The Portal
Instead the memories danced away any time he tried to grab hold of them. With sharp eyes and smiles like razors they all to easily reminded him of what you might think the faces of these beasts that followed the long steps of the towering beast might show. A void, much like their maddening home, with skeletal grins and eyes of the brightest hues. If it was unnerving to the pirate it was nigh on impossible to tell, lest you truly knew his choices before he came here.
What he had done to gain the powers he had tacked on to those of his species. A deal made for two things and two alone. An upper hand against the Navy he hated so deeply and protection for the one person he loved above all other things. In turn he offered the souls of those he killed unto the Devil himself. It was a simple deal. His soul tied to the sea now and so long as he drew breath Arronax would be safe.
But this world.
It was unyielding and it very well might have a different set of rules. If the monster who turned him into the scourge of the sea he became could reach him here Ryder could not know. It was an unanswered question. His mind a turbulent mess and one that sought answers. Some days he might be convinced the God of Hell offered help where he could, but others he swore that everything was just chance and chance alone. It was truly and utterly frustrating. But he needed answers. If anything a simple understanding might play in his favor. But how could one grasp or understand such depravity and madness?
Offering a low growl of annoyance to the vast void he pushed onward. The teal pelt flowing in a smooth cascade as the muscles beneath stretched and bunched with each long step. The tightly corded sinew offered a definition to the titan that most did not carry. Scars gave a hint at a hard life and the gale in his eyes showed nothing but fury as the deep blue pools surveyed the land before him with scrutiny and a clear lack of mercy. He cared not for most who flitted through here. But that did not change the fact that by all accounts he felt some empathy towards them. He came into this world in a fury. One that quickly became wrath that was almost unleashed on the souls of two who in the end offered help.
Calhoun Ryder’s world focused on a single soul if you did not cout piracy, his lover of violence, the sea and the freedom these all gave him. And his name was Arronax. The man he was now, or rather equine, would never had even been brought to light without the older demon. And the idea of losing him created a bone chilling dread in the pirate. And Ryder’s soul did not process such emotions in the way most did. Instead it became fury. And the deeper the fear the stronger his choler became.
It had been his own thoughts of the man he cared for and how he would feel at such pure hatred towards those he knew nothing of that allowed him to gain control of the furious ire that took his mind. It took some time to truly dispel it but in the end he managed. If only because in the process of being led out of The Portal to seek he er pirate they found Arronax.
Now the gratitude towards the two stallion who helped him did find some way to worm its way into his choices. Which led to him frequenting the Portal for a second reason. Mists wrapped around his legs, as though of the mind to slow him down. But vapor did little at this point.
At least, for the time being.
Who knew what insanity this place could offer if of the right mind. But at the current it was harmless. The whispers of ravenous monsters lurking in shadows, eyes watching with pure interest seemed haunting but it did little to daunt you when you faced the Devil himself and went further and laughed when he attempted to strike any sort of terror in you. Ryder had gone seeking a solution and he had come out with one.
But that did not mean it was all good. His anger was unending. Far more intense and dangerous than it once was. If it was out of fear that he made his choice one could not know. It was something Ryder kept close. Sighing as the sound of a voice brushed over his ear, he turned his head just slightly to port. About 15 degrees to his left side was at least one stallion. And he had spoken to someone else. Sighing Ryder changed his course and quickly, swiftly ate up the ground between himself and the two souls in the distance.
It was a quick walk. One that had the towering mass of the pirate breaking through a line of trees with all the confidence in the world and that powerful air of danger and smothering feeling of rage rolling from him as he paused to regard those before him. The closest to him was an auburn stallion with two golden horns. The second was a taller male, holding a deep blue hide and striking orange marking that seemed to be in the shape of lightning bolts. A brow characterically arched over one eye as he regarded them for a moment. The first seemed quite relaxed while the latter was all puffed up. Amusing but Ryder suspected the colt did not know as much as he assumed.
“I’m guessin’ feathers over here is the new face…” He turned his attention from the brown male to the deep blue beast, eyeing him slowly before jerking his head back behind him. “Yeh’ll have an easier time gettin’ out the way I came, kid.” He offered a nearly vicious smirk and shifted his weight just a bit, squaring his broad shoulders. The scarred pirate regarded the two for a moment longer. “Take it yeh got names. I’m Ryder… Captain Ryder if yeh want to be formal. And yeh two, what the fuck do I call yeh besides feathers and shortstack?”
