Kari didn't really listen to the feminine voice that sang in the dark. Words meant little in his panicked state - he had heard sweet syllables roll from a poisoned tongue before, listened to the acidic breath of a monster as it promised to gently devour him... There was no way he would believe anything this whispering ghoul had to say, not before it had proved beyond doubt that it wasn't actually scary.

As a large body lowered to the ground and curled around him the dainty foal sniveled in horror and made another fruitless effort to stand, hindered this time by the limited space as he found himself trapped between a stone wall and a huge, warm, disgusting presence from which he automatically shrank away. Why his reaction was so violent he didn't know, nor did he care to stop and thing - he was just too scared, too wound up to be reasonable. Comfort could no longer be offered by sweet words alone when his mind had been made up that the other was evil and dangerous and foul... and then it could be however false it wanted.

Indeed, it wasn't until his hicks and wails drew the attention of another and made a different voice cut through the gloom and the echoing murmurs that the foal felt better. Before he could be stopped he made a motion towards the new speaker, willing himself over to that person; as if beckoned a wall of fire burst up around his small frame, for a moment illuminating the scene as the shadows pulled away in disgust of the flaring light. A pale mare curled around a struggling foal, a black mother standing a few yards away with a concerned look on her face...

... then the foal appeared by her side and stumbled over to press a tear-streamed face against her shoulder, desperately wanting to hide away against someone who hadn't been a source of fear. Flames died down around him, startling yet harmless as they once again buried the cave in black. Kari didn't welcome the return of them - if anything it only made the sobs more intense.

"..dark and..and something moving and then sand.. and, and trying to eat me and then.. I.. I want my ma.. mama!" the young child hiccuped with the liontail tucked between the hocks and feathered wings drooping from the shoulders - the epitome of misery, if anyone would have been able to see him.