Masts story has no romantic beginning, at least not in the normal sense. Surely his parents loved each other, as much as they could have given their circumstances. Their love had been wrought with turmoil though, and sadly was never meant to last. Perhaps Garbage and Oceanus were just two beings that the Gods had never intended to be truly happy. But still they had loved with a love that was more than a love. They had shared and kept secrets from one another, and in the end that secret had ended Oceanus’ long life. He had died there on the Beach, his throat torn and gaping as his newborn son stood on wobbly legs, pressed into the sharp angles of Garbage. They had watched the aftermath, though Mast had done his best to press those memories from his mind. They weren’t something he cared to dwell on, and if could totally forget then he would gladly do so.
It is a pleasant day, and so he ventured from the loving arms of his kingdom and out into the greater lands of Beqanna. The gray stallion paused here and there to take a bite of grass, not in any particular hurry but with a task in mind all the same. Above him the sun shined bright in the sky, and he felt as though a warm blanket had been laid over his gray back. Soon he reaches the Field, and his eyes sweep over the lands. It excited him to see how full the Field was these days, with scores of horses searching for homes. He makes his way through them, his eyes having fallen on a roan mare standing slightly off to the side. A warm smile washed over his black muzzle, and he approached her with that easy grace he had. “Hello there! Beautiful day, isn’t it?” he said conversationally, cocking a hind leg as he relaxed in her presence. “I’m Mast, King of Heavens Gates. Care to share a name?” He wasn’t always prone to dropping his title, and in fact sometimes felt strange doing so. But he was a king now, and it was high time he started getting used to it.
mast
be my asleep at last