A strange expression passed over the faces of the horse and the dragon, an almost identical look of curiosity and mild horror as the lips of the white and red stallion touched the pile of.. ash. The effects were obvious and immediate however, and while the source of the remedy remained distasteful, their skepticism faded.

The dragon thawed even more to the situation at the apparent awe of the gremlin upon seeing her. She stretched visibly, straightening up from the awkward clambering position at the base of Lace's neck, instead placing herself in a dignified manner atop the gilded whithers with taloned paws elegantly crossed over each other. Fajira rewarded the frightening little creature with a warble in greeting, wary yet decidedly pleased with the offering - even though it was... well, ash.
The stallion all but choked when his bonded gracefully slipped to the floor aided by a flap of the white wings to smooth the impact and partook in the excrement, facial expression shifting between curiosity, disgust, attempted neutrality and a feeble smile.

The absurdity of the situation.

Bob's reply to the question didn't exactly make anything clearer. There was nothing to do but to follow the stocky figure down the tunnel however, so the dragon and her horse waited until Valentine had recovered before they went along, eyes roving the unfamiliar scenery with curiosity.
To think that the Heart held a place like this Lace commented wondrously as they slipped through the doorway and into the magnificent underground community, particularly entranced by the strange fires that provided an odd sense of light.

Don't like thought of terrible thing though Fajira replied cautiously through the bond where she flew by his side, wings tilting slightly to bring her higher when the space around them widened. He was about to reply when the scream tore through the space and set his teeth on edge. Alarms rang in their minds, echoed through the bond like the holler echoed in the cave, and at once they were no longer shook up visitors but soldiers, fighters and killers prepared for anything. A gilded glance was thrown to Valentine to assess how he dealt with th sudden interruption. Would he be a hindrance, an asset? Was this the thing Bob the Fire Gremlin had spoken of, this 'terrible thing'?

Without a doubt.

"What, more exactly, has come down here?" the stallion asked tersely as he gazed into the distance, hoping -and fearing- to catch a glimpse of whatever it was that plagued the fire entities.


[Sorry for the wait, I've been out of town for a few days. ]