“I’m here” The words rang to Pan, and he wondered for a moment who “I” was. The voice on the other side of the hedges didn’t sound particularly dangerous, but if Pan knew one thing, he knew that mazes tended to hold perils. At Ravos, he’d seen some very strange beasts in a maze-like setting. Wild things, like Manticores and demons. Still too, there had been the gods, leaving gifts to those who were seeking… so it is that promise of blessings that keeps him pressing onward. Racing to the end of the aisle, he tried to find the voice, calling as he went to the boy on the other side of the hedge.
”It’s me! It’s Pan!” His voice was flush with excitement as he pushed through the greenery, ignoring the way the brambles scratched against his silver and green scales, ripping one of them from him as a battle wound. He flinched only once as the bushes closed behind him, blinking into the mist as he followed the voice. The boy ran too quickly though, bumping into Ipomoea with an ungraceful sort of energy. ”Oomph, sorry. I didn’t see you there.” He felt the edges of the other beast, not quite seeing through the heavy fog, making out the warm fur of a horse and then a strange sensation of feathers near his neck. No matter… Pan was friendly with all types.
”Don’t go back that way – the bushes, they closed behind me. Let’s go North.” Normally, his compass would have spun to show the north, but in the maze it seemed to just spin erratically, this way and that. Instead of following the pointing of his compass, he followed the stars, which blinked brighter as the fog seemed to lift away. Now, in the moonlight, he could see his new friend more clearly. It was a spotted horse – a pinto, he corrected himself. And, a bird… not a horse with feathers. That, of course, made more sense. Offering the second male a lopsided grin, he danced in place, glad to find company in the maze. ”I like your bird. Does he have a name?” It was so like the scaled boy to make small talk regardless of the situation. Looking around them, he followed up with a second question. ”What are you looking for? Did you find anything? I haven’t seen anything but fog, and bushes… until I found you. What’s your name?”
”It’s me! It’s Pan!” His voice was flush with excitement as he pushed through the greenery, ignoring the way the brambles scratched against his silver and green scales, ripping one of them from him as a battle wound. He flinched only once as the bushes closed behind him, blinking into the mist as he followed the voice. The boy ran too quickly though, bumping into Ipomoea with an ungraceful sort of energy. ”Oomph, sorry. I didn’t see you there.” He felt the edges of the other beast, not quite seeing through the heavy fog, making out the warm fur of a horse and then a strange sensation of feathers near his neck. No matter… Pan was friendly with all types.
”Don’t go back that way – the bushes, they closed behind me. Let’s go North.” Normally, his compass would have spun to show the north, but in the maze it seemed to just spin erratically, this way and that. Instead of following the pointing of his compass, he followed the stars, which blinked brighter as the fog seemed to lift away. Now, in the moonlight, he could see his new friend more clearly. It was a spotted horse – a pinto, he corrected himself. And, a bird… not a horse with feathers. That, of course, made more sense. Offering the second male a lopsided grin, he danced in place, glad to find company in the maze. ”I like your bird. Does he have a name?” It was so like the scaled boy to make small talk regardless of the situation. Looking around them, he followed up with a second question. ”What are you looking for? Did you find anything? I haven’t seen anything but fog, and bushes… until I found you. What’s your name?”
Pan
Dawn Court
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@Ipomoea
