The expression on Evangeline’s face was priceless as she glimpsed the ugly reminder of her bonded’s little love bite resting sweetly on my hind end. Though the blackened hide would take a while to grow back, I imagined it would return with little nurturing. Perhaps I would see one of the Edge healers for a bit of salve to heal the minor wound but until then the slight burning would have to be tolerated. “No need to apologize, at least we know where we stand with each other…” I smiled bitterly to the little orange, taunting him with my eyes. He had taken perch on Kahlua’s narrow back and though he would not see my promise for payback, as he was wholly distracted with the Queen’s own companion, such promises would be upheld. I would make sure of that.
Though I was still festering over the many ways I would make Tallis regret his little stunt, Kahlua was able to manage my interest as she addressed me by name. I was glad to see that she was finally settling into her position as Queen because the tension I’d seen weighing heavy on her shoulders upon my arrival looked impossible to carry. Yet now she appeared more relaxed and in tune with her responsibilities and that delighted me. I owed her a sincere apology and at some point I would make sure that she received one… After all, could I blame someone for feeling ill-at-ease ruling over something as vast and pretentious as the Edge? “Thank you Kahlua. I am more than grateful for your support in my homecoming.”
Distractedly, I turned my attentions back to Eva, who for all intents and purposes, had launched into a detailed plan in which she was more than determined to act upon. However, I couldn’t help the smile that parted my charred lips because the fires of the Edge had been something I’d mentioned to her in our first meeting... Whether or not she actually thought it was a good idea or not, considering she could build fires of her own with Tallis, at least she had been brave enough to put the plan into action. Maybe she worried for my wellbeing and that’s why she had thought to bring it to the attention of Kahlua; either way I couldn’t help but to smile at her coyly, sneaky little bat that she was… “You can count me in oh pure one. My body is yours to command.” Well, wasn’t I the snarky one today? Feeling proud of my attempt to uproot her in her efforts to steal my suggestion, I smirked devilishly at the chestnut mare that I’d grown to like enough in our time spent together.
However, as Kahlua went to gather the cart and more hands in which to aid in our endeavors, I noticed the slight lilting of the breeze as it grew stronger and eerily enough, even colder. Looking to Evangeline and Tallis, I shrugged slightly. It was strange that it had been a pretty casual winter day just moments ago,but now it almost felt as if… a storm was rolling in? Could that even be? My breath came in short, shallow gasps as the gale wrapped itself around me lifting my mane away from its position on my neck in a display of elemental authority. My skin seemed to crawl and shift along my muscles indicating a sense of absolute terror and my heartbeat raced within my chest. But, despite the dark feeling that pushed my pounding heart into my throat, I stood tall and concrete against the gaining winds.
Though Kahlua had escaped the frightful situation, in which I was wholly glad, I now worried about Eva and I as a thick fog began to roll in. I was certain that this was no natural occurrence but I was afraid to answer my own question as to what in the hell it could be. Moving forward, I spread my fragile wings in an attempt to disperse the growing zephyr away from my face. Once I was standing a mere few feet away from Eva and Tallis, I whispered to her in a deep, guttural voice. “What’s going on?” I lowered my face to watch her expression, hoping and willing her to have some answer to all the questions that spread vast before me. However, I had little time to seek solace in her company before a deep thud sounded behind me and made my nerves stand on end. Whirling around, I faced the most peculiar thing I’d ever seen in Helovia. A serpent, circled around itself with a good portion of its own body hidden away behind its own teeth, lie a few yards behind me. My natural instinct was to trample the thing immediately and I entertained the idea for a brief moment before the thudding sounded again. Only this time, it came in numbers too many to count. I jumped and guffawed in a pitch I didn’t know I could reach until now because I was still a mere horse beneath the layers of wing and mysterious power. My muscles were tense as I cast a curious eye to the thick fog as it turned the frosty grasses into swaying serpents themselves. I was so lost.
Upon the ground, more snakes inched into view and my skin began to crawl. I didn’t know how to take this or what they were going to do and most of me knew that if I didn’t high-tail it out of there I would be facing the consequences. But Evangeline… I couldn’t leave her to deal with these monstrosities on her own and so I turned back toward the chestnut with a bewildered expression. “Eva, get your ass over here.” I’d never referred to the mare in shorthand before (other than in my thoughts), but I didn’t have time left for niceties and I figured that the mare would understand that I didn’t have time to deal with proper manners when it came to facing the oddities we now faced. “Don’t touch them. Don’t even get close to them.” I feared what would happen if one of them decided to strike my companion or worse- me. On a side note I added, “Keep Tallis under control. We don’t know what they’re capable of…” That little monster may have been a nightmare but at least I could settle out debt at a later date… without these eerie serpents threatening our lives.
But of course, as things do, the experience ended in the most abrupt of ways. From one of the dying trees fell a thick branch, mottled and worn from years of life, right onto the gathering of snakes. They lay crushed beneath its weight with their beady eyes still open as a ghostly reminder of the fear I'd felt only moments before. Everything from that point seemed to happen so quickly because the fog seemed to recede back into oblivion and the gusty winds seemed to dissipate back into the heavens. I shuddered momentarily, trying to mask the evident fear dictating over my expression before blotting it all out entirely. I'd had no idea what was going on-still didn't. I was terrified. I was relieved. Damn, was Evangeline okay? |
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