HOME | DD

Description
(AHHHHHH GOTTA GET THIS UP BEFORE MIDNIGHT SO WERE DOING THIS I GUESS)

Camilla woke up to a dark house. Shadows danced across the walls of her room, casting shapes that wavered over the plant pots and knickknacks lining her windowsill. The curtains were tied to the side and pale light from the lanterns on the street below filtered in, striping the walls like a zebra. The light's movement was the cause of her preemptively ended nap and she groaned as the pain flared up again. The ache in her head was still as strong as it had been hours before, but the seemingly eternal nosebleed had lessened somewhat. Thank Argus.

Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Camilla raised her head slowly. "Mom?" she mumbled hoarsely, fighting back the urge to drop her tiny noggin down onto her pillow and go back to sleep.

When no reply came, Camilla cleared her throat and called again but the hallway light remained off. With a sigh, she pushed the stifling white sheets to the side and pulled herself to her hooves, swaying as blood began flowing to her head once again.

The vertigo cleared and Camilla took a few tiny steps towards the stone humidifier sitting on the shelf to check how high the water level was.

Lifting the rock from the bowl, she sighed and blew a strand of auburn hair from her eyes. Empty. Of course.

With a groan, Camilla picked up the bowl and shuffled towards the door. Mom was probably asleep, judging by the light outside, and Camilla, never wanting to be an inconvenience, could make it to the kitchen to get more water. Probably.

Watching her reflection move in the mirrors lining the walls, Camilla shivered. The hallway was as dark as ever, but much colder and... scarier than she was used to.

Carter probably left his window open again or something, no big deal.

The wooden floor beneath her hooves creaked suddenly, the old house shifting as old houses are usually prone to do, and Camilla paused, heart beat roaring in her ears.

"Calm down, Cami," she whispered to herself. "There's nothing to be jumpy about. You're just getting some water. There aren't any monsters in the dark corners, just don't look and you'll be fine, okay? Okay. Let's go."

It was almost like her thoughts became a catalyst.

No sooner than she had taken another step, the muscles in her left foreleg seized up, sending the mare and her bowl to the floor. The bowl shattered, but luckily Camilla didn't, and righted herself, the pain in her leg still too much to stand.

Through gritted teeth and watery eyes, she stretched out her leg to make sure nothing was broken and watched as the skin began to bubble and lyse, black vein-like threads curling and intertwining over her skin to form a band of black and luminescent yellow.

Terrified and swearing vehemently, Camilla leapt to her hooves and reared back, desperately pawing at the strings that refused to untangle. With every swipe of her hoof, they wavered like smoke and resettled when left undisturbed, like mist. It refused to obey the will of her teke either, completely disregarding its presence entirely.

The entire twisting gnarl moved as if it was its own being, snaking and slithering like a serpent. As Camilla trembled, the knot began to glow a brighter color than before. A tendril of black loosened itself from the tangle and coiled down the hall, illuminating a figure that had been observing, gone unnoticed for quite some time. Barely a few hands tall, the creature was unlike any Camilla had ever seen.

The grinning skull, backlit by its burning tail, did not move. It stared- no, leered at her with no intention of breaking the silence.

The aura surrounding the creature was commanding, godlike, even, and for a split second, Camilla could've sworn she saw its visage flicker red.

Before she had the chance to speak, the figure did it first.

"Illusionist."

The sound reverberated in her ears like a gong struck too loudly. Startled, she pinned them back and stuttered. "W-What?"

"Illusionist."

Its tone was casual, but firm, and it surprised her. The figure felt too small to own a voice that powerful. Swallowing her fear, she sensed no ill-will from the minuscule equine and continued. "I-I heard what you said, but what do you mean?"

"You have been blessed." It rumbled.

"I... By who?"

"I do not know. It is Ignacio's blessing, but he did not bestow it."

Her mouth filled with cotton, horrorstruck and angered at the name of the malicious fire god. "Ignacio? But I-I didn't ask to be-"

"I know. I search for the answers to the questions you ask as well. The shift in the elements has not gone unnoticed...something sinister is at play. I must unearth it."

Camilla nodded, terrified but still trying to place the familiarity of the gruesome horse.

Knowingly, the embers in their eyes glittered an all-knowing magenta and it clicked.

Camilla lowered her voice reverently, bowing towards the God as low as her foreleg would allow. Awestruck, she whispered, "Argus?"

The figure paused as if considering. "Perhaps, though I no longer know myself." Their tail flickered, glowing bright with intensity, then glowering down to a soft haze. "Many others share your story. Mysterious blessings bestowed out of thin air. I bid you to find them, share your knowledge with each other."

Her chest tightened. "But my leg, the blessing, I can't-"

They stopped her, voice steady and stern, but understanding. "You can. Learn to control it. You are strong. Adapt or die."

With that, figure blinked out of existence.

Reeling, Camilla gazed down at her hoof, the threads still intricately weaving together in a dance with no predictable pattern.

She focused her eyes on the area of the knot that was thickest and closed them, wishing, willing them to fade. As she did, the weight and heat on her foreleg dissipated. When she opening her eyes, they were gone.

The skull-headed god's words echoed in her ears again forebodingly and Camilla lifted her head, steady and unwavering amongst the darkness of her home. "Adapt or die."

Total Rewards [1020 words (4AP), 2 Fullbodies, Full Background, Partial Shading +SCB] +20 AP to Camilla!

Description
(AHHHHHH GOTTA GET THIS UP BEFORE MIDNIGHT SO WERE DOING THIS I GUESS)

Camilla woke up to a dark house. Shadows danced across the walls of her room, casting shapes that wavered over the plant pots and knickknacks lining her windowsill. The curtains were tied to the side and pale light from the lanterns on the street below filtered in, striping the walls like a zebra. The light's movement was the cause of her preemptively ended nap and she groaned as the pain flared up again. The ache in her head was still as strong as it had been hours before, but the seemingly eternal nosebleed had lessened somewhat. Thank Argus.

Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Camilla raised her head slowly. "Mom?" she mumbled hoarsely, fighting back the urge to drop her tiny noggin down onto her pillow and go back to sleep.

When no reply came, Camilla cleared her throat and called again but the hallway light remained off. With a sigh, she pushed the stifling white sheets to the side and pulled herself to her hooves, swaying as blood began flowing to her head once again.

The vertigo cleared and Camilla took a few tiny steps towards the stone humidifier sitting on the shelf to check how high the water level was.

Lifting the rock from the bowl, she sighed and blew a strand of auburn hair from her eyes. Empty. Of course.

With a groan, Camilla picked up the bowl and shuffled towards the door. Mom was probably asleep, judging by the light outside, and Camilla, never wanting to be an inconvenience, could make it to the kitchen to get more water. Probably.

Watching her reflection move in the mirrors lining the walls, Camilla shivered. The hallway was as dark as ever, but much colder and... scarier than she was used to.

Carter probably left his window open again or something, no big deal.

The wooden floor beneath her hooves creaked suddenly, the old house shifting as old houses are usually prone to do, and Camilla paused, heart beat roaring in her ears.

"Calm down, Cami," she whispered to herself. "There's nothing to be jumpy about. You're just getting some water. There aren't any monsters in the dark corners, just don't look and you'll be fine, okay? Okay. Let's go."

It was almost like her thoughts became a catalyst.

No sooner than she had taken another step, the muscles in her left foreleg seized up, sending the mare and her bowl to the floor. The bowl shattered, but luckily Camilla didn't, and righted herself, the pain in her leg still too much to stand.

Through gritted teeth and watery eyes, she stretched out her leg to make sure nothing was broken and watched as the skin began to bubble and lyse, black vein-like threads curling and intertwining over her skin to form a band of black and luminescent yellow.

Terrified and swearing vehemently, Camilla leapt to her hooves and reared back, desperately pawing at the strings that refused to untangle. With every swipe of her hoof, they wavered like smoke and resettled when left undisturbed, like mist. It refused to obey the will of her teke either, completely disregarding its presence entirely.

The entire twisting gnarl moved as if it was its own being, snaking and slithering like a serpent. As Camilla trembled, the knot began to glow a brighter color than before. A tendril of black loosened itself from the tangle and coiled down the hall, illuminating a figure that had been observing, gone unnoticed for quite some time. Barely a few hands tall, the creature was unlike any Camilla had ever seen.

The grinning skull, backlit by its burning tail, did not move. It stared- no, leered at her with no intention of breaking the silence.

The aura surrounding the creature was commanding, godlike, even, and for a split second, Camilla could've sworn she saw its visage flicker red.

Before she had the chance to speak, the figure did it first.

"Illusionist."

The sound reverberated in her ears like a gong struck too loudly. Startled, she pinned them back and stuttered. "W-What?"

"Illusionist."

Its tone was casual, but firm, and it surprised her. The figure felt too small to own a voice that powerful. Swallowing her fear, she sensed no ill-will from the minuscule equine and continued. "I-I heard what you said, but what do you mean?"

"You have been blessed." It rumbled.

"I... By who?"

"I do not know. It is Ignacio's blessing, but he did not bestow it."

Her mouth filled with cotton, horrorstruck and angered at the name of the malicious fire god. "Ignacio? But I-I didn't ask to be-"

"I know. I search for the answers to the questions you ask as well. The shift in the elements has not gone unnoticed...something sinister is at play. I must unearth it."

Camilla nodded, terrified but still trying to place the familiarity of the gruesome horse.

Knowingly, the embers in their eyes glittered an all-knowing magenta and it clicked.

Camilla lowered her voice reverently, bowing towards the God as low as her foreleg would allow. Awestruck, she whispered, "Argus?"

The figure paused as if considering. "Perhaps, though I no longer know myself." Their tail flickered, glowing bright with intensity, then glowering down to a soft haze. "Many others share your story. Mysterious blessings bestowed out of thin air. I bid you to find them, share your knowledge with each other."

Her chest tightened. "But my leg, the blessing, I can't-"

They stopped her, voice steady and stern, but understanding. "You can. Learn to control it. You are strong. Adapt or die."

With that, figure blinked out of existence.

Reeling, Camilla gazed down at her hoof, the threads still intricately weaving together in a dance with no predictable pattern.

She focused her eyes on the area of the knot that was thickest and closed them, wishing, willing them to fade. As she did, the weight and heat on her foreleg dissipated. When she opening her eyes, they were gone.

The skull-headed god's words echoed in her ears again forebodingly and Camilla lifted her head, steady and unwavering amongst the darkness of her home. "Adapt or die."

Total Rewards [1020 words (4AP), 2 Fullbodies, Full Background, Partial Shading +SCB] +20 AP to Camilla!