((Oh, i thought it was something serious XP. Well thats okay I guess, I can wait.

Bump.))

OoC: Sorry for the delay! I'v had a slight writers block with this one, but will continue now. Oh, and yes your new character is accepted Siri. 

BiC: Leaning against one of the empty stalls gritty wood work, Jace watched as most of the other students ambled off to see about finding their mounts, some looking excited while others looked down right scared. Crossing his arms across his chest, the blonde wanted to wait till most of the others found their 'perfect match' before he even attempted to find one that would work for him. All-in-all he had little interest in the large animals, wanting to find one that walked, would allow to be tacked, and did not bite. He needed no other qualifications. One by one the other students seemed to be getting acquainted, some in more humerus ways then others, and even Faythe was walking around the stables. She seemed annoyed as per usual, but Jace knew that inwardly she was much more calm then normal. The thought made him smile slightly, blue eyes gentle. 

A hard thwack not inches from beside his head made the male jump, ducking out of instinct and whirled around. The Instructor stood there with a annoyed looked about her face, raven eyes pinning him with vexation. "This is the time to find your beast, not idle around and stare at all the pretty girls." She snapped, riding crop held firmly in one calloused hand. Jace grinned cheekily, like some obnoxious adolescence caught filching candy. Jace mock bowed, arms sweeping to the side until they came to a halt at his back.

"But you know I was only comparing them to your own beauty." He mused, the sarcastic pun thick in his words. The instructor only frowned, hefting the riding crop up and taking aim towards his head; she knew better then to be baited by simple words. Jace laughed as he dodged, walking deeper into the stables and looking from one horse to another. Some looked half way decent, bright eyed and alert, but most of them looked to be what he called 'a ladies horse.' One that was only good for show, not sport. Suddenly a copper mare flecked with white caught his eyes as she poked her dappled face from the stall, looking at him with deep brown eyes. Walking over the blonde stroked her nose gentle, peeking over the door to get a look at the horses form. "Your a pretty one." He whispered, ruffling her dense mane. A snort, deep and annoyed met his ears just as a large head from the stall beside his mares lashed out, snapping not inches from the dappled mares cheek. The copper horse squealed with fright, jerking back deeper into the safety of her own stall. "Vicious much?" Jace asked, eying the red stallion.

Taking a few crab steps to the left so he was facing the stallion Jace tentatively reached his hand forward to stroke the velvet nose. Something sparked through him, something strong and dangerous; wild. The feeling sent the hairs on the back of his neck prickling while his blood burned slightly, rolling through his veins like lava. Shaking off the sudden feeling, Jace looked into the stallions pitch black eyes. "I'm going to say that was nothing more then the first day jitters." He whispered to himself, running his fingers along the beasts neck. "But you'll do." As if understanding him, the stallion tossed his head, maned flying like a million sparks of fire.

"If you've found your animal," the word was disgusted. "then please take the bridle that should be hanging from the side of their stall and place it on them. If there is not bridle the tack closet is to your left, and if you have no idea how to bridle a horse then speak up and either me or Elija, if you have time that is, will help." The instructor cawed, tapping her fingers aggressively along her bicep where her arms were crossed. Reaching over, Jace sighed in delight as he came across a black, well worn, bridle. Wrestling with the ob
ject for a moment, he finally came to the conclusion on how to work the ob
ject and slipped it snuggly on the horses head. "You may also name the horse you chose if you like. They're newer and tend to respond with just a whistle." The instructor finished, watching each person carefully. " Once finished lead them into the corral out back. We'll get started from there."

---

The demon horse of war found himself standing inside of a tight stall, surrounded with the putrid stench of mortal horse. His mood was already annoyed enough finding himself looking for his master son, or at least he hoped it was a son seeing as he strongly disliked mortal females due to their weakness, and now in this enclosed space. Ears flat against his small skull, the demon let his powers stroke over each human in the vicinity, trying to find the one who called to him so strongly; his master. But they were all to close together for the time being. So he steeled himself to wait like a good steed, ignoring everything around him. Almost in a doze, the demon was lurched awake by a voice cooing to another horse, the sound making  something lurch inside of him. That was his master. Padding forward, he demon stuck his nose outside the door taking a second to look at the man, no he was no more then a boy, who he instinctively knew was the Horseman of War. This will be a challenge. The horse muttered, taking a quick snap the mare his soon to be rider was stroking.

To his inhuman delight the mare jerked back with a whinny, surprised by the sudden viciousness. had he been a human the demon would have been grinning creepily. But now was no time to be gloating over the fear he put into other when his master stood before him, looking perplexed and curious. Suddenly a furless hand reached out, the first who dared do so in many years, and touched his nose. Any loyalty, any trust or liking he had held for his previous master disappeared, replaced with a sense of possessiveness and loyalty to this boy in front of him. Clearly he felt it to by the look in his eyes, surprised and slightly frightened. But this was his master now, and soon he would be forced to teach him what his destiny awaited. 

Out of the corner of her eye Kyoko watched as the man from earlier was petting a mare close to her. She observed him and the horse next to him that had the smoky outline. It snorted at the mare and the horse jumped back scared. Her and her horse laughed quietly at the troubled mare before watching the man walk over to the horse. It seemed satisfied that he chose him instead of the mare. Kyoko shook her head rolling her visible eye before looking at her horse

 Kyoko rubbed her horses head affectionately as she heard Nevermore talk. "If you've found your animal, then please take the bridle that should be hanging from the side of their stall and place it on them. If there is not bridle the tack closet is to your left, and if you have no idea how to bridle a horse then speak up and either me or Elija, if you have time that is, will help." Kyoko groaned. "Quoth the Raven." She muttered taking the bridle off the small rusty nail. She placed it gently on her horse’s head.  "You may also name the horse you chose if you like. They're newer and tend to respond with just a whistle." She looked at her horse staring into her eyes. Something swelled within them waiting to be free. "Misery that will be your name." Kyoko said smiling. The horse seemed to smile as it snorted content.

Kyoko fiddled with the small latch on the front of the stall door trying to get it to open. Once it decided to cooperate it opened with a small squeak. She entered the stall and her horse watched her with curious eyes. She closed the door and tried not to spook her horse. Putting her hand on her horse’s back she started to pet it. She smiled feeling the short hair on its back. Slowly she advanced to the mane slowly stroking it before taking a large chunk of the hair. She started to braid it softly and the horse shivered not wanting braided hair. A memory came forward in Kyoko’s mind from her childhood.

The small girl was playing with a small toy horse. The polyester hair of the toy horse was frizzled and gnarled. The girl never the less combed the hair with gentle care humming a small tune. When the hair was the way she wanted it she took the horse all around her bedroom p*censored*ed her bed and nightstand and then finally the horse landed on the carpet. Misery, as she called it, was the small toy that would never be replaced. The girl looked at her horse poster on the wall with her eyes shining brightly. “Some day I’ll have a horse just like you Misery!” She said happily dancing around her room. Her mother came in and smiled watching her small girl dance. “Kyoko time for lunch.” She said chuckling. “Ok mom! Let’s go Misery.” Kyoko said grabbing her horse before walking up to her mom to go downstairs for lunch.

Kyoko’s eyes water and a few tears fell from her eyes. She shook her head and let the loose braid drop. She hugged her horse’s neck tightly as she quietly cried into her soft mane. The horse snorted turning her head to look at Kyoko. It shook its head before gently touching the top of her head with its nose smiling at her softly. Kyoko stroked her horse’s head softly drying her tears.

~*~

The horse took note of Kyoko’s nervous mood. She looked over at a few stalls down watching a boy almost pick a mare before the horse of war made him choose him. That must have been his master. “Misery that will be your name.” Kyoko said. Misery huh, has a nice ring to it. I snorted my approval before she started to fiddle with the lock on the door. When Kyoko finally got it open she stepped in and closed the door. I watched her curious of what she would do.

She walked over to my side and started to pet my back. I looked back over at the boy again before Kyoko started to play with my mane. He took a chunk of it and started to braid it. Oh geez, I thought snorting. She went into a dream like state probably thinking of something. She started to cry and I looked at her curiously. She hugged my neck and started to cry in my mane. Whatever she was thinking about it upset her so I put my nose of the top of her head. She smiled and stroked my head drying her tears.

OoC: If this is too long, just read the colored text and Nykyrian's part. The text after this ~^~ because this turned out way too long, but I don't know how to shorten it. I just couldn't see Nykyrian entering any other way. BiC

Mumbling about how she didn't have her boots on, Zephyra started her search again after the instructor nearly whacked the blonde guy on the head. Quickly skirting past Elija, since she din't really want to talk, she found an adorable dapple gray mare. Standing about 14 hands tall she was small and delicately built, so Zephyra guessed Arabian. When the gray mare turned to face her Zephyra had no doubt at all, the face of the little mare was undeniable with the gentle slope leading to a petite nose that fit perfectly in Zephyra's cupped hands was one hundred percent Arabian. "You have a good taste in horses, goldie locks," Elija stated in his smooth voice from behind her. His chuckle rumbled deep in his chest when she jumped, obviously she hadn't heard him walk up, "This is Sultans Little Dancer, commonly known as Dancer, and I hate to break it to such a nice lil lady as yourself but she's all mine." With clear affection Elija rubbed his palm underneath Dancer's forelock and the mare closed her eyes and bobbed her head until his hand was in the right spot to reach the itch. "Green broke, so no one without experience-"

"I have experience," Zephyra quickly interrupted. Lifting her chin a notch Zephyra stared at him with narrowed, sharp sapphire eyes.

Elija held his hands up in mock surrender before grumbling, "No need to be ornery. Just sayin'." The sound of a growling engine and tires crunching along the gravel road reached the two of them and they looked outside too see a dented, old Ford truck pulling up with a slightly newer trailer. Inside the horse bellowed a mighty call and thrashed around, making Zephyra a bit worried about the beast’s welfare. When Elija swaggered over to the new arrivals Zephyra quietly followed. As the trucks engine died the beasts raucous did, too. He greeted the woman who came out with a familiarity that told Zephyra they did business together often. When Elija roughly stated, "I thought he was broke. Bomb proof, ya' know, so that the students can learn from them and not hurt themselves."

"A change of plan, the gelding ended up going to the little girl so I thought you wouldn't mind taking this big guy. Free of charge," she added a little too quickly.

Scowling now, Elija whispered, "Not big enough in breeches to handle 'em?"

"I don't think anyone can really, but you have a knack at this so I thought he deserved a last chance."

Muttering about how this new horse was just going to be a hay burner, Elija waved his hand at the woman to open the trailer door so he could sneak in and grab a hold of the lead line. Though, it didn't go as well as planned because the second Elija set his first foot inside the trailer the stallion bellowed again and kicked out hard against the inside of the trailer. Both the clang of hoof against metal and the wild bellow had Zephyra shivering, and the hair on the back of her neck standing up. What a powerful creature, she thought. Uttering a curse, Elija emerged with a long lead a slip second before a flash of black flesh burst out of the trailer. Watching as Elija's arms bugled with the effort of holding the stallion, Zephyra whispered softly. The black stallion was beautiful. He arched his neck and reared in an attempt to free himself of Elija, but the ranch hand was too experience for that and held strong. With a snort the black stallion struck out with his forelegs in a dominating display of power. Tense from nose to tail the beast was magnificent in Zephyra's eyes. With another jerk of his regal head, the stallion's eye flashed with a wildness from under his forelock. Her eyes wide with curiosity and shock, Zephyra whispered, "Easy boy."

"Get back!" Elija ordered. "He'll pummel you like a bug."

A shrill whinny cut through the air and Zephyra continued to coe, "I don't think so. You're so handsome, you wouldn't do that to me would you?" Stamping his fore hooves down aggressively at her, Zephyra had a moment of fear that maybe she was wrong about the stallion, but he slowly calmed. Standing stock still the stallion stood a good 16.2 hands tall and was built like a train. An elegant, powerfully beautiful train, she thought. Reaching out in a slow motion, Zephyra grasped the lead, which had slackened when the stallion stopped fighting Elija, and whisperd, "That's it. Good boy." Not daring to reach out to pet him just yet, Zephyra peered closer at the stallion. "I was right, I thought I saw something odd," she stated a little louder than she had planned.

"Wha's the problem, miss? A bad eye?" Elija asked with concern.

"Not a problem. It's just...his eyes are blue," she replied, and silently added just like mine. Knowing that a hand approaching the face could be intimidating for a horse she leaned forward and blew into his flared nostrils. The stallion didn't move. He just stood there towering over her like a powerful statue. But slowly, as her scent became familiar, he relaxed. Soon he rested his nose on her shoulder. Zephyra almost collapsed under the combination of the beast's weight and her weakened knees, but exhilaration kept her up. Slowly, in a smooth motion, Zephyra reached up and stroked the muscular neck and practically purred, "Good boy, Nykyrian." Not wanting to take her eyes off Nykyrian, she called over her shoulder, "I want this one."

A sound like a boot kicking a rock with followed by her comment, then Elija grumbled, "A'course you want that one, the one animal on the whole darn ranch that might actually kill ya'. Yup, that's the one ya' want. Well, it's not my funeral, goldie locks, just don't come cryin' to me when he dumps you."

A wicked grin, as rare as rain on the Sahara desert, spread across Zephyra cheeks as she promised, "Oh, I most definitely won't." Giving a light tug on the lead, which resulted in a mini rear, Zephyra hoped she would hold true to her promise, but Nykyrian settled down quickly enough for her to find the back corral.

~^~

Filthy piece of mortal rubbish! Warhorse of Famine thought as he was taken away in a trailer as if he was like every other mortal horse. But I am not. I am better than this. When the cursed vehicle of death stopped its constant growling, Warhorse of Famine bellowed with all his power. As silence filled his ears, he stiffened. A mortal was approaching, but something else had his attention. My master's child. He could feel the connection. Warhorse of Famine knew the scent of his master's blood and knew that his child was near. So it was true that the demons of Hell were rising again and the four horsemen must unite. For good? Snorting at that, Warhorse of Famine concluded with a snap of his teeth, evil. When the mortal stench filled his nostrils to the point of insanity, he bellowed again and thrashed about until freedom was within view. Launching out of the trailer with a kick and buck he ended with a rear. Slamming his hooves down with authority, he snorted and arched his neck. Then, as his eyes found his new master, Warhorse of Famine blinked in disbelief. A female! Fighting anew, he became lulled by her scent and voice. Surly a creature with words of such praise and a scent so pure can't be all that bad.

Resting his head on her shoulder, Nykyrian nuzzled her hair as lavender and roses filled his senses. On inpulse, Nykyrian reared at her demand to lead him around like a simple beast of burden. She didn't smell of fear-scent, though her eyes widened a bit. At least she does not fear me...yet.

Mumbling to herself under her breath Erika slowly picked her way across the stable, stifling the urge to take a deep breath in the heavy, oppressive air. They really need to air this place out, she thought plaintively, gasping as a whiff of dung-scented air hit her. "Gah," she said as quietly as she could manage, wincing. "Stables are so not for me." And the horses didn't seem too pleased to see her either. They were skittish, dancing as she neared them. One of them even made a lunge for her, teeth bared. Dodging that particular horse with an irate ex
pression flitting over her face, Erika made her way for the last, and biggest stall. Neither of the adjacent pens held any horses, or any animal for that matter. But considering the mean look the large stallion had, she guessed that he was likely to bite anything that came near his muzzle. Big, white and with an evil look in his eye, the stallion seemed to call out to Erika. "I am so not thinking," she grumbled as she stepped nearer to the horse, hand held out in a sort of peace offering. "I don't even know the first thing about horses," she muttered, "but here I am trying to pet the most irritated stallion there is."

Squinting her eyes shut as she neared the stallion, Erika gasped in mute shock as her hand touched the velvety-soft nose of the stallion, and he made no move. "So I suddenly have a way with horses?" she asked herself wryly, remembering that her last encounter with this species had ended with a broken arm and two bruised ribs. Erika flexed her fingers, feeling the stallion's nose twitch. The mean look in his eye hadn't disappeared, but it seemed to have faded slightly. "Hush boy," she said, feeling stupid. But it was the only thing that came to mind. "You're a big, beautiful stallion aren't you?" He grumbled, then danced forwards a step or two, thrusting his head under her hand as if asking for more petting and scratching. Snorting Erika rubbed his cheek lightly, feeling the muscles twitch under his hand. Eying him she could tell he was built to be a runner with a long, lanky build and slender, yet muscular, legs. At first glance he seemed to be pure white, with a darker gray mane, but as she neared him she could tell that he was actually a very, very faded light gray.

Leaning over the edge of the stall's door she looked at him in the eye, about to speak when a loud, harsh voice interrupted her. "Hey!" said a shocked stablehand, his eyes widening with fear. "Get away from him! He's a nasty one." "Obviously," Erika stated blandly, "you haven't seen that I've been here for over five minutes and I have yet to be bitten or attacked in any manner. He's very sweet. I'm not sure where you got the idea-" Her confused question was cut in half by a loud whinny as the stallion backed off, tossing his head angrily and baring his teeth at the girl. "Well, that's a change of attitude," she remarked casually, her hand still held in the air. "I told you," came the sarcastic reply, the stablehand grinning smugly.

--

What came over me? The white horse of conquest whinnied loudly and backed away from the mortal girl, his dark brown eyes rolling with anger. That mere mortal...touching my muzzle as if I was one of those packhorses, to be strung to a line and lead about. Letting out another loud whinny he made as if to bite the girl, but his heart was not into it. I should be mad, he thought, puzzled. But I'm not. I don't even feel the slightest glimmer of anger. Pausing, he gave the girl another look, who was speaking in the harsh human tongue with the male. Fear scent clung to him, like a heavy cloud that stunk of fear and anxiety, a hateful smell. But the female, no, she stood there proudly, confused, but brave. There was the faintest hint of fear on her, but the stallion felt as if it simply made her braver. Instead of cringing such as the male was doing right now, eying him nervously, the girl held her stance and instead glared at the male. Perhaps my earlier attitude, he thought with a sigh, wondering if she was the one. So...so puny, he complained inwardly. And she was. Slight, thin to the point of emaciated and short. Nothing special, nothing powerful. 

And to think my previous rider was six feet tall and able to wear full armour for hours without breaking a sweat!  

[Fail Dx]

OoC: I'm not sure how many people have noticed yet but Siri has been, for some unknown reason, been banned. Thus the reason I have not posted in hopes that perhaps she would return on a different account. But hopes of that have become slim. So, I'm thinking of restarting this RP except making it open to other users who have expressed some interest in this plot idea. This might not go over to well with some of you and i'm really sorry, but without Siri it just does not feel right to go on. Of course though I will make sure anyone new that joins will be literate, I don't want to completely ruin everything. 

If you'd like to keep your character on the new thread just let me know and i'll reserve it for you. Again, i'm sorry for those who do not like this idea.