He wanted to be angry, to stay angry. He wanted to be consumed by the fires that had licked hot inside his belly. He wanted lightning coursing through his veins, heart pounding in his chest. He wanted to be filled to the brim with the emotion that made him feel strong, physically…

But he was tired.

Legs trembling, Nephilim barely managed to walk from the cold, turbulent Bay waters. His hooves crunched into the pebble beach, his breathing labored. Every muscle ached. Weariness became him. Three swims in one day, one after the other, offered no reprieve. The last had been worse, for the waters of Tinuvel were already swirling, angry and black; it pulled the waves harder (and with it, it required more fight on his end), crashing them with ferocity against the rock faces that sheltered the Bay from the hardest winds. If Nephilim could not be angry, the Bay could be angry for him.

He collapsed, air coming as a grunt from his lungs, muzzle pressing against the briny rocks. His eyelids felt heavy, but he fought sleep. He needed to get up. He needed to find where the herd was keeping, if they’d taken shelter near one of the caves. He needed to make sure they were safe. Desperation pulled at his mind but it was no match for how exhausted he felt.

The waves crashed behind him, hitting the shore and crawling up, inches away from his wet tail. He shivered; the world became encased in darkness as his eyelids finally closed…

And he dreamed. He dreamed of the fearful cries of his herd, of his daughters. He dreamed of laughter, howling and raking painfully at his ears. He dreamed of faces, some familiar, some which would be forgotten the moment he awoke. He dreamed of stumbling through the Bay, alone, calling out desperately for those he’d sworn to protect only to hear the winds whisper back…

You failed them.

No! A hard snort, and Nephilim’s eyes opened, blinking rapidly. He groaned and sprung as quickly as he could manage to his hooves, heart pounding hard in his chest, eyes rolling, whites flashing. A loud, panicked whinny bellowed from his muzzle and he stumbled up the beach, now desperate to find everyone and assure himself they were safe.