all of my devils are free at last
all my secrets revealed
Save her.
God, she's such a sucker for a good love story. A slight shiver travels along her skin as she stares at Time’s odd visage. Before she can even formulate a response however, he disappears. It is left up to her to make a choice: continue forward or turn around. It's no question what she will choose. She will never be one to shy away from a dangerous path. She has spent so much of her life in carefree tedium that this adventure is an incredible opportunity she simply cannot refuse.
She might never have met such a powerful being before, but she knows without a doubt that this is the creature who had snatched her from time itself. She might have been confused when he had first appeared before her, but his few simple words had quickly reached her often too-soft heart. And she would do as he bade because she could do no less. Something inside her knows, incontrovertibly, that this is exactly what she has been waiting her entire life for. The hours - days - that she has idled away have been so that she could come to this moment. So, as the light appears in the distance, she steps forward with no hesitation, following her destiny.
At the end of the tunnel, she can hear the howling of the wicked winter wind long before she ever sees the snow. A nearly pristine blanket of white greets her as she steps out into that new world, stretching before her, drawing her eye to the massive mountain blocking her path. She knows, without question, that this is what Time must have been speaking of, the indirect route she must traverse. For a moment, it looks nearly insurmountable, but she is a stubborn creature. She would pass whatever trials are necessary to see this through.
As she eyes her surroundings, she notes the two faint paths angling away from her. One appears to lead around the Mountain, though given the size of that monstrosity, she wonders that it wouldn’t take days to reach the other side. The other path appears to lead directly into the mountain, to a cave gaping above her. Given her rather dubious options, she elects to brave the cave. It appears, at the very least, to be out of the ice and snow. Whether it is shorter, she has yet to determine
It soon becomes quite clear to her that she previously had no notion of what danger actually is. But that's Divide for you - young, brash, naive.
Her first obstacle comes in the form of a rock slide. She has made it nearly half a mile into the cave when she encounters the massive pile of rubble blocking her path. For a moment, she contemplates the rocks before her, and the possibility of returning to take the alternate route. But she has never been one to give up so easily. Instead she steps gingerly forward, poking carefully at the jagged pieces of stone. With a deep breath, she starts forward, fully intending to climb that awful mess.
It is not an easy trip. Rocks crumble and give way beneath her, the precarious surface forcing her to scrabble and pitch awkwardly. By the time she reaches the top, her cannons, knees, and fetlocks are thoroughly scraped, bruised, and bleeding. As she glances down at the equally precarious descent, she wonders (not for the first time) if she has made the right decision. However, given that she has two choices, continuing or returning the way she came (both of which involve climbing down), she elects to continue forward.
The journey to the other side is much quicker, mostly due to the fact she ends up sliding most of the way down (quite by accident). This results in some very unfortunate bruising on her behind, but hey, at least she's on the other side. So, a win-lose situation of sorts.
As she continues forward, she soon finds herself entering a large cavern. She pauses a moment, glancing around in an attempt to determine the best way through. She discovers that the tunnel appears to continue ahead in the distance. She is about halfway there when she hears a rather mysterious sound - something suspiciously reminiscent of a hiss. Still, she has made it this far, there is simply no way she is turning back now.
It does not take her long to regret that decision, however. Just before she reaches the tunnel, she encounters a beast of terrifying proportions. As it turns out, that spine-tingling hiss seems to have come from a rather intimidating serpent (read: large, spiky, and scary). The thing emerges from the opening before her (clearly its tunnel system), white fangs gleaming in the dim light of the cavern. Divide pauses for a only a single stunned moment before turning and bolting. She is not a fighter by any means, and this beast could eat her in one, horrifying gulp. If she could outrun it, maybe she would have a chance. Of course, that damn rock slide halfway down the previous tunnel makes that a bit trickier. So, apparently, she would simply have to give this fearsome looking thing the slip. Piece of cake, right?
She might not have any special abilities, but she does like to think she is a somewhat intelligent creature. Surely she has the wherewithal to outwit even this gnarly serpent. Despite the drumming of hooves on rock, she can hear the soft shushing sound of the snake’s belly sliding against stone, gaining rapidly on her retreating form. Fortunately, by pure chance, she spots a ledge that might be just the thing she needs.
Given the beasts proximity, she does not slow. Not if she wants to live. When the shelf is finally within reach, her muscles bunch as she springs upwards. Her calculated leap (along with a bit of pre-meditated angling) slams her into the far wall as her hooves clatter on the narrow shelf. She winces a bit as her aching muscles protest the abuse, but she does not stop. She uses the force and momentum to turn and spring away from the wall. The ugly, spiny snake is directly behind her. Fortunately, just as she had been, it is traveling too quickly to halt before it slams into the wall (seriously, how dumb is this thing?). Using the serpent’s back as a springboard, she scrambles away. Her feet slip briefly against the slick surface, causing her stumble awkwardly to the ground.
Fortune seems to be smiling on her however, as she somehow manages to land on her feet. Bursting forward, she sprints towards the opposite tunnel. Much to her satisfaction, the snake seems to have stunned itself, at least momentarily, in its collision with the wall. This gives her just enough time to reach the opening before it regains its bearings.
She doesn't pause to look back, even knowing the beastly creature must be following. She flies along the twists and turns, sweat coating her bruised body, breaths coming much too harshly, until she finally spies the tiniest speck of light. She races towards it as fast as she can, not pausing to consider just how small of an opening it is. Perhaps barely large enough to fit her. Ducking her head, she skids to a halt as she makes her attempt to shimmy through the hole. For a brief moment, her hips stick. Eyes widening in alarm, she heaves forward until, finally, she pops free.
As the maroon mare scrambles forward, she can hear the hissing behind her. Whipping around, she sees the nose of the furious snake. Despite her heaving sides and aching, bleeding body, she smiles, her lips stretching into a triumphant grin. If she’d had the energy, she would have stuck her tongue out at it.
Breath still coming in gasping bursts, she turns to survey her sanctuary. Her curiosity is piqued by the odd formation that rises before her. She hesitates for a moment, wondering if perhaps there is another trap awaiting her, but fear quickly gives way to curiosity. Stepping forward, she slowly (achingly) approaches the strange circle of standing stones.
divide
Word Count: 1363
