[private] I feel it burning up inside

[lestrade]

I'm telling these tears, "Go and fall away, fall away."
May the last one burn into flames.

The journey down the Mountain was just as treacherous as the journey up it – but his mind now had a problem to ponder. He still carefully chose his steps to avoid tripping over anything in the murky darkness, but his shaky legs and skinned knees ached with each misstep. His caution proved successful, and he eventually made it to the bottom relatively unscathed. The mint and violet stallion makes a course back to the river from whence he had come, unwilling to dilly-dally in an unfamiliar place so strongly entrenched in Beqanna’s magic. Surely, it was an irresistible beacon to the shadow-creatures.

He had been successful in his plea for a quest, granted to him by a wilting fairy of Beqanna. This strange darkness and unnatural eclipse were perhaps more dangerous than he could even fathom if it were affecting even the most magical of this land. He’d never thought much of the magic of Beqanna. In fact, he regarded it with a bone deep wariness born of a childhood raised amongst godless mortals who wielded their abilities without a care to those around them.

The fairy had given him a two-part problem to solve. He had asked for a way to protect himself, but she had said he was already strong enough to do so. Lestrade had only to find a way to prove to himself that he was as she had said. But then she had suggested (ordered) that he also find a way to rid the land of these shadow-creatures. How could an average mortal being find a solution to this problem when the most powerful who lived on top the Mountain had not already done so themselves? Was this perhaps a test of the Beqannians’ strength and will? But why administer this unnatural darkness when it so obviously affected them as well?

He had much to ponder and he felt a little intimidated by the scope of this request.

While distracted by his thoughts, he had all too soon reached the banks of the fast-moving river that cut through the heart of Beqanna. He continued in this same distracted fashion, following the gentle curve of the river before coming around the bend and almost colliding with another. He brought his head up hurriedly and attempted to side-step the white mare to prevent the collision. It took some careful maneuvering, but he managed to only brush shoulders with the stranger before he quickly stepped away and put some distance between the two.

He was already on edge after his mountain top journey and his voice came out more brusque than he had intended.

“My apologies.”

Unbeknownst to him, a shadow-creature had been tailing his steps all the way from the base of the mountain. Drawn in by the fairy’s magical presence that had lingered on his skin, it had reclined in the darkness savoring the smell of it. Of course, the magic had faded shortly after he had left the Mountain far behind him.

Lestrade

mint & violet son of lupei and azlyn.

@[Mazikeen]