Armony was failing their people.

Anyone could see it - withdrawing into themself, spending too much time away, speaking only to Moritz. And yes, something bad had supposedly happened to them, but they weren’t sharing it and they had a job to do. The village still needed someone to lead them, especially now that Calypso had taught them all that they were able to go off into the dungeons and survive.

Armony was failing their people, but Valoria was willing to take on the role. After all, she had been voted for six years running as the unanimous leader of her age group, receiving one hundred percent of the votes that were cast. Most years there was only one vote, true, but we don’t talk about the year before when there had been a surprisingly large voter turnout. She was their leader, she had practice, and she was here to take over because Armony obviously needed it. And what better way to prove it than by leading an expedition, a jaunt, and adventure… a campaign?

Her travelling companions were several she knew well, but she’d picked them specifically because she knew that they wouldn’t be particularly easy to handle. After all, it’s not a good test of leadership if they were just willing to follow what anyone said to do!

In particular, she’d chosen Teale and Tamarind. They were fun, they were capable, and they hated doing what someone else told them to. “Contrarian” was a word that was created for them, and Valoria had never had anyone do the exact opposite of what she wanted simply because she wanted it before.

Maybe it would have been best to only bring one - Teale was actually quite nice when Tamarind wasn’t around. They still would rather do their own thing, so it still would have been a challenge, but it would have felt a little less… impossible. Unfortunately, Teale had refused, especially when Varloria had named their other party member. 

From an outsider’s perspective, Tamarind and Andreana shouldn’t work. From an insider’s perspective (and Valoria prided herself for being one of those “inside”), it still didn’t work. Valoria wasn’t even sure that Andreana was aware that anything was going on. She was quiet, soft, easily pushed around, and Tamarind was just… too loud. Too brash. Too much of everything, really. Valoria had picked Andreana because she felt that she deserved at least one person who was easy, but it had saddled her with an extra headache.

All the others were waiting for her as she made her way to the dungeon’s entrance. Good. That was a good sign, that they were willing to wait, even though she was a little bit (only a little bit) late - they would be aware of her, and hopefully they would accommodate her guidance more than she’d expected.

Laughter, loud and harsh, was the first thing directed at her as she closed the gap. “Late, as usual. Valoria wouldn’t be on time to her own death,” Tamarind guffawed. Varloria thought that was incredibly rude, as she obviously was doing a power move and it wasn't polite to belittle her efforts.

“Let's just go,” she said, voice clipped and consonant-heavy. Ears twitched with annoyance, especially when she recognized Andreana's quiet laughter. She’d brought the smaller mare as back up, as support, as someone who wouldn’t push back.

It was all going to hell.

No words were spoken as they followed her into the oddly-lit dungeon, though the rare hyena cackle still resounded in her own ears. No one would ever learn anything about this adventure. It wasn’t her fault that she’d already failed.

Guiding those who did not notice they were blind (she thought that sounded poetic), Valoria led them - straight to a chasm. It was deep, too deep to see the bottom, and seemed to go on endlessly. She was fairly certain that the physics of the place shouldn’t have allowed that, but such were the dungeons. Probably. She really hadn’t been here enough to know, but she’d fake it until no one could doubt that she’d made it.

Distantly, Valoria heard Teale’s voice, only then realizing that the others were not, in fact, following her. They had found a bridge, crumbled and breaking, in some parts broken entirely, but even Andreana was starting to walk across it. “We’re supposed to go together!” she called, but they didn’t seem to hear her. She raced to join them, acting as though this was her intention all along.

“Onwarddd!” Tamarind practically sang, winking back at her. She flushed, cross, but it melted into bafflement as the trio allowed her to pass into the front. And so they did walk, step by step, onward, as the fog grew thick and her ears felt so muffled that the ringing within almost came with actual words.

Words that promised power, promised glory, promised that all her little dreams would come true.

No. It was all in her own head, the desire to be more than she was today. The desire to be more than everyone. “Hurry,” she snapped at no one, clattering across the long bridge in an attempt to drown out her thoughts with the cacophony of her hooves. The others were oddly silent, but she felt them following - really and truly this time, she was sure - and only began to breathe easily when she’d made it to the other side.