Paladin watched the Ice King for but a few moments, trying to reach an expression the black stallion could only describe as "stony" before hearing his one word, unhelpful answer. The stallion twitched his graying whiskers in irritation for a few moments before turning back to Midas, hoping that this polite creature would be more enlightening than the white king seemed to be at the moment.
When Paladin's crimson eyes rested on Midas' golden ones, he was surprised to see excitement in them. Was the painted one born here? Did he not travel to this strange land from somewhere else? The only emotion he felt at the question of "where do you hail from?" was darkness. It pervaded his soul, laughing and grinning as it gained a foothold in this mortal world that Paladin and his attempt at goodness could not shake. The monster inside reveled at the possibility of telling this feather brain just where he came from. Who his father was. All the blood he shed. The winged ones he murdered in cold blood.
Paladin's expression hardened ever so slightly, trying to remember his other home, his true home. The soft lull of the ocean on the shores of the Tides, moonlight filtering through clouds in the sky. A soft wind, never too cold or too hot gracing his body with the feeling of being alive. When he closed his eyes, he could almost smell the salty air and hear Silverline worrying about something or other.
But it was all a dream now. Lost.
"My birthplace is naught by fire and ash by now, destroyed by selfish desire and war." He cast a glance at Mauja. "You should ask Psyche about it sometime, or Giselle." He had barely known his half-sister, being the older half-brother. Her colorless figure meant that she was of lesser stature, and he had been groomed alongside Donovan and Giselle as legionnaires. Each one of them had faced the brutality of the land. Giselle and Psyche seemed to embrace the torture. Paladin was tainted.
"However, I hail from a land south of here and slightly to the east - a place called Anarore to some and Isilme to others. I ruled on the Moonlit Tides, and that was where I called home. My heart still lives on that beach, somedays...." he trailed, eyes growing distant before blinking away the memories. "A foolish feeling, perhaps. Hindsight seems to paint memories more fondly and wonderfully than they truly were. War and darkness was present there, perhaps even moreso than here." Paladin frowned. "Shades, vile creatures of the night with no soul but to kill over ran the land. Few of us escaped. I thought that I had lost my family in the process, so I stayed as long as I could. Now, I am here..." he said quietly.
"As for what lies to the north, I have never ventured so far, but a good friend of mine told me of a land called Vanthra. I know now where it is or how to find it." Paladin turned to the frost king, wondering if he had anything to add. Just like men, talking about geography.
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[O] Remember the light (Paladin, Open)
