I take up the sky like a giant in a body that is a far cry from such. I embrace the tender silken nightfall that comes from lack of celestial beings. In my horizon Her Highness hangs, the feminine touch to the Gods, yet far from Hera- she does not wear the highest crown, for she is not the Queen. My Lords and singular Lady all held shared power, and it was one of many reasons that bent my knee and touched my muzzle to earth in respect when I held them in my vision or even in my heart at night when prayer was all that kept me strong and evermoving. Astride my shoulders, Ilaria gazes quietly into the starry, quiet evening, her warmth a familiar addition upon my hide. The currents are cold from Frostfall, but as any pegasus knows, there are always varying temperatures in the heavens. An addition to Her light, the flaming pillar that embodies our patron Lord shoots high into the sky, though I’ve yet to see if it ends somewhere in the endless galaxy above. I’ve been doing what I had never thought I would- patrols had begun to take up my time, official or otherwise. There was something sinister in the air, despite Her presence. Something that prickled the nape of my neck, sent ghostly shivers arcing down my spine and tangoing down my legs. Tension ran like a silver wire, humming with conversation and gossip, between the spiderweb of herds and bands, outcasts and newcomers.

I dip my left wing, caressing the surface of an invisible lake, my vision impeded by the thick, pale lashes that adorn my eyes. And there I see, at the base of the pillar, two figures. Before I recognize them, I am already levelling out and tucking my wings to my sides tightly, allowing gravity to pull me down at dizzying speeds. Only when I see the familiar splotches of ebony and ivory do I spread my appendages and slow, nearly backpedaling with how quickly I stop my descent. Curiously I eye my father’s companion, a figure I’ve yet to meet in the Throat. Perhaps a new recruit? Yet, as I spiraled ever closer to the ground, and by proxy to the figurines standing upon the sand, I couldn’t quite fit the fae’s image into the word ‘recruit’. She was no fighter, with her skittish, dancing steps and quailing movements. My heart panged, remembering Mystique and Wanyecha, both so terrified and hesitant. How many more would be abandoned like I had? How many more would cry into the darkness for mothers and fathers, sister and brothers who would not return? How many more foals would seek haven in the warmth of the Dragon’s Throat, orphaned and distrustful?

My ivory hooves hit the sand with a solid, pleasant thud. A small, dusty cloud, far from threatening our eyes with the particles drawn up from my landing, rises from the earth at the buffeting of my wings. I did not land directly amidst them, not wishing to frighten the scared looking female who looked to be about my age. Jogging easily on my seemingly never-ending legs, I smiled brightly to Father and Fina, whickering softly in wordless greeting as my harks tipped forward in joyful recognition. Ilaria uncurls from my nape and pokes her head out into the air from my left shoulder, luminescent silver-edged mahogany irises blinking searchingly at the unknown yearling while I welcomed my father home from his travels. My own pale caramel muzzle reached out for the obsidian of Father’s, smile still warm and inviting on my lips and in my eyes as I brushed him, exchanging breaths and scents as we did every morn and night. Not that we could tell the hours anymore. ”Welcome home, Father. Have you been safe in your travels?” I step back, nearly dancing with the length of my legs, to survey him with concern, a crease upon my brow as I check to make sure no inch of him that I can see is scarred or marred in any fashion.

Only once I am satisfied with this rather routine, almost habitual inspection, I turn my emerald gaze to the filly at my father’s side. Her canvas is deep, blacker than a raven’s wings and darker than a starless new moon night. Her gazers are the same gold that I have come to associate with Father, luminescent and eye-catching. Upon her cheek the same color trails up her bone delicately, a sharp but attractive contrast to her pitch black background. She shoots from the ground, rivaling me in height, but from my own observation we are dead even at this young age. Ilaria peers at her intently from my shoulder still, a watchful guardian. I turn and bump my nose to her shoulder, and she makes a disgruntled noise as she leaps away from my prodding to clamber up my neck to my poll. Rolling my eyes at her antics, I gave a warm smile to my year-mate and stepped forward, careful not to invade her space, merely show I was engaged and curious.

“Hello there, my name is Cera. Welcome to the Dragon’s Throat! What’s your name? I like your markings, they’re very pretty,” I admitted softly at the end, my smile traveling to encompass the entirety of my face, smiling through eyes, face, and lips all at once. How could I not be happy? I didn’t believe in flattery, and I was still far too young to understand all that business anyways, but I wanted to compliment her at least. Hopefully she wouldn’t kick me in the face for some odd reason if I messed it up. Mares were seriously weird sometimes. Ilaria huffed and dug her claws into my skull and I winced slightly, huffing out a tiny laugh that was hardly audible. Oh dear, I guess I was wrong. Women in general were crazy, not just mares. That one earned me a slap to the neck with her tail. I adjusted and folded my wings closer, comfortably tucking them into my body, warding off the chill effectively. I may not succumb to the wintery seasons as I had before reaching my first year, but I was still prone due to my thin, lanky frame, no matter that I was slowly gaining a very lean, athletic musculature. I was envious of Father in his stout, impressive strength, but he was always quick to soothe my doubts and brighten my insides with love and kind words that highlighted my own good points. Blinking at the newcomer with a boyish smile, I suppose in the future I would dub it as charming, I flicked my bitoned tail and waited patiently to hear her vocals.