The Desert possessed its own kind of magic, offering kindness and cruelty in the same breath. The same rain that could wash away months of dirt was just as likely to flood the ground beneath your feet, and the same sun that allowed the cacti to grow could easily dehydrate a horse that was not careful. Salem was a brutal mistress, and she suffered no weakness from her residents. Either you suffered or you died, you did not linger, not here.

Still, it is not to the weakened mare that Asmodeus' attention is drawn first, but to the quick-moving form of his once-Queen. Nyimara has been reticent as of late, likely plotting her next move with the choice he'd handed to her. He knew beyond a doubt that she wanted to rule again, and while he was still undecided on the subject, he knew better than to tell her no flat out. So long as he gave her venom a path to take, he hoped to avoid it poisoning him.

He trails after her at a quick jog that slows abruptly as the rest of the scene comes into view. He does not know the dark mare to whom Nyimara snarls, nor to the wee babe hovering in terror just beyond, but that does not matter. What does matter is that Nyimara seems to know them. That is certainly the far more interesting topic. He lingers just inside of hearing distance, but hopefully yet unnoticed. If the mare made to flee he would press in to claim her by force - if necessary - but he wanted a chance to observe the pair of them first, to see if this brown mare would turn out to be a useful tool in the end.

Gods knew he needed any leg up on the witch queen he could get.

Adult Stallion 16.0HClassic Champagne ChimeraSolomon x Xiomara