all the beautiful conditions of a man up in flame
He is the first to open his eyes: the golden boy.
The light is blinding, for a moment, but he presses closer to his mother as he blinks it away. She kisses him with a tremble. His green eyes clear, and he looks up at her, his bay protector, and lets out a soft whicker. It’s a comforting whicker, perhaps, or maybe simply a greeting. He isn’t quite sure.
“Rupture,” he repeats, quietly.
Adna begins to clean him, and he curls up further into her embrace, content with never leaving her side.
She is the first on her feet: the snake girl.
She is tired of being cleaned by her mother. Instead, she stretches her legs out, launching herself up before standing on them, wobbly. She stands on her first try, but topples over as she tries to take a step towards the gray stallion in front of her. As she picks herself back up, she whinnies at him excitedly — though it comes out more like a scream.
Bela is overwhelmed with excitement, the sights and the smells and the feeling of soft grass beneath her hooves is so different from the cramped warmth of her mother’s womb, pressed against her brother. She looks over at him, firmly planted on the ground, and she takes two weak, wobbly steps towards him to try to nudge him on his feet. She nips at him — neck, side, butt — with a giggle.
“Bela!!!” He squeals, a small puff of fire escaping his mouth. He shuts his mouth, abruptly, and turns to his mother, hoping she didn’t see.
