Golden eyes glitter in the deepening darkness that blankets the barren wastelands of the Salem. Ash dusted nostrils crinkle in distaste as the sterling stallion huffs a soft breath into the crisp air, his skin itching at the dryness of the arid desert winds against his ocean damp skin. The sooner he returned to the humid warmth of the jungle the better. How Nyimara and her herd managed to survive here was beyond his understanding.
A stattering of rocks nearby announce the Desert witch's approach. Like a wraith in the night, she moves with the stealth and ease of a creature born of these lands. Near-black voids blink at him in acknowlegement as the lithe mare slides easily into place at his side, her piercing gaze roaming over the dark landscape that stretched before them. Raven tipped ears flatten in unease as Annubis huffs a gruff snort and dips his broad skull to rub at an invisable itch on his foreleg. "Why it is that you made me wait until nightfall to come is beyond me. Are you that paranoid to not even trust your own herd?" he asks, his tone droll with just the faintest hint of taunting humor. Nyimara's unusually long, alabaster tail snaps audibly against her sides. The tiniest of smiles tugs the corners of her lips upward at Annubis' hiss as the ends of her cat o' ninetails connects with his unsuspecting flesh. "It is far better to be cautious, especially when dealing with such a... delicate nature as this." she croons.Annubis grunts his reply, his thick ebony locks shuddering with the subtle shake of his head as his eyes roll dramatically. "I would hardly consider THIS a delicate matter but your call." he finishes, pausing to let the response hang between them before beginning again. "I need a son. A son that I do not currently possess. There is a mare in the Lagoon that deserves a chance and Paradise seems as good a place as any for her to start. I would not demand your heir... but as a supporter for your reign... as your brother, I would like to offer the bachelors one of your sons in exchange." he continues, going over the speech he has rehearsed in his during the swim here. Golden eyes seek out her own glittering pools in the deepening shadows. "You know as well as I do that the bachelor life is not an easy one but it could be beneficial for you. Those stallions are battle-hardy and I have very little doubt that the son of your choosing would learn much in ways of experience. After a time, he might even return to you better and stronger and wiser." he finishes, his sterling shoulder muscles rolling as the beast shifts in place on the hard, compact earth. Nyimara remains silent a moment, mulling over Annubis words. The betrayal of Asmodeus is still raw on her skin even in the months since his departure. Initially, she thought the best manner to turn against him would be to use their children. Always a silver-tongued queen, the mare felt little doubt that the naive mind of a child could withstand her manipulations. Natyre was easy to work with, she had never even seen her father. Cahyr, on the other hand... the pale stallion's adoration of the chimera stallion is as clear to her as the hardness in his blue-green eyes. Perhaps time in the Lagoon with the hardened men of the swamp might teach the boy just how much of a failure his father was truly becoming. The mahogany woman shifts her own hooves, raking a single cipped dagger against the hardened sand. "When Asmodeus returns my son, I shall send him to you for your exchange.... but make no mistake brother.. the last word is spat with carefully leveled syllables, reminding Annubis all too clearly of just how superior Nyimara liked to think herself these days. "There may come a time when I call upon you to return this favor... rest assured a single mare for MY blood is not equal payment." She finishes, dipping her finely dished muzzle slightly in dismissal before starting forward without even a word of goodbye. Annubis schools his ashen features, watching silently as the mahogany woman prowls effortlessly into the night. This... it had gone better than he expected it would. Something deep in his gut warned him that Nyimara would hold fealty over his head. Demand more compensation than his feeble attempt at a silver lining. But that would be a problem for another day. Now, now he had more pressing matters at hand... like ensuring the Lagoon Boss still intended to keep his word. A son would do him no good if there was nothing to trade him for.**Delayed plot post. Does not necessarily need a reply just wanting to ensure its up.