OH, TO BE HERE ON THE GROUND

Orestes says nothing. Not until Elif, winged girl who makes him shiver with raw memory, says much and demands nothing for herself. Toro wonders at her motivation. His stomach writhes like a bed of worms as he waits, his heart fluttering in his throat as he thinks, relives, imagines, reimagines - what if he is given the position? What if he is not? What if he goes ignored, or is mocked? They are the same thoughts that whispered to him as he stood before Orestes, only now they scream.

He thanks them. Toro snorts. 

It is always a choice.

His ears prick forward as their king calls on Elif before the crowd, wondering how, for all her words and her bravery, she does not take charge. The white bull thinks he would stand between her and a monster again if he had to. Hajduk rumbles quietly. This is not that, brother. Toro exhales.

Syllables roll together as panic rises in Toro’s ribcage. And? And? And? Jahin - vaguely familiar, is given a rank. And this Baphomet - unfamiliar, given a rank. Aghavni - another unfamiliar - given a rank. El Toro wants to scream but he would have nothing to say. At least none of them have wings.

”El Toro.” Hajduk presses flank to flank again, willing him to be strong and silent. 

”You will become our Champion of Battle.” 

Did he hear that right?

No, not possible. Nope. Not - 

”The White Knight of Solterra.”

The what? His eyes skim the crowd for shiny white coats. Did someone else come up to demand a rank when he wasn’t looking? No, no. It is you, Hajduk confirms, but disbelief has its root in a lifetime of scars. Orestes keeps speaking. Toro does not hear him. The words are falsehoods, syllables mashed together as alphabet soup. It cannot be true.

He has asked you to follow him. Toro swallows and looks to the king. He shows his back to the people - stupid, disrespectful, is he supposed to back away from the crowd? Toro cannot find a solution with which he is pleased. 

People are looking at him, and, for the first time, he does not feel scorn. 

El Toro follows his king.


@Orestes
"What I say,"

What I think,

What Hajduk thinks,