A cool, crisp, fall breeze gently tousled long strands of dark, coal-colored mane as a rather robust, well-muscled courser lifted his head up toward the sky, taking in the large splashes of oranges, yellows and reds that were painted above his head as the last few rays of sunlight began to sink below the horizon. While the morning was an ordinary one - spending most of his time harassing Caspian as he always did when the male dared to step along the surface - something about the impending darkness didn’t settle well in the pit of his stomach as the young courser stepped forward, almost bidding the golden rays of light to return, to stave off whatever was to come when night fell. Alas, while he was strong, his might could not hold back the darkness, rendering the young courser powerless to stop the sun from its steady retreat that would soon give way to the inevitable. 

“Something’s coming, isn't it?” Raigon asked aloud all of a sudden to no one in particular, but while there was no verbal response, the wisp he fondly called Anwar rose up, floating just in front of the male’s dark muzzle as its blue flames brightened some in response to the male’s inquiry. The young courser chuckled a bit, a gentle smile playing along his lips as his handsome features  were illuminated in the magical flame’s blue glow. “You seem to always have all of the answers, Anwar,” he observed, tilting his head to the side a little as his brow quirked upward with intrigue, “How is it that you know so much, little buddy?” The stallion asked, but of course, he received no real answer as the small entity swirled around his head, beaming with a glowing energy that seemed rather enthused before he settled back down by the courser’s shoulder. Raigon could do nothing by sigh softly, trying to shake off his misgivings as he traveled back into town, leaving the forest behind to get his mind off of such dreary, ominous thoughts that constantly nagged him in the back of his mind. 

His bi-colored hooves clacked softly against the thin, stone path that led to the tall, wooden gates of his hometown, bringing with it a sense of relief that never quite came from anything else like the way it felt when you were finally home. Contentment spread across his muzzle as he boldly whinnied to the soldiers who were standing guard at the front entrance, calling out a loud greeting to those that were present. Some responded in kind, giving him big smiles and warm, welcomed greetings while others… Well… “I’m surprised the dungeon didn’t swallow you for lunch, Raigon” Muttered a gruff voice as a larger stallion moved toward the front of the gate, his armor clanking hollowly with each, long stride as he quickly closed the distance between him and the seal bay who stood only  about a horse-length away, grinning rather smugly as the other male approached him with a disapproving glare.  “Ah, but fate has another plan for me, Milthal,” the young courser cooed with another pompous smirk playing along his lips, craning his neck just enough to peer at the red roan stallion through his helmet as he spoke, “You out of all Dungeon Coursers should know how difficult it is to kill me.” 

“Hmph!” The armored stallion snorted irritably before he aggressively shoved the seal bay out of his way, turning to give him one last, nasty glare. “If not the dungeon, then perhaps the Harvester may put an end to my misery.” The stallion retorted through gritted teeth before making his way towards the other side of the small city, leaving the young courser standing there with a puzzled expression, not quite understanding the other stallion’s statement. “The Harvester…? Who’s that?” He asked under his breath before one of the nearby soldiers named Jothem who had overheard the confrontation stepped forward, giving Raigon a cheeky grin before bumping against his shoulder. “You sure showed him, huh?” The much younger soldier stamped his hoof on the ground firmly in affirmation before adding, “Forget about what that jerk said… Maybe the dungeon will do us a favor and eat him!” Raigon simply shook his head, closing his eyes, saying, “I don’t wish that on anyone.” He responded quietly, turning back towards the cobbled streets that still looked lively, but some of the townsfolk looked to be in quite a hurry which made his ears prick slightly, growing a bit concerned and a little confused. “Where is everyone going?” He asked the young soldier, glancing back at the folks that he could see near the entrance. “Why do they look so… scared?” 

Blue eyes stared up at the seal bay incredulously as the soldier’s jaw dropped, staring at him for a few moments before he finally croaked out, “You mean you really don’t know?” Raigon shook his head in reply. “Do you even know what today is?!” The younger courser’s voice raised a bit, but he piped down quickly when he became aware of it before glancing in both directions to make sure no one overheard him as he leaned in, gesturing for Raigon to lower his head so that he could speak. “Today is when the Harvest moon rises. Legends speak of the one who bears the same name as the moon itself, and it’s said that he appears when the moon is at its fullest.” He whispered, shooting a small look in the older stallion’s direction, “They call him… The Harvester.” The young male looked visibly shaken, as if that name should have never even been on the tip of his tongue.

There was nothing but silence for several, tense moments before a soft chuckle began to emit from the back of Raigon’s throat. “You’re joking, right? That sounds like one of those stories your mom tells you to make sure you go to sleep.” He said, shaking his head with a smile. The young soldier took a step back from him in disbelief, but said nothing more, knowing it was a lost cause. “Just… Just be careful tonight, okay?” The soldier murmured quietly before retreating back to his post, his soft, blue eyes watching Raigon sadly as the seal bay entered the city, glancing down at his hooves before kicking the dirt some.

Raigon began to move along the crowded streets, trying not to bump into those who were still out and about as he sauntered over to where he and Caspian usually resided, but before he even managed to make it halfway, there was something that made him pause, standing still in the middle of the road as everyone skirted around him. He kept trying to ignore it, pretending as though he couldn’t hear it, but there were many whispers from each passerby that seemed to have the same name on each of their tongues: The Harvester. It had to be a joke! He so desperately wanted for it to be a joke, but the part of him that was feeling deeply unsettled told him this was the real thing. After all, could this many people be afraid of something that didn’t exist? He couldn’t be sure, but one thing was becoming clearer to him the more that the night wore on.

He was going to see if the legends were true.

The male turned tail, determination fueling his quick trot as he started back for the entrance, keen on finding the little soldier who seemed to know so much about this Harvester character. Anwar seemed almost a little reluctant to follow, but, knowing he couldn’t leave his master to his own devices - with good reason -  soon caught up with the courser, keeping pace with him until he was back near the entry gates.  “Jothem!” The stallion called out into the known air, “Jothem, where are you?” There was no answer as the stallion’s chocolate-colored hues eagerly, perhaps even frantically, combed the area for his friend. One of the guards posted there was curious and left her station for a moment to see what was going on when the mare caught sight of the heathen himself, rolling her eyes when she realized just who it was that was causing a ruckus. “Oh, it's you,” the female muttered, her gaze filled with contempt as her lips pursed, glancing at the stallion up and down with disapproval. “Not now, Senine, I don’t have time to argue,” Raigon replied rather dismissively as his eyes kept searching the area, walking past her to see who else was there guarding the entrance. An irritated snort came from the slender  courser as Raigon’s voice cut through the silence one more. “Where’s Jothem? Is he still here?” He asked, slowly turning his face toward her only to catch a rather angry glare that was fixed on him. Clearly, she didn’t quite like the tone he took with her, and she didn’t seem too keen on answering his question, but perhaps it was the hint of desperation in his eyes that moved the mare enough to have a change of heart. “He’s gone, Raigon. He mentioned something about not wanting to be out too late… I’m sure he’s at least half way home by now.” Senine told him, gesturing in the direction he had left in. “I don’t know why-” She began, but the stallion didn’t need to hear anything else as he blurted out his thanks. “Thanks, Senine! You’re the best. I’ll catch you later!” With that, he quickly turned tail and rushed off to go find Jothem who couldn’t have made it that far quite yet. The soldier snorted a bit, shaking her head as she watched him run off, mumbling, “What the heck has gotten into him?” With a roll of her eyes, she simply returned to her post, but that didn’t stop a few of her curious glances that were casted over her shoulder, her interest peaked as the day slowly turned into night.

Most of the light had been consumed by now, the deep blues and blacks continued to spread like a disease along the sky as Raigon raced against time, sprinting to find the young soldier to learn more of what was to come. Anwar offered his soft light in order to guide the stallion on his endeavors, faithful as always. The cobbled streets he ran along were nearly deserted now, as most of the folks in town already fled to their homes, but there were a few who were brave enough to remain, their gazes focused on what was above as they waited for the moon to fully rise. 

To his relief, the seal bay noticed a figure trotting along up ahead, the soft clanging of armor taken as  a sign that he may have found his quarry which spurred him on despite every muscle in his legs burning with the effort. The stallion rushed to meet the armor-clad courser, excitedly calling out his name. “Jothem! Hey, Jothem, wait up!” “No, Raigon,” Came a small, defeated voice of the young soldier who refused to slow down, “I have to get home.” The older male flared his nostrils in frustration before his long gait closed the distance between the two of them, sprinting ahead until he blocked the younger courser’s path, halting all progress as he glanced down at the soldier who’s pale eyes seemed to hold quite a bit of hurt within them as he stared back at Raigon. The adventurer murmured, “Just hold on a second, I want to talk to you about the Harvester-” “Why?” The younger male interrupted sharply, his brows furrowing as he went on, “I thought it was just some big joke to you!” Raigon visibly flinched from the sudden harshness within his friend’s voice, his face twisting up with guilt and a bit of regret as he searched for something to say in response. The male shifted uncomfortably on his hooves, his dark hues avoiding the young soldier’s intense, heated gaze as he started to paw at the ground a bit. “Ah, yeah, I did say that, didn’t I…?” He tried to laugh it off with a few rather awkward chuffs, which seemed to further anger the young soldier who started to impatiently make his way around the other stallion, but before he could, Raigon stepped in front of him once again. This time his face was solemn, pleading with his friend. “Woah, hey, c’mon now bud, I’m sorry about that, but I’m taking you seriously this time! And, I want to know where he’s gonna be.”

The soldier’s anger gradually gave way to shock as the young male pulled his head back, looking at Raigon as if he were a madman. “You can’t be serious! You’re going to go see him?” Raigon nodded his head furiously in reply. “So, do you know where I can find him?” Jothem remained silent for a few moments,  glancing down at the stone below his hooves before he finally sighed, giving in to the other stallion’s whims. “It’s not a guarantee, but if you’re directly in the light of the Harvest moon, there’s a chance you will meet him.” The seal bay’s expression lit up as soon as those words left his friend’s lips, and he quickly dashed away, tossing a final glance over his shoulder with a bright smile. “Thanks, buddy! I’ll tell you all about it when I get back!” The stallion called before his attention was locked on what was ahead, heading straight for the treeline as fast as his legs could carry him. 

He weaved his way through the spindly trees, leapt over fallen logs, and ducked beneath outstretched branches, all with his wisp’s help as his light shone on the path before them, as there was only a little dim, crimson light coming from the rising moon. Quickly, the seal bay moved about the next series of trees before they began to thin out, allowing him to see his destination in the distance. The trees would soon give way to an open, spacious clearing that he was sure would be bathed in the moon’s blood-red glow, coming to a slow walk when his hooves finally made it to the edge of the wide expanse. Taking it all in, the male exhaled as his hooves brushed along the grass, coming to stand in the center of the clearing as his dark eyes began to look about the area, being washed in nostalgia as bittersweet memories began to flash behind his eyes. Back then, he and Caspian would steal away to play with wooden swords, coming up with all sorts of adventures as the two colts grew up, but such juvenile play was  long behind them as he stood alone in the center of the field as the moon’s light began to slowly creep over him. His dark gaze looked to the sky as a cold wind blew by, his mane being tousled lightly in the breeze before his jaws parted once more. “So, Anwar, are you feeling lucky tonight?” The stallion joked softly, but his eyes were too transfixed, glued to the giant moon up above while the little wisp’s flames brightened in answer to his question as the pair awaited the Harvester’s appearance.