armor laced with blood shall reclaim his name

She sings to me, her voice charming and seductive - making it so hard to not go on a rampage in search of that precious fucking mineral. My body quivers from the need, desperation flaring in my eyes but her voice blocks everything else out. I can see the stallion, his black hide littered with painful looking boils and red eyes to mirror my own pop againt the splash of white on his face. I can smell him, his scent pungent in my nostrils. But I don't hear him. I simply... can't. His lips move and though I'm certain he's talking, all I can hear is a murmur - soft and faint behind her overpowering voice. Irritation, hot and demanding, courses through me; causes my ears to swivel back and my eyes to darken. I want to scream, to yell and tell her to shut the fuck up but I know that will only betray my current weakness further. Instead, I bite my tongue, pinching its' tender flesh between my teeth. Pain ripples through me and within moments the metallic tang of blood fills my mouth. The act provides an unintended benefit, one that I likely never would have guessed.

It effectively silences her. Only temporary, of course, but I wasn't about to argue or demand a different outcome. Despite her disappearance and the peaceful quiet suddenly surrounding me, my expression remains largely unchanged. The younger stallion's crimson gaze assesses me, his eyes paying particular attention to the crystals growing through my skin. Many outside the family had the tendency to stare at them, even within the rift. I'd grown accustomed to the variety of stares, ranging across the entire spectrum from fascination to complete and utter horror. I notice, though remain unphased - I watch him, waiting for the inevitable questions. Except, they don't come. Not yet, at least.

"I am." I reply, my deep voice rough though, to my relief, less strained. "Name's Crystarius." The introduction slips past my dark lips, far more easily now that she is temporarily banished. Carefully and with my own hint of curiosity, I watch him. He reminds me of a far younger version of myself, only taller. Dark, strong and brooding. A warrior, to be sure, but with all the arrogance so often associated with youth. Does he believe himself invincible, I wonder? In no condition for a fight, I keep my thoughts locked tightly away in my currently unbalanced mind.

In the stern silence surrounding us, I catch a glimpse of something red streak across the otherwise empty air and land upon the younger stallion's back. My attention shifts, blood red eyes peer casually at the dragon - long enough to get a good look at the creature but not so long as to incite his ire. "Nice dragon." I remark bluntly, returning my attention to the stallion. I've seen dragons before, so seeing one here didn't really have much of an effect on me. The ones I've seen, though, were more likely to eat him for a nice, juicy snack - and they'd been large enough to do it in a single bite - maybe two. He speaks again, asking a question that sends a sharp burst of air from my nostrils involuntarily. "It's... fine. Really." Other than being just a few steps behind the Rift in development and likely to suffer the same fate - eventually. But I don't say that aloud. There's no point. But then I'm speaking again and before I really have the chance to think about my own words, they're there - hanging in the air between the younger stallion and myself. "I didn't always look like this." I confess, though I'm still not entirely sure why. The mineral does't exist here, outside of myself. Warning Helovia about it is a moot point as it may never be a danger here. I can't help but wonder, though, that maybe, by living in Helovia, I'd be free of it in time.

I doubt it.