Like a Thorn to the Holy Ones [Offy]

[Nymphetamine]

Nymphetamine

The bay felt the wall that was between them, felt the distance, the disconnect. Sure they were cordial, but the sincerity of their words was forced. A professional film that covered his tongue and made him unsure of the reality of their feeble kinship. He wasn’t naive. Kinship took time, took risk, took trust. None of which had been invested between the two stallions. Their relationship had been diplomatic, and it wouldn’t change overnight just because he had given him title and task. But the hardness in Offsprings was impenetrable. Nymphetamine wouldn’t force his way through, but there would come a time where Nymph would need the sincerity, need some level of trust to be able to do his job. Diplomacy could be an intimate thing, the trust and kinship formed from strong alliances was to share vulnerability on a certain level. That day would come, and when it did he hoped the black draft would open up a bit.

Even with his understanding, even with his wisdom, Offspring’s harsh reply to his simple inquiry stung. He didn’t recoil from it, but it made it clear that the basic level of trust the necromancer placed in the leader from their shared alliance from before was not returned. The concern that was in his eyes before hardened. Personal. Fine, personal it would be. Nymphetamine could be separate, he could do his job and not care for more with Offspring. The bay wasn’t a telepath but if he was he would think, “that’s right” Offspring was not Kildare, Tephra was not Chamber, or Tundra, or even the Valley. And they assuredly did not have a kinship, brotherhood and certainly not trust. Guess it is for the best they couldn’t dive into the depths of each other's minds. Their apparently fragile relationship wouldn’t make it.

Nymphetamine looked away, towards the volcano top that bubbled and spat droplets of molten rock, he watched the droplet arch through the air and seemingly disappear as it sank into the surface. It reminded the bay of Kildare and he ached for the connections he had lost that day Beqanna reigned her fury down. His voice came out hard, not abrasive but it matched the stern and impenetrable nature that Offspring had spoken moments before. ” I just asked if you were ok. I didn’t pry for details or expect an instant friendship just because you gave me a job to do. Keep your details….” His voice softened then, Still driven by the hurt, the proverbial line in the sand but his purpose was pure, he didn’t intend to hurt or anger, just to inform, to lay it out for Offspring to do as he will with. ”I just thought that we had a basic level of trust- trust from an alliance strong enough to withstand the reckoning and then build Tephra. A basic trust that would have allowed you to say, “I’m fine, or I’ll be fine,” or whatever. But Thank you for informing me. I will keep it my concerns to that of Tephra’s standings with the other territories.”

The ambassador didn’t look back to the once ice king, his voice had given away to the hurt, despite his efforts. Disappointment was a better term really, he had looked up to Offspring and that was all there really was to it. Maybe he had been disillusioned but that all there really was to say about it, looking at the draft wasn’t going to suddenly tear down the wall he had between them. Nor would it suddenly cause it to fissure so he didn’t need to look at him. ”Don’t worry, I will complete your task to the best of my ability. You have my word…..” But his back was already turned, his feet already compressing the sponge-like grass in a slow but steady retreat from their hollowed out grounds. His head held high, not in spite of the black stallion but in his assurance of his abilities despite him.

” ...even it I don’t have your trust,” was but a whisper that fell from his lips.

Like a thorn to the Holy Ones