Falls

The day was mellow. Birds sang up in the trees and the decently warm sun touched the ground with its calming embrace. The sky was cloudless, easing the wayward hearts of many and calming the beast inside one. With the world so peaceful, a monster of onyx felt his head hang, his shoulders trembling faintly from infected wounds.

It had been a little while now since his battle with Helios, but the midnight monster didn't get the kind end of infection free wounds. His shoulders, sides, and front leg were oozing faintly. A yellowish slime slipped down his left front leg from a rather bad shoulder wound. Licking his lips with lightly panting breaths, the dark stallion swallowed as his body ran warm. This was the worst infection he had ever felt in his life and it came from the dry sands of Salem. He had been able to lay in free flowing water on Atlantis or the beach during the day with the waters running over his body. Salem was too hot and it was too soon to rest, which left him exhausted and heading to his old home when he had washed up here with his body aching and rage coursing through his blood.

Shaking his head, Lucifer was about to walk from the shade of the trees when he heard water splashing. Blinking open his crimson gaze, the stallion set bleary sights upon the mare in the falls. His long tail slowly twitched as his mind tried to work, but infection and fever had the beast tired. He took a moment to pull himself into a decent frame of mind, but that demon in the back of his mind fought for control as he looked her over.

The red of her coat glistened with water and sunshine. The bright copper of it had Lucifer curious, but he stood silently before a chuckle rumbled from deep within his chest. His eyes danced, but the usual menace was gone as pain lingered in the depths of his gaze. Shifting his weight, the black draft headed from the shadows and towards the red dun mare with a calm and measured pace. There was no rage today, but it could still come free as that ever present shadow of danger lingered around his beat up body.

“Runs a bit cold in the fall.” His voice was soft as a chuckle escaped his lips again. A gentle smile rested upon his lips, showing something only one horse had ever seen before. “The shallows are decent still though.” Nodding to the lighter layer of water at the banks, he hummed. “And the grass that grows there is sweet and soft.” At least, to his taste anyways. Looking back to the mare, he dipped his head. “My name is Luci. It's nice to meet a beauty such as you.”