Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun
It was a long walk home, but Fennick didn’t mind. Night had long since fallen, and the black lord had become part of the night. Just another shadow in the dark. Even at the base of the mountain, he could see the Valley’s cosmic fire. Their all encompassing barrier. It had drawn closer and closer the higher they climbed, and finally they were at its base.
Fennick’s tattoo tingled in response, and the stallion grinned. The wall recognized him.
He looked over at Hestia, and for the briefest moment a look of concern flitted over his face. Would she burn? Not according to Demian’s rules. Not if she had good intent. Still, he had not tested it yet. Hestia had the dubious honor of being the first, the first to trust her life to his clumsy hands.
Would she live to regret it? Fennick groaned inwardly. Boy, did he hope not. He tried to plaster a look of confidence on his face and looked down at her.
“Well,” He said cheerily. “this is it.” Fennick could have sworn the wall burned a little brighter then. Was it beckoning them? Or was it warning them away? Fennick looked sideways at his companion and spread a giant black wing out over her back. It probably wasn’t necessary, if she was marked to burn she would burn beneath his wing just as easily as she would without it. Still, it made him feel a little less like an executioner. The wall would know he had invited her, for all the good it would do.
“Did I mention this?” He asked, again feinting confidence.
“This is our insurance policy. Sure beats a security guard, huh? Just follow me through, and you’ll be fine.” Again, he couldn’t be sure about that. He did, however, hope it was true. What was that saying?
The road to hell is paved with good intentions?
Well, if he was going he might as well deserve it. Carefully, Fennick stepped through the wall. He felt the fire lick across him. He felt it recognize him, and then he felt it caress him. The wall liked Fennick, for it knew he lived for the Valley. He just hoped it looked at Hestia with similar kindness.