Once airborne I felt a little better about the world, less worried about the strange mare that had given me some evil eye stares. It was easier to simply abandon myself into the wind, let my feathers slip along the breeze in a lovers embrace with little effort from their master. A strong Southern wind pushed us toward the ocean; toward their soon to be home. A home that had lately become like my personal weighted cross to carry. Who would I introduce the new blood to? Currently myself and an absent Hector were supposed to be managing military affairs—both outside and inside the clan.

To occupy a troubled heart and equally stressed mind, I called out above the wind as we flew--attempting for a little conversation, “Were do ye both hail from?” Trees grew sparsely when we left the Threshold, but shinning moon flowers and the goddess herself lite our path with that same eerie, yet hauntingly beautiful glow. Below us looked like something straight out of a foal’s bedtime tale; glowing plants of light, silver balls of vibrancies in nearby shrubs and baby trees. Of course, at this point the light was needless to one who had lived for months in nearly total black. I could have found our borders without the aid of celestial god and actually at one point had been forced to fiddle my way through the dark.

Eventually the grass and remaining trees gave way to sandstone and red dirt. The ground flattened considerably in a way that was familiar, our desert was lite by a brilliant light that could be easily seen at our current distance. Our saving grace, the fire from Sun himself. It shot straight to heaven, pushing past cloud cover until it disappeared much higher than even the most agile Pegasus dare go. The wall was also below, shadowed and unfinished. It had become an eyesore for us and curiosity for newcomers more than anything else. Glancing at my flight companions with a tired smile I announced loud enough to be heard, “Welcome to Dragon’s Throat.”

It felt good to spread his wings, again. For a long while the twins had wandered aimlessly in the dark forest, their hooves searching for an end to the compact space that kept them rooted to the ground as strongly as the trees that had enveloped them. The wind whistled in his ears, his long flowing mane gently stroking his shoulders as the tendrils rippled like a golden stream behind his arched crest. Powerful wings kept the stallion easily aloft; his body lanky yet thin and lightweight much like that of an over sized doe. A whinny escaped his lips as he caught an up-drift, wings only beating on occasion as the warm currents carried him higher ad higher as his body nestled between his companions.

A voice shouted over the howling of the wind in his ears and he turned to the patchwork stag on his right - he knew it would not be Altair that was chatting. "A place called Cambria!" He replied, voice trying to outmatch the sound of the air. "Its quite far from here - I doubt you'd have heard of it!" He said, all too casual. Midas knw nothing of the war in his homeland, nor the occurrences tat had forced the royal twins from their families embrace. They were likely the last of their blood but Felix was not one to let that affect him. Fresh starts and new beginnings and all that jazz.

Her glanced below, scanning the landscape. Bright glowing baubles shone like fireflies or stars, marking their path. It was beautiful. The lights shone off shrubbery and foliage, which soon gave way to rocks and dirt. The desert landscape was similar to the Cambrian deserts and was a familiar and welcome sight. Before him, a pillar of light, like an angels descent, marked the territory, guiding the trio and spreading a vast light over the lands. Before it, separating barren lands from the borders, was a half finished wall. It wasn't exactly what Felix would call attractive, in fact it was not unlike a jagged scar on the sands below, but Felix did not comment. As they passed the wall, Midas spoke up; they were home.

He grinned, glancing toward Altair and nickering toward his brother, who's face was stoic as always. Despite his apparently neutral gaze, Felix could see a spark in Tess' eyes that he had not seen for some time; hope.

The palomino twisted slightly, angling his wings down as he began his decent. As he grew closer to the earth, his wings began to prevent himself colliding with force with the ground below. Graceful, Altair drifted down, touching the sands and landing in a way that showed his experience with the fine texture of the desert terrain. Felix, in the other hand, landed with a jerk, stumbling forwards and coming very close to face-planting. He caught himself - just - and blushed furiously. Shaking his messed up mane and flickering his stumpy tail, he cleared his throat, as if nothing had happened. maybe Midas hadn't noticed. "So, this is the Throat, huh? Nice... light pillar. Does that come in 'ominous glow?' or just 'heavenly light'?" Altair rolled his odd colored eyes. Trust Felix to make a fool of himself.

"Speech goes here"

“Cambria!” I smiled wistfully and shook my head side to side when he assumed that I hadn’t heard of it. Another name, another clan. Unfamiliar to me of course. It was true that being a native had its advantages—but all Pegasus had some gypsy blood that ran hotter when folks from outlying territories came into Helovia. A stranger’s mind was often ripe with stories worth the trouble of asking. Lately, I had begun dreaming of these other places; wondering what they would be like. The grin occupying my face is a bright one as we land. The one called Altair kissed the floor as a mother might her child. Gentle and purposefully in his moments—Felix, the one who did most of the talking, was less than graceful in his attempt. Stumbling as a child might and nearly touching muzzle to dirt. I step onto the sand and close my wings with easy practice, naturally I looked away as Felix straightened. It was rude to stare and find jest in another’s mistakes. Gaze turned instead toward our tropical home, where Cera and Fina were waiting.

The Oasis is a dark shadow in the distance. A rising landscape that could appear to some as a mountain from our current span. With Birdsong pushing back the cool northern air, and Earth finally returning to make our world green again. Our home was thriving and warm. Thriving, but still edgy with other troubles. Such as our missing Sultana’s, an absent General, and the threat of another war. I wouldn’t share these with the newcomers, they would hear about it in good time.

Sun’s fire had obviously captured some attention. “Nice…light pillar. Does that come in ‘ominous glow?’ or just ‘heavenly’ light?” A chuckle found its way past my reserve, regarding the brother with a soft smirk I replied, “It is a boon from our patron, the Sun God. He protects this land and has given it light during this dark time.” Taking lead again, I walked toward the Oasis. Assuming that the pair would still follow, “Ahead is an Oasis, where you can rest and eat. South of Oasis is the ocean. If you have any questions or concerns you can either bring them to myself or Onni, she is the head Physician.”

The explanation of the light pillar made both twins gawp in awe; though Felix's reaction was no doubt more obvious. His mouth slackened before he grinned widely. "Woah, neat." He exclaimed, whinnying like a colt as Altair simply nodded, a faint smile touching his kissers. Both turned to follow the painted stag; Felix blissfully unaware of the problems Helovia was facing, and Altair deep in thought.

Felix, on the other hand, was concentrating on the present. His past was haunting, so the upbeat stag tried hard to stay in the 'now', so as not to let the past or future affect him too badly. A coping mechanism, but an effective one. "So you and this 'Onni' are in charge?" He asked as his long, deer-like legs danced over the familiar texture of the sands. "Where's you king? Or does this land have no such leader?" He questioned. His father had been a king, though the pair knew that such rank gave way for uprisings. It was probably best for a herd to be comprised of equals, but that had its own challenges. From the sounds of it, that was what this herd was - of course, the pair had no idea about the trials and tribulations of their new home.

Altair was silent for some time, ignorant of the conversation at hand, before he nudged the side of the smaller stag nervously. His eyes didn't quite meet Midas' as he addressed him. "In the forest, you said the Gods are returning. How long have they been gone, exactly?" The younger brother asked quietly. He was curious to know when the dark night would end. The pair was grown up in a bright land where snow never fell and the days were long. The darkness was not something Altair coped well with, unlike his adaptive brother.

"Speech goes here"
tess tess tess tess speech

They both seemed delighted enough, I felt my responding grin widen. A gentle but knowing flame came to life and melted my golden gaze; they were unburdened foreigners. Without care, without worry. It was always this way, travelers seeking what we had…though sometimes, it often felt that I was reaching out like a small plant vainly stretching its leaves under the shadow of a grand oak. Stunted and nourished to a higher purpose. We lived for such a short time….

“So you and this ‘Onni’ are in charge?” he asked, dancing around with obvious nerves and childlike eagerness. I nodded but held my response long enough for him to add, “Where’s your king? Or does this land have no such leader?” A hard knot formed in the back of my throat, brows narrowed just a little as I swiftly swallowed it down and put forward another boast of easiness, “Aye, we have Sultana’s. I am one of two Generals. Our are currently away on…business; hopefully they will return soon.” It wasn’t a lie. For all I knew, Kri and her Sinbird was doing some sort of trade elsewhere. Though rumors pointed that Kri was being held in Basin custody.

The quieter one spoke up now, my attention flickered but body didn’t pause its calculated march toward their new home, “In the forest, you said the Gods are returning. How long have they been gone, exactly?” A strained sigh formed as I tried to remember the last time we had seen the sun. Voice offered an answer in the same tone that had been thus far used, no hint of frustration or annoyance could be found or felt within it, “The Gods have been absent for nearly two seasons…or so we guess. Time has altered itself, it is hard…” I pause, thinking for a moment, “Hard to measure its passing in the sense of days or weeks.”

Felix was happy enough with the answer, bobbing his head and letting his wild hair dance around his face and neck. His short tail flickered over his hind quarters as he began to trot in front of the pair of pegasus behind him, kicking up his heels and feeling the cold sand spray over his ankles. His wings stretched wide, his muscles rippling as he danced over the shifting earth on dextrose legs. Tess watched with mild amusement at the display, focusing, instead, on the words of the painted stag. He nodded slowly, understanding and gaining in confidence. This stranger seemed pleasant enough. "Understandable." Spoke the politer of the two twins. "On our way into this land, we lost track of time easily, we have no idea how long we were wandering that forest." He thought back, frowning to himself. Had it been days, or weeks, of mindless wandering? His legs ached. The pair had not rested much, confused by the strange, dark hours of endless night. He longed for light, and for rest. That forest felt dangerous. He needed to know he, and his brother, were safe.

Felix had stopped, and as Tess walked he soon caught up with the frozen arabian. Nudging Felix's rump, the older of the pair jumped, turning toward the others with a sheepish grin. "Sorry. Lost in thought." He excused with a yawn. What he had been thinking was that the oasis Midas had told them about sounded like the perfect place to rest. Tess seemed to have the same idea; yawning in unison with his brother. "If it is okay, we should probably rest. We have been travelling for a long time, and the journey was nothing but safe. See you around Midas, sir!" He said with a flourish; bowing low to the General with outstretched wings and a leg pointed forward toward the stag. Once he raised up, he turned swiftly, tucking in his wings and setting off in a relaxed canter. Tess bowed also, though his was a simple bob of the head. "What my brother means is, thank you Midas, for allowing us into your home." He smiled apologetically, turning to walk toward the oasis. He would catch up to the wildling soon.

"Speech goes here"
tess tess tess tess speech

“Understandable,”

Felix appeared to float an inch or so above ground by the grace of movement; yet, those tan feet remained firmly planted to shuffle red sand this way and that. A warrior’s dance it was. Which lead me to think as he danced about, that his nibble legs could prove useful in our ranks. Ivory tendrils struck painted quarter with a lazy slow motion, contrasting upbeat swings of said ballet. My ash lips held their natural curve, and though I wouldn’t participate—I could at the very least enjoy the diversion of watching another share their raw delight. “It’s because you’re a stick in the mud.”

That humorous voice touched my mind, it was feminine—soft but somehow very direct, straightforward. Fina soared high above us, her orange body darkly shadowed and nearly invisible when totally cloaked by night. She watched and listened to my thoughts with an impassive dry humor.

I didn’t bother responding to her snipped comment, this joy wasn’t mine to express. He was thrilled I suppose, thrilled to be rid of the forest and its darkly lite trails. The notion of lacking leadership didn’t appear to cross his mind, or dampen spirits in the least. I stole a glance at Altair and saw that he was watching said sibling with steady, but quiet amusement. That look was something I could relate, it was the stare of a wise but loving man. Pausing my slow walk I regard the pair kindly, their travels must have been hard.

“On our way into this land, we lost track of the time easily, we have no idea how long we were wandering that forest,” understandably I shrug in a way of saying, “who could tell?” Honestly, none but the Gods knew of seconds, minutes and hours. We had only watched the sun’s location to direct time flow on this mortal plane. “If it is okay, we a probably rest. We have been travelling for a long time…” Acknowledging the brother with a curt nod I returned his bow in a slightly less formal salute that arched my thick neck until chin touched chest. Felix mimicked his brother’s gracious manner in a way that I was more accustomed to. Both bid farewell, “What my brother means is, thank you Midas.” My face softens and I gaze turns to one of humble amusement, “Aye, and you are welcome. Rest well brothers.”