The flame-licked bird still hovers before him in his mind’s eye, its words hum teasingly in his ears, and both only add to the growing sense of excitement that has rooted itself deep in his chest. The magic of Beqanna has smiled on his little group, has granted them the chance to resurrect Tephra from its obscured state. A mild twinge of guilt lies just beneath the surface of his enthusiasm, for he knows his motivations can’t hold a candle to the others that he’d convinced to go on this quest with him.

He genuinely doesn’t know if anything can mend the rift that he accidentally created between himself and Adriana, but he would be amiss to not try. No longer wanting to be the kind of man to do things halfway, why not make the grandest gesture by returning her home to her? There is a part of him that does not want to consider the possibility of her rebuffing him even if they succeed in the quest, but that part of him also quietly acknowledges that as long as she is happy with having Tephra again, that will be enough for him.

By the time he descends the Mountain, the sun has begun its own descent beyond the horizon and he pauses to soak in the regal beauty of the sky painted so richly in varied shades of red and orange, with hints of blue and purple creeping in at the edges. Strange how he never used to notice such things before and now that seems to be all he does. He stares a moment longer then starts moving toward the Forest, where he’d asked Kreation to meet him. He figured that if he was to look for pieces of Tephra, there was no better place than where this journey had started in the first place, the place where he had emerged from the waters after centuries of entrapment, the place where he had first met Adriana.

It doesn’t take him long to reach the edge of the forest where it happened and he stops to observe the area, faint snippets of their conversation whispering hauntingly to him. He shakes his head to clear the memories and he realizes that something else calls to him from deep within the crowded trees, so he turns to them and hesitates for only the briefest of moments before plunging into the shadows.

At first, the air is heavy with the sounds of nocturnal creatures stirring from their slumber, preparing to go about their usual activities. As he trudges deeper into the woods, the noise level falls to the dullest of roars as the creatures attempt to determine if he is friend or foe before continuing their routines. Suddenly, he notices a soft golden glow begin to pulse nearby. Intrigued, he heads in its direction but before he can reach the source, a strange noise freezes him where he stands..

All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware

--Martin Buber

In truth, he is not prepared for what may lurk in the suffocating shadows. All of his years as a herd stallion had been remarkably uneventful. Though there had been others that had attempted to pilfer a mare or two, he had always managed to intervene in time and nothing ever devolved into a true fight, nor can he recall a single challenge that had ever come his way. He had always been lucky in that respect.

Having no allegiance to anyone but himself, he had never been involved in any of the wars or skirmishes either. He vaguely remembers the beginning of the Alliance but there had been no appeal for him. He remembers his intent to test the waters in the Forsaken Chamber when the kingdoms were blended and reshaped, but fate had intervened before he could do so.

Simply, he was not a man built for fighting.

As he quickly contemplates the possibilities of the strange noise’s source, he rues the fact that he had never taken Famkee up on her offer to learn how to properly use his horn. The feel of it on his forehead is incredibly heavy, as though weighted with his foolish, feckless behavior. Though he does not truly know how to wield a weapon, he lowers his head, just in case.

Then a laugh cuts through the thick tension and a familiar figure prowls into his line of vision. Of course. For the first time, he finds himself annoyed by her boisterous personality, but he is careful not to let any of this show on his face. He cannot risk chasing her off for any reason as he still needs her help in accomplishing their mutual goal.

He had asked her to join him since he had never been to Tephra before, so he needed someone to help him identify one of the missing pieces that he could present to the fairies. But beyond that, he did not want to drive her off because something within him knows that she has good intentions and that there is something he can learn from her.

So he shakes his head and snorts softly to dispel any unease that remains in his body. He accepts the touch of her metal wing and forces a smile as he returns the gesture with his own flesh and feather wing. He does not say anything (oking around has never been his forte) and he looks back to where the glowing light is.

Correction, was.

His brow furrows in confusion and frustration. “I’m not sure, but it seems to be gone. Still..” He had lined himself up with the source, so in theory, he could still find the place just by continuing in the same direction. Whether he finds the glowing object, well, that’s another story.

He brushes lightly against the mare at his side, momentarily distracted by the feel of cool metal against his skin. He is getting more used to the different manifestations of Beqanna’s magic, but some things still manage to throw him for a loop. The slight shock passes quickly enough though as he moves forward.

The glow does not return as they progress deeper into the Forest, but he subconsciously recognizes that something is out of place here in the darkness. It seems to press closely around him, to wrap crushing fingers around his chest so that breaths are harder to come by. What is it that is bothering him so?

He hadn’t noticed the blossoms sporadically dotting their pathway, but now they are beginning to form denser clusters and their bright colors begin to draw his attention. Odd. He pauses to bend his head closer to inspect a patch. The scent is lovely, heady and just enough out of place that he wonders if these could be what they are looking for. Excitement building yet again, he lifts his head to look at Kreation, to ask her what she thinks, when the gold light reappears several yards away.

“Oh.. look, it’s there now.”

He moves swiftly, not wanting to lose track of the shimmering aura again, and in his haste, he does not notice the twin reflections that also pierce the darkness that surrounds them.

All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware

--Martin Buber

Typically cautious (maybe even to a fault), he has no qualms tonight about plunging headlong into the darkness. It escapes him for now, but perhaps he might reflect later that he should be a little more reckless in his actions, rather than playing everything so guardedly. Although, were he normally the adventurous type, there’s a chance he would not be on this mission at all.

His focus is linear, laser-like, wholly trained on that subtle golden glow. It beckons him, calls to him nearly as powerfully as his desire to gather Adriana beneath his wing once more, to even see her face one more time. The intuition that so rarely fails him speaks to him, lets him know that this is what he seeks, that this is what will make his dream a reality.

He is barely aware of Kreation’s warning cry. In fact, he only realizes that something has gone awry when she surges past him and blocks his path forward. A loud huff of exasperation whistles forcefully through his nose as he narrowly avoids crashing directly into her, a feat she had not quite managed not so very long ago. As he gathers his wits, tension begins to return to him again, lighting up every nerve and muscle fiber like a city grid recovering from a blackout.

Finally, he distinguishes the eyes glimmering amid the gold light and he resists the urge to paw at the ground, to posture combatively (even though he has no true urge to fight whatever lies behind those eyes). While he may not be the most useful partner, he prepares himself to leap into the fray with the brash young woman standing before him.

But the moment does not come.

Instead, the glow fades abruptly once more, and a small hybrid creature, hardly intimidating, rises from a pool he had not noticed stretching across the way. He is not as quick to drop his defenses, as he does not recognize the name that she gives for the purple feline-like thing, but it truly seems harmless enough. He laughs quietly at Kreation’s words.  “Well, it was certainly something…” He studies the thing, the Felis Marus, and intends to move closer, but as it settles in to groom itself, a familiar scent drifts their way and his head lifts automatically. Surely not.

It is briny and tangy, breezy and comforting, as though he is standing seaside, or better.. beside her. A tentative spark of hope flickers in his chest at the idea that she might be nearby. But then he notices that there is a soft sweetness and a humidity-laden earthiness, that underlies the initial oceanic notes, that makes it just different enough to quell the fire before it has really caught on. He vaguely registers that Kreation has suggested that they’ve found a few remnants of Tephra, but before he can respond, he is distracted yet again.

Just as the elation fades back into the shadows of his mind, the golden light flares into being at the water’s edge, pulsing lazily.

Finally.

He moves to investigate and finds that a flower’s petals are outlined by the throbbing glow. At first, the bitter taste of disappointment floods his tongue, but he realizes that the scent he’d caught just moments ago has become stronger now. Confusion knits his brow as he attempts to process this strange discovery. He should know better than to puzzle over the peculiarities of Beqanna, but he can’t help but wonder how the pink and white blossom, growing in the midst of a gloomy forest, can smell so richly of the ocean.

Kreation’s voice interrupts his thoughts. “…grab something and let’s go!” He shakes his head in an attempt to clear the mental fogginess that has befallen him. He glances briefly at her, bewilderment still in his eyes. He gives a slight nod and looks again to the tropical flora at his feet. He snags a mouthful, careful not to crush any of them between his teeth, and returns to where she stands, waiting. He gestures wordlessly to her, indicating that he is also ready to leave.

A twinkle of a smile lights his eyes as he watches the feline creature settles itself among the flesh and metal of her back. When everyone seems ready, he sets off toward the Meadow, where the questing party had agreed to meet when they’d gathered their pieces.

One can’t help but notice the bounce in his step as he goes.

All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware

--Martin Buber