Essetia & Romul

And although I wasn't losing my mind, It was a chorus so sublime

I’d never imagined something so mysteriously beautiful in all my life, but then again I’d never quite been acquainted with the idea of islands or the sight of them poised so elegantly against the faded horizon. Mist hung around the sloping bellies of high-peaked mountains and weaved between the thickened trunks of low-hanging trees that appeared almost foreign to me. The reef teamed with life, accommodating unnamed fish and creatures just as bright as the coral itself, and cast vibrant shades of pink and red across the surface of the impeccably blue tide. I watched quietly as the violent winds warped through the islets, causing the mists to bend and sway against their current, and tipped my nostrils toward the gusts in order to inhale the brackish scent of the frothy sea. This was a place I knew I’d enjoy for months to come and I welcomed the tropical heat over the thinning warmth of an autumn breeze.

After I’d picked my way across shallow pools and slid across the shoals toward the mountainsides beyond, I turned a curious gaze into the mists. They peered back at me with wonder and I smiled, happy to reminisce my days in the Edge and how I’d spent so many mornings chasing the clouds. I’d been too young and naive back then to worry about getting lost among the trees or missing a step that could send me flying into the heavens beyond. That was certainly a part of myself that I’d begun to covet and one that I wasn’t sure I could ever restore.

A flash of gold alerted me of Romul when he finally rejoined me after scouting the path ahead. He appeared jovial and somewhat childish with strings of ocean water trailing from his neck and snout. He’d certainly done some exploring, though none of the protective nature as he was so wont to do. Eager to join in his play, I tipped a slate grey, front hoof into a small puddle of stagnant water that had browned in the heat. A moment later, I sent the spray flying toward Romul, who lunged to the left and avoided my childish attempts to upset the great white wolf. He returned my antics with a vicious grin and then darted off into the mists hoping I would follow. Sadly, I’d engaged in such games far too many times to know that following meant a good yank on the tail, or perhaps a sharp nip to the heels, and instead let my companion wait foolishly for an outcome that was non-existent. Surely he’d remember the last time I’d left him for hours on end while I napped beneath the rays of a summer sun.

Since I’d returned to the Dragon’s Throat, I’d embraced my previous roles as “spy” and was more than happy to have Ghost back at the helm. She’d mentioned the great rifts and the creatures that had emerged from them, but I couldn’t imagine a creature too outlandish lurking in the dark corners of Helovia. Of course, maybe it was a situation I’d have to see to believe… and maybe that was a situation I’d have to take care of when at last it finally presented itself. I had far too little information to be of use to my former home and since I was lacking so much knowledge I had to see those gaps filled. However, Ghost had also mentioned the formation of new lands and with the Riptide Isles just east of the Throat, I began my investigation of the new realms of Helovia.