The hornet's nest [[Appy]] [[Still open]]

[aPPY]

[bg=#120700][atrb=border,0,false][atrb=cellpadding,0,false][atrb=cellspacing,0,false][atrb=width,450,true][th] text "speech" thoughts "other characters' speech" Ixori turned to look at him, smiling at him. He narrowed his eyes further, rolling his shoulders as her smile vanished just as fast as it had appeared. He wasn't about to fall for her 'charm' as she seemed to attempt to do. He was much smarter than that. He growled, sneering at her as he waited for her to come to him this time. He had been the one to jump first so far, and it didn't seem to be wearing her down as much as he would like. So he planted his feet, taking the moment to just watch her, to learn the small minute movements of her body before she attacked. To watch the muscles contract as she tensed for a lunge toward him. That love ebony pelt, painted in violet just as he was painted in scarlet. His eyes were emotionless as he tilted his crown, bringing his pupils up and connecting with her own. The irises of the same color that graced her pelt. He let them linger there for a moment, still conscious of what the rest of her body was doing, but fearless as to what her next move may be. He could see the anger there, in her eyes, controlling her movements. Anger was such a nice emotion, driving you to do things you would never do, or things you had always wished to be able to. Directing you and making you move faster. Though, anger without control could prove disastrous, of course. He didn't like seeing such potential be thrown against him, for he would much rather be the one to mold it to something worth using. Yes, there was much potential here, much in the same way he assumed Sonalane had been, before he had taught her. The bits and pieces of his memory seemed to confirm this. The mare in front of him, with so much hate toward him, could really be a formidable ally if she would give herself the chance. Though, he could put her into a position where she would have no other choice. His mind reeled, forming a much needed plan. This useless batting at each other was not as exciting any longer. His mind was brought back to the present, having wandered off with thoughts of the future, as the mare charged at him. He was suddenly angry with himself for allowing his mind to wander as it had, and not predict this move before it happened, and therefore moving just a second to slow. The ivory daggers that came down, searching for his throat, caught hold of his neck as he jumped away, though instead of continuing with the action of moving away, he pushed back into her; shoulder to shoulder. The scarlet of her dripping blood smeared across his neck where they brushed against each other, and the same for his own life liquid. He snarled, turning to sink his teeth into the mare's back. He did not like that she had surprised him, it angered him that he would be so weak, so careless. He reared, pushing a hoof against the mares form and pushing himself away with a buck before his forelegs even had the chance to hit the ground. Though, again, she wasn't there and he reeled, angry now. This was no stupid game he had been thinking could just pass the time. No. This mare would either leave this encounter as a warrior allied with himself, or dead. ==Author's Comments . Word Count 585 . Notes - sorry if i kind of rambled. I tried to add some length. /: . Muse - alright. . Tags - ixori

[/color][/blockquote]

Header by Appy - Coding by Abba

[/color]
Do not steal[/center][/color][/td][/tr]
[/table][/center][/blockquote]

[twi]

Ixori squealed in not much pain as rage when he bit her. He had neatly deflected her probing teeth, as she had known he would. Still, the foreknowledge did little to soothe her anger at being deflected so easily. At least she had been able to bite him, if not in a fatal place. She dared not glance behind her to see where he had bitten, hoping it was nowhere near the spinal cord. If that got severed…well, it would be all over then.
Rama was panting now, glaring at her for evading him. Oh so, he was angry now, was he? A smile, much more cruel and bitter then her previous one, formed on her lips. She had come to accept her anger as a component of every fight she engaged in, and instead of trying to suppress it, she had learned to master it, mostly. Rama’s anger seemed more explosive than her own, more reckless. Perhaps she could bait him into doing something foolish.
Her eyes casually played over the ground, looking for something to exploit. She passed over some small, insignificant ruts until another one, larger than the others, caught her eye. It was partially obscured by long, tangled grass, only visible at a certain angle. It was not much, but perhaps it would count for something.
She carefully sidled towards it, ostensibly circling Rama, probing for a weakness in his guard. There. She carefully stepped over it and positioned herself facing Rama, waiting for his next attack. With luck, he might not notice it and a carelessly planted hoof could mean a fatal misstep for him. She hoped.

[aPPY]

[bg=#120700][atrb=border,0,false][atrb=cellpadding,0,false][atrb=cellspacing,0,false][atrb=width,450,true][th] text "speech" thoughts "other characters' speech" She smiled and he snarled. His eyes narrowed to slits and he twisted around, throwing his forelegs into the air and striking out. Ixori paced away, circling him and he snorted, throwing his head before straightening and watching her carefully once again. He pawed at the ground once she stopped, turning to face him and they locked eyes. Was she waiting for him move this time? His tail flicked back and forth for a few moments as he faced off with her. The wind played with their long hairs and pushed dead, crinkled leaves across the ground with a scatter, the growing grass swaying from side to side. The white, fluffy clouds above obscured the Spring sun for a moment, casting shadows across the two equines. They stood there, frozen, waiting for the other to make the first move. Ramaskith's mind was calming, though the anger was still there. She would not best him, it was impossible, though she was using her anger in a way he thought she wouldn't be capable. Yes, there were foolish mistakes in her technique, and she replied too much on force and her anger, it appeared, but maybe he was too quick to judge. She was the one standing there and calculating, just as he was. Though, he did have the advantage of height and strength, that could easily be used against him. He grew tired of waiting, lunging forward like he had so many time. A flash of white flesh suddenly in motion, hooves digging into the ground and propelling him forward with such force. He collided with her dark form, neck whipping around and teeth slicing into her skin. He pushed against her, bending against her and trying to force her to the ground. Though, in his attempt, his leg hit the roots she was standing among and caught his ankle, throwing him off balance and sending the both crashing to the ground. He growled, snorting and twisting around to right himself, cursing himself for not paying enough attention to his surroundings. He turned his head, seeing that the mare, with the advantage of her smaller form, was already standing. Had she planned that? His ears pinned as he remained on the ground, fighting every ounce of pride in himself that told him to stand taller than her. The amount of time in which it would take him to stand would put him in a very vulnerable position, and thus he needed to formulate a plan to give him that extra time. His mind raced as he tried to find a solution, his eyes trained on the ebony and violet form in front of him, watching to see what her next attack would be, since he was a pretty easy target. Or it appeared as so. ==Author's Comments . Word Count 466 . Notes - hohummm. . Muse - mreh. . Tags - ixori

[/color][/blockquote]

Header by Appy - Coding by Abba

[/color]
Do not steal[/center][/color][/td][/tr]
[/table][/center][/blockquote]

[twi]

Ixori’s heart, already fluttering like a caged bird, leaped alarmingly as Rama charged her. He was a terrifying sight, a killing machine of raw sinew and muscle, headed straight for her. It had been so long since the hardened mare had felt fear, she barely recognized the emotion when she felt it. Only the wild beating of her heart betrayed her cowardice to her, for that was what it was. Angrily, she ground her teeth, trying to banish the foolish feeling.
Then they clashed, a tangle of enraged equines, both trying to find the death-hold. Teeth ripped skin and Ixori could feel the hot blood beginning to trickle into her eyes. She blinked wildly and by the time her vision had cleared, she found herself on the ground. How had that happened? She had planned for Ramaskith to go down, but not herself. Still, she had a slight advantage, knowing exactly where the depression was that had surely caused such a fall. She had landed on top of Rama and instead of trying to use the fact to further attack him, she concentrated all her effort in disentangling herself and regaining her feet. By the time she was up, Rama still had not moved. Had he been hurt by the fall? Ixori had no way of knowing, but she was sure of one thing; this was the opening she had been waiting for. She needed to strike and she need to strike now.
Pummeling hooves rained down upon the fallen stallion, forcing him even lower. Her violet eyes, flaming with the light of battle sought his weak point and found it. Rama’s head lay momentarily upon the ground, his vulnerable skull exposed upon the earth. She whirled, reared…and hesitated. Could she really bring herself to do the deed?
Then the unthinkable happened. She slipped, teetered, and fell, her hooves, already poised to strike, came down with all the mare’s weight behind them. The split second before she connected with Rama’s cranium, Ixori knew instinctively that the battle was over. She would crush his skull and he would be dead before she too hit the earth. Her hooves smashed down upon him, but instead of feeling bone crumple beneath her, Ixori felt only the shattering impact as though she had attempted to pummel a rock. Her hooves flew out from under her and she landed beside him clumsily, striking the ground with a pained cry. Her head buzzed, and her vision swirled.
What could have possibly happened?, were her last cohesive thoughts before all she saw was darkness.

[aPPY]

[bg=#120700][atrb=border,0,false][atrb=cellpadding,0,false][atrb=cellspacing,0,false][atrb=width,450,true][th] text "speech" thoughts "other characters' speech" She attacked him, hooves pounding into his back and he twisted, huffing and taking the blows. He moved, pulling his legs out from underneath his body, laying on his side and thrashing, his legs trying to connect with hers, attempting to bring her to the ground once again. He paused, turning to see that she was aiming for his head. He growled, eyes narrowing as he watched her hooves strike downward, coming right for him. Vondur appeared, yowling and hissing, preparing to distract the stupid mare but Ramaskith silenced him, the ghostly figure evaporating once more. If the mare was going to kill him, so be it. He stared up at her, watching the hooves come down, every millisecond like an eternity. Then it was as if time went from slow motion to fast forward, and the violet and ebony mare had fallen to the ground and landed beside him, crying out in pain. Ramaskith snorted, quickly regaining his feet and jumping over her limp body, turning to see that the mare appeared unconscious. He eyes pulled together as he pushed at her with a hoof; no response. What the hell? He had been prepared to descend into the inferno one moment, and then the next this mare had fallen, as if a higher power had decided it was not his time. He growled, unhappy with the thought of there being someone higher than himself for a moment before kicking half-heartedly at the mare with the ankle of a foreleg. He snorted again, Vondur reappearing at his side. It appears that she hit the ground rather hard, the creature said and Rama glared at the feline. Vondur growled once before disappearing again, his presence not welcome. Ramaskith didn't know what to do. Ixori lay on the ground, unconscious, and he figured it would be easier to just leave her there, but then that would give her the chance to go after him at a later date and attack him with the element of surprise. Then, of course, he could just kill her while she lay there, but that was no fun. She wouldn't be able to fight back, obviously, and it would be far too easy. And after the fight she just gave, he wasn't so sure he wanted her dead any more. It would be far more beneficial if she were alive and working for him, even if she seemed so set against it. She had said, after all, that she was not his enemy; though that fact seemed iffy at the moment. He snorted, slamming a hoof against the ground. He kicked her motionless body again, more forcefully this time, trying to get her to wake up. Perhaps he could strike a bargain with her? After all, she would owe him for not killing her while she lay in such a vulnerable state. Her life was like putty in his hands until she woke up, and he could decide her fate right this moment. She would realize that, and she would have to be somewhat grateful that she was still alive, he would assume. If not, he could just kill her after she refused to join his ranks, considering the fact that she was still on the ground and he was not. He smiled, bending his head down and whispering in her ear. "Réveille, mon papillon impuissant." ==Author's Comments . Word Count 564 . Notes - lalalala . Muse - kind of there? . Tags - ixori

[/color][/blockquote]

Header by Appy - Coding by Abba

[/color]
Do not steal[/center][/color][/td][/tr]
[/table][/center][/blockquote]

[twi]

Ixori wondered where she was. It was like she had just walked through a very dark tunnel and was only now beginning to emerge. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear the spots from her vision. She must have hit her head somehow on the way down. Wait, the way down? Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she tried to remember what she was doing on the ground. Had she been sleeping? No of course not, she always slept standing up. Never be vulnerable on the ground. So why was she just lying there?
“Réveille, mon papillon impuissant." The words made their way into her bleary consciousness. Instinctively, she already had a reply ready on her lips.
“I’m nobody’s butterfly, least of all yours, and neither am I helpless.”
She decided that the later was not quite true, as she was lying on the ground and the speaker was not. She raised her head with an effort, to look straight into Ramaskith’s face.
“Oh, you,” she muttered in disgust. He was the last equine she wanted to see. As an afterthought, she realized that he was probably preparing to kill her.
The fact that he had not killed her quite yet heartened her. Perhaps he wanted something from her, maybe a bargain. Or maybe he just wanted her to be awake so that he could fully enjoy her death.
She lay philosophically on the ground, sensing that attempting to rise was not wise. So far he did not seem inclined to aggression, but that would surely change if she was no longer in such a helpless position.

[aPPY]

[bg=#120700][atrb=border,0,false][atrb=cellpadding,0,false][atrb=cellspacing,0,false][atrb=width,450,true][th] text "speech" thoughts "other characters' speech" Ramaskith chuckled softly, shaking his head at her response. She appeared rather helpless to him at this moment, laying on the ground like she was. She lifted her head and he could tell that it was rather difficult. He smiled, she surely wasn't going to get the best of him now! She saw him, expressing distaste for that fact in the tone of her words and he tilted his head to the side. "Not happy to see me?" he asked, "I would think you'd be happy to see anyone, considering you could very well be dead right now. Or still could, after all." He smiled lazily, though the twitch of his lips vanished quickly. "Now, I do think you should be a tad bit nicer, considering the position you are currently in." He narrowed his eyes, lowering his head a little, his brown and blue meeting with her violet. "I should say that you will be more willing to ally yourself me, no?" He asked, though with the tone in which he said it, and the stance of his body, it was not a question that had an alternative answer. If she said no, he would strike her down and ask again. If she refused him for a third time, then he would kill her. Simple. She had the choice of keeping her life, of serving him and helping the cause, or dying right here so he wouldn't have to worry about killing her later. He could tell she wanted to live though, why else would she attack him with such fierceness? She wanted to live, and he had high hopes that she would do anything to stay alive. ==Author's Comments . Word Count 282 . Notes - hohummm. . Muse - bleh. . Tags - ixori

[/color][/blockquote]

Header by Appy - Coding by Abba

[/color]
Do not steal[/center][/color][/td][/tr]
[/table][/center][/blockquote]

[twi]

Ixori rested her head against the cool ground. She thought of all the places she had been, all the places she had yet to see. An itch traveled up her spine, tingling and prodding, that familiar feeling which told her it was time to move on yet again. She was always on the move- it was her life. She loved the change of scenery, the feeling that she controlled her own destiny. So long as she had all of the land at her wanderlust whims, she could feel free, truly untethered. All that would change if she ‘yes’ to Ramaskith’s offer. Join him or die. She smiled morosely to herself, remembering he had posed the question not too long ago. She had been so unafraid then, so confident. But now, as she lay on the grass, her life in question, she no longer felt that confidence swelling within her. Now it was more of a numbness, the knowledge that if she chose to save her own life, she was signing away her freedom. She was bidding farewell to everything she lived for. The choice was not a pleasant one and for a moment, Ixori was tempted to just say goodbye to everything she had known and let her life end, rather than become a slave to this mad stallion.
She suddenly felt tired and old. It was not fair that at such a young age she was forced to make such a decision. Why her?
“Alright, alright, I’ll be nicer,” she said in a dead voice, falling upon her ears as a mere whisper. “I don’t want to quarrel with you. I was even willing to be your friend, once upon a time. If you let me go, I’ll leave you and your minions in peace. I didn’t want to kill you, I just wanted to save my own skin. Just let me go and I promise I won’t work against you.”
Ixori doubted the words would have any effect upon him, but said them anyway. She felt sick, deep in her gut and felt tired of life.
“What is it you want from me anyway?” she added. “I have little offer.”

[aPPY]

[bg=#120700][atrb=border,0,false][atrb=cellpadding,0,false][atrb=cellspacing,0,false][atrb=width,450,true][th] text "speech" thoughts "other characters' speech" Let her go? He laughed. No. He couldn't trust her if he let her go. Her words were empty promises and he was not a fool. She seemed to know that her words would have no effect on him anyway, her voice a fading whisper. So was she giving up? He stared down at her as she asked what he wanted from her. What did he want? More fighters? To win the war? Of course. To be Lord of all of Forma Silvestris? Most definitely. So strike much needed fear into the inhabitants hearts so that they obey his every command? Oh yes. And she would help him and so many others do it. She wanted to save her own skin, she just admitted that, so she would try anything to stay alive. She didn't want to die, who did? And he was giving her the chance to live, so why wouldn't she take it? But he wasn't going to just let her go. Her life was a gift he was giving, it was his possession because he had chosen not to end it. He hoped he would not regret such a decision, but there wasn't much poor Ixori could do about it anyway. "What do I want from you, mon papillon impuissant? I want you to join me, while I beat the traitors and take over Forma Silvestris. I do not want to have to worry about you fighting against myself should the idea come to you one day, so if you refuse, I will kill you right here, dès maintenant. But should you follow me, you won't have to worry about it any longer, no?" He paused, "I do not believe you would have too much trouble on the battlefield, mon cher, so it really isn't that malaisé of a decision, I would think." ==Author's Comments . Word Count 314 . Notes - lalala . Muse - not too bad. . Tags - ixori

[/color][/blockquote]

Header by Appy - Coding by Abba

[/color]
Do not steal[/center][/color][/td][/tr]
[/table][/center][/blockquote]

[twi]

Ixori was careful to keep her contempt carefully veiled. What a fool. So his tactics were to capture innocent equines and then force them to be his soldiers? She wanted to laugh in his face. That was not the way to win the war. One had to first gather supporters around themselves, supporters that would support of their own free will or because there was something in it for them. If his army was composed of slaves, how far did he think he could get without being turned upon? It was all very well to force the inhabitants of his land to serve him once he was established as master, with plenty of goons to carry out his orders, but he was just one stallion. He did not want to worry about her changing sides during battle so he was forcing her to swear allegiance to him? What led him to think mere words would secure her loyalty if he chose to doubt her previous words of not working against him if her let her free?
Ixori almost pitied Rama, for in his power-hungry rampages, he must have gone over the edge of insanity to be making such foolish mistakes. This campaign of his would never succeed.
She looked at him, her violet eyes luminous and sad. She hid her inner mockery behind a covering of silent pain.
“Very well, it seems I have no choice in the matter. I will follow you into battle and fight for you, if that is what you ask, in return for my life.”
She did not cover or cringe as she spoke those words, but looked him straight in the eye, grim and resolute. He might have won her allegiance, if only for the time being, but he would never break her spirit.