don't let the sun beat you down. [finished.]

[skibbereenfarms]

ZEBULON.
king of the sands.

Although he couldn't quite recall the last time he encountered a living being upon his lands, it didn't necessarily bother him that much. However, all of the alone time has certainly had a negative effect on his mental state. The once cheerful and happy stallion had turned bitter and depressed, all because of the tragic event that only happened two years ago, though it seems that it was only yesterday. Ever since that intruder entered their sandy home and destroyed his family, Zebulon knew that things would end up changing drastically. Mostly, the stallion had to deal with his own failure, which became the most difficult issue he had to cope with. He was unable to protect his younger sister, and has since blamed himself for her death. For the first few seasons after, he was unsure if it would be possible to move on. Most of the loyal members of the herd eventually left the sands, for they did not trust in Zebulon as they did in Julion, the stallion's father. Zebulon ended up being the only one left living off of the land, at least up to this time. He occasionally wished for someone to come along, just so he wouldn't have to talk to himself anymore. Besides, he was a King, but there cannot be a true King without subjects.

The stallion's bay coat shimmered in the sunlight as he galloped across the sandy land. He ignored his strained muscles and his racing heart as he scoped out his land for any sign of life. Unfortunately, there was only sand (and the occasional cactus or weed) as far as the eye could see. His ears flicked back, believing for a moment that he heard a horse's gallop that was not his own. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of another stallion that seemed to have sabino markings very similar to his own. Realizing who it was, the stallion skidded sideways to a quick stop, kicking up sand as he did so. "Father?" he asked quietly. Zebulon glanced around, almost frantically, as the dust cloud from the sand faded from sight. It was then that he realized no one was there. It would have been impossible anyway; his father was dead. Zebulon tilted his head to the right slightly and glanced up at the sun, which was fiercely beating down upon him. "Up to your old tricks again, are we?" he asked, now aware that the sight of his father had been a mirage. The sun was playing off of Zebulon's memories and trying to take advantage of him. As he had told himself many times before, he did not own the lands, the lands owned him. Not even he was safe from nature's grasp, as clearly shown by the mirage of his father.

"You clearly keep me here for a reason," he said, still standing in his spot beneath the hot sun. "I still haven't discovered what that purpose is, Ra." The stallion had always been taught to call the sun 'Ra,' and he knew that he would carry on the tradition with his children, that is, if he ever had any. Zebulon let out an exhausted sigh. Glancing around, he could tell there was no proper shelter from the sun for miles, so he knew he would have to get moving again. He decided a quick break was in order, even though it was hardly a decent spot to do so in. To distract himself to the heat, he continued speaking to the sun. "Two years," he said, shaking his head. It was almost unbelievable. "I suppose they still roam the desert freely. Let them know that they're allowed to stay permanently." Another wish plagued the stallion, but he held his tongue a moment before admitting it. "The bitch can die here as well, Ra. Leave her for the buzzards." Zebulon didn't necessarily believe in gods, but he did believe that the sun could do horrible things to a horse if they were not careful. "Karma's a bitch," he said.

[/blockquote]

[Thoxic]

A C H I M I A - a little lovable

The sun warming her back, the sand spattering around her hooves, the sound of her heart beating steadily in her chest. It was like the time had stopped around her, and only she existed, running over the coarse, yellow sand beneath her. This is what she was born for, her body was built for this, her lean body was made for the heat, the run, the feeling of being one with the sun.
She had never visited this place before, the had mostly roamed over the desert and the free lands, probably because hadn't had any ideas of what to do around those lands were herds were present, she hadn't been in a herd since she was little, born in the desert and raised there. She hadn't been exactly kicked out from the herd, but she had some issues with others that tried to be dominant over her, at least those who hadn't her respect. Respect was something that needed to be earned for her, or else you could never be dominant to her, she would rather walk forever alone.

Her gallop didn't seem to have any end, and it made her go a far stretch before she slowed down. She didn't stop, and her pace was full of life and energy, like she could run another mile, but forced herself to slowed down, to save the energy. Yeah, maybe it had been a waste to run like that, but she had needed it, for the sake of her memories, for her mind. She hadn't done this for a long time, and it had really been a treat to her the soft sound of her hooves beating against the sand again. Once experienced and loved, you would always love it, and although she was born in the desert, she loved the other areas on Equorom also, especially the jungle, with all it's green and riches. It was like everything there was made of emeralds with flowers made of rubies, ambers, sapphires and pearls. Everything was shimmering, like some kind of unreal world. Here everything was amber, with a soft cerulean sky that rarely was hidden behind dark clouds.

Sweeping her tail over her hocks she came to a stop, and her blue gaze set upon a dark shade maybe a third of a mile away. That didn't sound much, but with the heat coming up from the sands, making everything you saw a little faded and shimmering, it was hard to say if that was the real distance. But Achimia was pretty sure it was another horse, and she hadn't seen one of those here in the Sand Lands for quite some time. She had heard that this place had been abandoned, that no horses lived here anymore. Was that an untrue statement? Maybe there were horses here, like it had been for several generations, like in the old days? Maybe the horse she had heard the rumor from had been wrong. She actually hoped so, it was a beautiful place, and it would be a shame if one of the kingdoms had been abandoned like it was worth nothing.

[skibbereenfarms]

ZEBULON.
king of the sands.

Although he was momentarily distracted by Ra (but perhaps it was part of his plan to get Zebulon and prove that he was not worthy of his title), the stallion shook out his mane to dispel the bad memories from his mind before continuing on his journey through the desert. The reason he was out here, of course, was to track down any stray horses that may have accidentally wandered into his home. After all, to outsiders, the flat lands were a whole new place, one which a horse could easily get lost in. The oasis itself was so far from the western edge of the desert that it was quite difficult for anyone to believe that it even existed, or if it was just simply another mirage. In fact, Zebulon believed that the sun was beginning to play tricks on his mind, for the stallion thought he saw some sort of figure in the distance. It was moving, just as he was, and it was heading in his direction. He slowed to a steady canter and kept an eye on the figure, waiting for the moment when it would disappear from sight. However, as he got closer, the figure wouldn't leave. It just kept galloping toward him, apparently enjoying his desert as if it belonged there.

It was time for the stallion's royal duties to kick in. He couldn't have trespassers roaming about on his land (though there weren't any horses to protect, but he supposed that he was protecting the land now). So the King of the Sands stopped running, immediately feeling the sun's intensity above his head. "Spare me for a few moments," he said, obviously speaking to the sun again. "Ok. You're not the king for nothing," he told himself as he realized this was the first time in a while that he actually had to interfere with something. Deciding to just get it over with, the stallion lifted his head high and neighed to the approaching figure. "Who goes there?" he called, deciding that if he didn't get a proper response, this would turn into a wild goose chase.

[Thoxic]

A C H I M I A - a little lovable

The dark mirage that the heat had presented for her blue eyes, didn't go away, no matter how long she waited, closed her eyes and opened them again, and it seemed to get closer.
It didn't took her long to realize that it was actually a horse that came closer to her, a dark horse with a little bulky features, probably a stallion, or maybe a big mare, it was hard to see, it was still a bit dizzy, but she guessed that she would find out soon, cause the figure called out to her, and it was clearly the voice of a stallion. She didn't know why, but she got the feeling that she wasn't supposed to be here, like she had trespassed on someones land. It never came to her thought that it was the King of the Sands who came before here, cause she could see him more clearly now, it was just a couple of hand fulls of lengths between them.

"I'm sorry if I have trespassed or something, my name is Achimia."
Her voice was clear, maybe a bit dry since she hadn't had a drink since yesterday when she had found water beneath a dried out creek. A little digging with her hooves had made the job, and she had gotten some water. It wasn't much, not to sustain her for long, but it had been enough for a while at least. But she knew that she'd better find a waterhole or get out of her quite soon, or she would get seriously dehydrated.
Usually, as she was born in the desert, she would know how to find water, but this was a different kind of land, there weren't much edible things here, and no stones were water could gather beneath at night. But she had had a fun time exploring this land, perhaps had she not been the only one doing so.

[skibbereenfarms]

ZEBULON.
king of the sands.

There was no hiding the apologetic tone in her voice, Zebulon could tell that much. Suddenly his rough-and-tough attitude faded a bit, as it seemed that the mare was unaware of what she had done. As he eyed the mare carefully (just to be sure she wasn't up to any tricks), he noticed how her body appeared to be well-equipped for a terrain such as this. A bonus for Zebulon, for he wouldn't have to tell her to turn back from whence she came, or lead her there, for that matter. She was built to handle the heat and the sun above their heads. He actually felt excited, for he had found someone who would possibly be able to join his herd, thus giving his title a bit more meaning.

He couldn't let his happiness get in the way. There were still duties he had to uphold, even if this mare was deserving of living her life here. There was still, of course, the chance that she would not like to, so he had to choose what he said very carefully. Holding his head high proudly, he figured an introduction was where he should start. "Zebulon," he said, practically jumping at the opportunity to say his name. He calmed himself down a bit before speaking again. "King of these lands. What brings you to my paradise, Achimia?" It was true that, at first glance, this place was nothing like a paradise. But he felt the land had many beautiful qualities that lied beyond these flat lands. Those were the reasons that Zebulon had stayed her for so long instead of just abandoning the land. He couldn't leave his home, even after all these years.

Though there was one thing that reminded him that this conversation needed to happen quickly: the sun. Still incubating the ground from its' place in the sky, it seemed to inform Zebulon that they didn't have much time before exhaustion began to set in. A quick glance to the sky told Zebulon this, so again he turned to Achimia. He did not want to rush her into this, so he waited for a reasonable response from the mare. Perhaps she would follow him after all, for after watching her all this time, it seemed that she was a bit thirsty. That wouldn't do any good out here, of course, but they were not too far from the oasis.

[Thoxic]

A C H I M I A
- a little loveable

A king? Even though her eyes didn't went wide when he told her that, she sure was surprised. She had never met a king before, not even the one in herd where she had been born. She hadn't known that the King of the Sands still lives, or rather, still lived here, since this place was mostly abandoned.
It never occurred to her that he might be looking for new horses to join his herd, or rather to build a new herd. But he seemed nice so she saw no harm in staying here for a bit and answer his questions, although it was warm and she would need some water and rest soon.
"I decided to explore those lands, but I didn't except to meet anyone here, I thought the Sands were abandoned. I must have heard wrong, sir, and I apologize for trespassing at your lands."

She didn't felt unease at his presence, but it felt like she would need to bow or something, wasn't that something you was supposed to do to kings and queens? Talking of which, were was his queen? Maybe she was with the herd, taking care of them and leading them to some waterhole or something, that would be nice to see.
"And I must agree with you, this is a fair land."
And it wasn't as harsh as the desert, at least she didn't think so. The Desert was worse, with all the hills of sand that could take hours to climb over. This was just a plain of sand, easy to gallop across, feeling the sun stroke your back at every step, the sand brushing at your legs and the warm air through your mane. Maybe she was crazy, but she liked it when it was harsh, even though she also loved the other landscapes, with forests, rivers and meadows of grass, but it wasn't there where she had been born.

[skibbereenfarms]

ZEBULON.
king of the sands.

Zebulon felt as though he could relax a bit more now. This mare was merely curious, and she clearly meant no harm. He couldn't just make her leave; after all, he'd be all alone again. Having a grown mare to talk to was one of the most exciting things that had happened to him in a long time. He chuckled and shook his head, trying to make it seem as though he weren't as strict and protective as Achimia would have thought. "No need for an apology," he informed her. "You must understand that I'm merely protecting my land from strangers. I can see that you mean it no harm, so I would not object if you wished to stay." It felt as though he were moving too quickly, but Zebulon wasn't really one to hesitate with these kinds of things.

The stallion stepped away from the mare for a brief moment. He lifted his head toward the sun once again and squinted when his eyes finally crossed its' path. He snorted softly and turned toward the direction he came from, watching the mare from the corner of his eye. "Ra does not enjoy being taunted," he said under his breath. Of course, he meant that it was not good for them to just be out in the sun like this, especially since it was just hanging over their heads like a curious monkey. He turned his head further around so that he may get a better look at the mare. "The Isina is not far from here," he informed her. "There is food and water. You may stay as long as you need to. I believe that the sands would be happy to have you." He gave a smile and flicked his head, urging the mare to follow. Whether she decided to stay for a day or a year, Zebulon was glad to have some sort of company.

[Thoxic]

A C H I M I A

The stallions calm voice telling her that she didn't need to apologize, made her a bit more calm about herself. She had thought there for a moment that he would throw her out. Okay, that was maybe not the worst thing he could do to her, but it would be a bit embarrassing, and maybe, the thought had run through her head, he was violent and would hurt her. Of course, she would defend herself enough, but it was after all his territory, and she didn't mean to trespass, so she wouldn't fight back that much. Oh, her thoughts was a bit too much for her, they were spinning around like a tornado in pure confusion.
"I understand that, and I would do the same if I was Queen for a herd, protecting them at every cost."
Her voice was calm and certain about this, and her thought was calming down also, and not spinning around like a whirlwind anymore.

She looked for a second at him when he took a step away from her and watched the sun. His words made her a bit curious, because she had never heard the sun being called Ra, like it was an actual being, like a god. But who was she to judge? Maybe there was gods out there, judging their fates and their every step. If so, had a god brought her to this place? Right on this stallions territory, maybe for a reason? She had come to love this place during those few days she had spent here, and she could actually imagine herself to stay here.
"I would gladly follow you if you lead me there. I have gotten anything to eat since yesterday, and I haven't found any water since this morning.."
She looked at him again when he turned his head against her, and his smile made her put one on her lips too, he was a bit charming, and it was hard to resist to smile in his company.
"I would be glad to stay here, it's a beautiful place and I sort of fell in love with it those last few days..."

[skibbereenfarms]

ZEBULON.
king of the sands.

Hmm. Achimia's reply really stuck out to Zebulon for some reason. She'd protect his land as if she were Queen. He wondered if the mare was aware of the fact that he didn't have a Queen...or many herd members, for that matter. He imagined her reaction when they finally reached the oasis and they met...well, he supposed, he'd wait until they actually got there to deal with the problem. For now, he'd keep quiet. Watching Achimia with a smile, the stallion said, "Excellent." Now it felt like his duties as king were taking over. "I shall lead you to my home." Believing that the mare would follow, the stallion headed off, heading toward the oasis at a slow pace. Practically forgetting to remind this mare, the stallion turned his head back once more. "One more thing, Achimia. The beauty is decieving; if you are not careful, the sun can easily take you." With a smirk, the stallion broke into a gallop, putting the other mare behind him. If she could truly handle living here, there was no doubt that she'd be able to catch up to him.

ooc: Maybe one more reply from you to confirm that she followed? Then we can go to the oasis. I'd like to start that, if it's okay with you. And I apologize for the shorness as there's really not much else to say. xD

[Thoxic]

The smile on her face when he told her that the beauty of the Sands could be deceiving, since the sun could get to her, it was big, and her steps behind him increased as he held a greater pace. She had no problem to keep up to him, after all, she was after all born in the desert, a place much like this, but with heavy dunes.
"I know, I was born in the desert."
Her voice was clear and her pace as fast as his was, when she came up to his side in gallop. Her long legs had no problem to keep up to the stallions pace, and if the oasis was as near as he said, they would be there soon.
Her unusual markings made her look almost like a ghost when her long mane and tail danced behind her, and the sun made all of it almost a bit transparent. Maybe the markings of her face was a bit scary, as they looked alot like a skull, but it was beautiful also, like she was a part of both life and death.