"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
The powerful bay stallion and the spirited colt raced back towards the Meadow, their mouths filled with delicious apples. As they approached, they heard their friends whinnying and met a large, dark bay-scaled stallion standing beside them. Still feeling the stress from the unexpected visitor at the orchard, the bay stallion nuzzled Aurora and playfully nudged Escence, dropping the apples for them. "I'm Jack," he said to the winged stallion before them. "What's going on?"
"We need to talk," he said to Aurora, his voice filled with concern. "Zain showed up while we were at the orchard. He scared Eviction and completely spoiled the apples he was about to eat. The poor kid was just starting to enjoy himself. It felt like he was starting to open up."
It was comforting to see the pair of them nearing, unharmed. It was always a mother's burden to worry about those she cared for most.
She watches as Eviction kindly presents his sister with an apple. Even though they drove each other to madness you could still see they cared for each other deeply. She smiles for in this moment they are not fighting.
Attention turns to Jack as he introduces himself to Amen and questions what is going on. She is about to answer when Jack's usual brightness is clearly faded. As he fills her in on their run in with the twin's father her navy eyes shift to Eviction. Her expression saddens at the thought of their fun day being ruined. "I'm sorry Jack," a pause follows before she continues, "I know how much today meant to you." She extends her muzzle to nudge his.
Withdrawing she remembers they are not alone and shifts her body to include Amen. "We do need to talk about several things then..." She looks to the charcoal area just beyond them near the river, "Escence set the Meadow on fire, accidently." Her gaze shifts to the scaled stallion, "Amenadiel rescued her." She adds now looking to Jack, "I'm afraid we need to move someplace safer... For everyone. Amenadiel was telling me of two places he knows of, The Dale and The Gates, right?" Her gaze shifts once more as she inquires again of the lands he spoke of earlier.
Amen carefully observes as the powerful stallion greets his partner before launching into an explanation of potential new locations for the family. As he listens, he catches wind of an unwelcome visitor who had appeared while Jack was away. Could this be a factor in their decision to move, or was it the uncontainable energy of the twins, or perhaps both?
"The Dale is characterized by its rocky, hilly terrain. Given your unbridled fire," he remarks with a chuckle, nodding towards the lively twins, "I believe it could be an excellent fit for your family. On the other hand, The Gates shares similarities with your current location, boasting lush grass and delightful year-round weather. If you wish, I can scout out a specific location for you."
04-06-2024, 08:35 PM (This post was last modified: 04-06-2024, 08:36 PM by Jack in the Box.)
Jack sighs softly as a sense of calm wash over him as he nestled close to Aurora. Taking a deep breath, he savored the comforting touch of his partner. "Thank you for helping Escence. She has so much to learn," he expresses, looking at the young filly.
Glancing at Aurora, he tried to discern her thoughts. Though the idea of the Gates excited him, he couldn't ignore the constant threat of fire and Zain that plagued their current home in the Meadow. The Dale seemed like the most practical choice, especially with the kids to consider. Perhaps, once they were grown, he and Aurora could venture to the Gates. "I believe the Dale is our best option," he mused, picturing what life in the Dale might be like, having only known the Meadow. Despite his optimism, he couldn't shake the worry that Zain would find them no matter where they went.
The gown of green and gold shifts gently on her back as her body rebalances. She listens to all that is said and nods in agreement with Jack before replying, "I agree."
Her navy eyes lift to the scaled stallion, "Would you show us the way to The Dale?"
Amenadiel glances over and nods, "Definitely," he replies as he starts walking towards the Dale. "Those kids are adorable," he remarks, gazing at the feathered mare. "You have a partner who truly adores you," he adds with a smile.
He chuckles at the sight of the twins playing joyfully. "Oh, to be young again." Suddenly, the intense burning sensation returns. "I'll catch up," he says, holding back as flames erupt from his nose and mouth, engulfing his muzzle. A small mouse scurries under the flames at the wrong moment, squeaking and running in circles before collapsing lifeless on the ground. Amenadiel lets out a sigh, extinguishing the flames around the mouse. He has never taken a life before, and he never wants to again. He has to get his fire under control.
Spreading his wings, he gently nudges the mouse under some tall grass. With a flap of his wings, he takes off into the sky, soaring over the family before landing in front of them.
In her pause for Amen's response she nicker to the twins. The listen for the briefest of moments and then trot to her side. She smiles as the winged stallion offers them a direction to head. "Come you two, we are going in search of a new home," they look to the adults with bewilderment and curiosity. Then, per usual, Escence is bounding off ahead of them.
She laughs kindly at Amenadiel's remark, "Adoreable yes, but also a handful, as you know. Escence is very... free spirited." It was the only description she could think of that suited the fiery child.
Settling into a leisurely walk beside Jack, she can't help but notice the stranger's struggle. Concern paints across her features as she watches him take leave. "Are you alright?" She calls from a distance. She can't help but notice the small glowing sparks that spatter from him. Her eyes look to Jack with worry. "Y-you think he is ok?" She whispers, insinuating more than just physically. They knew little about him truly...
Soon he returns and takes position in the lead. She sighs a slight relief and presses her shoulder into Jack as they walk along. "It'll be nice to have a home don't you think Jack?" A day-dream like smile comes over her as she watches the twin's race about ahead of them.
Jack's face lights up as he watches the carefree and playful nature of the twins. They seem oblivious to the looming threats of their sire that hang over the Meadow, but as long as they are there, Jack will be there too.
He glances over at Amenadiel, who is grappling with his own struggles. "I think so?" he murmurs softly to Aurora as they stroll leisurely through the Meadow. Jack can't help but smile as he feels Aurora's comforting presence beside him. "It will be nice, but once the kids are grown, we'll go to the Gates," he says, leaning over to nuzzle her.
The scaled stallion descends from the sky and lands before them as they continue on their journey. "My apologies, the fairies have granted me the gift of fire, but it's been a challenge to control it. Our journey to the Dale might take a few days," he explains.
Jack nods in agreement, knowing that it will be worth it if it means ridding the looming threat of Zain. "Sounds good to me," he responds.
The daylight is being to fade as dusk falls upon them. The day has been long, and she can see it as the foals begin to tire. Seemingly unending energy does have its limits.
She acknowledges Amens words as she is no stranger to the struggles of their worlds magic. "The gifts bestowed upon us are sometimes challenging to harness... Unfortunately, the more challenging are also the deadlier ones," her eyes flicker to her fiery set of foals. Their challenges have already begun and yet they are too young to understand the dangers they put themselves and others in. So, she takes it upon herself to burden her shoulders with the weight of them. She only hopes they are accepted into the kingdom they seek.
A whicker calls out to the foals. Eviction is already starting to lag behind and Escences usual spunk is all but gone. "Where should we settle down for the evening?" She asks of her traveling companions.
Amen forged ahead, scouting the area until he stumbled upon a small cave nestled in the rocks. Sensing that rain might be on its way, he hurried back to the group. "I found a small cave just around the bend. It should provide shelter for the night if it does rain," he informed them. As the sun dipped below the horizon, they made their way to the cave. "I can keep watch if you want," Amen offered, as he settled just outside the cave entrance. He listened to the rain pattering on the leaves above as he drifted off to sleep, ensuring the family was safe inside.
AuroraElis
