let my shadows prove the sunshine
He had missed Beqanna burning.
He had been in the warmth of his family’s grotto, cowering beneath dripping stalactites warmed by the volcano’s lava just on the other side. He had tried to convince himself that he had recovered since then, but the gnarled wounds in the shape of the lion’s claws (and the swell of his belly and the clicking in his brain) are constant reminders of his path into the afterlife and back again. He wonders if it would always be there; not physically, but deep within his chest like it sits now, heavy and daunting and begging to be acknowledged.
Svedka refuses to, however, and instead hobbles from his hiding hole and into the familiar landscape of Tephra in search of something as a distraction; anything to numb him from the pain in his shoulder and the weight of knowing you were dead (and should be dead) and are currently not.
Darkness greets him. All he can hear is the familiar and loving howl of the ocean’s wind against the mountainous volcano and the rugged waves pounding against the shore just a short distance away. It is soothing, almost like a lullaby as it graces his ears, and a gentle sigh releases from his lips. A glow catches the corner of his vision at first and for a moment he wonders if dawn has already begun to take its glimpse over the horizon. But when his blue eyes turn, he realizes he is mistaken.
Basked in a golden glow that is so soft Svedka wonders if it is even a glow at all, she apologizes quietly for intruding. A shadow crosses over his pale gold and white face as his brow furrows slightly (his tribulation had not affected his inability to understand why anyone would apologize for their presence, it seems) for he would never consider it offensive to no longer be alone.
“It’s okay,” he replies gently, shifting his weight away from her slightly to allow her to step closer. When she doesn’t immediately fill the space beside him, he takes a closer look at this angelic mare. It’s then that he notices the way her eyes do not reflect the light that she basks in; he then realizes that they aren’t eyes at all. He lowers his head slightly, his chin nearly touching his chest in an almost empathetic way. He doesn’t know why, but he feels that it had not been an act of kindness that granted her such a fate.
“I was just enjoying the night air. You can stay here for awhile, with me, if you’d like. I’m Svedka.”
svedka
@[Ryatah]