Disorientated; caught between the wrath of a nightmare and the cold, dark reality now penetrating her mind, Africa wobbled helplessly and confused before the gathering group of strangers. So long she had not been able to sleep for, and when finally the grip of exhaustion had become too intense, the feeble creature had been ultimately swallowed away from bitter wakefulness. Silas hissed quietly and soothingly as the rate of his beloved’s trembling heart increased; he could see well that none surrounding meant harm, sharp lilac eyes scanned each face as they crept. The soft illumination of his star-glittered feathers cast not enough light to fill the room around them entirely, but around the vicinity of his seat a slight whitish mist did drape.

The wavering reach of long storm-grey ears worked hard to find the strange note of the name offered.
‘Confutatis…’ The puddled mare repeated silently for the sake of her companion, though neither found any memory in its sound. The strange silhouette of the horse remained, the slither of her tongue delivering still more of that unnerving hiss to gather and cripple the silent darkness otherwise surrounding. Africa’s brightly-tinted eyes expanded uncertainly, her expression transparent (it always was), and she nodded gullibly in response to that explanation. Stranger things had occurred recently in Helovia- and Confutatis’ now, seemed not to be the worst.

"Are you a God, Confutatis? I fear I have prayed only to one since coming to Helovia. I wish not to disappoint is all. " Right away she wondered about the Goddess among the four deities of the land; the patron of the Edge, the Moon’s milky gaze- could this be she now presenting herself in another form? The one-winged mare’s heart fluttered nervously, and she fidgeted on the spot as the memory of the God of the Sun’s regal, dissatisfied gaze, swept through her being. Certainly she wished not to appear so poorly in the eyes of all those Lords. The tone of the obscure creature; she who seemed barely real, was no more warm than the nest of sand she had just lain upon.

Suddenly, the pallid features of the dappled Pegasus swung around in unison with her company, and Silas clucked gently, reminding her that two others- the bear cub’s stallion, and a mare lingered close also. As the beast by the foot of the Goddess lifted though, Silas bristled also, and his eyes narrowed suspiciously as the Kitsune’s reaction stirred apprehension through his soul.

Tension thickened the stale, moist air around them; and Africa’s eyes seemed at last to have acclimatized the best they could in the deepest of earth’s pits. She watched keenly both the reaction of Confutatis, and the approach of the two others- though the stallion’s warning caused naught but confusion to glaze her stare. He neared, only to be greeted by the tart retort of the shadowy mare to her side, and the grey remembered him at once, a half-smile breaking the strain of her stiff mouth for a moment. The white winged mare followed quickly (those lush appendages were a light contrast to the black surrounding); pleading for Ciceron to settle- soothing him and gesturing towards Africa that she was no villain to be apprehended. After a hesitant glance towards the Goddess; one bewildered by the prospect that she should be found guilty for any violent act, the Pegasus met obligingly- for the sake of the situation only, the tender touch of the stranger mare with her own quivering maw.

Frail minded and suckered in by the genuine belief that Confutatis was an otherworldly soul, the once Oracle drew closer towards the flank of the mare; she was mindful always that the Goddess’ bonded too was standing by. Then she spoke, a strange selection of words uttered and Africa’s mind, thoughts and understanding began to spin wildly. "I don’t understand," she began right after, not entirely fitting her question into the point of the conversation, "The Gods have forsaken us?" There had been rumour that he of the Earth had come to them through the bubbling of his glorious water element- to bestow healing properties into their midst to combat the wraiths. She knew also that it had been her Lord of Fire and Light that had warned her kin into this cave initially.

Quietly; remotely, her unsettled, startled gaze wandered through the suffocating darkness between each dim face present- searching for each reaction to fill the void of her reasoning.



[Note: I think they do give off a small glow… maybe, their wings are starry so… I just hate to abuse any magic that’s all >.<
Also, I tried to tie this all together- I hope it makes sense.]

Africa