There were two horses, just as they had said. One was gray speckled, and the other was a faded yellow.
Aero motioned to the latter, "That one is Shea's. His name is Abu. Mine is the gray one, and her name is Petra. Both are very well-tempered, so you can choose whichever you'd like.
She approached the two horses, her heart racing. Although nymphs were usually good with animals naturally, she hadn't had any opportunities to exercise that skill before. Nazmi carefully reach out her hands to touch them both on their nose.
To her dismay, both of them shied away from her. They didn't seem particularly frightened, but instead were looking at her as though she had three heads.
'What are you?' a feminine voice echoed inside her mind. She nearly jumped out of her skin, but was able to compose herself.
'Petra..?' she thought, brows knit.
The horse turned her head to the side a little so she could look more closely at Nazmi. 'Yes. Answer my question, please.'
'I'm a nymph.' Nazmi replied.
Petra stared at her for a long time. Her beautiful, large brown eyes seemed deep and thoughtful.
'She does have a nymph-like aura,' a masculine voice then chimed in – Abu.
'It's incomplete. Her energy is confusing and unpredictable,' Petra said.
Nazmi felt as though she'd been kicked in the chest. Even horses could tell she hadn't gotten her powers. How embarrassing!
'I… I haven't learned any magic yet. I need to use my skills to accumulate mana,' the young woman explained sheepishly.
Petra exhaled through her nose. 'I see. I guess it is proof enough that you're attuned to nature since you can understand us.'
'I don't mind carrying you!' Abu changed the subject with an excited stomp.
"Uhm…"
Stood behind her were two very confused twins. They watched with puzzled expressions as the girl stood in silence right in front of the large creatures. Nazmi moved her head to make eye contact with each of the horses. She was like that for a few minutes!
At the sound of Shea clearing her throat, Nazmi snapped back to her senses. Was it impossible for her to go even five minutes without acting like a freak in front of others?!
"Ah- sorry," she said with an awkward laugh. "I really like to make connections with animals before I ask them to do me any favors like riding."
Aero hummed and gave a nod. "I understand, it probably makes you less scared that they will spook or do something unruly."
Shea still looked confused, but she swallowed whatever doubts she was having.
"I would like to ride Abu, if that's alright," Nazmi stated, stroking the now-friendly horse's nose.
The sorceress nodded with a sweet smile. "Of course! I'm happy you chose him, he's a very loving and well-tempered horse. Your ride will be cake!"
Aero nodded contentedly. "Wonderful. Would you like some help getting onto his back? You are rather small, I think it would prove difficult on your own."
Nazmi hadn't even considered that!
"I would appreciate it very much," she replied.
Aero smiled, walking over to the side of the horse. He knelt down on one knee and interlocked his fingers together, making a step for her to use with his cupped hands.
"Step up," he said.
She did as she was told, and felt him lift her up with a little momentum, which made it easy for her to swing her leg over the horse's back.
Aero handed her the reins with a soft smile. Despite his eyes being an icy blue, they were full of warmth and kindness. She looked down at his face and observed the way his messy hair fell slightly over his eyes, but not too much to hide them. He also had light freckles dotting his nose.
"Thanks," she said simply, tightening her fingers around the leather rein.
Aero nodded. "No problem."
When he turned around to climb atop his horse, Shea was already sitting on her.
"I am riding in the front," she stated.
"She's my horse, Shea," he said with slight irritation in his voice.
She glared at him, her blue eyes challenging his. "I am riding in the front."
Aero's eyebrow twitched, but he seemed to have bitten his tongue. Nazmi guessed it was because he didn't want to have a sibling squabble in front of someone they had only just met.
"Fine."
Aero approached the horse and hopped onto her back so easily that it made Nazmi feel useless for having to need help.
There was a rope that tied the two horses together, presumably to prevent the two siblings from getting separated in any serious weather conditions.
"We will lead the way," Shea said. "Just stay close."
Nazmi nodded. She peered down at the ground from the top of the horse and shook a little. Never had she been up so high! It was so different from what she was used to. The girl quickly turned her gaze forward again, afraid to think about it too much.
'Are you scared?' Abu asked.
The words startled her again. Boy, it would take some getting used to.
'A bit,' she answered truthfully. 'I actually haven't ridden before.'
Abu, 'You lied!'
'Listen, I've been embarrassing myself in front of them all afternoon! I didn't want another reason to make them think I'm weird,' she lamented.
The horse exhaled softly, a quiet laugh bouncing inside her skull. 'Ahaha, I see. Don't worry. Just hold on to the reins and maintain your balance. I will make sure it is smooth for you.'
'You may want to change your expression, though,' Petra chimed in. 'You look like a lost child.'
Nazmi frowned at the mare's words. She wasn't wrong, though, so she begrudgingly took Petra's advice. She unfurrowed her brows and relaxed her face.
"So, what's your hometown like?" Nazmi asked, in hopes of distracting them a little.
"It's very hard to find," Shea explained. 'Only sorcerers and wizards are able to find it, it's hidden with a spell."
Aero nodded in agreement. "It's deep into the desert. The barrier surrounding it is not only camouflage, but protective against evil too."
Nazmi's eyes widened. "Really? That's impressive…"
"It was made when the Dark War started. Sorcerers and wizards wanted to remain out of sight and mind, so as not to get killed in the crossfire," Aero continued. "It's still standing today, never having been found."
Nazmi felt a bitter taste in her mouth. If only her people had been so lucky.
She swallowed her bubbling anger and jealousy. "What's this city called?"
"Mirage," the twins said in unison.