5

She slept uneasy that night, the murder of her lover coming back to her. She could see herself, she was tied down and sobbing, her lover had been suspended by his arms. They were in the dungeon of a castle. They had shared one final I love you before his throat was slit open, his blood pulsed out as his heart beat its last, they then rested the knife at the top of his sternum, then dragged it down, breaking the bones of his ribcage.

As the knife was pulled away, his intestines fell out and landed with a slap on the floor, Quelastia couldn't help but continue to cry hysterically, she was then kicked in the face and she fell backwards. "You call yourself a rider?! Look how pathetic you are!" One man exclaimed, he sat astride her and held her wrists down. She spat in his face but that resulted in a slap, she struggled under his weight but he wouldn't let her go.

Just as Babylonts horn travelled through the stomach of her attacker she woke up with a jolt. She got up and wrapped herself in her ivory shawl and walked out on her balcony for some fresh air, and a chance to think, she didn't belong here but yet here she was. She could see Babylont sleeping soundly under the outside shelter.  She watched the way he delicately took a deep breath in before exhaling and his stomach swelled.

She sighed before returning to the warmth of her room, she changed from her robe and was now wearing her riding leathers, even though they were the palest shade of white, the moon high in the sky made her glow somewhat. She walked back to her balcony and leapt over the stone and landed in a soft bed of hay beneath, she walked to her sleeping mount and gently rubbed his neck, his eyes opened and he nipped her arm playfully.

Quelastia grasped a handful of his mane and clambered onto his back, she gave him a gentle nudge with her naked heel and he started off at a trot but as they reached the forest he broke into a gallop, he galloped through a small river and leapt over a fallen tree, but as they galloped deeper Quelastia realised that they were in fact in the territory of Opal the queen of Darkness and Decay.

The dark power began to affect Babylont, his white coat began to turn ebony, his eyes almost crimson, the skin began to peel from his face revealing his skull, and his mane became like string, "cross that river boy!" she exclaimed squeezing her legs to make him go in a different direction. Once they crossed the river and all the dark power had been washed from Babylont they continued to gallop till they hit The Barrier of Thorns.

Babylont reared up and kicked out his front legs, "you're right boy we should leave," she said about to turn him around but as she did she noticed they had been surrounded by a group of Barbarians.