Dance of the Dead

[Eskil]

Out from the thick trees and brush moved a giant among equine. Pelt and talons jet black on the outside, even darker in the soul. He stood tall over the land as his massive weight alone would surly leave large indents in the very soil he stood on. Raw, and fading scars covered his hide like spots on an appaloosa, though he showed no outwards signs of physical pain. Auds lay flat against his skull as old corbs looked across the open land. With a repulsive hiss, he sunk back into the shadows and blended in nicely, for the light of the meadow before was not what he desired.

Turning his bod in between the trees, no easy feat, he moved on again to looking for another forest edge to test. Each dropped of his pie-plate was like a clap of thunder as he moved through the thick forest, breaking anything that got in his way, whether living or dead. The sun was becoming lower, though time still remained before the bewitching hour when a welcoming sight came into view just beyond the thinning trees to the west, sheer walls of rock and shadow.

The black hellion moved like a serpent against the canyon walls, flints practically sparking as they hit the hard rocks, bod nearly invisible against the shadows that formed on the ground. Low outcrops and the echoing sound of falling pebbles in the distance gave this place an ominous feel of death and decay, constantly changing and falling apart, danger looming around every corner. The high walled cliffs resulted in a maze of low lying canyons that showed signs of flooding, though long since disappeared, still possibly a death trap at the wrong moment. The air below the tops was much cooler though not too damp, with small trickles of water heard off in all directions.

Growing bored of traveling so low, though not of the ever present dark veil, Eskil slithered to a shallow incline and began to ascend to a higher level of the canyons. It was no easy feat by any manner as solid daggers could only grip so well as they slid against the smooth rock. As his finally moved to the top of a flat, a rather large rockslide showed evident at the bottom of the canyon where he had climbed, kicking bits up with every step, the ever present mark of change.

The jagged cliffs cast dark shadows over the treacherous land below, emulating sudden death for any who dared venture too close to the unstable edge. This land was no place for a foal for one foul step could be their last, but then again, if a foal did not learn quickly they deserved such a punishment, even to perish. Emotionless orbs scanned the vast wasteland as the setting sun in the west created an even more eerie feeling as total darkness consumed the lower portions, a bottomless pit from above no one would dear venture on into.

A sneer spread across the maw of the demon as night closed in. He had no chance of leaving this land tonight, for death would sure be the result of an attempt, but he also had no desire to. This land was perfect for his needs and he had no intention of letting this one slip by. Forcing all his weight onto his hind collums, he rose up, banner flapping wildly as he shook his crown, and blades of death slicing through the air with tremendous speed,Massive feathered wings spread across the night sky as he sang hsi dark song. “I claim these Lands as my own, a hell on earth for all who enter invited or not.” Bellowed the beast, the venom practically dripping from his jaw as he spoke, before crashing back down to earth. His impact with the land sent multiple rockslides plummeting into the pits below as the very pillar he stood on shook with his great force. He stood like a stone as the sun finally set, melding all into darkness. He had become invisible too all who dared look, an advantage that would be his alley for a great many things.

[Kimodo]

Accepted. Welcome to your new lands, Eskil.