There existed a small space inside Horus’ mind that bred a quiet fear; any equine, horned or winged aside, could be dangerous, and he was in no state to do any sort of territorial battle. This was a small whisper in the back of his mind as he attempted to hone in on the sounds around him, eventually closing his orbs to do so. The air was becoming still, as the quiet peace between the day-dwelling creatures and those who stalked the night traded places. He felt a kind breeze across his shoulders from what could have been the east, if he was correct about his bearings. It had been hard to keep track of them as he wound through the forest that allowed him into Helovia. If he was a bit turned around, the stallion would have not been the least bit surprised. His audits flicked and swivelled atop his cranium, taking in all the information they could. In the dying rays of the sun, his blood bay coat radiated a rich colour.

He sighed, just about to give up when he heard a rustling straight in front of him. Something large was coming down the path. It had to be of equine origin, or something of equally large measure, as no small creature would be able to carry sound as well as this one did. The stallion opened his eyes in time to meet the gaze of his first Helovian.

The brute was massive, standing easily two hands taller than he, and blessed with rippling muscle. Though simply the size of the creature was nothing to sniff at in comparison to his other features. If one did not account for his strange markings, which consisted of an amber fire licking at the throat of his liver chestnut coat and the choppy blaze across the front of the stallion’s face, and completely forgetting the subtle white ring around one fore, one was left with three very distinct features. Horus wasn’t sure what caught his eye first; the massive speckled wings or the two bone protrusions from the stallion’s face. He saw from a distance that the creature held something that akin to a dramatic lion’s tail. Just as Horus’ own coat shone brilliant in the dying light, so too did this stud. The coat of the approaching stallion blazed like the fire it must have surely been born from, dancing across the copper and gold tones of his mane and tail, reflecting what Horus could only think of as embers in his eyes. For a first encounter, this was rather intimidating.

Horus straightened himself to his full height of 16 hands, though he knew that it would do little. He prepared himself for any sign of attack, but was relieved when the stud came in peace. "Greetings there. My name is Hector. I am a Warrior of the Dragon's Throat, one of the herds that resides here. Might I ask your name?" So this massive creature was trusted with the name ‘Hector’. The dark bay stallion flicked his sooty banner behind him, mulling over the question posed from the warrior before him. He had been introduced as such, and surely such a title was well earned and deserved the utmost respect. Horus relaxed his muscles and spoke freely, offering the same kind smile that was given him.

”You may call me Horus Tarkus, though Horus is just fine. I come from beyond your lands, so you must forgive me if I am lacking in knowledge of your customs. If you are a warrior of this Dragon’s Throat, it is no doubt that you are a noble one, and I am honoured to meet your acquaintance.” He dipped his skull to show respect to his rank. Still, he could not help but be baffled by the sight of his wings, of the bone decorating his features. To know for certain that all of the fables he grew up hearing from the Shaman were, indeed, a great history, was mind boggling. To exist in such a way meant to learn the ways of their being, and to do so meant to absorb their history in it’s entirety. The thought of the extent of such knowledge was both unimaginably exciting and stifling. It would be quite a task to learn all that there could be here, but that had never stopped Horus from attempting to take on a challenge before, and it certainly wouldn’t stop him now.

”I was actually about to search for water, as my travels have left me quite parched. Would you happen to know of the best place to drink, Hector? And would you be so kind as to show it to me?” His audits flicked as the sun finally made it’s last goodbyes to the world for the evening and the purple glow of dusk settled in. The best way to be able to understand this creature would be to ask questions and get to know him and his history. If perhaps he could know that, it might prepare him for what else may lay within Helovia. After all, if this was only just the beginning, he could use all the preparation that he could get.

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Word Count :: 869
Muse :: Fair
Notes :: Thank you! This should be lots of fun, I'm quite excited.