an eye for an eye and the world goes blind
Looking back, Somnus surmised that he shouldn’t have been surprised at Po’s softly spoken inquiry. Mentioning the pink river dolphins tugged at the dunalino’s heart strings, recalling fondly the memories he had spent by the shore to watch the swift little creatures dart and swim around in the water. Elusive they may have been, a myth to some, but Somnus had been graced by their presence on calm spring days and warm summer evenings far more often than perhaps anyone else within Novus.
His smile was genuine as he pulled back from Ipomoea, taking a moment to simply examine and appreciate that his little brother was well. No, they may not have the same blood, but family was what one made it, and he found that ever so slowly that family continued to grow.
Po seemed tired in far more than the literal sense, world weary and changed from the things he had seen and experienced, but it was still him, the beautiful man with the kindred, gentle soul, who tended to the flowers within Delumine’s gardens and thrust his heart, his passion, so completely into everything that he did. At times, Somnus wished he could take notes.
’Why Kasil picked me over you, I’ll never understand. Delumine would be a far better place if he had.’ A passing pinch to his brow was the only hint that the dark thought crossed his mind, but to cover it up the dunalino spoke, the elegance of his accent causing his words to be soft and poised.
The peaceful, simple conversation could not last, however. There was simply too much going on for that to be the case. The world around them was changing, and Delumine had been stagnant for far too long. It was time to change, to follow the tides of time much like the dolphins that glided through the Rapax. Catching Ipomoea’s ruby eyes as the soft, almost hesitant inquiry of ’what now?’ broke the silence between them, Somnus cleared his throat and motioned vaguely for the younger man to follow.
Strangely enough, the stallion was calm as he turned on his haunches to begin a casual stroll through the familiar hallways of the citadel. His pulse did not race, his mind did not fray, his throat did not close. He simply was, calm, relaxed, and at peace. This was the right thing to do. Somnus had no doubts. For Delumine to prosper, action had to be taken, but it would not be him who guided their home into that more prosperous future.
They had only gone a few paces before the tactician spoke, their hooves a matching cadence upon the stone floor.
They continued along their aimless wander, and occasionally Somnus would purposefully bump his shoulder, or the curve of a downy wing against Ipomoea’s side. Reassurance, understanding, affection. You are not alone. We are not alone. There was so much he wanted to say, he just hoped that Ipomoea would listen and understand.
Verdant depths glanced to the side, catching Ipomoea’s coral eyes for only a moment. He smiled, sad yet so proud.
They came to a stop before a large glass window overlooking the beautiful gardens that Ipomoea had spent so very long tending to and cultivating, taking the smallest of seeds and inspiring them to grow into something beautiful. Somnus had no doubts that he would do those very things with Delumine. The seeds had been sewn, but now, it was time for them to grow.
