| Deceased atk: 6.5 | def: 9.5 | dam: 4.5 |
| Filly :: Hybrid :: 14.2 :: 8 HP: 63 | Buff: ENDURE |
| Chan |
Shadow
and who shall I say
is calling?
Night had always been the time of day where she felt most like home. It had never really mattered where in the world she was; looking up at the face of the moon the raven would always end up smiling, no matter what. Thus, it only seemed fitting for it to be night the first time she traveled to the realm of the gods.
She could have flown all the way there. Despite the steady increase of her belly and the heavier load her wings were still capable of carrying her through the sky. They had brought her this far, from the depths of the red desert and north to the glowing, pulsating heart of the world, then southbound once more until the sky had grown dark and the landscape below had shifted, turned from forests and fields, rivers and glistening lakes into a black scare where blue lava coursed through like oxidized silver through a slab of marble.
There the blackbird had chosen to land, instead traveling the last stretch of the journey on foot. It felt better this way, more humbling; for all that Shadow wasn't a child of these gods she still thought it best to keep the head down and the tail tucked, especially since she came uncalled and on her own volition. Maybe it was a stupid idea, perhaps it would have been better to turn to someone else... But something in the eyes of those who spoke of the gods had made her want to see them again, see for herself what it was that made the hearts of horses beat faster and their lips pull into soft, gentle smiles.
The sound of small hardy hooves against cooled lava echoed in the great silence. A faint breeze from the ocean eased the worst of the late summer heat and carried with it a scent of salt and seaweed and brimstone, a scent accompanied by a thin veil of mist that crept over the ground and made it hard to see where she placed her feet. Above her head the sky was clear and full of glistening stars; the moon still shone down brightly, her brightly glowing disc missing a thin sliver - it had been full the night before and had now settled on a slow decline. It didn't matter much. At least Shadow didn't think so, as she followed its soft light and stepped up from the slithering path and over to the shrine island. If anything, shouldn't the goddess be less busy and more inclined to listen to the feeble voice of a mortal now that her peak of power had passed, ever so slightly?
At first, the sight of the toppled shrines made the black pegasus confused. Midas hadn't mentioned anything like this when he told her about the gods, a winter night in what seemed like ages ago. She had deduced on her own where they should be, but rather than these small piles of crumbled rock she had been expecting something.. grander. Instead, the sight of the crumbled structures caused her heart to clench, their appearance releasing a long, quiet sigh of sorrow that surprised even herself. Why was she mourning? Why did it make her feel a prick of guilt, even though she had never been here before, it wasn't her fault and she was not a child of Helovia? It was just... something.. about the emptiness of the place that made the mare want to cry.
Blinking back salty tears that stung the eyes, the slight girl stepped up to each of the four shrines and bowed. From the feathers of the left wing she pulled out small gems, glittering and dull in the faint light that she placed in front of each sundered temple; she had picked them up at the Heart, feeling the need to bring something along as she paid her respects.
"It isn't much, but I hope you will accept" she murmured softly, sternly beating down the part of herself that felt silly over talking to the empty air. This was not the time for doubt.
Stepping back, Skuggi let her gaze sweep over the area, quietly taking in the desolate scenery while allowing her breath to calm and the heart to steady. It was hard to move around now. The life that grew within her was surprisingly small and lithe, but nevertheless she felt the strain of carrying it in the muscles of the back, the swelling of the legs joints. Soon it would be a challenge to move at all; this was the only time she could find to come here.
Breathing in deeply and allowing herself to relax, lavender eyes finally turned upwards to the pale face of the moon, stared into the bright orb until she felt dizzy.
"My name is Skuggi Rökkursdattir" she whispered, "daughter of Dögun the Wild and Rökkur the Free. I was born and raised a wanderer, destined to always travel the sky and seek the other side of the horizon. So they said. But I have found a place to rest my wings, lady moon, where friends of gentle spirit and golden hearts smile at me. I am happy there, and I don't wish to leave."
"One thing weighs on me however. A mistake was made, I admit my part in it... I let a stallion get too close, and now my sides are swelling with the result of this brief union." Shadow closed her eyes, watched as green and purple orbs danced on the insides of her lids; the usual nausea of fear and hopelessness rose like bile in the throat, she had to swallow before she could continue.
"I don't know what to do, lady Moon. Nothing within me rejoices about this foal, I can't bring myself to be happy or even tolerant about it. The only thing I feel when I think of the thing that grows within me is fear and hate and anger, and I know it is wrong. I don't hate its father, but I don't love him either; I don't even know him. To think that I was selfish enough to indulge in pleasure but can't stand the thought of dealing with the consequences... "
"Please, if you can hear me. Will you help me? Or just.. please, watch over this poor thing in my belly, who will be born unwanted and unneeded by me."
The dark head fell down towards the earth, weighed down by loathing of her own weakness. Was there no way to kindle some semblance of tenderness in her cold, closed off heart? She had tried, but no matter how she tried to bring herself to feel for the wretch - nothing came to mind but loathing and pity.
[Hoping for a small sign or possibly a chat with Moon Goddess :)]
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[O] It's between you and me
HP: 42
