A distant ringing seemed to materialize in his head, one that was not unlike the deep trolling of a church bell. Funny that such a harmonious thing would ever find its way to a creature such as Déodat, but the trilling persisted. For some time he tried to shake the ghostly song but of course he found no reprieve, just as he would find no reprieve from the everlasting darkness that now terrorized Helovia. Déodat had never been one to embrace the sunlight and the mercy of daytime, but now that it was lost, he felt equally desiring of its infinite comforts. He had encountered a strange mare by the name of Confutatis and while she left him feeling bereft, he was little concerned with her threats as he made his way back from the Steppe to the Basin that lay beyond. It was a good distance to close the dips and rises between the two lands, but he took the time to wonder why things had been changed so drastically.

Of course he was unaware of the battle raging between the Gods and the earth itself, but at least his sanity was still intact. There was a beauty after all, in the darkness that consumed him. He enjoyed the enticing chill that settled over his shoulders and made him numb- it was something like a drug to his deadened senses. However, the land was not without light entirely because the soft glow of the mysterious lanterns was careful enough to light his way. Where had they come from anyhow?

The soft shrug of his weary step fell into rhythm with the vicious ringing in his head and when he finally made his way to the borders of the Basin, he was glad to feel the relief that came wafting over him at the thought of home. Even though the unexplained chorus remained without wavering, Déodat was certainly pleased with the sense of belonging that seemed to expel the growing wealth of dread that had formerly engulfed him in the Steppe. There was no beauty left without the light of day and no stars to guide his eye which left him feeling empty in spite of his partial likeness to the dark.

Slowly, the painted beast weaved through the outlying trees of his home, searching absently for the next faint glow of a lantern that was meant to allow him sight in this eternal pit of blackness. He hadn’t been searching for anyone in particular when it came to wanting answers for the problems that were now arising without the sun, but when he stumbled upon Lena standing listlessly at the water’s edge of a lake that was curiously still lapping upon the shores, he paused. He did not greet her right away in fear that he might catch her off guard, considering she was just as blinded as he without the colorful ribbons of light so often woven through the skies above. Instead, he let the breeze announce him as it carried his scent along its quiet current to her awaiting senses.

"I don’t suppose you know why we’ve been doomed to this darkness now would you?” A slight quirk of his upper lip could have been seen if there were light to soften his face, but of course all one could hear were the rough tones of a vagabond prince with a crimson horn. The soft lilt to his tone might have been enough to warm the Nurse, but other than that, she would have to rely on good faith alone to determine his mood. Slowly, the prince moved closer with his head hung low whispering soft baritones to the Kitsune at the mare’s feet. He had desired a companion of his own at one time, but of course was once again discouraged from the constant care such a thing would require. He was quite the rogue after all, surviving on the will of one who had lost everything and gained nothing from past pursuits.

It was a vicious life he lived, but at times he felt more prepared than most and now that the sun had gone and left the skies pale in its absence, Déodat would be one of the few to adapt to the change without a change of heart. He was certainly a cold creature when it came down to the wire, but at least he was able to escape the struggles of life seemingly unscathed.