Maedaeria, Ep. 5

As the creature soared into the air, a sudden gust of wind blew Kateri's dark hair about her face. She stared up into the blue sky as the monster slowly turned into a tiny dot, until he, and the young woman with him, disappeared completely from sight. The forest, ancient and serene, was silent all around her. A small, white strip of cloth on the leafy ground caught Kateri’s eye. She slowly knelt down, taking the small piece of cloth in her hand. Suddenly, she heard a rustling of leaves, a ninny, a fearful cry.

Kateri straightened up, looking anxiously around her.
“Who’s there?” Kateri cried. Her own voice sounded strange to her: faint, fearful. At first, no one answered, but then, a soft, “help me!”
“Who are you, where are you?” Kateri called, her pluck returning to her.
“Where am I? I haven't the slightest idea! I fell into some sort of pit…maybe an old well. I don't know what happened... I can't seem to remember a thing...”
"Oh, don't worry, I'll find you!" Kateri searched around carefully, cautious of where she placed her feet, lest she fall into the ditch too. This turned out to be a rather ineffectual caution, because suddenly the ground gave way beneath Kateri and she tumbled down into a deep, dark crevice, landing at the feet of a chestnut mare.
“Ow,” Kateri cried, rubbing her head.
“Oh dear, I hope you’re not seriously damaged. I didn’t mean for you to all into the pit too.”
“Why, you’re a talking horse!” Kateri exclaimed gleefully, staring up at the horse. “Of course I’ve known talking beasts….But they have grown so scarce under Syncrad’s rule…I haven’t seen one in hundreds of years!”
“Oh, I’m not just a talking horse. I’m a Pegasus. Now, if you help me out of this tangled web I’m caught in, I can fly us both out of here.”
Standing up, Kateri saw the lovely, soft wings of the Pegasus. Her eyes wide with admiration, she quickly starting bending back the think brambles that the mare was caught in.
“Oh, thank you,” the mare said gratefully once she was free. “Now, climb on my back, and I’ll get us out of here!”
Kateri scrambled onto the high back of the Pegasus, and they were about to soar out of the ditch when suddenly Kateri exclaimed, and tumbled of the mare.

“What is it?” the Pegasus cried, startled. Turning around, she saw Kateri digging around a large, round rock frantically. “What are you doing?” Suddenly, Kateri had the round stone in her arms, and a torrent of cool water was rapidly filling the well. Kateri rushed to the mare, clambering onto her back.
“Go, go now!” she screamed, and the mare kicked off from the ground, soaring out into the sunlight.

Kateri and the Pegasus circled the forest.
“What happened back there?” the horse cried, indignant.
“See this stone?” Kateri asked, reverently holding the circular stone before her.
“So? What is it?”
“In this stone rests the fate of Elvaeria, Linaeria, Maedaeria, and all the world.”