He couldn't remember
when he had met up with the Caravan. Between here-and-there-and-everywhere-else, Only could barely remember what he filled his belly with or where he slept at night (if he ate or slept at all, that is - the Rift was strange) - those days had been long and hard and inexplicably bizarre. Days and days and
days of being alone in the dark with no promise of a sunrise or sunset (no moonrise or moonset - no stars either) had made him desperate for company whenever he found it.
The caravan had been a fluke, something seen from the opposite side of a wormhole. It appeared to Only who had been trapped in the Rift like a door so similar to the many he opened in the beginning when there had been others to help him get through them. He thought it had been a mirror at first, the face looking back at him had been as dark as sin - as dark as his own face - and so when he reached out to touch it he hadn't expected it's nose to be warm as it breathed a sooty
greetings traveler.
Oh.
Because he was growing accustomed to bizarre happenstances more and more every day in the Rift, stepping through the door and finding himself surrounded by lush trees and sprawling countrysides did not seem strange. He realized after that there had been many horses passing through - a whole band of them and, like anywhere else, they had come from all walks of life. His wary mind searched each and every one of them and contemplated whether they were any danger or not. When the same black face introduced himself as a 'merchant' of sorts - his knew he was not in any trouble.
"And what is it you
sell?"
Bodies. He was as forward about it as he could ever be and Only's interest piqued as he looked all of them over.
See something you like? He asked.
Someone? He amended as his eyes followed Only's.
Only became curiouser-and-curiouser as his eyes drifted over towards the back of the group where - amongst many plain backs and drab coat colours - was a pale white,
winged boy that piqued his interest. They made eyes and it was an instant sell. Only wanted a companion if he was to be lost in the Rift forever (surely this was all another trick? certainly none of this was even real?)
Just roll with it. I like birds... Stephan's suggestion made Only's head tilt as if he listened to the opinions of someone outside of his head, not inside.
"That one." His narrow snake-like face pointed in the direction of Averin and instantly the enforcer laughed (
scoffed) - "You cannot afford him."
Stephan laughed hysterically at that - Only merely chuckled out loud as he looked back towards the way he came and the door was still open. "Through there, you'll have more than you will ever need. I've got gold, lots of it, gemstones, armor,
weapons..."
The merchant looked skeptical but Only insisted, he
needed the white horse like he needed a good night's rest - perhaps having the company would help provide such a thing. The Rift was awfully lonely. "I will go with you. I will show you the way out."
Money talks and Only was telling the truth. One glance inside and the enforcers could see that his offer was serious. Quickly the purchase had been made and Averin taken off of their hands. The Rift, however, sought to keep the man lonely. The moment he walked the pegasus into the darkness with him - it tore them apart the moment Only tried to introduce himself to the young steed.
Meet me by the river.
What river? And could Averin even hear him anymore? Only wouldn't know - the next thing to happen was him kissing Delumine's lush green soil as he crash landed in Novus. It had been such a jarring experience he almost forgot that it had ever happened - when he finally
did remember (days later? weeks?) it had only been a dream. But now, he wasn't so sure that-that was what it was either. It was odd, Averin seemed more and more like a fever dream that he had concocted as a way to cope with the suffocating loneliness of being trapped in the Rift - it was just odd to him to continue thinking about it - even now.
His usual trek always started by the Amare Creek, he would never willingly walk into the capitol of Delumine unless he was dragged by force - he would always try to avoid Ulric who could only trust him as far as he could throw him. His dreams of the Rift had him curious as to what river he had meant when he told his servant to meet him there. A day down the winding waterway lead him back to the Dawn Court from Ruris and he was not so eager to continue forward until something moved far up ahead. A horse. He keened his eyes on the creature more closely, mind racing as it tried to remember the details of that strange and near-fateful night. The wings were what intrigued him enough to continue forward. Delumine was just three feet away, a home of which he did not care to be a part of for it had scrutinized him in such a way that he knew he was not welcome before he was told that.
The black horse carefully picked his way through the rocks towards the stranger, his mind racing faster-faster-
faster on the event that lead to his extreme unction out of the Rift - the face he was seeing now was more clearer than it had been even in his dreams. The sleek man stood still in the water as it pooled around his golden feet, through the wild blizzard of blonde hair he gazed upon Averin with interest and curiousity, his stomach lurching with nervousness upon meeting such a creature. He had found Iliad by the water - but much to his dismay he was not who Only had been expecting. But this guy,
"Are you waiting for someone?" He heard himself ask before he could ready himself to say it. His own ears perked forward, head lifting to toss the golden locks out of his face to get an even better look at Averin.
@Averin
.only
si vis pacem para bellum
There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
For many are called but few are chosen.
