Breaking Chains(Solo)

[Colt]

1st of Spring It was the middle of the night. There was no moon, but the stars were bright as ever. The ever-present wind roared, and brought with it the warmth that had been lacking the previous season. Spring was here. It was time. He was alone in the cave. He had traded his old clothes for ones he had found scattered around, and though they were a bit dusty they were better than shreds. He had ripped up said shreds and tied them together, making a crude rope, but though there wasn’t much to fasten it to he wasn't going to let that stop him. He was going as fast as he could, but every movement caused blood to seep from two hefty gashes in his side and leg. The pain was something he could ignore, but his limbs were sluggish with sheer exhaustion. He needed to get out. He needed to escape. If he didn’t, he would die. If Malady didn’t kill him than he would kill himself. The massive drop from the ledge tempted him every night, weaving through his dreams with sweet whispers, telling him to simply walk off. After all, even death had to be better than this hell he lived in now. No. Khasr shook his head, dispelling his morbid thoughts. Thoughts did nothing. Actions were what were important. He traced the mouth of the cave, searching for anything suitable. His finger caught on a small ledge jutting from the wall, and he grinned without realizing it. Wrapping a minimal amount of rope around it, he threw the rest over the edge and didn’t spare the deadly drop a second glance before grabbing ahold and starting his descent. Over the course of the season all fear of heights and death had been completely erased, leaving his mind as clear as could be to focus completely on getting down. Nevertheless, a large jolt of concern shot through him when he felt the rope give. Looking up, he soon determined that despite the drastic increase in his night vision since his capture, he could see absolutely nothing at the top of the rope. He quickly looked down to see how far it was to the ground. He was still a good thirty feet up. It jolted again, and he looked around anxiously. His eyes caught on a root jutting from the cliff face, and he gulped when the rope gave again. It was ripping. He closed his eyes and uttered a quick prayer to Zulrav to keep him safe, then jumped sideways. His feet remade contact quickly and he began a sprint along the face of the cliff, and when he felt more tearing he spared a glance up. Twenty feet above him, the poor excuse for a rope was almost completely ripped through. It snapped, and Khasr jumped. He grunted as he collided with the root, which was actually the size of a log, and scrabbled for a hold. It wobbled dangerously, threatening to snap, and he quickly relocated to the base, as close to the stone of the cliff as he could. It didn’t feel nearly as perilous, and though the outer tendrils still shook the root would not betray him. His limited strength was waning. Breathing hard, he quickly drew the end of the rope to shoulder-level and bound it to the root. His muscles gave way, and he fell five feet or so before his grasp on the rope jerked him to a sudden and painful stop. He hissed as the wounds were tugged, but wasted no more breath as he continued downwards. The rope ended ten feet above the ground, and Khasr let go. He yelped as he hit packed dirt and rolled, feeling a number of his scabs open. He gasped as he dragged himself to his feet, giving most of his weight to the cliff side. He looked up, and far away he spotted the cave that had been his prison. He grinned without realizing it. There was a snort from behind him and he wheeled, eyes wide. There was a figure, black on black, standing barely a few strides away. It was tall, the darkness that made its form sucking all light from around it. Khasr’s breathing became agonizingly slow and shallow. He knew that creature. The black bay strider blinked, then stepped forwards.

[Colt]

Done. Weak. Nothing left. Khasr fell to his knees as all remainder of energy left him, not even registering the pain of bone hitting rock. He was exhausted, physically and mentally, all thoughts absent. In their place was a simple desire, more powerful than he had known he was capable; he wanted this torment to end. He wanted to see his family again, embrace them, apologize for the past and ignore the future. He wanted to fall asleep by the fire in the center of the pavilion, surrounded by warmth and security. He wanted to be a man, not the broken animal that had claimed him for countless months. For the first time in his life, he wanted people. Steps. Hooves. Smell of air. Heat. The black bay nickered, face a mere inch away from Khasr’s. The creature did not flee or even flinch as the man rested his forehead against its dark one, mingling the sweat and grime that thoroughly covered the both of them. The competition that had once been everything between them was gone, leaving two tender hearts to face each other without any armor. Khasr’s voice was the barest hint of a whisper, hoarse and cracked by a season of silence. “I know your name.” Movement. Didn’t care. Horse’s head gone. The strider moved forward, past his head, and knelt. Khasr raised one trembling hand and wove his fingers into its thick mane, tangled and matted by years of flowing in the wind, while the other hand was placed firmly on the small of the horse’s back. He took a deep breath, then slowly dragged himself onto the strider’s back. The black bay stood, and Khasr leaned to breathe into its ear. “You are Akaidras,” he said. “You are Freedom.” Lithe muscle coiling. Clinging to mane. Akaidras bellowed and reared, pawing the air with fierce pride at his name and proclaiming his new identity. Khasr held on with sheer determination, feeling his own emotions swell and unify with the stallion’s. Then, before he knew what was happening, Akaidras’s hooves had returned to the ground and they were running.

[Colt]

Speed. Landscape rushing past. Cliff far behind. They were going fast, faster than Khasr would have imagined. Wind whipped his dirty hair behind him and buffeted his face, ripping tears from his eyes. He became blind as salty water blurred the already hazy darkness, and his ears were filled with roaring. But he didn’t need to see, didn’t need to hear. Pummeling ground. Quickening even more. Hanging on. He felt Akaidras beneath him, sensing each thundering hoofbeat. He felt their path, detected each irregularity no matter how small. He knew when they changed direction, slipped around something, between something, over something. It was not simply the horse’s path; it was their path. They were one and the same. Snake. No, light. Reflection of moonlight. There was a glimmer ahead. Something bright sliced across the land, weaving and meandering in a manner similar to that of a snake, and they were approaching it with much haste. Khasr wiped his eyes on his shoulder and squinted as they came upon it, and gulped as he realized what it was. Moving. Water. River. Shyke. Akaidras, with no concern for Khasr’s personal opinion on the matter, sprang into the air. Though even a river as small as this one might normally pose a bit of a problem, a striding strider would find it no challenge. This one certainly didn’t. Thrill. Blood rushing through ears. Stomach imploding. Wanting to vomit. Khasr screamed and buried his head into Akaidras’s withers as they arced over the water, but was cut off when their landing sent the stallion’s shoulders into the man’s forehead with a sharp pain. He grunted, but they were on the ground and there was nothing left to scream about, so he refrained from continuing his noise. Besides, they were slowing.

[Colt]

Easier to hang on. Straightening back. Akaidras looped back towards what was not quite a creek but could not be called a river, coming to a gradual halt beside a towering boulder. Khasr fidgeted to one side and slowly put one foot on the ground, and after some more wriggling managed to free the other. He stepped away, and promptly fell. Air. Earth. Horse leaving. Akaidras trotted to the shore and plunged his muzzle deep into the water, quite determined to swallow the whole thing then and there. Khasr made no move to follow or, indeed, to even get up. He was not in a particularly excruciating position, after all. In fact, it was quite comfortable. In fact… after knowing no bed but solid stone for so long, grass and dirt felt petching fantastic. Warmth in his chest. Warmth in his guts. Warmth in his throat. He chuckled. Then he giggled. Then he erupted into laughter. Akaidras raised his head and looked at the convulsing man with alarm, probably wondering if he had been overcome with a seizure of some sort. Khasr didn’t care. He rolled over the ground, throwing his arms about to feel the air, the night, the dew upon the grass. He felt breeze gently caressing his skin, tender as a mother’s kiss, and he laughed at it all, unable to contain his joy. He was free. Thankfulness. Unrestrained. Possibilities. He rolled onto his stomach and buried his hands into the cool earth, reveling in something that he wouldn’t have given a second thought to before his capture. He lifted it to his face to feel the cold damp, to smell the ancient scent, to touch it lovingly to his cheek. “Semele,” he remembered, letting the dirt fall. He touched his forehead to her body, rising to his knees. “You are my mother.” He stood, filled with strength and warmth that warded of the chill, but not the wind that enwreathed him gently. “Zulrav,” he said, raising his gaze to the heavens. “You are my father.” A whicker brought his attention to the creature by the water. “Akaidras,” he addressed the bewildered horse. “You are my brother.” With a mighty sigh, he fell backwards contentedly. The impact was cushioned by the grass, and he looked up at the stars with misty eyes. “I am free.”

[Colt]

Smell: water. Grass. Hear: river. Wind. Feel: dirt. Open night. Memories rushed back to him. Location: safe. Breath that smelled less than savory washed over his face, and he opened his eyes. Had he been sleeping? Akaidras loomed above him, a massive black lump against inky blue, and Khasr blinked. The stars had moved. Akaidras snorted and bumped Khasr’s shoulder with his foot. The man shifted away a few inches, but the horse bumped his again, this time with a loud nicker. What? Khasr gestured. Akaidras took Khasr’s cloak in his teeth and yanked upwards, dragging him to his feet, then knocked his head into his chest with a loud nicker and looked to the north. Khasr frowned and followed his gaze. Light. Stars fading. The horizon was just beginning to turn pink and orange, and the scarred man found himself grinning. It had been so long since he had seen daylight, and he was suddenly excited. He wanted to feel the sun again, to run in the warmth of spring. Akaidras neighed. Wait. Something felt wrong. His smile faded, and he squinted at the horizon. Was there something he wasn’t seeing? Then it hit him. The light was coming from the north. He looked to the east, where gray tinted the borders of the land. Then what was that light? He narrowed his eyes again in time to catch a flicker, and he gasped. A storm. It was a storm.

[Colt]

Red light streaked higher into the sky as the storm swelled with alarming speed. Akaidras whinnied for Khasr’s attention, and he clambered up onto the strider’s back with all of his previous confusion absent. They needed to run. Get away. Find shelter. He spared one glance over his shoulder. It was getting closer. He saw movement, behind them, around them, above them, as the animals of the plains raced to escape the great monster that was appraoching. Prey, predator and scavenger alike strode side by side, differences and instincts put away for one common cause: survive. There would be no hunting tonight. Lightning ripped the sky with a bright flash, and thunder rolled mere moments after. Khasr felt power, great and terrible and unstoppable, as it roiled and filled the air with the sound of ringing. His breathing became difficult as everything thickened, as if he was breathing in smoke, but he couldn’t cough. He gasped like a fish as he tried to stop his breathing, and his eyes started to water. It was getting hot. Something was ahead. Black. Animals disappeared into it, and Khasr felt relief wash over him. As the heat became unbearable, Khasr and Akaidas slipped into the cave. The darkness, cold and sweet, enveloped them. The man breathed in the clear air, and didn’t care when it made his lungs ache with its chill. There were a thousand sounds around him as animals collapsed to rest and regain their strength, but he didn’t care. He was safe. -End-

[Lariat]

Khasr

Experience:

Climbing: 1 xp
Riding (Horse): 1 xp

Lores:

Bonding with your strider

Rewards:

Strider Bond

Comments

As said in my message, I apologize for being so late in grading this. If you have any questions just send me a pm.