Falls

The echoes of their screams still reverberated within her, a haunting reminder of their desperate pleas, ignored. A smug smirk played upon her whiskered lips, recalling the satisfaction of conquering their lands. Pride surged through her veins as she envisioned returning to her sovereign, offering yet another conquered territory to his expanding empire. Each conquest elevated her status, her name whispered with reverence as she passed, her roan hide adorned with the battle scars of her triumphs.

She was his instrument of destruction, the harbinger of his dominion over countless lands. Yet, blinded by a misplaced affection, she had grown to believe she held some value to him. He had repeatedly shattered that illusion, reminding her that she was merely a pawn in his grand scheme. It was only right, then, that she repaid him in kind, ending his reign with the blade she had once wielded in his name.

With a decisive turn, she abandoned all she had built for him. She fled across the burning sands, the image of his smirking face pushing her forward. Reaching the ocean's edge, she plunged into its depths, seeking solace in the cool embrace of the water. As she disappeared beneath the waves, she cast one last, defiant glance at the relentless pursuers on the shore—a final act of rebellion against the king she once served, leaving behind the empire she had helped to build.

─── ･ *.☽ .* ･ ───

She jolted awake, her heart hammering against her ribs. Dark eyes blinked, fighting back the lingering sleep. A breath caught in her throat as the faint chirping of birds drew her attention. Two days had passed since she'd washed ashore in this strange land, unlike any she'd ever seen. Most of the lands she knew were arid, scorching deserts with little water or shade. But here, shade was plentiful, as was water. In one graceful move, she rose to her long, lightly feathered elegant legs, stretching her arched neck and slender back.

Slowly, she crept forward, the thick foliage shielding her from view. Her eyes, dark as the night sky, were fixed on a stallion, a creature of pure black velvet, who stood serenely in the crystal-clear pool at the foot of the cascading waterfall. The water shimmered and danced around his obsidian coat, reflecting the sunlight in a thousand sparkling diamonds. She wondered whether she had stumbled upon his domain. Her brow knitted thoughtfully as she assessed her options. Would he retreat or confront her? A mischievous grin spread across her whiskered visage as she hoped for the latter.

Emerging from the verdant undergrowth, she stepped into the dazzling sunlight, her coat shimmering like an ethereal tapestry of pale whites and blues. With unwavering confidence, she advanced, her silvery tresses dancing in the gentle breeze. His gaze, dark and piercing, narrowed upon her as he uttered a curt dismissal. A mischievous grin spread upon her lips, her arched neck rising defiantly. "Oh, my," she purred, her voice laced with a teasing drawl, "that wouldn't be very fun, now, would it? If I just went away."