His breath caught in his throat and he scrambled backward, tripping over his hooves and falling to the ground. Terror made him fall completely silent and curl up, the reflection of the flames in his eyes as he covered his head with his forelegs, shivering like a leaf, too scared to even bolt.

James curled up tighter at the fierce bellow, body trembling in fear as he shut his eyes tight, hooves flexed like a clenched fist. "Don't do that again,", he pleaded quietly, "Please don't...."

After a few minutes, he felt like he could open his eyes, head slowly lifting and brown orbs big and scared. He stared at Dragon for a moment, realizing just why he had his name, and stayed firmly put, his front legs curled under him as he adjusted how he sat.

"Is he going to be here soon?", he asked, voice wobbly and anxious.

He hoped the horse didn't breathe fire. It would be too much for his frazzled senses.

@Dragon

The alligator peered rather quizzically at the foal. He'd said not to be afraid. Surely that was warning enough-?

"You are next to water! If someone burns you, jump into the water. Though you'd best learn to swim, first," he added, with loud humor. Apparently, gentle reassurance, despite Dragon's relative seeming harmlessness, was not his way.

Instead he just pushed on, trusting that James would get past it on his own. He wasn't going to die from fear, in any case. At least, Dragon assumed not. As to James' question, Dragon (scooping more water into his jaws, meanwhile, to cool them from the brief but searing heat) peered into the mist.

"He is coming," he answered, after a moment--and then called out, more loudly: "THERE IS A HORSE-CHILD HERE. It is new!" Presumably he was yelling at a horse that he could see, rather than the trees and mist, but his lack of any other explanation might have seemed a little questionable.

Khloros wasn't far off at all--back in Cetus from one of his sojourns, preaching his strange experiences throughout the caves. He picked his way over delicately, sticking to the drier portions of land; but his sleek black coat was caked, in many places, by mud and he seemed mostly unconcerned when he sank past his pasterns now and again. Most likely, he was used to it.

It might have been dramatic if he had arrived soundless: a tall, thin black shape through the mist of the swamp. But every step was a struggle and a sucking sound as he tugged his hooves free. Ears were pricked, head already held out low and forward, his gaze seeking out the foal that Dragon was bellowing about. A brief glance to the alligator, as Khloros arrived in the clearing, and a nod to him; and then he squelched his way over to the foal, offering down a warm exhale of air from his nostrils in greeting.

"Hello," he offered gently, and his voice was distant, somehow, and warm but mild; "I am Khloros. You are new?"

horse stock by venomxbaby on deviantart

@James

James felt a frown cross his face as he stood up, shaking himself off. He trudged forward and flicked his tail, ashamed, "I... didn't know that was going to happen..."

He flinched at the bellowing and took a step sideways, leaning from side to side anxiously as he waited.

And there he was. Khloros. Not that he knew his name, of course.

His ears went down and he swallowed nervously, offering a few tentative puffs in return as he brushed noses with the other to get his scent. His ears flicked up again and he took a step forward, nose bumping against the other's shoulder as he decided whether or not the fellow stallion was okay.

"I suppose I am,", he said, looking up at the other, and stepped back, "I um... was born? About an hour ago... I think. My name's James."

The foal ducked his head, shy all of a sudden, not very eager to make eye contact as he flicked his tail nervously, shifting from foot to foot.

"Er... I'm not so sure about everything,", he started slowly, "Everything's so... weird. And scary. I don't really like it all that much."

James definitely looked nervous, his muscles twitching under his pelt as flies landed on his coat, each one adding a bit more to the ball of anxiety in his throat. Every crack of branches, weird looks, everything was grating on his nerves, and he was tired and just wanted to sleep, thank you very much.

@Dragon

Dragon peered at Khloros. For someone ostensibly in hiding, he sure was happy to just give his name out to anyone.

Oh, well; it was his choice. Let him die, again, if he's so eager to go back to it, he thought; he'd called him nothing but 'horse' for good reason.

"The child wanted to meet you! After I told him that there was a horse, here. He says it's too muddy, but he also wants to stay. He is a horse, yes-?" Dragon added, half-doubtfully, glancing over James again.

"I never asked what you eat. Grass, I assume, but you can tell him more."

Khloros flicked his ears, lifting his head to look to Dragon. He tolerated the child near him with complete, gentle indifference; he didn't, in fact, seem (as he responded) as though his attention was wholly... there.

"A horse, yes," he answered--and then fell silent for several seconds, distant. Only after a long moment did he swing that long head around, though slowly, to watch James.

"That is because you should not exist," he answered, in that same gentle tone. "We are all trapped here, the discarded remnants of a nation of slaves, magic here sifting into loose gemstones and making life." And then, somehow affectionately, he again moved to bump nose to muzzle with the foal. "Everything is scary, but what lies beyond is not. You needn't fear."

And then, as if this were all an entirely normal topic of conversation, the black horse continued: "We eat grass, Dragon, and other plants, and if he does not like the mud, I can show him other places. Though I could not stay there with you," he added, to James. "Those who run these caves--or imagine that they do--still likely want me dead. They do not like their secrets being revealed."

horse stock by venomxbaby on deviantart

@James

"I don't know what's out there,", James said, and stood close to Khloros, the familiar figure comforting, "I don't like the mud but... I'm... afraid."

Then, Khloros spoke.

The first thought that crossed the foal's mind was, 'Dragon was right. He is weird.' Then, it was followed by, 'What in the actual Hell-'

James frowned and glanced to Dragon, suddenly realizing that maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"... On second thought, what are these places like?", he asked, brown eyes slightly wider than normal.

'If I shouldn't exist, then why do I?', he thought, and that's how James had his first existential crisis.

The foal blinked at the bumping of noses, lip twitching in surprise before he pressed up against the other. He could take advantage of his protection, at least. Learn some things until they got to whatever place the other could "drop him off" at.

@Dragon

Dragon gave James a knowing, half-amused look, then grunted.

"You exist because some magic got into a rock and you grew inside it. I thought you made him, maybe?" he added, eyeing Khloros; "He has your shape, and that Hive-demon's gemstone. Though I do not know his magic."

Dragon wasn't sure which of them James was asking about the caves, and so he answered--perhaps not quite trusting Khloros not to give some insane and rambling answer, or maybe just to be helpful. "Eridanus--that is a cave of jungle plants. Noisy, easy to find food. Don't go into the water there--it is cold, and there are ghosts in it," Dragon added--and without explaining this, immediately moved on. "Orion is dry, and there isn't much there for you to eat, but it is nice to look at, and the Seven live there. They are protectors, guardians, they say; they helped us here when we had a problem. So did the Bonebound. They are a family that lives in Canis, which his a very dry cave full of bones. No, I don't know why it's full of bones, and bones are the hard things all inside your body," Dragon explained, preemptively. "Then there is Monoceros, which is hot and dry, and I do not think much lives there, but there is a storm; and Polaris, which is full of magic, but again--few plants. There are other places--a place with a warm ocean, and one with cold water; icy tunnels, and a desert cave--a deadly place, they call it Hydra."

Dragon considered, for a long moment. "I would say Eridanus is good for you to eat in, but no one lives there. If you do not like this place, and you wish company, then I would go to Orion, or Canis, and ask those there to shelter you."

Khloros listened in distant silence, not appearing to notice what was practically an eye-roll from the alligator. Only at length, several seconds after Dragon had stopped talking, did he blink and look down again.

"I can take you to any of those places, if you want," he offered, mildly. And then--equally mildly, as if to not correct Dragon--"Souls are trapped in this place, I think, by magic. We live, die, and are reborn by the Master's magic, the Spire, keeping us here. Imprisoned."

...Perhaps not the gentlest thing to tell a child; and quite a bit of it was Khloros' own beliefs and assumption. But he, at least, seemed to believe it to be the truth.

horse stock by venomxbaby on deviantart

@James

James swallowed and tried to follow along with the explanations. After a while of mulling it over, he looked up at Khloros and nudged him to get him to look down.

"Eridanus,", he said, having decided that at this point, being alone sounded alright, "... If there's no one there, do you have to be afraid of going?"

Besides... if he got lonely, there were the other caves. He'd have to explore eventually, learn to use his magic. Figure out why he was being compared to people at 1 and a half hours old.

"I want to stay there for a little while,", James said, "And then see if I can find someone."

He found himself shivery all of a sudden, as he grew anxious and even more tired. He looked up at Khloros, ears pinning. He hoped that wasn't true. But he'd figure it out for himself, thank you very much. He'd create his own opinion before he was biased by any others.

"Can we go now?", he spoke, pawing at the ground gently, "I'm tired and I don't want to stay here much longer..."

@Dragon