Things hadn't exactly turned out the way he had expected them to. This and that had happened and before he knew it, birds were chirping, the snow was melting and the sound of running, rushing, gurgling and laughing water was everywhere. It made the progress incredibly slow and the travel messy beyond belief, but for once Cathun felt no inclination to stop and comb the mud and grime out of the hair. Because, well, there wasn't much hair left to comb. The embers were consuming it, inch by sweeping inch erupting into flame as the second bead in his necklace blinked on and off under the strain of suppressing the rampaging magic. The young stallion kept his mouth pressed firmly together in a stern line as he hurried south towards the coast, the panic at this erratic behavior hidden only by a thin veil of determination... but it grew harder to maintain for every hiccup and delay along the way.

He didn't pause to hesitate or skulk around as he reached the magical bridge, like he usually did. In long strides he gathered speed and leaped instead with reckless abandon off the steep edge. Immediately he noticed how the amulet finally caved in as wings of flame erupted from his sides to carry him across the sea, summoned by the key that glinted and gleamed among the billowing flames that now burst from his neck in place of hair. He grimaced but felt no pain, only a grim determination not to give in to panic. When he landed it was in an eruption of silent fire, red-hot but otherwise harmless where it licked his hooves. Any other time the boy might have cursed the signs of growing peril, slipped further into dark despair as he pondered death and misery, but... alas, he was in too much of a hurry this time. Something else was occupying his thoughts, something that was far more urgent than his private little hell.

As soon as he felt solid ground beneath the feet again he rushed off into the flowering desert with the course set for the eastern edge of the Oasis, the place where he knew he was most likely to find warriors, people of rank, maybe even the Sultans. Only a few days ago he would have withered at the thought of facing up to Gaucho after skiving off his duties for two whole seasons, but the news he brought went far beyond the humiliation of a scolding. They could do with him what they wished once he had told them everything he had seen so far...

"Heeey, anyone here?" he shouted as he skidded to a halt by the usual meeting spot, coat dark and lathery with sweat and so winded he could barely get the words out. "I've got news, big news, you won't believe what's happened up north!"

Cathun swirled on the spot as he looked for someone, anyone, to report to, too agitated to stay still even though he was tired to his bones from the long, hard run.



@Ampere @Megaera @Gaucho Open

From the vast, clear blue sky a bullet fell, faster in a nearly uncontrolled dive, and just as he thought the Sultana would smash into a sticky heap of broken bones, brain matter and scattered feathers she spread the vast wings and landed in the precious new grass. Even in the midst of his heart-throbbing panic and exalted state Cathun couldn't help but feel admiration and mingled envy at the expertise she showed in the air, the sheer power and agility she exuded as she hurried over, looking sharp and brisk just like a leader should. She was miles above himself in experience, maturity and skill, and with a renewed sense of self-loathing he recognized the possibility that she wouldn't approve of his decision to leave the battle without even attempting to lend a hand.

But that could wait until later. He turned towards her and hurried on with the report, words tumbling over each other as he hurried to get it over with.

"The Time God is battling a monster in a part of Helovia I've never seen before. Heck - sorry, ma'am - I don't think anyone has seen the place before, it was like it just appeared form nowhere!

"Ranjiri and.. I think it was that Aithniel girl, was there, and a whole bunch of others, and there were foreigners all over the place, and you haven't even seen people as strange as them before, ma'am! They were glowing and swirling and had all sorts of crazy colors and horns and wings, and I have no idea which side they were on but by the sound of it, the thing that was fighting the Time whatever is their GOD so I can't imagine that they'd take kindly to being ripped from wherever and thrown out here."  

He had to pause and draw breath, afraid that what he was saying made no sense whatsoever but still struggling to convey the sheer madness of what he had seen. Fire billowed and swayed around him in tune with the agitated pacing, just as hot and restless as him.

"Anyway, the battle was still going on as I left, I figured it'd be best to let you know, to prepare or something in case it doesn't end well... There were a bunch of others there, like I said, I doubt I would have made a difference anyway..."

He breathed heavily, stopping in his tracks to look at Megaera, as if to seek assurance he wasn't sure he would find. The words that steely unicorn bitch had shouted after him still rang in his ears, hot and furious, scornful at the cowardice of running in the face of a battle.

Was he even a man, if he didn't fight? Was that all there was to being one? If so, she'd had more balls than he did.


@Megaera