Your musings are interupted by a snort. An imposing dark blue horned equine you somehow hadn't noticed walks slowly over to you, managing to make its gait a direct challenge. You begin to back away toward the door when you hear a steely voice: ***Don't be foolish, human. If I meant you harm, you would have been dead long ago.*** He snorts again, and paws the ground. ***What are you doing here?*** You realize his voice is inside your head, not spoken. ***Of course I'm mindspeaking, sidiro'onlinpi. What are you doing here?*** he repeats, shifting menacingly.

***Oh, don't be such a silly onsi, Taarnin. And don't call the human names,*** a new voice says. It is lighthearted and clear, but with a hint of steel. You turn your head and see a beautiful multi-colored unicorn, and marvel that you missed her. ***I'm Laaria, a Spectrum Glass Unicorn, and that's Taarnin, a Nyght Sylver Unicorn. We're from the EverRealm,*** she continues. ***He's generally a more-or-less decent sort but he hates to be surprised. We weren't expecting you.*** She tosses her head to get her forelock out of her eyes and grins at you. Taarnin glares at her and retreats to the shade of a tree, where he seems to disappear except for his glowing eyes. You shiver a little and stand awkwardly, not sure how to respond. Laaria smiles and snorts, flicking her tail at Taarnin. ***I'm sure you have a reason to be here. You've met Somebdy-or-Other?*** You nod. ***Good.*** She snorts. ***She has such a silly name. I wonder about her sometimes.*** She smiles again and watches a butterfly. ***Sort of like Taarnin over there.*** He glowers and stands up, pacing through the shadows and looking like a ghost. He mutters smething you can't quite hear. Loftily, Laaria ignores him.

A dragon-winged black equine lands suddenly. ***Well met, tiroto'unmon,*** he says in an slightly amused voice. ***I see these two have used your appearance as an oppurtunity to argue. Never fear, Reaaln is here to save you.*** He rears majestically, then sneezes, somewhat ruining the effect. Slightly embarrassed, he shifts his weight and folds his wings. ***I'm an Dagmire, from the EverRealm. Somebody-or-Other made this pasture for us.*** He snorts. ***The walls are only to keep out unwelcome visitors, if that's what you're thinking.***

Suddenly Reaaln shouts and ducks as a flash of yellow streaks from the sky. With a bounce, it lands next to you and grins. It looks much like a gryphon. ***'Ello,*** it pants, its mental voice slightly winded. ***'Eard there was a tiroto'unmon--- eh, sorry, I mean 'uman--- 'ere and 'ad to 'urry,*** he finishes, his speech strangely accented and hard to understand. ***I'm Caarnian, a Carhawox. Any'ow, a Carhawox is a cross between foxes, 'awks, and caracals. Myrror--- she's the one takin' care o' EverRealm, right--- she made 'em, an' I'm a Wyld Portal.*** Seeing your bewildered look, he explains. ***See, a Wyld Portal's a... eh, let me think... a field o' magic, I guess, an' it's unstable like, so it can take people and whisks 'em away to 'oo know's where. But, see, there are some what are stable in a way, an' they stay in one place. Plus they make copies of the creatures they pick up, 'stead o' moving 'em, and each copy is different like. So, somewhere, out there, there's a Carhawox that's like me, 'cept it's not.*** He finishes triuphantly and preens a bit as you muddle your way through his explanation.

Out from between Caarnian's wings tumbles a small blue-and-yellow bundle that begins to cry. It's a gryphon! ***That's Jaarnin,*** Caarnian says. ***He's a Gryphon Kit, but he doesn't seem to get much bigger.*** He frowns, and awkwardly pokes the gryphon. ***'Ere now, stop that. You aren't 'urt.*** Finally, he scoops it up and flies away. ***Goodybe,*** he shouts.

***It's been nice talking to you,*** Laaria says, ***but I think Taarnin is getting impaitient.*** You nod and begin to leave.

***Farewell!*** Reaaln shouts as he too, flies away.