I Command Your Attention [ALL]

[Pyrrhüloxia]

<sub>The day had come, and he finally had the perfect number of slaves to make his changes. Darkness trotted swiftly abreast the near frozen stream. Sure it was early winter, but Eerie Caverns was a dark, sinister cold place where even during the hottest summer days, it was ten degrees lower in temperature than other lands. Great sweeping strides pulled the immense stud forward. His gait was smooth as cream, his silhouette was that of a wraiths. The overcast skies blocked out most light, but a fair deal of sunlight managed to lighten up the overall gloom of this forsaken land. Silver/black flints stabbed the earth, ripping up the moist soil as they moved in quick, stylish unison. A course, wavy tail billowed behind the hasty mass, cascading down until it slithered over the bare ground and snapped at his hocks. Heavy shoulders rippled, austere, vermilion eyes picked out his way between the dead trees. This land was filled with anguish, everything died except the grass which grew from sickened poison dirt.

Finally his destination came into view, the near invisible forest/dome passageway into the heart of the woods. Crossing the stream in a single stride, Darkness dashed by the worn raven statue, breaking into a canter. His piercing red eyes penetrated the shadows that gathered in this odd tunnel. Soon he broke out into the clearing with tremendous force. He looked around, wondering all who might be lurking in the sleeping caverns or browsing near the thorn bushes. Centering himself, Darkness reared high and whinnied his fierce call to all who heard it. His shrill, shriek reached every corner of his land, harshly calling a herd meeting. Now he waited patiently, proud head raised, the breeze pulling and tugging at a heavy mane.</sub>

[pinto]

His arch was bowed and his ivories chomped at the splintering blades of grass sticking harshly from the dead earth, the mists swirling here and there, canine howls echoing from time to time and his own heart beat settled at such a relaxed pace he could have died had been any more at home. This was his home. The shadows, the lands of outcast, nasty beings that tore at glee and prancing little pretties that thought themselves superior to all else. They did not rule, without Darkness there was no light... Darkness, his new master. An interesting character to say the least, but one that would be obeyed fully by this Buck.

The pools of the pitch stallion were held behind closed lids until the daytime fog was pierced by the shrill call of Darkness, the god of the realm. His skull shot to the sky as the scathing summoning reached his auds which were solid as rock and in the air, chipped and whole. Pinto snorted and began at a slow pad, fading to a canter then breaking into a sprint as the raven statue loomed over the misty horizon. His flints shifted the haze and crumbly, moist earth. His tassel flailed by dropped as his speed did so first. He gracefully, strongly shuffled to a halt some feet from his master, lowering his nares to the ground in a respectful bow before returning to his proud, neat height and glancing about idly to see whom else would answer the call.

His heart resettled quickly and he tossed his head, pawing the ground out of habit and slight boredom as he watched any others gathering. His tassel wafted at the ticklish grass rubbing near his rump but did nothing else. Pinto's maw was slightly ajar as he breathed in the fresh, swampy air of his home and allowed it to fill his every sense. This was possibly what had caused Darkness such discomfort the fist time they had introduced themselves, Pinto to the territory.

[flower]

<sub>Ebony heard a loud shrill sound across her new land. The land she would probably spend a lot of time on. The only problem, was that she was a slave to this land. That ruined her time here. She figured the shrill was for a herd meeting and she broke into a gallop, toward the sound. She did not know anything about this land, or anyone on it for that matter. She was lonely here, and still could not believe two stallions had fought over her. It's not like she was that big of a deal. She was just a slave, and she was sure there were many more of them out there. There was absolutely nothing special about her.

When Ebony arrived, she found two stallions in the clearing. She saw one, and that looked like the master that had claimed her. The other looked like a slave, the way he was so respectful to his master. She snorted, she would never be that naive. She may be a slave, and accept it, but she would never bow to a master. They did not deserve it, that way they bossed everyone around. Ebony walked over to the slave and stood next to him not speaking a word. This was obviously not the time to interact with anyone. She would keep quiet until someone spoke to her.</sub>

['Sanura]

Eli's hooves brought her unwillingly to Darkness. She had pondered her fate after telling Barak she would not run away. She snorted and threw her head back, it was her first lie. Feathered hooves struck at the ground in Eli's frustration. She could not stand this place with its shadows and its evil ruler, but until she could find a way past Barak she had to stand it. She would still be tall and proud. She was no slave and never would be, no matter what that was the mentality she would keep. As she grew closer to where she had heard the frail shriek Eli noticed the leaves had all finally fallen off the trees.
"It must be winter," she mumbled to herself. She never felt very cold thanks to her voluminous fur. Her mane and tail were very bushy and kept her warm, whereas other horses were shivering with their cold sleek pelts.
Finally Elinore broke through the trees and found herself in a large clearing. She saw two other horses but the only one she had eyes for were Darkness. Her eyes burned with the terror and anger she felt for that dark figure, but she suppressed those feelings and walked over to the side far away from the other slaves. After all she wasn't one of them.

For:
Word Count: 231.
Muse Level: Okay.
Comments: Dere she is, unwilling and ready to take her chance to run away at any moment.

[Bengal Brat]

Elle had faithfully followed her newly found Leader, Darkness, through Eerie Caverns. Only an hour or so had passed since the magical moment in which he had freed her from the horrible life as a slave. Although her head and tail were both resting much, much lower than any horse with authority, especially Fear of Darkness, they both were held strongly and just a tad bit higher than a slaves; this showed that she was a free horse and she knew it. True, Elle Qui Demanders knew very well that she was still destined to obey her leader, even if she wasn't his real slave any more. The pretty chestnut mare took a few brief moments to pull a few juicy leaves off of a tall tree, no doubt ready to sink her teeth into something that was half decent to munch on. Then, Darkness's shrill whiney called for the rest of his herd to assemble before him. When the dainty head of Elle pulled itself up once again to look around, she was completely surrounded by more than one horse. That was for sure. She looked around shyly as she trotted a bit closer towards her savior, but not close enough where he would be able to lash out at her should he suddenly become enraged and try to cause any harm to the good-looking mare. Elle's legs stopped moving as her bodice reached the very edge of the 'sea' of horses, waiting patiently for Darkness's announcement. Whatever could it be?

[»Ιmαgε]

Kiev
^{Mmm. Interesting enough.}

<sup>Shattered bits of light loomed over head and sprinkled onto the stud's golden back; but other than that no sunshine gleamed through the tree's ominous branches that were thickly woven around like nature's way of imprisoning her lesser creatures. Heavy hoof steps pounded as Kiev tried to make his way through the maze he'd been assigned to, but the tree's short height restrained the brute's larger arch and head, his dial continually being thwacked by incoming branches of which he didn't see. It was an overall gloomy atmosphere; the mud that now covered his hocks was most certainly keeping away all the insects that carried infectious diseases, but the drying and caking mud wasn't a comforting feeling in anyway. It created more of an itch that Kiev all the longed wished he could reach.

Still, the brujo did find his way to the prime piece of area that Darkness, his new master, was trying to rally the herd or some sort of attention call. Muted neighs rang from in front, and Kiev eagerly stumbled with a faster pace, his own mind racking the caverns to try and remember the time limit he'd been allotted. Was he late? Oh to the heavens he hoped not. Kiev had quite the track record of being flawless in his executions, and he wished this not to be a first slip up.

Breathless as he finally found his way through the closely nit forest, Kiev glanced backward, a broken hole of branches announcing his visual arrival. With a silent prayer of grievances, Kiev lowered his forefeet, a simple bow to his new master.

"Hail Darkness."</sup>

[/color]

[thefuzzahone]

at the summons, Barak turned his head towards the center of the territory and listened intently. for a moment he debated whether or not leaving his post at the edge of the lands was a good idea or not, Darkness might not like the idea of having the herdlands left unguarded, but he quickly dismissed it with a shake of his head and turned his slow trudging around the outskirts and headed inward. avoiding the traps that lay hidden underfoot with graceful skill, the stallion found his way quickly to the meeting location.

stopping at the edge of the group, he looked around and gave each being a slight nod of his head in greeting before stepping around them all to stand firmly behind Eli. she'd given her word she wouldn't run, but by the look if things, her word wasn't all that trustworthy. Planting his large hooves firmly, he set his weight just behind her, becoming a remarkably unmoveable feature as he quietly waited for Darkness to begin.

[Pyrrhüloxia]

<sub>Fear of Darkness surveyed the large group that had formed gradually before his very eyes. Crimson pools studied each body as though comparing them with each other. He nodded courtly to them as they one by one filed into the clearing. The day had just begun, and it was very cold. Frost covered the ground, tiny flecks of snow had only just begun to fall from the bright heavens. Soon the ground was covered in a powdered blanket, now was the time to reveal his plans to all who were present. For some of them, it would be a blessing, for others; Darkness shot a harsh glare Elinore's direction; it would be the road to Hell. E-tsi, on the other hand, was present, although, she did not need to be; one, because she was not a slave or herd member, she was their queen; and two, she had just given birth, so the travel would only hurt her and possibly his new son. It would be fine if she did happen along however. An amused smile danced across the charred stallion's thick lips, but the smile quickly faded into a hard look as he began to speak before the small throng of equines; his austere words might hold some small comfort for those who enjoyed their new home much less.

“Greetings my slaves, and pending humble herd members. Today will be, without a doubt, your day of final reckoning. After today, there will be no easy change in ranks, no reminders of your place and no mercy. As a fair few of you may know already, I plan on raising an army, a grand army strong enough to tear down the defenses of any outlying country, equine led or no. My purposes for raising this army I shall keep solely to myself, anyone inquiring about it shall be punished. Included within this new idea is a completely different ranking system. No more of the old way of ranking, now you shall each be given a specific duty under a particular title. For now however, until I've had the time to train some of you, the Army ranks will be left empty. As for the rest of the ranks below that, I have each of you in mind.” Darkness paused in his speech, overlooking the group, analyzing their reactions. He continued, deep, throaty words rumbling fiercely,

“I cannot waste my time, day after day, chasing after and fighting over slaves or free equines, I need those I can trust to seek out potential fighters for me. I need those willing to help me train newcomers. And most of all, I need horses willing to serve my cause, under my command. I have already decided which rank shall be awarded to which horse, but to succeed and grow in power, you will need to prove your loyalty to me. I know that must be such a terrible thought, but just think of the benefits and rewards! They will be far greater than you can imagine. So, let us begin with the mares. Try not to interrupt me too much.” A clearing of throat, shifting of weight. The tension seemed high, seemed high. Perhaps it was just the joining of so many opposite personalities in the same place that made the air grow a little warmer. To the insidious, midnight-hued hellion that presented himself grandly before his subordinates, the chill air was faintly growing colder. Secretly he would enjoy an angry outbreak, it would give him an excuse to cut down a few slaves. He was feeling unusually on edge as of late and blamed the fact he hadn't had the time to take his anger out on anything other than the occasional punk that got in his way. Unfortunately, such tasks would have to wait, these peons had to know their place.

“First and foremost, I would like to get it out of the way that, dear Elinore has been promoted to the rank of broodmare.” Darkness smiled maliciously as he glanced down at the unnerved gypsy vanner. “Alongside her, one of our newest female members, Etta, will be joining her in that rank. As for Ebony and Elle, they are to be treated as free herd members. Unfortunately I cannot see any other use for them...” sudden attention was abruptly given to the present males.

“As for the males, I tried to select only the best of you and have dealt out extreme patience in dealing with your besotted ways. Pinto, though you anger me, I know you are strong and somewhat loyal, or so I have garnered from the little time I have spent with you. I declare you a pending free herd member and plan to train you, alongside with Kiev and Raphael. As for Barak, though I trust you the most, I believe you've a good eye for power and might. I am changing your position to 'Seeker'. You shall seek out strong notable stallions and/or mares for my army outside Eerie Caverns. Do this for me and I shall reward you with a long and happy retirement.” he couldn't help but chuckle at this. It did honestly appear as though the aging creature was getting more and more worn as the days went on. Perhaps before the inevitable happened, Barak could also help train the recently promoted stallions under his command. Darkness' gaze washed over the brutes. Each one a hot-headed, ego maniac. Secretly they probably boasted their own strengths and talents, he could hear them now, speaking silently to themselves. 'I do not require the training of some fool!' Ha! How little they knew... well, perhaps Kiev was different. He seemed so quiet and did everything he was told. Disgusting. Such a thing could not be admired by this beast. Bleh, they would learn in the days to come, and hopefully improve. And if all else failed, he could always start from scratch.

“Well then, any questions, comments or suggestions? This may be the only time ever that I will have the patience to listen to your word, instead of mine.” And that's where he left it for the moment, waiting eagerly for whatever they had to say. In truth, the only reason he gave them this temporary relief from their shackles was in the hopes that they would reveal to him some loophole, or complain bitterly so that he may beat the $h*t out of them.

Ooc: This is gradually turning into a short, meaningless plot. XD I hope you all don't mind the sudden change in ranks! =X</sub>

[zaydus]

The mighty Oldenburg stallion came to where the herd of Darkness gathered. His journey had been odd, he had followed the beast who had taken him from the auction field and he had followed him to this god forsaken land. For some reason he had thought of lush green grasses, blue skies and warmth and comfort despite the evil leader who resided over it.
And yet, when Raphael set his mighty flint into Eerie Caverns, he began to regret his decision of coming. But he gulped and kept going. He had to be brave, because there was no turning back now. Once that thought settled in his mind, he calmed down and he felt a certain thrill in the evil that seemed to resonate from the ground and into his flints, making every stride more powerful, he reached the circle of horses just as Darkness spoke to them.
Thoughts danced around Raphael’s mind while the black brute spoke. This stallion had absolutely no fear. He cared little about his herd members, but Raph could tell that the only thing that he may fear, would be all of them turning against him and overthrowing him, clearly something that had little chance of happening due to the apparent fear of the others.
Raph looked at the gypsy vanner who had been appointed broodmare. She was not a mare he would touch. Her looks were fine, but she was not of the quality he was interested in, she looked a bit heavier boned then what he wanted. He scanned the other horses, looking for a decent mare. But he decided when his chance came for a mare of his choosing, he did like the look of one mare in particular, and he could easily be promised her, because he had in a sense already been promised her. He laughed on the inside, that would set Darkness off. He did seem a stallion of his words though.
When Raphael’s name was mentioned, he glanced at this other stallion he was to be trained with, Kiev. He looked a substantial horse. While Darkness seemed to be able to get Kiev to do his bidding, Raphael was not going to do it easily. He was quick learner and he’d learned that this herd was one he could probably easily manipulate, Darkness had done it and was doing it, it couldn’t possibly be too difficult for him to do it.
The massive ebony Oldenburg stood there, strong, proud, his head up, his ears alert. If first appearances meant anything, the others would learn that he was not here to remain a slave. He was here to become beta, to get his mare. To be something more than a slave. More than them.

[Bengal Brat]

"First and foremost, I would like to get it out of the way that, dear Elinore has been promoted to the rank of broodmare. Alongside her, one of our newest female members, Etta, will be joining her in that rank. As for Ebony and Elle, they are to be treated as free herd members. Unfortunately I cannot see any other use for them..."

Elle Qui Demanders looked up at her leader as his lyrics fell effortlessly from his maw. Her warm brown eyes sparkled as he announced her freedom, and she surprised even herself when her slender bodice didn't shy away when her leader also stated that she wasn't of much use for anything else. Quite honestly, Elle had been beat down so much throughout her life because she just couldn't keep her d.mn mouth shut, so she was pretty much used to being told she's not very useful by now.

"Well then, any questions, comments or suggestions? This may be the only time ever that I will have the patience to listen to your word, instead of mine."

That last comment definately got the mare's mind ticking at a never-ending speed. What was it that she could do to prove that she really could be of use to Fear of Darkness? Elle pondered over the thought for a few moments before a grin suddenly spread itself wide on her face for a few moments. The fae's eyes lit up even brighter, but she hesitated just a bit before stepping forward a few slight paces to look up at her leader. She cleared her throat, her warm pools of chocolate brown clouding slightly with shyness.

"I... Well, M'lord, since I've asked a lot of questions in the past, I've gained some knowledge that very well may come in handy in the future. I've learned a lot about different types of herbs and things along those lines. Should anyone here come down with anything, I'd be more than happy to be the one to provide them with what they will need to recover."

She looked around the clearing, no doubt growing more shy as the silence droned on and on. Talk about akward, especially for one who was so new to the area.

"If that's okay with you, that is."

The mare stepped back, resisting the urge to look around once again; there was no way that Elle wanted to see the smug faces of horses all around her. Way to go, Elle. You only just got to Eerie Caverns and you've already made a massive fool of yourself. However, despite her unfortunate thoughts that were echoing throughout her already-spinning mind, Elle Qui Demanders looked up at Fear of Darkness once again, her shy and confused glint fading from her eyes as the moments ticked by.

[pinto]

Others gathered pretty quickly; he had gained a few smug glances from Mares, a few sharp eyes from Stallions, but he himself was dishing out a few himself. He had not yet been introduced to other members of this Herd and was irritated at knowing he had to converse with them at least once in his lifetime. At the mention of his name, his pitch pools and thorns were intently upon Darkness, though his expression remained calm and collected. He inclined his head as he listened to the section of his master's speech that concerned him.

“As for the males, I tried to select only the best of you and have dealt out extreme patience in dealing with your besotted ways. Pinto, though you anger me, I know you are strong and somewhat loyal, or so I have garnered from the little time I have spent with you. I declare you a pending free herd member and plan to train you, alongside with Kiev and Raphael.

"My Lord," he inclined his skull once more, his veils tickling at his snout for the duration as his chasms were with-held behind their lids. His voice was as calm and collected as his appearance; legs were steady but not tensed, tassel swaying at his rump and nares relaxed as they let the air pass rhythmically through them.

Darkness continued his speech, but nothing else was major to him personally. Instead, as Darkness continued to address Mare and Stallion in turn, Pinto turned his attention to one of the older Bucks. This was obviously Barak, the one whom Fear of Darkness had told him he would probably work alongside now and then. He seemed to be a very decent, hard working Buck, even in his elder state. He admired the Barron from a distance, silent with a mere twitch of the brow and fractional nod of the skull.

“Well then, any questions, comments or suggestions? This may be the only time ever that I will have the patience to listen to your word, instead of mine.”

Pinto shook his skull silently, keeping perfect eye contact with Darkness and holding his head proudly just below that of his leader's. His tassel flicked at his joint once and his ears jerked back a fraction as he listened to the reactions of others. A Mare posed her idea; hmm, a pharmaceutical Mare? One that worked with herbs and medicines. Pinto had not seen an Equine willingly put themselves forward as one, but saw that she stepped back a pace or two in case of attack or scorn. She was a rather pretty little Mare... but he didn't know her name.

[Pyrrhüloxia]

Darkness looked at Elle, she had an interesting mind that one. Perhaps her odd 'talent' could be useful? eying the mare, he nodded his head in solemn approval. "Yes, I believe that might be useful. Eager to prove your worth, eh? I find worth in that. Be it so, I shall call on you if ever the need arises, it should especially useful in these cold times." Inhaling slowly, his eyes scanned the rest of them. A few pleased looks all around, sadly no outbreaks in anger. However, that might have also been a very good thing. It meant he was leading well, no?

Suddenly, he spoke again. "Any other questions? Or am I to believe that is all?" he asked. Waiting patiently for a reply, standing before all his herd members. Pride swelled within him, not the fuzzy, warm pride, but a sinister pride. He was glad he had so many loyal subjects, it meant things were falling into order and soon he would be great. More likely than not they would wish to bask in the glory he would create, yes? Perhaps if they had proven themselves in this near future of military life, they could.

Ooc: Sorry its so short and crappy, I'm just hoping it's not getting too dull around here =/

[Bengal Brat]

"Yes, I believe that might be useful. Eager to prove your worth, eh? I find worth in that. Be it so, I shall call on you if ever the need arises; it should be especially useful in these cold times."

Elle's heart swelled with pride at her master's slight praise. She had indeed proved to him that she could do something, and he had acknowledged that. Even if it wasn't one of those amazing 'oh my gosh, definately, you rock' types of praise, the mare was still very, very pleased that she didn't seem so worthless in the eyes of Fear of Darkness. She smiled brighter and dipped her head in his direction, eyes glowing brightly.

"Thank you, M'lord."

She slowly followed his gaze for a few moments, taking in the members of the herd in which she was now an official member of as she did so. Finally, though, the black-as-night colored stallion's eyes rested on nothing in particular, and Elle placed her own on him as he opened his kissers to speak yet again.

"Any other questions? Or am I to believe that is all?"

Elle Qui Demanders said nothing at that last comment; there wasn't much to say, anyway. Her request had been granted for her, so she was really quite satisfied. For the moment, at least. The not-so-bad-looking mare pricked her twin towers just a bit more than usual, which was a lot more than any normal horse would, to listen to what her fellow herd members had to say.

['Sanura]

Eli snorted and looked angrily around at all the other horses. Wild eyes dared any of them to come near her. Her frizzy hair covered most of her eyes, though so thankfully no one noticed her initial surprise. So, Darkness really had it in for her thought Eli. Well, she had it in for him, and she would just be waiting for her chance, and when she got it she wouldn't hesitate to hightail it out of this place. She tossed her head back haughtily her eyes shown through for a brief instance in all their captivating, swirling hazel glory. Long, strong legs turned Eli's sturdy body away from the little assembly her every step echoing through the woods voicing her obvious displeasure. She hoped Darkness was enjoying himself. At least one of them was...

For;
Word Count; A measly 145.
Muse Level; Eh...
Comments; Just wanted you to know how Miss Elinore feels lol..not that its surprising...

[pinto]

"Any other questions? Or am I to believe that is all?"

Pinto shook his skull once with a snort, narrowing his eyes as he glanced upwards to the canopy of broken trees. This meeting was shorter than he had expected. His gaze shot to the arrogant-sounding mare not far to his right. He held back a sneer very well, but ended up twitching his ears toward her instead... they quickly returned to Darkness however, as he did not wish to miss and single command he gave. So far, Pinto had not been given any real specific rules and regulations, activities or purposes so he had merely taken to wandering and exploring the terrains and unclaimed lands.

His questions from their first meeting had disappeared, so he kept his maws shut and listened out for any other words from Darkness.

(That was so bad, I'm sorry... I have no muse at the moment! *cries*)