Israfel
So focused upon the sight ahead of her, of the sun in the sky surrounded by skies so blue, so lost in her own sudden, morose thoughts, wallowing in thoughts of home and yearning, Israfel had been unaware of the fact that she was no longer alone. The cliffs of Terrastella seemed to attract all kinds of wanderers, be they family of the Dusk Court or natives of beyond, so the sudden arrival of another didn't truly come as too much of a surprise. The Sun Daughter's vermilion eyes tore away from the sky with the sound of a clearing throat, blinking past the bright spots left behind in her vision, and regarded the newcomer with careful scrutiny. She was hardly appropriate for such a meeting, covered in sweat and grime as she was, steam still rolling off of the contours of an ivory body to dissipate into the cool air above, the bit of mane that Diarmuid had ripped out beginning to grow in along the crest of her neck, tufts of juvenile hair sticking up at odd, unsavory angles. To put it bluntly, she was a mess, but as her eyes roamed the features of this starborn arrival, she found such concern begin to slide.
Dark as the night she stood there, against a backdrop of daytime contradictions, and Israfel marveled at what a sight they surely made upon the cliff side; dark and light, midnight and noon. The starry maiden, painted with the evening canvas of midnight hues and bright, shining dapples studded along her hide, smelled of the familiar salt-breeze that came with living within Terrastella. A member of the Dusk Court, then? She was a unique creature, tresses of white framing along her face, and the Sun Daughter caught sight of the packaged burden upon her back. A pelt? Burnt and charred, bound with worn, creaking leather. There was more, but it was difficult to make out. Instead, the shield-maiden's fiery gaze drifted once more the moonlight pools that stared back at her, and she gave a nod of her head, rose-tinted lips twisting upwards in a reserved smile.
"It is," she agreed solemnly, turning her head to allow her gaze to roam along the churning waves down below, inhaling the scent of salt along the crisp air. It was the first place that Israfel had arrived to upon reaching the land of Novus, after having awoken, weak and gasping, among the grove of aspen trees. Perhaps these cliffs would always hold a special place in her heart, reserved just for her. A place of rebirth, of second chances. Maybe that was why she came here for her solitary training.
"Ah, no. I've just finished. You're more than welcome to stay. I don't mind." Fierce vermilion focused back upon the white-haired woman, allowing that warm yet reserved smile to remain. As Ki'irha shifted, surely burdened by the pack which she carried, an elegant hair comb slipped from the confines of pelt and leather and came tumbling out, landing upon the earth with a muted sound. Israfel's eyes darted downwards, curiously examining the hair piece, and frowned thoughtfully. The demigoddess' expression furrowed, something tugging at the base of her mind. The Daughter of the Sun took a step forward, gilded hooves drawing her closer to the midnight maiden, but her gaze remained rooted upon the comb.
The shine of silver was what had drawn her closer, but she halted before getting too close. "You dropped something." The statement was uncertain, the easy-going smile long gone from rose kissed lips. "Your comb." That flower... It was familiar. Israfel thought back, to before. Before Novus, before awakening in a circle of aspen trees and falling rain, before the deep void of nothing, before flames and screams and pain, before that... Before, with her father and his shining wisdom and burning passion, with her mother's steadfast courage and gentle affection. Before, with Mesec and his shy but joyous laughter, with Hototo and his compassionate silence. Before...
"... The flower on your comb. Can I ask where you got it?" A strange question to ask when they didn't even know one another's names, but Israfel was compelled to ask, anyway. She was filled with a burning desire to know, fueled by a sudden desperation, like clammy hands grasping onto anything to prevent drowning. Her heart was racing in a way that had nothing to do with the leftover adrenaline from her exercise. It felt as though she stood on the precipice of something incredibly important, like a puzzle about to be solved, except she had been missing a piece just before completion. Perhaps this studded lady, wrapped in the colors of an endless midnight sky, held the last, and final piece of the puzzle.
Dark as the night she stood there, against a backdrop of daytime contradictions, and Israfel marveled at what a sight they surely made upon the cliff side; dark and light, midnight and noon. The starry maiden, painted with the evening canvas of midnight hues and bright, shining dapples studded along her hide, smelled of the familiar salt-breeze that came with living within Terrastella. A member of the Dusk Court, then? She was a unique creature, tresses of white framing along her face, and the Sun Daughter caught sight of the packaged burden upon her back. A pelt? Burnt and charred, bound with worn, creaking leather. There was more, but it was difficult to make out. Instead, the shield-maiden's fiery gaze drifted once more the moonlight pools that stared back at her, and she gave a nod of her head, rose-tinted lips twisting upwards in a reserved smile.
"It is," she agreed solemnly, turning her head to allow her gaze to roam along the churning waves down below, inhaling the scent of salt along the crisp air. It was the first place that Israfel had arrived to upon reaching the land of Novus, after having awoken, weak and gasping, among the grove of aspen trees. Perhaps these cliffs would always hold a special place in her heart, reserved just for her. A place of rebirth, of second chances. Maybe that was why she came here for her solitary training.
"Ah, no. I've just finished. You're more than welcome to stay. I don't mind." Fierce vermilion focused back upon the white-haired woman, allowing that warm yet reserved smile to remain. As Ki'irha shifted, surely burdened by the pack which she carried, an elegant hair comb slipped from the confines of pelt and leather and came tumbling out, landing upon the earth with a muted sound. Israfel's eyes darted downwards, curiously examining the hair piece, and frowned thoughtfully. The demigoddess' expression furrowed, something tugging at the base of her mind. The Daughter of the Sun took a step forward, gilded hooves drawing her closer to the midnight maiden, but her gaze remained rooted upon the comb.
The shine of silver was what had drawn her closer, but she halted before getting too close. "You dropped something." The statement was uncertain, the easy-going smile long gone from rose kissed lips. "Your comb." That flower... It was familiar. Israfel thought back, to before. Before Novus, before awakening in a circle of aspen trees and falling rain, before the deep void of nothing, before flames and screams and pain, before that... Before, with her father and his shining wisdom and burning passion, with her mother's steadfast courage and gentle affection. Before, with Mesec and his shy but joyous laughter, with Hototo and his compassionate silence. Before...
"... The flower on your comb. Can I ask where you got it?" A strange question to ask when they didn't even know one another's names, but Israfel was compelled to ask, anyway. She was filled with a burning desire to know, fueled by a sudden desperation, like clammy hands grasping onto anything to prevent drowning. Her heart was racing in a way that had nothing to do with the leftover adrenaline from her exercise. It felt as though she stood on the precipice of something incredibly important, like a puzzle about to be solved, except she had been missing a piece just before completion. Perhaps this studded lady, wrapped in the colors of an endless midnight sky, held the last, and final piece of the puzzle.
