Don't Piss Up My Back And Tell Me It's Raining

[Hambre]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=#344147][atrb=width,500,true] The lands seemed fair as I had gone on though the places of this newfangled world. My form softly fluttered over the earth as I now came upon thicker groves. It was strange how it all started plain and bare and then magically some small bits of brush formed every now and then. The winds played with my half and half black and white mane and tail as it no longer rested by my knees and trailed on the earth’s surface but billowed like a magical cloud around me. Every now and then a piece of my muzzle long forelock got caught in my eye and I would have to shake lower my head, curve my neck and kick up my heels. God it felt just grand for the time being since there was nothing to attract my unwarranted attention. Alone I was a kind soul but give me someone that thought they were better than me, blood or a small animal to prey on then I was totally different. My attitude was just as black and white as my form, split right down the middle. My blue eye searched around with my brown eye as the forest closed in around me and the jungle took hold. Massive vines swept around at me head and the winds died down as I entered this extremely dense forest. This I thought would be great fun. A Jungle was bound to have some fallen logs and low vines to leap over and dodge. In a way this was a perfect work out area for it tested all of your physical and mental capabilities. To me this just looked like fun whereas to any other it would look like a hell of a time to get though. I simply laughed a melodic note as my black and white feet found themselves itching to get off the ground in flight. Sure it would not be using my well formed wings at my sides that seemed to easily flush in with my strange marked pelt but still, running was the best way to stay in shape. If one were to fly everywhere all the time then one would get fat and their legs would not be sturdy at all. I did not want to be any form of weakling on the ground so I worked out both aerial and earthbound. As soon as I thought of this a low hanging vine nearly caught my throat. I ducked down at my gruelling pace and it whipped past my black and white ears. I laughed eerily at the near hanging and then my eyes caught a flash of movement just to my right. I pulled myself up, nearly sitting on my haunches as my muscles bulged out at the sudden change of pace from working out to a dead stop. My ears twitched slightly and my nostrils flared wide to take in the scent of what was just beyond me. It decided to shift about and then it locked eyes with me. It was a small rabbit and as soon as I saw it’s beady black eyes lock onto me I started to salivate. Seeing that I was no friend I took off after it as it screamed in fright and bolted. It was not long before I was right on the rabbits fuzzy heels and my eyes seemed somewhat demonic as I latched onto the fuzzy critter that I would catch and kill. When It hopped underneath massive logs I soared over top of them as my haunches built up momentum and spring. I soared over quite a few logs and relished the chase as I then ducked under a massive tangled vine. Just beyond it a rather nasty looking dead bunch of branches blocked my path but I would not let this prey get away so easily. I narrowed my eye, turned my head sideways so that my black half of my face was showing and pummelled though the branches sending them every direction and causing the rabbit to stumble and then look back with sheer terror as my approaching form was nearly upon it. For some reason it got back up and continued to run as I snapped at it’s bushy tail and got nothing but fur as a reward. Spitting it out I snarled at the prey, “That was a close call buddy. Why is it that you run so much more than any of the others? You will end up dead anyways no matter what you do.” With this I snapped again and the rabbit once more skittered though my jowls. Now I was getting mad. I wanted it and I wanted it now. I was so locked in to the prey that I did not see the cliff drop off just meters away from us and it seemed the same with the rabbit. It was too late as I looked up and saw the rabbit jump right off the cliff and I skidded right off after it. I knew that I could survive this since I had wings but for now I just enjoyed the feeling of falling and easily caught up to the rabbit in the air. As soon as I snatched it, it screamed a heart filled scream but I did not care to listen. The limp form now stayed in my maw as I now decided to end my lovely little free fall. In one graceful motion my wings unfurled and caught me up in the upward draft. I was lifted away from the rocky bottom of the cliff and soared with the dead rabbit flopping in my mouth. Each wing beat brought me higher and at last I was in the clouds. God it was enjoyable to soar up here in animal form as well as equine form. Spotting a small clearing just north of me I readied myself for a landing and a place to eat my prize. Bunching my haunches underneath me I took a running landing and then came to a halt as my mane flopped in my face. I shook my head causing the rabbit to flop erratically with the simple motion of my head and dropped it. I chanced a small stare at the form as it lay there, unmoving, unblinking and not breathing. At least it would not feel what I would do to it next unlike quite a few of my catches. It was then that I set to work. My form relaxed and law down on the spongy feeling earth and I stripped the prey of fur and set about enjoying a nice quiet, uninterrupted supper. OOC: if any? Image&Table(C)Zin

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[»PIRATE]

The past events swirled around him constantly, pestering his mere existence and tossing him into a tidal wave where he found himself unable to swim and survive. Sparrow contemplated many things within the past month or so, trying to avoid the responsibilities that piled up on him at "home" or that place that he now considered a foreign memory, one that he wanted to forget desperately, but one he found himself attached to regardless. The stallion huffed and peered around Kyros. He needed to clear his head. For the meantime, he managed to keep the death and the disappearance from the knowledge of many; right now he found himself conducting some sort of investigation although how he was going to go about that to the full extent without public knowledge was going to be tricky. Only a select few knew of the events that wound down within the past months, and he ordered those select few to remain quiet lest they all perish for the folly of one. And he found himself quick to deem judgement on them if they so happened to slip up. As for now, the information remained stagnant and he was left with a kingdom beneath him, one that he wanted to rid himself of for the time being. Sparrow wanted to see the world; he wanted to get a feel for the politics of the other alliances. Should he be angered by these other alliances who probably set up the murder of his father and the insanity his mother now suffered from if she still lived? In all honesty, Sparrow didn't know what to feel. Many points in time he found himself debating whether he even felt anything at all. The truth was that his father and he weren't that close; the truth was his mother always acted on the borderline of insanity. And somehow, he came out rather normal and considerably less sadistic than both of them. He came out with a level head that prodded him to lead some sort of productive life, and perhaps eventually a well-rounded political leadership where he governed everything relatively well.

That was the future and he found himself thinking of the future much to often. He tried to think of other things, but the future so often laughed in his face and annoyed him with its anxieties and its conflicted nature against his wants. Sparrow knew he needed an advisor; he somehow wished his sister lived now so that she could take the throne and whenever the first born was ready, he could take it eventually. That was a fantasy long gone. Clear his mind, that's what he needed. He considered teleportation as a means of travel, to instantly rid himself of this haunted place where he occasionally felt his mother's presence. Leaving the eyes of the knowing spectators would be nice too, but he decided to not go about it immediately. Instead of instantly vanishing and appearing somewhere else, he took a long walk that helped his brain meditate on his current health and solutions that needed to be formed. All of his walking went in peace minus those quick, staccato glances over his shoulder, as if something was stalking him, as if something had always been stalking him. Now that his father was dead, a killed royalty, how easy could someone slaughter him as well? In that thought process, he decided to fold his wings and hide them in their mutated slots on his sides. That form of camouflage helped his mental stability more than most would ever imagine. He wandered the lands now as a Nyx without any link to royalty, without any link to paranoia, or as much of it at least.

Eventually teleportation became necessary because he wanted to go further away than his hooves managed to carry him. After a quick canter, he stood still and imagined the place he wanted to go: the hidden realms of Ulysses Jungle. And soon, he appeared, walking underneath the mass of trees and the unusual sounds of the inhabitants of the forest. In some eerie way, this place felt relaxing to him; it followed the circle of life without worrying about the politics, about hierarchy, all of it boiled down to a survival that he appreciated and wanted badly. How simple would life be if he only had to look after his own life? Sparrow knew it was a selfish thought, but he had been taught to be selfish. In the midst of his wandering, he heard something. They sounded like the beats of wings nearby. Unable to see any clear patch of sky, he merely shrugged, licking the poison off of his dripping fangs. For now, he thought of himself alone, at least until something appeared behind the tangled trees from which he approached. An equine, it appeared, gnawing on . . . a rabbit. The smell of fresh blood permeated the atmosphere, nearly making Sparrow reel in sickness of the smell. He associated it with his father's murder; how the blood poured unnaturally out of his head, and the gory scene that he could describe so in-depth it actually frightened him.

Letting on any hint that this bothered him was weak and he absolutely refused to make himself look vulnerable in any way, shape, or form. For now the undercover Nyx stood, allowing his presence to be made known. He noticed that they were about the same height, only the split mare was much more sleek than he. Nice to look at at least, although the blood that dripped from her lips made her look somewhat sadistic. "Enjoying your meal?" he inquired calmly, adding a smirk to his question so that he appeared entirely normal and relaxed. He couldn't let the pheromones of disgust rattle the air, and so he changed his attitude as best he could. His eyes even met what was left of the mangled, half-eaten rabbit. "What are you doing all the way out here by yourself?" he further inquired. Not many equines chose to ramble out on their own, only the self-assured and confident ones. Of course the crazy ones also flocked to places like this alone, and considering she was devouring a rabbit, he considered her borderline insane. It wasn't a feature all too alien to him, although for now he kept his judgments to himself. Sparrow watched her, remaining nonchalant to the fact that he was staring. If she was acting as a carnivore, she was only asking for attention. Finally, he looked away and tossed his head, removing his forelock from his eyes. He saw her in good light and clarity now, and after inhaling a deep breath, he only smelled the scent of equines long vanished from this place.

"I don't believe I've seen you around. To whom do you swear your allegiance?" She had wings. Wings came from both alliances. It was a petty nuisance he found. With his fangs, he was given away as a Nyx if she noticed them. Then again, he knew a few Nyxs that ended up supporting the Averas or even the Briels if they accepted them. Sparrow waited patiently for her to answer. He felt as if he had all the time in the world even when he barely had any time to decide how the future was supposed to turn out for the Zraels and Nyxs alike. The balance oscillated from one side to the other without most of the world knowing; and to balance it, he had to make the decision. But for now, he enjoyed an attempt to conversation with a rabbit-eating horse.

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[Hambre]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=#344147][atrb=width,500,true] The rabbit’s squeals had died long ago but I found myself wanting to hear it scream as I devoured it. I guess having my shape shifting ability and one of my two true forms was that of a wolf the thrill of the hunt and the desire for flesh and carnage just came with that territory. I guess thinking about it I was slightly aware that the wolf was somewhat the darker side of me as I would form into that of a black wolf with a white crescent moon on my forehead and then my other true form. Of course I loved the skies and so my other form was that of a white dove which in a sense symbolized my good natured side. One would not be able to tell I was either of these creatures except my duo coloured eyes gave me away. That was one feature that would stay with me no matter what I did to change them. They just came with the territory of being a shape shifter really. As I relaxed into my dinner a small popping sound came to my ears. I did not know quite what it was so simply dismissing it I went back to my food. Moments after I had polished off half the rabbit a form vocalized making me start slightly for they had not even announced their presence before speaking like they were nearly on top of me. My ears slid back and my eyes narrowed as a small growl of warning escaped me instinctively. Damn wolf personality stayed with me when I had food. Most others could function like they did not have alter forms and none would be the wiser to this. I would have to admit though that if I was the onlooker to myself I would question what the hell I was doing. It would never be often that one would come across another equine that had a taste for flesh and on occasion worms from my other form so it would make one stare quite hard at the situation presented to them. It was a male by the tone of his vocals and he had simply inquired about my meal. I stood up as he came into view and watched him carefully and simply replied, “I suppose I was stranger.” I did not put anything sadistic into my vocals as the blood dripping from my black and white maw were sinister looking enough at this point in time. I supposed that I did not need any introduction really since my features would just say it all as I now wiped my muzzle on a nearby bush neatly scraping all the ooze from it and making my fur shine once more. I was surprised that his eyes did not portray shock at coming across a sight such as this now and so I had to hand it to him, he was taking it quite well. Much better than I had ever expected someone to take it in fact. His next line of question caught me a little off guard as he asked why it was that I was out here by myself. Was it not painstakingly obvious to him? I simply looked him over and replied in somewhat of a teasing tone, “Well I suppose I am out here alone for the very same reason that you are stranger. Just taking in the sights.” I gave a silly grin to this as he did in fact take in quite an extraordinary sight that none have ever seen before. Blood did not make me shy away but in fact made me a bit angered and ready for a fight. The darker side of me just wanted to pounce on whatever was bleeding and take it down much like I did my father but he was asking for it in the end by cheating on my mother. I had to admit even to this day that nothing felt as exhilarating as ending the life of another, older and possibly more powerful equine. Then again I had never killed another after that but once that door is opened it is next to impossible to shut it again. It was as I thought about this his gaze strayed momentarily from me to the half eaten rabbit corpse. I watched him take it in and it seemed for a moment that he would lose some colour but I must have been wrong for he regained himself quicker than I could have and flipped his forelock out of his eyes with a simple movement of his head. As I watched him do this I found myself looking him over to try and put a hoof on what race he was. I myself was a Nyx and I had yet to come across another like myself but then again some hid it better than others and for all I could have known I could have met hundreds of others. His nostrils flared and I knew he was trying to scent me out. I did not do the same for my motto was, unless I wanted to hunt them I had no need to imprint their scent in my memory. So far he was in the clear unless he tried to pull rank on me or something. Hell there was really nothing I hated more than others thinking that they are better than me and also I had a very large problem with authority figures. You don’t believe me? Well just ask my sire about it then and he can tell you exactly what I think of authority. His next line of words were at first polite and I was going to answer them but as he then asked about where my allegiance lay. Strange that he would ask me this right away and want to know before speaking more and learning more about me as I wanted to learn about him but I decided to answer him anyways. My eyes slightly narrowed as I replied questioningly, “My allegiance lies with the Zraels. Also to stop you before you even ask and I start to get testy I might as well inform you before you ask, I am Nyx. Now tell me, why is it that you care enough to ask of my allegiance stranger?” I flicked my half black, half white tail at my onyx flank as I shook my muzzle length forelock to part slightly to allow my blue and brown eyes to stare at him more intently. I had to figure him out now that he knew about me. I walked toward him now slowly, no longer interested in the half eaten corpse and asked him point blank, “So where does your allegiance lie and what are you? I can not seem to tell since you have no discernable features like wings, horns or fangs that I can see so far.” I slowly came to walking around him taking in his appearance and noting that he was just about the same height as myself but possibly two years younger as well. His muscle tone was quite sculpted as was my own from running and flying for countless tiring hours. His colouration was somewhat interesting to guess. It was a blue roan with what seemed like darker points on his head and legs. It was rather unique as was my own yin, yang pelt with a white mane and tail on the black side and a black mane and tail on the white side with a little overlay of each on my barrel. Finally seeing him over from muzzle to tail I thought he was rather stocky and his curly mane did make him more interesting to look at. His pelt was not sleek and flawless like my own that looked aerodynamic in every way but his had more of a rough texture by the looks of things without touching it. I then wanted to know what he was called. It seemed quite informal to call him stranger and he not knowing my own name but for now I would bite my tongue and wait for him to instigate a little conversation. My eyes then drifted to the carcass on the earth that I had been knowing on previously and a slight embarrassment overcame me. I had never eaten or had been caught eating in another’s presence and so I felt the overwhelming urge to dispose of it. I quickly stepped over to the mangled corpse and rapidly and fluidly pushed it out of sight under some closely located bushes and dead vines. Now coming back to the scene of the crime I stood where I was before and waited for this stallion to say something else. However I prayed that he did not try and pull an authoritative move on me for I would lash out without a second thought and his pelt was really quite nice it would be a real shame to muss it up more than it was naturally. Then again if he did pull a trick like that with me I would simply think he deserved it. For now though not knowing what and who he was and aligned with I would have to play it safe in case he was hiding some nasty poison filled fangs in that mouth of his that he did not seem to move too much. OOC: if any? Image&Table(C)Zin

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[»PIRATE]

Sparrow remained overly silent as she answered him. Was. What, now no more? He attributed that to his luck. Despite all of the things he had seen, seeing a natural born herbivore devour a carcass was not something he wanted to watch. "Well I apologize then for interrupting you," he replied. Of course, if he were truly sorry, he would turn around and go about where he came. Honestly, Sparrow wasn't sorry. He just used the lie to interject a response of some sort. What could another equine say to a carnivore? He secretly hoped she wasn't a cannibal. Sparrow counted on his teleportation to see him through that if he were to live through this.

Taking in the sights, he doubted that. Sparrow huffed, almost impatiently, at her answer. He had only taken in one sight, and that was her devouring a rabbit. Sparrow nearly felt sorry for the little thing. No empathy showed on his face though, he made sure of that. One of the many lessons drilled into his head at a young age was keeping emotions from reaching the outside world. He hid how he felt and hid expressions with a master blankness. To some, it appeared that he acted completely detached to the world. Perhaps he was. He often considered it. Emotions were looked down upon, and he followed that tradition of denying them. Right now, that lesson came in handy. He actually appreciated all of the hours he once put into learning it. "If you want to call it that," he responded.

Sparrow knew full and well that this mare had him beat in age and probably wisdom as well. It was annoying to know that no matter how many lessons he took as a colt, no matter how many various teachers taught him the way of the world, he still had to figure the majority out on his own. That time had not come and now came prematurely. In some aspects, he envied her. His thoughts continued to reel and he appreciated his racing brain keeping him distracted from the smell of a dead rabbit that permeated the atmosphere. It reminded him of the last time he saw his father. And the smell... the smell that day had been horrible, stanching up the entire air surrounding the plot of land his father had lain on. Truthfully, it still made him want to get sick, but he didn't. He learned to ignore it. Mind over matter, they taught him repeatedly. But Sparrow knew there were bounds and he secretly wondered if he broke those bounds.

He focused on the conversation at hand and listened intently for her answer with ears pricked and eyes fully lying upon the dual colored creature. Sparrow noticed her eyes narrowing and couldn't help but smirk in reply. Was this a defensive move? He wondered if she would tell if she disliked the question. When she did, it halfway surprised him. And the honesty that came out without any hesitation did truly surprise him. Not many he had met were so open with information. Sparrow didn't know why, at least before, but now tensions were tight with the other herds and good relations were hard to come by now, although he tried to conceal as much information as possible on the current situation surrounding him and the Zraels. Nevertheless, he always had a hunch that the Briels were behind his father's murder.

Able now to change the subject, he listened and found himself about to reply before she stopped him. So, he listened. A Nyx siding with the Zraels. Well good. For some reason he felt as if that could relieve him. Perhaps it was because he assumed they were both on the same side. He immediately became less suspicious although the rabbit eating could not be denied as odd. He went with it, at least for now. Sparrow's stance grew more casual. Instead of standing straight up, he slouched his shoulders and put most of his weight on three hooves. Instead of answering right away, he let his body language do much of the talking. Perhaps his mother would consider it foolish if she stood near, but Sparrow enjoyed the feeling of being casual around others if they were and ally. Besides, acting regal was something he obviously tried to fight and get away from now that everything avalanched on top of him.

Sparrow shrugged, at first not sure how to answer without diving into details. "I was just wondering if I was among a like-minded equine." In that sentence, he revealed as much as she needed to know about him. He too followed the Zraels. It'd be silly if he didn't follow himself. "Surely I'm not the first one who's ever done that before. Everyone's curious one time or another. I don't know what's to get all testy over," he added with a mischievous smirk.

When she started making her way toward him, Sparrow stopped slouching and stood straight, balancing his weight equally although he found himself leaning more forward. "The same as yours." Sparrow took the time to open his mouth, revealing his fangs. "I have fangs." And then he shut his mouth, hiding them. "They're just not as easily spotted as wings and a horn." Let her think he was a Nyx. Quite honestly, he didn't want her to know he was a Zrael. While Sparrow seemed more honest than the reputation of his kind, he was not entirely truthful. He lied when he wanted to, and for whatever psychological reason (paranoia, most likely, although he refuses to admit it to himself or anyone else) he hid his identity from all. Maybe it was a smart move. Maybe it was a dumb move. Either way, if someone had the ability to kill his father, they had the ability to kill him. If a semi-immortal feared nothing else, he feared death. Right now, he focused on her, for the first time taking notice of her eyes and the different colors they were.

Sparrow stayed relatively still with her around, always on guard, as he learned to trust no one, even those from the same alliance although he tended to bend that rule a little more. He knew full well his parents would have never allowed something like this to happen, but he didn't mind. A cautious, curious mind was fine with him. In fact, he found it rather intriguing. It was time to see more fearless mares around. When she stepped away, he found himself relaxing again, as if undisturbed completely. For some reason, he felt comfortable in her presence. Oddly enough, he watched her toss away her meal, and this sprung a thousand more questions in his mind. "Not hungry any more?" He never caught the sense of embarrassment from her. In fact, he viewed it as something to be feared. And fear could control many things, he learned, but he preferred to do without it. Sparrow was young. The world had yet to break him.

Pushing the topic aside, he added, "I don't believe I know your name." Skipping introductions was something he was famous for. Sparrow, never good with names, usually figured names didn't matter. But now that he was alone in everything, he might as well start getting to know those he led a little better, even if he was trying to leave behind the anonymous leadership. "I'm Sparrow," he added quickly. Hopefully she wouldn't recognize the name. He wasn't entirely sure if the Nyxs paid attention to actual royalty other than their own herd leaders.

[Hambre]

Ooc: gonna reply tonight. Had a few things to do the past few days but I shall get one up. Sorry for the long wait.

[Hambre]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=#344147][atrb=width,500,true] As I had spoken back to answer his massive volley of questions his reply seemed distant as I could tell that he was not sorry in the least for disturbing me during my meal. And self respecting equine would turn around and just have left me be without so much as motioning to be around. However I looked at it he seemed to find some kind of comfort in lying. God I absolutely despised liars but this being our first meeting it was bound to happen either with me or him and he was the lucky one to lie first. His eyes seemed detached from emotion and that was alright. I knew better myself to keep my emotions in check so they did not deter me from the goals of my fights and give the other equine leverage over my thoughts and feelings. It was really a survival instinct that one had to have in order to live out here no matter how young or old you were and it was quite relaxing to see that the younger generations were coming into the world just fine. I then thought about my past and what I had done. In reality I had an immense amount of pleasure from killing my sire. Yes I call him my sire and that is all for he never earned the name of father. He was the two timing bastard that most stallions were and leaving me and mother alone to fend for ourselves and then he comes waltzing in all high and mighty after five years thinking that he could control us and that he was the one that had looked out for us while it was all lies. When I think about it now there is nothing in the world that would bring me as much joy and power like feeling the flesh torn from his body and the blood oozing out and onto the earth while it dripped off my mouth and hooves. Why he did not lash back and deliver some form of scarring to me I did not think about. He was just too weak and old to be able to keep up with myself so he met a fitting end. A slow and sinister looking grin escaped my maw ever so slightly as I was pulling out of that amazing memory of justice delivered. Now I had to think, who else did he get to and multiply with? How many other half siblings did I have out there that I did not know of and they of me? Well that was a thought for another time for now I had to be in the present, speaking and listening to this stallion before me. Speaking of which, I never received his name before all of these questions. Is that not the first thing someone wants to know when meeting someone new? Of course if it was someone that they just wanted to beat, rape or kill then there would be no need for an exchange of names so now I was on high alert. Every movement he made I moved the opposing way. I was going to be ready for him if he tried anything and god knows that I have taken down the great Zrael King and I would easily be able to get rid of an opposing equine high in status or not. Then his response to my earlier counter question became open to me. With his simple words I knew that he was saying that he sided with the Zraels as well and his stature seemed to mellow out and he responded as well with a counter question. Watching him well I simply replied with my black face showing with my brown eye, “You wonder why I would get testy of this matter of species? Try coming along and having so many others ask of your species and then spit at you for they do not care much for your breed. Try telling others that you are allied with the Zraels and they try to hunt you down and kill you. I have not had that happen for a while but as I was younger, since I was smaller they all beat on me, and that stranger, is why I tend to get testy.” My voice became darker as I continued on with my words but then I slowly closed my eyes for a moment and let a long breath in and then out to keep myself under control. Life as a young Nyx aligned with the Zraels always had a point of making life harder for you. Then again I wished only to be at the top of the totem pole when it came to ruling the Zraels but alas, my sire said I was nothing to him since I was not the one he wanted to claim the throne. As I made my way closer to him his form stiffened up and I let a mild laugh escape my dual coloured maw as I spoke, “Why so testy stranger. I promise not to bite, much.” Yes this was probably a cruel joke seeing as he came across me eating a rabbit and there are not many out there at all that chase, kill and ingest their prey. It was something that came along with my shifting abilities. The black wolf was my darker side and so shifting into that form was sometimes easier than I would like to admit. The white dove on the other hand was the good in me. It was delicate, soft and pure as was the darkness. Then watching him look me in the eyes as I backed up to give space once more I was surprised that he did not call me out on my shifter’s abilities. All shifters had duo coloured eyes, it was a necessity to carry the shifter traits. Upon my question of his race he replied simply by showing his fangs as he leaned toward me. For a moment I was thinking he was going to bite me as I had remarked about myself earlier but just as quickly they appeared they were gone once more. My form never did relax and when he revealed his fangs unto me I seemed to have a very slight amount of white show in my eyes as I backed up rather quickly yet fluidly as if it was a single intended motion. That was one thing that I did not have in changing to that of a wolf. Sure I had the sharp teeth in wolf form but in my regular form they shrank and hid away from where they had shifted from. In a way I was slightly jealous of him and his ability to bite someone and poison them. That then arose another question from me, “So you have fangs with poison correct? Well then why are you not hunting yourself? It is quite a waste to have such a thing and barely use it from what I can tell from the condition of your pelt so far. Then again you are only a few years younger than I telling from your physique so you have plenty of time to put them to good use.” Now seeing that he had these fangs I wondered if they were the only things in forms of deformity or powers. Then his voice responded to my actions of removing the dead rabbit and I replied to his question simply, “I prefer to not be watched. I feel a little strange when others do.” This was the understatement of the year! I always reverted to acting like a savage wolf when another came by and I had my food. I was a common reflex with me and in more than a few times it got me into really heated fights where the other sometimes ended up lame for life. This one before me now seemed casual in his stance, a more social approach but the name thing did bother me. Then just like that it was out of my worries. His name Sparrow seemed very familiar to me somehow but I could not remember quite where I had heard it before. I was taught the hierarchy of the others by my mother as she seemed to see more of the world than I had ever when I was younger. The Kings and Queens as well as Heirs and flings were always buzzing though my ears from her. Looking at Sparrow now I mildly narrowed my eyes in thought as I looked him over very thoroughly from nose to tail and then I said somewhat kindly, “Sparrow? I think I have heard that name before but I can not quite place it. Right now it seems to shrink away from my peering insight. Well I guess it is only proper to tell you my own name Sparrow. I was bestowed the name Valkyrie from my mother.” Now I paused momentarily and then asked the burning questions. “I have two other questions for you Sparrow. What herd do you come from and in word of powers and abilities, what other neat things do you have other than those wicked poison filled fangs?” I flicked my tail lazily against my well formed flanks and hindquarters. The muscles on my form bulged out even if I did relax for I had built them up over the years quite efficiently. It was a common thing to see equines with wings that hardly used the earth for travel and so their legs were spindly little things that seemed to barely hold their weight. However their shoulder muscles with their wings were overdeveloped. In some ways they were kind of dumb to do this to themselves for if they broke a wing or was temporarily landed and need to run off they would not have a hope in hell. OOC: if any? Image&Table(C)Zin

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[»PIRATE]

Based on her reply, Sparrow immediately noticed a difference between the worlds they grew up in. She was a Nyx and while he led her to believe he was one as well, he found that the strife and trouble she once encountered were all foreign to him. Instead of being physically pushed around and mentally berated, he was meticulously taught various lessons including how to fight. Sparrow knew the arts of defense and offense well enough to keep himself alive and self secured that he could do what he pleased, but he didn't know how it felt to be spit at. In fact, he was feared more than often because of his status. Power brought everything to him, he never had to actually fight for survival even if his parents made him at a young age, or at least led him to believe he had to fight. Not to say that a silver spoon was in his mouth when he was born, but to say Sparrow was not spoiled was a false statement. This was why he thirsted for the adventure, to see the world how it was, to live in the places royals never went. The project was not altruistic; Sparrow did this entirely for himself like he did everything else. Only now, he felt tied down, even here. He had to return eventually even if he didn't want to.

For a moment, he said nothing after her reply and let it sink in for a few seconds. What could he say to that? That he was raised in luxury with everyone fearing a small colt because if they did anything to him, they would be executed before his eyes without a trial? Sparrow's words as a younger colt could get anyone he wanted in trouble without a second question. He recalled that though his parents were often stressed, they never told him the entire story. They merely gave him examples he believed were hypothetical, but he knew that her story sounded somewhat familiar. His parents usually incorporated history, though he hadn't been alive to actually see how the Nyxs were once treated and how the Zraels were viewed. In fact, he felt like he didn't know how they were universally viewed. Sparrow said nothing because he knew he couldn't say anything. There was no comparison he felt to that other than what recently happened to him. Never had he been abused (at least that he called it) like such.

When she approached him, he found himself naturally reacting. A paranoid feeling swept over his entire body and he felt the need to spring at any given moment. He wanted to. It was only when she spoke that he realized that he appeared overly paranoid, a trait others might labeled as frightened, which would be correct. In his mind, he cursed himself for such an act of folly. Showing fear to others was prohibited. "Uh-huh," he muttered. "For some reason, I don't believe you," he added, nodding toward the bush where the rabbit now lie somewhere beneath the thick foliage. But there was a small smile as if he caught her humor.

Sparrow noticed her body language when he showed her his fangs and stepped toward her personal space. The way she backed up nearly put him on the defensive as well; he wondered if it had been him or something behind him. So with another paranoid look over his shoulder and concluding that no monsters were chasing him right now, he looked back at her. It was in his nature to make a comment about her reaction and to take pride in his ability to frighten her now. "What, are you afraid?" Sparrow didn't add a chuckle or anything because he found himself not wanting to make an enemy. Getting on bad sides, while it seemed to be a gift of his, was also something he wanted to avoid for now. He struggled to find his place in the world even though he knew where he should technically be standing: behind a pinnacle of power that he shirked from. "Yes, I do." Her next question made him stop and think for a minute. Why was he not a carnivore? Was it just equine in nature of him to think that he should only eat grass, or because the thought of killing something--while stress relieving--was a waste if he thought eating meat was disgusting.

"I guess I've never thought about taxing my energies on chasing down a rabbit and then injecting poison in it to eat. Why would I do that when there is plenty of grass around?" In a way, Sparrow genuinely wanted to know. He nearly snarled at the idea of eating meat thought; it didn't entirely scream delicious to him. "I haven't developed a taste for meat yet," he admitted. "Not sure I want to try any time soon. I use them more for defensive or offensive situations. They're good for fights." In Sparrow's world, it wasn't eating rabbits that got him by, it would eventually become proving himself not only as a military leader but as a warrior as well.

He supposed that her response was fair enough. It was odd enough seeing a horse eating as a carnivore. He mentioned nothing else of the topic since she seemed so sensitive about it. Sparrow didn't understand why she felt oddly about eating in front of others. Despite his curiosity, he forced himself to hold his tongue, whereas perhaps a few months ago, he would be brash enough to ask and prod until he received an answer. A few months ago, he was a different equine. Now he viewed the world as a cruel place, a place where revenge dominated and a circle he now wanted to be a part of.

Sparrow shrugged when she tried to recall where she heard the name. "It's a popular name I guess," he muttered. He didn't want her to know him, that's why he came here so no one would know him. He felt delighted when she couldn't recall and went ahead and introduced herself. "Valkyrie," he repeated. "Unusual name, but I think it suits you." Before he was able to say anything else, he listened to her questions politely and patiently. They were the two questions that he didn't want to answer. Of course there were more he would shy away from, but these were blunt. He tried to think of a better way to avoid answering the questions in full truth.

"I come from a herd that was not really a herd. It was more of my two parents who raised me and there were others around, but I rarely saw them. My herd had no name. I barely even remember my parents." The statement was true enough. The Zraels, while they functioned as a herd, the royals were separate almost. And he justified in his mind that he truly didn't remember his parents. With the events, it was hard to remember how life was just one year ago. He had the rest of his semi-immortal life to look forward to; he was sure they would vanish from his memory here in another year or so. That actually relieved him more than it bothered him. "I have another power of teleportation." He didn't mention the others right now. Maybe he was looking for trust, maybe he was looking to be anonymous to everyone. Sparrow tried to look closely at his motivations, but found nothing, only the habitual lies.

"And what about you? You have wings. And different colored eyes which must mean something." Sparrow was not exactly taught how to tell powers apart. Maybe that was an upcoming lesson. His parents were more bent on his survival than anything, he assumed.

In the back of his mind, there was a small, nagging voice that began to annoy him and upset him. Since when did he even have a conscience of lying? Sparrow didn't mind deceiving others, but he felt as if he were deceiving her. He tried to shake it off with a casual flick of his neck to toss his mane to the other side, but could not. He refused to admit his parents now, he decided that his line of relations came from his mother, that perhaps he was a nephew of hers that could claim the throne. What a brilliant lie! Sparrow felt better about this; it was the one wall he wouldn't knock down. He decided to remain silent until she answered the questions though. Nyxs could only have so many powers, he remembered, and so if he found out she was telling the truth, surely that meant that he could tell most of his. She didn't deserve to be lied to, he figured. But that was politics and saving his own skin, and Sparrow liked both of those.

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[Hambre]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][bg=#344147][atrb=width,500,true] This meeting was going interestingly enough forward that my attention did not want to waver from him. His form seemed casual and I in kind responded to this in relaxing my own stance. My wings folded neatly on my sides, the white wing on the black side and the black wing on the white side. I was a most interesting creature to have such a perfect symbolism of the yin and yang symbol. Sure others would not understand that so I would not offer anything to them to help them along. It was really something that needed to be found out by the other and not told. That in itself would make them think and I liked to make others squirm when they had to think for a long while as to questions and the meanings of things. Good, evil, light, dark, yin and yang, in every one of those a little of the opposite force is in one another and I was that personified in equine form. Questions on the other hand opened up the doorway into ones life and soul very much like the eyes of the beholder. Sparrow before me now seemed to ease up a bit more and as he responded to my sarcasm about not biting much his form seemed a bit taken aback as if in fear and worry that I would actually devour him. Sure on occasion if my foe were to be killed in a battle between myself and them then I would quite regularly feast upon their flesh well before it went cold. It was just the wolf in me I suppose. Then I inhaled ever so slightly to catch his scent to imprint it my memory and it was then that he did not smell all that right. He smelled quite different to a regular Nyx breeding like myself and growing up with many of my kind I knew our distinct smell almost immediately. Along the lines of that it seemed that he smelled like he had been in many different places in a short period of time and they still lingered on his flesh. This just proved to me that he was well versed with the world and all the sights and for this I envied him. I wanted to see the sights of the entire world but at the same time I had not the power to easily go from place to place. Sure I was in tip top shape and all but a flight that long and that often would liquefy any creature that was dumb enough to do such a thing. As for the showing of the fangs I knew to stay clear of them and so I did just that and his reaction was not all that surprising when he spoke of me being afraid. I simply quirked an inquisitive brow and responded in kind with my common everyday tone, “I am not afraid but I do know better than to get too close to a poisonous item. I fear nothing and not even Death. In fact I bet you that Death fears me, I just don’t want to leave this world quite yet seeing as I have yet to explore nearly as many places as you have judging by the smell of you.” I offered up a mischievous grin and once more flicked my ivory and ebony tail against the my opposing flanks. He then seemed to ponder my earlier question as to the eating of flesh. I was amused by his answer to say in the least and listened intuitively. He never really thought of it and that he usually only used them for offensive moves. This was reasonable but then again what a waste of flesh when the poison stripped the occupant bare of his life force. I guess to each their own so in thinking that I replied, “A formidable excuse Sparrow. I suppose I am just the odd one out in this massive revolving world that does what others do not think of.” After this I regained my space and took another look at his fangs with interest. It was something that very few possessed and something that interested me. I simply asked, “So Sparrow, how is it that the poison is stored and injected. Would they be hollow or is it just in your saliva?” Yes I was intrigued to say in the least and when he responded with saying that Sparrow was a common name I just slightly muttered to myself, “I know that I know it. It is certainly not all that common of a name. Now where has is derived from.” I shook my head and then responded this time to Sparrow, “Yes I suppose you are right. I must have heard it from someone else and I just retained it for a strange reason.” Then things got interesting. He started to talk about his herd and where he grew up as I had asked about previously and when he finished I replied in a matter of fact tone, “Sounds like something a royal family would do no? Having a small family and herd. Well either that or some kind of renegade herd that wanted to strike out on their own.” I offered another grin and as I continued to smell him he responded about the other powers he had. So he in total had the power of teleportation and poison fangs. That was absolutely brilliant for someone to teleport and for this I let the envy show in my eyes. So that was how he snuck up on me and how he got around to seeing a lot of place in what smelled like a short time. I spoke somewhat quietly, “You are lucky to have the power of teleportation Sparrow. That is something that many others envy and would do just about anything to get their hooves on.” He then spun the conversation around to me and started to ask questions. I was not used to being in the spotlight of a discussion and so I nervously scuffed the earth ever so slightly with my blackened foreleg. Peering though my duo coloured forelock with my blue and black eyes I heard him out as he questioned what powers I have. He touched on my wings and they were self explanatory and then he focused on my eyes. Any who knew the powers in the world would know what duo coloured eyes meant but he seemed to not know. That was something that he should have learned if her were to be on him own out here in case of a fight and he needed some quick information on his foe. I thought about not telling him what they meant but at the same time he needed to learn about sighting certain things that meant a certain power. I spoke in a tone that was almost lecturing with a side of sarcasm, “If you can not tell at first glance what certain things are for certain powers how are you supposed to defend yourself against a foe if you are locked into a battle? Dear Sparrow I suppose I can tell you what my eyes mean but at the same time you will need to learn of the power spotting techniques.” I leaned in close to his ear and let my breath slightly tickle down his ear and jaw line as I rose to meet him and spoke softly, “I am a shape shifter.” I then backed up slowly and gave him a grin. I would never let anyone know of my two true forms. The black wolf and the white dove were on lockdown and no one saw them unless I was playing around with them of killing them. So Sparrow would not be privy to knowing them. Who knows though. Maybe I might develop a friendship with him and then he would be the only one alive that would know my forms. Only someone that I truly trusted with all my heart would know of my good and evil side as well as my two other true forms. Then I thought a minute. I had to say something about his smell and him saying that he was a Nyx when he smelled nothing of the sort. In fact he smelled more of my deceitful father whom I killed who was a Zrael. I spoke out about this and asked in a questioning tone, “Also Sparrow I believe that I have never smelled a Nyx the likes of you and I know my breeding perfume. You smell different, Actually you smell more like a Zrael then anything but with two powers only you must be a Nyx. That is unless you have lied to me Sparrow when I have been nothing but honest and true to you thus far.” I now waited with my eyes narrowed, preparing for his response. OOC: So sorry it took so long to reply. Hopefully this reply will be sufficent enough to pick up our topic once more since I love RPing with Sparrow. ^_^ Image&Table(C)Zin

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[»PIRATE]

She did not go near his fangs. "Then you are smart." It was a statement, and it was the truth. But he also thought of her as arrogant, not fearing death. She was a mere Nyx, she would face death one day or another, and to stand before death and tell him that she did not fear him nor his reaping abilities would be foolish. Would he not punish her for it for an everlasting life caught in limbo, wandering between worlds, never having a home? And to say that death feared her? Something gave her confidence to assert these claims. Something, and Sparrow became intrigued at her reasoning. "And why do you say that Death fears you? It's an arrogant assumption but knowing a smart equine such as yourself, you must have reason behind this, proof even, why Death would cower before you." Killing Death was impossible, no she still acknowledged that he existed or it, Sparrow didn't quite know if it was gendered or not. He'd rather not meet death any time soon, not death or Death. "Ah the world does have much to offer," he replied with a grin, hinting at the pride he held in his very much convenient power. Sparrow had a tendency to take it for granted though. The stallion could not help but chuckle lightly at her remark. Eating flesh. Perhaps it did take the wastefulness out of killing, but then that gave someone motive to kill. For Sparrow, killing was not handed out freely, it was as punishment or perhaps in war if there ever were one. He couldn't simply waltz out into a field, kill an equine, and dine on its flesh. "And tell me, you eat our kind, do you not? How then do you choose who you feast upon? The already rotten? Do you act as Death, reaping the lives of others before their time?" He smirked a little bit and shook his mane. "You are not wasteful, I shall give you that. Your methods are strange to me, forgive me if that offends you, but you are different. You do something different than other equines. An individual; you make yourself stand out. And that can be both good and bad." And Sparrow knew all too well about standing out.

She inquired further information about the fangs. He wondered what she would do if she had some herself. It was an odd thought and he brushed it away. "They are hollow, yes. And no, my saliva is not poisonous in itself. Think of a snake; I have a gland that functions as a gland for poison and saliva. But I have a separate storage compartment like a snake does, for poison, so that when I want, the poison ejects itself through my hollow fangs which is then injected into whatever I bite into." It wasn't a complicated process really. "Nothing more than a snakebite though perhaps the venom is more potent since my fangs are larger and I am larger than a snake. Mass wise, at least."

It did bother him that she recognized his name. Then again, did he expect to wander the earth, sharing his real name, without other equines picking up that he might be a royal? Why did "running away" have to be so much harder than he wished? Sometimes Sparrow just wanted to pout about the unfairness of life and live the life of adventure, seeing the world as she mentioned, and not only that, being unknown. He needed a new story; he needed a wonderful lie.

And he realized he needed a lie more when she began picking up on details of his life that he assumed equines would miss. How silly of him! He wanted to bang his head against a tree and for a moment, a fleeting look of pain shot through his expression. Pain of being known, the pain of being found out, the pain of being guilty of misleading another equine. The entire situation was uncomfortable and painful for him, and he felt his muscles tighten though he was not about to spring. Even so, he felt the need to flee; instincts urged him to run, to teleport. He relied too much on teleportation. How should he reply? He couldn't tell her that he was a royal. No one needed that information. Then again, he didn't need another enemy pursuing him. He already knew some Zraels that wanted the throne, that tried to tell him he was too young. They were his enemies although executing them would prove disastrous for his reign. Luckily within the span of silence, she brought up something else: teleportation. Sparrow felt himself relaxing and he figured he was off the hook. No need to explain, she didn't have to know, she was studying his power of teleportation now. The herd thing must have escaped her mind.

"Yes, I am very thankful I was handed such a nice power." It made things easier. Technically he could run where he wanted although the more he teleported elsewhere the more his homeland called and he felt bound to political obligations. Giving away the throne would be unforgivable. Sparrow didn't feel like bragging about his power. He didn't feel like talking about it much either because the more he ran away the closer he felt to his leadership duties. He was a colt still, technically, and he didn't want to think about anything that made him grow up. Nostalgia. It was winning. For the time, his thoughts consumed him to the point of where he hadn't even noticed her sniffing at him more. If he had noticed it, Sparrow would have been more bothered. Between the paranoia and nostalgia, Sparrow had little room to survive in a world of hope, happiness, and just plain calmness.

He was glad though when she accepted the attention even after appearing somewhat nervous. The different colored eyes of her did intrigue him, perhaps more than the opposite hued coat of hers. It was as if good and evil played out on her coat and her eyes were the gray left behind of good and evil thriving upon the earth. Interesting all the same. He expected her to answer just as he had done, without any comment or question. These were the techniques that his tutors, his parents, had yet to teach him. And he felt foolish and ignorant, and for a moment the colt lowered his head. No, he was a prince, ignorant or not, and jerked it back up, inspiring himself to learn while he could. "And how have you come to learn these techniques?" He was very curious on how she achieved her information. Did she have access to education as he had? Or was it life experience? Either way these techniques teased him and taunted him, haunting his mass of knowledge with so much more he did not know or had not learned. He felt young and inexperienced, because he was both of those, but he wanted to deny them even though they embraced him in love and insecurity.

She approached him very close and he felt her breath tickle his ear so that he flicked it out of instinct and response. Shape shifter. The words slowly created threads into his mind, weaving in and out, before sinking in and tying themselves together. /Shape shifter./ With that description came an amount of distrust. Why? Could Sparrow trust the form that she stood before him in now? He wanted to know. "A shape shifter." he repeated it for the sake of repetition. "Forgive my ignorance. But you can change into any animal?" He shifted his weight, obviously uncomfortable and somewhat shamed at not knowing what seemed to be so obvious to her. He felt small, almost belittled. Why did a Nyx know more than he?! It was an outrageous thought. Yes, he should be better educated than her, and yet he was not. They had failed.

And suddenly he hinted the tone of distrust in her voice. Maybe it was just the way she questioned him, or it could have been the punch that the last line she uttered gave. He had lied, hadn't he? He had mislead intentionally and that was lying. Sparrow liked to think that he was above that, but he was nothing better than a liar. He just stunk at the art and always got caught. His parents never taught him not to lie because politics was about asserting falsehoods, but those were idealist falsehoods. His ears went back, showing his dislike of her statement and the stallion snorted, unsure of how to handle this. Tell her and it might be over for him, he could have created an enemy. Of course he could teleport quickly away from her but that would be a coward's move. "Forgive me if I have mislead you and consequently offended you." He paused, not quite sure how to handle the delicate situation before him. "I am afraid I cannot tell you my motives but they were not against you, rather for my own benefit." Telling a stranger politics, especially a Nyx could be disastrous for his leadership. Tell them that a colt was leading them and they might be frightened. But then again, Nyxs were separate from Zraels and they could handle themselves. He was putting too much thought into his position. "Do not become my enemy because I have mislead you. It's not as... selfish as you may think it is."

Sparrow allowed his wings to slowly come out from their slits, exposing them to the air. A small smile played upon his mouth and he looked at the shapeshifter. "I am no coward," he asserted. "Though I am young, I will not teleport from here if you wish to become my enemy." He silently cursed her observation. He was running out of eloquent speech. "I am a Zrael. No surprise there. You knew it all along, didn't you? Sparrow, the Zrael Prince." and with that, the royal colt dipped his head formally to the mare, hoping that she would not attempt to separate it from his neck or the rest of his body. "I need to know that I can trust you." He left his statement at that. If she were an enemy she could not be trusted, but he would not order her execution for his own mistake. If she were friend, he needed her to prove that he could trust her; how she would do that, he didn't quite know. He couldn't tell if she would lie to him because that was not a power of his; and he couldn't tell if she was fully telling the truth either. Maybe he was just looking for a reassurance, something that would tell him that it would be all right and that she understood why he lied. But how could she when she didn't even know the situation?

[so i definitely typed this up at like 2 in the morning, so if you see any mistakes that's probably why. i haven't had the guts to read over all of it. xD loved your response, btw <3]