Assailant
In truth, he is not prepared for what may lurk in the suffocating shadows. All of his years as a herd stallion had been remarkably uneventful. Though there had been others that had attempted to pilfer a mare or two, he had always managed to intervene in time and nothing ever devolved into a true fight, nor can he recall a single challenge that had ever come his way. He had always been lucky in that respect.
Having no allegiance to anyone but himself, he had never been involved in any of the wars or skirmishes either. He vaguely remembers the beginning of the Alliance but there had been no appeal for him. He remembers his intent to test the waters in the Forsaken Chamber when the kingdoms were blended and reshaped, but fate had intervened before he could do so.
Simply, he was not a man built for fighting.
As he quickly contemplates the possibilities of the strange noise’s source, he rues the fact that he had never taken Famkee up on her offer to learn how to properly use his horn. The feel of it on his forehead is incredibly heavy, as though weighted with his foolish, feckless behavior. Though he does not truly know how to wield a weapon, he lowers his head, just in case.
Then a laugh cuts through the thick tension and a familiar figure prowls into his line of vision. Of course. For the first time, he finds himself annoyed by her boisterous personality, but he is careful not to let any of this show on his face. He cannot risk chasing her off for any reason as he still needs her help in accomplishing their mutual goal.
He had asked her to join him since he had never been to Tephra before, so he needed someone to help him identify one of the missing pieces that he could present to the fairies. But beyond that, he did not want to drive her off because something within him knows that she has good intentions and that there is something he can learn from her.
So he shakes his head and snorts softly to dispel any unease that remains in his body. He accepts the touch of her metal wing and forces a smile as he returns the gesture with his own flesh and feather wing. He does not say anything (oking around has never been his forte) and he looks back to where the glowing light is.
Correction, was.
His brow furrows in confusion and frustration. “I’m not sure, but it seems to be gone. Still..” He had lined himself up with the source, so in theory, he could still find the place just by continuing in the same direction. Whether he finds the glowing object, well, that’s another story.
He brushes lightly against the mare at his side, momentarily distracted by the feel of cool metal against his skin. He is getting more used to the different manifestations of Beqanna’s magic, but some things still manage to throw him for a loop. The slight shock passes quickly enough though as he moves forward.
The glow does not return as they progress deeper into the Forest, but he subconsciously recognizes that something is out of place here in the darkness. It seems to press closely around him, to wrap crushing fingers around his chest so that breaths are harder to come by. What is it that is bothering him so?
He hadn’t noticed the blossoms sporadically dotting their pathway, but now they are beginning to form denser clusters and their bright colors begin to draw his attention. Odd. He pauses to bend his head closer to inspect a patch. The scent is lovely, heady and just enough out of place that he wonders if these could be what they are looking for. Excitement building yet again, he lifts his head to look at Kreation, to ask her what she thinks, when the gold light reappears several yards away.
“Oh.. look, it’s there now.”
He moves swiftly, not wanting to lose track of the shimmering aura again, and in his haste, he does not notice the twin reflections that also pierce the darkness that surrounds them.
All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware
--Martin Buber
@Kreation
quest post #2
word count: 702
total count: 1190