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10-26-2013, 09:17 PM
"Afraid of decision, I buried my finer feelings in the depths of my heart and they died there."
They came, as he had known they would, and – also as he had known – they were not like him. Oh, they were close enough, flesh and blood and hair, but, like at Nocturne, they were far beyond him. He'd been born into a world of gods, where magic was not uncommon, but the sight of horns, or wings, or anything out of the ordinary still sent a thrill like a shiver through him.
When he nears the big stallion, he draws himself taller, regarding the stranger languidly rather than warily. He'd been seen, that was clear, and it would be bad-mannered to pretend otherwise. Gabriel, swallowed, wetting his throat, and stepped beyond the treeline and toward the stallion. He was rewarded with the ghost of a breeze, and closed his eyes briefly against it. When he opened them again, it was with a polite if not particularly disclosing smile.
“Helovia,” he repeats, by way of welcome, and ducks his head. “A pretty name, though I'm glad to have come to a place with any name at all. Well met, Solace. I am Gabriel.” Words enough for one who hadn't spoken in days. The chestnut eyed the grey, recognizing immediately the build of a warrior. Another common thread in all new lands – each needed its fighters as much as the last. He hoped whatever wars happened here were quieter than the last he'd seen.
Wherever the twins might be, they likely wouldn't be in the middle of that.
Thoughts of war shifted to thoughts of survival as soon as he caught wind of the cheetah.
Unicorns he'd befriended, pegasi he'd conversed with, and even demons he'd fought, but he'd never been in a world with familiars or companions. His eyes and common sense said there was nothing to worry about – the lithe cat, slender as a shadow, clearly posed no threat to the creature it traveled with. But millenia of instincts made him tense, weight shifting, brown eyes widening. He did not move, but his body told him to; instead, he waited, watching Solace's reaction and the other's approach. Neither showed any alarm, and so Gabriel fought his instincts and forced himself to relax. He noted the exchange between the two, but his eyes stayed focused on the cat. It wasn't until he heard himself addressed that he pulled his gaze away, red tail flicking against his hocks as he gave the unicorn his attention.
“Greetings to you both,” he says, eyes darting to the cheetah and back to the grulla's golden eyes. The two stallions clearly knew each other; for a brief moment, Gabriel wished he shared their familiarity. His life, with few key exceptions, was nothing but a string of strangers. “Peace – is that a rare thing here?”
It was only fair to know what he was walking into.
gabriel
