[AW] What lies beneath...

[Mephisto]

She almost regrets to leave him, but Mephisto knows that with her new mantle of responsibility came, well… the responsibility.  She was needed at the barracks, to look over the training of new recruits.  She was needed to scour their borders, ensuring they were safe in the morning, and in the evening.  There was much which came with the task of becoming Terrestella’s Warden, but just as his musings gave Atlas purpose, the weight of her new duty gave Mephisto hers.  No longer was she blessed to wander at will, instead finding ways to bring security to their kingdom.  But it was that security which would allow the rest of them freedom.  Plus, it gave her time to focus on something other than the magic, which twisted and turned in her blood.

“I am pleased to hear it,” she nods to the final landing place of his thoughts.  ”We will be lucky to have another strong healer in our ranks, and I am certain Elena will be pleased to teach you all she can.”  She turns toward the sun, setting lower in the west.  It is a time which generally draws her to the cliffs, for the Pegasus loves nothing more than to watch the glow of gold and red against the crashing sea.  “Go, find your stars… I hope they bring you peace and wonder.  They always have me – for the stars remind me that we are but a small piece of the universe… and in a strange way, the inconsequential nature of our lives makes problems I face seem smaller and less important.”  

Her smile is kind, as she mentally categorizes Atlas as a new friend, and her laugh is warm as he queries what she will do next.  “Not a secret, though not terribly interesting I’m afraid.  After sunset, I make my rounds… for I am always called upon to watch this land, to ensure that all is right and calm among us.”

With that, she stretches her wings wide, ruffling her feathers as she prepares to take flight over Terrestella once more.  Looking back, she nods to Atlas.   “Come and find me, when you return… I look forward to hearing of your travels, and of your conversation with Elena.”  And she does not wait for an answer, rising to the heavens in a flurry of dark wings, as she makes her way back toward the sea cliffs with the sun at her back.

MEPHISTO

DUSK COURT WARDEN

html by castlegraphics; art by naia-art

@Atlas <3 let's do this again soon

[Atlas]

quiet houses, lit up by candlelight

He has a soul hewn to pieces by tragedy and trauma and here in this heat-dank swamp under ancient trees surrounded by even older magic was the last place he’d imagined he’d find a friend; but now he had one and he was loathe to let her go. undoubtedly Mephisto’s calling in life was much more important and complex than his own wayward wandering, and so it only made sense their little soiree was to come to an end. He had thoroughly enjoyed the confident, competent conversation their encounter had gifted to him. It was something he would think back fondly on during his meandering.

He nods his head, thankful for the genuine conviction in her voice as she applauded his decision to find Elena and, if she would have him, dedicate himself to her tutelage. He could only imagine having an improperly taught, rack-and-shambles hobo washing up on her doorstep and asking to learn from would be more a burden than a gift, but it was worth a try.

He watches her shift so she is little more than a sea-stained silhouette in the setting sun; she speaks about the stars and communicates what he feels about the heavenly bodies with half as many words as it ever would have taken him. For a moment he wonders if that is simply what he is doing-- seeking for a way to make his massive problems seem insignificant. But as he bows his head in farewell and watches her become a dot in the far-away sky, he finds himself imbued with newfound heart, and as he turns towards the center of the swamp to seek his stars, his soul is ever the lighter for it.  

THREAD ENDO ! first time 4 everything