[private] do you feel like a young god? offspring

[Offspring]

You're looking at an absolute zero;
I'm not the devil but I won't be your hero.

  Amet is young, but he is far from juvenile. There is a shadow of anguish and suffering hidden beneath the deep amber of his gaze – a sign he had seen much, despite his age. Having lived nearly two centuries, he had seen it all. Love, lust, vengeance, violence – it had all touched him, leaving him weary with a deep, scathing scar both physical and mental, etching into him the experience that only time could give. It had also bestowed him with the knowledge that not all is what it seems, and he would not discount the young King simply because of his age. He had seen humility and grace within his presence, even as the land he had come to know as his own – the land that he had sworn to protect, in the face of whatever adversity might face it – burned behind him, charred and left to ashes and dust.

  It is not a characteristic that can be learned – it simply is, or it is not, and he knew from the moment his soft and solemn voice emerged from his gilded throat that Amet had it within him, simmering beneath the surface as a burning ember, longing to envelope him in the blistering inferno that would become his legacy. He saw within him what he had seen within himself so many years ago – but he does not think of himself so highly; he is flawed. Deeply so. Nonetheless, he does what he can to ensure the strength and fortitude of his own territory, and the many individuals that had placed their faith into him, seeking his guidance.

  Just as he knew the gilded King of Hyaline would do, as well.

  A low and rumbling chuckle emerges from the hearth of his chest as the gentle jeer – he had been caught off guard, which does not often happen. He can appreciate the humor. Stoicism often held its unwavering place within the hardened line of his jaw and the ferocity of his gaze, but it was not him in its entirety - and to those he can find kinship with, the façade fades away, as it so easily does with Amet.

  It had been some time since he had felt any sort of affinity toward another leader – his heart aches for a moment, thinking of Killdare, his fallen brother. He longed to see him again, to hear his voice, but alas, the cruelty of time and fate had taken him away from him, as it so often did to all those he loved. Amet is a warm and comforting reminder of what had been, of the alliance that had been forged between unlikely friends – and he is no fool; he can see where the direction of the conversation is headed.

  He has already made up his mind.

  There is a flicker of emotion rising to the surface, and it does not go unnoticed – he has given him affirmation, and there is not more than a faint smile at the corner of his mouth to show for his own acknowledgement. He would not pry – if the gilded King so desired to impart upon him his own struggle, his own journey, he would do so in time. Nonetheless, Offspring is all too understanding of the need for encouragement and reassurance, and a faint and solemn nod is given to his quietly spoken gratitude.

  And then, the emotion is gone, and instead there is hardened resolve within the golden flecks of his amber gaze. He is far from surprised when the proposal is made; he had felt it within the tender marrow of his bones – he knew from the moment he had spoken of Nayl and her displeasure. He had seen, firsthand, that Nerine could not provide the protection that it had promised – only fortified alliances and his own sharp wit could give to Hyaline what it wanted, what it deserved. Though there is still guilt ebbing away at him from within at the thought of his own son imparting the lesson upon the young King, he is certain it is one he would have learned in time regardless.

  ”An alliance is an alliance, Amet – it is for mutual benefit, and the thought of you seeking me out solely for protection never crossed my mind. In time, Hyaline will flourish, without Nerine to overshadow it. I am certain of it.” he pauses, then, thoughtful – Nerine had loyalty clutching tightly to Her, with those who were unwavering and resolutely to a long dead sisterhood, but it could not compare to Tephra. He is not hesitant. Let Nayl come, he doesn't say. Amet would not fight alone. ”Hyaline is the kind of alliance Tephra has been waiting for. As you promise to aid us in conflict, we will promise to do the same. Consider it done.”

OFFSPRING

another zealot with the weight of the fucking world.

@[Amet]