Selling Your Soul To Satan [Swede/Lily/Saz]

[Saz]

And if I only could,
Make a deal with God,
And get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
Be running up that building.

Melody

The chestnut pounded across the sandbar with fury in her eyes, death written upon her hooves and violence in her heart. She reared up and screamed out her demand for Hunter to see her. She landed back upon the solid earth once more, the smooth, pale sand imprinted with her hoof prints, but soon it would be stained with the blood of an innocent mare. Just a bystander until Bellagio had decided she had best come too. Stupid stallion. Melody thought, her face impassive but her thoughts a raging storm. She glanced over her shoulder at Pepper and then to her beloved, she knew how much this would hurt him. But it had to be done. To save their daughter.

She had given birth not long before, but it was too dangerous for their youngest to accompany them, so she was left under the protection of the rest of the herd. This was how it would be in a years time, leaving their families behind them, when the war came to its height. But what side they would be on was yet to be known. She exhaled quietly, her keen eyes searching the treeline and the horizon for any sign of the behemoth and was about to let loose another call when the shadows seemed to melt and the devil himself came to see them. The venomous mare glared deeply at the dark stallion who stood almost two full hands above her.

The two glared darkly at each other in silence for almost a whole minute before the monster spoke. His voice made her fury rise and she began to tremble with almost uncontainable rage. Her breath hissed out and she took a determined step forth, staring up at the hellion with a hard gaze. "Give me back my daughter you beast." She snarled, her own teeth baring in a promise of death should he deny.

Hunter

The beast prowled the shadows of his island, blending in until he was darkness itself. It was his ally, his friend. It infected him like a virus, bleeding into his soul and affecting him slowly like a cancerous disease. He heard the calling of the chestnut mare and took his sweet time getting there. He spotted them from the treeline and smirked broadly, it appeared that not only the chestnut had come to visit, but also the arabian stallion and that grey mare. He strolled toward them, his face slowly growing sterner and more vicious with each step until he came face to face with the arabian mare and the two glared at each other for a few moments.

Then he spoke, voice like velvet, but tones deadly and vicious. "Well... well... well... What do we have here? Apparently I didn't make it clear that I dislike intruders upon my island." He growled darkling, baring his teeth at the trio. He then laughed darkly as the russet mare spoke, his eyes glinting like steel as he watched the mare. "And what do I get in trade?" He asked, velvet tones taking on a manipulative tone. He wouldn't be giving up that filly for anything. But they didn't need to know. His gaze lifted to the grey mare and he smirked broadly. "Her? Really? You would trade one of your own for a filly you barely know?" He chuckled darkly, his gaze flickering from Melody to Bellagio. "Oh, but he didn't know, did he?" He spoke with a sadistic smirk upon his face, oh he loved all this drama.

[lily]

Lilian

Mist rose in its graceful legions, primed for the assignment that lay ahead. Gently they began, creeping in from the darkest crevices of the world, so to go unnoticed they snaked across the floor-never breaking rank. The clays of the Earth moulded, since the dawning day, untouched by the shivering spines of the devious haze. Nothing more than a void of silence, basking in the moonlight that lanced through the layers of foreboding pines. They were bare, the pines, with nothing more to live for, their spines had fled to be rid of this forsaken land, only to remain. Simply, this time they were alone. Trampled into the ground, forgotten, and lost by time.  

A profuse stratum of thorns rushed against one another, intertwining in a wondrous game. They played with the ferns, twisting and melding into each other, covering the terra in a glorious blanket of impenetrable verdure. They had begun to spread up the sides of the trees, infolding them in a malachite closure. Branches hung limply, reaching out in the hope of being embraced. They were so very lonely. Desolated; with the only comfort that one day soon they would wither and die. The death would be agonising, in a way that would cause the upmost discomfort. Many had already ceased to exist, falling from their great stature, and allowing the tumbling barbs to consume them entirely. 

Pools of the miasma had now infiltrated the woodland completely, flooding the place in its moist dominance. It hadn’t taken long, yet its effect was devastating. It was a covert operation which had been successful. Shadow had been cast, eerie in their meaning, spreading over the abode with a cast iron nature. The terrain soon turned from the trampled pines to a much thinner quality, stripping down to dirt, and then finally sand. The trees didn’t decrease in their masses; however, water could be heard. Thunderous amount of roaring water- The Island was in sight. The mist remained.

Lilian whickered to her companion quietly as they reached the edge of Hunter’s domain; she had remained silent for some time during their journey together. She was unsure of what to say, unsure of what to do, so she allowed the silence to consume them both. Words needed to be said; many of them in fact, but now didn’t seem the time. This was business, survival in fact, and any personal distractions had to be removed entirely. The main goal of this audacious excursion was to retrieve Scarlett and impose as much harm to Hunter’s forces as possibly, hopefully without being discovered. She halted and peered over the mass of the water surrounding them. This was not going to be an easy task, but when she picked up Scarlett’s scent it would be easy to locate her. The harder part of the operation was getting her comrade and young of the hellish land.

There would be patrol guards, how many, she didn’t know. They would have to be stealthy and work together, which would pose no issue. The lords were tied, so naturally when one felt something the other suffered as direct result, not physically but mentally. They were all bound. “We should begin. You know the drill. We kill any that we see, we save Scarlett and then we leave.” She nudged at his shoulder, and gave him a brief smile before setting off at a light canter over the sandbar. 

Immediately, she was searching for Scarlett’s scent, just the slightest hint of her would be enough. A small way onto the island they hit a small cluster of rocks, the scent hit her so hard, she almost jumped back. A stroke of luck. Fortune was working with them today. The aroma of birth was overpowering in this area, of course, Hunter had not taken no for an answer. A pang of guilt flooded through her. Where had Azrael been? She had told him to stay with her, protect her until she was safe. He would be dealt with later, after all of this had been done. 

“Scarlett” She whispered, desperately searching around for any signs of the Friesian mare. “Scarlett!” she called again, louder this time. She craned her ears to listen intently, after a moment she was certain that she had heard the very faint words from another. She tuned in further, desperately trying to screen into the conversation. Her hooves seemed to move without her permission as certainty took command. Relief washed over her as there in front of her eyes was her dear Scarlett. 

She let out a heavy sigh, her eyes running over the new-born and another foal, before she brought her line of sight to Scarlett’s “You’re safe. You’re alive…who is this?!” Her ears flattened instantly, and before anybody could stop her, she brought her hooves down upon Uheri’s back. Teeth bared, she ran at the stallion, grabbing him by the mane before he had time to even think of resisting and pinned him to the ground. She reared up again ready to end the beast life, just as she caught a glimpse of his face. Ranger? No? It couldn’t be. She diverted her attack and snarled at the creature. “Speak now. Who are you?” There was no reply. “I warn you boy, I will not ask again, I shall simply slit your throat”.

Uheri was in a state of shock, never had he seen a mare move with such agility and speed. He had not even had the time to think of a defence. This ivory and ebony pair must have been some kind of elite squad. Never had he experienced such a degree of skill. Finally, her question sunk into his brain. “I am Uheri” His reply rung out, a little shakily. “Son of whom?” She questioned him sharply. A strange question, but he was in no position to object the mare. “Ranger” He said quietly. He saw the look of disbelief in her eyes. She was shocked, perhaps disappointed, maybe she wanted to have killed him? But why did him being the son of Ranger stop her? In fact who actually was she?

Lilian stepped away from the young stallion, he would not be harmed. Not because she didn’t want to, she wanted to kill him, something- anything. But because he was the son of Ranger, she would not have the possibility of Ranger finding out she had taken one of his own. From that thought onwards, the mare dismissed Uheri. There were more important things to worry about.  “We need to leave, now.” She said to Scarlett directly. Her eyes scouted the area; they had already been stationary for too long now. She indicated to Tank, “This is Tank, as you know. Children, pay attention, you must follow this stallion, ok? Nobody wanders off, and nobody stops moving. You stop and you die, and I will not be stopping to save you.” She snapped brutally at them. Of course, the mare would turn back from one of the foals if they fell behind, but this way, it scared them into incentive. 

“Let’s go” She announced, turning and waiting for Tank to take the lead. She would flank and take the back, making sure that nobody was to come at them from any angle. With Scarlett literally only just giving birth, she would be weak, very weak. Any one of Hunter’s lackeys would be able to take her down with ease. Tank would be able to alert her of any upcoming attackers, whilst providing the main support for the congregation. “I want to come too”, she would not have turned around if she hadn’t have been so stunned by the pathetic tone to the voice. “What?” She growled, glaring at the Bay. “I said; I want to come with you.” Uheri said, shaking his pelt loose of any debris. “Uh, I don’t have time for this.” She scorned him, turning once more. “I can fight!” His voice pleaded. The mare turned around with ferocity to her step.

 “You can fight, can you?” The idea was simply laughable. “You are nothing more than a child. You may be able to throw a few kicks here and there, but to be able to actually ‘fight’. To know what your opposition is thinking even before they are. You have no idea of the word, no comprehension of what it is to fight. To kill. To have the fire of a horse whither before your eyes, at your hooves.” She turned her head away from him. “And nor should you.” She muttered inaudibly. Uheri took steps back “Then teach me to”. Lilian stared at him for a moment, this was Ranger’s son, and she could not simply leave him here. He seemed so innocent. “You may accompany us back to your father’s lands, there he will decide what to do with you” she said quickly, turning again on him and moving forward. “Thank you”, Lilian snorted harshly without looking back “Why are you thanking me? I could be taking you to your death. Thank me when we have gotten off this island."

They moved at a pace that shocked even Lilian, the sand bellowing up around them in a protective cloud. “Uheri, when is the next patrol due?” She shouted back over the thundering of hooves. “Umm, they come past every 10 minutes or so” he replied. She shook her head, brilliant they had about two minutes to reach the sandbar they had entered the island on. It was unlikely they would make it in time. So, they would have to travel to the next one, further on up the island. “Tank, were going to have to reach the next bar to cross” She yelled up front. Little did they know they were running straight into Hunter, Bellagio and Melody the three horses on this earth who wanted their blood more than life itself.

It was too late by then; they had reached the next sandbar. They had reached the dark ones. They had reached the end. All strategy flew away; prosperity had abandoned them and left them to die. They stopped all six of them. Simply, waiting to be acknowledged. Simply, waiting to find out if they would survive.


Bellagio;

Once more they were travelling to this desolated island, he did not like coming here, especially with two of his more prized mares. He was unsure of the reasoning behind coming here once more. However, he trusted Melody's intentions. It was likely they were here to take back what had been stolen from them, there daughter. If that was the case, then he was unsure why Pepper was needed to come with them. Perhaps, his love know how fond of her he was and that was why she was brought along. Either way, he was glad Pepper was here. 

Hunter appeared. Her true intentions became clear. A sensation of freezing crawled over him. She had deceived him. The one he thought he could truly trust, had stuck the knife deep into his back and twisted it for effect. Bellagio swallowed his disgust at Melody, and looked at Hunter. "I knew." he said darkly, taking a step towards the stallion. "Do not get tangled up in your games, Hunter. This is a straight forward trade. The mare for our daughter." he couldn't feel his mouth move as he spoke. It must have been all the years of lying and deceit, his mind just went into autopilot. He was hanging on to the thought that somehow, someway he would be able to save Pepper also. He couldn't look at either of the mares. Especially not Melody, she would be dealt with when and if they returned. "Well then? Where..." he was cut off. From the corner of his eyes he saw them. 6 souls. 2 that desperately needed to be culled. 

All four horse lords had gathered. This was twice in a short period of time they had all been together, the sense of longing to be close must have been digging between all of them. An uncontrollable attraction, like magnets forever searching for the other pole. 

It was an unusual gathering and Bellagio could only guess from the sight of the two fillies that this was an escape plan. The sight on Lilian's face was most amusing. All her planning and scheming had fallen to the dust. He couldn't suppress a coughing of laughter. Fools, he thought. For even if they passed Hunter, which was easily accomplished, they then had to deal with himself and Melody. 

There was nothing they could all do except wait for Hunter's reaction. 

[Swede]

It was mostly Pepper who had maintained conversation as they traveled across the ever-changing landscape. Melody seemed lost in her own thoughts, and Bellagio had never been a very talkative individual. Pepper didn't mind, though; now and then, she was more than willing to let the silence settle for a while, and take note of the scenery instead. She had traveled many places in her days, and though she had no desire to return to that way of life, it gave a sense of bittersweet nostalgia to once again stretch her legs for mile after mile, watching the world change as she moved through it.

However, pleasant conversations and peaceful quiet interludes soon morphed into uncertain silence on her part as they crested the hill and the lake's shores came into view. It was the largest body of water she had seen in her life, tucked away up in the mountains here, but what once might have been breath-taking now resonated chords of fear in her heart. The grey mare remembered coming here once before, not too long after meeting Bellagio and Melody; this was where Rajah had been born, while she hid from some monstrous stud who occupied the lake's central island. Why Bellagio had ever had reason to deal with that stallion, she couldn't understand; nor she did understand why they had returned now of their own accord. Reluctantly, she followed across the sandbar, which in this late season was fully visible above the water in sections. Last she had been here, the spring snowmelt had swollen the lake up past her knees in the crossing. That was not the only thing that had changed, either. The island had not become less foul; indeed, it seemed that the vegetation was even more withered than previously, and the cool alpine breeze could not entirely sweep away the faint sickness in the air.

Instinctively, Pepper tucked closer to Bellagio; Melody's brooding aura had darkened the closer they got to this place, and now she was positively seething. Why? Why did they come here? And why was she calling to that twisted monster who lived here?

Oh.

That was why.

For a moment- just a moment- Pepper felt sympathy for the chestnut mare. She could not imagine losing Rajah; it was understandable that Melody wanted her daughter back. But that moment was fleeting and moved into the next, in which the true nature of this visit, and her own role in it, was revealed. Her heart dropped into her stomach, panic and disbelief making her blood run cold. The grey mare stepped sideways, away from Bellagio, turning to stare at him; but words failed her, and though she could not see her own expression, she wasn't sure her eyes could express the full emotions she felt. She couldn't put a name to them; shock, fear, and betrayal on this level had never affected her before. Perhaps, for the sake of a friend, she might be willing to separate herself from the herd she'd grown to love... but to part from Rajah was difficult to consider indeed. Almost equally impossible was the thought of living with the snake-tongued monster with whom this deal was being negotiated. Lured here under false pretenses... she had trusted them, loved this stallion, cared for this mare, called them friends and family. And there they stood, coldly willing to leave her in this hellish place without so much as a word of warning or a request of consent. She could not even bring herself to take notice of the strangers who appeared on the scene; all she could see was her beloved stallion stubbornly looking away from her, all she could hear were his distant and unaffected words echoing in her ears. "Bellagio..." she whispered, her voice cracking slightly, "What is the meaning of this?"

~

Rajah hadn't intended for Styx to come along, but it seemed to be impossible to leave her behind. And, truth be told, he had soon become glad of her company. They had to keep relatively quiet, to avoid being detected by their parents, but it was still somewhat reassuring to have someone walking beside you when you were out in the open world, beyond the territory borders. If danger did surface, he would have no choice but to run forward to the adults, but he would prefer to avoid that if possible; after all, they were supposed to be sitting quietly back at home like a pair of kids. Hmph, 'foals like him'... he would be two years old this spring, hardly a baby anymore. Thus far, it seemed like the adults hadn't yet reached their destination, and Rajah was getting a little worried about how far exactly they were going to go; but then he nosed through the trees and caught sight of them in the distance... walking across the lake? No, there was a sandbar there, he could see it faintly. The island in the center must have been their destination then, otherwise it would be much easier to just go around if they wanted to reach the other side of the lake. "Come on," he whispered to Styx, "I think I see another way across, over by that rock... if we keep our heads down and move quickly, we can get over there without them seeing us, and just skirt around the bushes by the beach, see what they're up to."

Checking to make sure they were in the clear, Rajah quickly darted from the trees to the far sandbar, maneuvering his way across as rapidly as he dared. For a few moments, they were in the open and risked being noticed, but luckily none of the adults glanced their way. Safely reaching the island's shore, he stealthily paced along a little deerpath that ran between the bushes, keeping an eye ahead to make sure they didn't suddenly appear in front of the adults. For a moment, he was afraid he had lost track of them, and gone the wrong way; but then an unearthly shriek echoed across the island. That... that sounded like Melody, and not too far up ahead. Was something wrong? Moving briskly, he quite suddenly caught sight of the trio and immediately ducked into a nearby bush. "Get down," he hissed at Styx, nudging her into the shadows, before peering out towards the proceedings. This place seemed familiar... unpleasantly so, as it wasn't a place he would have much enjoyed to live in, but he couldn't seem to recall if he had ever been here or if it was just the product of some bizarre nightmare. What he did know, however, was that the Melody he saw before him was not the kind if occasionally stern lead mare he was accustomed to, and the look on his mother's face sent tendrils of fear creeping into his heart. "Something's wrong," he whispered. "What are they doing... why are they talking to that other stallion... Styx, I don't like this..."

[Saz]

Shuddering breaths left the dark mare as she stood on shaking legs protectively shielding her youngest from the impact of hooves as they came closer. Her yearling daughter was curled round Nazgul too, giving her protection from the open area behind them as their exhausted mother faced this ivory and ebony pair. "Lilian..." Scarlett breathed her best friend's name with a disbelieving air as she appeared before them like the ghost of so many dreams she'd had. This was real, however, and it showed as she changed from caring friend to fierce protector as she mistakenly attacked her nephew. Her throat had closed up, her mouth dry with shock as the dark mare wrestled the young stallion to the sandy floor and proceeded to interrogate him.

The black mare shuddered fearfully as Uzuri nuzzled her shoulder, silently questioning who these new horses were, the fierce mare and the stoic stallion who had suddenly appeared like ghosts. "Lilian and Tank. Good friends... very good friends. We are safe with them." She spoke quietly, almost a whisper to her greying daughter, not yet able to comprehend that she was almost free from Hunter's clutches. She nodded once as Lilian ordered them to move, and proceeded forward, only lingering a moment to glanced back at Uheri as he voiced his wish to join them.

Tank lead the way at a surprisingly speedy lope, Scarlett kept up, but only just, already her deteriorating health showed through in her stamina. By the point they were three quarters of the way to the sandbar off of the hellish isle, she was running on fumes, beginning to flag and eventually their pace slowed, she would not be able to make it to the desert if they kept such a pace. The grey stallion seemed to sense her problems and slowed to a more steady canter, glancing back briefly as Lilian called to him. He nodded, showing he had understood the order and adjusted his path accordingly. They continued in silence for a few more brief moments before they turned a corner and all six of the group skittered to a halt.

Scarlett's legs screamed in protest as she backed up, away from the monstrous gaze of the hellish beast that towered above all of them. Finally she halted, behind Uheri, using the younger stallion as a protective screen to hide her from Hunter's searching gaze. Her breathing was labored now, sides heaving with the physical exertion and the stress of seeing her captor when she was so close to freedom. She stood, shaking violently, gaze frozen upon the dark stallion as he was confronted by the petite chestnut that she vaguely recognized.

It was when the chestnut turned her seething gaze upon the small group that she recognized the mare. Scarlett's breath caught and she froze in place, red meeting green in a violent clash. "Oh god. Oh god. Oh god." She murmured, chanting the two words over and over again, unable to tear her gaze away from the russet mare who had suddenly stilled. Tank's soft, calloused voice brought her back and halted her repetitive chanting.

"Uheri. Take Scarlett and the girls and leave. Now." His voice brooked no room for argument as he moved forward, ready to defend the small group as they left should he need to. His eyes glanced between Melody and Bellagio before settling upon the dark stud that stood, silently assessing the situation with an unnervingly calm aura. He glanced to Melody and Bellagio, finally speaking directly to the duo. "Leave them be, Bellagio, Melody. The quarrel you hold is with Lilian and I, not them." He rumbled, his deep voice cracked and rough as though it hadn't been used in a long while.

--

The dark beast had waited for this day for a while... a long while. After all, Scarlett had already given birth and the filly was almost at six months by this point in time. It had been a while since he had seen how frightened he could make a mare, spending most of his time in the company of himself or Mutiny. It was refreshing to say the least, it sent a euphoric feeling through him as he watched her cower behind the young bay that resembled his nemesis, Ranger.

"Finally figured your true heritage, hmm, Uheri?" He grinned darkly, a grin to send shivers up even Satan's spine. "Such a shame... Just means that I will have to slaughter you more painfully than I had originally planned." He looked almost melancholic at the suggestion before he recovered and smirked devilishly at the group. He caught Tank's order and smirked broadly. "Oh yes, do take her and the fillies. They're of no use now. I'll have far more enjoyment out of slaughtering her after I kill you and every other creature related in blood to dear Ranger. Though perhaps I'll take her as a trophy, mares are so... delectable..." He trailed off with a lecherous grin directed at Scarlett, designed to drive Lilian to attack him.

He was distracted by a demanding snort from the russet mare that stood not far away. He flicked an ear at her, unwilling to remove his gaze from the small group before with another snort she finally had his attention. A cruel grin erupted across his dark visage as he faced Melody, "Your filly? For that mare..." He smirked darkly, cogs whirring as he glanced from each of the three equines before moving his head to the side and observing the fleabitten grey. Oh, she wouldn't survive his island. She wouldn't be that lucky. And he wouldn't obey the orders spat at him by these two equines who thought they could boss him about. No, he'd never submit to them, he'd never allow them the satisfaction.

--

The pale chestnut had been playing with the fillies she viewed as sisters when a screeching call rippled through the silence that enveloped the land like a deathly glove. She froze in place, ears snapping upright, all sense of play leaving her at the call. It was so familiar but so angry, so full of hurt that her heart ached. She yearned to meet the creature that the voice belonged to, the creature that was so familiar yet a stranger to her. Shaking herself free of the pale sand, she extracted herself from the other fillies and took off at a lope toward the part of the island that the call had originated.

She arrived just as a small group were beginning to leave, she recognized one as her adopted mother, Scarlett, and the younger two as her adopted sisters, Uzuri & Nazgul. She snorted softly, scanning the other horses before her eyes fell upon the beautiful chestnut mare that stood tall against the hellion that owned the island. "Mother..." She whispered, eyes wide as she stared at the goddess-like equine with an awestruck expression. Hunter's voice broke her from her stupor, "Ah, and here is the filly in question. Come here girl." He growled, baring his teeth as his grey gaze spotted her.

Leto swallowed the lump that had built in her throat and approached the stallion carefully, flinching when he grabbed her withers and hauled her closer so she was pressed against his shoulder. She whimpered slightly as his teeth cut into her flesh, not enough to draw blood but enough for it to leave an indent. "The mare first." He snarled, his eyes staring directly at Melody as she watched her daughter be man-handled and hurt by the beast that stood before her.

"Bellagio. Pepper. Now." Melody snapped to her beloved stallion, but nothing mattered now, nothing was as important as getting her firstborn back. Amber eyes met green for a brief moment before the elegant chestnut glanced over her shoulder and met the accusing gaze of Pepper. Her face softened for a brief moment, grief, guilt and anxiety clouding her face as her forest gaze met the fleabitten grey's brown ones. I'm so sorry, Pepper. I'm so sorry that it had to be you. I'm so, so sorry. She mentally apologized to her ex-friend, her heart breaking a little as she saw the mare's hopelessness at the current situation.

--

Styx had followed her older brother, pestering him continuously until he had given into her demands to go with him after their parents. She had agreed to his terms however, to follow his commands without question, to remain as quiet as possible, and also to keep as close as possible to him. After all, their parents had assigned Rajah as her protector whilst they were gone. It was reassuring to have someone who she trusted fully beside her on their adventure, especially as the foliage grew thinner and they got farther from their homeland than either of them had ever been in their short lives combined.

She gasped in awe as the island loomed before them as they finally cleared most of the thick foliage from the forests they had been trekking through. The island was immense, but barren. It reminded her of the times her mother had spoken of the other terras that were inside the domain of Sunshine River. The Arabian Desert stuck out most prominently to her, reminding her of this island now. Her mother had said that it held little to no plant life, and almost no water, except for a small oasis. That being said, there were quite a few major differences between the desert and this island. For one, there was water. Everywhere. And secondly, there was a huge cluster of trees and bushes in the middle of the isle, even though they were all either dead or dying, from what she could see, anyway.

Her ears pricked, dragging her gaze from the island to her brother as he spoke for the first time in what seemed like forever. He spoke quietly however, both of them ever aware of the presence of their parents not far ahead of them. She nodded obediently, followed her older brother swiftly, always staying within a few feet of him, and more often than not, tucked into his shadow, placing him between the island and herself. "Rajah?" She asked quietly, a worried look passing across her face as she heard the shriek from her mother. "I don't think this was such a good idea..." She trailed off, nibbling her lower lip in an anxious manner as she allowed him to nudge her into the shadows as he peered out at the proceedings.

The look on his face sent her heart racing and she crept forward, pressing her side against his as she too peered round the boulder and squinted at the proceedings. She gasped in shock and fear as she watched her mother spit and snarl at the stallion that towered above them all. And then her father's mouth moved. But they were too far away to hear their conversation properly, however a few words drifted their way. ""Do not.....in your.....Hunter....trade....mare...our daughter." She strained her ears, taking a small step out of their cover to listen more intently to the conversation. "A trade?" She murmured, her brows creasing, she didn't understand. She knew her mother had birthed a filly before herself and before Jynx, but she had disappeared at only a week old. Had the found her?

Then she spotted her. Her sister. Lynx. The chestnut filly that was fast becoming a mare. Her similarities to her parents and also Jynx were too obvious to miss. And then her heart plunged to her hooves and her stomach tied itself in knots as she watched their father chase Pepper toward the dark stallion."Rajah? Rajah, what's happening? They mentioned a trade... but why are they giving your mama to that scary stallion?" She whimpered, looking up to her older brother's face with huge, scared eyes. She couldn't believe what was happening. Her loving mother, her comforting father, her parents that chased away all the bad dreams and scary monsters were changing before her own eyes. Forfeiting Pepper, her older brother's mama, for some filly she'd never even met.

[Swede]

Rajah barely heard Styx's questions; they echoed too loudly in his own mind. With each passing second, however, he became more and more certain that this was wrong. Whatever was going on, his mother couldn't live here. She couldn't stay with that horrible stallion in this wasteland of a territory. She couldn't leave him. Why, why were Melody and Bellagio making her go forward? Why did they act so mean when the grey mare was obviously so scared? Didn't they care about her? "Dad..." he whispered without realizing it, staring at the majestic stallion. He didn't understand. But it didn't matter; he could ask later. "Styx, stay here. I have to stop them," the bay colt said, standing up to move out of the bushes.


Pepper couldn't speak; she stared at Melody, searching her gaze for some sort of answer or explanation. She would have happily helped her friend be reunited with her daughter under other circumstances, but this... these false pretences, these harsh words... and that stallion, of all possible stallions it could have been. The grey mare exhaled slowly, choking back the lump in her throat though the tears still shimmered in her otherwise so loving eyes. It seemed... it seemed as if she had no choice in the matter. If she tried to leave, the black monster might harm Melody's daughter. And they would all probably just run her down, anyway... she would never have believed it of Bellagio, but the stallion in front of her was not the one she had grown to love, and she didn't know what to think anymore. Her fate was sealed; she would have to learn to live on this island then, somehow, and hope for better days ahead. "Take care of Rajah," she whispered, finally shifting her relentless gaze away from Melody and down to the ground in defeat. Bellagio nipped at her flank, uncharacteristically harshly so, and she flinched but obediently moved forward.

It was then as she stood in front of the behemoth that she dared lift her eyes for a moment, and meet his steel grey stare. He made no attempt to hide the truth from her; in that moment, she could see in his eyes as though it was written, that there would be no better days ahead. There would not be any more days at all. The realization locked iron claws around her heart, and her breath caught in her throat. She had to get away, quickly, before this progressed further. She looked past Hunter's shoulder for an escape route; but there was movement there. And then he took a step out of the vegetation, meeting her eyes for a fleeting second. Rajah. Her son. No.


And then it was too late.

[Saz]

Something's getting in the way,
Something's just about to break...

--
Styx
--

Her breath caught in her throat as she stared glassy-eyed at the scene unfolding in front of her. It was chaotic mayhem. Her name being said tore her gaze from the other equines and her hazel gaze lifting to her brother's face. As he spoke dread ran deeply through her, penetrating every bone, muscle and organ in its path. She couldn't loose Rajah. Not now that she couldn't trust her parents. No. She couldn't bear it. "Rajah, no..." She murmured, her protests seizing in her throat and her insides curdled at the look on his face. Her head turned and she took a step forward, any color that had once been upon her face was now gone as she stared at the scene before them.

It seemed to happen in three fluid movements that blended into one, first the behemoth yanked the young chestnut filly back, tossing her behind him, uncaring if she was harmed but scaring her enough for her to immediately scramble upright and flee into the treeline and out of sight. His head then came forward, teeth bared as he lunged forward shoving his shoulder into Melody's chest as she came at him and his teeth seized Pepper's throat, tearing it out as he landed.

The tears that had been threatening to fall for the past few minutes forced their way through, cascading down her dark cheeks and landing on the pale ground beneath them. She watched in what seemed like slow motion as blood sprayed upward and out, covering the adults faces and chests before it changed direction and poured out onto the cream sands as the grey mare collapsed, her eyes glassy and unseeing, fear forever etched into her face.

Tearing her gaze away from the corpse of Pepper, she turned to her brother, her heart breaking from the look on his face. Sniffing slightly in an attempt to steel herself, she moved toward him gently touching her muzzle to his shoulder before beginning to push him away from the horrific scene. "We need to leave, Rajah. We need to. Come on. Rajah, move." She spoke strongly, immitating the sharp edge her mother's tone had whenever she was ordering someone to do something. She needed to get him away from here, they couldn't go home, they would have to find somewhere safe before dark and staying here would forever be a mistake. If Hunter caught sight of them, who knows what would happen...

--
Say Goodbye, as we dance with the Devil tonight,
Don't you dare look at him in the eye, as we dance with the Devil tonight...
--
Hunter
--

A cruel smirk flitted across his scarred visage as he watched the interaction between Melody and Pepper. They would soon see that he was not one to be ordered around, to be demanded of, to be crossed. A dark, evil smile made itself clean upon his face as he stared at Pepper as she was forced toward him with a sharp nip from Bellagio. He waited for her to attempt any sort of escape, and then just as she was beginning to formulate a plan, he struck. He tossed the chestnut filly behind him, not caring to look and see where she had gone before he lunged for Pepper. At the same time, Melody had realized and attempted to seize his throat, but he shifted his shoulder forward so it would catch her in the chest, sending her backwards and giving him a free rein to murder the grey mare.

Pleasure and lust ran through him as he felt his teeth close around the mare's throat. Satifaction joined the two feelings to create euphoria as her warm blood splattered across his face and chest and he let loose a huge maniacal grin as he landed beside the mare. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, listening to her gurgle through her last breaths before his grey eyes flashed open. "Such a pity, really... She was rather pretty. But I had to teach you a lesson, Bellagio. You shouldn't ever lie to me, or even try to control or demand anything from me. I will not be ordered around." He spoke smoothly, almost calmly as though the murder hadn't just happened and yet there was an underlying sense of darkness threaded through each of his words.

He took a step toward the kneeling mare, a grin of satifaction making its way onto his maw. No, he wouldn't kill her, but she wouldn't leave this island now. Not while it would be too much fun to break her. His eyes lifted, eyebrows arching in surprise as the black arabian screamed in rage before lunging at him. Hunter almost laughed at the attempts he made to harm him. It was pathetic, really; Bellagio and Melody were supposed to be some all-powerful equines, and really, they were more pathetic than Ranger. Smirking, the dark stallion shoved Bellagio away from him, not caring if the stallion was dead or not before he glanced in the direction the chestnut mare had gone. A shame she hadn't stuck around, but he still had her daughter. Perhaps he should make sure she was alright... especially after such a frightening experience... A lecherous grin flickered across his scarred face as he turned away from the corpse of the grey mare and slipped away between the shadowed trees on his isle.

--
Hold it together, birds of a feather,
Nothing but lies and crooked wings...
--
Melody
--

The russet mare loosed a soft breath and nodded almost imperceptibly to Pepper as she made one last request. She paused a moment to compose herself before turning to face Hunter. She froze at the conniving look upon the stallion's face and was in the first steps of lunging for the behemoth's throat when he swung sideways, slamming his shoulder into her chest and knocking her backward in the same moments that he tore out Pepper's throat. Blood splattered her face and neck as she stumbled before slipping in the slick sand and falling to her knees. She shuddered as she saw the behemoth's hooves move toward her and for the first time in what seemed like an age, fear flooded through her.

Her impending doom was halted by the enraged shriek of Bellagio and she glanced up in time to see him collide with Hunter. The chestnut mare stumbled to hooves, staring in shock as the mountainous stallion began to gain the upperhand upon the smaller, slimmer, arabian stallion. Suddenly her instincts for self-preservation rose through her and without a second thought, the once regal warrior mare turned and fled without looking back.

[Swede]

Rusty and Leto had set off in search of something exciting to do, and though the delicate chestnut was a bit faster, Rusty had still managed to keep up fairly easily. Along the way at some point she had been distracted by a vole darting into a hole, and by the time she'd had the presence of mind to shout for Leto to come join her in trying to dig the terrified creature out of its tunnel, her companion had already moved out of earshot. Some time passed before Rusty was able to find her, which made her feel slightly miffed; why didn't Leto just come back when she realized Rusty wasn't with her anymore? Eventually she figured that seeing how difficult it was to locate her, perhaps Leto had the same problem in trying to find Rusty. Perhaps they were just going in circles around each other, or something silly like that. Halting, she lifted her head, ears pricked to listen closely to the sounds of the area. After about thirty seconds or so, she heard hoofbeats, light and airy ones, not the heavy thump of her sire or of the assorted heavier stallions on the island.

Quickly, she localized the direction of the sound, and moved towards it; in a stroke of luck, the figure that came into view when she pushed through a patch of brambles was indeed her copper-coated quarry. "There you are, I've been looking for you," Rusty announced, skipping towards her brightly. Then she halted, and peered at her companion. Being the daughter of Feldspar and Hunter, the scruffy roan's emotional sensitivity wasn't too finely tuned, but it was obvious Leto was upset. "Hey, is something wrong? You don't look too good," she said, as blunt as ever but with a touch of concern. She did care about her friends, after all; Tilly had been avoiding her, which had been quite hurtful, but she was deeply fond of Titan and Leto was rapidly becoming a new bestie.

~

This was not a dream; the unbidden tears burned his eyes too strongly, and his lungs screamed for the air that seemed to get stuck in his throat when he tried to breathe. Yet for the first time in his life, Rajah was confronted by intense disbelief- not like when he was young and his parents had told him about places in the world he'd never seen, or when he could tell one of his siblings was lying about covering him in leaves while he was asleep. It was like the first time he had ever experienced snow; the first time he had seen the clouds falling down in tiny pieces, floating in the air like pollen in the spring, but stinging his muzzle and making him shiver with cold. It was like the first time he had seen ice on the creek. At first he had been frightened, unable to understand what was happening; but his mother had explained to him that this was normal, and showed how he could use his hoof to break the ice and see that beneath it, liquid water still flowed.

Now he did not understand what his eyes were showing him, refused to believe that they were correct. The entire world was coated in ice and nobody could shatter it and prove that it was a part of the natural order, and that reality still existed beneath it. That level of betrayal from Melody, from his father, was something that simply would never have happened. The stallion who taught him about life and watched so protectively over the herd would not have approved anything such as this. A minute ago, his mother had been standing there, clearly as frightened and confused as he was; now, the heap on the ground didn't even resemble her. There was so much blood; Rajah had suffered some childhood scrapes, but surely an equine body could not hold as much as was splattered across the rocks and soaked into her flecked grey coat. No; this could not be real. Surely it wasn't.

He had forgotten about the others; perhaps they had vanished into the mist of this surreal place, or perhaps his eyes were lying to him again and simply erasing them from his view. Even Styx seemed irrelevant. The bay colt was only vaguely aware of her voice attempting to push through his ears into his brain, and he shrugged off her touch as though brushing past a branch while walking through the woods. His gaze fixed blankly upon Pepper's body as he slowly staggered forward, tripping over a rock but maintaining his momentum without pause. She was lying in an awkwardly twisted position, and he stepped over her legs carefully. She had lost so much blood, too much... Rajah shook his head in refusal, kneeling down and nudging at her neck; he was ignorant of his tears mixing with sticky crimson on his face. Such a horribly injury needed to be closed, she needed her blood back, she... she needed to do something, he needed her to do something, but her body was unresponsive and he dared not look at her face. Silent sobs shuddered through his ribcage as he leaned his head on her shoulder. It just made no sense; it was unfathomable that she could be gone. He had seen her here, seen her fall, but this body was not hers, it was not warm or soft or comforting like she was. Rajah had never felt so lost. He needed his father to comfort him, to tell him that everything would be alright, but his father had caused this, and in his unconscious mind he knew he could never go home again. He could not stay here, because as much as he yearned for his mother to simply stand up and smile at him, he was also slightly terrified by her corpse in all its familiar unfamiliarity. There was nowhere to go and no one to turn to, and reality had been completely turned on its head.

[Saz]

Leto

Thus far, her time on the island had been okay, there had been little to no run ins with Hunter or his minions, so long as she stuck by Rusty and Titan she was fine. But evidently the master of the isle had kept an eye on her, as only a little while ago he had beckoned for her, and when Hunter called, you went. So she had appeared, not knowing what to expect, but not in her wildest dreams had she expected the scene before her. Immediately she had known who the chestnut mare was, her mother. Scarlett had never spoken to her about it, but the way she had been treated and the way she looked, she wasn't Scarlett's true daughter. Hunter's bite hadn't torn the skin until he had tossed her away from the fight with strength akin to a raging bull, her neck twinged with every movement and a slow trail of blood dripped from the bite, it would scar and mark her as his for life. She sniffled quietly, finally stopping her panicked rush away from the behemoth and also her parents. She wasn't sure what had happened, but from the cry of her mother it had sounded as though someone was dead.

Tears swam in her hazel eyes, blurring her surroundings as she tried in vain to blink them away, the familiar voice of Rusty broke through the almost silent surroundings and the chestnut filly let loose the sob that had been building in her chest. "H-Hunter hurt me, he bit me... My mom was there too, my true mom. They were bargaining for me, but I think Hunter hurt her and my dad. I'm trapped here, Rusty. Like all those mares Hunter has, he's going to beat me and hurt me. I'm so scared." She sobbed, her whole frame trembling before she lunged forward and practically clung to her best friend for all she was worth.

--

Styx

Barely holding herself together, the young filly watched through glassy eyes as her older brother slipped past her and walked numbly toward his fallen mother. Styx took a step after Rajah but then hesitated, what could she do to comfort her brother? He had just lost both parents, he had seen one of them murdered with the other doing nothing to prevent it. But then again, so had she, she had watched as her own mother and father betrayed Pepper, leading to her murder, they had just as much to do with her death as Hunter did. But it also meant that now neither of them could return to the herd, they were outcasts now, and they needed to go somewhere safe, somewhere away from the island that reeked of blood and death.

Blinking fast in an attempt to stop the seemingly unstoppable flow of tears, the yearling glanced up at the ominously darkening sky and furrowed her brows, they would need to move soon if they wished to find any form of shelter that was safe before it began raining. Swallowing the growing lump in her throat, Styx slowly wandered after her brother, silently standing guard over him as he grieved for his mother but never placing her eyes upon him as he sobbed. Instead her hazel eyes flickered anxiously around the island for any sign that Hunter or his minions may return, and then to the trees for any sign of her mother or father returning. But no sign came as she stood watch. Suddenly, a deep rumble distracted her from her thoughts and she glanced up in time for a raindrop to hit her directly between the eyes.

"Rajah..." She spoke lowly, an attempt to shake him from his grieving state. It seemed as though they would get no break from their bad luck, as the skies seemed to open and rain flooded down, soaking them both within a few minutes. Styx stood solidly above her brother and the corpse of his mother, the rain soaking her through and leaving no inch of her wet. It was almost as though the heavens themselves were grieving over Pepper's death. The black filly cleared her throat roughly and finally lowered her head to nudge her brother, "Rajah, we need to leave. We need to find somewhere safe. Maybe tomorrow we can come back and find somewhere nice to bury her, but for the moment this is doing neither of us any good." She spoke just loud enough for him to hear with her head lowered next to his.

Despite her best attempts, her eyes seemed to fixate on the bloody streams of water that led away from them and to the water's edge. With every passing minute, the blood that had stained Pepper's pale coat was fading and she was beginning to look somewhat more like herself. And that was just making it harder to leave, it had started off feeling like it was wrong to leave her uncovered on this island, but now it felt as though you were leaving her behind, as though she were alive. But she knew that once they left they couldn't come back, they would have to leave her here, leave her to the mercy of the scavengers and forces of nature upon the isle.

[Swede]

Rusty blinked, surprised by Leto's sudden outburst of emotion and confused by her explanation. She was of course aware that Hunter had violent tendencies and that some of the mares on the island were treated with little concern for their wellbeing, but somehow it had never really touched her. Sure, Feldspar had been beaten up on a regular basis by anyone who was in the mood for it, but she hadn't really been important to Rusty. None of the mares had been, really. It didn't pay to feel sympathy for anyone here; this was a place where you took care of yourself, and if you couldn't do that, it was futile to think anyone else was going to risk helping you. Besides, Hunter had never attacked her, or even really acknowledged her existence. She, Tilly, and Leto had frolicked in their own corner under the watchful eye of Titan, forging their own paradise while ignoring the hell around them. For Hunter to attack one of them... that was a change, an unexpected one. She wasn't sure what to think of it.

Rusty nuzzled Leto close, of course more than willing to provide comfort to her dear companion. With Tilly so distant, Titan and Leto were all she had; they were the only ones whose plight would move her. And with that reminder, she was able to settle into a contented state of resolution. She knew what she felt, and knew what to do. Hunter had been a dominant force in her life, but though she didn't particularly hate him, she didn't care much about him either. But Leto she cared about, and did not wish to see harmed. "He's not going to hurt you," Rusty said confidently, "I won't let him. And if Titan knows what's good for him, he won't let Hunter touch you either, because then they'll both have me to answer to. So there. And if you're scared, we can leave! I'm bored of this island anyway, it would be fun to see what's out there in the rest of the world." Perhaps it would have been healthier to fear her sire a little more than she did, but she was his daughter in more than just blood, and had a touch of that same stubborn egoism than ran in him, a trait amplified by her mother's genes.

~

Grief sank deep into his body and mind, blocking out the world like a leaden shell through which only muffled echoes could penetrate. That was okay; he didn't want to acknowledge anything else. To accept the reality outside was to accept the reality within, and to believe that things truly had transpired such as they seemed was too devastating a thought to contemplate. But reality is insistent, and little by little, the mindless rain and Styx's persistent voice shouldered their way past his defenses. Slowly, Rajah dragged himself upright, surprised that he even was able to stand; his knees felt as weak as a newborn's. But he could not speak, his mind too numb to generate any thought and his throat too choked to create any sound. Instead his desperate gaze swung round and after a flickering moment fixated upon Styx, a silent plea layered within the shock and sadness. His shattered trust could not handle any more betrayal, and for a fraction of a second he almost hesitated; but he needed her. She was the last one; without her, Rajah would have nothing left.