A Summoning

[Velnias]

K R A T O S

My huge blking mass owered above the ground. The sound of my hooves was thunder, my cold breath the wind that gave them voice. My eyes ere dark, gleaming, flashing. Lightning on a white storm, dappled with bloodstained rain. That was he color of my pelt. My skin ashen white, a curse from the wise old goddess, and my coat was the doing of my own by the will of the gods, that the splattering of blood on it would stain me forever. They'd bade me do their work, the dirty job of collecting souls. And that fool god that would have promsed me his protection was worthless o me. I was Cursed by this land, and the gods could never control me. Oh no! I had nothing to fear from them, not even the Fear god himself. I had no quarrels with him. Why stoop to wory bout him? Or any of the others? They were useless to me, all of them.

This was a ood place. The trees here were thick enough to hide me and an army. he groun was teep, no one would be able to climb this hill. Where I stood the ground sloped down a hill, all around nd before me a jagged ciff. The crumbling san was no issue to my surefooted drat hooves; my sher strength grappled with gravity nd I heaved yself up the rock face and pebbles skittered down after me. any minutes later Ilooed aroun me. In the dark of evening I saw a flat topped mesa, a wall of trees forming around the sides. From the base of this oval-jaged shaped plateau it would look like risen fortress of trees. Even the canopy overhead was laced ith gnarling branches, their leaves brittle and brown, the soil stark black and rotting underfoot. There was a spring of trickling black water that made a flowing stream and it rushed down one side of the peak. Here, I am at a height and resurce advantage. Unpolluted water source, and standing over the land round me. Perfect to hold a growing army, perfect to protect against one.

I smiled in satisfaction, knowing that this place was so perfect for me and even though I needed no army to protect me, I did strive for an army to train. They would learn not to bow to the gods' power, not to be forced to their will. I was a pawn of the War Goddess no longer! No bing could penetrate my newfound fortress here in the Cursed place. I needed no sign to mark my castle. Only my presence here would be good enough to frighten or welcome an intruder. I heaved in a deep breath; the tal trees swayed as I exhaled. I felt the black power humming in the air and knew that I had been accepted by this place. Summoned by the raw power. Anyone dared come here; they would find themselves forced to submit or be willing to train. But however it would be, there would be no escaping. Silently, I turned and lurked off into the trees not only where I was hidden but could move about freely in the dark. I watched the entrance and waited, my breath still.

[Wild@Heart]

I could vaguely remember how this place used to be. It had been
gorgeous, large trees standing proud, their lime fingers reaching
toward the sun while much smaller shrubs danced around their
trunks. The sun had penetrated the canopy in some places, creating
warm clearings of sunlight that often had thick grass to eat. I
could almost taste the juicy blades, the way the liquid would pour
into my oral cavity as the pulp was ground between dull molars.
But that was all before this happened, before horses started
getting punished for their mistakes, before every being was judged
by the gods. I still had yet to understand the system they used,
as many innocent horses were forced to bare the punishment of the
guiltily, though they were clearly not. But the punished had been
banished to this place, and since then the forest had lost its life.
Now it was nothing more then a place of death, as if it's soul
left with those of the living. Now the trees were dead, many of
their arms were completely bare, but few still held on to the
last hints of life, brown leaves dangling limp from the twigs.
And the vegetation below that had once been blossoming with life
was now seldom seen, and the few places where it was visible the
plant was nothing but decayed matter. It was such a pity, the way
things had gone down hill here. The living organisms reminded me
of the cursed horses. We too were rotting slowly. What once had
been filled with life and personality was now stripped of all
meaning, living without purpose. We were being punished in the
cruelest way, none of this was acceptable. If I could change it, if
there was any way that I could make it better I would, and I was
trying. Already I had gotten Bristile on the side of the cursed,
and right now I could picture him fighting for humanity. In my
mind I could see him standing tall in front of his godly pillar,
facing the rest of the immortal beings as he spoke of the wrongs
that needed to be righted. Yet I doubted that they would listen,
or that they would care in the least. I imagined them laughing in
his face, believing that he must be joking to suggest something so
preposterous. Yet, I had a shred of hope in my heart. I wanted him
to be the one to free me, I wanted him to be able to help the
cursed and lessen the torture that we endured. And he was trying,
of that I was positive. His soul was that of gold, and I was proud
to call him my god, but the others, they were nothing but power
hungry children. Many would imagine that one would grow smarter,
more civil with age, but many of the gods had done the very opposite.
They had begun to get more aggressive, more temperamental with age,
and this was not what the world needed. If anyone could stop this,
though, I had no doubt that it would be the god of time.

I had offered him a foal, I had offered him everything that was me,
and yet he had declined. I tried not to dwell upon this too much,
for the rejection had definitely hit home. What had I been thinking,
of course a god as great as him wouldn't want a beast as homely
as me. I was rotting for christ sake, my organs had stopped working
days ago and I no longer needed to eat. Now it wouldn't be long
before my heart would stop pumping, before I would no longer need
to breath. And once everything on the inside of my body was gone,
then my curse would be visible. My hide would begin to rot, and
I imagined mold covering the holes in my skull. Maggots would
travel with me, eating at my flesh every step of the way. And just
when I thought it couldn't get any worse it would. This decaying
stage would take years, the gods had made sure of that. I would
wreak, the worst smell imaginable would be coming off of my very
own body. And there wouldn't be anything I could do about it. No
amount of baths or cleaning would wash the wretched odor off. It
was the cross I had to bare, it was the weight of the world on my
shoulders, and the more I thought about it the more I wanted to
curl up in a ball upon the hard ground and die. I didn't want this,
I didn't want any of it.

If I could go back in time, if I could redo the wrongs I had done,
in all honestly I wouldn't do a single thing differently. I had
stuck up for myself, I had fought back in self defense. If I was
put back in time to do things differently, then I would still
fight back, I still wouldn't let the stags rape me. The physical
pain that I would have suffered, I'm sure would be much less than
the emotional one I was suffering now, but I still wouldn't allow
myself to be taken advantage of willingly. If that was something
they thought of as a grand crime, then so be it. I would proudly
take this punishment over bringing a bastard child into this world.

But now it was too late, I wasn't even sure if I would be able to
bare a child in this form. I had promised Bristile one, though,
and he had declined. This still cut deep, a constant pain that had
yet to leave. But maybe, just maybe I would get another chance with
this godly beast. Maybe he would come back for me, with my freedom
that he had told of. Maybe then he would accept me for him I was,
and maybe then and only then he would be able to move on with his
life and love someone else.


I hadn't loved Bristile, or so told myself. I was almost positive
that I didn't love him, at least not yet. I merely cared for him
greatly, the beauty falling in love with a beast wasn't possible.
Life was no fairytale, such things didn't happen in real life. A
god such as Bristile would never love a beast like me, and he had
proven that. He had refused my attempt at companionship, and now I
needed to get over it. I needed to stop dwelling on the past and
thinking about what could have been, I needed to move on and that's
just what I was doing here.

I stopped walking forward now, taking time to scan the scenery.
To my left was a raised cliff, a flat surface protruding from it's
edge. The area around it was steep, loose rocks dotting the surface,
and not even I dared climb it. True, the cursed were immortal, for
death wouldn't be torture enough, but I was positive that we
weren't above sustaining injuries. All other directions around me
were filled with thick tree coverage, and although much of it was
dead and rotting it was still a challenge to try and see for any
great distance in any direction. My nares quivered as I inhaled the
scents that filled the air, the dank smell of rot the most
prominent. I had to force myself to breath, the odor was so raunchy,
and yet I liked it here for some odd reason. It seemed peaceful in
it's own way, as if the forest had come to terms with this new way
of life.

The faint smell of a stallion wafted into my nares, but I took no
notice to it. Not many equines dared venture here, and when they
did they often knew better then to mess with the others that called
this place home. My twin peaks twitched, listening to the chorus
of knocks as a pile of loose rock skipped down the cliff side. I
felt no need to investigate the area that they had fallen from,
as I didn't think that any equine would want to risk limb just to
reach the flat surface and whatever else that lay at the top.

I stood where I was for a few seconds more, my body gaining energy
from the peaceful world around. My champagne hide was flawless,
not a single speck of dirt staining the surface. I was constantly
worried about allowing myself to collect dust, I didn't want to
look like the ancient creature that I really was, so I kept my
coat to high standards. My chocolate whipcord danced in the breeze
slowly, falling in silky strands between my well muscled pillars.
The rot had yet to eat away at my muscle, and I was in rather good
shape for the years that I had been cursed. One might only guess
that I had been wandering these lands for a few months, but they
had yet to see the inside of my body, the organs that no longer
ran like those of the mortals, and the heart that would soon be no
more.

I shook my crown, emptying my crania of such thoughts as I turned
to face the cliff that stood in front of me. Many would believe
that I couldn't't do it, many would believe that I didn't have the
courage to try, and I felt a strong force propelling me forward,
a will to do what others believed I couldn not. So I decided that
I must try and do what could not be done by the weak, I must make
it to the flat rock that stuck out from the side of this cliff.
Carefully I backed up a few feet, wondering what the best way to
take on this challenge would be. Thinking for a moment, I took off
at a full gallop, only three strides and I was at full pace. Flat
ground soon ended and now I was running at an angle, ground giving
way beneath my hooves. Rocks tumbled, and I thought I would go with
them, but I didn't. And in a few moments I had reached the ledge,
lungs filling with fresh air. From below I hadn't known what was
up here, but now that I had reached it I was about to find out,
whether I liked it or not.

Words: 1,742
Muse: Amazing!
Other: Sorry if this is kind of boring to read. I know it's alot of nonsense and thoughts.

[Velnias]

K R A T O S

There was a rustling in the leaves. Hoves on soft soil. It was dark all around me anyway, in the dark brown and shades of gray. My coat was the only pale thing, ashen white. I smelled the mare's strong scent when she appeared in my clearing. She was a pale color not easily described. Dun? A dark beige. I found myself grinning. Continuing to walk with my silrnt footstes, I was hidden behin the wall of trees. My body slid between shadows, moving with them as one. I made my way weaving between them. She was looking around, trying to make sense of where she was. And there was another fresh scent on her coat; strong, and unique. I would always recognize that smell. Bristile. The god of time. From what I'd heard, he had been the one who had called a meeting. My sources were good; good enough to trust. So it was obvious something was coming. Something big. I could fel the ir was charged with it.

She hadn't yet seen me. I watched her heavy eyes, her tired face. Something about her was different. When she'd walked into my terra, something was different. There was another air that cam over the place. I could see it on traces on her body. She was weak. Maybe growing weaker. The trees, when they were connected to my presence and swayed with my heartbeat, felt sad. I felt she was dying, but she was dying with the forest. The trees. The life ebbing out of this Cursed place. Soon there might be nothing lft of her. And I wondered, ho long had she been Cursed? I didn't count by time; I remembered I'd come almost from another time, but time was all the same to the gods. When I came here they locked me away in the Cursed lands. But they couldn't keep all their eyes on me. I had escaped. Not many times, but I'd succeeded. And I would need to do it again soon.

I slipped out of the trees behind the mare, and as I drifted nearer to her the sweet smll of a mare drifted into my nostrils. I bobbed my head. My suave manner and silent hooves were part of the land. I'd been so long here tht wherever I went, it was just a rustle of wind, a breath of wind, and I was there instantly. No one could really sense me there. That is, unless they knew me. And no one did. They'd all died, left me and then died, or died in battle. I was here to recruit more of those soldiers.

Gliding like water, my hooves brought me right up next to her ear. In a short breath I exhaled my words into her ear. "Welcome to paradise," with a touch of sarcasm. My voice was cool, lmoat cold. My breah was harsh but quiet. I let my fur bristle against hrs for just a split second. They I slipped way. I moved in ront of her, turned to face her. My eyes were glittering and a hint of a smile peeked at my lips. With the shadows cast across my face and the dark gleam of my eyes, it looked like a sarcastic sneer. "I have a feeling I know why you're here, as why we all are." My voice was deep and at the same time soft, but booming. Rustling leaves, and silence. "But the question is, do you want to be here? Where they locked us in?" I gave her a quiet, steely look. My eyes passed over her features; I could see the sickness hidden behind her sleek coat and her long mane and smooth face.

I started to slip away from her. I walked with hesitation and slow steps, but I wanted to know if she would follow, although I had a feeling she would. When I stopped, my hooves touched the water's edge of the small pool of black water. I dipped my nose in it, not to drink it but to smell it. To feel how the water rippled when I moved it. Tainted water in a tainted paradise. My little paradise. It's all tainted, brackish water here. If only she could know what I was thinking now. I turned my large head, looking back at her with my ominous sort of grin and eyes that looked dark and deep and endless and menacing. "Or, are you looking for a way out?" I spoke with a knowing smile.

[Wild@Heart]

My senses were on alert, twin peaks standing at attention upon my crown as my nares quivered and pools searched. The scent of a stallion was strong up here, entering my nostrils in a large amount. Obviously such a beast had been here, something that I hadn't seen coming. It had been a while since I had conversed with another cursed horse, and now might be the time. The wind up here was stronger, whistling into my ears. It was hard to hear much but this, although I strained to do so. My pools surveyed the area, tree coverage thick and able to hide large beasts. Many would grow worried, but I was not. Not in the least. What was there for me to worry about?

Welcome To Paradise. A male voice sounded in my harks, sarcasm dripping from his hard words. His hide rubbed against mine, sending a shiver shooting up my spine, but I made no attempt to turn and look at him. He did that on his own, positioning himself directly in front of me as our orbs met, my own deep blue pools holding no emotion, my mask wiped clean. His dark pools were smoldering with hidden emotion, a small smile pulling at his lips. His hide was ashy, copper spotting covering his hide. His frame was much larger than mine, a good couple of hands taller, and his chest was thicker, muscles larger. He was in good shape for being cursed to these lands, and I instantly placed him in the category with the newborns.

I Have A Feeling I Know Why You're Here, As Why We All Are. But The Question is, Do You Want To be Here, Where They Locked Us In? His voice was deep, making the trees tremble in his presence, but it held a soft tone underneath, a tone that drew me in. He turned away, taking a few steps in the opposite direction, stopping only when the water lapped at his hooves. The look he gave me next, it assured me that he was crazy. I was positive that some of his mind must be missing, the way his mouth curved in that eerie manner, pools never ending. There was something not right about him, something that I didn't want to get into.

Or, Are You Looking For A Way Out? I thought back to all the words he had spoken, repeating them in my mind in a single paragraph. Of course I didn't want to be here, none of the cursed did. But we didn't have a choice, nothing we could do would change the way things were. And I hadn't looked for a way out, I knew plenty of ways out. It wasn't getting out of the cursed lands that was the problem, it was staying out. The gods and godesses weren't dumb, they could easily find you, and they would. You would get shown much less mercy if you disobeyed, your life would be much worse.

I tossed my crown, forelock flying back only to slowly fall back into my eyes, tassel by tassel. I closed the distance between us, footsteps soft as I walked with a fluid motion, stopping a mere centimeters from him. My head was held high, neck arched in a prestine manner, whipcord dancing out behind me to frame my small figure. My lips parted, my voice coming out in a low hiss, Cut The Crap, I snapped, And Get To The Point. What Is It You Want From Me? I was in no mood to mess around anymore, and the smell of the water was beginning to make me feel sick. The liquid ran black, and I could just picture all the bones that lay at the bottom of that stream. I was sure that millions of horses had died in there, their bodies left to rot as the stream ate away at what was left.

My pools bore into his, smoldering with assumptions, accusing him of having a purpose behind the nice guy facade. I waited for him to speak, not moving any closer to the river that raged, or the stallion that still had yet to gain my trust.

Words: 700
Muse: Terrible
Other: This is the shortest post that I have ever written with her.

[/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Velnias]

K R A T O S

"You came to me, dahlia dearest." I faced the mare who'd suddenly shown an abrupt act of ferocity and spirit. I'd made her frustrated! I imagined I'd make many frustrated; it made me chuckle amusedly to imagine the gods and goddesses, all prim and proper, sitting high and mightily atop their thrones of splendor. Ah! But their powers couldn't extend to reach very far! For I must be a thorn in their side as I had been since the day hundreds or thousands of years ago, if you were forced to believe in a thing called time, but I only remembered it as the day the gods betrayed me themselves, and the day the world changed for me, and the day I took the world in my grip and began to smother and crush it, filling the darkest regions with my presence and power. The gods couldn't put me off for much longer.

There was a hint of wonder and question in her voice. Satisfied, I looked down at the pool of brackish water and smiled, a half-sneer. Of course she had betrayed a little of herself to me. She wanted out; who didn't? But what I noticed was that she was naturally curious about how we, so similar in circumstance, looked so different and far-fetched from one another. She looked well-groomed, but I could see she gauntness around her eyes, in her face, in her step. She, like many Cursed, experienced the slow and painful process of dying from the inside out. And I didn't. It was part of the reason I was here; my goal was something I'd pitted myself out to reach, and I had a will to reach it, and I didn't feel so hopeless or trapped. My quarrel was with the gods, the ones who cast this infliction upon us in the first place. I'd risen above them and their facade of control and therefore, they could not control me.

"No one likes being this. But no one realizes how the affliction itself comes from the mind. It's all about how you think of it!" I cast the mare a momentary grin. She'd come to stand beside me, looking down in the water as I had been. The reflection was so still, and dark blackish. I snorted without grievance and put a hoof through its surface. I cut through the shallow end of the pool, moving on to the trees. "The gods think they can control us but, miss mare, I am proof they cannot," I spoke in an icy tone. The trees began so shift and sway in the strange bout of wind that had suddenly begun to pick up. "When your fight is with the gods itself, not the crimes they curse you for, they can't cope! It's why I will fight them and prove to them that everything, Cursed or divine, can expire!" My voice rose as I finished and I turned to face her with a fire-fed look in my dark eyes. That was the look of determination, of willpower. "Because they are gods does not grant them perfection. After all, if they were perfect, I would not have discovered a way to tear them down."

I followed up with a sly wink. The shadows of the trees cast darkness over my face in this place of all things black and shades of gray. With a leading mare, a partner in purpose, it would make things much less complex to instigate. Because I felt it in the marrow of my hollowed-out bones. An uprising. Perhaps from within, perhaps dared by the gods themselves to happen. Oh, they waited too long. Always waited too long, hoping, hoping! Hoping things would fix themselves. How blind they could be. A smirk drew across my face, as a memory flashed through my stony glare. My eyes saw again the blood flying into my eyes as I remembered...as I watched myself in a mad fury take blood from the lifeless body, over and again until there was nothing left in her. The War Goddess was smiling bemusedly over my battle-scarred shoulder. When I awoke from her trance, I looked down upon the mangled remains of my beloved and it was the last time before I felt only bitterness, that I shed a tear of true hopeless sorrow.

"Understand?" The question was, in fact, something else. Interested?

[Wild@Heart]

You Came To Me, Dahlia Dearest. My glare was cold at it reached him, my instant dislike apparent. I analyzed his every move, watching him closely as he peered into the dark liquid, another sneer bestowing itself upon his lips. This face did nothing for his appearance, in fact I thought it made him all the less handsome, although the blood splatters weren't doing him any good. If I had to decide, I would say he wasn't much of a looker, and yet at the same time he had a quite sort of handsomeness.

No One Likes Being This, But No One Realizes How The Affliction Itself Comes From The Mind. It's All About How You Think Of It. Instantly a look of wonder settled upon my mask as I ate up his every word. If we expected to die, if we wanted to die, then did it speed up the death process? That's what I was understanding from what he had said so far. So then, what happened if we reversed our way of thinking? If we truly believed that everything would be okay and that we would survive, would that allow us to live much longer and be healthier? An evil grin was etched upon his mouth as he turned to me, and a shiver ran down my spine. I knew he was evil, pure evil, and yet I could relate to him. I wanted to be on his side, I wanted to be a part of something so much bigger than myself, something that would change the world as we knew it.

Bristile, he had promised me much, and then rejected me. I had attempted to give him everything, and yet he hadn't wanted any of it. So why should I continue to be a good little girl, just waiting for my life to end? No, now it was time to take matters into my own hands. Now it was time for me to make something of my life, instead of just sitting back and watching as the world lived on without me.

The stag snorted, obviously not liking what he saw, as he stomped upon our reflection. The image broke into a million little shards, the stallion not hesitating to jump in. He trudged through a shallow ravine, black water jumping all around him. I hesitated at first. Now was my chance, I had to make a decision. Would I continue to be loyal to the gods who showed no care for me, or would I switch sides? Would I become the rebel I was at heart? Once again the slide show of Bristile refusing me played in my mind, and instantly I knew what I would do. I still hurt, as much as the walking dead could, and he had broken my heart and hope. But now, I was filling with new hope. This stallion, he could lead us all to better things. And so I followed him, my short frame running the bottom of my barrel in the frigid liquid. The large waves splashed over my back, and the current threatened to carry me away. But before long we were on the other side, settled near the trees.

The Gods Think They Can Control Us, But, Miss Mare, I Am Proof That They Cannot. His tone was cold and monotone as he spoke, and I gazed at him once more. If the cursed rebelled, if we all broke the rules, then our morbid powers would go against theirs and I was sure that with out numbers we would win. A new feeling began to overtake me, one of power, and my dark blue pools began to grow alight with something new. The hunger for more, the hunger for vengeance.

When Your Fight Is With The Gods Itself, Not The Crimes They Curse You For, They Can't Cope. It's Why I Will Fight Them And Prove To Them That Everything, Cursed Or Divine, Can Expire. His mask was one of anger and willpower, my own not far off. I didn't know if we could kill the gods, but I sure as hell wanted to. Something had shifted in me today, and the gods would pay. They were the reason for all this, they had done his too me, and they would pay for it.

Because They Are Gods Does Not Grant Them Perfection. After All, If They Were Perfect, I Would Not Have Discovered A Way To Tear Them Down. One of his pools closed in a wink, a smirk pulling at the corners of his lips. Understand? My blank mask was now replaced with a sly smile, a new evil now overcoming me. I Want In. My voice was as cold as his had been, my stare even colder, as the icy wind blew. My whipcord was strung out behind me, dancing upon the breeze as my forelock fluttered upon my crown. I was ready for this, I was ready to join in this war. He just needed to tell me what to do.

Words: 840
Muse: Not much better
Other: Hmmm. Interesting.

[/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Velnias]

OOC - reply coming tomorrow or Monday!!

[Velnias]

K R A T O S

A grin stretched my ash-white lips tight across my teeth. "Just the words I hoped to hear," I said. The three magic words... Our task was ready to be set in motion. This mare was the perfect addition to my highest ranks. Oh, no! Not that I was a...collector of the prized things, but one could do such great, extraordinary deeds if aided by the right persons. And the mares and colts I'd scored were many, and a select few were beautiful mares. One would easily be ensnared by them. It was all to my benefit, and what was to my benefit was to the benefit of the army. I would be sure all understood it that way. I would be certain to get across to each and every one of them that without me, they would be nothing. The gods would crush them underfoot, spit on them like dirt. That was all we were treated for, anyway. We knew it. I knew it. But I, I would not be stopped. I would have my revenge.

"Though our ranks are many, we'll be looking for more," I spoke briskly, turning away from the mare. I moved to the border of the encircled plateau, where the wall of trees stood, enshrouded in blackness, protecting my hilltop from intruders. With each heavy footstep I walked along my border, surveying the land outside. The cloak of mist was pitch black to others; only I who had created it could see through its defenses. The forest was eerily quiet, as always, my voice a mere part of the wind, as deep and strong as it was. The mist also kept noise from escaping my little hollow as I spoke to this mare. "You will be charged with your fair share, and seeing as I will be..." I searched for the word, pausing in my steps, "...busy, you will report to my second-in-command. Select one recruit, and report to her by nightfall in three days."

My area was secured, I had reassured myself. And for now, my army was safe. In a place that could not be found. Only by me. I would be busy training them, skilled as they were already, for I wouldn't allow any member of my rank to be slack in skill, whatsoever. But still, they needed to be undefeatable. Now they were only mortal; we would have to teach them to fight like titans. The gods were weak. We were thousands strong. I faced the mare and nodded, the first, true sign of respect I had shown her, but then I stood to my full, towering height to prove that in turn, I expected the same from her. "If you do what I've asked, and I will be watching, I can promise you power over armies. This opportunity is for few. Prove you deserve it; I do not disappoint." My eyes narrowed for a single second as if staring deep into the mare's face. Then the mist that fogged the gray ground and enshrouded the trees covered me in its blanket like a plume of dark ash rising from the ground. At the same instant I was gone, the mare would discover that with it was my terra. In the second she would blink her eyes, she would open them someplace else. Someplace where the blood dripped on the charcoal slabs of stone and he dried, dead grass. Someplace the sun never shined, so no one knew how bloody the ground was, but they always told stories. Someplace the mare would now stand, where two blocked-off worlds had now been combined. The bloodlands, where the barrier between normalcy and Cursed now had vanished. Go forth, my words echoed in her head, assuring her she had not, in fact, dreamed of me and my land that now was gone with me, to that place that could not be found. I will find you.

OOC - wow...hope you liked that post, because I think I lo-oved it. So Nakoma needs to go to the normal lands, find at least one recruit, and Lucy(Kratos' thus far unnamed-second-in-command) will find Nakoma to confirm it.