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"I dare you."

"You dare me to what?"

Talus crossed his arms in front of his chest and grinned impishly. It was the crooked grin of a boy on the face of a man.

"I dare you," he reached out and pinched my nose between his fingers. "To close your eyes." Smirking at the scowl on my face he moved his hand to a piece of hair that had rebelled from the grasp of my ponytail and twirled it around his finger before dropping it again. But before he did Talus had stared at the lock of hair as if memorizing it. That had not escaped my notice.

Each look that we shared was the same. I had imprinted his face upon my memory. Every detail to be carefully remembered. For in case.. just for in case.

We were in a time of war. Battle doesn't spare lovers. War doesn't spare anyone. Mercenaries aren't expected to be spared anyways. We are no more than pawns in giants' play.

Sighing like it was a huge inconvenience I shut my eyes. This was a game we used to play whenever I was first brought into Elovian.

"See the colors?" He whispered in my ear. "You miss them. I know that you do. But they are there; I bet that they are just in disguise." His quiet laugh brushed against my ear. I could feel the light scruff that had grown on his face brushing against my own. His touch was as soft as his whisper but also rough all at once. "Tell me Keida, what color do you see now?"

"Yellow." Talus had always been yellow to me. As vital as the sun. His light was what brought the disguised colors to my mind's eye. Elovian is grey. Sometimes black; or sometimes we catch the glimpse of something nearly white. Colors don't reside here, but whenever I was with him it felt like they were only laying beneath the drab colors. Talus made me feel like there was a world of color to be seen if I were to scratch away the dark layer with my fingernail.

"Shhh," that brought about the void. The change in his tone chased away the vibrant yellow. There had been a tremble in his smooth voice. Talus was fearless, brazen in everything that he did. For him to show such a reaction could only mean that we had been found.

His hand went to his sword and my blood turned to ice. If he went for his sword that would mean that he did not have the time to properly cast a spell. I winced as I put my hand to my own sword. The weapon could save our lives, but with a sword you are close enough to watch the warmth fade from your foe's eye.

Friend or foe it is harrowing to witness the fiery passion leave an empty husk behind. The Curaks and the Yiri. And us. No longer was there a "you" or and "I". One was either fighting for their king and land. Or they fought for someone. I wondered if I would have time to grab my bow and arrows.

We all did have one thing in common. We were all fighting for survival. Even the most ruthless of the warriors was simply fighting for the hope of the future; it is what gave them their fire. Dog eat dog.

After several tense moments he slumped against a nearby stump covering his face in his hands. Whatever he had heard had passed.

"Keidajen. Oh my Keida." The catch in his voice left a lump in my throat.

I shakily walked over to him and sat down at his side. Unable to get comfortable leaning against the rough bark I instead laid my head in his lap.

"Eventually this will end."

"Talus." I frowned at him before waving the long weed I had plucked from the nearby ground at him. "I am going to assume you meant with a ride into the sunset."

He looked down at me with the skin at his eyes creasing before the smile that I knew so well truly lit his face.

"Do you remember when I told you about the mark of a strong mage?"

"Of course," Why was he bringing this up? "Being able to visit into other realms. Although, one is only able to exist in that world's shadows. Although of course they return to their natural form once back in their home realm."

"Yeah." His hands absentmindedly began to stroke my hair. I was lost in the feeling. After some time he left his hand to rest over my eyes.

A confused laugh bubbled from my lips, "Talus what are you-"

"I love you."

My lashes brushed against his hand rapidly in shock. That was the first time that he had ever said it.

"I love yo-" I did not finish. My body felt like it had been hit with a battering ram.


Color. Color was everywhere. It hurt. Everything was too bright, too vibrant. I remembered this land. It was where I had began my life. And this was my true form. A unicorn. What would Talus think? What had Talus done? He had sent me out of Elovian. To my home realm. Did that mean he was in the shadows..

Dazed and confused I stumbled about squinting trying to spot him in the too colorful space around me. One of my eyes was a blessing and only saw in black and white giving some relief from the colorful chaos around me.

"Talus! Unde es tu?"* I shouted for him. I shouted until I could no longer speak past the heavy weight that pulled on my body. I shouted until I knew what I did not want to admit. Talus was not here. He was still in Elovian.

My body trembled with loss. I had lost my yellow sun only to be in this land with its garish sun.

Helovia. "Helovia."That was the name of this land; the land of my birth. The name was bitter in my thoughts and rang out with an unnerving hollowness when spoken. The name repeated itself over and over in my thoughts. It was unrelenting.

It was the feeling of utter defeat. We had lost. I had no idea who would win the war the Curak or the Yiri. I had been fighting for someone. And we had lost. All of the weight of my loss moved to my heart; splitting it open with its immensity.

The weight was too much for my body to bear. My legs began to crumple beneath me. But I placed one foot in front of the other.

Foot u- No.

Hoof up.

Hoof down.

Hoof up.

Hoof down.

Step by step I made it to a tree and left it to be burdened with the feat of holding me up.

"Te amo etiam, Talus."* And I did. Oh how I did.

*"Talus! Unde es tu?" | "Talus! Where are you?"
*"Te amo etiam, Talus." | "I love you too, Talus."

Keidajen's humanesque form I will get to coloring it and adding it to her profile soon. Along with all of her history.