Private Tales Domesticating Flight

[Maho 'Jerik' Sparhawk]

The Spine
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On that particular day, the storm near The Spine was immense. It's great and oppressive thunder filling the sky in opposition to the blue and clear sky. Fighting the white clouds away, and replacing them with heavy, dark and bleak grey clumps of doom.

Sparhawk had come there for an oddly specific reason. Before beginning his quest, the first thing he must do is acquire a mount, as his last one fell ill and died whilst he travelled with Miles Widogast. A mount that could take him hundreds of miles across the land and seas. He had heard rumours that a flying horse had been seen flying around by the Spine, but he had to see it for himself. If he could tame it, even for a while, it could prove a powerful asset and a good companion.

He took the long road to the Spine, travelling for weeks from Belgrath, using caravans to get there as quickly as possible. Seeing the sea and snow along the way took Sparhawk back to simpler days, when things were also very much simple, and very much peaceful.

Arriving, he paid the caravan driver, overcharging Maho greatly to his annoyance, and made his way to the location he'd been tipped off to.

The rain beat against his robe, even after raising a barrier around him, the fantastic sound of the rain beat against it, making shockwaves into the floor.

He looked around, the blank landscape misted by the weather, raising a light cone through it to support his sight.

He can't see anything...

 

[Former and the Foal]

The mightly 'winged' horses of the spine. Rarely had any corner of Arethil boasted such a magnificent beast. Once a time ages past, these flying horses were exploited in grand numbers to fuel various armies of the world. But those times are long gone now. And with it rare are the massive herds that once trampled the mountain lowlands and rare are attempts at taming these now fabled equine flyers.

It was never guaranteed that one would come upon a herd in these lands...but.


There they were... And there he was...
Among the lush grasses and the steep ground.
A small bachelor herd with the prized liver chestnut stallion up front with the noted runic brand on it's flank. It was The Steed of Hellet.

The mage was in advantage, for he lay downwind.

 

[Maho 'Jerik' Sparhawk]

There it was...

The magnificent Steed of Hellet.

Legendary...

"You're mine..." He muttered under his breath, crouching to hide his location. He put a veil on him to hide his scent, as he knew these horses had very acute senses, and could sense him in an instant.

He slowly made his way near the Steed, still keeping his distance. Putting speed into his shoes, he shot forward like a cannonball, rocketing towards the horse. He thought about trying to tame it slowly, but it would simply fly away. Perhaps if he mounted it, he could go from there...

The Steed of Hellet

 

[Former and the Foal]

It's head jutted straight up as something strange got hold of it. Still it was unknown to it who and what and where.
-it happned faster than a Gathamhr ambush-
crazy mage.


The other stallions quickly scattered, neighed and some reared. Most ran downhill but a few grew wings and glided down instead. No doubt these were the right horses.

 

[Maho 'Jerik' Sparhawk]

"HA!" He'd found the right breed. For weeks he'd been looking for the right group of horses, and he'd found them. This had better be worth it...

He put his legs on either side of the steed, saying incantations as he did. Suddenly, his legs bolted to the side of the steed, stuck there, in the hopes he wouldn't be kicked off of it.

"Alright... let's give this a go..." He slammed his right leg into the side of the horse, hopefully that'd get it in the air.

He had no idea what he was doing...

The Steed of Hellet

 

[Former and the Foal]

Oh no you won't. The horse spotted the man on it's back.
He won't give in this easily.


First he kicked high in the air, then it reared up. And reared again almost vertically before going off for a sudden spinning kick before bolting off to run in circles and arching it's back any way it could among it's many leaps.

 

[Maho 'Jerik' Sparhawk]

oh god this hurts

The multiple rears and arching of the horse were seriously hurting his pelvis, he felt as if it was getting ruptured, the violent kickbacks of the Steed felt like a hammer meeting his bones. Sparhawk was flinged from side-to-side, still connected to the horse, but only just.

"Not today...." He whispered to himself. He began to Hex the horse's hoofs, weighing them down to 3 times their weight. Hopefully it would prevent it from kicking up so much.

please god let it stop kicking up so much...

The Steed of Hellet

 

[Former and the Foal]

Pesky human. Even with legs weighted down, it will not break!
The stallion threw itself onto it's side.

That'll get him off...

 

[Maho 'Jerik' Sparhawk]

"Oh, F-f-f-f-f...." That seriously hurt. The kind of pain that sends someone into a trance, or to sleep...

He felt his right leg under the immense weight of the horse. It felt as if he might've broken his ankle, the trade-off to making his shoes so heavy, was that they met the floor with an almighty slam.

He had to do something. fast.

The end of his staff glowed a great Ruby colour, and the floor beneath them which the horse was laying on heated up, to the point of where the water from the plants were steaming forth.

This'll get him up.

The Steed of Hellet

 

[Former and the Foal]

Yowww hot hot hot hot. bad idea bad idea. The horse picked himself up and ran crashing down the hillside just to get away from the sudden heat influx.


And it trotted and trotted faster and faster.
But the weight hex did not wear off just yet.


Off.

Exhausting.

The steed slowly went off into a full stop, shaking it's mane.

Humans are pesky.

 

[Maho 'Jerik' Sparhawk]

That did the trick...

W-What now?

He thought and pondered for a minute, thinking what the next step was. He didn't want to become too aggressive, else they'd just keep fighting, and he didn't really feel like injuring himself more than he already was.

He began to approach the steed, making eye contact with it, making sure to approach as slowly as he could. Slowly laying down staff as he did. He waited to see it's reaction...

The Steed of Hellet

 

[Former and the Foal]

The horse gazed upon the human.

And began walking away.

 

[Maho 'Jerik' Sparhawk]

"HEY!" Sparhawk picked up his staff, and slammed it into the ground, making an almighty bang as it's shaft met with the ground.

"You're mine..." Once again, the dust from the floor began to surround Sparhawk's feet, and he shot forward towards the horse once more. This time, it's his...

The Steed of Hellet

 

[Former and the Foal]

Ohnononono no no.
Smoldermane dotted onwards, but alas the petty human was on its back again.

How troublesome. Maybe If I stand still he'll go away. And so the horse...stood still, ears laying flat against it's neck.

 

[Maho 'Jerik' Sparhawk]

Hmm...

God, i hate catching horses.

Especially flying ones.

He stood still also. Waiting to see if the horse would fly off. It seems like it won't, offering an opportunity. Maybe he could bait it with food?

He waves his staff over the ground between them, sprouting an apple tree, blooming with gorgeous, ruby-red apples. Surely it can't resist such a tempting offer.

Can it?

The Steed of Hellet

 

[Former and the Foal]

The horse retreated back, perhaps suddenly but expectedly enough.

After a while of observing the stallion walked towards the apple tree.
Considering his previous meal was cut short by this nincompoop that now sat proudly on his back, an apple was a delicacy.

Munch munch and an apple dissapeared from the lowest branch.

 

[Maho 'Jerik' Sparhawk]

Alright...

Slowly, he summoned a long piece of leather into his hand in the shape of a harness. He had to be careful, one wrong move and he'd be kicked off...

He slowly lowered the leather, and suddenly jolted the leather forward around the horses neck...

This is gonna hurt...

The Steed of Hellet

 

[Former and the Foal]

Or suprisingly it will not.
The horse turned his head and shook it.
What was that?

 

[Maho 'Jerik' Sparhawk]

This was it

Today, we ride...

With all the force he could muster, he slammed both his legs into both sides of the great Steed, and pulled the leather strip towards him. He squeezed his legs together, making sure he wouldn't fall off.

We're flyin'...

The Steed of Hellet

 

[Former and the Foal]

The horse skipped on his feet at the pull.. what did this human want now, stop being annoying human. The stallion would turn and walk a few paces forward.

 

[Maho 'Jerik' Sparhawk]

Alright, now we're getting somewhere...

"Alright, let's see if we can get you moving, eh?" He patted the back of the horses head. Hopefully, for now at least, he wouldn't have to be so aggressive.

"Hyup!" He commanded the horse to move forward. Probably wouldn't do anything, since it isn't a domesticated breed. Gotta start somewhere he thought.

The Steed of Hellet

 

[Former and the Foal]

This beast has not had a competent rider for at least five decades.

The incomplete rune on it's flank flared of a deep blood red and flickered four times before it estinguished. Who knew what the original purpose was, but it was clear that whatever came of it, the desired result was not achieved.

The heinous beast still remembered the commands, it's front legs would rise in the air before transcending into a fully formed gallop along the cliff ridge along the Crobhear 'sea'.

 

[Maho 'Jerik' Sparhawk]

"Yeah!" What a great feeling this was. He was an experienced rider Sparhawk, but this was unlike anything he'd done before. The storm was raging, wind in the sail of his Hood, the horse went into full gallop, taking them across the ridge of the cliff.

It was a beautiful sight. The sun rearing it's head over the ugly, grey, heavy clouds. As the Steed picked up steed, he felt more and more alive. The rain beating against his face suddenly didn't matter, and all he could think about was the ecstasy of riding this magnificent horse.

Let's see what he can really do...

"HYA!" He shouted above the sound of the raising thunder.

The Steed of Hellet

 

[Former and the Foal]

How much faster could this steed go? It ran and ran, so much that the wind would be hard to resist. Especially at the edge where the wind would go upwards.

Be glad you have those makeshift reins, human.
Flying was taxing indeed. Perhaps a natural 'encouragement' will bring the best out of this steed in a moment's notice.