He had taken his sweet time to get here, but finally the many temptations of Helovia had been neutralized (or at least pushed to the side to be explored later). The long-limbed stallion breathed a none too discreet sigh of relief as the flames of the Heart were left behind them and the lush, green grasses of Thistle Meadow faded into the sparse, dry vegetation so characteristic for the desert. It seemed the Foothills weren't the only place that had been reconstructed as darkness was banished from the lands. Here too the equine detected the work of divine powers, as the once vast and cumbersome borders of Dragon's Throat had narrowed into little more than a sandy bridge surrounded by dazzling blue ocean. He eyed the new surroundings curiously as dark hooves carried him deftly over the water-licked tongue of land, finding himself at ease with the burning sun, the salty breeze and shifting sand; it was as if he had been transported back to the Moonlit Tides once more, where once upon a time he had been young, brave and respected. Before everything changed...

Change is what they had arrived to search for today as well, though hopefully of a less calamitous and more peaceful nature. Helovia was altogether more peaceful than Isilme had ever been; there were no warring herds to betray their trust to - at least none that Lace wanted to associate with - and no long-standing rivalry between the lead mares that he knew of or cared about. No, he had arrived in the hopes that he might be of service to these desert dwellers. The grullo didn't know how it might happen, or even if they would accept a stranger in their midst in such a manner; heck, he didn't even have a plan for how he might follow the Sun God's orders and 'craft something for the Throat'. It was refreshing. Lace even looked forward to hearing their plans, their wishes and dreams - perhaps there was something he would be able to do, something he might create that would ease the lives of these horses and bring a measure of peace and purpose to himself.

Humming quietly in a good-natured way the white-maned strider went on until he reached the borders, Fajira soaring high above in the air; he could feel her elation as she rode the thermal winds, wings suspended and carrying her effortlessly in wide, vast circles across the land. Looking around for border patrols and spotting none, Lace let out a loud, carrying whinny to announce his presence, and then settled down to wait as the sun rose steadily higher in the sky, the morning aging into midday all while the glare of the sun grew steadily more fierce.

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@[Cera], @[Africa], @[Sohalia]