🐴 Unlikely Bonds 🐴

The dawn was yet to break over the boglands, the air heavy with the scent of wet earth and decaying leaves. Crowley had ventured deeper into the marsh than usual, drawn by the whispered promise of rare herbs nestled beneath frost-covered foliage. As he knelt to inspect a cluster of shadowgrass, the tranquility was abruptly shattered by the hoarse cries of marshland marauders. Caught off guard, Crowley found himself back against a gnarled tree, parrying the crude strikes of his assailants. The ancient stone orb at his belt—a relic of forgotten magic—pulsed with a tempting power, but he hesitated to use it, knowing well the toll it exacted with each spell cast.

Just as the thieves coordinated for another assault, a blur of deep red and brown darted through the morning mist. A Wold Pony, sporting a vibrant red bandana, charged into the fray. Her unexpected arrival caught both Crowley and the attackers off guard. With a deft kick, the pony sent one of the marauders sprawling into the mud. The confusion she sowed was Crowley’s opportunity. Gathering his resolve, he channeled a subtle current of magic through the orb, not to attack, but to reinforce the pony's efforts. He guided the earth to rise subtly under the feet of their foes, tripping them up.

As the remaining marauders fled into the returning fog, the pony trotted over to Crowley, her intelligent eyes meeting his. A silent understanding passed between them, and in that moment, Crowley sensed her name—Ruby.

“Seems I owe you one, Ruby,” Crowley murmured, a grin tugging at the corners of his weathered face as he righted his stance, acknowledging her timely intervention.

Together, they turned back towards his shelter, the morning fog wrapping around them like a cloak. With Pony #474 by his side, Crowley felt an unexpected shift in his solitary life, the beginning of an unspoken but profound alliance.

Entered by: 0x0e6c…Ffa4 and preserved on chain (see transaction)