In one violent surge, Raider reared, hooves striking the air as his voice split through the hollow. “Head for the trees, both of you, now!” he barked. Viper didn’t argue. The mare spun on her heels, dropping her pumpkin, as she bolted toward the path of dark timber about a half a mile off. Her heart thundered in rhythm with the pounding earth. Raider’s eyes darted once to the stallion on the ridge, weighing him in an instant before discarding the thought entirely. Let him fend for himself. Shadow glanced back at Barracuda before she was following both Raider and Viper for the trees. She wanted to take to the air but knew it would be best to stay on the ground. Her wings tucked tightly to her sides. Barracuda heard Raider and turned. He would stand his ground but his mind went straight to his friend. He let out a squeal before he tore off across the earth. He made sure Shadow was within eyesight, but he knew any minute her element could surge and she would vanish. Before he could even cover half the distance, something flew over again and caused him to stumble. Though it wasn’t out of fear or shock, but from how big the shadow had become. Shadow glanced back to see if Barr was following, she watched as he stumbled. She began to slow, her stride shrinking. “Barr” she called out, not knowing if he heard her or not. “Move!” Raider urged Shadow, his voice cutting through the thunder of hooves and beating wings. He surged up besides Shadow, teeth flashing as he snapped lightly at her flank to drive her onward. “He’s a big boy, he’ll catch up”, he said, tone stern but ready, leaving no room for argument. “Eyes forward until I think of something.” Ahead, Viper was already nearing the treeline, her sides heaving, breath loud in her own ears. She didn’t dare look back, she could feel the presence behind them like a weight pressing between her shoulderblades. The first pines loomed close now, their trunks dark and thick, a place to disappear. “I know.” Shadow yelled, she was just scared for her friend. She surged forward again, feeling that Raider was next to her, if she opened her wings, they would touch his side. She kept her eyes on Viper. She knew if they made it to the trees, the creature wouldn’t be able to get them. Though, that didn’t mean they were safe. Barracuda still couldn’t see what was chasing them, he could only feel it. He let out a shrill scream before turning and running in a different direction. His body was soon covered in sweat, his breath coming in short gasps instead of steady breaths. He wasn’t sure where he was going, just that he had to lead the creature away from the others. He hoped in his heart that Raider would protect Shadow, if something was to happen to him. He pulled on his element to allow for easier time with the soil but it was unforgiving. Shadow heard Barr, but she kept her eyes forward. She saw the trees grow bigger and saw Viper just about to enter the treeline, they were probably a good 10 lengths behind her. Viper crashed into the brush, the forest swallowing her whole. Branches whipped at her sides as she barreled through, eyes wild and searching for anything, anywhere, they could vanish. Her hooves tore through moss and root alike, slowing only to a frantic canter as she weaved between the trunks. Leaves slapped her flanks, saplings bent in her wake, but she didn’t dare to stop. Behind her. Raider twisted at the sound of Barracuda’s cry. His ears flattened, a guttural snarl tearing through his throat. “Fool”, he hissed under his breath, spinning mid stride. His eyes raked the horizon, then the sky. The shadow above widened as the creature banked low. It wasn’t a bird nor anything he had seen before, a winged lizard, its scales rough and ridged like river stone. The sunlight fractured against its hide, warping its true color until it shimmered between grey and sickly green, the hue of rot and tarnish. Its wings were thin and vast, their membranes webbed with dark veins that pulsed faintly as the creature moved. The air beneath its descent reeked of damp soil and sulfur. Raider’s jaw tightened. So this was the beast behind the claw marks. He has seen its work before; the gouged trees, torn carcasses left half buried in the plains, but never the monster itself. Until now. He stood half hidden in the brush, one hoof still on open ground, muscles drawn tight as a bowstring. His mind worked quickly, scanning the undergrowth. There; a low tangle of fallen branches, half collapsed trunks, and stone. It would have to do. “Viper!” he called sharply, his voice low but firm. “To me. Find cover- there!” He lowered his head, eyes narrowing as thin mist began curling from his hooves, coiling around the roots and ferns. It seeped outward, thickening into shadow, swallowing the light around him. Normally his power was for mischief and stealth, slight of hoof in darker places, but now it would serve them differently. Barracuda cantered towards a ridge, he hoped the creature was still on him, leaving his friends safe. He was so focused, his ears pinned back listening for any sign that the creature was close; this was the reason he hadn’t seen the short drop on the other side. His momentum causing him to hurtle off the ridge, down into a vine covered chasm. He tried to twist his body, allow himself a chance at freedom, but the vines tangled around his body more. As he laid on his side, vines tangled around his legs and neck, he felt the ground shake as the creature landed above. He glanced up, his eyes going wide in fear. He sucked in a deep breath. What was that thing?, his mind on nothing but his friends. Shadow watched Raider but out of the corner of her eye, she saw Barracuda vanish. She gasped as she watched, in horror; the creature, no beast, had landed right where the stallion had vanished. Her body freezing, both in fear and grief. Her element surged, feeling another shadow user, she glanced at Raider and let her element work. Around her hooves and from the tips of her wings, a fine mist began to seep. ‘Barracuda’ she let out with a small cry, her body slumping; wings going limp as her fear turned to grief. Raider vaulted over the stone and fallen timber, ground trembling beneath him. “I will not abandon you to the beast,” he said to Viper. “In here, under the log. Quickly.” Viper obeyed without hesitation. She pressed close, ducking low beneath the splintered trunk. The dark fog that wreathed Raider’s form thickened, curling around her like a living thing. It shimmered faintly in shades of violet and black, rippling as the air bent away from it. She felt the scrape of bark against her back as she slid into the hollow beneath the log, the ground cool and smooth beneath her chest. The mist cloaked her completely, the weight familiar and strangely comforting. The scent of soil and pine filled her lungs, muffling the chaos above. Raider turned then, eyes fixed on Shadow. The air around him vibrated faintly, the haze clinging to his mane and shoulders. “I won't throw our lives into the pit after him” he said, his tone grave but not unkind. “If he breathes, he’ll find his way out”, he said as his gaze lingered for a moment longer, softer now but no less resolute. “Grieve if you must”, he added, “but do it under cover.” Shadow turned her blue eyes on Raider, her body stiffening. “I am only doing this because you seem to be a natural leader,” she got out before looking at where Viper had vanished. Her body was bigger, due to the size of her wings. She tossed her head, flared her wings one last time; in the next instant, her wings vanished. She moved towards the entrance and pulled herself through, she found herself next to Viper. “Is he always this bossy?” she whispered to the other mare. Barracuda took a few shallow breaths, waiting for the beast above to get bored. He watched, the smell causing him to groan. His eyes stung from the smell of the sulfur; his body hurt but he didn’t feel anything broken. The earth around him surged to life, as his element went to work; the vines moved from his neck and legs, slowly lowering him to the ground. After a few moments, even though he was still on his side, he was now cloaked in vines. Something he hadn’t done in a long time, use his element to save himself. He felt the ground shudder again as the beast got agitated, unable to see its prey. Viper glanced up where she lay, a small smile ghosting across her muzzle. “His bossiness”, she murmured softly, “is best heeded when a sky lizard’s hunting overhead.” Her voice was light, but the tremor in it betrayed the edge of her nerves. Still, there was some warmth within it, trust. Raider gave no reply as he slipped in after them, his bulk filling the narrow space and forcing them deeper beneath the sheltered log. The mist followed, thick and deliberate, seeping along the ground until the world beyond vanished entirely. In moments, they were gone. To any passerby, the hollow was nothing but a scatter of dark stone and splintered wood. Even to a gifted eye, the illusion wavered only faintly, a dim cloak of smoke rising from the shadows, its depth uncertain, the shape untrustworthy. Raider settled near the entrance, his flank pressing against the log, head low and ears turning with every faint sound. His breath came slow and steady, a practiced rhythm of one who’d hidden too many times before. He said nothing. Only the faint hum of his magic filled his ears, a low vibration beneath the soil. The distant shriek of the creature tore once through the mountain air, echoing off the ridges, and fading with the wind. Shadow lowered her head, placing it on the ground. Her body twitched, mind still racing. She heard the creature and pinned her ears. The thought of being found by that thing, made her wish that she never ventured to the mountains. Barracuda flinched as he heard the shrike. He rolled so he had his legs below him, his sides still heaving; breathing becoming normal once again. He wondered if the creature was going to leave anytime soon or if they were going to be stuck. “It’s too quiet” Shadow stated; her head still on the ground. She felt safer this way, something she learned from a young age, make yourself smaller when you don’t want to be seen. Raider gave a low hum, barely audible over the sound of the gentle winds outside. “Quiet is good”, he murmured, his voice little more than a vibration against the wood above them. “Still yourself, and keep your head on your shoulders.” The words carried no sharpness, only steady resolve like an anchor in the dark. Viper remained motionless beside them, her breath even, the habit of scared silence long practiced. She knew how sound traveled, how easily panic could betray the hidden. After a long moment, she turned her head toward Shadow, her voice soft and warm once more. “Your friend is well”, she whispered. “I can feel it in the air, the earth still holds his breath.” She gently pressed her muzzle against the mare’s shoulder, a quiet comfort. “Help him by being safe until we find him again.” Shadow felt a small surge of help, her eyes finding Viper’s. She gave a small nod before she listened to Raider. She controlled herself, her body stilling as something caused the ground to shake. She let her eyes stay focused on Viper. The creature gave a roar, it tried to reach his prey, the equine had fallen into the chasm. It reached its claw towards the clump of vines, shrieking as it came into contact with the thorns on the outside of the vines, it snorted before launching into the sky. Circling above the area a few times, it flew back towards the mountains, wing beats quiet on the air currents. Barracuda let out the breath he had been holding, his element shifting the vines away from him. He slowly stood, shaking away the broken bits of vines. He looked above himself. ‘Great, just what I needed.’ he huffed. “It's gone”, Viper finally murmured, her ears still angled toward the sky where the dragon had vanished. The air hung heavy with silence and the damp vines and soil. Then, she gave a small, weary sigh and let her voice lift just enough to tease. “Can we get out of this stinkin’ hole now? I’m beginning to think you like crawling into nasty spaces, like a salamander or woodland toad.” Raider snorted through his nostrils, the sound half laugh and half exasperation. “If I am a toad”, he muttered, “who are you but the one croaking in my ear?” But he trusted her instinct, and with a grunt, began hauling himself up the slope. First crumbled under his hooves as he climbed out, shaking his mane and coat once he reached the solid ground. “What a strange thing”, he said after a moment, scanning the dark horizon. “I’ll have to try and kill it later.” His tone carried the shape of a joke, but his eyes were distant, focused on something beyond sight. There was a stillness about him then, listening, as though the wind itself had whispered a challenge. Viper nudged Shadow gently to the entrance. “Come on, love. He’s brooding again.” Shadow shifted herself backwards, her body scraping against the trunk above. She winced, her body stiff from laying still for so long. As soon as she was out of the hole, she shook her coat. She glanced down towards Viper, her eyes watching the other mare. She had noticed, when she had first climbed into the hole, that the other mare's coat was scuffed. She figured it was from the same thing that just happened to her. She glanced around before turning fully towards the ridge they all had last seen Barracuda. Barracuda pawed the ground, his right front sore. He looked down and noticed a few scapes as well as a small hole in his coat. He snorted, he was alive at least. He began to walk along the chasm, searching for a way out. “Shadow, Raider, Viper? Can any of you hear me?” he called out, even though he was probably a mile away from them. He tossed his head as he found a dead end, though there were small ledges going all the way up; his large body wouldn’t ever fit on them, but he could use his element to help out just a little, by strengthening the ledges.. He sighed and leaned against the wall of the chasm. Viper gave an indignant snort, stamping her hoof hard enough to scatter pine needles. “Well, let’s go find our other friend gifted with flight”, she said, her tone light but firm, turning her gaze toward the mountainside. “Raider, lead the way.” Raider’s ears twitched back, expression darkening as he gave a low, unimpressed hum. “Must we?” he muttered. “He’s no friend of mine, ill mannered and half-brained, if you ask me. Likely to get himself killed twice before we reach him.” Before he could say more, Viper’s teeth caught the skin of his flank in a sharp nip. He flinched, ears flicking as he turned his head toward her with a glare that was more weary than angry. “Enough of that”, she scolded, tail swishing. “You’ll speak kindly of the living Raider. He risked himself for us.” Raider exhaled heavily through his nose, for a long moment he said nothing, eyes distant on the ridgeline. Then with a curt shake of his mane and a chew, he relented. “Fine,” he said at last, voice low. “But if he’s gotten himself eaten, I’m not dragging his bones out.” Viper smiled faintly, her eyes softening. “You won't have to,” she said. “He’s alive, I can feel it.” Raider gave a short, skeptical grunt but turned toward the slope regardless, his hooves crunching against the loose leaves and soil as he began to leave the treeline. His mist still clung faintly to his coat, curling in his wake like smoke reluctant to fade. Shadow looked between the two of them. Her heart raced at Raider’s words. She slowly walked after the two of them. Her eyes scanning, her breathing hitched. She flicked her tail, her mane tangled with leaves, but she could care less at that moment. Barracuda rested for a few moments, his body not ready for the challenge ahead. He took in a breath as he pushed off the wall, walking towards the first ledge. He placed his injured leg first, knowing it was the weaker side at the moment, he began to climb the wall. Shadow moved past Raider and charged ahead, her ears pushed forward, waiting. She was on the ground, rare, but needed. She didn’t want to draw attention to them by searching from the air. Barracuda grunted as he slid back down the wall a few ledges as one of the weaker ones gave way under his weight. He looked up, sending a silent prayer; continuing his climb. ‘Come on Barr, you can do it.’ he half yelled, half whispered to himself. Viper broke into a gallop, following after the dark mare as the ground began to rise beneath them. She tossed her head once to clear her mane from her eyes and pressed onward, hooves striking the uneven rock with a rhythm of determination. Raider followed at his own pace, a slow and steady trot that spoke more of irritation than fatigue. His breath fogged faintly in the cool air, and every crunch of gravel beneath his hooves seemed to voice displeasure. Too much noise. Too much running. Too little reason. His jaw worked tightly as he climbed, eyes flicking between the mares and the ridge above. “Wait for me!” Viper called, her voice bright and carried easily in the wind. She gathered her stride and felt her element respond, aiding her movement like an unseen current. The wind trailed behind her like a ribbon, tugging at her mane and sweeping around her flanks in cool spirals. She grinned despite herself, bounding up the incline with a lightness that defied the climb. Barracuda froze, he heard Viper but also the steady beat of hooves upon soil. He glanced up; his hind legs surging upwards. He pushed off the ledge and was just able to make his head go above the edge. He was wide eyed but he was able to see along the ridge. He grunted as he got his front legs over the lip and began to pull himself over it. Shadow glanced back at the mare and slowed a little. “We will have to race one day.” She called back to the mare, her mane flowing behind her; leaves leaving as they were pulled out by the wind. She turned her head back towards the ridgeline, eyes searching, she then saw something. “Over there!” She called to the other two, her body lunging towards the dark shape. She instantly knew it was Barracuda. She skidded to a halt about 10 feet from him. She looked over the edge. “I may be able to get in there, it will be tight with my wings. But if I can, then I should be able to push him the rest of the way.” She said before unveiling her wings. She stretched her wings out, preparing herself. Barracuda snorted, “Don’t.” He got out before he started slipping. “It’s too tight down here.” he called out. Raider was a few strides behind, his hooves steady and unhurried against the stone. He said nothing, only narrowed his eyes at the commotion ahead as he closed the distance between them. The wind tugged at him, carrying the faint scent of dust and adrenaline. “I told you!” Viper exclaimed, voice bright with vindication. She walked the last few steps of the cliff’s edge, breath misting the cool air. Peering down, she caught sight of Barracuda clinging to the edge, vines loose and rock framing him like a snare. “Ser, have patience!” she called, her tone firm but kind. “We’ll think of something!” She turned quickly to shadow, eyes alight with sudden purpose. “What if instead of pushing, we pull him with something?” It was clear in her eyes she was already measuring distance, weight, angles. Shadow looked over at Viper, she understood what her friend was saying; the only problem she was seeing was the fact they didn’t have anything. She began to look around the edges, she raised her head in a gasp. “The vines, the ones from the pumpkins, maybe if we weave them, we may be able to make a sort of rope.” she said, already forming the idea of using the vines. She glanced at Barracuda, “Barr, hang in there.” She called out to him. She turned away and began to head towards the pumpkin patches. Barracuda snorted, it’s not like he was able to go anywhere. He was pressing himself as close to the ledges as he could, all he could do was wait and hope. Seeing the plan take shape, Raider let out a low reluctant sigh, and without a word, turned from the cliff and made his way back toward the slope where the pumpkin vines still tangled the ground. His hooves pressed through the loose soil, snapping brittle stems as he searches. “If I find one thick enough” he muttered, “we won't need to braid a damn thing.” Viper was already there when he arrived, her eyes darting from one patch to another, tail flicking in concentration. She pawed through the sprawl of vines, testing their strength with quick tugs of her teeth. “There”, she called, motioning toward a cluster of gourds half buried in loam. “That one, to your left. The stalk’s thick, and the vines nearly the width of your horn. Cut it at the base.” Raider grunted but obeyed, lowering his head and tearing the vines loose with a forceful jerk of his horns. The sinewy stalk snapped with a sound like breaking rope. “Good,” Viper said quickly, moving alongside him. “Now, cut a length twice the distance we need. We should loop it once around him when we pull.” “You’ve done this before?” Raider asked dryly, though he did as he was told, severing the stalk again at her instruction. Viper shot him a sidelong look, the ghost of a smile flickering on her face. Raider, with a snort, began dragging the severed length of vine back toward the cliffside as she followed, gathering the straying end with her teeth. When they reached the ledge again, Viper dropped her bundle and exhaled, chest heaving slightly. “We’ll tie them together with small ones,” she said, already nosing the ends into knots. “We will pull one loop of this circle, while Barracuda climbs inside and walks up the slope.” It was Raider who in time now returned her sidelong glance, skeptical but admiring in spite of himself. “You’re enjoying this far too much.” Barracuda heard everything. He glanced up, his neck in an uncomfortable position, but knowing he had to be able to see where the vine would be. He waited. Shadow looked at their work, she was standing next to the edge. She looked down at her friend, worried, she could see he was getting tired. She pawed the ground, something felt off. She glanced around but didn’t see anything. “I don’t like this, its gone eerily quiet.” she said as she went to help with the vine. Her body coiling, ready for anything. “We need to hurry, I don’t think the beast will stay gone for long. We need to get back to the safety of the lower parts.” Barracuda called out, he shifted his weight as the ledge beneath his hooves started to weaken. Raider took his place at the center, the loop of vine coiled around his chest. “Hold it firm,” he ordered, voice low but steady. He braced his hooves, feeling the earth shift beneath him. “I’ll walk it back, when the line goes taut, pull.” Viper gave a sharp nod, glancing once toward the cliff’s edge. Shadow was already inside the vines with Raider. The wind stirred her mane as she lowered her head beside the ledge, calling softly to Barracuda below. “Ready?” Raider asked. Barracuda grunted, finding his footing as best he could. “Do it.” Raider leaned into the strain, every muscle alive beneath his coat. The vines tightened, creaking with tension. His hooves dug deep into the dirt as he took heavy, deliberate steps forward, the sound of his breath steady and labored, like a plough cutting through hard earth. “Now!” Shadow called. She leaned forward into the loop beside him, lending her weight. Viper joined them, gripping the vine in her teeth, her horns faintly aglow as she whispered a low incantation. The air around them stirred, a small current forming at their backs, pushing, guiding, their movement. Bit by bit, Barracuda rose, his legs scrambling against the rock. Dust and loose soil rained down. Viper’s eyes burned bright, her jaw clenched as the wind grew stronger around her. Raider pulled with a final heave, the strain drawing a grunt from deep in his chest. With one last effort, Barracuda’s hooves found solid ground. He stumbled forward onto the ridge, sides heaving, vines snapping free. For a long moment, none of them spoke. Only the sound of the wind and the fading echo of the mountain’s sigh filled the silence. Raider straightened, sweat darkening the line of his neck. “That’s enough excitement for one day,” he said at last, shaking out his mane. “Time we got out of this cursed slope.” He turned to Viper, nodding toward the fields below. “Gather what you need, quickly. We’re heading east before the light dies.” Viper dipped her head, her hornlight dimming to a soft glow. She moved through the nearest patch of earth, collecting a few hardy sprigs and seeds, her motions quiet and deliberate. When she returned, Raider was already facing downhill, the last wisps of his shadow mist fading into the evening haze. Before following, Viper turned to the pair they had helped. “Farewell,” she said sweetly, her voice carrying a note of warmth despite her weariness. Her gaze lingered on Shadow. “I hope we meet again, friend, under safer skies.” He gave a short nod to Barracuda and Shadow. “May the wind keep you safe,” Raider said simply. Then, to Viper, “Let’s go.” Together, they began their descent, through the broken fields and fading vines, leaving the highlands behind. The last light of day stretched long over the slopes as they made for the east, toward the open expanse of the Auri Plains, where the wind ran free and the shadows were not so heavy. Shadow and Barracuda watched the two leave before taking one last glance towards the mountains. They then followed as they headed towards their own home, back to Whisperwood. The two of them hoping to see their new friends again, and like Viper said, ‘Under a safer sky.’