Sealah - A Pegasus - Part 1
By T W I
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17th Jan 2011 •
3,752 views
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8 comments
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This is the story of Sealah, Keela's mother from my series Keela: A Pegasus. It wasn't getting a lot of attention, so I thought I'd give some background about Keela before continuing her story.
The autumn sun illuminated Southeastern Tarlea, casting the warm golden light of evening over the picturesque land. Wild game roamed freely and the soil was rich and black. It was a beautiful world, Tarlea, natural home of the Pegasi and the only world men knew.
The best portions were divided into small kingdoms, each ruled by various lords. The rest was either made up of allots, - land individually owned and farmed - or simply left uninhabited and lonely. Lonely, except for the Pegasi. When the world was young, they roamed Tarlea freely, but as time went on, their numbers slowly began to fade into oblivion. Hundreds of years after the birthing of their world, the Pegasi are almost extinguished, the remnant of a blaze now dwindled to an ember. The reason for their disappearance is shaded and dark, veiled from the eyes of all but an elect few.
Sealah tossed her silky cream mane as she soared past Kaodran, in pretence of racing the imposing stallion, who in turn gave her a mock nip on the hindquarters before turning on a burst off speed to pass her. Sealah responded with an abrupt dive, angling her wings so that her right one skimmed the grass for a few moments before she arced up and out in a large circle, intending to take her mate by surprise as she came up below him. Her motion was slightly heavy though, and she came up just a little too far behind. With an amused squeal, Kaodran gave a flap of his mighty black wings and pawed the air with his front hooves. Effortlessly, he rose up until he was flying right above Sealah.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spied a dark bay flash hurtling down towards her and she whinnied in protest as Kaodran neatly cut her off, tilting his wings and arching his neck in a roguish way as he nipped past her.
They continued this way until Sealah’s breathing became heavy and she let her slim legs touch earth, sinking down with a sigh of relief. She luxuriously stretched her soft white wings and glanced up at the tall figure who was standing protectively above her.
“Kao,” She began, “Do you think we can push on across the border before my foal is born? I think I can take a few miles more, perhaps after I‘ve rested a bit.” She paused a moment and glanced tenderly at her dapple gray sides, rounded with foal, before continuing.
“I feel uncomfortable here in Kair. It’s just too close Eirmont. I don’t want to give birth so close to…to Them." Here Sealah shuddered involuntarily.
"Even if we are just passing through Kair to reach Kurna, it gives me chills to think my foal will be born in the neighboring province to Eirmont. ”
Kaodran stretched out his handsome bay head and gently nuzzled Sealah’s slender neck.
“Of course Sealah, if you‘re sure that you can take it.” He said and then added in a playful tone, “There must be somewhere in Tarlea where you can feel at ease giving birth to your precious foal.” Sealah’s small, delicate looking form relaxed audibly as she replied,
“Let’s leave tonight. I want to put as much distance between myself and Eirmont before foaling.”
As evening faded into twilight, Kaodran rose from where he had been lying beside Sealah and stood peering up at the dusky sky. A few moments later he snorted in frustration, blowing warm breath out of his big nostrils as he glanced down at the dainty form at his side.
“Kao, what’s the matter?” She asked, raising her head to look at him.
“A storm is approaching, and fast.”
Sealah’s features took on a worried look as she too stared up at the heavens with her mate, gazing at the dark clouds beginning to pile up. Kaodran shook his mane in annoyance.
“I don’t like this at all. It’s too risky to travel in a full fledged storm, especially in your condition.”
“We don’t have to fly -” Sealah began, but before she could continue, Kaodran cut her off.
“How many miles do you think you could safely cover hoofing it, without injuring yourself?” Without pausing to let her reply, he continued,
“Certainly not many dear one. No, have your foal here, in the hills of Kair. Neither of us have seen any sign of the Pursuers for weeks now. If we’ve given them the slip for this long, then we can do it until you and your baby are ready to travel.”
Sealah dipped her head in submission, though a curious feeling of apprehension rippled through her senses.
“As you wish Kao.”
Sealah was standing knee deep in wildflowers, happily browsing for the greenest, most tender blades of grass which poked up here and there in between the flowers. But as she blissfully chewed, the sky suddenly grew dark, the sun was obscured by menacing clouds. Alarmed, she jerked her head up and peered around.
“Kao? Kao where are you?”
With a start, Sealah realized that while she had been browsing, she’d lost track of Kaodran. The sky continued to darken and the first droplets of rain began fall. She bunched her muscles and spread her wings, ready to fly in search of him. But before she could leap into the air, a blinding white streak of light seem to split open the sky directly in front of her. She reared in terror and her eyes darted around, looking for shelter. But her small, trembling form was a stark contrast to the flat emptiness seemed to stretch on for miles. More lightning crashed around her. She could almost feel the searing heat as the sky was lit up over and over again. With terrified neigh, she plunged blindly into the storm, in desperate search of Kaodran.
Sealah woke with a jerk, shaking all over. She was lying on her side in the soft grass, nestled up against a small rise of earth. Still trembling, she twitched her the skin on her withers, expecting to feel the reassuring pressure of Kaodran’s wing, draped over her to ward off the chilly night. But instead of warm feathers, she felt instead the cold bite of late Autumn’s air as it blew across her exposed back. She shivered and glanced at her side. But all that met her searching eyes was grass, waving in the wind. With a start she realized that Kaodran simply wasn’t there.
“Kao?” She whispered into the night. “Kao?”
There was no reply. Though slightly shaken from her nightmare, Sealah wasn’t worried, not yet.
Pegasi sleep lying down, as their wings are too heavy for them to stand on their hooves the whole night long. However to keep from damaging the tissues on their downward side, as result of constant pressure from their considerate weight, they periodically get up during the night for a few moments before returning to their original posture.
Though sure - almost sure - that Kaodran was just stretching his legs before he lay back down, Sealah, peered intently into the blackness. But as far as her eyes could see, there was only empty space, stretching on as far as her eyes could discern through the foggy night. |
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Equestri
I love your stories :) They're so well written, and I always hurry to read one as soon as it's published!
I love your stories :) They're so well written, and I always hurry to read one as soon as it's published!
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Jan 17, 2011
• 2,635 views
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weezapony
TWITWITWI!!!!! This is awesome! by far one of the best horse fictions. :D I love the imagery and the names are cool, too! It's just mysterious enough to keep me curious, but not so much so that it makes me mad. MOAR! *attacks*
TWITWITWI!!!!! This is awesome! by far one of the best horse fictions. :D I love the imagery and the names are cool, too! It's just mysterious enough to keep me curious, but not so much so that it makes me mad. MOAR! *attacks*
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Jan 17, 2011
• 2,601 views
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Jan 17, 2011
• 2,611 views
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Artista
Very cool story. I love the names you choose for your characters. They're very pretty.
Very cool story. I love the names you choose for your characters. They're very pretty.
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Jan 18, 2011
• 2,608 views
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Wanderin Boy Memorial
MOD
Lovely story ! And it is very well written. I love the names that you chose
Lovely story ! And it is very well written. I love the names that you chose
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57 days ago
• 2,614 views
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Milly
This is so good, going to go read the second part now!
This is so good, going to go read the second part now!
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55 days ago
• 2,638 views
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May 9, 2011
• 2,644 views
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Jun 15, 2011
• 2,621 views
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