An Apple a Day | Sinister Apple

Stellamaris looked up at the colorful apples hanging on the tree, tilting his head slightly as if looking at them from a different angle would help him see them better. Some of them definitely looked more... appealing than others, that was for sure. He gently reached out his hand towards one, a dark fruit stained with a bit of black- at least, it appeared that way. However, he wasn't exactly tall enough, beginning to stand on the tips of his hooves while using his free hand to cling to the dragon egg slung across his chest. 

"Are you having trouble, adventurer?" An unfortunately familiar voice asked, causing Stellamaris to immediately put his hooves back down on the ground correctly, reaching for his pipe. Midgardsormr raised his hands, backing up slightly. "Hold back your weapon, adventurer. I'm not here to hurt you, or your child." Stellamaris huffed, moving his hand away from his pipe and bringing it back to his egg. "Alright. I have no reason not to trust you in regard of not harming me, as I'm still in the glade as you requested." The serpent smirked slightly. "Ah, so you were listening to me when you fell in originally, Good. " He then looked up at the tree. "I see you've found some of the apples of my glade. Taken an interest in them, have you?"

The Equos squinted his eyes slightly. "Perhaps, I take it you would have me pay with some manner of items or servitude in order to try one." A laugh from Midgardsormr. "Oh no, at least not for the first apple. If you intend to take a whole bundle, perhaps that will be a different situation." Stellamaris shook his head. "No, no that's... not necessary. I just wanted to try... that one, there." He pointed up to the dark apple in the tree.  

Midgardsormr grabbed it quickly, reaching up and pulling the apple off of the branch before returning to Stellamaris' side. As he took the apple, the serpent explained a bit more. "That right there is a Sinister Apple.  Not many have that stand out to them, especially not one such as yourself. This kind of apple has been affected by dark energy that naturally flows through the trees of Neo Maera and the apple tree, in equal amounts to any other form of elemental energy."

Stellamaris looked around the apple now that he had it in his hand, but decided after a while to simply put it in his pocket, shivering slightly. "Admittedly, I don't think I want to eat it now. After all, dark magic isn't exactly... accepted most places." Midgardsormr nodded, put gently put a hand on Stellamaris' back. He jolted, but didn't run off. "Listen, I'm not going to hurt you- I told you that, and that includes not hurting you for eating an apple."

He shuffled, nervous. "I suppose... but... perhaps later." A smile went across the serpent's face, a tempting sort of smile that, if Stellamaris was a weaker man, would have been enough to get him to take a bite of the sinister apple. 

"Why of course, take as much time as you need."