Excitement shoots through her body as she wends her way down the Mountainside, unable to hide the self-satisfied smirk that had appeared upon receiving her quest from the fairies. She is sure that her perseverance and increasing determination finally convinced them that she is worthy of their favor, and she is foolishly prouder of herself than she is grateful for their generosity.
But such is the way of naïve youth.
As it has been the last few times, the descent is far easier and faster than the ascent, so she finds herself at the edge of the Forest before she really has time to think about the tasks she had been given. Now that she is here, staring into the darkness that weaves through the trees, she realizes that she has no idea where to even begin. Still, that is not enough to deter her from plunging headfirst into the shadows. She will just figure it out as she goes.
She wanders for some time, unaware of how noisily she moves until she sees several small creatures fleeing before she can get close enough to get a good look at them. Her brow knits in frustration, knowing that toxic creatures are acceptable offerings, and here she is, scaring them off with every step she takes. Then, she remembers the gossamer wings at her back and how quiet they are, despite how quickly they move. Annoyed that she did not think of them sooner, she wills them into the fast fluttering that pulls her body just high enough for her hooves to leave the littered forest floor.
Encouraged by the faint hum that could easily be mistaken for the drone of a lone insect, she begins to zip through the trees, scanning carefully for anything that might be suitable enough to collect for her mission. She knows that she must find others to take with her to gather the poisons, but surely there’s no harm in doing some preemptive scouting.. right?
Suddenly, a distinct cracking noise rings in the cool air, startling her enough that she flits sideways and scrapes against the rough bark of a tree. It’s enough to send a sharp sting of pain through her system, but thankfully, she does not feel any breaks in her skin. Her head turns to where she believes the noise to have come from, and against any reasonable being’s better judgment, she heads in that direction.
She does not go far before she sees the bright blue that seems to float in the darkness, and that alone is enough to give her pause. It does not show any signs of magical origin, but it is clearly out of place here, and she stares for a long moment before the realization clicks into place. It is only because he turns his head that she finally appreciates the outline of the stallion. Immediately, a wave of delight washes over her; perhaps he could be the first willing participant in her quest!
But first, she wants to see more, to discover why he is standing alone in the forest. She moves to shrink back a bit, to remain concealed until she’s ready to approach, but then at the periphery of her vision, she notices movement. She turns slightly to see a large rock floating in midair, much as she still hovers in place; she watches curiously as it crosses, seemingly of its own accord, until it floats in front of the dark-coated man. Then he utters his farewell, which confuses her, and the rock falls.
A sickening crunch is audible despite the rather loud thump of the rock hitting the ground and she finds herself wondering the reason for the noise. However, a new thought pushes the puzzle to the back of her mind; she wonders if this man somehow is capable of moving things without touching them and the idea rouses a thrill in her shallow soul.
Driven by the irrepressible need to know, by the irrational belief that such abilities make one special, she moves forward as she calls out in what she believes an alluring purr, “Having fun, are we?” The corners of her mouth lift into a small, simpering smile as she flits around, resembling a glowy pink hummingbird that stares at him in utter fascination.
all I want is a party doll to come along with me when I'm feelin' wild
kalika
