H O R I Z O N
The soft, lap of water lulled the bastard into a trance. Chocolate embers glazed over as his mind wandered into the depths of his hellish prison. Was he tempting fate by trying to retrieve these memories? And more than that, he was going to release demons that he hadn’t face in more years than he could recall. At least that’s what he had expected, but instead he was met with a blank slate. There was nothing, the streamlined cracks had pulled together once more and the steel doors barred his entry into purgatory. Silence echoed through his cranium and he balked at the sudden inability to recall his past. Horizon realized this was a reoccurring process, that no matter how hard he thought of those tortured years he could recall none of them. It had been at the sight of Akuji that many of them had started to slip through and surround him, and in a confrontation with the half-brother Horizon felt himself drowning in those same memories. Had it not been for the eventual kindness of the lady Shasta, Horizon would have not been able to recover from the abyss. He stood too close to the edge of the black pool without even realizing it. Someone only had to press the right ‘button’ to send him tumbling over, and he could do nothing about it. And he only wanted to thank Shasta for her amity and understanding, but alas he could not even keep her company.
Had he said something wrong? Horizon watched as the calm façade she wore transformed into the image of a panicked pup. Horizon stood to try and allay her fear, whatever it may be. But before he could even mumble a single syllable the maned woman had turned tail and ran. The smile that had lifted his lips dropped away and he frowned, more confused than anything, but slowly a sort of shame filled him. Had Akuji told her about his past? Had she connected the dots and figured out what he really was? A lowly servant, a bastard, a failure. Horizon had never felt more pathetic in his time in Blossom Forest, he couldn’t even keep the company of a single ess. Hell, the kalak seemed to incite more battles than peaceful conversation. Was he that much of an ass? How was it that he seemed to bring out the worst in most wolves? He hardly went outside his own den! Shasta was the 3rd female that he’d had a chance to talk to and he had enjoyed what little conversation he’d managed to have with her, but there was no denying the stream of threats that had only just been directed in his general direction, from both Akuji and Shasta. He just couldn’t catch a break… but the bigger question was whether he should follow her. Would she lash out in anger? Would she push away, screaming and yelling the whole time? Would she even acknowledge his existence anymore? Horizon felt a sudden hollowness in the depth of his chest and could find no logical reason for it, but more than that he had to make sure Shasta was okay.
Horizon realized with a start that Shasta probably hadn’t eaten for most of the day. Akuji had brought her straight from their pack and had assumed that she would have accepted the hare. That had not been the case and Horizon knew better than to try and feed that to her, but she would need something to eat anyways. With a determined face Horizon turned to the creek and watched the pristine surface of the creek, looking for the glint of silver and rainbow. He hoped fish would do, he was not particularly in love with the taste but it usually did the job of satisfying his appetite. And the added benefit was a sleek, gleaming coat of fire, coal, and the occasional patch of snow. With a swift motion a blackened paw and outstretched claws sank into the surface and pulled forth a plump trout. The fish landed with a soft thud and Horizon dived in for a killing bite. The fish went limp and he picked it up with a delicate grip so as not to mar the body. Horizon tucked his nares to the ground and picked up Shasta’s dying scent and took off after her.
The thick foliage of Munashii Gekko faded away as he raced over the border into the terra of Blossom Forest. Had Shasta headed into the safety of Cold Summers? As he followed the evermore faint trail, he realized she had stayed on a straight path from the border of his home. She was just escaping as he had from his own hell once before. A pang of guilt swelled in his gut, worrying him that this chasing game would leave her more frazzled than before. In the distance the rise of craggy peaks and cliff ledges broke the clear, blue sky. Horizon was headed straight for them as fast as his lengthy limbs could carry him. He leapt over fallen trees and broke through undergrowth without a pause. A sheen of sweat settling over his frame from the exertion of the race. And Horizon could only hope he got to Shasta before he lost her for good. And luck would be on his side for a first.
Horizon slowed to a halt as he entered into a wider clearing, the rise of the cliffs putting him to a halt. Akuji’s daughters’ scent had dissipated into thin air and he turned searching for where she could have gone. Muddy ambers focused on a subtle shift in the shadows, and as he stared Horizon realized it was Shasta. Her crown rested upon her paws and her lids were closed. She appeared to be sleeping at first glance, but as he approached Horizon realized her chest was heaving and her lids were tightly shut, too much to be resting. The bastard lowered himself to the ground silently and began to crawl forward, but a space remained between them. A soft whine left his lips, Shasta? Are you okay… you seemed really upset and confused and I— Horizon had been mumbling around the fish in his teeth, but he stopped talking and placed the fish on the ground. He pushed the prey towards her with a nudge of his nose. Well, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I brought you the fish cause I figured you really hadn’t eaten all day, and I thought you might want something. His voice retained a soft quality about it. The hoarseness of his voice still remained ever so slightly, giving him a more husky tone to go along with his baritone lyrics.I’m sorry, Shasta. I hadn’t meant to upset you…
||Horizon||Lovers||Refuge in Munashii Gekko||Adult||Alesana||
|