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While her family had stopped to rest from their travels. Darma had slipped away from them to explore. Really, she had no want to rest. She was always on the go. Always wanting to explore. There was just too many things to see in this world and not enough time it seemed. She hadn't gone far though. About within ear shot distance in case her mother or father decided it was time for her to come back to them. Though if she was gone too long her father might go a bit crazy. He was fairly protective and a bit over bearing of her wandering ways.

Coming to a clearing, she poked her nose around a couple of trees. Brownish red eyes widening as a Soquili with multiple wings touched down to earth not far away from where she was. She was so pretty! And--Darma had never seen this kind of Soquili before. Of course, curiosity got the better of her and before she knew it the filly bounded out from the trees towards the mare. Her tail flicking back and forth in excitement. "Story?" Tilting her head sideways, she looked up at the larger mare. Curious filled eyes. She had heard many stories from her parents, but it seemed like this story that the mare was offering would be something different. Well, she'd just have to stick around and see now!

With a rustle in a nearby bush a tiny light lavender and pale pink head popped up and looked over toward where others seemed to be gathering. Had she heard right? that there was to be a story? head tilting to one side and hot pink eyes watching the VERY large mare with many wings the small usdia watched a little wide eyed at the sight. What kinda of 'giant' was this? She had heard of winds from her mother whom used to live with a couple, a mated pair infact. Though this one was completely strange, maybe someone had pulled a prank on a wind and attached more wings? No, then it wouldn't have been able to fly like it had. This was all too confusing to the filly as she tumbled head over hooves from the bush and into the clear.

"Story?" She echoed after another had spoken, though looked again to find yet another had appeared while she had had her back turned. "where you guys come from?" The small usdia asked the Uni and other filly whom were there for the story.

Curious it was as Melos rolled over and plotted over toward the larger foals, craning her neck a little to glance up at them. Even for their age and all, Melos was still smaller then them, not that it was a bad thing. After being talked to by an older of her own kind, she came to realize that maybe being small wasn't 'that' bad... Right. Looking from side to side, though right now she really felt..., dwarfed...

Ouriel shoved his way through the trees as quietly as possible, looking curiously into the clearing with wide, dark eyes. He didn't sneak away from his family, of course not - merely taken a detour! He would join them later, once he had heard this... story. He gazed expectantly towards Ariel at first, but soon began to look around at the other foals. They looked normal enough - lots of girls - though one had funny leathery wings. Ouriel snorted gently at the sight of them and ruffled the feathers of his own four wings. He did not understand what Kalonas were, and simply saw the other boy as a competitor in flashiness.

As Ariel paused, he stepped out of his tree-cover and into the clearing with the others, his nose wrinkled. He simply had no response to the violence that Raphael endured. Raynia was told not to see the other. "That's stupid," he muttered ambiguously, folding his wings on his back.

Darma glanced around at the other foals. One was really really small! Did it leave its basket too early or something? Was that why it was so short? She would have to ask her mother later.

Her attention quickly turned back to Ariel. A small smile on her lips as she listened closely to the story as it began. Not noticing the arrival of the other colt. She was to intregued so far by this tale. But as the older female went farther into it, she started associating herself with some parts of the characters so far. Her heart sunk though as the story reached to a heart breaking scene. "So mean!" She cried out, her ears flicking back. In all honesty, she couldn't understand why Raphael and Raynia couldn't play together. Raynia's father must of been one big meanie to keep them apart like that. Darma herself would have just run away with Raphael if her father ever acted like Raynia's father. Just because he was different...or something like that.

Ouriel's ears twitched as the one of the smaller foals insulted his person. "No," he hissed. To prove his point, he trotted quickly over to Melos and sat directly beside her. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, then turned away, gazing determinedly at a spot somewhere to Ariel's left.

"Anyway," he said loudly, "what did Raynia do after that?"

Ariel smiled as some of the foals began to talk amongst themselves and question the story. She liked that the story was making them think. If it could open their minds up a little bit to the prejudices of others, it would be nice. Foals were much more intelligent than most adults gave them credit for.

"Well, days turned into weeks and weeks turned into seasons. In no time, the two had grown into beautiful adults. The two had not spoken to one another since that fateful day, long ago. Oh, Raphael tried. He was not one to take a beating lightly. Every day since he was a foal, he would try to visit Raynia but she would turn him away every time. She refused to have anything to do with him. This saddened Raphael a great deal for his love for her had never wavered. One day, the visits just stopped. Raphael accepted defeat and believed that Raynia had become similar to her father and that all hope was lost."

"What he did not know was that Raynia had always liked Raphael, and when he had grown, her feelings towards him had become more than friendship. She found him to be the most handsome stallion in all the land and when she was alone at home, she would often daydream of running away with him and being his mate. She had stayed away from him because she was scared that her father would only hurt him more, possibly even kill him and the idea of causing Raphael pain was enough to break her own heart."

"It seemed that these two souls were destined to be apart but fate had another plan. That winter, a Kalona moved into the land. Oh, he was black as sin and bigger than any other stallion had ever been. His eyes glowed red and some whispered that at night, the tendrils of his hair would turn into black vipers and they'd grab at your legs and pull you towards the stallion. It was said that he had a fondness for eating the flesh of other soquilis." The mare's eyes went wide with fright as she told the part about the kalona. "His name was Azrael but they dared not whisper it, for saying his name out loud was inviting him to your home for dinner, and you would be the dinner!"

"All the families in the land became frightened of Lord Azrael. He knew it and he made good use of it. Every season he would visit a random family and demand one of their daughters. He'd take that daughter home and sacrifice her to his demon lord. Some say he bathed in the blood of these poor girls and ate out their hearts. One by one, a mare was chosen and killed. It got to the point that a new season brought sadness about the lands instead of joy like it used to."

"The following winter, Azrael made his way to Raynia's home. He spoke with her father and demanded his eldest daughter. The unicorn did not put up a fight. He was too frightened. I suppose fighting a foal is much different than fighting something far bigger and scarier than he was. He ordered his daughter forth and told her to go with the Kalona. Though Raynia did not want to go, she followed without question. Such was her way for she had given up her life long ago, feeling she would never know what it was like to be truly happy. In some ways, she was thankful for the prospect of death."

Ariel paused once more to let the story sink in.

An ear had twitched back to the kalona behind her before she turned her head to look back at him. Her eyes narrowed, giving him a somewhat leveled look. Though not speaking she stuck her tongue out at him, before turning back to the story. This was getting fairly interesting, and very scary for the most part and she shimmied a little closer to the group.

"I wouldn't go with the meanie kalona, I would give him a one two and send him back to where he came from." Melos stomped, though she stomped a couple of times infact. "But... I don't get why one would want to eat the heart of another, isn't grass and berries enough?" Head tilting slightly she looked again at the Kalona behind her, "Ain't it?"

She hadn't really seen nor really heard of the breed before and though they were the same as everyone else. Though with bad tempers and glowy eyes and stuffs like that. Were they really 'that' mean to eat another creature? Shivering again she thought how her mother's otter familiar ate clams and fish... That wasn't the same, no this Kalona sounded more dangerous then the fuzz ball back home.