[brandysilverfire]

base: droopy + overgrown
horn: large antlers
wings: large feathered
ears: soft
tail: braided
extras: extra mane

Ipsita's mate, Irukshala!

boy this took TIME. my god. ow.

[brandysilverfire]

lore waive-

They are too many.

She turns sharply into the grove of dead trees, where no light penetrates. Behind her, the army shouts between bouts of crashing thunder, unshaken despite every maneuver she tries.

A branch catches on her wedding dupatta and snatches it away, and a cry nearly leaves her lips as it disappears into the darkness- but she keeps quiet and keeps galloping, hooves knowing the ground she has walked for hundreds of years now, even if her eyes cannot see.

Irukshala pants for breath, trying to shake her wet hair out of her eyes, heavy with flowers and jewellery, undone from her carefully pinned updo. Tears spring to her eyes despite her fear and anger- of all the days! A thousand suns had passed in peace, but how unfair, that on the day she and Ipsita are to be wed, the attack comes!

She ducks behind a rock. The soldiers run past in their heavy armour, dented from her hooves. Irukshala smirks, and sends one of her crystals to topple the boulders down into the canyon, sparing herself a laugh at their screams.

But there are still many. She exhales and starts running again. The rain pelts down around her, and her mind races furiously, trying to weigh the benefits of going back to the cave while being followed, where she could use the harvest to defend, like her mother taught her.

But- Ipsita. Gentle, sweet, beloved Ipsita, who had never seen violence a day in her life, unaware and excited back home.

Late again, Iruka! How long you always take.

No. She cannot lead them back to her.

She dodges and twists them through the maze of rock and boulder, sending crystal after crystal towards the enemy.

Yet, like the endless river, they keep coming.

The first real spark of fear enters her when she realises she has just a few dozen crystals left with her. There are too many, and with her jewellery shining every time lightning cracks through the sky, she cannot disappear into the shadows like she normally would.

A wall looms in front of her and Irukshala gasps, trying in vain to slow down. She crashes into it full force, sending her to the ground.

Irukshala pants, steam rising off her as she gets to her feet. She must have taken a wrong turn.

This is bad. She needs to get back to the cave- Ipsita is trained as a Guardian, combined they can fight the army off-

Metal clanks behind her and Irukshala spins around.

A dozen soldiers block the only pass out.

She pins her ears back, staring them down. Stamps a hoof and snorts, lowering her head.

Spears go up. Her eyes widen.

She has always been a quick thinker. Heart aching and scream caught in her throat, she crushes the berries she still had in hand and uses it to apply her sindhoor, because she may fall but she will fall as Ipsita’s mate.

I'm sorry, my love, Irukshala thinks to herself, tears spilling over. I will be late today as well.

Then with a roar, she rears up, calls every last bit of magick within her, spreads her wings, keeps the memory of Ipsita's laughter in her heart, and charges.

[bezel]

this is #M-37 ^ ^
please add 'extra mane' to the extras section