The Smell of Sweet Summer Air

Desperado looks up at them. He huffs quietly to himself, then heaves onto his hooves. After a good shake of his coat, he snorts. "I do know that it doesn't do any good if we fight among eachother, especially you two. No rudeness meant here, but it is possible. You could get hurt from a Lyde. I'm not saying it is for sure going to happen but, all of us need to keep high guard at all times. And stick together for eachother's own good." The stallion says, directing the bit about the Lyde's at Ezazel. He turns, looking into the forest. Desperado flicks his ears at every sound. "I say, we go search for more horses. It seems one of, if not, the best idea at the moment."

Desperado starts after Ezazel, trotting on his left. He looks back quickly, at Mirage. "I think one of us should stay with her, she could get hurt" He whinnies softly, looking right towards the two other horses. He waits for a reply, looking forward again and paying attention to the path ahead. It was dark and slightly foggy, but he had gotten used to it from his time being here. Desperado had only seen a Lyde once, when he first got to Myst not long ago. He had barely run away fast enough before it saw him, and he was grateful for that. The stallion turns his head again, back to waiting for a reply.

Desperado looks back again, then forward. He trots on, back in the direction they were heading. The stallion's ears flicked at every sound, and his short tail swung back and forth with each bounce.

The trio walked around for a while. None of them saw anything. No horses. No nothing. Makivis turned and looked back at Ezazel. Things were to quiet.
"Did you hear that?" Desperado said. The others turned and looked at him. The stopped. After a little bit Makivis finally spoke up.
"Stop moving." Makivis said. He kept his voice really quiet. The others turned and looked at him. "Do you hear that." He paused for a second. "That's right. Nothing. No Birds. No small animals."
"Keep your voices down." Ezazel said. "don't move but we are being watched. One." Ezazel paused, looking up. "right behind me. Two." he paused again." Right behind Desperado." Then Ezazel looked around. "Three. Right behind Makivis." Ezazel glared up at Desperado. "I hope your ready." He mumbled under his breath. They looked at eachother.
"Your the one who has seen these things. What do we do?" Makvis said. He wouldn't move a muscle.
"Carry on. Act like we don't see them. Head for the sunlight, but not directly." Ezazel said, and he started moving again, slowly turning back the direction they came. The sun was going down. Getting into sunlight wasn't going to work.

Before they even had a chance to replan a lyde jumped out in front of Ezazel. Walking, His tail bobbing. Then another charged out from the underbrush and heading for Makivis.

Desperado takes a step back as the hideous creatures surrounded them, forcing them rump to rump to rump. He tilts his head up and over his shoulder, but keeps looking at the Lyde in front of him. "I say--" He was cut off. His attacker lunges at his leg, bringing it's teeth into it and dragging down towards the stallion's hoof. Desperado pins his ears, rearing up and striking at it. He got the chance to turn, and watched as the same thing happened to the other two. He looks back, kicking it with his hind legs, knocking it down before it did the same to him.

Makivis turned. Trying to kick the savage beast off of him. He heard desperado scream, As the things kept climbing, getting closer and closer to their necks. Finally, Makivis got a kick with his good foot in the right spot. He threw the beast off of him, and it crashed an slid on the ground. His leg was badly damaged, he didn't think he could run. One of the lydes stopped. And looked up at Makivis. It was the one on Ezazel. Ezazel laid there, not moving. Makivis feared the worst. The lyde sprung for him, but Makivis managed to rear, pain shooting up his leg that felt like fire. He missed with his kick, and the lyde got to him. Makivis was pinned, back to the ground. After a good effort by the lyde, Makivis manged to throw it off of him.

Desperado hit the ground with a thud, his already hurt leg twisting beneath him. The Lyde crawled over him, and he could hear it snarling, just itching to eat him alive. He kicks it in the chest with a good leg, just as it grabbed onto his upper neck. It got off him, that was for sure, taking a small piece of the saphyra's neck with him. The creature got back up, shaking his head in frustration, before lunging at Desperado. He kicks again, hitting it's neck with as much force as he could muster. Desperado knew by the crack he heard it had a few broken bones, at least, so he decided to check on the other two. Makivis was laying, badly hurt. Ezazel was too laying, and he looked dead. He slowly turns onto his belly, wincing in a bit of pain as his leg twisted. Unsure of his balance, Desperado stands, limping over to Ezazel. He nudges his neck with his nose, staying quiet in order to listen for the quiet sounds of any breathing. "Makivis, I think Ezazel is..." He states softly, turning to the General.

Makivis stood. His leg looked like it was something out of a horror movie. White was showing. The lyde had gotten to the bone.

"Run." Makivis looked at Desperado as he said this. "I can get him. You leave." Desperado looked at Makivis, then down at Ezazel. Then he started to walk, feeling the full existent of his bites. Markivis looked down. Ezazels snow white hair now was red with blood. Makivis dropped his head, trying to see if he was still alive. Then he moved.
"Ezazel?" Makivis said.
Ezazel opened his eyes. The pain became apparent then. He took short, quick breaths.
"We need to move." Makivis said, his leg wasn't going to stop bleeding for a while now, no since waiting.
"Help me up." Ezazel said. His voice was almost a whisper. Makivis nodded. The grabbed the stallion, pulling him up to his knees, then standing on his feet. The two looked at each other. This walk was going to be a long one for the both of them, and it was night. They both reaked of blood.
"How fast can we move?" Makivis asked. Looking at his king told him no more than a slow walk.
"Canter." Ezazel said. "I can handle it. We need to move."
"Makivis started out slow, only pushing a fast walk on his leg. Ezazel let out a small scream as he pushed into a trot, then after only a few strides, he shifted into a very slow canter. Makivis didn't say a thing. He knew Ezazel was in more pain than he was. Suck it up and get over it he thought. We don't have to far to go. He closed his eyes, shifting from a walk, then instantly to a canter.

They saw the hill. The tree. Everything else was pitch black. They couldn't see the ground in front of them, for the clouds were blocking the moon. Desperado's blue hair showed up brightly even in dark situations. Then something flashed in front of it. Something light haired. Mirage. How are they gonna explain this to her?

"Mirage!" Makivis yelled up the hill. "stay there!" You could hear her crying from that far away. After what felt like a mile Makivis reached the tree with Ezazel, and the clouds finally passed over and Mirage got a good look at the lot.

His hooves were unsteady on the moist ground. His vision was blurred. Slowly and unsure of his footing, Desperado makes his way up the hill. The only way he made it up was Mirage's light hair. Desperado slowly stops, facing her and blinking, trying to clear his vision. "Lydes, attack" Was all he could muster out. The stallion turns his head in the direction he heard what sounded like Makivis yell out the queen's name, before quickly half falling, half laying down. He snorts, trying to look down at the gash in his neck which dripped blood down his front. Giving up, he rests his head on the ground, but keeps his eyes open to insure he didn't pass out, and also to keep an eye on the others in case they needed help.

Mirage walked down the hill to meet Ezazel, she tried to help him up the hill.
"I'm fine. Really." Ezazel told her. Trying not to show that he was lying through his teeth. They finally made it up the hill. The moon shown even brighter up by the tree. Mirage took a step back. Looking at desperado. Then Makivis. Then at the beat up mess of the king Ezazel.
"Why." That was all she needed to say. Ezazel looked up at her. He saw the fear in her eyes.
Ezazel tried to lay down smoothly but it wasn't happening. His legs buckled and he fell. Mirage ran over, but she was to late. Ezazel let out a small groan. Makivis decided he should lay down too. Makivis and Desperado could sleep and escape the pain. But Ezazel, he laid there. Eyes closed. Trying not to cry.

Desperado closes his eyes for several minutes, taking slow, deep breaths. He opens them slowly, standing up uneasily. Vision no longer blurred, Desperado's only issue now was the pain in his neck and leg. I should help them. He thinks. I will try to find herbs He thought again, stepping forward and raising his head. He slowly twists his ears. "Mirage, I will go search for herbs for them. I will make sure to stay in the little moonlight there is in the forest, though." Desperado whinnies quietly, not able to speak much louder. The stallion turns, looking back. "Just make sure they stay alive, please" He adds, making his way down the hill at a steady walking pace.

Mirage looked up at him. For once Ezazel didn't move. Mirage nodded. She watched Desperado walk down the hill again. Ezazel made an effort to move. Mirage's head snapped down to him. But Makivis was the first one to speak.
"They have changed." Makivis started, looking down at his leg. "The horse half is being to drop. They are becoming more of the raptor side." He finished with a heavy sigh.
"He's right." Was the only words Ezazel could manage to say.
"I don't understand why this is important right this second?" Mirage said. Looking at the lot resting for a bit might not be a bad thing.
"He wanted to let you know in case-" Makivis trailed off, mid sentence. He couldn't look Mirage in the eye. "They also have an alpha." He added. This made Mirage look over at him. His long tail was all sticky and tangled up in itself.
"Alpha?" Mirage looked back down at Ezazel. Ezazel nodded.
"Ezazel got the alpha out of the three. It was bigger. And it was much more on the raptor like side than the two with it. The other two waited for it's signal. It all makes sense now. If he hadn't been there you would be doing a body count tomorrow morning." Makivis paused. "He saved our lives."
"At the cost of what?" Mirage said. She didn't want an answer. Her voice was jagged, almost mean.

Desperado had been walking silently, stepping only on the front tip of his light hooves for what felt like forever. He kept to the spots of light coming from the moon, as he had promised. A few strides later, the stallion lifts his head and looks forward. There was a green flower, almost glowing in the night sky. He trots forward and takes the flower in his teeth; by the stem. It gave a small fight, but Desperado managed to rip it from it's hole in the ground. Desperado shakes his small mane, then canters lightly back to the hill. Once at the top, he drops the flower by the three horses. "Eat one petal a day, and you should feel better, slowly of course. The only issue is, when we run out." He whinnies, then lays down gently.

After eating a petal, the lot managed to sleep. And Ezazel just kind of laid there, trying not to show the pain.

* * *

Morning brought a new horror to the group. Makivis's face was scratched and damaged something horrible. His legs looked about the same. With a heavy sigh, he picked his head up, to sit upright, and face the others. Desperado looked fairly good out of the bunch. His sides were cut, long, deep cuts, legs damaged. The scars would heal. You wouldn't be able to see them in a few months. Then he looked over to his friend. He saw Mirage laying there, covered in his blood. Ezazel hardly moved. Then he moved his head, trying to pick it up. You could see all of the muscles in his neck strain to lift it. His face, Makivis had seen horses look like that before. It never ended well. He will live. He will be alright. were the words Mirage wanted, needed to hear. But Makivis couldn't tell her that lie. Not today. His eyes shifted to Ezazel's sides, the cuts where deep. His rib cage was showing in spots. His legs, they weren't much better. You had to strain to tell that he had white flames going up his legs. His tail didn't have whtie hair anymore. It was a red, dark deep red. Almost burgundy. Then, he watched him. His eyes. They were closed. His feet began to pick up. He had always heard if a horse could stand they would be alright. But Ezazel shouldn't try to stand. He could rip his scars. As his head whipped around, Makivis got a good look at his scar. It was closed, but another one, almost the exact same as the first, ran right beside it. With a finial effort, Ezazel stood. The pain clear in his face. Makivis looked down at himself. If that man could stand, so could he. And then Makivis lunged. Pain blazing up like fire from his feet straight to his heart. But once he stood, it hurt less. He shifted all of the weight to his front feet, which were relatively un-damaged. Then he saw Desperado, standing up as Makivis stood. Mirage still laid. Her coat was red. Not bay. She closed her eyes, watching Ezazel. Waiting for him to fall again. But he didn't. He swayed. But stood.
"I dare a lyde to come and get me now." Ezazel said, under his breath. Mirage smiled, she knew everything was going to be alright.

Desperado stands, looking at the bunch. He turns his head and looks at the now gone flower. "I will go find more of those. Expect me back around noon" He says, shaking his coat free of dust, then starting down the hill. He keeps to the sunny areas, but not as much as in the night. The stallion still kept a high guard, though.

Makivis turned and watched the stallion leave. Then Lestat began to make his way up the hill.
"Ezazel!" He yelled, not looking up yet.
"There was an attack on the h-" Then he paused taking a step back. "Whoa."
Mirage had ducked out, starting to follow Desperado. She wanted to help. And she thought it looked safe enough.
"I know." Ezazel had almost collapsed back down, but his front leg managed to stand firm.
"What happened!" Lestat charged up the hill, not caring about the stones getting wedged in his feet.
"Long story" Makivis finally said something. He watched Mirage walk off, wanting to follow her, but knowing Ezazel needed him. Much like he had needed Ezazel before.

"Hey wait up!" Mirage was running towards the Arabian, her short legs didn't make her the fastest, but she was graceful, elegant in her gait.

Desperado looks back over his shoulder, his ears flicking wildly at every sound he heard. He stopped for Mirage. "Wanted to join me?" He asks, continuing to walk at his jumpy pace. He kept his head high, knowing that if Mirage got hurt, he would hear about it from Ezazel. It was his job to basically protect her now, even though the Saphyra knew she was pretty strong willed on her own.

(Yep, I'm alive. Did you see my newest manip? I'm slightly impressed with it.)

Desperado continues walking. He talked over his shoulder. "It's a flower, blue like my hair. It glows when it's in the darkness, which is why it is often found in shadows. It is called a Hypergentic Orchid" He says, keeping an eye out. "They grow in groups of three, which would be great since it would last us three days"

Desperado slowed his pace. His body froze up, slightly. He was uncomfortable on the subject, but figured he best tell Mirage. "I come from Italy. My best friend broke my heart, and I was too embarrassed to show myself in my herd. I crossed the ocean, somehow that I dont know. I just woke up on the beaches of this land. I stayed with the Blue Moon horses for a while, then came west and ended up here. It took about 3 years to get from Italy to here." He says, then continues walking. He sees a faint blue glow in the distance, but he could just be seeing things. It was hard to see.