Ni'Srilan: The Desert: The world will never take my heart;

Wish upon a shooting star;
For dreams and things that never are.

The tears continue to stream down the cheeks of the beautiful palomino as she traces the family’s steps. Kratos, gone but continuing to live in her mind, comforts her as she feels the familiar winds of his wrap around her and console her as she walks into the desert’s heated lands. Her familiar waters stretch over the lands, seeping into the world around her and creating a new life in their depths. The pain is a never-ending experience, having been tempered by the night and constantly consoled by the dwelling depths of her soul. But part of her has died, it seems. Part of her is missing, but still she carries on into the deserts with her head held high and tears falling. Courage is the picture of glorious as she embraces the tragedy that has befallen Kratos, the soulmate that would not ever, ever be replaced. As she spotted Alshain, a comforting wave of liquid rushed over his heated body, along with the others – Alanna and a stallion she didn’t recognize as anyone other than Kyprioth from what Kratos had told her of his elder half brother. She is certainly the child of Genesis as she approaches the group full of a certain audacious glory. Hers has always been a subtle hint of her namesake, but not it is something greater – Kratos taught her about that.

In the wake of the magnificent pain, she travels closer to the group, her water and fire brimming along the exquisite contours of her body as her muzzle drapes across Alanna in a greeting gesture. ”Everything will be fine,” Courage whispered softly to her sister-in-law. Her gaze turned to Kyprioth, extending a humble, warming nod in his direction. ”I’m Courage,” she began, wanting to elaborate on her relationship title with Kratos but unable to finish because of a low growl in the bushes. ”And this is Zeke.” At that moment, Zeke came tumbling out of the bushes. Growing ever so swiftly, the cub had reached the awkward years but continued to remind Courage more and more of Kratos every day. She shook her head as the cheetah cub purred and slipped through her legs, rubbing against her shins as he told her Connor was safe and in a new place, happily living on. For now that would have to be enough. But the cub also had something else to say about Aquila, Courage’s half sister and Alshain’s eldest daughter. She was still here! Hiding amongst the ruins of what was left of her humanity and a slave to Alcatraz’s shard, she was going mad. The ivory mare who bore a distinct resemblance to Genesis could not be saved by Courage; she had accepted the responsibility of being a slave at the hand of Traz.

The simple sting of sadness hit her again at the thought. Her eyes traveled to Altair, and she smiled softly through the tears. And then she gazed at Kyprioth and the others. ”The world really is ending, isn’t it?” she inquired. It was directed to no one in particular, and maybe it was truly meant to be a rhetorical question. Either way, Courage was coming to grips with the situation. For a moment, her head lowered and her eyes clouded with tears. Kratos. Marshall. Fantome. Micah. They were all gone now, really. All that Courage had loved and all that had been keeping her here for so long were gone. However, rising from the ashes is what the golden mare does best. Those fierce oceanic eyes shine with avian splendor heightened by the sadness as her gaze travels over Alshain’s defeated features. ”We’ll have the last laugh, Alshain. You can count on that,” Courage said in a voice lower than her own, taking on a demeanor that was all too much like that of a warrior. ”We will fight. And he will die.” She doesn’t hear the reason that echoes in her mind (Kurai is more powerful than you; you’ll die; Courage, don’t do it) and instead watches the oasis as it comes to life beneath her watery hooves. ”He might take a few of us down, but he can’t certainly fight all of us at once.”

Oh, dear, Kratos might have rubbed off on her a bit too much.

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