I begin at the end, time will buckle and bend. Child of the profane, tied to the great chain. Forlorn faces running from the cold regret, empty spaces something that I can’t forget. All I wanted was to wish the past away, but time’s the cruelest ruler that we all obey. And I dream of goodbye, sinking sea, falling sky   -------------------------------------------------------------

In the months since leaving the temples of her youth, Hallelujah had been seeking this land. She had come from distant shores to seek out the mythical place where the gods themselves were rumored to reside, if only to gaze upon the temple in sheer awe and fear. She did not presume herself worthy to step among the lofty heights where they would reside. In fact, she felt as though she would have been far too cocky to attempt something so audacious. Instead she had made her way to the Bridges of Whispers, the route to the semi-ruins of a city that had once sprouted around the temples of the gods. But some unknown event had driven away those who had once called it home and now it was the all too eerie route to the land she was traveling to now.


Gold-colored hooves beat out a tempo as she made her way towards the cobblestone bridge, passing beneath archways carved from marble. She couldn't be sure what it was she was going to find within these lands, but she felt largely at peace. As if all of the weight had been lifted from her shoulders. In fact, the subtle glow that usually surrounded the girl seemed to dull. It wasn't a sad dulling, but hopeful. The weight of magic relieved from her tired limbs. She made her way through what was an old marketplace, some of the stalls still standing with their sun-faded awnings hanging limply where they were once stretched taught. As she picked her path through the dry-rotted maze of stands and booths, she noticed a tall building before her. It seemed largely intact, likely due to the fact it seemed to have been carved from a single piece of marble. Embedded in slight recesses within the walls were symbols of the gods made from gold, almost as a sign for any and all who wondered what might lie within the building itself. 

And so she had found herself on the steps of the imposing building, nudging the door open to make her way within. It took her breath away, the sheer beauty of the place. Tall stained glass windows lined the back wall, casting their tinted beams of light along the intricate floor. Four statues were once silhouetted by these windows and ever-glowing braziers of magic fire. One for each of the gods. Incense and sage burned somewhere within the building, or at least that's what she assumed. Perhaps it was a lasting effect of the magic of those who had tended the temple before her arrival. But it was a pleasant one all the same. She made her way to the altar before the statues, casting light upon everything in her path. 

She bowed her head before the altar, making a mental note to tidy the place up before she left. The temple may have been abandoned long ago, but that didn't mean it needed to stay in a state of disarray. 

"I've traveled long and far to reach this place. And yet it is even more beautiful than I could have imagined. I was always told stories of how grand the temples of this land would be but I could not hope to imagine that one day I would be standing within one."

She trailed off then, eyes scanning the walls of the room. It was peaceful in it's simplicity, not like the overly gilded halls that so many royals felt the need to burrow within. But here she was, going to ramble on about her travels in a place of the gods. 

"The people of this land are so accepting of open prayer. Perhaps it is a testament for how strong their faith is. But I have met some who do not share this faith. It makes me weep, but onward I'll march to guide light within their lives. I even met the Singer of Shadows, the man who looked like a jay. His was so heavy. He was kind enough to offer me refuge within his walls and his realm. I wanted to help him, but I didn't know how." 

A deep sigh rolled from within her chest as she spoke this last part, the sadness that she felt for the man almost tangible within the air. 

"There are so many of your children that I want to help, but I fear I will not be able to reach them all. Perhaps it is a sign that I should devote my life not only to you, but to the aid of your children. I had hoped one day to have children of my own, but perhaps this is where my calling lies. To help the broken and the beaten to see the light. To shelter them and aid them as if they were my own children."

The mare felt at peace while she prayed to the gods, speaking to them as she had every night since she was old enough to understand the prayers and rites of the temples. She wasn't asking for anything from the gods other than perhaps guidance or the peace and knowledge that she was on the right path. But she also knew that the gods could also be fickle creatures and would just as soon harm you as help you. There had to be balance in the world and perhaps she had too much good in her soul. 'We are giving you a task, young one. Pass through the threshold on the bridge and spread our light. Spread our teachings in this new realm and when you pass, you will join us.'

It had taken the golden-splashed mare several weeks in order to work up the courage to actually enter these lands. Her light-blessed hide was like a small beacon of hope in the land that was so rarely populated by any of the equine devout. In fact, she saw more of the naturally occurring wildlife in the area. Perhaps one day these creatures had been very normal and were less of a threat. But the magic that permeated the air had twisted these creatures into beasts that could swoop in and carry off the less devout of the land. 

But still she found herself within the walls of the largest temple that had been erected for the gods here. Only the most devout would brave the journey in and make their way to this place. But the mare had found herself within this temple, on the journey to bring peace to those who would require it the most. Those pious creatures who had dedicated themselves to the gods had left things in a whirlwind, all dust and locked doors. She breathed in the scent of old water and dust once more before composing herself to leave. It was time that she finished her journey. She made sure that the doors of the temple shut behind her as she left, casting one more glance before setting herself to the road once more. She could see the rippling sort of threshold before her on the bridge. A slight apprehension came over her as she moved towards it, knowing that once she passed through that nothing was going to be quite the same. But all the same, she steeled herself for the coming events and through the rippling threshold she passed. [/align]


She steeled herself for this new and upcoming life that she had created for herself. "Well, the first place I ought to start is finding myself a new home." She was thinking to herself now, stretching and shuffling her wings as she pulled herself from the ground and shaking the snow from her feathers. "Well, that might prove to be a bit more difficult than I originally thought." The grey winter sky wasn't the most welcoming thing, and she couldn't really see anyone in any direction. In fact, most of the snow around her lay untouched by any sort of equine traffic. Just the odd hare or field mouse. "Well. No time like the present." She set off then, firm in her belief that she was going to find someone out here who was going to take her somewhere warmer, or by the gods she was going to die trying.

credit noname @ caution

EZITAL
 
Ezital practically fled the herd lands once the meeting had reached a close. He couldn't take one more minute of that fancy pigeon of a horse pointing out their failures as a herd and not bothering to take responsibility for his own shortcomings. How long had he waited for him at the Labyrinth, only for him never to show? He hated that forest and all of its stink and rot, and still he'd waited for Kaj to come to him and patrol it.

That stallion hid behind his pretty words and flapped his giant wings around a few times like it would earn a single ounce of respect from them. Ezital had left his respect for the creature in that clearing at the mouth of the labyrinth. The others' mustn't feel much differently, for any fool could feel the unrest and unease that blanketed the herd. That other winged horse hadn't been much better. She'd doused him in her magic water and acted like they should thank her for it. The only halfway decent one he'd met was that little painted filly from the Basin, and she wasn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box either.

He felt just about ready to write off the entire species as unreliable and rather dim. They had done very little to prove to him otherwise.

His frustration reached a boiling point at the edge of the threshold. He reared up and lashed out at a fallen branch, striking the bark a few times with his hooves. But Ezital's character didn't lend itself to outbursts or even anger, so the bout was short lived. He sighed to himself and shook his head. He knew that he wasn't ready to leave the falls, even if he disagreed with management. His friends lived there, and he would miss them dearly.

So, he would walk the territory that bordered the Hidden Falls until he felt calm enough to return and face them once more. Tomorrow would be another day. Shaking off his mood as best he could, he picked up a steady jog to pick his way through the trees of the threshold. But of course, this was the threshold and other horses were never far.

And wouldn't you know? It was another damned gold pegasus.

"You, bird brains. Are you lost?"
 
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@Hallelujah
ooc- Welcome to Helovia!