08-01-2016, 04:27 PM
LET ME IN THE WALL YOU'VE BUILT AROUND.
WE CAN LIGHT A MATCH, AND BURN IT DOWN.
Winter dissipates once again, its frigid grasp slipping away with the gentle dawn of a new morning. The sunlight breaks through the clouds above, its pale rays illuminating the permafrost below as the ice melts away into small pools of crystalline water. The warm breeze that carries through is an unusual sensation against his numb flesh, and the heat of daylight stirs him from his reverie. It had been a long, dreary winter - emotionally tiring, physically draining and more callous than in years' past. He wondered for a long moment if it were only his own perception - the Gods had stripped away his ability to manipulate ice, and in turn, he no longer possessed control over the soothing, numbing sheen of frost he had so often covered himself with. Without it, he felt exposed to the elements, and his nerves once more stirred with life.
Perhaps, it was needed - unfeeling was not becoming of a King, and numb was no way to live.
His muscles ache and flex beneath his weight as he presses forward from the taut, snug cave he had burrowed his behemoth form into. It is not often that he allows his eyes to rest, and the heavy sting of allergens which flood the thin mountain air cause his searing red eyes to flinch - he has not slept nearly enough, but then again, he never has. It is impossible to let the burden of his thoughts slip away, as they follow him into the depths of his dreams, deforming ethereal visions into those of his worst nightmare. It is simpler to remain awake, to push his own boundaries of sanity to better hold on to what reality is and what it is not.
His nostrils flare with a long exhalation, and the icy temperature tickles gently at his whiskered lips as his legs pick up a hefty pace. His weight presses heavily onto the sludge below - a blend of mud and melted ice - and he leaves lasting impressions behind, while his eyes search the dreary land for something - no, for someone in particular. It does not take long for him to find him.
The unusual bio-luminescent spots that line his spine reflect brightly beneath the bright sunlight of morning, his silvery body shimmering beneath. He had been too preoccupied with too many things, and he hadn't been able to take the time to present himself to the male who had already become incredibly invaluable. A tinge of shame tugs at his heartstrings; he had once prided himself upon being prompt and courteous. In light of war, of violence and nursing his many bruises and wounds, he had forgotten a part of himself. A part he must claim once more.
"Romek," He begins, his voice carrying across the feeble distance between them. "Offspring - though I have a feeling you may already know that." A rumbling chuckle rises from his throat as he ceases his pace at last, his massive scarred body standing before him, though there is a light of mischief in his eye. "I have failed to take you aside myself, to welcome you. I apologize for that - but I do want you to know that I appreciate your loyalty; that your actions have not gone unnoticed."
OFFSPRING
THE FIRE AND ICE KING OF THE TUNDRA