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Description

Prompt 1:

Florence + The Machine: Various Storms & Saints
"And the air was full
Of various storms and saints
Praying in the street
As the banks began to break
And I'm in the throes of it
Somewhere in the belly of the beast
But you took your toll on me
So I gave myself over willingly
Oh, you got a hold on me
I don't know how I don't just stand outside and scream
I am teaching myself how to be free"

Nikolai had received a calling of Aether himself despite not knowing why. If these gods were so capable and powerful why couldn’t they take care of their own ordeals by themselves? Why did they ask mere mortals, beings they created, to do their bidding? Whatever it was, Nikolai wasn’t very interested but was even less interested in being smited down by the hoof of an egotistical highlord.

And so the desert lept the last ridge he had to climb with ease. Oh why did Aether have to pick such high places? Did the Earth poison him or was he too lazy to fly down and feel the grass with his weak-looking cream-colored hooves? Still, he was greeted by the crowned ballator and the old, worried, mountain stallion standing beside him.

“Ah, there he is. Hello Nikolai, tonight I have no easy task for you. I will need you to travel with Regale in search of what is under the red star. But fear not, it will be a short journey.” The starry ballator spoke, his voice seeming to echo through the valley but was still as soft as a mother’s touch.

Right as he said red star, Nikolai could see it. Brighter than any star he’d ever seen in the night, high above the tips of the mountains, acting as a guiding light towards the unknown. It was so bright that it tinted the grass and rocks and trees with a color eerily similar to that of blood. “Alright, I will go. But why can’t you travel there? Are the stars not your domain?” He asked, straightening up, looking directly into Aether’s glowing eyes without fear.

Aether met the piercing blue eyes of tall desert ballator. “I can sense your doubts in me, Nikolai, but I assure you, this is something you need to do. For this is a place I cannot follow.”

Nikolai snorted, but not long after Regale nudged his shoulder and they made their way down to the ground.

The pair had started towards the red star and in no time at all, Aether had disappeared from the top of the hill. Nikolai snorted and shook his head.

“You should not disrespect him.” Regale spoke, his voice stern and serious. “As he is the father of all ballators.”

Nikolai narrowed his eyes. “A horse, no matter the breed, who does not justify their actions to those he’s giving orders to does not deserve my respect. We are pawns in his game, he just wants to see how this plays out.”

Regale stayed quiet but Nikolai could sense his anger and stayed quiet as they picked up a trot.

It had been a few hours now, Aether was lying about this journey being quick. While Nikolai wanted to keep going, Regale was looking tired, his age showing more than ever now. “Maybe we should stop here, rest for a while.”

Regale nodded, lying down propped up against a tree, almost immediately passing out. Despite being old, Nikolai admired the older ballator’s strength and courage to help both the young and old. Even if sometimes that meant taking idiotic orders from a so-called god.

The roan desert settled in a patch of cool grass, taking in a breath before laying his tired head on the ground.

Nikolai suddenly awoke in a nightmare-ish land. Bodies and carnage decorating the ground. Spikes and barbwire laying across the ground like shrubs. Trees were made of bats and nail and swords, all dotted and laced with blood. The desert breathed heavily as bodies of long-dead ballators crawled towards him. While turning and running, he couldn’t help but notice the sky was a deep red, the only light emitting from one source.

The red star.

Right before anything else could happen, Nikolai was jolted awake, two ballators standing over him. Puck and Regale. But mostly Puck, smiling down at him.

“Hey, you, you’re finally awake! You were trying to cross the border, right?” Nikolai could only wince at the chestnut’s (or whatever Puck was) loud words.

Stat Breakdown:
Fullbody +3
Shading +1
Full Background +3
672 Words + 3
2 Extra Characters +4
Total: 14
8429 Vasilias

Description

Prompt 1:

Florence + The Machine: Various Storms & Saints
"And the air was full
Of various storms and saints
Praying in the street
As the banks began to break
And I'm in the throes of it
Somewhere in the belly of the beast
But you took your toll on me
So I gave myself over willingly
Oh, you got a hold on me
I don't know how I don't just stand outside and scream
I am teaching myself how to be free"

Nikolai had received a calling of Aether himself despite not knowing why. If these gods were so capable and powerful why couldn’t they take care of their own ordeals by themselves? Why did they ask mere mortals, beings they created, to do their bidding? Whatever it was, Nikolai wasn’t very interested but was even less interested in being smited down by the hoof of an egotistical highlord.

And so the desert lept the last ridge he had to climb with ease. Oh why did Aether have to pick such high places? Did the Earth poison him or was he too lazy to fly down and feel the grass with his weak-looking cream-colored hooves? Still, he was greeted by the crowned ballator and the old, worried, mountain stallion standing beside him.

“Ah, there he is. Hello Nikolai, tonight I have no easy task for you. I will need you to travel with Regale in search of what is under the red star. But fear not, it will be a short journey.” The starry ballator spoke, his voice seeming to echo through the valley but was still as soft as a mother’s touch.

Right as he said red star, Nikolai could see it. Brighter than any star he’d ever seen in the night, high above the tips of the mountains, acting as a guiding light towards the unknown. It was so bright that it tinted the grass and rocks and trees with a color eerily similar to that of blood. “Alright, I will go. But why can’t you travel there? Are the stars not your domain?” He asked, straightening up, looking directly into Aether’s glowing eyes without fear.

Aether met the piercing blue eyes of tall desert ballator. “I can sense your doubts in me, Nikolai, but I assure you, this is something you need to do. For this is a place I cannot follow.”

Nikolai snorted, but not long after Regale nudged his shoulder and they made their way down to the ground.

The pair had started towards the red star and in no time at all, Aether had disappeared from the top of the hill. Nikolai snorted and shook his head.

“You should not disrespect him.” Regale spoke, his voice stern and serious. “As he is the father of all ballators.”

Nikolai narrowed his eyes. “A horse, no matter the breed, who does not justify their actions to those he’s giving orders to does not deserve my respect. We are pawns in his game, he just wants to see how this plays out.”

Regale stayed quiet but Nikolai could sense his anger and stayed quiet as they picked up a trot.

It had been a few hours now, Aether was lying about this journey being quick. While Nikolai wanted to keep going, Regale was looking tired, his age showing more than ever now. “Maybe we should stop here, rest for a while.”

Regale nodded, lying down propped up against a tree, almost immediately passing out. Despite being old, Nikolai admired the older ballator’s strength and courage to help both the young and old. Even if sometimes that meant taking idiotic orders from a so-called god.

The roan desert settled in a patch of cool grass, taking in a breath before laying his tired head on the ground.

Nikolai suddenly awoke in a nightmare-ish land. Bodies and carnage decorating the ground. Spikes and barbwire laying across the ground like shrubs. Trees were made of bats and nail and swords, all dotted and laced with blood. The desert breathed heavily as bodies of long-dead ballators crawled towards him. While turning and running, he couldn’t help but notice the sky was a deep red, the only light emitting from one source.

The red star.

Right before anything else could happen, Nikolai was jolted awake, two ballators standing over him. Puck and Regale. But mostly Puck, smiling down at him.

“Hey, you, you’re finally awake! You were trying to cross the border, right?” Nikolai could only wince at the chestnut’s (or whatever Puck was) loud words.

Stat Breakdown:
Fullbody +3
Shading +1
Full Background +3
672 Words + 3
2 Extra Characters +4
Total: 14
8429 Vasilias