a heavy price from the Underworld, and she hoped she would have the fortune of paying it. If Utopia wanted a few demons to convert and become angels, Regina would be happy to volunteer. She’d joined the Underworld, and consequently this side of the war, in exchange for Solovey’s freedom. It had cost her his life, and now he lived in Utopia with their daughter, who’d never even had a chance at life. Only her son Atakan remained among the world of the living, settled within Sunset Shores under Regina’s best living friend. As an angel, Regina would be permitted to see him, and she’d get to be with Solovey again and meet her daughter.

While Regina waited for such happy news, though, she attempted to put a suitably somber and angry expression on her face. It wouldn’t do for other demons to sense her happiness or see a smile upon her face as she wandered the hells as she normally did. Regina knew she did not belong in this dark place. She was too Light at heart, too pure, too willing to give. She was here because of those reasons. The mare felt she’d been given a chance, though, with the loss of the war. It was what she’d waited for. The demon awaited news, heart pounding, and tried to tell herself it was almost all over. Her life was about to become immeasurably better, provided a suitable tax targeting her was implemented.


ooc: 1/1 for Regina DONE!!! <3