A R I T H E N A
FOR WHEN THE SUN LEAVES, THE WORLD FEARS YOU
On a mission to answer the question of where she was, the girl trudged forward into the mist. She could hardly see anything ahead of her, but that was scarcely a deterrent. She wasn’t even the particularly brave sort, and yet for some reason, she did not feel afraid. The thought of being afraid hadn’t crossed her mind. Perhaps it should have, given the world that she was now surrounded by. At first glance, there did not seem to be anything good about it. Nothing that wouldn’t scare a young, delicate-looking mare who was wandering by herself. But Ari was not how she appeared - not completely. Instead of shying away from this unknown land, all she could think about was where she was, and all she could be was determined to know more about it, whatever it was called. It had to have a name. Everywhere had a name. All she had to do was find a kind stranger willing to tell her. Ari always bumped into those types in her travels. Sure, they were few and far between, but they were always there. In the end, that’s what mattered. Even if it took some searching before she found one.
It was at that moment that she stepped through an unusually large spider web, which she hadn’t noticed before it was already upon her, tangled in her cream-colored mane. It was hardly visible there, except for the dewdrops that clung to each silvery strand, glistening beneath the forest’s eerie light. “Ugh,” Arithena muttered softly beneath her breath, stopping momentarily to peel the web away with her teeth. When she was satisfied that she had cleared away all that she could see from her silken locks, Ari began on her way again, through the darkness. She marched along as if she had a path to follow, although there really wasn't one. And even if there was, it would have been awfully difficult to see, given the poor lighting of her surroundings. In fact, the girl found it rather irritating that she could not get a better look at what she imagined was scenery worth seeing when it wasn’t shrouded in shadow. Stupid darkness.
She was being watched. She wasn’t aware of it yet, as she picked her way carefully through the tangles of trees. She didn’t notice him until he stepped out into the path before her. Ari jumped back, visibly startled by his sudden appearance. In addition, his appearance was, quite literally, unlike anything she’d ever encountered before. Not in all her travels. As such, when she realized the stranger did not mean any harm (for if he had, there was no reason she would still be alive to think about it), she did not hesitate to study him and take mental notes for later. As she did, her brow furrowed slightly. He was tall. Far taller than she was, and possibly the tallest creature she’d ever seen. He was darkly colored. Glowing teal stripes ran down his neck, from his poll to his withers, where his feathered wings began. His face was permanently hidden away by a white, skull-like mask. It made him look like some sort of ghost.
Not wanting to stare at this Aedion character so long that it became awkward, Ari ever so slowly made her contribution to the conversation. “So that is what this place is called. I’d been wondering. Thank you for enlightening me, Aedion.” She offered him a gracious dip of her head, tasting his name on her tongue. When her violet gaze raised again to look at the stallion, she added, “My name’s Arithena. I seem to have lost my way and wound up here. Are you from these parts?”
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The Portal
