d’Artagnan watches on, his nose half lost in the grass he was quite vigorously grazing and now frozen as he witnesses the mountains shaking. Stones turned to boulders and quite alarmingly the situation went from bad to worse, the shade’s head shot up with legs firmly planted in the ground, frowning as the mountain seemed to wake from an endless slumber. Bones cracking away the mold and a roar that made the Mender grimace and the growls that ripped from his hound’s mouth quite easily smothered. The crimson stallion gazes out with emotionless perception, as the overgrown monster makes its first steps, before turning back to observe the ground and sighing under his breath. ”I really need to stop eating weird shit, these hallucinations are getting ridiculous.” He looked thoughtfully to the moon that had appeared and then back to the monster in which he found another rather strange creature, considerably smaller, but equally weird in appearance, shaking his head quite woefully. ”You’ve quite outdone yourself this time d’Artagnan.”

It wasn't until the monster reached the foot of the path that the Nightshade decided to do something about it, even though it was just a dream, and he wasn't about to let a bird do all the fighting. Cloven hooves struck the air as he reared in defiance, a flash of inky black streaming out ahead as Aramis dived down the path and lunged for the creatures feet. Teeth aiming to tear away at it’s feet before he sprinted off when his bonded came close. d’Artagnan lurched to a halt, watching as the water seemed to burn the ground and he took two steps back in revulsion, analyzing the best way to get close to it without being seared by its acid. It was then he felt almost a click, the magical power he once possessed had recently been detached from him, d’Artagnan could not use it at all, not even his healing. Yet that otherness had returned, it filled his body with darkness and a familiar power returned to him whilst he gazed up at the moon.

Why is it always you? A thought both helpless and bitter, he wanted nothing else to do with her and yet he always needed her. The Nightshade sighed, the dye was cast and he’d chosen his paths, there was nothing left but to simply accept his choices and fight on. Mismatched gaze searched for the piercing green of the monster and he drowned himself in the depths of darkness and magic, sending it outwards in attempt to fill the overgrown brute’s body with lethargy, hoping to disrupt it’s movements and shake its balance. d’Artagnan grimaced as weariness began to nibble at his senses, he had not used magic for weeks and quite easily he had forgotten the toll it took on his own body. Hoping it had worked or the bird had somehow found an opening, the shade ceased his flow of magic and breathed out heavily as Aramis appeared by his side.