Into the Unknown

Mariah had wished to explore the territory just to the west of Elysium before they began their trip south and Malico could not deny his own interest in the grand idea. As they had made the short trek out of the Rock Garden and into the Polar Sound, the purple boy keeps stealing glances at his emaciated sibling, worry clearly written into his form even as he attempts to pretend the opposite. The boy knows that his sister is a strong, independent wolf and she hates being made to feel that she is weak… even if it is her body’s fault and not her own. Even knowing that, he cannot stop his innate concern that he carries for her and her condition.

They stand side-by-side, at the edge of an overlook, gazing out at a valley where the ocean had cut a path inland. Blue eyes appear to look out over the land but really, he is gauging Mariah’s exhaustion from his peripheral vision. As she murmurs to him, Malico turns his head to face her so that his crystal clogged ears may better catch her words and, what they miss, his eyes might decipher from her lips. Head dips in agreement as he offers a small smile, softly saying, “I am glad we get to see it. Perhaps we can go down there, one day.”

Even as he talks, the boy is formulating a plan as to how he can help give her more freedom to explore without expending so much of limited energy. At her question, he dips his head agreement and says, “Yes, Valta first. Do they know we are coming?” The more intricate pieces of this trip were left out when she had convinced him to come along and he is curious if their sister had sent word to Valta that they would be arriving soon.

Suddenly, an idea strikes the boy and he decide to ask Mariah a little later, when she is a bit more tired, how she would feel if he got a cart to help carry her around in. Mal knows that he will need to wait for the right time to pose that idea to his headstrong sister.


"Malico Mendacium"