a home away

angel, wrestle me
crack my sides to let me see

He could not have expected her to know of whom he spoke of. But he had hoped that perhaps Kaida could shed a glimmer of light upon the mystery that was Helovia. "I'm not entirely surprised that you don't know of her." He sighed. "If Helovia is anything like my own homeland, it is massive. One cannot know all who reside within its borders." He had heard so many stories about his own kingdom that he felt that he had been there, his talons and hooves leaving their prints upon the soil and stone. But he had never been given the chance to see his own kingdom. He had been an unwanted prince, caste down into the depths of the earth in his parents desperation to hide him away. They had hoped to forget about him, but the gods would not let them. Taking great joy in their torment. That was until they had found a way to ruin their pleasure in the form of a portal leading to this forsaken world. The Rift had given him the only taste of sunlight he had ever known. For that, he was grateful and could not completely come to hate the land that had taken his magic away.

He listened with acute interest when she spoke of her own magic being affected. When she mentioned how her flames took on the form of animals reflecting her mood his chuckled. "Like snakes to show your fury." How interesting. He too had had a magic that had reflected his mood. Anger, to be specific. But he felt that it too was gone, stolen by his new home. It was not all that important, merely a defensive measure. Like a cat puffing out its fur, his vanity magic had been designed to make himself appear more threatening. Though he rarely ever found his form engulfed in its dark cloak. He was not easily angered, not did he often need to resort to such tactics when meeting other creatures. Most fled the opposite direction when they laid eyes upon him. So far everyone he had met looked upon him with fear. Everyone aside from Kaida. She hadn't even flinched when she gazed upon his hideous form. Such a thing had never happened before. He gazed at her with barely suppressed wonder. Had her time upon this land caused her to become numb to beast such as himself? Or was she made of a different spirit than those he had encountered his entire life?

What ever the case he was filled with a sense of awe. Then the guilt came crashing in. And he was to steal from this remarkable mare? He wanted nothing more then to curl up within himself and disappear. He was truly a detestable creature. He should leave. Resign himself to the fact that he would forever be haunted by those eyes and let Kaida be. But he found himself unable to do so. He was trapped by his desire to remain beside the one horse that did not bat a lash at his looks, and the shrieking voice in his head that was attached to those vicious eyes. His own gaze dropped when she gestured to her wound. It looked extremely painful, yet she did not seem the least bit bothered by it. The world was truly strange. Light glinting off of metal drew his eyes to the necklace that hung around her neck. The stone in the pit of his stomach grew as his soul was filled with increasing guilt. He wasn't sure how much longer he could last before crumbling under its pressure.

His gaze shot back up to meet Kaida's at the mention of there possibly being a way to regain him magic. The god of this land extended mercy to those who dwelt upon this land? He had only ever known what a god's wrath could bring. Never had he experienced their blessing and the thought that one would choose to grant such gifts to mortals was new to him. "Perhaps I should seek to earn this god's mercy." He muttered, his head turning away as he gazed off into the distance. How did one go about seeking the god's blessing? He looked back at her when she asked if he would be willing to accompany her. Yes! He wanted to learn more about this mare. But he hesitated for a moment as his soul fought within itself. Light and dark collided within him. And for a moment, he selfishly let that darkness win. "I would love to accompany you!"

He moved to join her, ready to follow where ever she lead. "I have a selfish request." He said after a time. "Would you mind telling me more of your homeland, Helovia? I'm curious to hear about where you hail from." His claws clinked on the stone as he walked, accompanied by the deeper sound of his thudding back hooves. "You do not have to tell me, of course. It seems many do not come here by choice and their memories prove to be painful to recall."

TALK HERE"

that if the end will set me free
or send me down below

Roscarro

image credit to jonathon_brandt at flickr

@Kaida <3