The Portal
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RIXEN i have late night conversations with the moon;
Neither of the strangers appeared terribly surprised by my rather unexpected appearance. They didn’t jump, or even flinch a little bit, like I might have expected them to. Not that I was a particularly terrifying creature. But when someone, or something, suddenly appeared from the darkness, you never knew what their intentions were. The Rift was too dangerous a place to assume that every stranger wanted to be friends. Yet the two unicorns merely swiveled their heads in my direction, blinking, probably trying to decide that to make of me. The golden mare moved over a few steps, making room for me to stand comfortably before them. As if accepting her invitation, my tiger-striped frame stepped further out of the shadow and into the cold light, where they could hopefully get a better look at me and see that I meant them no harm. I was close enough now, and the dim light struck the woman’s face just right, that the black lines that traced the length of her face, from her eye all the way down to her nostrils, were noticeable. Additional charcoal accents followed the curve of her jaw, four widely-curved claws jutting upward to form a unique marking. There was this vague sense of familiarity that washed over me as I studied her features. Like she was someone I knew, but whose name I couldn’t quite place. It was in the color of her coat, the markings on her face, even the way she stood there, looking at me. Except the funny part was, I was one hundred percent certain that I’d never seen this mare before. No name came to mind when I tried to think of one that might fit her. It couldn't be right that she was familiar, like someone half-remembered. But the ache of familiarity was so powerful, so difficult to ignore, that I couldn’t help but second-guess those simple facts. Both brows furrowed slightly beneath the thick curtain of my forelock. Perhaps she resembled someone I knew. Wait a moment… was it- could it be- Kiada? Comparing this stranger to my mental image of Kiada’s appearance, they looked strikingly alike. I’d spent enough time with the gilded mare to know. And it wasn’t only their colors that were the same. This mare wore an identical marking on her face, or at least one that resembled Kiada’s closely. It was an intricacy impossible to miss, one of the things about the mare that made her stand apart from the crowd. I’d never seen anything similar anyone else. Until now. That meant the real question was how they were related, if in fact they were, and being without the most basic knowledge of this mare's name, it was far too soon to begin asking prying questions that might scare her off. They would have to wait. Perhaps a few moments, or maybe even longer than that, depending what direction the conversation went. Setting all contemplation aside, my body turned toward the younger of the two unicorns. He'd been watching me; his blue stare was hard, and even though it harbored no hate, the look he gave made it impossible to predict what was happening beneath the icy surface, what his impression of me was. This was probably intentional, a survival tactic of sorts. If it wasn’t clear enough already by my demeanor, the relaxed shoulders, slightly lowered head, swishing tail, he would soon learn that I was not here to bring either of them harm. When the sound of my voice reached his ears, however, he seemed to lower his guard. Neither of the strangers hesitated to return my greeting, which was received as a good sign. They seemed friendly enough, as most of the worry about me had quickly worn away like a passing breath. I offered the child a polite nod, readily returning his gesture, as I had always been taught. He stated his name before I could ask what it was: Galahad. I wondered where he’d arrived here from. Everyone came from somewhere. It was impossible to arrive without leaving. "That’s quite alright. From what I’ve experienced, the temperatures here gravitate toward the extreme side. The adjustment can be difficult at first, but everyone gets used to them after a while." I paused to clear my throat, in preparation for the more formal introduction. It dawned on me that I’d actually grown used to speaking of the Rift like the place was an old friend. "Welcome to the Rift. I just so happened to hear that you’ve just arrived." I smiled, without falter. Though the upturning of my lips happened almost subconsciously, the appearance was not at all forced. What was the mare’s name, though? She hadn’t mentioned it yet. Why did it matter? Whatever she said wasn’t going to ring a bell. Slowly, deliberately, I shifted my gaze away from Galahad and toward the mare. My emerald eyes were calm, placid, thoughtful, giving nothing away that I did not yet wish to reveal. "I don’t believe I have seen you around here before. Are you new as well?" I looked at her inquiringly, tilting my head slightly. I didn’t say that I thought she looked like someone I knew. Not yet. Despite speaking addressing them both rather gently, my voice echoed throughout the small clearing. "It would probably be helpful if I told you my name. I’m Rixen." I forgot to add on the second part, my official title. It was hard to remember, because it wasn’t how I thought of myself. Someone who held a title, possessed some degree of authority. What did it matter, though, whether I said it or not? The Vine King was no different from the rest. "Talk." he tells me about the sun — and I tell him about you. |
@Galahad @Rexanna <3
