Another arm reached out and the mass dragged itself forward. It was still a fair distance from Ky and not moving nearly fast enough to reach her in more than a few minutes.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Ky squinted at it, chest tight with fear. What should she do? She glanced around to see if there was another option to be able to make a wide berth around it. Or wait to see if would move along on its own.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
A head was visible beneath the snow, humanoid with stiff, stringy hair hanging down in front of the face, which was obscured. The arms kept dragging, trembling with effort or exhaustion.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Ky trembled, too, staring. Was it… a person? That’d be a big person. But. Well. Uhhhh…. She very, very cautiously approached, staring at it intently and leaving a wide berth between them to be able to sprint if she needed to. Was it sentient? What was it?
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
The end of the being was little more than a long stone slab, like a slug's body. Three human skulls hung from a sinew necklace on the being's emaciated torso, which appeared to be that of an ancient woman with gray, rocklike skin. Ragged breathing could be heard from the mouth. The being raised her head very slowly to reveal a skeletal face with watery dark eyes and a toothless mouth. She stared at Ky intently, pausing in her progress.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Ky trembled even worse, gut lurching. “S-stone m-m-mother?”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
(I have been searching for my description of her for AGES)
There was no response. Her breath puffed out, dusty and smelling of petrichor. Her eyes bore a startling malevolence.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
(Haha I guessed a post or two ago and then was like nahhhh Grand wouldn’t be THAT crazy—)
Ky whimpered and urged her horse to start towards the right, off the path. She needed to go.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
(Grand is that crazy but also this woman is literally an alive rock, so she poses very little threat)
Stone Mother reached out in that direction and began to heave her body towards Ky's horse, evidently in a hurry now but making almost no progress.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
(True. Tho you did say she is now going to be chasing Ky the rest of her entire life)
Ky whimpered loudly, terrified, and kicked her horse into a canter, going as fast as possible away from the terrifying woman.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
(Yeah holy shit that's TRUE Thank you I forgot her story too It's basically the snail meme)
(Wanna have an 8 minute existential crisis real quick)
Stone Mother followed, if what she was doing could even be called that.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Ky was sobbing, running as fast as she could. What had she done? Letting Stone Mother see her? Now she was going to be chasing her forever. She’d never be able to go home. Never. And what if Tomhas or someone accidentally overtook her? Or someone Gaius was sure to send after Ky? Gods, gods, gods—
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Up ahead was a line of enormous footprints, the same size as her horse's entire body.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Ky was still watching over her shoulder for Stone Mother and didn’t notice them.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
The creature making the footprints was coming up fast ahead.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
