to live and burn is
the most exquisite form of self destruction

The Vulcans fell upon him like wolves.

It began with one pair of eyes following his every moment, one imposing body blocking him from ascending the mountain any further. Rade watched with golden eyes that were more puzzled than wary - after the Peak’s most recent victory, there were more than enough men with ill intentions on the mountain. Seeking to stop the entry of a single stallion was akin to trying to moving one’s herd after the floodwaters had already risen. The blue draft needn’t have bothered to descend from her perch in search of trouble - trouble surrounded her, surrounded them all on the Crossing, on Tinuvel, on Luthien and Atlantis and Salem. No one’s home was safe from the reaches of the war. Couldn’t she see?

Before the palomino roan could do more than draw a deep breath, another well-muscled mare approached to stand beside him. Shortly after, another sister- this one sporting a patchwork coat and a body that more resembled Rade’s own slender, unimpressive build - joined them. Within the breadth of a few heartbeats, two had become four, and the Lagoon’s once-leader found himself surrounded and outnumbered. This should have left his stomach leaden with dread, and his heart beating frantically against the walls of its prison - instead, the stallion returned the black mare’s steady gaze with his own. It was easier than Rade had imagined it would be; the enmity that he had expected to struggle against was absent, and his prejudices replaced by genuine curiosity. This was not, after all, one of the harpies that had hounded him season after season in the days that his energy had been spent fighting wars within himself. And if she struggled against wrongs either real or imagined, this Vulcan concealed her burden well, her words civil if somewhat curt. Her openness and genuine interest filled the stallion with an emotion that was both warm and unfamiliar - hope.

Perhaps old hatreds could be put aside for the good of all.

”I am not here as a captive, but a delegate,” Rade began, focusing his attention on the mare who had spoken and whose presence captivated him most, though he favored the others with a glance as he spoke to make it clear that his words included all. ”I ruled the Lagoon once, long ago - before family matters led me to leave the islands. It was only recently that I returned to discover the ruinous state of the bachelor herd, and was given the name of the one responsible. Cullen… my son.” The palomino roan paused here to allow the truth to permeate their tangle thoughts, bracing his body for the potential of physical blows. It was the most dangerous moment in their conversation, but he had known from the beginning that he would need to be honest - if there was to be a foundation of trust between them, it could not be built upon a bed of lies.

When the expected fallout did not immediately come, the once-Boss continued. ”I cannot pretend to understand the intricacies of whatever started this war, but I do know one thing - it cannot be permitted to continue. Even in my day, the Peak and the Lagoon fell upon each other like wolves, while the herd stallions reigned unchecked. Now we reap the benefits of what was sown - these kings that sit upon their thrones and think themselves invincible have turned us into pawns in their wars.” Anger had finally arrived, hard and hot in his chest like molten metal - but it was not at the Vulcans that Rade’s ire was directed. ”Heirs are born in their kingdoms, and raised on the set of morals that their fathers see fit to teach them - if they are taught any at all. Fillies grow into women, and their freedom is traded for the favor of one kingdom or another.”

And now arrived the most difficult part of this mess - Rade inhaled deeply, struggling to regain his composure. A single word could be the difference here; he needed to step carefully. ”My son killed your leader in a war that should never have been ours to fight. If it is the freedom of choice you fight for, I offer you a decision of your own: let us stand together. No kingdom should be permitted to dictate their subject’s lives from beginning to end. The fillies will go to the Peak at no more than a year of age, and receive their freedom to choose when you feel that they are ready. The colts will come to the Lagoon, where they will receive instruction from only those who can be trusted to teach them the difference between taking what they desire and earning what they truly deserve. The bachelors will hold no mares captive save those who wish to remain. And because the Vulcan’s loss was greatest and your trust in us broken, when Cullen is overthrown the first leaders we elect will ascend with your approval only.”

It was a lot to offer, and few of the bachelors would thank him for it - but Rade understood that there was no other way. Despite his concessions, there was still the strong possibility that the sisters would refuse him, just as he knew that there was a very real chance that they would kill him simply for being Cullen’s father. Blood for blood, their vengeance taken. But it was doubtful the boy would mourn for the loss of the father he’d scarcely known. No, it was the power he would mourn for, when those he’d once commanded turned on him and it was wrested from his grasp. But it was also for the best - Rade knew as well as anyone how the weight of power could change someone, how it could twist them. His interest no longer lay in such trappings, but in the future that he would scarcely get the chance to enjoy, and in the legacy that he left behind.

If the Peak and the Lagoon could set aside their differences, the world would tremble.

stallion . twenty-one . palomino roan . mustang mix . 15.1hh
debonaire x neassa