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 Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2022 7:06 pm
  "Well, that should be enough," Sarathiel announced, stepping back from the now large pile of sticks the two stallions had amassed. Now he just had to....Put them together...Into traps...He really hadn't thought this through enough. Oh, why was he such a nice guy? How was he going to shift into a Kawani in order to actually make the traps with...What was this guy's name?
"I don't believe you told me your name," the Angeni added, hoping this would give him enough time to think of something. If the Alicorn was at this level of insane worship for his kind, than seeing himself turn into a human wouldn't de-escalate the problem. It would only make it worse. And it was uncomfortable enough as it was at this level of respect. Some Angeni would relish in it, he knew. Any who did that weren't worthy of any domain they might possess. They were not Gods. They were just different.The Alicorn dropped the last twig onto the pile and stepped back, curiosity surging through his body over the purpose of this pile. Maybe he wasn't meant to understand. Maybe this was something only Angeni could understand.
Even as he thought it, he realized how ridiculous it was. A pile of sticks wasn't some important business or secret. It was just a pile of sticks. Still, their had to be a reason for it. If only he had the courage to ask what that was, but he didn't want to sound disrespectful.
Wait, had he been asked something? He was being disrespectful right this very moment! Ezekiel quickly lowered his head, muttering an apology. "I-I am Ezekiel....Sir."Sarathiel sighed, than forced a smile on his face quickly. Be polite, be nice. Getting annoyed, or even mad, wasn't going to help this situation.
"Ezekiel. Alright. I am Sarathiel," he repeated his name, putting extra emphasis on it. Sir was far too formal for him. "How are you with the Kawani?""The Kawani?" His confusion only increased. What did they have to do with anything? He hadn't seen any since...Well, since he'd escaped them as a young colt. Ezekiel had steered clear of them ever since and was happy enough to continue to do that. However, if an Angeni had something to do with them, he supposed these individuals couldn't be all that bad? Maybe it was high time he tried to get over his fear of them. Not all of them were going to trap him in a small pen so he couldn't build up speed and jump to raise him and others for their healing powers or harvest their horns. Angeni were, by definition, good. So these Kawani must also be good by proxy. "I guess I don't mind them?" he answered a little nervously.Sarathiel choose to ignore the question in the other stallion's voice. He had suddenly thought of an idea.
"Fantastic! I was collecting sticks to help one make traps. I will go get him." And before Ezekiel could say anything more, the Angeni disappeared into some bushes, cantering far away until he was far enough away he could safely shift into one and return back in his new form, the other male none the wiser to his trick. It was brilliant!
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Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2022 6:10 pm
Ezekiel wasn't sure what to make of this. On one hand, if an Angeni trusted a human, than he should, too. But a past wasn't so easily forgotten, especially not one full of so much suffering. He had been so long when he had been stolen from his mother. Too young to remember anything about her other than a distant comfort in the back of his mind. He'd love to find her, again, but he didn't even know where to start. Who to ask. The other equines who had been in the human camp with him had dispersed as soon as they were all free. He didn't blame them. It hadn't been a very good place to be, at least for a unicorn. Harvested for their horns like common livestock. It bought a shiver to his spine even now, so many years later, as he stood and waited for the arrival of one such human.
Breath in and out. You can do this. Not all Kawani were bad. He knew this. A lot of them were good, even weaving baskets for newborn foals to finish their development safely inside. One entire species wasn't to answer for the actions of a few. That was unfair.
Still, he felt his muscles tense as the sound of footsteps drew nearer and a Kawani male approached him, raising his funny front foot in a gesture Ezekiel had seen at the small village he had grown up in. A greeting, right? To be friendly?
He dipped his head in response, trying to look as calm as he could.
Approaching the place he had left the other stallion, Sarathiel approached carefully, his heart beating faster. He wasn't sure how this would go down. He didn't like using his powers for trickery like this, but the Alicorn was just so insistent on treating him like some God that he couldn't make his traps in peace if he'd done this out in the open. He was pleased to see Ezekiel was calmed. Or trying to appear to be calm. He seemed to be tense and trying very hard not to be. It made the Angeni tilt his head to one side curiously, as well as showing the empathy he felt inside at whatever trauma was in this one's background.
It wasn't his place to even wonder, though. He understood having things in the past you didn't want others to know. Not that he could ask about it in this form. No. That would ruin the deception if he let on that he understood Soquili talk. Humans might understand body language of his species, but never would they understand verbal communication.
Stopping at the pile of sticks, Sarathiel clapped his hands together, wincing inwardly as the other male jumped. Okay. No sudden movements. He could do that. Maybe. Being a man was so odd. He felt...Small. Vulnerable despite the muscles along his arms, chest, and back. One kick in just about anywhere to his body and he'd be done for. Was this how humans felt when confronted with animals bigger then them who they didn't know? He felt much more sympathy for them if it was.
He held out his hands, palm upward, to show he held nothing. There was also nothing at his belt, not even a dagger that most seemed to carry with them. But than why would he need one? He was an Angeni warhorse. His hooves were much harder than the thin bits of metal Kawani used. He had no need of such tools. He couldn't help a smile when Ezekiel walked forward to sniff at his hands. Maybe his own horse smell would help calm the other down.
This human male smelled like the Angeni. Ezekiel felt a little better with that knowledge. He backed away to a respectful distance, watching as the man sat on the ground and picked up a branch. His natural curiosity was growing, despite himself, now that his fear had been proven pointless. There was none of the metallic smell of blood anywhere, so Sarathiel hadn't been hurt. Where was he, though? He couldn't ask. Humans didn't understand him. Maybe if they had, they wouldn't have hurt so many of them.
Lowering his head, he nudged the pile of sticks, tilting his head slightly in the direction the Angeni had gone and the Kawani had appeared from. Perhaps he'd understand.
Sarathiel did understand. The problem, or maybe the good thing, was he didn't know how to communicate an answer to the Alicorn. Instead, he raised a hand and pointed back in the direction, The other male seemed to understand this, as he nodded his head and than started to move away in the same direction. Oh, that was no what he had planned. Ezekiel wouldn't find him, not in the form he was looking for. How would he feel when he couldn't? Would he feel as if he'd been abandoned? It might lower his expectations of Sarathiel, but that wasn't how he'd wanted to do it. That would be worse than the betrayal of pretending to be someone else.
"No!" he couldn't help shouting, raising his hands again. The stallion stopped, confused and with a tiny bit of fear in his eyes. Oh no. Which language did he say that in? His Kawani wasn't very good. It was probably Soquili.
He put a pleasant smile on his face, gesturing to the ground as if he wanted the company of the Alicorn instead. Just keep your mouth shut and maybe this would work for however long he needed it to.
Ezekiel thought he'd heard his own language coming out of the mouth of the Kawani. Maybe he had been mistaken. It had been one note.Still, he looked down at the human with suspicion. He'd rather find Sarathiel than remain here. He looked in the direction, than back at the man, still sitting on the ground with a branch in one hand and some leather strips in the other. He sighed. Sarathiel had wanted him to keep this man company, right? He would remain until the Angeni retunred. To show this, he circled to the man's other side and docked a back foot, lowering his head in a resting stance.
The Angeni also sighed, in relief. The Alicorn was relaxing.He meant to remain here. He could finish the job as a Kawani, return where he'd come from, and go back as himself. And no one would be none the wiser!
He loved when a plan worked out well without a single hitch!
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