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"Aren't you such a clever man

Showing off your sleight of hand?

Well, everyone knows you're not true

They blindly play along with you

But you don't hear what I hear

You don't hear what I hear

Stick a pin in it

C'mon, he's asking for it

Stick a pin in it

C'mon, he's asking for it"

Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra - The Assistant

*Slight violence/gore warning*

Nikolai trudged through the forest, pinning his ears at the noise of the noisier colts in front of him. They weren’t a big group, just the three of them, including Nikolai himself. He couldn't believe he had been dragged into this by Katar. What would his father think of him being out this late? Thoughts raced through his head as the small group traveled through the night. It was hard to hear anything with the amount of noise everyone was making. Keeping his head slightly lowered, he watched the two others dart across the forest ground in front of him in excitement. However, he kept his gazy fixed mostly on Katar, who was leading the herd of colts. Nikolai knew that should have been him, but he didn’t feel very brave at all. At least not as brave as Katar was. Maybe Katar should be the next Vasiliás of Chirus instead of him. Nik shook his head at the thought. No, he would grow up to be brave and strong. He’d make his father proud.

“I’ll race you to the river!” Cried Teren, a palomino colt with brawny shoulders. His horns were growing faster than Nik’s and he practically looked like a moose because of it. Teren acted like it, too. He was also Katar’s friend, but Nikolai didn’t like him much. Teren was too pushy and even a little mean. Nikolai often saw him at school, getting into fights or trying to pick them. He had no idea how him and Katar had become friends, but he had no right to question that either. Katar was smart, daring, and brave. Nikolai was shy, built like a twig, and the Vasiliás’ son. Katar had seen through all of that, however, and saw the good in Nik. Together they often studied in the grand library under candle light, studying in silence. The colt wished he was doing that right now instead of out in the cold.

Before he knew it, Katar and Teren were taking off. Letting out a short sigh, Nikolai raced after them.

“Hey! Wait up!” He called after them, watching their tails disappear into the dark in front of him. Thankfully he knew where the river was but that didn’t stop the creeping fear of the dark from sneaking up on him. He just wanted to go home.

Nikolai jumped out of the bushes and stopped to catch his breath. His legs were shaking and he flinched as a crow cawed from above, landing on a branch and staring right at him. The colt looked right back at it, into its dark, void eyes that reminded him of his father’s magic. The way it pooled on the ground like ink and smoke.

He was snapped out of his trance by a call from across the river.

“Hey! Are you going to cross or just stare doe-eyed!” Teren sneered, laughing with Katar from the other side. Nikolai looked down at the river as it rushed past. He looked at the rocks jutting from out of the raging rapids, morbidly imagining falling in and hitting one of them.

“I-I think I’d rather go back to town!” He called back.

“Come on, Nikolai! Don’t be such a baby! It’s just a river!” The palomino smirked at him. Teren knew Nik was too small yet to be able to clear something like this in one jump. He wouldn’t be able to walk across, either. It was too deep.

Nikolai took a step back, his eyes darting to Katar, but the grullo wouldn’t meet his gaze. The black roan then slowly turned around and started to walk back to the path back to town. He could hear Teren laughing and Katar say something, but it was swept away by the rapids. Besides, Nik wasn’t sure he even wanted to hear what he was talking about with Teren, anyway.

Once he found the path back to town, Nikolai felt better. Especially now with the moon out and shining down on him. He let out a breath of relief when his hooves touched the stone path and he could see the dim light of the lampposts down the road. The smallest smile rose on his face as he began to walk down the road. He didn’t realize how scared he had been in the woods with Katar and Teren.

Snap!

Nikolai’s legs locked in place as he looked around. Nothing in the dark around him moved. Before he could blame it on the local fauna, something hit his side and he was on the ground being dragged. The stone ground rubbed harshly on his coat, but where the creature had bit him hit him more. As he cried out and kicked to get away, the creature just held tighter and dragged him faster. With a horror of realization, he could hear the roar of the river once again.

“Teren! Teren let me go!” He screamed, twisting around to see the palomino colt, his fangs wrapped around Nikolai’s skinny leg. Tears were streaming down his face at a rapid pace now as they got closer to the river bank. How could this be happening?! Even though he knew Teren was cruel, how could he be doing this?

Even as he screamed, Teren continued to pull him, closer and closer to the water. Finally, right before the water, he let Nikolai go. The black roan had his front hooves covering his eyes as he sobbed. His leg was throbbing with pain, and he could feel the hot liquid of blood roll down onto the grass.

“Oh look, the stupid little bastard prince can’t even fight back! What are you gonna do? Wait for daddy to come save you? Because guess what? He isn’t here!” Teren laughed as he struck a hoof on Nikolai’s side. The colt let out a scream and then another as Teren struck him again. He was going to die here, alone in the cold woods, his body thrown into the river and Teren telling the lie that he had slipped on the rocks and fallen. His father would be disappointed in him. Everyone would remember him as the damned prince who died by slipping on a rock.

That was his destiny. His destiny was to die.

But right as the third strike came down on him, Nikolai felt something deep in his soul. Something he hadn’t felt before. He grasped it hard, pulling hard. In an instant, he was on his hooves and Teren was on the ground with a terrified look on his face, as if he had just seen the wrath of the gods themselves.

Nikolai still gripped what had risen from inside him, and he pulled at it again, feeling a rush of power flood through him. It felt as if it would envelop him itself, like a cloak of darkness. Even though he was scared of, Nikolai let it.

“Nikolai! What are you doing?! Nikolai!” Teren screamed, but it sounded like he was on the other side of the forest. As rage filled his body, Nikolai reared up, an arch of sharp darkness, moving with him like a reaper’s scythe. All he heard next was the loudest, most horrific scream he ever heard.

When he slammed his hooves down, darkness flooded his vision. He couldn’t see until he let go of whatever had taken over him. Blinking, he stared down in horror.

Blood decorated the ground, Teren’s eyes were wide, his mouth caught mid-scream. But that’s not what got Nikolai. He was used to seeing his father shed blood right in front of him. He was not used to seeing horses explode where a weapon hit. There was a clear mark of where, whatever hit Teren, hard carved through him. The fur and skin around the wound was blistering, exposing his bodily organs. Even as his body shook, even as he tasted Teren’s blood as it dripped from his muzzle into his mouth, deep down he didn’t feel a thing.

He didn’t feel anything when Katar looked at him like a monster, either. All he felt was cold as Katar lead him away from Teren. Maybe the grullo thought it was something else that had killed Teren in such a horrid way and spared Nikolai’s life.

As they walked down the stone path, back to the palace, Nikolai didn’t say a word. For the first time in his life, he didn’t feel scared.

He felt alive.

Horse(s) Pictured: 8429 The Black Heretic
Link to Ballator: ID 8429
Item(s) Applying: x1 Blank Slate Stone (Application )

Stats Breakdown:
Fullbody +3
Shading +1
Detailed Background +3
1407 Words +7
Ghoul Companion + 1 AS
Ghoul Companion +2
Total: 17

Description

Zoom in for better quality

"Aren't you such a clever man

Showing off your sleight of hand?

Well, everyone knows you're not true

They blindly play along with you

But you don't hear what I hear

You don't hear what I hear

Stick a pin in it

C'mon, he's asking for it

Stick a pin in it

C'mon, he's asking for it"

Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra - The Assistant

*Slight violence/gore warning*

Nikolai trudged through the forest, pinning his ears at the noise of the noisier colts in front of him. They weren’t a big group, just the three of them, including Nikolai himself. He couldn't believe he had been dragged into this by Katar. What would his father think of him being out this late? Thoughts raced through his head as the small group traveled through the night. It was hard to hear anything with the amount of noise everyone was making. Keeping his head slightly lowered, he watched the two others dart across the forest ground in front of him in excitement. However, he kept his gazy fixed mostly on Katar, who was leading the herd of colts. Nikolai knew that should have been him, but he didn’t feel very brave at all. At least not as brave as Katar was. Maybe Katar should be the next Vasiliás of Chirus instead of him. Nik shook his head at the thought. No, he would grow up to be brave and strong. He’d make his father proud.

“I’ll race you to the river!” Cried Teren, a palomino colt with brawny shoulders. His horns were growing faster than Nik’s and he practically looked like a moose because of it. Teren acted like it, too. He was also Katar’s friend, but Nikolai didn’t like him much. Teren was too pushy and even a little mean. Nikolai often saw him at school, getting into fights or trying to pick them. He had no idea how him and Katar had become friends, but he had no right to question that either. Katar was smart, daring, and brave. Nikolai was shy, built like a twig, and the Vasiliás’ son. Katar had seen through all of that, however, and saw the good in Nik. Together they often studied in the grand library under candle light, studying in silence. The colt wished he was doing that right now instead of out in the cold.

Before he knew it, Katar and Teren were taking off. Letting out a short sigh, Nikolai raced after them.

“Hey! Wait up!” He called after them, watching their tails disappear into the dark in front of him. Thankfully he knew where the river was but that didn’t stop the creeping fear of the dark from sneaking up on him. He just wanted to go home.

Nikolai jumped out of the bushes and stopped to catch his breath. His legs were shaking and he flinched as a crow cawed from above, landing on a branch and staring right at him. The colt looked right back at it, into its dark, void eyes that reminded him of his father’s magic. The way it pooled on the ground like ink and smoke.

He was snapped out of his trance by a call from across the river.

“Hey! Are you going to cross or just stare doe-eyed!” Teren sneered, laughing with Katar from the other side. Nikolai looked down at the river as it rushed past. He looked at the rocks jutting from out of the raging rapids, morbidly imagining falling in and hitting one of them.

“I-I think I’d rather go back to town!” He called back.

“Come on, Nikolai! Don’t be such a baby! It’s just a river!” The palomino smirked at him. Teren knew Nik was too small yet to be able to clear something like this in one jump. He wouldn’t be able to walk across, either. It was too deep.

Nikolai took a step back, his eyes darting to Katar, but the grullo wouldn’t meet his gaze. The black roan then slowly turned around and started to walk back to the path back to town. He could hear Teren laughing and Katar say something, but it was swept away by the rapids. Besides, Nik wasn’t sure he even wanted to hear what he was talking about with Teren, anyway.

Once he found the path back to town, Nikolai felt better. Especially now with the moon out and shining down on him. He let out a breath of relief when his hooves touched the stone path and he could see the dim light of the lampposts down the road. The smallest smile rose on his face as he began to walk down the road. He didn’t realize how scared he had been in the woods with Katar and Teren.

Snap!

Nikolai’s legs locked in place as he looked around. Nothing in the dark around him moved. Before he could blame it on the local fauna, something hit his side and he was on the ground being dragged. The stone ground rubbed harshly on his coat, but where the creature had bit him hit him more. As he cried out and kicked to get away, the creature just held tighter and dragged him faster. With a horror of realization, he could hear the roar of the river once again.

“Teren! Teren let me go!” He screamed, twisting around to see the palomino colt, his fangs wrapped around Nikolai’s skinny leg. Tears were streaming down his face at a rapid pace now as they got closer to the river bank. How could this be happening?! Even though he knew Teren was cruel, how could he be doing this?

Even as he screamed, Teren continued to pull him, closer and closer to the water. Finally, right before the water, he let Nikolai go. The black roan had his front hooves covering his eyes as he sobbed. His leg was throbbing with pain, and he could feel the hot liquid of blood roll down onto the grass.

“Oh look, the stupid little bastard prince can’t even fight back! What are you gonna do? Wait for daddy to come save you? Because guess what? He isn’t here!” Teren laughed as he struck a hoof on Nikolai’s side. The colt let out a scream and then another as Teren struck him again. He was going to die here, alone in the cold woods, his body thrown into the river and Teren telling the lie that he had slipped on the rocks and fallen. His father would be disappointed in him. Everyone would remember him as the damned prince who died by slipping on a rock.

That was his destiny. His destiny was to die.

But right as the third strike came down on him, Nikolai felt something deep in his soul. Something he hadn’t felt before. He grasped it hard, pulling hard. In an instant, he was on his hooves and Teren was on the ground with a terrified look on his face, as if he had just seen the wrath of the gods themselves.

Nikolai still gripped what had risen from inside him, and he pulled at it again, feeling a rush of power flood through him. It felt as if it would envelop him itself, like a cloak of darkness. Even though he was scared of, Nikolai let it.

“Nikolai! What are you doing?! Nikolai!” Teren screamed, but it sounded like he was on the other side of the forest. As rage filled his body, Nikolai reared up, an arch of sharp darkness, moving with him like a reaper’s scythe. All he heard next was the loudest, most horrific scream he ever heard.

When he slammed his hooves down, darkness flooded his vision. He couldn’t see until he let go of whatever had taken over him. Blinking, he stared down in horror.

Blood decorated the ground, Teren’s eyes were wide, his mouth caught mid-scream. But that’s not what got Nikolai. He was used to seeing his father shed blood right in front of him. He was not used to seeing horses explode where a weapon hit. There was a clear mark of where, whatever hit Teren, hard carved through him. The fur and skin around the wound was blistering, exposing his bodily organs. Even as his body shook, even as he tasted Teren’s blood as it dripped from his muzzle into his mouth, deep down he didn’t feel a thing.

He didn’t feel anything when Katar looked at him like a monster, either. All he felt was cold as Katar lead him away from Teren. Maybe the grullo thought it was something else that had killed Teren in such a horrid way and spared Nikolai’s life.

As they walked down the stone path, back to the palace, Nikolai didn’t say a word. For the first time in his life, he didn’t feel scared.

He felt alive.

Horse(s) Pictured: 8429 The Black Heretic
Link to Ballator: ID 8429
Item(s) Applying: x1 Blank Slate Stone (Application )

Stats Breakdown:
Fullbody +3
Shading +1
Detailed Background +3
1407 Words +7
Ghoul Companion + 1 AS
Ghoul Companion +2
Total: 17