just one mistake is all it would take; Vanquish, Yael, All

[Shahrizai]

All things are possible, even the worst of things.

He should have been back here ages ago. Should have come the moment he had been dropped unceremoniously back into the meadow. But he had been afraid. Terrified that what he had seen in that house had been real, that he is no longer welcome. He stands at the border for several hours, his heart in his throat, before he finally takes that first step.

When nothing happens, he is relieved. But then, what had he really expected would happen? The sands do not buck beneath his hooves, Gumby does not come to chase him off (little does he realize), and no booming voice comes to inform him of his trespassing. And so he takes another step. And then another. And before he realizes it, he is nearing the oasis.

The shadows react to his emotions, just as they have done since he was deposited into the meadow all those weeks ago. He still doesn’t know why or how. He still isn’t sure he wants to. But he is beginning to grow accustomed to them. He doesn’t hate them anymore, at least. He doesn’t actively try to suppress them, not after he had discovered how futile such an act was. Mostly now, he ignores them. Or he tries to. It becomes harder when they begin to crawl up his neck, forming a dark, protective layer in response to the kernel of fear still lingering in his mind. But he ignores them to the best of his ability.

He almost doesn’t see them at first. They seem to appear simply out of nowhere. But then, Yael is a magician, and they can be rather curious lot. When he does catch sight of them, standing a distance away, he freezes, still unsure of his welcome. This time he actually doesn’t notice when the shadows stop dancing upon his skin, when they rush to encase him in a dark layer that blots out all hint of pewter in his coat.

Mastering his fear, he steps forward. Closer. Closer. Until he stands only yards from, standing tall, head high, knees locked so they would not tremble. And he knows, without even asking, that something has changed. That the Deserts has begun a new era.

shahrizai

hestoni x scorch

Ok, so a little back story. In the most recent quest, one of the things he saw was Camrynn telling him he is no longer welcome in the Deserts, hence his reaction. He still isn't sure whether it was real or not.