Night fell and Ashamin rose. He was heavy and anxious; he quivered like a calf in the snow. Four battles won and four Gods gloriously returned. As far as he knew, the war was over.
What had his patron God said last time a summoning had taken place? The haruspex's head ached with the mere effort of trying to remember. The sentiment was clear enough, though. Something along the lines of, fuck you kid, you're not worth the ground under your feet even if I'm fighting to protect it for you. Now scram.

Perhaps the young buck was elaborating, but whatever the God of the Spark had told him last had struck him, and hard. The God's words had been a firm lashing, and Ashamin had learned from it that mindless devotion didn't always come across as such. He could pray at a shrine every day and night, it wouldn't make the heavens move.

He just had to pick the right time, that was all.

And so when he had woken this night and seen the stars so bright and clear, he had known he had to try again. Nothing more beautiful than that aurora, nothing more poetic than the silence blanketing the Basin, could have hosted his God of the Spark. So he sent Lochan out to find the herd's most eminent, laid his sparking tail across tinder to start a shallow fire, and waited before the odd reflections of the mirror.

He was nervous he'd receive just as much as a tongue whipping as before, but hoped at least that his bravery before the foreign Gods might have earned him at least the privilege of being spoken to directly. How long, after all, could he fail at his summons before the rest of the herd caught on to his failure and the weight of it truly fell?

""

His weary eyes gazed upon the mountains of the Basin over and over again. Their forms were never changing like bars keeping the monsters out of the frozen land. Although around this time it was more warming and welcoming. The birds flew over head chirping and singing their song as the green lush grass broke through the usually frozen ground. He wondered around not sure of what to do now. He had done so much and was never really home at the Basin, Nox always found himself out looking for new herbs or to learn something new about healing. His mind thought back to Ashamin, he had not seen the stag in a long time and thought it would be a good idea to drop by the cave. His black hooves started towards the rocky formation that their wise one called home.

As his black muscled body climbed up the rocks, the sky above glistened with extravagant colors. He watched the little deer approach the opening of the cave he walked closer wondering why the small creature was up and about. He neared the cave opening smelling the smoke of the fire. This time the black stag waited at the opening and call to the wise one within the cave. He did not was to barge into the mans home again like when the first met. "Ashamin are you here?" his deep voice rung through the cave echoing off of the walls. The Latin accent echoed back into his ears waiting for a response from the stallion.

His mind thought back to the first time meeting Ashamin. Nox has turned into a very different stallion now. He continued to go down the healing path, and his personality has drastically changed since then. He still had a crazed feel sometimes, but he was a slight psychopath what more do you expect? He waited calmly for Ashamin to invite him in, Nox did not want anything of him but to just talk on a beautiful night.

He could not wait to tell him about how much success he has had after taking his advice. Then he would simply tell him how much of a changed man he has made him. With out Ashamin he would have not gone down the path of good, and he would have not met Tiamat. Nox honestly wanted to thank him for guiding him to his calling. He also wanted to know if there was anything he could d to help him out in return. His gray eyes gazed into the caves seeing a shadow move across the walls.

"Talk?"

@Ashamin

MORTUUS NOX

Your Fears have just Become all too Real, for the Devil at the Cross road wants to make a Deal

Lochan did not get very far before turning around and heading back inside. There was just one other the cerndyr had found, and as Ashamin prayed to and waited for nothing, only one other came.

Mortuus was an interesting fellow. A strange creature that Ashamin had given surprising instructions. Or the stars had, anyway. But maybe Ashamin had read them wrong, maybe it had all been a strange and un-divine mistake. Regardless, here the dark stallion was now, at his doorstep and calling. The painted buck turned sharply to look upon the threshold, ready to snap off the head of whomever called, but upon seeing the dark and troubled stallion Ashamin relaxed.

It was a shame that the God of the Spark was apparently not coming, but at least Lochan had not found the herd leads first. And with Mortuus here, perhaps Ashamin could have another much needed conversation with a friend.

Ashamin relaxed, his long tail falling to the earth and snaking awkardly behind him as he stepped forward. "Mortuus," he answered from the shadows as he stepped into the faint aurora light, "it is good to see you again."

And it wasn't a lie, it was good to see the stallion. Ashamin had just not expected him, and his expected company had not come. It had been another failure, another mistake and miscalculation. They were growing too numerous and tedious, too frequent to blame them on coincidence.

No, this absence of the God's presence had to be his own fault. And he could not escape that fact or the manner in which it sank into his tired chest. He would just have to put on a facade and greet his herdmate as always--with an extension of his nose to touch another's, with an air of false optimism that choked like an unwelcome fog.

""

He let a soft smile leave his mouth as he walked into the cave behind the small deer creature. The little thing was growing, and had grown a lot since he has last see it. His cracked hooves clicked against the dark cave floor as he came to a stop next to Ashamin. His deep gray eyes looked over the fire, it had almost been a year since he was standing in this very spot seeking advice. Now he did not seek any advise, just a visit to an old friend. The tresses of his long forelock flew in front of his gray, stone cold eyes. They watched the warmth of the fire flicker. It was a nice feeling from the now snowing weather outside.

His heavy crow turned to speak with the wise stallion. "Well i figured i would actually ask to enter your cave this time. It is good to see you too my old friend. Much has changed since I last spoke with you. You really helped me out a lot in a very uncertain time. I never got to thank you for that. So I guess I am trying to say thank you for helping me turn my life around. " His deep Latin voice rumbled in his chest as he eyes stay gazing at the fire. As he finished speaking his scared face turned to Ashamin to smile. It was a deep broken smile, but it was a glimmer of light. He looked around the cave for a second. Then his eyes found the odd mirror hiding in the cave. He looked for a long time, but never questioned the purpose of it.

He snapped out of the gaze to look back at the stallion. "How have you been?" He questioned flicking the long tresses over his scared black body. He was really fond of this stallion. Ashamin was always very easy to talk to. He really gave great direction to Nox when it was needed. Nox realized he did not know too much about this stallion, other than he was the herd wise one. Maybe he could get to know this stallion a bit better. Nox was not very good at making male friends. The ladies tend to attract to him more, and Nox was not complaining. The fire flickered over the two of them, and danced across the walls of the cave.

"Talk?"

@Ashamin

MORTUUS NOX

Your Fears have just Become all too Real, for the Devil at the Cross road wants to make a Deal

Watching the fire's light flicker across the features of the black shadow before him seemed impossible. Mortuus was an embodiment of darkness, as mysterious as it appeared in and enveloped Ashamin's waking hours. So to see light on the essence of dark...

Ashamin frowned. As much as he tried to listen, his ears wobbled back and stayed there after Mortuus called him an old friend. Was that really what he was? The haruspex's long tail quivered and snaked, the coils sliding off of it for once. Was that who he was to this whole herd? Someone who, upon first meeting, was an old friend? He was sure it was a compliment,  but something about the friendship lost its value in that, too. Perhaps earlier in the season Ashamin would have felt different, but before yet another failed summoning he felt only hopeless.

Perhaps he was only liked for his virtue as a wise one. If everyone thought he would be willing to be their old friend, was that title taken up and assumed? Ashamin struggled to unfurrow his brow, to listen again to the dark stallion. So he had come to give thanks, to offer some company in return for apparently changing his life.

Had one star reading really done all that?

So preoccupied was he with the apparent power of his actions and advice over the members of this herd, that he was taken by surprise by the question of his own well-being. How was he? Horrible. But of course he wouldn't tell the dark one that.

He shrugged, looking out instead past his visitor and into the Basin beyond. "I am... fine. Nothing of note," he lied, suppressing his emotions once more. "But I am glad to hear that you have been well, Mortuus. It would be good to hear of your life since I saw you last," Ashamin said absently with a flickering of his tail at his back. He sported a thousand yard stare--if only you could tell, in the gloom, you might know something was wrong with him.



""

He watched the stallion as he finished speaking, there was something different about him. He seemed displeased when he spoke of him being an old friend to him. His stone cold eyes watched the wise ones expressions. His ears flicked in thought as Mortuus spoke. Did he offend him some how.. The black stag was very good at reading others energy. He was very observing when it came to others. Many always though of Mortuus as a soul that never read others emotions, but they were wrong. He knew when something was wrong. His eyes did not leave Ashamins form. He watched as the stallion spoke to him. 'Fine.' He spoke short and simple. No everything was not fine, Mortuus knew this deep down. He knew what it felt like to lie to others about your well being. He knew the pain it took to just say the three words 'I am Fine.' His black heart shuttered when he spoke that sentence. He knew the pain of suppressing emotions , the coldness in your soul, and most of all the feeling of being Alone.

Mortuus looked to the cave floor as his darkened words flooded from his mouth. He couldn't stop them. "You say your fine. Don't lie to me. I know what the words 'I'm Fine' sound like coming from someone who is troubled by their own soul. You look out into the horizon avoiding my eye contact Ashamin. You are not fine. I lived with my own bitter dying soul everyday. I know there is something wrong. I know what it is like to hurt in your heart until you cant hurt any more, then you become numb. Numb to the world and to all others trying to help you. So lets try this again. How have you really been Ashamin? " His eyes looked directly at the painted stallion, not letting their stare cease. It pierced through all the bull shit and waited for the answer from the stallions heart.

He did not want to be rude about asking him, his voice showed concern for the stallion. "I don't want you to go through what i went through Ashamin. The battle with your inner demons is long challenging one. If you have someone that understands what your going through, or someone that has been through it; chances are you can overcome your demons much quicker. " His gray eyes looked to the painted body of the other stallion. He saw pain and suffering like what had taken over his life. If he could stop, or help someone else from going through that he will give his everything to that person.



"Talk?"

MORTUUS NOX

Your Fears have just Become all too Real, for the Devil at the Cross road wants to make a Deal