| Aurora Basin Phantom atk: 7.5 | def: 10 | dam: 2.5 |
| Stallion :: Unicorn :: 16 hh :: 8 yrs HP: 60.0 | Buff: NOVICE |
| Glo |
So Roland hadn’t exactly heeded Mauja’s warning to remain in the Basin while the darkness ran its course, though in the beginning he had intended to, but leaving the herd lands had turned out to be an interesting adventure, and not an entirely unwelcome one. He had brought home a new recruit, after all; his first, which seemed to be a milestone of sorts in his books. Though he preferred the Basin for its light, though diluted, and its familiarity, though waning in its interest, it was refreshing to have a change of scenery and temperature. Sia seemed to be an amiable travel companion, and for once he found he had nothing to complain about.
She also was a fine conversationalist, and he was glad that he didn’t have to search for words to fill the silence. He listened to her talk as they entered the Basin and came to the lake side, content to focus on her voice to keep the shadows at bay. He smiled humorlessly, surprised at how much he could relate. In truth, Roland himself had never grown accustomed to the frigid temperatures and year round snow. The cold still chilled him to his very bones and, though he did his best to ignore it, the frosty winds still took their toll on him. His coat had lengthened in order to insulate the heat radiating from his core, but he wasn’t all too happy about that either. It gave him a rugged, unkempt look, and the shine to his fur had all but vanished.
Sia’s compliment caught him off guard- he wasn’t receiving many these days- and yet he still found himself grinning at her. Of all the things he considered himself to be, graceful was one trait that had never happened to cross his mind. “Am I?” He asked softly, coming to stand beside her at the water’s edge. “I suppose I’m used to light footing my way around.” He shrugged, watching their dark reflections against the rippling water. It hadn’t felt to him like much time had passed since that fateful morning when the sun refused to rise, but all the same it seemed an age ago. Perhaps he was getting used to it, even if wandering around blind never failed to irk him.
Turning away from the water, he let out a heavy sigh. “No, it hasn’t always been dark. In fact, this is a rather recent occurrence,” he gestured up at the dark sky with his muzzle, trying to puzzle out just how he should go about explaining it to Sia. “I didn’t witness it firsthand, but a friend told me a rift was opened in one of the southern meadows. The Gods fought against it for a time before all four were pulled into the void. After that, the moon and sun vanished from our skies, and these lights appeared in the herd lands to aid our sight.”
“There’s no telling when they’ll be back, if they return at all,” he added dismally, squinting as he looked through the rays of light slanting from the Haruspex’s cave. Generally pessimistic, Roland had his doubts about seeing the Gods again. Whatever had drawn them out of this realm was obviously no small power, so he wasn’t about to get his hopes up. It was better to anticipate the disappointment than to be caught off guard and heartbroken by it. “Does the darkness bother you?” He asked, looking back at the younger mare.
Roland wasn’t about to say anything, but he could tell that she was uneasy. Perhaps she was just nervous about coming to a new home, or maybe the darkness and cold was making her apprehensive, but he knew what uncertainty looked like, even when disguised; he lied professionally after all, acting was just one of his many talents. He had never been one for closeness, having flitted from place to place after the war, but Roland didn’t want to see her upset. He could relate, after all; when given a choice he would always prefer day over night and sun over snow.
Push your luck if it makes you a promise
that turns con men honest.
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Image Credit
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