I've gone so much farther than anticipated, Mother let us wander a bit further now, but I don't think she ever meant for me to go this far. I had reached the north, the frozen wasteland Mother had called the "Steppe." I had been curious, so there I went to see what this Steppe was all about. As I approached it, my skin grew numb and everything stiffened, my body refused to function properly and I was delighted. Such a foreign feeling brought a light of curiosity to wash over me, ears pricked forward as bubblegum swallows up the horizon. What lies before me is nothing but flat lands, covered in powdery white frost and thick sheets of ice. I turn back, frowning at the realization that I was alone, witnessing the magic of snow for the first time without Sabre at my side. It was odd, we were together often, becoming inseparable quickly in our early ages. 

Mother promoted this deep bond, seemingly pleased by the way Sabre and I shared such a deep connection. She wanted us to cherish it, keeping us uncomfortably close as we ventured the world together. Mother seemed frustrated with me every time I brought up Areli and her wings, saying that such disgusting talk would not be tolerated by her. More than once my curiosity brought with it a foul punishment, the bruising and harsh bites along my withers and back signs of the consequences. After the third time I realized that it was hopeless, knowing why some horses were had wings and some did not would never be known to me. So in my head I decided (as Sabre had brought up) that perhaps it was a disease, something sickeningly gross that could infect others in some way. That was the beginning of a long path to becoming just what Mother wanted, a supremacist who could take heed of her throne when she could no longer maintain it. 

What caught my eye was a twinkling green light, soaring above my head like a beacon, summoning interest as my eyes followed the flight pattern of the emerald object. I bound forward, awkwardly long legs dancing over the ground with a desperate need to get to the green being. I had to know what it was, and such a need pushed me to go faster, kicking up snow in my wake as I rushed towards the light. 

I halt a ways away, panting from my run and widening my eyes and dropping my jaw to what is before me. Golden scales blossom over an amber champagne body, and from the shoulders— wings. But these ones are different, they are not feathered as Areli's had been, these ones looked leathery and thin, almost like those of a dragon. I look at her, curious as to what she was. She had pieces that resembled those of a dragon, scaling that ran across her body and wings that resembled them. I don't know what to think of it, conflicted on what to do. She was a mix of something I thought was epic and something I thought was disgusting. I quietly shuffle closer, looking up at her with a slightly raised brow, but the rest of my face remained relaxed. I was getting better at keeping myself composed, Mother hated it when I was too excitable or gave too much away with my expressions. "What are you?"