Luvena
She couldn’t shake it. The feeling that those flames would creep over the walls and outside the court. They would wash over Novus and consume it. She knew that it wasn’t reasonable. That the pyre was controlled. That most of the court was stone. That the walls were a container. This wasn’t herstial, a land of wood and flowers. Yet still, all she could see was a burning land.
And the memory of that day. The pain of her lungs as she breathed in gasps of smoke. The crackle of flames, heard just over screams. The one look back she’d taken. Just to see him, all darkness and fury, a smile on his face, flames swirling around him, eating everything in their path. Just as they had poured from Razikale in the woods.
Her voice was soft. It reminded Luvena of her own mothers. Gentle… but firm. Adina was a strong woman. Despite having a seemingly delicate frame, she was all muscle and agility. Yet, she was always the compassion of the throne. Where her father was stern, and stoic, Adina was laughter and joy.
“Mmhm” she acknowledged halfheartedly. “Denoctians do love to celebrate.” She was only half catching every other word. Distracted by the charred scent on the air. She could feel Picoro shifting on her back, pulling his claws through her thin mane. She took a shaky breath. Trying to pull her focus onto the feeling of knots snagging, and on the voice beside her. Squeezing her eyes shut she tried to listen.
“It took me some time too,” she murmured. “But it’s nice… the distraction. In Terrastella nothing is louder than your own thoughts.” In the hospital it was all she could hear, unless she busied herself in with some of the other medics. The temple had been nice that way. There was always some apprentice to heal, always some herbs to grind. It was peaceful, but it was never quiet.
The question nearly flew over her head, though she managed to catch it a moment later. She dropped her head, shaking it quietly. “No I um…” she didn't know how to find the words. How to tell a woman made of fire and gold that the former made her lose all rationale like nothing else could. She turned her gaze to Israfel, trying to ignore the flickering from the corner of her eye. “The last time I saw flames like this I-” she was trying desperately to keep her voice from breaking, her whole body from trembling. “Twice now flames like those have taken everything from me” she muttered, her words hardly audible. Ashamed? Of the way it made her heart flutter perhaps. She didn’t know what she felt. She hadn’t told many. How silly to admit that she was horrified of something that kept other warm in their homes? Gave them good food to eat. “I dont want.. I can’t-” her voice was breaking now as she shook. Her turquoise gaze was back on the flames. Still fearful that if she looked away they would creep up on her.
@Israfel
Table © Camy
