Chase


"Come on sweetie, let's show 'im what we got!"

War wasn't expecting it, when his companion gave that reaction when speaking of their mounts. While Ruin was standoffish to her, he at least tolerated her presence. But Terror was downright unfriendly to him, and the Horseman ran the risk of being bitten if he strayed too close while the beast was summoned.

The equine had arisen from the earth like a ghoul would break out of its grave, a black ichor gathering around his cloven feet and anywhere they stepped. To be frank, the animal looked as if someone had skinned it and forgot to inform it of the fact— The bleeding-red musculature was bare around the ivory bone, and the blood vessels were glistening with the same ichor sloughing to the dirt below.

He'd said it when he earned her the beast, but it didn't suit her at all. She, who smiled and forgave and cherished, obtaining a mount so gruesome… The phantoms granted by the Horsemaster were said to take the attributes of their masters once tamed, and War had yet to see which facet of her this creature reflected.

She'd mounted her horse with an ease that surprised him, and sent a playful, challenging look over her shoulder before declaring the contest.

It had been a fierce, clenching anticipation that had seized him for a moment, giving her just that much head start. But then he took off at a run, calling his own steed beneath him to keep the momentum.

The flames that licked the ground and sparks that jumped high only seemed to mirror his excitement, and he gaily asked himself when such a simple thing as a race had started scintillating him this much.

A challenge was a challenge, however, and one of his greatest failings was that he could not deny a contest when given by his brethren. And, while she was not brethren…

He caught sight of her soon enough, and leaned lower, urging Ruin faster. The blackened beast gave a deep whinny in response, an extra flare of flame appearing as he obeyed.

But, then his object of pursuit swerved, leaving the grassy field and entering the adjacent treeline. Then he realized it, lips curling up in an appreciative, fanged half-grin— Her posture was relaxed, keeping Terror at a pace that was barely a gallop, but not quite a canter. Swiftly and adroitly the skeletal equine weaved through the trees and underbrush, but the bulkier Ruin didn't have as easy a time of it. He was forced to slow down to compensate for the wide curve his girth needed to make at turns, and soon that figure in the distance started growing smaller, flickering between trees.

She was playing with him.

It was a game he could play, as well.


I didn't think much of it, when I heard the heavy hoof beats of Ruin start spacing out a little more. I know it was a little underhanded, leading him into the woods, but there was no way I was going to subject poor Terror to the thorough beating that Ruin's stamina could put him through. I know babying him wasn't exactly smart, but I haven't tested his limits yet… And I really wanted to win against War.

I knew War couldn't resist his competitive urges— Or perhaps it was the exasperation, that the girl was heading yet into more trouble. I don't know, they seem a little the same to me…

Then, strangely, the direction I was hearing those hoof beats from started changing. It was very slight at first, and I'd attributed it to echoing off of the various rocks we were passing, entering a ravine.

But then I realized that I was starting to hear them from above, but it was already too late.

I made a loud, unflattering sound of complaint as I was hit with something bearing the force of a boulder, knocked right off of Terror's back. He gave a screech in dismay, but everything moved too quickly for me to reassure him.

I tumbled with that something all the way down the rest of the ravine, the red, silver and gold flashing in between the green and brown telling me that I'd been dive-bombed by the Rider himself. Then again, amidst all the rough-and-tumble, I barely hit the ground at all, taking into account his impressive size and the possibility that he was shielding me from the crunching undergrowth.

In a matter of seconds, we spilled out into a small clearing, and I flopped onto my back in the grass with a wheezing laugh. Trying to catch my breath, I gazed at the Red Rider, as he immediately set to pulling himself to his feet. I grinned lackadaisically, not even bothering to do the same.

"Guess I lost." I conceded with faux reluctance, giving a shrug in woe.

The scarred face of the Horseman just looked back at me for a long moment, and his brows then lifted in… Resignation? Then he let out a breath— Oh no, War never sighed, it was 'beneath' him, I thought with a tired giggle— and reached down, grasping my arm and lifting me to stand. All without any effort on my part, believe it or not.

Once my feet hit the ground firmly, he looked at me oddly. His head was cocked back a little, like he smelled something funny, and his risen browline flicked a little before settling back down.

"No, you didn't."

I was given a push to go ahead of him, and I could only squawk as I looked over my shoulder, trying to see his face as I was spurred forth. Well, if that's how he wanted to play it…

"Catch me if you can."

I took off like a bat out of hell, cackling to myself, and I could hear him roll his eyes before taking off after me.

I guess I did win.