Tsking irritably, Jailene Allertron, pushed her shoulder-length dark blonde hair out of her face and bent to examine the spores at her feet, rubbing her fingers through it, she grimaced. An hour and a half on her, as far as she could estimate.
Burn the man for a light-blinded fool! Did he really believe he could do this alone? The confounded man was so arrogant that he probably thought he could. The wool-headed, egotistical, big-headed! Well, standing here trying to glare a hole through the ground wasn't going to help. Muttering curses to herself, Jailene sprung lithely back into her white mare's saddle, and heeled the animal into a brisk canter.
*
The wind whipped Kaesha's shadow coloured mane from her neck as Jailene reined in atop a high rise. Pushing a hand in front of her eyes to keep her own hair from obscuring her vision, she scanned the countryside with a purse of her full lips. Behind her lay forests and meadows for as far as the eye could see, but in front… a barren waste land, the setting sun casting a sullen red glow over ash blackened trees, and sent spidery shadows crawling up the sides of craggy outcrops. The wind swirled dust on the ground in little dervishes around Kaesha's feet; the horse whickered, sensing her rider's unease.
It was deathly quiet, and nothing moved save the spinning whirlpools of dust, but Jailene fingered her short sword in its scabbard. It would not do much good on horseback of course, and even less against the horrors that lurked in this place, but it was soothing all the same.
The quiet landscape belied a nightmare reality of unimaginable grotesqueness. Not many ventured onto the plains of Ezakimak, and few of those stupid enough to try ever returned. Jailene knew the risks: she was the Guardian, but that didn't make her any less on edge; those who grew complacent in Snomaed's Abyss died.
Dark blue eyes ceaselessly scanning the rocky terrain, Jailene pushed Kaesha forward, keeping one hand resting on her sword hilt. The plains seemed unusually quiet, that was… unnerving. Shifting in her saddle, she urged the mare to a faster pace, still eying the shadows for any hint of movement.
None came. The air was as still as Death itself., but still some kind of wind lifted rider and horse's hair alike as they trotted through the drought-ridden undergrowth.
A prickling in the middle of her shoulder blades sent Jailene whirling Kaesha round, sword at the ready. There was nothing there. Not a blade of yellow grass stirred, and still the anti-wind flicked out the mare's black mane and tail.
Cursing herself, Jailene sheathed her sword. Bloody useless thing! She reined Kaesha round- and stopped.
The ground--- moved--- it oozed viscously underneath the mare's hooves. Kaesha tossed her head and frisked nervously. Jailene held a steady hand on the reins and blinked. What in the name of the Light was going on. As she looked, trees and tors alike distorted and twisted; hideously deforming themselves. The ground heaved. Kaesha screamed and reared. Jailene sawed on the reins, but the horses snatched the bit and galloped across the warped landscape, black mane and tail streaming; foam staining the pure white flanks.
Jailene struggled to hold on, snatching handfuls of whipping mane and hauling herself back into the saddle, her stirrups flung about wildly, beating against the horse's side, urging the animal into an even more frantic frenzy.
The air was no longer still: black winds howled across the land, the red glare of the sun blinded Jailene as she squinted into the distance, trying to understand what was going on. Frantically she tried to seize the Source-
And the land dropped away.
Horse and rider fell screaming into blackness.
*