She Ran Calling Wildfire

Fuck. If she was dead, then there went any hope of finding Java. If she had perished in the whirlpool, then surely the poor bat had too, being even less-suited for the water than she. Before she could worry any more, however, the glowing mare assured her that she was, in fact, still alive and kicking. Aryel wasn't yet sure how trustworthy she was, but then again, what would she have to gain by lying about that? She let out a breath of relief. There was still hope, then. If she had survived through whatever kind of strange magic had brought her here, then maybe her companion had too.

Relief gave way to worry, however, as the mare dipped her head, voice becoming a fearful whisper. She warned of something approaching, some sort of malignant presence that stole from those it caught. Already frightened for her companion's fate and thoroughly confused at her situation, the news that some ghostly whatever would be rolling around soon to mess with her magic did not sit well with her. Perhaps horses were prey animals, more inclined to run then fight, but Aryel was a bit more pugnacious then most. Fear of her unknown circumstances gave rise to defensive aggression. "Oh, it can try," she growled, pawing the ground angrily. Blue flames flickered to life around her hoof, snapping and hissing as they touched the mud underfoot. "I've lost my best friend, I don't even know where the fuck I am, I am not putting up with some incorporeal bullshit trying to mess with my magic or my stuff."

Speaking of magic and incorporeal bullshit. The glowing orb floating at the taller mare's shoulder suddenly flashed, causing the smaller blue dun to take a step back in surprise, the flames at her hooves flickering in readiness. She watched as it split itself in two, somehow without diminishing in size. The first orb returned to the other's side, while the newly-formed mote drifted towards Aryel. She snorted in warning, ears pinning, but the orb merely came to a gentle halt by her side, mirroring the one at Otem's shoulder. She looked back to the mare, confused, as she explained what it was, more or less. "Did you do that, or did it just decide to on its own?" she asked, curving her neck back to give the orb a curious sniff. There was no smell coming from it, only a gentle, almost soothing warmth. She wasn't so sure about this, or what the mare meant when she said the land was "sick", but she'd weather whatever this strange world could throw at her if it meant finding Java again.

This mare seemed rather knowledgeable, as if she had been through all this before. Maybe she had encountered him already! "Have you seen a bat anywhere around here?" asked Aryel, hostility briefly diminishing. As much as she tried to hide with, she was worried about the little creature. "Bigger than usual, with a face like a fox. Goes by 'Java'?"

@Otem