She wandered among the bones for what seemed like an eternity, unaware of dark fate that befell them. With gentle hoof falls, she picked her way across the room, occasionally stumbling over the uneven ground-- she was still trying to master her long legs. It had been mere hours since the little filly emerged from her sunstone chrysalis. Her perlino coat, once wet and dull from amniotic fluid, had completely dried. It shimmered like her gemstone crest under Canis' light.

Lovely. Serene.

A little clumsy.

Seraphim looked out over the ivory sea and blinked. She saw no one, not a soul. Canis seemed as dead as the bones around her. She did not expect to find anyone, however. The new filly did not know what to expect. All she had was instinct, and that instinct made her tummy rumble.

Eventually the filly clambered to bare stone, a place where the bones receded. Sniffing the ground, she hungrily picked at what little vegetation grew between the cracks. It was then, when she came upon a wall with strange carvings. Seraphim paused, curious, she tilted her head. It was the first interesting thing she had come across. It made her think. From the shadows that lined it, she thought she saw figures in the stone, but nothing more. The carvings were too worn to make out details, but that did not stop Seraphim's endearing curiosity. The filly reared on her wobbly legs and rested her knees on the wall as she extended her neck and felt the stone relief with her soft, pink lips, even nibbling at it a bit. She could tell it depicted many strange figures, but what they were doing, she did not know.

Could there be others out there?

Seraphim fell back on all fours and shook her little mane. Looking out over the field of bones once again, she felt... lonely. It was a strange feeling and Seraphim did not like it. The bright filly curled up next the wall, legs tucked neatly under, and rested her nose on her rump. "I wish I wasn't so lonely..." She sighed, and cringed as her stomach rumbled once more. "And that I wasn't so hungry." Seraphim tried to will away the aches of hunger and isolation, but could not, so she closed her blue eyes and tried to sleep instead.

The Collector watched, for a moment.

In ages past, the ones so youthful hadn't been of any use to him, and for a moment, he was tempted to ignore this one, too. Then he remembered the little black cat. Oh, how delicious that had been! He'd hoped for a little chaos, but now-!

With that in mind, and a twinkle of mischievous (or perhaps 'malicious' would be a better descriptor) hope, he appeared some distance off and picked his way down toward the little foal. One hand held a long and gnarled, dark wooden walking stick, and this clicked on the stone with every clack of his hoofbeats.

"You do, do you? Well, little one, you're in luck today."

He looked over Seraphim. She was a little too shining, a little too pale and beautiful--he'd been aware of the black diseased horse, and that one would have made a suitable mount had it not abruptly vanished from the caves. Aether, too, had been a total bust--who knew the moth's child would have had a mind of its own?!

This one--well, "mount" was right out. He'd have to find some other use for this creature. "In luck; in luck, for I am the granter of wishes," he went on, crooning, taking a cheerful seat beside the foal. From his robe he pulled a small wooden plate, dark like the stick and equally gnarled, but covered in a small serving of juicy plants: leaves, grasses and the like.

He'd stolen those; but no need for her to know that. The gardener would never notice.

"Company and food, my little beastie; company and food. Just as desired."

Crimson pinprick eyes regarded the sleepy foal as the Collector waited to see how he would be received.

@Seraphim

Her ears swiveled towards the direction of hoofbeats. Seraphim lifted her head just in time to see a new figure make his way down to her, and watched silently, observing the unique why he moved. As he approached, she blinked up at him, blue eyes bright with innocent curiosity. It was indeed marvelous that he came just as she wished. In fact, he claimed to be a granter of wishes.

Yes, she was very much in luck.

He even took a seat by her. She was grateful just to have that, but then, the kind stranger produced a plate of luscious, green plants and placed down for her. Pleasantly surprised, Seraphim glanced at him, then to the plate. For.. me? She wondered. The filly stretched her neck out gave it a curious sniff. Oh, it smells delicious! Delicately, she nibbled at the sweet-tasting plants. "Thank you.." She said softly. Seraphim's eyes sparkled with gratitude and admiration for this new stranger. "You're very kind, very kind."

The filly regarded him and his kindness for a moment, the stood up and gave her mane shake. "Um..." She cocked her head to the side, inquisitively. "Uh.. who are you.. what may I call you?"

The Collector watched the foal nibble at the plants. It seemed that despite her strange horns--or were they her stone?--she was indeed a horse, of sorts, and an herbivore.

Score. He hadn't messed that bit up, at least. Basking in his apparent omniscience, he swept into a low bow--as best one could while seated, at least.

"I am called the Collector. I can grant wishes, and I offer fantastic trades--for a price," he added. "Why, if you are lonely, I could teach you magic to create a small imitation of a friend, perhaps; or to befriend a small creature to follow you about! In fact, I have special trinkets that can aid in just that."

He peered at her, to gauge her interest; was this what she might want? If so, then it was time to discuss the price.

If not, he had other wares in his little shop of wonders.

@Seraphim

"A... friend?" Seraphim considered for moment. Though only hours old, the foal had an innate understanding of what The Collector was offering. A spell to conjure a so-called friend, or to inthrall one-- it was an intriguing offer, but such magic felt stale to her heart. Truth be told, Seraphim was not so lonely anymore, the Collector's existence was company enough.

However, there was something she did want.

Seraphim gaze down at the bowl of feed, half of it remained. "No, I have no need for one anymore." She said, then slid the bowl towards him. "But," Seraphim continued. "I'd like to help others, the way you've help me." She gently nudged the leaves at him with her muzzle, offering to share. "There are others.. right?" She looked up at the Collector, searching his crimson eyes for an answer, hopeful.

"Oh, many others--many others," the Collector responded, his voice quietly reassuring, even warm.

He seemed to think, for a time, about the filly's request. Long, black claws on index finger and thumb delicately plucked a single leaf from the proffered plate before pushing the greens back a few inches toward the foal, but he did not eat this; merely turned it, looking at it.

At length, he spoke further, a thoughtful hum to his tone. "A very noble cause, to be sure. But you are very young--and my gifts are rare, and precious. I have an offer to make you," he went on, seeming to come to a decision. Crimson eyes solemnly regarded Seraphim. "There are good things in the cave, and there are bad things." So terribly black and white; and wasn't it always fun, to see who deemed what to be 'good,' or 'bad?' "Go into the caves, and grow for a few cycles. Learn of magic, of good and of evil, of selfless and the selfish--and return to me. When your eyes are opened, when the world is clearer to you, when you know more clearly what it is that you need... then I will have another deal to make you. I will offer you power to do what you think best, for a price."

@Seraphim