The Pale Nightmare Adira
One would not expect to find a horse, bloody and torn, roaming a forest alone, but this horse was no ordinary creature. No, most certainly not. She has a name, she had a home, she had an owner, she traveled to uncharted lands and fought many foes.. She was, no, is, a fearsome fighter.

This beast is named Adira, a majestic black desert horse. It is important to note that she has been awakened and is as sentient as the next person. While she has been given the gift of speech, she is not much of a talker and is more of one for action. However, actions are hard now. She is tired, alone, and weak. Without her family, her former caretaker Maya, it has been even a bit boring. Not too boring of course; she has made things to do.

There is no war now and this means less fighting, less action, less fun. So she makes her own trouble to entertain herself. To keep her mind busy. To make a story. Maya liked stories. Maybe if she created a big enough story Maya could find her, but that hadn’t happened yet so apparently what she has done so far has not been enough.


Adira droops her head down. And mumbles to herself, “She better have lived through that…” That. That last battle. Adira scoffs thinking back on it. She had been so useless, unable to help in fighting. Even Maya had gained magics for flight leaving Adira behind. She had grown up. It felt odd to be the one thinking that now. Before Adira was the one growing up, but Maya had always been growing up as well; she just didn’t realize it until she had been awakened.
They ended up in a void. She could move, but not move. She was defenseless to avoid the giant portion of stone platform flung at her. She thought that would be the end, broken and sent off into endless darkness. But she fell into those colour streams, the ones everyone always avoided. She didn’t have much choice though; there was no stopping her path. With no friction to change her course. She felt weak and tired and then she was engulfed and she couldn’t see any longer.

The pain dulled eventually and she could see once more, but she had no idea where she was. She had been dropped somewhere and she vaguely remembered the others mentioning the streams working like portals sometimes. There were voices; noise, just noise. Ah but one voice sounded important; it sounded strong and she liked strength. They were curious, had been watching her, wanted to see her roam free and cause more destruction even if she had originally been a hindrance during the war. The voice resounded around her and felt familiar and almost comforting as if she had been born from this feeling. Who was it those rock people worshipped again? It reminded her of those creatures and their druids.

Adria scoffed and continued in the darkness. She was much stronger now. Those she came across called her a demon and she didn’t mind. She vaguely remembered being called that before she was awakened as well. Let the Embir and other creatures do as they please. Spread her story around for as many to here, let her become their nightmare. The story to tell children so that they behave and be good and treat their pets well.


Adira’s ears perk up at a rustling noise. She quickly turns and scolds herself for not noticing the noise sooner as it is closer than it should be. She paws one hoof into the ground before starting a charge just as the figure moves past a brush of trees and-

“Adir-?” The figure calls just as the horse comes into sight.

Adria’s eyes widen and she tries to stop her charge but still barrels into the figure. After a brief tumble, Adira hears a laugh from underneath.

“That was certainly not the greeting I was expecting dear.”

Adira quickly rises and looks down. She would have wept if she could, but settles for nuzzling this person, her Maya. “I was not expecting you! You…” She looks at Maya again, “have not changed at all? No you must have, it has been at least a few years. Why-?”

Maya stands up and brushes some of the dirt off of her clothes. “No no, you are right. I have not changed. I may have dabbled in that daemonic magic a bit too much and I have not outwardly changed.” Maya waves her hand in the air, light emitting from her palm and with it the wounds of the two healing. Adira shivers slightly but feels better. “You have been up to a lot these past few years haven’t you? I am not sure what your goals were, but you have earned quite the reputation,” Maya chuckles.

Adira grins as much as a horse could grin. “I wanted to make something for you. A story. I thought that if, no, when you survived that battle, I needed to make a story for you to find me. I was not sure where I was, or am for that matter, or where you would end up, so I’ve been working on a reputation.”

“And find you I have.” Maya looks downcast for a moment before looking back at Adira. “What is it you want now that we have found each other again?”

Adira looks taken aback. She had not thought that far ahead really. “I don’t… I don’t know actually…”

A silence settles between the two before Maya approaches Adira and strokes her neck. “I cannot give you the life you seek anymore. I have many things to do for myself, and very few with which you would find interest.” She looked off past the trees momentarily. “I cannot say I am entirely pleased with what you have been doing, but it is who you are and I am partially at fault for it as well.”

“Maya –“ Adira tries to interrupt.

“But, if you wish to continue this path you have chosen, I will not hinder you. You will always be a part of my family.” She smiles softly at Adira. “And I would never change what has been done to make us who were are today.”

“Maya. Thank you.” Adira could not think of what else to say and merely let the more comfortable silence take over for a bit.


They settled down for a few hours to catch up on the lost years and to relax.

At one point Maya calls for attention and reaches into her bag. “I have a few items for you since I figured you could use some help and that your armour and weapons would be in disrepair.” She chuckles. “And I seem to have been very correct.” Adira turns her head to the side and huffs. “I have made some new equipment for you that are imbued with stable magic.” She lays them out of the ground and points to them one at a time as she describes each. “This is to store your weapons and armour and call it out on command; this will increase your strength; this will help you evade attacks; this one will let you cast mage hand at will which will help you with these goggles that will give you 60ft of darkvision; this one will give you more protection; and these…” Maya points to a new set of horseshoes, “Are horseshoes of the pale flame.” She smirks at Adira’s confused expression. “A little creation of my own design, you will like these more than the horseshoes you have now. These will let you temporarily transform into a pale horse of destruction with blue flames. You will be able to take to the skies and strike more fear than you would have thought possible.”

Adira gapes gleefully, especially from the last item as she remembers a long ago conversation about nightmares with Maya. When she finds her voice again she is all but trembling with excitement. “You made all of these?”

“Yes! Well with a bit of help early on but mostly yes.” She looks down at the items. “Even when I couldn’t be sure you had survived, I wanted to remember you, so I started making items that would help you. And when I started hearing stories of a ‘Bad Horse’ and a ‘Demon Horse’ I put even more effort into them even if I was a bit unsettled by some of what I heard.” She frowns momentarily while remembering. “But I have found you so here is what I have for you.” Maya stands up and Adira follows suit. “Now lets get these on before I head off,” Maya ushers with a rush.

“Wait what are you-?”

Maya hold up a hand. “I must leave. I cannot stay here and I cannot take you with me.”

“But-!”

“I will try to find you and visit when I can, but do not count on it that much. I leave these items with you to remember me by.” Maya reaches to Adira who steps forward. “I have new ideas, greater goals, and so much to do. Maybe if certain events happened I will be able to help you more, but until then this is all I can offer.”

Adira puts her head down. “What should I do now?” She looks back to Maya for answers.

“Whatever you want. You are your own being now, and have been for a long time. Do not dwell on what could have been and move on.” Maya wraps her arms around Adira’s neck and hugs her before stepping back and bending down to get the items.
A heavy silence follows as Maya equips Adira’s new gear and steps back to admire her work.

Maya smiles sadly before bowing to her companion and taking a step back, “Until next time.”

“Until next time…” Adira repeats and bows before Maya heads off and Adira is left in the darkness by herself once more.


((Note: The Nightmare form is different from the normal Nightmare because of Daemon magic that Maya uses and put into the item to make her white with Daemonic blue flames rather than black with red. The item is essentially of her own creation as the stat changes are also different since she is already an intelligent awakened creature.
Note2: Technically there is no moon in Armeya (the D&D world setting), so I will say Shul, the sun, was curious to see what the new blazing night terror was))