[Rebel_the_Proud]

Shetan actually smiled a little at Slaynvigil as he spoke of riding him. He stayed still so that it was easier for the Sahound to position himself without worry of falling. When he was on the Penticorn's back, Slaynvigil asked if he was too heavy, and Shetan looked back with a reassuring look in his eyes.

"No, you're not too heavy. Just hold on. I'll keep my pace slow so you don't fall."

Shetan knew that that must've been on the creatures' mind, but also, he knew that if he did fall off, those sharp rocks would be unforgiving. Keeping a steady pace, Shetan started to pick his way down the side of the volcano, the heat that rose up behind him starting to fade a bit. There were a few patches of heat where Shetan could tell the lava was moving beneath it, so he had to be careful of those areas.

"So, tell me, Slaynvigil. How is it that Masochia gets to push you around? Is she that way with everyone?"

Shetan wasn't the one to pry, but he was curious about Masochia.




(14)

[Dawnhawk]

"Like, why does she get to do that? Err... I don't know, really. She is that way with everyone, yeah, I guess she was just born that way, or maybe someone was like that to her when she was a hatchling. Dawnhawk doesn't interfere. I don't know why not; it's probably just because she has other, more important things to do."
Slaynvigil gave a tinny version of a shrug so that he would not fall off. In truth, he was petrified. That would be Masochia's fault; when he was very young, she would dangle him from the top of Dawnhawk's mansion. Sometimes, she would even drop him. He knew that this was his friend, and he wasn't exactly three stories above the ground, and yet he was still dreadfully afraid.
"What made you ask that?"

[Rebel_the_Proud]

"I guess creatures are just born with evil in them..."

Shetan replied to Slaynvigil's first words, recounting on the evil soul he knew all too well. His mind was drawn off of the thought when Slaynvigil asked why he had asked. Shetan was quiet for a moment, as he contined walking down the slope, thinking of an answer. He really didn't know, he just sorta asked.

"Curiosity, I guess... It just amazes me how evil some can be... especially to those who are kind."

Shetan referred his last words to Slaynvigil, recounong on how hospitible he had been to Shetan. He could feel Slaynvigil's tension and so he slowed down.

"Are you alright, Slaynvigil? You aren't afraid, are you? I promise I won't' let you fall."

[Dawnhawk]

Slaynvigil laughed nervously. "Yeah, I am sorta scared... But I'll be fine. Just... don't do any backflips or anything, okay?"
Slaynvigil buried his face beneath his front paws to ward of visions of the lava and sharp rocks that lurked beneath him and Shetan; they still leaked through, and he whined softly.
"Yes, Shetan, I admit it, I am afraid!"
He articulated perfectly in his terror and began to shake.
"It's the rocks! They look evil!!"

[Rebel_the_Proud]

"You're fine, Slaynvigil, just stay calm. Don't look down. We will be safe here very soon."

Shetan spoke quietly, but he knew it was urgent to get him to safety and without losing him. He quickened his pace to a trot, keeping it nice and smooth for the Sahound. He could see the land start to level out a bit, the rocks smoothing, but then he realized something blocked his path: a large ditch filled with boiling, flowing lava. Shetan stopped smoothly, allowing time for Slaynvigil to prepare for a stop. He looked at the lava, eyeing the large ditch. He looked upstream and downstream, but the width was either the same across or further, making it here he would have to jump to get across. Shetan sighed, taking steps back so he could get a running start.

"Hold on, Slaynvigil... and don't look down."

With a snort, Shetan burst forward into a thundering gallop, hooves throwing off sparks on the hardened magma rocks below. Legs pumped hard, having to quicken his pace to jump the massive ditch. His life and another's was on the line and if he didn't make it, they'd loose thier lives. With a lunge, Shetan released his hooves from the ground, going airborn over the ditch. The heat of the flowing lava below him sending up a wave of blistering heat to his legs and belly.

Hooves clattered as they hit rock, body coming down with a massive force, but Shetan was able to steady himself so that he would not fall, safely on the other side of the ditch. He stood a moment to catch his breath and glanced back to see if Slaynvigil had made it out alive.

"You okay?"




(16)

[Dawnhawk]

Slaynvigil began singing softly to himself as he felt Shetan preparing to jump.
"Little pup don't run away from home.
We can find your missing throne.
I promise you it is not lost.
No more so than the winter frost."
He tried to keep his voice soft and calm, but it rose shrilly as the rushing lava grew closer.
"She-tan!" he shrieked, pressing his mouth into the fur of the Penticorn's shoulders to muffle the sound of his fear.
He shuddered violently, his stomach lurching painfully as he felt the world disappear from beneath him. Strangely enough, his body went slack with the sensation, and a memory from the past filled his brain.
Perhaps it was the song he vaguely remembered his mother singing to him when he was very, very small; perhaps it was the sense of security that washed over him when the world left his feet. Or perhaps it was simply time...
A tiny puppy frolicked happily in the grass, two others with purple and black coats identical to its own running beside him. A larger, feminine Sahound watched them dutifully, her amber eyes glinting in the half-light produced by the forest surrounding her. "Seer! Tayen! Pherelts! Numen! Come, quickly! It is the Blackberries!"
Her children stopped immediately in their tracks, spinning around to dash to her side. Without warning, a Blackberry Slithey streaked from the trees, bashing into the mother's head cruelly with her tail. The pups squealed in distress, scattering in an effort to protect themselves. Undaunted by their infantile ways, the Blackberry sauntered up to the first Sahound, Seer.
"So." she drawled, very much in control of the situation. "You feel like running, eh?"
Shocked into immobility, the pup nodded.
"I don't think you're going to run much farther, kid."
A mature male Void Sahound sprinted from the depths of the forest, lifting the pup out of harm for the time being; bliss surrounded him like a cloud. With a jolt, Slaynvigil realized who it was.
Him, as a child. He had not noticed before.

..

In real time, the body of Slaynvigil was motionless on the back of his friend. The only clues that he was still alive were the constant movement of his lungs, the rapid breathing of his heart and the occasional twitch..

[Rebel_the_Proud]

Shetan didn't hear a response, and slightly wondered if the Sahound was still there, but he could feel the tense body that lay on his back. The Penticorn walked calmly away from the ditch so that they would be further away from the lava. On this side, the rocks weren't so bad, and Shetan actually found a small patch of lichens. They were very close to the base of the volcano which meant safety. Shetan stopped by the lichens, lowering head and chest down to allow for the Sahound to get off if he could.

"You're safe now, Slaynvigil... You can get off if you'd like..."





(17)

[Dawnhawk]

Limply Slaynvigil rolled off of Shetan's back to lounge in the patch of lichens and nurse his paw... Again. Something did not seem right about it; perhaps some foreign contaminant from the volcanic ash had infected it.
"Ahh," the Sahound sighed as the lichens soothed his sore muscles. He stared up at his friend, then flicked his gaze pointedly to a spot beside him and back to the Penticorn.
"There is plenty of room for you too lay down, too, Shetan. You must be really tired."

[Rebel_the_Proud]

Shetan smiled softly at the offer from his friend... Yes, a friend. Slaynvigil had been the first one Shetan could actually call a friend, and Shetan couldn't have asked for a better one. Though he was a little tired, Shetan decided to stay up for a little longer just to be sure things were safe. He would have hated for someone to sneak up on them when they were most vulnerable.

"Thank you, Slaynvigil. But I think I'll stay standing for a little while. You rest up."

Shetan looked out over the slightly barren land. Mostly there were rocks and lichens, grasses starting to grow the farther down the volcano side Shetan looked. This was actually a very good place to stop as it offered for a good way to see any approaching creatures without worry of being snuck up on. Without looking from his scouting, Shetan remembered Slaynvigil's foot, a bit worried about it.

"How is your paw? Will it heal?"




(18)

[Dawnhawk]

Reminded yet again of his injury by Shetan, Slaynvigil glanced down at his paw, only to do a double take. "Err... That depends. Is white foam around the cut normal? I should probably know by now, but I don't."
Slaynvigil extended his tongue to lap the strange stuff away, but when he thought about it for a moment, he simply allowed his tongue to stay half way out of his mouth, unwilling to get the stuff inside of him. Even though it must have come from his cut, he was unsure of the effect it would have on his digestive system.

[Rebel_the_Proud]

"I wouldn't suggest licking... who knows what infection is growing there."

Shetan looked to examine the wound and it did not look good at all. He knew very little of medical practices, but he knew something had to be done. Reaching to the farthest points of his mind, he sought out something, anything that could be used to help in aid of the paw. Then as he looked at the lichens, he realized that he had once used them on his own wound.

"Luck must be running good for us today. Press your paw into the lichens to allow them to draw out some of the infection. I'll find some long grass blades for you to tie around it. There are no gareentees it'll heal your paw any faster, but getting it bandaged will surely do it great good."

Shetan walked to where he had seen the grass growing and had to do some scrounging around before finding suitable blades of grass that were about a foot long; easily to be used in tying around Slaynvigil's paw. Plucking them in his mouth, the Penticorn walked back over to Slaynvigil, dropping them by his paw so that he could use them. Of course, Shetan would have helped, but having hooves meant that Shetan was limited on what he could and could not do.




(19)

[Dawnhawk]

Slaynvigil thanked Shetan. "Oh, what would I do without you, buddy?" he told the other jokingly, gingerly pressing the pad of his paw to the lichens.
"Aahhhhh," he said. "This is actually kinda soothing. Doesn't sting quite so much as I woulda thought." His boyish demeanor came out again as his seemingly insignificant wound began to feel better.
"Okay.. Now, let's see if I can get these on right."
Doggedly he set himself to tying the blades of grass about his paw, using the other paw as well as his jaws in the act.
"Much better," he reported, pleased at their teamwork.

[Rebel_the_Proud]

"Oh, what would I do without you, buddy?"

Shetan smiled at the joke, though he found it quite comforting to be called 'buddy', as it finally seemed he had someone to call friend. The Blaze Penticorn waited for the Sahound to tie off the blades, wishing he could help more, but hooves never really came in handy with situations like this. When Slaynvigil made his report, Shetan nodded his head in approval, glad to know that the wound had been brought under control.

"Hm. We make a pretty good team."

A thought crossed Shetan, however, as he remembered carrying Slaynvigil. It seemed to bring curiosity foreward about the fear he felt in the Sahound when he was upon his back and he couldn't help but wonder why, although falling off of him onto the sharp rocks below could be enough to fear. Shetan was just curious if there was more to it than that.

"Say, Slaynvigil. I hope you don't mind me asking but, when I was carrying you, why were you so afraid? Was it just fear of falling off?"




(20)

[Rebel_the_Proud]

*pulls Shetan out* =x

An answer never came for the lonesome bloke and he doubted he would ever get an answer. Shetan remained silent for a long while, standing there in the silence around him. 'A team no more...' With a silent sigh, the fiery red equine stepped away leaving that dreaded silence. He picked his way over the jagged rocks of the land, making not a sound upon the ground. And he was gone.


(21)