saltyearthmango

It was midday the next day when the herd - namely Dane - spotted the foal. It didn’t shock the Lupa that there were other signs of life on the Coast. Sure, it wasn’t the most ideal of living conditions, but it made sense that some unicorns had potentially settled here away from the masses. When the only predators you had to deal with were the Vulcanos flying overhead and the rare spotting of ghouls at night, it was relatively safe. No, what did surprise Dane was that it was a foal. He expected a foal to be with a herd, let alone another adult, but this foal was alone. The herd watched him for a while, checking to see whether or not anyone came to get him… but no one did. Meanwhile the foal circled the area, focused on searching for food in dying grass and paying no attention to his surroundings. It was decided that Dane and Mesa would go to the foal. They were the two who looked the most normal of the herd and that it would potentially ease the young foal to see a pair of adults

“So… why exactly are we all the way out here?” Dane grumbled under his breath. He’d never been this far west. Even when he lived with his birth herd in the Veiled Rift they had never gone as he now was. He’d heard about the Ruined Coast but never thought to visit, and unfortunately it seemed that Antares had other plans for the herd. He had bmentioned something about the ruins that were prevalent along the coastline, but all Dane was worried about was the heat on his dark back and fear of a Vulcanos flying overhead and devouring them whole. Somehow, it wasn’t a fear shared with the rest of the herd. They had settled for the night, resting along the foothills of the mountains after a long week of traveling. Dane was exhausted - he had never moved so much in his entire life and his legs were rather sore and he was certain he’d stepped funny on a rock and messed with his one hoof. His new predicament was him resting on his side, leg turned out somewhat to alleviate the pressure. “Are

“If you don’t mind my asking… you mentioned rain and flooding. But is there any other weather to worry about?” The mule questioned, and Ren tilted his head in consideration. He had never really seen terrible weather, besides the rainstorms during the summer when the rivers flooded, but he had at least one thought in his head to watch out for. “A few years back - maybe you saw it out on the Coast - we had a very intense snowstorm. There was so much of it the entire island was covered in a blanket of feet-tall snow and it was hard to move. Gods above if that ever happens again, move further south. The Flame Expanse was warm enough my old herd didn’t freeze over, and if that’s not enough the desert is warm year-round so no one is suffering.” “Duly noted,” the mule sniffed and Ren continued. “When it gets reeeeeally hot in the summer, however, the lake is wonderful. Even with the risk of crocodiles. They’re just as miserable as everyone else in the extreme heat so they don’t usually

“I do appreciate you lot for checking on us,” the mule hummed, tail swishing behind him. “Although, I hope you don’t mind me asking… food is one thing, but is there anything to worry about with the water? On the Coast it was rather… easy to deal with water, or lack thereof, but here… we’ve seen a few marshes but those seem to be home to many predators. Is anywhere safe for us to hydrate ourselves?” “Well… marshes are usually filled with gross water anyway. And if water is still, it’s usually full of things that will make you sick. Parasites and things like that.” Ren’s nose crinkled in response at the thought. “The lake is somewhat the safest, but you want to stay closer to the mountains while avoiding the marshes. There’s giant crocodiles in the lake but they stay further south towards the desert.” “I’m sorry - giant crocodiles?” The mule questioned and Ren chuckled. “I suppose you might not have seen them before. I guess similar to the Coast and their dragons - the lake has

It had been some weeks since Ren had led the strange unicorns to their new home in the Blooming Territory. The herd had seemed to settle in easily, with the little pinto stallion thanking them profusely for a job well done. As well as him reiterating his earlier warning about the west and specifically, that strange ‘Order’ that seemed to have the whole herd on edge. Ren was content from that point to be done with the strange herd. That was, until a strange stallion approached him as he headed home with Nefeli and Iapetos. He almost hadn’t noticed the big-earred unicorn - he was short and disappeared easily into the dark trees, his pale mane and tail the only things easily spotted along with a single spot of white on his forehead. When he spoke - a deep and low ‘hello’, it startled the trio so badly that they had to calm Iapetos very quickly given how fast he had ignited from fear. “Sorry, friend,” the black unicorn apologized, large ears pinned back in shame. “Didn’t mean to startle

Ren had ideas of what this ‘Order’ had been, but to see the little lead look so torn and broken over them… He pitied them even when he didn’t want to. One look at Nefeli’s face told him she was thinking the same, watching the little unicorn with a frown etched on her face. Ren turned his head them to look at Iapetos and the stallion looked troubled. It was only then he remembered that the spotted one had been born on the Ruined Coast and returned to no herd. That they’d gone missing. It was a conversation for a different time, at the very least, when they weren’t surrounded by strangers and dealing with a reasonably sized threat. “We’ll take your words to heart,” Ren offered, and that seemed enough for the shorter who huffed and nodded. “Good. I’d hate for someone as nice as you to lose everything he loves too.” The stallion’s eyes darkened at that and before Ren could ask what made him so the stallion had slowed to check on his herd. Ren was left staring after him frowning before

Ren was highly aware of the little lead’s suspicions. It cut through his back like a dragon’s tooth, hungry and waiting for… something. He understood it to an extent, but not the why or how. Most leaders were suspicious of strangers and he assumed this was no exception. “So… you’re telling me you’re not one of them?” Ren’s head snapped around, looking at the tiny stallion in open-faced surprise at the hostility that seemingly came out of nowhere. Nefeli turned her head to look as well while Iapetos - even though he was clearly listening the way his ears flicked back - just kept trudging along. “One of… them?” Nefeli questioned and the stallion huffed, his little tail lashing behind him. “You look like you could be… of course all those Order grunts are your type.” The stallion had stopped where he walked, stomping a hoof as if daring the trio to prove him otherwise. The rest of the herd looked on in their own confusion and fear, and Ren was left wondering just what the hell had

The end of the summer had come and gone and with it a new member of the herd had joined. During one of the nights the herd had stumbled upon a great beast of a unicorn - Nero, he said his name was. Dane and Mesa had learned that there was a whole other group of Ethereal unicorns called Solars and the brute of a stallion in front of them was one such unicorn. And was he a beast. Dane was the tallest of the herd so far and the Solar towered a few hands over him. If he hadn’t been injured when they met him Dane would’ve worried that he would attack but… Given the stallion was resting his giant pink head across Dane’s back while the herd had settled down to rest on the western side of the lake, despite Dane almost begging the stallion to not do so - yeah, he was nothing more than a giant cuddle bug. An annoyingly physical cuddle bug who seemed to enjoy invading everyone’s space but mostly Dane’s. Maybe something about the overgrown stallion’s magic sensed Dane’s touch aversion but he’d

Ren had to admit, the little stallion who approached them claiming to be the leader of this massive herd was menacing in his own way. While the three towered over him easily there was something about him that would make Ren consider twice messing with him or his herd. He could hear the whispers of the rest of the herd, cautious and nervous, and it made Ren concerned by what could have scared them so much. The herd was massive enough that most predators would stray away - so what gives? “I wouldn’t offer help if I didn’t mean it, friend.” Ren watched the stallion, tail swishing behind him lazily. The mule’s eyes narrowed somewhat, as if he doubted his words, but Ren just kept his expression bored. He understood feeling weary of a stranger approaching randomly, especially with so many mares and foals underhoof, but his curiosity was raised as to what they were fleeing. If he needed to protect his kids. “If you don’t mind me asking,” Iapetos interjected, smiling at the small stallion