Green Labyrinth
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RIXEN i have late night conversations with the moon;
I continued to writhe beneath the creature, in an attempt to get him off. It was large enough to be considered a predator, but not so large that it couldn’t be thrown off with some effort. Eventually, after a great deal of kicking and grunting, and with Roscorro’s aid, I was able to dislodge my attacker and send him flying toward the ground. My hide stung, for his claws had left rather gruesome wounds on my hindquarters. The blood turned the surrounding blue-grey hair a shade of dark brown as it trickled down, dragged earthward by the forces of gravity. Panting heavily, I turned to face the Harpax, who was standing on the ground, eying me. He wasn’t yet defeated. An aggressive series of snarls escaped his lips, his eyes burning with hatred. My own ears were flattened against my skull as I waited to see what he might do next; I wasn’t about to be his next meal. As he stepped forward, though, he seemed to wince, as if in a great deal of pain. Blood dripped from several wounds on his body, ones that Roscorro must have landed with his sharp, dragon-like claws. With a whimper, the Harpax turned away and shrunk into the shadows. Just like that, he was gone, gave up on his pursuit as we stood there watching. I was still trying to catch my breath, waiting for the adrenaline levels to come down. "That was close." Was all I could muster, swinging my head in the direction of the man who had helped me, despite just having met. Then, a flash of red and ivory caught my gaze, glinting in a patch of sunlight. It must have been left behind, dropped by the Harpax when he turned to retreat. It was the Palubov tusk. "Yeah… that was what I was looking for." I couldn’t have asked for better timing. The Rift, whispering softly in my ears, voiced its approval. I had collected what it wanted. For what reason, I was still not sure, but would hopefully soon find out. This strange feeling of not knowing, being unable to draw connections between horses and places and ….things, was quite unsettling. The sooner I could get rid of it, the better. "No, I think I’m okay. Just a few scratches." I replied, grateful for his concern. The scaly stallion stepped forward, and suddenly a soothing feeling, like being wrapped in a warm blanket, overcame me. The torn flesh on my rump molded back together, either side of each wound growing into one another until my flanks were good as new. It must have been the workings of his magic, which I could scarcely believe was capable of such this were it not for the transformation that happened before my very eyes. The the corners of my lips upturned in a smile, and my emerald gaze shifted to meet Roscorro’s. "Thank you." I offered him a polite nod, before nudging the tusk toward my legs with my whiskered chin. "I’d better be on my way. But I will find a way to return the favor someday, should we cross paths again." And with that, I picked up the tusk between my teeth, turning away from my new friend. He'd helped me, perhaps even saved my life, after all, and in my books that was enough to be considered more than a mere acquaintance. Without a scratch on my body from the preceding fight, I wandered away, casting a last glance back before disappearing among the stalks of bamboo. "Talk." he tells me about the sun — and I tell him about you. |
@Roscorro
