I’d chosen to follow the ninny with the egg satchel back to his home in the Basin hoping that what I found there would be… suitable. He and his blubbering little lass were acceptable company for the journey, but I could also recall the pale-eyed giant name Jorogumo stating that she too resided in the north. She’d met me in the Threshold some time back and since then I’d dubbed her the devil of her own little hell… Needless to say I’d declined her offer for refuge. Funny how things work out…

Of course, had the trek been any indication of what the infamous Aurora Basin might look like, I would have said no. It was certainly a winter wonderland… if they had razor-sharp teeth and the claws to match. The snowdrifts themselves seemed to possess a life of their own and the wind that howled through the valley thought it humorous to toss the shit about in torrents. If I wasn’t getting nailed in the eyes with it, then it was the mouth, or the side, or the chest. It was everywhere. How did anyone become accustomed to cold? It was like trying to soothe sore muscles with rocks; it just didn’t happen.

However, what surprised me most was the eagerness of both my companions. The little lass was alive with excitement –for what I wasn’t sure- and the stallion with the pouch seemed rather relieved to be “home” –whatever that was-. When we’d travelled past the giant, mechanical equine (for fuck’s sake, I couldn’t tell you what it was), it took a bit a time to discover the congregation of Unicorns. I’d never seen so many horned specimens in all my life and somehow it made my glad that I hadn’t come unprepared. With the exception of one hybrid –she was winged with a horn- the rest of the lot seemed to abide by some unspoken rule of thumb: have a horn.

Have a horn or you don’t belong? I wasn’t sure if it was by choice or by chance that the Basin was made up solely of mythical Unicorns –had Jorogumo mentioned that?-, but I guess it was slightly empowering anyway. Now, as long as I was accepted, I could reign supreme throughout Helovia for being part of a regime of fucking Unicorns (and one hybrid). Oh righteous and beautiful horned community please accept my request to join you… and all that shit.

I’d followed my companions toward the large gathering and we stopped near the back like a couple of newcomers –which in my case was true- but I wasn’t sure about the other two. However, there was something off about the whole thing. Everyone seemed fairly tense and cautious, of course that could have been my active imagination playing tricks on me again. I mean, one minute I’m admiring all these Unicorns and the next there’s –I kid you not- a horse made of sweet stuff or at least sweet-smelling stuff, I wasn’t sure which.

At the head of the “table” were two stallions –one gold and one grey- and one mare –a curious painted/overo/something-with-mixed-colors-. I hadn’t arrived early enough to catch much of anything, other than the announcement of new ranks, and I feared that I would be overlooked if I didn’t speak up… so speak up I did. To the big grey with the demeanor of a slab of concrete I craned my neck above the crowd, “If you could throw me in there somewhere, that’d be great, I’m Atlas by the way. This fella here said I could join this fine bunch of…” I trailed while looking at the pouch-man. “Well anyways, I’d be delighted if I could stick around. I could maybe make stuff or anything really.” I smiled awkwardly.

I wasn’t too sure that the big-man-in-charge would be amused with my approach, but hell, I’d never been in a herd before, let alone one so… serious.