gallows;

[Gallows]

I remember Shiya. It was little surprise to me that she bonded more to Fennick. The guy screams trustworthy and I tend to be a little blunt and overbearing for some people. And I know for a fact that I freaked this girl out just a bit. Hey, I know my faults. Whether I see them as faults, however, is another story entirely. Truthfully, though, I hadn't meant to frighten her. No matter what anyone thinks about the Valley my aim has never been to scare the crap out of others. It may happen but that's not the point. No, the point is to enjoy life as much as possible at any cost. It's a philosophy I consider a mix of hedonism and anarchy. Hedonarchy? Eh, I'll figure it out. I'm just glad that Shiya hasn't decided to hightail it out of here when she got finished conversing with Fennick, Demian and I. The lot of us are assholes, so I wouldn't be surprised if someone couldn't handle it. I'm not doing anything in particular when the reptilian mare appears in front of me. I'd heard her coming and decided to postpone my discussion with the Valley's resident magician. I really need to ask him what the heck he did with this girl that she's so utterly obsessed and yet so blank. Apparently he may be a lot more powerful than I gave him credit for. I'm not afraid to admit my mistakes. Mentally. I break into an amused grin as Shiya speaks. “Gallows is fine. I don't stand on ceremony especially not with Valley members.” Trespassers and enemies are another story entirely. My ascension. It is, of course, tinged with a bit of bitter. Mainly a certain stallion named Fennick whom I grudgingly admire and am often extremely exasperated with. The mock feud we have is almost entirely on my side, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to give in. “Thank you, Shiya.” I add, attempting a casual tone. I have never been great at small talk. Bluntness is my forte. Speaking of... “Tell me. What do want, most of all?” That question, I have found, is often the quickest way to find out the motivation of a particular heart. G A L L O W S We must all hang together or, assuredly, we shall all hang separately.