Satisfied that he had searched the dawn court to the best of his ability, Venari moved onto the last location in Delumine. The one that was left last for a reason. As it loomed ahead of him, he felt his heart sink and his mind whir through stress caused by flashbacks. It had been four years since he was hunted by the rogues, however it still pained him to think about and thick forests still increased his heart-rate. No matter how much better he was feeling in terms of mental state, spending a prolonged amount of time beneath such vast canopies always triggered a worsened mood. While he didn't like to admit it, Venari found it inexplicably hard to live through his past when bombarded with constant visual reminders. Perhaps with age he would get better at coping with it, but he rather suspected (with a heavy heart) that he would always have this reaction to some degree.
Despite the emotional difficulties, Venari managed to pick up a trot. While it was tempting to give this area a wide birth, the teal stallion was keen to do well in the quest put in front of him. Perhaps this experience would help desensitise him to the looming canopies and get him a step closer to feeling comfortable in forests again. On the contrary, this venture had scope to worsen his mind and give it even more reason to resent the landscape. It could swing either way.
To cope with the anxiety bubbling within his veins and causing a mild nausea, Venari intensified his search tactics. The more distracted he was, the less he could think of where he was. Pushing himself into a walk, Ven craned his neck down to scan the floor before lifting his muzzle up high to observe the canopies. He made note to look for any oddities in the leaves on the ground, to check any holes bore into the trees by the local wildlife. In essence, Venari made sure to lose himself in this particular search.
*
TAGGED: Open
NOTES: Another relic thread ~
TIMELINE: Fifth relic location, second day
