Chernobyl

She notes the names and stories as they draw out of the mare trotting beside her, pleasantly listening as they travel along. The landscape melts and Illynx continues to inform the black unicorn of her options and the current condition of the Basin. It’s been a long time since Chernobyl has seen the rocky, colorful gorge she’s now to call home. She’s not as uncomfortable as she thought she would be – she didn’t anticipate Illynx being so decent to interact with. It seemed as though the GildedBlade didn’t mind her bluntness, or at least didn’t take obvious offense to it. Chernobyl is thankful for it; the smoothness of things always matters.

The ground becomes harder and colder, more conifers and pines. Her black eyes watch the evergreens pass, crossing through a bland and mostly flat landscape except the dark silhouettes of jagged mountain spines to the northern horizon. That is where they are headed; she can smell the wet stone and cold snow.

When Rikyn tears off ahead of them it snaps her out of her observant daze, her head snapping up and her ears flicking forward. She half-smiles as she digests what was happening – they have arrived. She looks to her travel partner, cracking a wider smile as she peels her eyes away and back to looking around. She pauses when the Lady does, taking a moment to tip her dark eyes to the giant statue guard. She blinks at him, “Hello, you..” She mutters this under her shallow breath; perhaps it has even gone unheard. She turns back to Illynx her calls out and continues her briefing, to which Chernobyl pays full attention. She tells of nearly myth-like sounding beasts and walking dead – it was all a bit much for Chernobyl to process. Surely she had heard news of the dark attack on Helovia, but she had quite honestly managed to escape the whole ordeal. She attempts to push out a sympathetic expression, but she’s sure it fails; luckily Illynx pops out of story mode and asks her one last question. “Well I’m assuming I should be off finding the Wild Eyed one, what was his name again?” She tries not to be rude, but her instinctual need for bluntness overrides manners most of the time. “Unless there is something else you need, I’d be happy to oblige.” She grins, pretty satisfied with her efforts at being helpful. What a gold star student we got here.

But oh, I'm staring at the mess I made
As you turn, you take your heart and walk away