Loretta returned to her bondamte, confident that the young prince was safe in these caves with what was happening to him. Her paws beat in time with the equine’s massive hooves; together they walked through the many tunnels of the caves, unmatched by any other force. What brings these caves? She asked him, mind clouded with confusion. Loretta had walked many moons on this earth at Archibald’s side and never before had the pair ventured to these caves, nor had he ever mentioned them to her. They were foreign and new to her and it caused Loretta to prickle at the slightest noise. There was something about the caves that sent the bitch into high alert.

I am not certain. Archibald articulated through their bond. The crimson and white creature merely nodded her solid dome. The pair continued to adventure through the underground chasm when, suddenly, several voices flooded and echoes over the walls. Archibald snorted and instantly changed direction, heading for the noise. Loretta followed obediently, her ears pricked forward and her tail curled over her strong back. Their journey brought them to a room alight with many crystals, some in the walls and some on the floor and ceiling. Many horses filled the gem-lined room, and Archibald’s ears flicked back against his neck momentarily. Some were etched into the memory of the golden eyed beast and still some remained strangers upon his cerebellum.
The beast saw Midas, a pegasus of which he knew the name and face from Kri’s fleet. He had aided in overtaking the Foothills, and the pegasus proved to be a good warrior. Archibald did not hear words fall from Midas’ tongue, and therefore did not directly acknowledge the stallion’s presence, but he would if the situation called for him to. The one speaking, alas, Archibald also knew. His golden eyes fell on the winged one he had fought with white-hot anger coursing through his pulse and bones. He remembered the taste of the bay’s blood upon his tongue, the feel of pulling the stallion into a painful state of being by the bone pierced through the sensitive tissue of his nose. His words, however, were what held Archibald’s attention. What were these wraiths he spoke of? The disease? He knew the word wraith only to be associated by darkness. Wraiths…Shades. The warlord instantly prickled, eyes widening some with the memories of his homeland. Archibald ignored the warning of the Sun God, told secondhand through the primitive’s mouth.

Were the shades of death from Isilme spilling into the lands of Helovia? Archibald’s ears pinned as he remembered the painful touch of the shades, the scars left on his hide from their ghastly fingers. Archibald’s trip down memory lane does not last long, however, as his ears ring with the voice of a mare. Instanteous anger causes the warlord’s nostrils to flare and a snort to push through his pursed lips. ”SILENCE” Archibald screamed, sun-colored eyes falling like dragon fire on Ampere as she drove for Oxy. In the same motion, Archibald’s right forehoof slammed down on the cave floor beneath him, sending the cave to tremble at his power. ”What this stallion speaks of is dangerously urgent. You would be wise to curb your fowl tongue and listen.” Archibald snarled, his face turned towards the black and blue mare though his words were cast at all in vicinity. Loretta lowered her head to watch the blue mare with narrowed amber eyes, the silver of her magic dancing behind her irises, ready to reach out with uninhibited wrath and strip the mare of her life, to pull her into infancy.
”What have you seen exactly?” Archibald demanded harshly, eyes and face snapping towards Gaucho. The tone of the Dauntless’ booming voice left no room for argument. Archibald wanted sensory facts and answers. He wanted truth. The safety of his family—and ultimately everyone in Helovia—was on the line, and the swarthy beast was willing to kill anything that stood in the potential of endangering them. ”Tell me everything you know about this threat.” Archibald took a step towards Gaucho, ready to pull the information from a dying breath if that was what the situation came to. ”I have seen darkness come and destroy a civilization and territory that matches Helovia and if you know anything more you need to speak now.”


[Archi is using his magic of earth tremors. He controlled them enough to keep the safety of the cave structure, but powerful enough to gather the attention of those in the room and shake them. They last only as long as Archi says “silence” until he begins his next sentence.]