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Post by eclipsea on Apr 26, 2013 8:55:08 GMT -5
With a yawn, Emiline stepped around some rocks and looked about. She had never been to this place before, but she tried to make a point of exploring whatever she came to. Good or bad. Knowledge was knowledge and important to have.
The yellow Bashkir Curly mare tossed her mane of wavy orange hair. She peered up at the sly, closing her eyes to the brightness of the sun. With a happy sigh, she turned back to examine the path ahead of her. Wadnering what lay ahead.
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Post by nessyo on Apr 26, 2013 9:08:07 GMT -5
Orpheus [/size] Sacramento was one of Orpheus's absolute favorite places, and the only reason he did not spend more time here was because it took him away from his beloved waterfall boneyard. Sometimes, however, the pull of the magic was irresistible and he couldn't help but feel the need to float on in that direction.
'Floating' was a word that wasn't actually too far from accurate, for Orpheus; the tall stallion had long legs, but moved with surprising grace... most of the time. When he felt 'on', anyway. Sometimes he would trip over everything, but not in Sacramento. The magic was strong here, and he was a strongly magical being, and so here he was closest to his element, even if there weren't very many dead things to animate. The smell of rot did follow him, but honestly, he didn't notice it anymore; all he smelled were the wonderful flowers and forest scent of Sacramento.
He turned a corner, climbing a steep incline, and abruptly came upon a mare wandering the same woods as he. "Hello, miss!" he greeted cheerfully, in too much of a good mood to be deterred by his ordinary shyness. "How are you enjoying the magic this morning?"
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Post by eclipsea on Apr 26, 2013 9:14:15 GMT -5
At first, Emiline was startled by the appearance of the stallion. Her eyes grew wide as she regarded him. It took her a moment to regain the ability to speak.
"Ah, hello," she said shyly. She thought she caught the faintest hint of decay wafting over from him, but she ignored it. He had greeted her cheerfully, and she he deserved nothing less in return. "It is a lovely morning."
She looked about at the woods and returned her gaze to him, smiling briefly before averting her gaze. "Is there really magic here? I thought I felt something...different....about this place."
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Post by nessyo on Apr 26, 2013 9:25:56 GMT -5
Orpheus [/size] Her return cheerfulness got a winning smile out of Orpheus, and he didn't question the shyness. That seemed pretty normal- he was often shy himself. It was a habit he was trying very hard to break, what with being the potential leader of a herd (Even one that didn't have any horses in it, and probably wouldn't have many at all.. Toast counted, right?).
The question about magic had him look at her with a mixture of pity and enthusiasm, which resulted in an expression that was probably hard to read. Could she not feel it? but it did seem that many other horses did not seem as attuned to magic as he was. "Oh yes." he said warmly, "There is a lot of magic here. There's some other places too, of course-- like the rift-- but this is one of the places you can almost always feel it. It's everywhere, around here!"[/color
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Post by eclipsea on Apr 26, 2013 9:48:29 GMT -5
Emiline could not help the smile that appeared to match his. He seemed to be a plesant fellow, and she did like to make new friends. Sometimes her shyness made it difficult though.
He gave her an odd look when she mentioned the magic. "I have not encountered magic very often," she admitted. "I thought I felt something here, but I'm not even sure how to describe it. Almost like something moving just under the surface of everything, but just our of reach."
With a sigh, she flicked her tail. "You seem to know a lot about magic. Do you use it too?"
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Post by nessyo on Apr 26, 2013 10:02:10 GMT -5
Orpheus [/size] Thrilled was a good word for how he felt about this particular string of conversation; so rarely did Orpheus encounter anyone who wanted to know something about magic! IT was one of his very favorite subjects, the thing he was basically devoted to studying.
"I have heard it described that way many times." Orpheus said, with a smile, "I met a mare who once said the magic 'itched'. She didn't use it, but she could feel it." He wondered if that meant there was some latent ability that those who could feel it had-- that warranted further studying. He filed it away for later.
Her final question brought a hint of uncertainty to his face; this was the part where, when he did explain to people what he did, it usually ended up going rather negatively for him. People were just not thrilled with the concept of necromancy.
"I-" he visibly hesitated, and looked at Emiline sideways. "I do use magic, yes. I, er. Raise the dead. Temporarily."
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Post by eclipsea on Apr 26, 2013 10:10:10 GMT -5
She watched as he excitedly described how magic could feel. It was encouraging that she was feeling something, though she doubted that she had any magical abilities herself, but one never knew. But when she had asked if he used it, he visibile looked concerned. She hoped she had not insulted him.
Then he mentioned raising the dead. Her ears twittched. But she was interested in learning more; good and bad. All could be important. "You raise the dead," she said. "How do you do that?" She paused, and looked at him intently. "Why do you do that?"
She made no move to leave, as she was trully fascinated by this stallion. She wanted to learn more about this place, and magic, and this stallion. As she asked the questions, she hoped she had not upset him further.
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Post by nessyo on Apr 26, 2013 10:18:38 GMT -5
Orpheus [/size] Well, she wasn't careening off in the opposite direction, so THAT was a good sign. Orpheus still looked somewhat uncertain, but now it was because he didn't really quite expect the response he'd gotten from Emiline.
He found himself at a loss to answer either question: the first because there were no words for it, and the second because he'd never been asked that question before... well, ever. "Why?" he repeated, sounding puzzled, and in the end the only answer he could find was "Why not?" Death was just so... permanent, and it didn't have to be. If only he could cure it truely, or restore the health along with the life... But these were the things he focused his research on, ever in search of the ability to do it more, and to do it better. Why didn't really enter into the equation.
"I don't know how I do it." He was forced to admit, "But I always have." It is what got him exiled, after all.
In the end, all he could offer was a sheepish smile. "I don't seem to be being very helpful."
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Post by eclipsea on Apr 26, 2013 10:24:43 GMT -5
Emiline gave a large smile. "You are very helpful," she said. "I've never talked to anyone who could use magic before, and so I had no expectations. I try to learn everything I can about everything I encouter."
She looked out over the forest again and then back to the stallion. "That's part of the reason why I am not part of a herd and travel. I'm afraid that if I was in a herd, I would have to settle down, and I would miss out on so much."
With a chuckle, she realized that she had just said a lot. She normally did not say so much. It was obvious that this stallion had put her at ease. "Thank you for trying to answer my questions. Sometimes I have a lot of them."
She dipped her head to him, "My name is Emiline, by the way."
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Post by nessyo on Apr 26, 2013 11:54:24 GMT -5
Orpheus [/size] The uncertainty was banished as soon as it had come by Emiline's words, and Orpheus was back to being his normal bumbling enthusiastic self. "I can certainly sympathize-- I seek knowledge wherever I can find it! It's really in the strangest places; where you never expect to look, that's where you learn the most things." Yep, back to friendly babbling. "Seems the case for me, at least."
He bowed his head as she introduced himself (and mentally berated himself for being so rude as to forget that! Oh he got so carried away with himself sometimes.) "Well met, Emiline! I am Orpheus, and I would always be glad to answer whatever questions you can come up with! Or try to, anyway." The worst that might happen would be that he would gain something to research, and that would be far from tragic!
The thought of wandering made Orpheus move his head noncommittally-- he didn't understand it, but then, he had not been exiled by choice. "Whatever suits you fine. I was wandering before I met Poltergeist, the monarch of Zyth. He was kind enough to grant me use of one of his lands. It's very useful to my studies."
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Post by eclipsea on Apr 26, 2013 12:05:32 GMT -5
"I am pleased that we met, Orpheus," Emiline said. "I am usually very shy, and while I do like to meet others and make new friends, sometimes I can," she shrugged," well, frighten, others off, I suppose." She looked at his open expression. "Once I am comfortable, I can ramble for ages."
"So you have your own land," she said. "You study there?" She was fascinated to learn more. "Do you study magic there? Maybe I can come visit you there sometime." She lowered her gaze. "I suppose that was a little forward of me."
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Post by nessyo on Apr 26, 2013 14:56:49 GMT -5
Orpheus [/size] Orpheus could understand the urge to ramble. "When you're holed up alone all the time, being in good company brings out the words in a horse!" he answered cheerfully, "The same thing happens to me. It's nice to have company outside of Toast."
She didn't know who toast was, but Orpheus was oblivious to such social observations... and similarly oblivious as to why it would be forward for her to offer to come visit him. He merely looked confused at her touch of self-reproach, and then remembered that as a Land-Controlling Stallion he ought to be more proud than that.
"You would of course be welcome if you ever wished to come visit." he answered instead, not even pretending to be the prototypical stallion he was just considering. "I do study magic there. It used to be a boneyard for whoever ruled it before Poltergeist, and there are still many ...er." how to say it politely? "Remains there, that I may practice on." He did, at least, realize how gruesome it sounded-- but he meant no harm, honest, and that much was probably clear by his earnest and unhidden tones.
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Post by eclipsea on Apr 26, 2013 15:30:19 GMT -5
A genuine joy was filling Emiline. It had been a very long time since she had been in such an enjoyable conversation. She could not help the sparkle that she was sure was present in her eyes, nor the smile that stayed on her face. It was a pure joy to be with Orpheus in this moment.
He had mentioned someone else. "Who is Toast? Is that a mare that lives on your lands?" And as he described his home, while very different from many of the places she had visited before, it did sound interested. "A boneyard. I can see where that would be an ideal location for your studies. Yes, I do think I would like to visit there someday, if you are agreeable."
A thought concerned her though. "Would this Poltergeist mind me visiting you?"
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Post by nessyo on Apr 26, 2013 16:12:39 GMT -5
Orpheus [/size] The idea that Toast might be a mare had Orpheus giggling to himself-- and even a little not-so-to-himself. It occurred to him that he probably ought to explain further; it probably would've just been easier if he'd've brought Toast along, but then he'd've had to deal with a vile-tempered chimera away from home and who knew how that would end.
"Toast is my Chimera." he explained, the echos of warm laughs still in his voice. "He's got three heads and a tendency to set things on fire, and that's why I named him toast. The second thing." Toast didn't quite get the joke, but Orpheus didn't think the little beast had much in the way of a sense of humor.
The mention of Poltergeist had Orpheus looking hesitant-- this was delicate water to be treading. Polter was his monarch, and as such he was loyal to the stallion and had no reason to down-talk him... but he also didn't want to mislead this friendly little mare and accidentally draw her into a situation that might negatively affect her, which was a possibility which hadn't occurred to him. "Err." he said, attempting to word it delicately. "Polter is a good stallion, and a good king, but he is, um." Your typical stallion? Saying that would make Orpheus sound like something less then that, and he certainly didn't want that. "Pushy with mares, shall we say. And with his territories."
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Post by eclipsea on Apr 26, 2013 20:01:34 GMT -5
Emiline was delighted at hearing about Toast. "I've never met a chimera before. He sounds cute, and exciting. Sounds like you named him appropriately."
She noticed that he considered his words more carefully when discussing Poltergeist. She smiled sweetly. "It's okay," she said. "Perhaps it would be best for me to get his permission to visit you. Perhaps you could go with me and vouch for me, as perhaps I could assist you with your studies."
But wishing to resume more pleasant conversation, she looked about again. "So, what exactly brought you here today? I admit I was simply wandering and found myself here. Did you come looking for something, magic related?"
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