7971 Lucem Adferre | Cursus Honorum | Praecantrix by Burgiethewriter, literature
7971 Lucem Adferre | Cursus Honorum | Praecantrix
“Any news from the Charred Plains?” Jaik asked, ears perked forward as his herdmate Arabica wandered back onto the grounds of Hannah’s property. The Desert stallion stood still to shake himself, showering the ground with the strange ashy sand that came from that dead zone. “Yes, actually,” said Arabica. He had been going there more and more often of late, and he’d started wearing a knife strapped to his foreleg. It was strange, Jaik thought. What did he need a knife for when he had such a huge body and horns and fangs? “I’ve been doing these… lessons, I guess you could call them.” “Are they the source of your newfound confidence?” Jaik asked. If they were helping Arabica, maybe they could help him too? Not that he’d been suffering too badly from the after-effects of the red star (or so he told himself, ignoring his weird headaches and nightmares and sleepless nights and worry over anyone leaving the property for any length of time). “Absolutely,” said Arabica, nodding with a smile.
In Eris’ not so humble opinion, she had earned this spa day. Sure, she hadn’t done much of… well, anything of note of late. But! She’d gone through that whole red star business, hadn’t she? Hadn’t she earned a rest? Granted, nothing had been happening of late anyway. But that, in Eris’ opinion, was a good thing. And maybe she’d gotten awfully distracted by the thought that she didn’t want to meet Ares’ followers looking and smelling like she’d rolled in something disgusting. And that was her true reason, deep down, for why she’d gone home and ordered for Hannah to create her a spa. Her hooves were nicely shined and filed, her horns looked nice, she’d even consented to having a nice, hot towel draped over her eyes to reduce puffiness. So why. Why in the world had the little prophet decided to show up? Aquarius was currently sharing Eris’ lovely spa bath with her, the little lilliput sitting opposite the mare and beaming at her. Eris had seen that smile when she’d lifted the towel
The Gift of Shelter by Burgiethewriter, literature
The Gift of Shelter
“Quickly, now!” Haurchefant’s ears pinned back as the Ballators who he was travelling with raced past him through the rain that was now bucketing down. It had begun as a light sprinkle of rain as they’d been on a family hunt, but now, thunder and lightning had combined with wind to make this rather a scary time indeed. “I could’ve sworn that Hannah said it’d stay dry today!” Tatiana commented, shaking out her fur. Jaik, her other son, snorted, shaking himself dry of the water that his mother had just liberally sprayed all over him. Tatiana shook herself back. Haruchefant couldn’t help but smile at the display, finding it rather endearing. But it was very cold, and they were all very wet, and they’d catch their deaths or at least a cold if they didn’t stop being silly like that. “Mum, Jaik, come on,” said Haurchefant, using his nose to nudge them further into the cave. It was rather a large cave, one that had Jaik perking his ears up in memory. “Wait a minute,” said Jaik, turning to
Unlike some Ballators, who awakened on the Charred Plains with no idea of how or why they were there, Eris knew exactly why she was there. She lifted her head from where it had been resting on the cracked, dry earth beneath her, yawning and grimacing at the sand on her tongue. She hauled herself to her hooves, immediately favouring the injured one. Now fully awake thanks to the pain, Eris looked around, trying to see what she could see in the dim light of very early morning. It was cold out here, but her burning hoof and Asiatic manes helped with some of that. The Charred Plains was… strangely empty, Eris noted as she looked around. But it didn’t feel empty- no, it felt tense, as if it was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. She looked up, noting with some alarm that the red star was far dimmer than it had been before. No longer did it cast its ghastly light over everything. That sight alone should have been a good thing, but it felt wrong, somehow. Maybe because
Once again, Arabica found himself standing on the Charred Plains. Or, more accurately, he was standing after rising to his feet, having awoken here. Had he been transported here in his sleep? He wasn’t sure, though he was sure that Jaik might be able to tell him. Assuming he came looking for him. Shaking dust and ash from his black manes, Arabica gazed around. There was still some light here, the sun having not long set. Or perhaps it was rising? Either way, the sky was a pale blue colour, the sun a glow on the horizon. But there was another shape, stepping out of the gloom, breaking Arabica out of his thoughts of how the red star seemed to have disappeared. “Dasher? Is that you?” Arabica asked, relief at his reindeer companion being here settling his nerves rather a lot. The shape resolved into a Ballator, though, not his companion. This was a Steppe Ballator, her colours dim but looking brown in the poor light. Her brow was crowned with darker brown horns, almost looking like a
Perdita did not often make a habit of involving herself in the business of the Highlords and Lowlord, and certainly not with the newly-minted Deathlord. Even the mere name made her shudder. A lord of death! What was the world coming to? Though, she supposed, the world in the wake of the Red Star was different. Very different. And perhaps that was what had brought her here now, cleaning up Aether’s Hoofprint as best she could in the wake of everything that had happened. Things had settled down a lot here now since the great battles, the only Ballators present were the ones who had come to worship the Deathlord. Tyndairai, the Deathlord was called. A strange name, in Perdita’s opinion, but she supposed that she could get used to it. Those nasty-looking brutes standing guard over by the waterfall, which itself guarded the entrance to the Crypts in a way, would no doubt have several nasty opinions were she to be anything less than nice when speaking of the Deathlord. Perdita cast her
Whether it was through the whims of some capricious troubadour or Highlord, or simply through Tatiana’s distractible mind as she chattered away, the pair veered wildly off the course that they’d been taking through the forest. Heavyn stopped, ears flat back in concern, her tail tucked between her legs, as the Enchanted Forest rose up before them. “Mama? Where… are we?” Heavyn asked, concern and fear strong in her quavering voice. “Hm?” Tatiana asked, and then gasped when she beheld the glowing plants that now surrounded them. “Ohh… Jaik told me about this, it’s the Enchanted Forest!” “The… what?” Heavyn repeated, flicking an ear. Whatever this place was, she didn’t trust those brightly-glowing plants, not one bit. She immediately discarded her idea to find a plant to share with her mother. Who knew how dangerous the plants here were? She could’ve sworn that flower, bobbing and swaying to its own rhythm, was looking at her! “Apparently, it’s the domain of the troubadour Puck,” said
Cold was all Arabica knew when he came to his senses. Cold and… a voice. “Arabica? Arabica, can you hear me? Open your eyes, please!” He’d recognise that voice anywhere, though what Jaik was doing out here, Arabica had no idea. Still, he grunted as he pulled himself up off of the freezing cold ground, his shoulder manes sticking to the earth and tearing unpleasantly. Blinking open bleary eyes, Arabica was unsurprised to see his best friend standing over him, though the look of worry on his face ill-suited him. “Huh? What happened?” Arabica asked, slowly getting to his hooves on shaking legs. “I don’t know,” said Jaik. “I just had this dream that you were in danger, and when I woke up, I knew I had to come here.” “How did I even get here?” Arabica asked, grunting as he tried to take a shaky step. He could see a campfire not far off and slowly began making his way towards the flickering warmth. The Charred Plains was littered with such campfires, Ballators huddled around them for who
“Are you sure you’re up for this, mum?” Tatiana turned to look at her son, who was looking at her with worry clear in his big green eyes. She smiled and nuzzled him, his long orange manes engulfing her face. “Of course, Jaiky, I’ll be fine,” said Tatiana, giving a swish of her tail. “Really?” Jaik asked, ears pinned back in concern. “It’s just, we all know what’s out there and…” “And nothing,” said Tatiana. “Yes, the thought of what’s out there does scare me, but I want to give your sister her Christmas present.” “Just as long as that present doesn’t come in the form of a foal delivered in front of her,” said Jaik. Tatiana laughed. “Silly stallion, I’m not due yet,” said Tatiana, teasing him. “Really, I’ll be fine.” “I’d feel a lot better if Haurche went with you,” said Jaik, referring to his younger brother. “I don’t want to overwhelm her,” said Tatiana. “Who knows how she’s fared with the Red Star and everything, after all.” “I guess you’re right,” said Jaik, looking down at
Campfire Conversations by Burgiethewriter, literature
Campfire Conversations
One would expect that, after everything that had happened out here, Eris would not ever return to the Charred Plains. And she didn’t mean to- not really. It was just that she didn’t want to stay at home like a coward, like Jaik, and a part of her wanted to make sure that nothing was coming. Or, that if something else was coming from Tyndairai or one of the many weird and wonderful Ballators that had set up camp in Aether’s Hoofprint, she could be the first to know and the first to warn everyone else. Tonight, though, Eris walked the Charred Plains alone. Boo had not wanted to come along, not that she could blame him, and as she wasn’t hunting, she felt that he would only slow her down. But Eris was surprised to see a familiar Ballator anyway. His orange manes stuck out like a sore hoof. And speaking of sore hoof, lately, she could’ve sworn that her sore hoof, injured in a hunt in the Deadwoods, had been literally glowing. But that couldn’t be true… could it? She wondered if Jaik’s
Arabica did not like to hunt. It wasn’t because he loved the animals too much, that was more Jaik’s thing. He did like animals well enough, but he knew that hunting was beneficial to survival in some cases, and it was the way of the world that some must die so that others may live. Death was just a part of the cycle of life. He had come to terms with that, no matter how much the thought of death scared him. He also didn’t like hunting because he would prefer not to, that was Maelstrom’s excuse. The lazy old Asiatic who had first found Arabica wandering lost in the desert had taught his adopted son how to hunt under extreme sufferance. No, the reason that Arabica disliked hunting stemmed from his deep anxiety over ‘just about everything’, as the other Ballators on Hannah’s property often said. But really, Jaik often argued in his friend’s defence, who wouldn’t be scared of everything, especially after the recent events with the Red Star? Arabica had stayed at home through all of that
Hailstorm Maelstrom by Burgiethewriter, literature
Hailstorm Maelstrom
“Daddy, tell me a story!” Maelstrom looked up as Trouble galloped across the paddock, eventually coming to a skidding stop at his father’s hooves. Maelstrom’s eyes widened as he grinned with glee upon this request, his face not even falling as Hyacinth made her slow progress towards him. “Go on,” said Hyacinth. She looked bedraggled, her opalescent horn décor sagging against her face. There were a few leaves and twigs stuck in it, more snagged in her curly manes and tail. “Oh, did you have a good hunting session with him?” Maelstrom asked, knowing that the mare had taken her son on a hunting lesson. Hyacinth snorted, while Trouble opened his mouth to tell his father all about it. “I do not want to talk about it,” said Hyacinth, and turned to walk away, no doubt headed for a long, hot soak in a bath that smelled like a flower garden (Maelstrom had once tried to do the same, but for some reason, Josephine took extreme offense to him trying to rest in the fountain). “Well, son, how
Eris couldn’t sleep. Oh, she had tried, she really had. She’d tried everything from Hyacinth’s suggestion of a sleepmask and earmuffs (even going so far as to borrow the other Asiatic mare’s silky purple eye mask), to Hannah’s sleepytime brew, even listening in on a bedtime story that Perdita told to the foals. Nothing seemed to be working, though, and this was hardly the first time that this had happened. Right now, Eris was trying the meditation suggested to her by Moth. Deep breath in, deep breath out, count to ten… Her hoof gave a sharp stab of pain, making Eris’ eyes fly open as a hissed curse escaped her lips. She shifted her position, trying to take weight off of the old injury. That whole adventure in the forest had been months ago now, so why in Ares’ name did her hoof still hurt so much? It looked fine, really, though the fur had taken some time to grow back around the bite mark. Hannah had said something about infection the last time, and that had worried Eris enough that
7584 Tatiana | RQ Level 3 | Winning Streak by Burgiethewriter, literature
7584 Tatiana | RQ Level 3 | Winning Streak
One would think that, especially after the events of the Red Star and her son and his friend going missing in a forest, Tatiana would be rather more hesitant about setting hoof there again. Not so, as she once again left her family behind, ensuring her son that he would be fine and that his little baby brother would protect him. Haurchefant had grown up quite a bit since Jaik had come home, now standing almost to her son’s withers. At the head, anyway. His little nubby green horns were starting to grow more little nubs, too, branching out into the antlers that they would someday become. “That’s right, Jaik, I’ll protect you!” Haurchefant crowed, rearing up onto his hind legs. Jaik laughed, leaning forward to touch his nose to his mother’s. “Alright, fine,” said Jaik. “Just be careful, okay, mum?” “I always am,” said Tatiana, giving him a reassuring grin. Her hare, Concentration, hopped up to her side, though, butting in. “More like, you somehow luck into and out of dangerous
While the red star cast its hellish glow over all the land and brought many Ballators together to fight the unknown threat, there were a few places that were free of its influence. Or, at least, free of the fighting. One of these places Tatiana knew well, no matter how far she wandered or how long she’d been away. It was not the place of her birth, not really. But it reminded her fondly of her younger days, when she’d travelled with her brother, coming back to this place again and again to be taught how to hunt and how to live by this friendly Mountain/Forest stallion. Even now, all this time later, he still had the same colourful rump, the same horns like antlers, the same palomino coat. Tatiana couldn’t help but beam as she came through the bushes, seeing the stallion who had partially raised her. And had been there for her ever since, no matter what happened. It had been him, after all, who she had gone to when she’d first fallen pregnant with Jaik. But this time, Tatiana did not
Jaik had never been so glad to see the Oasis, nor had he really expected to find it, but he’d know those slopes anywhere. The sound of that waterfall. Though it did look significantly different now, without the sights and sounds of sparring Ballators. It was so dark, too, that any blood that had been spilled could not be seen on the ground. It was almost peaceful. And yet, there was something in the air that prevented true peace from settling. A sense of foreboding, or maybe that was just from the fact that the strange deer creature that Jaik had seen before had disappeared. He wasn’t sure. But whatever it was, it made his manes stand on end. Now, Jaik could understand why Boo was so afraid. The leopard in question was still able to move, but slowly. It was also entirely possible that concern for his Ballator was overriding the fear that had frozen Boo almost completely solid. “We’ve made it,” Regale spoke up from behind them, Jaik turning at last to find the rest of the group coming
A little distance away from Jaik’s small herd, two Ballators stood together. Their dark coats blended in with the darkness around them, and though the lack of thick fur on them should have made them cold, they did not so much as shiver as the cold air whirled around them. “Well, brother, it looks like you’ve made a fine mess of things,” said Betelgeuse. Antares snapped at his sister, manes rattling, teeth bared. “I was not the one who got us kicked out of Orodrune, sister,” Antares sneered. Betelgeuse huffed. “Regardless, we can do something about this now,” said Betelgeuse. “And what do you suggest?” Antares asked, his tail flicking idly in the night air. “Open a ravine in front of them so they fall in? Send the denizens of the Deadwoods after them? Light the world on fire?” Betelgeuse snorted. “Well, that last one is out, though that stallion did make a nice lunch,” said Betelgeuse. “And we have not the strength yet to do anything major. I do have an idea, though, if you’ll stop
The landscape around Jaik seemed dark and desolate and endless. But, with his companions around him, he found it hard to feel truly alone. They were making slow progress, Jaik ever taking into consideration Nael’s weak back legs and stopping whenever the stallion needed to. Mercifully, Eris knew better than to complain. Or maybe she was happy to rest her injured hoof, too. A shape suddenly appeared out of the gloom, and Jaik stopped, Star prancing back a little with a nicker of concern. But the shape resolved itself to be Owl, staggering towards them, her eyes dark with pain and her blue horns crusted with the red Star Touched growths. She was in her usual form, now, no doubt too tired and weak to maintain her true form. Or perhaps the corruption had stolen that ability from her. That was a chilling thought. “Owl?” Eris asked, stepping towards the mare. But Owl did not hear her, or at least, she acted like she didn’t. Instead, she swung her head upwards, blinking at the red star, the
The red star woke Jaik. His eyes snapped open as he sucked in air, surging to his feet and sending something beside him rolling away with an annoyed nicker and the tiny bird within his mane fluttering away, chirping loud alarm calls. Jaik’s sides heaved as he looked around, trying to make sense of his dark surroundings. It was as dark as his coat out here, which was the strangest thing yet- where was the red star? “What the hell, Jaik?” a voice snapped, effectively snapping Jaik out of his thoughts. He turned around, surprised and too relieved to feel guilty as he beheld the form of Eris standing before him. Her tail flicked in agitation, though Jaik was pretty sure that it was directed towards him and not the black leopard crouched beneath her in fear. “You didn’t have to send us halfway across the bloody Lowrealm.” “I-I didn’t- what?” Jaik asked, ears flicking in confusion. But then he stepped forward and nuzzled Eris, who stepped back in annoyance and disgust, just barely missing
Natheir had seen many things in his travels. Many different landscapes, different beasts, even different dragons. He’d also seen plenty of different humans in addition to the one who had decided to accompany him on his travels. She often rode on his back, as she did now, clinging to a makeshift saddle that she’d created after one too many complaints about how uncomfortable it was to sit on him for extended periods of time. Now, Victoria let out a shout as Natheir suddenly dived down into a clearing, pulling up short before he could dive into the clear waters of the lake. “What are you doing?” Victoria demanded, scrambling from his saddle and onto the ground once Natheir had landed. Natheir shook his head, shaking out his wings as well, and then gave a growl of annoyance at the saddle still sitting on his back. “Get this thing off me,” said Natheir. “Fine,” said Victoria with a sigh and a roll of her eyes. She came around to his side, carefully unbuckling the straps. The saddle fell
Hi I'm Burgie and I do pretty much nothing but write about ponies (both pixel and fanged) and the OCs associated with them. It's fun though, I like it.
Favourite TV Shows
RWBY, Voltron: Legendary Defenders, Gotham, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Favourite Bands / Musical Artists
Ariana Grande, Pink, Demi Lovato
Favourite Books
Court of Thorns and Roses series, Rain Wilds series, Throne of Glass series
Favourite Writers
Sarah J Maas, Cassandra Clare, Stephen King, Robin Hobb
Favourite Games
Star Stable Online, Stardew Valley, Slime Rancher, The Sims
Your writing is very pleasant to read! I've been reading your EB stuff so far, I think I'll have to check out your SSO stuff too sometime! Been playing couple years myself ^^