Eye for an eye and the world goes blind
Silence spread across their hold. Somnus’ verdant, tired eyes drifted upon the many equines that had joined them, summoned by Oriens’ mere presence alone. The Dawn King’s gaze focused once more upon his wise deity; defeated, flame-touched, exhausted as the rest of them, and yet Somnus had never seen anything more magnificent. With their chosen God among them, vowing to assist them in fighting these fires, surely they could overcome such terrible obstacles and save their home?
The dunalino glanced to his sides, spotting those he knew and trusted best. Ulric, Ipomoea, Pavetta… His family at his back. The faces stretched out and gathered around him; old and new.
“… It seems that whenever we manage to stave off one fire, another takes its place somewhere else,” Somnus began, the elegant lilt of his accented vocals raspy from the constant inhalation of smoke, “We’ve been doing all we can to ward off the flames from Court proper, as well as the Library, but we are only mortal.”
The things they had seen on the front lines… The screams of those caught in the flames still rang in his ears. Somnus did not want to think of the ones they might have already lost, unknowingly swallowed among the flames. He prayed, desperately, there were none.
“We’ve begun to believe that you are correct, Wise One; these fires are unnatural. Otherworldly.” There was no culpability swimming within the Sovereign’s voice; no accusation, no blame, no vehement hate like other Courts may hold towards their respective deities. Instead, there was only fatigue and determination, both battling for dominance within a dusty golden creature so stripped thin. “Yet we’ve been unable to run much reconnaissance on the matter, with our numbers spread so thin. Despite our best efforts, we haven’t discovered what has been creating such voracious wildfires, nor what might be capable of doing so quite so suddenly. I believe –“
Abruptly, the dunalino cut himself off, his voice cracking and choked. He coughed once, twice, an awful hacking sound, then went on after clearing his throat. Despite it all, the Dawn King appeared almost sheepish.“Apologies. I merely meant to say that I believe it best for us to take a moment and deliberate over what all we know about these fires. They are strong, but pop up so suddenly and without pattern. Or, at least any pattern that we’ve taken note of… They are also so very strong. Magical, perhaps?”
The dunalino looked then to his family at his side once more, brushing his muzzle against Regis' soft forelock. His heart swelled. Oh, how he yearned to keep them all safe. Then his head turned to Ulric, to Ipomoea, to Pavetta, to those who he had seen on the front lines battling the flames at his side.
In the distance, the smoke continued to rise, staining their beautiful skies and sullying it with black rain made of ash. Their beautiful home...
Turning his gaze back to Oriens, Somnus went on, albeit briefly."Do you have any wisdom to what this, exactly, might be, Wise One? Anything to assist us in defeating it?" Please... Please, Lord. Help us save our home.
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The dunalino glanced to his sides, spotting those he knew and trusted best. Ulric, Ipomoea, Pavetta… His family at his back. The faces stretched out and gathered around him; old and new.
The things they had seen on the front lines… The screams of those caught in the flames still rang in his ears. Somnus did not want to think of the ones they might have already lost, unknowingly swallowed among the flames. He prayed, desperately, there were none.
Abruptly, the dunalino cut himself off, his voice cracking and choked. He coughed once, twice, an awful hacking sound, then went on after clearing his throat. Despite it all, the Dawn King appeared almost sheepish.
The dunalino looked then to his family at his side once more, brushing his muzzle against Regis' soft forelock. His heart swelled. Oh, how he yearned to keep them all safe. Then his head turned to Ulric, to Ipomoea, to Pavetta, to those who he had seen on the front lines battling the flames at his side.
In the distance, the smoke continued to rise, staining their beautiful skies and sullying it with black rain made of ash. Their beautiful home...
Turning his gaze back to Oriens, Somnus went on, albeit briefly.
