Look down, the ground below is crumbling
Look up, the stars are all exploding
Africa was not obnoxiously ignorant like the many times she had travelled from the safety of her beloved desert home before. Though only one more year had been notched into that slim, dappled girth, a whole new perspective offered her a future tightly secured within her hot little grip. The foolish nature of her wanderings, and silly decisions which had turned such an sweet innocent life sour were locked safely into the chambers of her now, cleansed and renewed mind.
That day, as the burning orb dipped from its throne in the clear blue-wash sky, Africa stepped beneath the welcome shadow of her fluttering mate. The young Zephyr grew restless she knew, and his maturing soul stirred with magic, quite beyond the understanding of such a simple girl. She had agreed that they would again cross the northern border into the extremities of the ‘Heart', but for now, while they were still settling into the mainstream life of the Throat again, no further should they venture.

Calm and collected, Africa seemed to glide with grace; that which could only have been granted by many moons of travel over such sandy terrain. With one wing ajar, the breeze generated by her movement cooled the sweat across her rib-lined barrel beneath, and she skipped easily below the monstrous wall which secured their home. Silas flew far above, scaling the structure with little thought other than that which ignited new curiosities in his core.

It had begun while he and Africa had dwelt in the depths of their hidden cave. Softly at first and easy to disregard, the burning grew and Silas began to experiment with eagerly spread wings- flapping at varying intensities, as though compelled by some unnatural desire. To both his own, and Africa's astonishment, the time around them seemed to waver uncertainly and the more he practiced this art of beating wings, the more obvious it became that he was directly influencing the rush of time.

A sharp cry peeled through the air above as the sand below began to harden into the sun-parched break where the desert ceased and slight moisture nourished hardy flora, and drought tolerant grasses. Africa glanced upwards, and noticed that Silas had paused and was fluttering on the spot, shining black eyes focused on perhaps the lava pit in the distance. She could not see such from her quite primitive position, but she knew it was there. "What do you see? she sang out softly, curious as she too drew to a gentle stop, eyes switching between her friend and that which held his attention captive. Of course the Zephyr did not answer her; their understanding of one another was solely the passion which thundered in their united hearts.

Never the less, a smile lingered about her bristly black lips and she followed his lead forward again- out of the dry, knee length grass and out across the red rock like, earth. She had been here on many occasions and knew it to be a quiet, reflective place. Seldom did she find company by the burning lake, and that was the reason they had come here- privacy for Silas to practice. Ahead the flickering movement of another horse; apparently black or a very dark shade of brown, she thought, from where she now stood at the cusp of the region, snagged her gentle amber gaze. Naturally, she lifted her pale grey face into the thick, humid air, but to no avail. No summer breeze licked the wet mats of mottled hair from her saturated coat, and thus no scent did drift forward to greet her. Instead, Africa called out to the stranger- a peaceable notice of her presence and notwithstanding Silas' plight, an invitation for company.