Light faded. Startled the stallion looked up from the patch of grass and turned the eyes towards the sky with pounding heart. What was going on? He'd had a strange feeling during most of the morning and the weather had been strange, but no amount of clouds or fickle winds would ever be able to block out the sun itself. It was going darker for each time he blinked, and with growing worry the crafter flicked his eyes out across the wintry ocean, hoping to spot the shape of Fajira before this unnatural night smothered the last of the light. All around him the stallion heard murmuring voices and shocked outcries as others too reacted to the phenomenon, fearful questions thrown into the air as though an answer would come back to them if they just asked it quickly enough.
Was this the end? Had the world broken, had the gods abandoned them? His mind stretched automatically towards the consciousness of the White to make sure she was still there, to guide her as she hurried back across the open waters.
"What's happening?" he asked, but she had no answer to give. Together they saw how black nothingness consumed the day, and as if life had disappeared with it the grass withered before the feet of the white-maned grullo, the wind died... and a weight fell from his shoulders, as though a heavy cape worn for too long had finally been removed.
"Magic no more" a fearful thought passed from Fajira as she suddenly lunged out from the dark and pounced down onto his croup, the small body trembling from exhaustion and fear. Lace stared at her as the mists began to glow, not quite comprehending the full extent of her words, unable to believe it. Without thinking the carpenter turned his thoughts towards a nearby shrub, small but hardy that clung to the edge of the cliff, willing it to grow.
Nothing happened.
"No.. no magic" he confirmed, confusion slowly mixing with a growing sense of elation. No magic! The thought was so wonderful and incredible that it completely washed away any fear towards the darkness that only barely was kept at bay by the glowing lights that was swirling around them, rising steadily to settle among the treetops. Lace barely noticed that he'd begun to walk away from the cliff, dark legs carrying him deeper into the forest as if drawn by something. Thoughts whirled in his mind, from confusion and worry to a wild hope that made the stomach flutter and went to his head in a dizzying delirium. Was it possible that he had been freed from the curse, that he could bleed and heal and die like any other horse again?
A golden gleam of red flame burned faintly up ahead, a flickering glow that made the endless night around it feel all the darker. Picking up the pace to see what was going on Lace broke through a leafless bush with head held high, almost too calm when considering the situation... Creases deepened around the amber eyes as gaze fell upon the flaming figure up ahead, surrounded by a steadily growing mass of herdmates; he recognized Israfel and Smoke immediately, and there was Aaron and Kimber and... his heart skipped a beat as the black, barely visible shape of Mirage along with her daughters caught his eye, and a wave of relief washed through him so suddenly that it surprised him. The voice of the shadow mare as she gave her orders made him realize just how worried he had been, unknown to even himself, and with Fajira chirping towards Akaith and Zaffre from her perch on his back he hurried forward to join the others.
"What is going on?" he asked with hushed but calm voice as eyes darted from Israfel to the others, noticing signs of worry, fear, sadness and every emotion between reflect in their eyes. "Why does Israfel have her powers intact... is it really not gone then?" It worried him more than he felt puzzled over the light and warmth radiating from his young protegé and friend. Lace didn't want his abilities to return so soon; he even wished that they would remain gone, selfishly and desperately. Had he realized how much he hated the feeling of power prickle the blood until it disappeared and he could breathe again? No, he hadn't. And now the feeling wouldn't let him go.
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