Under the canopy. [open]

[( XERiA )]

The sun leaked through the tree's leaves in slender rays of light that glistened off the mare's black pelt and glowed from her silver locks as they hit. The strands bobbed softly as her slender figure carried itself through the forest, under branches, over roots, her ears not giving so much as a twitch as leaves brushed gently against her sides, the muggy air tickling at her nostrils. Her silver orbs took in every detail of the world around her, the world she'd raised herself in after the death of her beloved mother. But her horn, her sliver horn that was brighter than any metal needed no sun to shine. As she turned her dome every now and then to sniff at leaves or to nip at small bunches of grass in her path, the horn cast an eerie glow over the surface it neared. She was a night creature. And she ran with the wind, her element of choice, setting her apart from most other unicorns.

The fae stopped her forward motion as she came to a small clearing. However, to her joy the canopy above her extended into the field, still cloaking the sky from view. She remained still and silent as her orbs took in the sights, her nares taking in the scents. When she was sure she was alone she stepped forward into the center of the clearing and bowed her head to the grass. Her ivories pulled at the emerald blades, her velvety lips brushing against them. It tasted so sweet and since the sun didn't shine here they were still wet and sticky from the morning dew. She liked it that way. It reminded her of sitting beneath the large pines with her mother while she stick. They would sit and talk in the dewy grass, grazing on its sweet nutrients. She liked to remember these times. She didn't like to dwell on them as sad. And so she grazed, her eyes and ears alert for others while her mind wandered back to her youth.

[DANNY:]]

It was not yet midday. Sunrise had came a short while before, and Hermes had awoke not long after. He had only come across two visitors since claiming the lands of air, and he was beginning to think that all species of equine were hiding away. That was why he had come on a scout- a simple voyage and journey to search for others. The outcome of his travels all depended on him finding others- he would direct them to the lands they were destined to live in. But he made this pact- if he found a death equine, he would kill it before it got to Hades. He was tired of watching numerous deaths and rapes, tired of trying and failing to stop Hades and his deadly army.

Since last month, his journeys had become more and more frequent. He was exploring the land that Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades had made, trying his best to unravel its secrets. It seemed strange to him that such beauty could be held in such a small world- yet anything was possible in equinopia. Anything at all.

Hermes pushed on, not faltering as his powerful wings beat rapidly through the skies. He soared over the blue, just about skimming over the trees as he kept his powerful body tight and compact, close to itself in all ways possible. His legs were kept underneath him as he flew, making him more streamlined and much faster. His body held a golden tinge, and his wings were just as strange- all white accept a golden-brown streak that ran down the side. All in all he was indeed god like to look at, but he believed that he was nothing special. Everyone was equal in this world, beautiful or not.

Time passed as his bodice flew across the yonder, trees barely scratching him as he floated through the air, when he spotted a figure in the faint light- a shade of darkness in the breeze. The scent of the horse drifted to his muzzle, and he found out she was a femme- a unicorn fey that had been led astray. He had no idea what she was doing here on her own, but he decided to slip to a halt, plummeting downwards through an open patch in the canopy of trees. As he landed before her it was clear she was something different. Her pelt was as black as night, and her mane was an ivory shade. She seemed calm and composed- somehow cheerful in this deadly shade of darkness. Hardly any light came from above, and he glanced up worriedly, half expecting a chimera or nightmare to come galloping down a tree. Thankfully, nothing was lurking up there, and he turned his attention back to the mare, bending his head softly to the unicorn and whinnying a slight greeting. Well, good morning to you, Unicorn of.... Earth? Fire? What is your calling?

[( XERiA )]

The fae was perfectly content beneath the trees and was unaware of the stallion above her head until he slipped through the canopy down her way. Her harks pricked toward him and she raised her head straight up and watched him with calm eyes, their silver irises glowing in the faint light. She took in his coloring, his build, his wings at his sides. An air equine, she figured, which one in particular she did not know yet.

She waited patiently. Her heart had not sped a beat, she looked as thought she could sit there all day. She waited as he looked about then turned to her and inquired some of her basic information. One. Two. she counted the questions in her head. She could ask two of him now. But she would wait until she felt the need.

"I am Xeria, of the air," she answered him. Her voice was misty and nearly emotionless. Just a hint of curiosity tipped her tongue. She knew it was strange for a unicorn to be of the air for she was forever grounded. But that was the path she'd been walked down. "And if I may ask the same of you, Sir?" She inquired. She figured that to be one question. She had one left.

She watched the stallion through her silver locks that fell around her horn and onto her face. She snorted softly and gave her dome a quick flick, moving the strands to one side. "Is there something I can do for you?" She asked. Her voice falling from her lips like fog.

[DANNY:]]

The femmes' voice blended in with the air around her, making her seem strange, yet a good kind of strange. It was nice to come across something different for a change, instead of the same old. He grinned down in awe of her, and although he was by far huger and more muscled that the mare, she made him feel small in comparison. She was obviously unused to talking, for she thought a long while before opening her mouth, but that meant that she thought out her words instead of blurting them out all over the place. Her name too was different, it was one that he had heard a couple of times, but not many. After a while of thought he spoke back to her in answer, tone echoing out into the woods beyond with strength and power. Hello, Xeria my dear. It gladdens me to know you are of air, for I, at the moment, lead the herd of air. I am Hermes, god of wind and sky.

He shook his masculine cranium, sending tendrils of pitch-black mane flying out into the wind. The iciness of the air bit his body, coldness reached out with shivering fingers towards his neck. It was uncomfortably cold, so he drew a long breath, before sending a long trail of warm air to chase off the cold, careful not to strike Xeria with his breath. When he had finished, he said simply; That's better. She then asked if she could do anything for him, and he spoke once more. Well, there is one thing. You could stay here and keep me company, Xeria. His features curled up into a smile, and he nudged her with her nose. And afterwards, you could think of joining my herd. Unless you want to stay a loner for the rest of your life? his voice had an almost sharp tone to it, for of course it was hinted with authority, but his usual, gentle, kind voice still lingered in this tone.

He looked at her for a while, studying her whilst tilting his head in disbelief. She was indeed strange- a creature of air that could not fly with the wind, but have to stay rooted to the ground forever more. Her ebony-black coat was beautifully kept, and she had a silver banner that floated of into the wind. All in all she was a beauty, and he was scared for her to be out on her own. She needed to be protected by a herd- even if it was just a tiny one such as his. They were getting more and more members every day anyway. Hermes grinned- one of his wolfish, irresistible smiles, before nudging her with his velvet-soft nose and stepping back. Ever wondered what it would be like to fly? He started chuckling, before mentally concentrating and sending a flourish of wind beneath her feet. She lifted off the ground, and he lifted her higher and higher with the wind, before keeping her upright and still whilst he too drifted up towards her, wings beating easily.
I hope you do not mind, Xeria.

[( XERiA )]

She listened to his introduction, listening as the sounds of his voice echoed in the trees, her silvered orbs never leaving his own presence. After a few seconds she offered a small, but polite bow to him, dipping her head as she arched her neck before rising again. "A pleasure to meet you, my king," she said. Her voice didn't waver a bit, her same misty stream wafting from her velvety maw.

She watched closely as the stallion blew hot air into the cold surroundings of the forest. Her body had long since become accustomed and comfortable and the chilly forests. The blast of hot air made her feel just that, hot, but she said nothing and simply waited as the god adjusted the temperature to his liking. She waited patiently, flicking her silver tail at an insect buzzing around her flank.

As he made his wishes into words she nodded her head again, not a bow, but a simple nod. "Very well," she said, then a flicker of a thoughtful look danced across her features. She reached her muzzle forward and returned his nudge and said said, "I will consider it." Since her mother died she'd really been alone. She looked out for herself even though she had a herd around her. And when she'd turned of age she'd left to make the forests her home. And she'd been alone ever since, save the few equines she'd happen across for a quick chat before leaving to be on her lonesome again. She smiled inwardly at the tone in his voice. He was much like her. Authoritative and demanding of respect, but at the same time being kind and respectful in return.

A flash of curiosity covered her face as he tilted his head looking at her, but she could guess why he found her so strange.What creature of air held no wings, right? But that didn't matter to her. Air was not a tool of flight to the grounded fae. Thought she had to admit she'd wondered. "Yes, though rarely," she said.

Then she snorted softly in a bit of surprise as suddenly being lifted. She pinned her ears flat against her head as she rose in the air, feeling unsteady. But as she leveled out her ears returned to their pricked forward positions and she kept herself as steady as she could, trusting the god to not allow her to fall. She shook her head at his question and looked past him as he rose on his wings, at the dew covered trees. She decided to show him what she used her powers for, if not to fly.

She welled up a vast gust of wind and blasted it through the trees surrounding them, knocking all the little droplets off the trees. She felt cooled as some of them came to rest on her pelt, making her shimmer with every movement like a black diamond. But she turned her dome to look around them as she swirled the gusts through the dew, making them dance and patters of loops, swirls and buffeting them every which way, doing her best not to disturb she and her companion. Along the outsides of her dewy storm, she softed the gusts, so the only sound of the show was a soft whisper and giggle of wing in the trees.

[DANNY:]]

Labored breaths came from his chest, and as he panted he found himself smiling as wind whistled past his form, dancing on the trees and making them billow and shuffle from the force. The whole wood was alive with tiny, sparkling drops of water- he could only gasp in wonder and delight as the drops caught the vivid sun that was hanging from the blueness above, making them shine a vast array of delicate, florescent colors. Hermes was truly amazed- never before had he used his powers for beauty; only for power of need, but what Xeria was doing was extremely different to anything he had tried before.

The sound of happy, joyfully laughter came from his muzzle as he twirled in the air using his wings. It was not the kind of laughter that came from when something was funny- it was the kind that only came when you were so amazed and full of joy that the only Way to express it was by cheerful, musical laughter. He caught the Fey's eyes at he laughed, and thoughts ran through his head. Her iris's were a misty silver- who was this silver-glanced wanderer? Why had he not heard of her before? This was suddenly one of those many points in his life when he asked himself the question of whether the equines of equinopia had been hiding away from something- someone. Or course, it had been obvious for a while that Chimera's and Nighmare's had begun stalking the earth even more often, raping and killing in their wake.

With a sigh, he watched the raindrops and dew settle down by the floor, and he bought both himself and Xeria down with a gentle twitch of his wings. Once they both landed on the ground, Hermes spoke. He had not spoken to her for what seemed like ages-but their silence had been far from awkward. So. That is what my people do in their spare time. How interesting! What you did was simply wonderful- please, go ahead and show me more, and in return I will teach you a little of my tricks. Brutally, the God eased of his feet with a harsh beat of his golden flying instruments, black daggers glinting almost devilishly in the air as the golden brute soared above her. Hermes worked himself up into a rush of wings and feet, before swooping over to a large oak tree and clashing his hooves just above ts middle. It crashed towards the ground, yet just as it was about to strike the grassy surface, the stallion sent a blur of wind towards it, so that it landed gently and slowly to the ground. He used his powers for destruction mostly, but he wanted to see how it was from another's point of view. Muttering a quick apology to the sad tree, Hermes lowered himself down and galloped off to Xeria once more. That tree, I want you to bring it up again. Don't worry, just try your best. Don't think of it as a test, but more of a mission. And with that, he gently nudged the delicate neck of the Unicorn, urging her towards destiny.

[( XERiA )]

She watched the stallion laugh with joy, a pleased feeling bubbling a bit inside of her chest, but she allowed nothing more then a little sparkle to shine in her silver orbs. She was glad to have made this stallion happy. She may be rather anti-social, but that didn't mean she wasn't friendly when she did come across someone else. She turned her gaze to the earth as it neared while he set them both down. She was glad to have the earth under hooves again. She make small movements with her hooves as if to dig herself into the ground. She hadn't not liked the experience at all, it's just actually being in the air was not something she was incredibly comfortable with.

"My thanks, Lord Hermes." she sighed out in her wispy voice. As her next trick she slowly blew air our into the surround place, cooling it to it's previous temperature. She could do few tricks. One was messing with dew drops, the other was making the air colder. She hadn't quite figured out how to do anything warmer yet, or how to lift herself off of the ground.

Her gaze returned to it's normal self then was shrouded in curiosity and then horror as she watched the god fly to the tree and then kick it down. She did her best to control herself, keeping a calm disposition, though her eyes held a glint of the anger within her. She kept her eyes on the fallen tree, a tree she'd passed many times on her walks through this forest, this forest she'd grown up in. She'd watched creatures grow up and give birth, she'd watched new trees take a hold on life and thrive, she'd watched some die. She'd watched nature take it's course many times, but what her god, her leader, had just done infuriated her.

When she heard his words and felt his muzzle on her neck, urging her forward, she pinned her ears and took several steps forward before rounding on him and standing, firm and tall. Her disposition was obviously very angry, but at the same time it she seemed to be completely in control of herself. Her silver eyes burned into his, her ears still pinned.

"I will raise this tree, but know this. God or not, this is not your forest, and the lives of these trees are not for you to toss about as you see fit," a hint of venom had weaved its way into her voice, making her light and wispy voice almost heavy. Her gaze was unwavering, her body almost unnaturally still for one so angry. "If you are going to play with lives, do it in the air. That is your kingdom, not this forest."

With that she snorted, whipped around again and trotted evenly toward the fallen tree, her silver tail flicking behind her as she let the last of her anger evaporate. God or not, she was standing up for what was important to her. If he punished her, so be it.

She gazed sadly at the tree before closing her eyes, her horn's slight glow growing a tiny bit stronger as she summoned the air around her, pushing it at the tree. It wobbled a bit, but she couldn't seem to raise it. She let the wind go and flow back to its normal position and took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts and concentration.

[DANNY:]]

He was shocked by her words, and her sudden spark of venom. She snapped at him angrily, obviously very upset, to the point of shouting at a god. At this he smiled, for he valued one with a sense of knowing their own beliefs and not letting others destroy things they held dearly, but at the same time he was upset that she had seen the reason why he had done it. Only this morning had he awoke next to his favorite tree, and spoken to it with tender words. He would never hurt a friend of his without reason, and the tree could easily be mended by his delicate touch. Xeria, I understand your point. But surely you do not think I would leave it dead and cold? Once you have raised it, you can be sure that I will mend its roots into the ground once more, and heal it stronger and more plentiful that it could ever hope to be in a normal lifetime.

He inhaled the sweet air as she stood in front of him, calming himself from her dangerous expression and clearing his head. Golden-streaked banner shook sightly as he hung his head to nip a few blades of vivid green grass, and his misty-blue orbs scanned the ground for anything more satisfying. Eventually he managed to find a few small daisy's planted firmly in th ground, and he uprooted them with thought, before lifting up his chiseled cranium and letting them float into his open mouth. He actually forgot he had company, drifting off for a little bit until Xeria suddenly spoke of Air being his kingdom, and not this forest. Ah, but thats where your wrong, Unicorn of Air. This is my kingdom just as much as it is yours. I helped create this world, and you were created for this world, so that makes it our world to use wisely, whether it be breaking trees or healing them.

As he spoke, he looked on with amusement as Xeria wandered towards the tree, and she moved it a little. Unfortunately, she could not raise it all the way, and lay it down on the ground again. The stallions voice echoed from behind her. Concentrate all you energy into your mind, and focus on nothing but the tree. Only then will you be successful.