You struggle further up the steep black mountain slope, following an old, cold lava stream. A breeze blows capriciously across the sharp incline carrying the scent of brine and, strangely, more than a whiff of ozone...
As you get near the summit of the volcano mountain you find yourself on a plateau overlooking the ocean. Far below seagulls sail on thermals, watching the waves for minnows and gar fish.
The top of the mesa is studded with menhir like rock formations, pointing upwards at the sky like jagged wolf teeth. Some are a few feet taller than you.
The scent of ozone grows stronger and there is a sudden flash near you as a bolt of lightning strikes a roughly obelisk shape of stone several yards away. The energy crackles down throught the stone into the mountain leaving your skin tingling, the top of the stone only a hand or so higher than your head!
There isn't a cloud in the sky and you begin to wonder if you hadn't imagined the entire thing when a rumble of thunder reverberates through the air. Remembering that lightning tends to strike the highest point you duck down, sheepishly.
There is a softer rumble and you begin to worry about the chances of thunder coming before the lightening when a pair of strangely coloured beings lope into sight. As they draw nearer you realise that they are *not* going to stop and say hello... in fact, if anything, the purple mare appears to be accelerating!
Your life getting ready to flash before your eyes you scramble up the stone obelisk, out of reach, hoping that they cannot climb and quite forgetting about the strange, cloudless, lightening.
The two unicorns swerve to a stop, their hooves kicking up sparks on the stone as they circle the stone hissing viciously at you.
"Trespasser!" The mare shrills, shaking her fushia mane in fury.
"Hunter-thief!" The stallion bellows, bearing his teeth and shouldering the stone which, thankfully, does not move.
Clinging like a tree kangaroo to the top of the stone the ridiculousness of your situation hits you, you'll probably loose your grip long or be struck by lightning before the two unicorns pacing around below you give up and go away.
After almost hysterically laughing you sigh, wipe the tears from your eyes, and look around you. A glorious sunset is painted across the horizon, reflected in the ocean. And the stars have begun to appear. If you're going to die at least it's with such a magnificent backdrop.
Below the two unicorns seemed to have calmed down a little and are conversing softly in a different language but are still watching you cautiously.
There is a soft rumbling and you cringe, waiting for lightening, instead a third unicorn jogs out from amid the sky pillar stones.
Seeing you it's ears flick back and forth in surprise and it shouts something out to your guards.
Leaping forward the new unicorn shoulders the black, grey and yellow marked stallion aside a little, hastily speaking to both of them in a foreign and liquid tongue.
The two older unicorns hostility turns to embarrassment as they back away from your perch to allow you to get down.
"Forgive my parents for bailing you up like that." The filly bobs her head. "They were not aware guests were expected. I am Onyx, My dam is Neptune and sire Eclipse."
The older unicorns bob their heads when introduced, still watching you cautiously.
The younger unicorn continues "They both came to the Tir as foals when our kind, flame unicorns, had almost been hunted to extinction. It has left them and many of their generation a little... cautious of strangers." She smiles somewhat ruefully then her ears prick and she looks up hastily.

"There has been a lull in the sky strikes but " The skies over this part of Hrimfaxi mountain is such that they are always charged, even without clouds. There are waves of lightning that strike here, the last few minutes another has been gathering energy. Our kind are suited to earthing and absorbing lightning but I do not think your kind are... I would suggest you either head down onto lower ground before the next electricity storm begins or move away from this mesa, further around the cone of the volcano should also be safer but be wary of the magma stream. the fumes are sometimes dangerous."

The hair on the back of your neck begins to stand on end, indicating an increase in air's static charge, and you hastily agree. After thanking Onyx for the rescue and nodding as nicely as possible to her parents you make your way away, with as much haste decorum will allow you, keeping a wary eye on the two older unicorns who watch you until you are out of sight. Deciding as you go whether to go down the mountainside for further around it.