A memory of light

For the longest time, all she knew was darkness. It could have been death and for a while she thought it was. The idea pleased her. Would it not be a great way to thwart Kisamoa the Deceiver in his plans after all, if every life he had stolen from Helovia was snuffed out before they could be manipulated further? So many had died already - what difference would a few more make? It would be worth it, and her only regret would be that she could not see the chagrin upon the face of the demon as they all defied him. 

Disembodied, she drifted through the void and pondered everything that had happened in her life up to this point. Though the memories were hazy and distorted by time and forgetfulness, Erthë still had enough pieces to lay out the puzzle of her story one by one like a colorful tapestry. One action linked into another, sometimes imperceptibly but always with the same consistent pace, a beat and a rhythm measured out by the ceaseless flow of time. Slowly, details from her life came to her, like fractions of a broken mirror they spun around her in the weightless void, glittering with the occasional flash of color and movement.

flashShe saw a white tree standing on a field of snow, solitary in its majesty, the full moon nestled into its branches.flashA black mare with eyes of amethyst draped a raven wing over her and spoke with quiet intensity, and though Erthë could not hear her words the deep voice was soothing and full of love. Beside the mare stood a tall, silver stallion and gazed at her, his eyes as blue as the sky that arched high over their heads and as glittering as the cold snow beneath her feet. flash flashA giant bear of crystal and ice reared up with a deafening roar, its shadow enveloping her in cold darkness and 
flash a lavender goddess with dark wind filling her wings danced out of the way of a black wolf, it's foul magic no match to her powerful retaliation. When the beast lay dead upon the ground before her feet, the immortal turned and with a lopsided smile tossed a black fang before Erthë, who bent to pick it up flashflashflash and she screamed as the sharp snap of the crocodile's tail threw the black shadow mare to the ground. Glistening wet blood soaked into the sand before her eyes, but though the flaming god placed a bow of bone before the dying mare he did nothing to save the blackbird, the raven, the soothing shadow that had always been by her side. Erthë wept flash and raised the ivory weapon. White light burst from the taught string and arrows of ice burrowed deep into the hide of the Tigress. It hissed and slapped its paw at Erthë, and she felt herself be lifted from the ground, colors of sky and earth swirling before her eyes all while she tumbled, tumbled trough an endless kaleidoscope of pain and grief and numb disbelief. 

flashflashflashflash

Fragments of her life passed before her, but though she recalled the emotions that had accompanied them all, everything seemed so distant now. She was numb, disabled, struck down by the all encompassing grief for what she had lost. The shards flashed again, but she did not wish to see them, did not want to relive the terror that so recently had robbed her of anything that meant something. 

flash 

It was impossible to look away. One by one the mortals charged with blazing eyes and billowing manes, heroes brave and true, willing - almost eager - to throw away their lives in the vain attempt at vanquishing the demon of Kaos that had risen before them. It was futile, of course. One by one they flung themselves at him, and one by one they died, dissolved by shadow and dark taint, robbed of all form and stripped clean of life in one fell swoop. 

flash Flash

"No..." she murmured, stirring restlessly as the nightmare enveloped her tighter in its foul grasp. 

FLASH FLASH

A silver stallion joined the fray, and Erthë screamed as his beloved face was engulfed in shadow, lost forever within the deadly darkness. He had not even known he would become a grandfather... 

flash

and the lavender form was engulfed with shadow, thrashing and writhing in resistance even as it picked away at Her glowing essence, mercilessly stripping away the familiar equine form to reveal the beautiful light of Her soul until nothing remained, no trace of the comforting, thrilling presence that had surrounded Erthë for the better part of her life...

"NOOOO!" 


Tearing herself free from the evil dream, Erthë forced herself to wake and threw open her eyes. It hardly made a difference, for the darkness around her seemed compact, impenetrable. Had she been blinded? With her heart racing in the chest Erthë strained her eyes in a desperate desire to see, even as her mind recoiled in horror at what she might be forced to perceive. Where was she? What happened to the portal, the people, the dark tainted magic that had enveloped her as she was pushed through along with the other Helovians? 

Slowly, distant light reached her through the gloom. The darkness faded and twisted into shapes, inconceivably strange and twisted, gnarled and crooked. It took a long time for Erthë to realize that they were trees. She lay sprawled on the ground, one wing bent awkwardly beneath her heavy bulk  - so numb that she feared it had disappeared. 

So. A forest. A dark and brooding forest, for sure, swathed in darkness with only those strange, glowing lights available to suggest shapes and distance. Helovia had been an enchanted place, with magic flowing abundantly throughout everything and anyone. Erthë had thought herself accustomed to strange things and familiar with the feel of energy within and around herself... 

But this place. It gave her the creeps. 

Unsettled, feeling it as if those glowing lights were eyes glaring down on her where she lay, Erthë tried to rise. Immediately a red-hot pain shot through her body and she fell gasping back into the soil - wet it was, damp and humid against her skin, though how long she would remain dry in the steady drizzle she did not want to think about. Anxious about the lives residing within her swollen belly, the young mare tried to relax, hoping that the pain would dissipate if she rested. But though the cramp subsided, it was soon replaced by another, even stronger spasm. Panic blossomed within her. It was too early! She should not be giving birth this soon, and not in this strange, wet, unfamiliar place.

 All alone. 

It struck her then, how dangerous a situation she was in. The solitude had been so customary for the young mare - ever the vagabond, as comfortable a companion as any a bonded - that she had not reflected upon it until now. But as she threw long, desperate looks around her there was no one to be seen, no familiar face for her to call out to. She didn't dare raise her voice to see if anyone was in the vicinity either, in case some hungry predator was nearby, in the event that some hostile other might be there to assault her in this the weakest of moments. 

The pain subsided. Hurriedly, Erthë threw herself up on trembling legs and moved restlessly, anxiously about. She had awoken in a small clearing of the trees on a bed of large roots and tall ferns, barely large enough to fit herself and allow for some movement. The trees looked strange, but their massive trunks provided enough shelter that she did not feel the need to move. It was well she did not, for in short time the young hybrid was forced to her knees again, the pains of labor washing over her like a storm-swept tide. 

All thought faded from her mind. There was no stopping this now. 

She was not ready, but it could not be helped. All she could do was obey the orders of her body, all while her mind clung to the memories of happier times, of light and love and all those things that would never again be hers. 

She was not ready for this. 

---

Link to Rift Participation

Magics:

• Born with sub-zero body temperature (passive, cold to the touch but cannot freeze others) 
• Able to rapidly freeze liquids (15 ft radius, not within containers)

Enchanted items:

• Metal Acorn Charm - a bronze acorn that glows in the dark
• Magical Seaweed - enchanted seaweed that lets user breathe under water while holding it in the mouth. Duration of 1 hour. 
• Feather of the Moon Goddess - a deep purple feather with a dark smoking effect (smoke or mist) 


Rift-god / Kaos items:

• Enchanted Bow made from Crocodile God
• Glowing black Fang from Wolf God

Amulets : (provide number)
• 4


Requests:

I'm not saving anything!
If her magic is mutated, I'd like for it to keep an element of ice/frost/snow but feel free to make it more dangerous/dark/aggressive/harmful!