a little mayhem never hurt anyone
a little bedlam 'til i'm coming undone
a little bedlam 'til i'm coming undone
It did not take long for winter to begin its rage.
Strong winds howled outside, which seemed to shake the house walls within Denocte. Everyone had the same idea as Morrighan and holed themselves up in their houses until the storm came to an end. Snow fell and fell, blanketing the world in white. The wind was kicking the snow up so much that for a time Denocte disappeared within the blizzard.
There were storms like these back in Ourania, but she did not have the luxury of having a roof over her head. Her kingdom had to huddle together and those with fire magic would aid in lighting campfires to keep warm. In Novus, the equines were much less primitive and built their cities and buildings. It had been a lot to get used to, but in times like these, Morrighan certainly appreciated it. Especially with the absence of her fire magic.
The mare stood by the window, watching the endless snow. It came down so fast that it almost seemed that it would swallow Denocte whole. Then suddenly, it stopped.
Some opened their doors (or at least the best that they could) to observe the land and look up at the sky. Night had almost fallen, but the stars were hidden behind all of the storm clouds. Morrighan could tell that this would not be the last of the snow for tonight and this was merely a lull. It was for this reason she didn't bother to go out and figured she'd deal with it all in the morning.
However, just as she was turning her back to the window, something caught her eye in the center of the market. Right below the Caligo sculpture was a small body with a tiny flicker of a flame nearby. It had to be nothing more than a yearling and it was huddled beneath the sculpture trying to stay warm. She scoffed. He was stupid for not taking shelter in the storm, especially with all the options around here. Did he think he could brave it himself?
Morrighan watched the yearling closely and the small fire conjured by their magic. It was a pitiful flame that was only becoming smaller as the minutes passed. The yearling looked terrible and like he was on his last breath, which only made the mare more perplexed.
To many, the time Morrighan spent just standing there watching was too long. She contemplated going out there and saving him, but the other part of her knew there was such thing as natural selection. Some were too stupid to figure out the ways of survival. If he had been in her kingdom, he would've been seen as weak and probably be outcasted.
She shook her head and was about to turn away again, but Caligo's face on the sculpture seemed to change. She didn't know how, but it looked different, almost menacing and judgmental. Was that possible? Could the goddess' statues take on a more realistic likeness? If there was anything she was learning since coming to Novus, it was that anything was possible with the land's magic.
The mare narrowed her eyes. She felt like she was going crazy, but sculpture-Caligo was getting angrier the longer she left the yearling alone.
Fine.
Reluctantly, Morrighan shoved open the door, which was not an easy task with how much snow had piled up on the ground. She had to put her full weight into it before finally she created a big enough opening to slip her body through. Once she was outside, she didn't do anything to hide her displeasure of this entire thing. The snow went up way too high and she had to stretch her neck out while she trudged towards the center of the market. What would've normally taken her seconds, took several more minutes. By the time she finally got to the yearling, she had gotten quite the workout and was even more frustrated.
It seemed the yearling's flame had nearly been snuffed out at this point. Morrighan snorted, trying to catch his attention. For a moment, she wondered if he had already died, but she could just make out his sides moving in and out with each labored breath. The snow had already begun to fall again, so this would need to be quick. Using her already tired legs, she began to dig through the snow around the yearling so it'd be easier for him to get out.
"Get up," she demanded. After all that work, he damn well better get up.
He looked up and blinked, seeming confused for a moment, but then realized what was happening. His expression changed to gratitude as he then made an attempt to stand. His legs were a little wobbly though and Morrighan stretched out to help support him with her snout.
Once he stood, he shook the snow off his body and leaned closer to the mare for warmth. It was very unexpected and made her step back a little. "Thank you," he whispered.
As awkward as the good deed made her feel, she felt her lips tug back in a small smile. It was then that the warmth became an even greater feeling… so much so that it enveloped her. What was this?
It was as if the yearling's flame had moved from the ground to her body. It didn't burn her, but instead felt like it was feeling its way around her. The fire was not a stranger and it seemed to remember her like an old friend.
Then, there it was. The rush was like adrenaline, except it was warm and more powerful. Her eyes grew wide as she realized what was going on.
Her immortality may have not returned, but her magic had. Finally, after all this time wandering around the strange land, something familiar had come back for her.
"Hello fire, my old friend."
@Random Events (hope this is better!)
