Sealah - A Pegasus - Part 3
By T W I
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6th Apr 2011 •
3,151 views
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8 comments
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Sealah’s breathing was labored and she struggled to maintain her altitude. With each gasp of a breath that was expelled from her lungs she felt that she couldn’t go one flap further. But she did.
Kaodran was right. I am in no condition for flying. But here she was, searching without rest for her mate. It was very early in morning, almost an hour after she had found the blood and the feather. She had continued to travel the same general direction that she had been traveling when she came upon the scene. Since then, she had found one more spot where she was sure Kaodran had been. There was less blood this time, but it still chilled Sealah’s heart to survey it.
She was growing weary now and her head buzzed from when she had struck it against the ground. She knew that she was drawing near, dangerously so, to foaling. But she refused to give up. She wouldn’t rest until she had found Kaodran. Or at least knew his fate. She was reigned now, or tried to be. It was evident that They had found him.
“He was probably trying to lead them away from me, flying as far and as fast as he could to draw them away.” The thought, unconsciously spoken out loud, brought burning tears to her luminous eyes as she redoubled her pace, straining with exertion.
An hour passed. Then another. The stars began to fade, replaced by a dusky pink hue at the very edge of the eastern horizon. With each stroke, each labored breath, Sealah grew wearier and wearier. The signs of Kaodran’s passing had disappeared long ago and Sealah didn’t know how much longer she could continue.
“I must rest, just for a bit. I haven‘t the strength or the will to cross the Narjch.” She whispered to herself, willing her head to stay above her withers, willing the faltering beat of her wings to become steady once more.
The Narjch was the river that created the border between Kair and Narjaylom. Once she had crossed the mighty river she would be safe, at least for the time being. It was a mighty river, surging through the land unchallenged by any bridge. It was only where it split into two lesser rivers, miles to the north, that a small bridge had been constructed to span the breech between the two provinces. Once Narjaylom had been a safe haven for the Pegasi, but no longer. With the rise of Jaslu the II ,a treaty had been drawn up, allowing Eirmont’s warrior’s unchallenged passage through the land, provided they paid a small fee.
The expense was considered a trivial matter in comparison to whatever gain the Pursuers thought they reaped from the slaughter of Sealah’s kind. Yet that very kingdom had been Sealah’s and Kao’s destination, not because of what safety it used to afford, but because of Kurna. A mystical force seemed to draw the Pegasi to the vast, ancient forest. Perhaps it was because it was safer there than in other places in Tarlea, as the towering trees provided cover and shelter. Only the very outskirts of the forest were inhabited, or previous inhabited by Pegasi. It was only the most desperate or rash Pegasi the ventured further in. The deeper in you went, the more potent the risk of Shilm became. Maybe it was that ancient magic that called the Pegasi to Kurna’s leafy embrace.
Either way, Shilm was a danger not easily ignored. Not even the very strongest could resist its power of numbing lethargy and eventually the Endless Sleep in the core of the forest. In some ways, the Endless Sleep was like death, yet the victims of it were not dead. Just asleep. It was rumored that as time went on, those who succumbed to it were drawn into the forest itself, becoming a physical part of it.
Yet journeying deep into the forest was exactly what Sealah intended to do. She would not continue all the way to the nucleus of the mystical power, but instead travel as deep into the magic as she could withstand. And perhaps the foal, born in the embrace of Shilm, would have an unusual tolerance to it. If not, they would retreat to the edge of the forest. That was Sealah’s plan. If Kaodran was dead, she would not quail before anything that stood in her way of keeping this precious foal safe.
Sealah hardly noticed when she landed only minutes later, stumbling to her knees in utter exhaustion.
It was the blast of a horn that woke her, its resounding notes trembling in the air. The sky had lightened considerably and the first sunny rays of dawn were stealing over the jagged mountains that fringed the horizon. Her eyes widened and she angrily jerked her small frame up, horrified at what she had just done. How could she have just fallen asleep? How? The red hot feelings of anger and self-reproach coursing through her were abruptly cut short however, as the horn sounded again, louder this time.
Sealah paused, unsure of what to do. Should she flee? The horn was undoubtedly that of the Pursuers. But how could she just leave Kao? Knowing that he was probably already lost to her, Sealah nevertheless stood her ground. The sun crept higher in the sky, creating a soft aura of light around the resolute mare as she stood on the grassy plain overlooking the Narjch. Come what may, she would never desert Kao. |
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Dixie Chick
Yet another wonderful Article submitted by non-other than T W I ! Awesome writing!
Yet another wonderful Article submitted by non-other than T W I ! Awesome writing!
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Apr 6, 2011
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Apr 7, 2011
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Apr 8, 2011
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Apr 8, 2011
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Apr 10, 2011
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Artista
Awesome story! I love love love the names of your characters. really creative and they read so well.
Awesome story! I love love love the names of your characters. really creative and they read so well.
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Apr 10, 2011
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May 28, 2011
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Jun 15, 2011
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