The Portal
07-29-2017, 11:34 AM
even after the darkest of nights, dawn comes again
The illusion had been so convincing, the image of Isopia standing there before her, speaking her name, enquiring after her wellbeing - she ached for it to be real. But it hadn't been real, it couldn't be, because she was gone, dead, sacrificed to the dark neon beast who brought them all here.
She felt a nudge from Dramyrth - their bond, whilst not what it used to be, was still there, and snippets of feelings seemed to dribble through between them. It was a blessing, a lifeline, it grounded her more than anything else could have. As he nudged her scaled wither with his maw, he flicked his tongue out to wipe away the moisture that gathered.
It was momentary, brief, a flash of a strange vision encroaching upon the dragonmare's mind, before the link was severed again, and Amaris was left wondering what had happened. Silent again, Dramyrth merely blinked, his purrs turning into uncertain growls for a moment as he shook his head, evidently also shaking away the strange images of neon lights pulsing all around them that had surfaced in his mind.
What was happening to them? Seeing things that weren't there, being coated in a strange slime, being here, alive but changed - had Amaris not been born to a land that where unusual was more common than usual, she might not have been able to cope with everything that was happening.
And well, she wasn't coping, not really. Amaris was putting on the strong face while another stood so near to her, she was swallowing the despair and welcoming the numbness that would allow her to continue on with this charade of 'normalcy'.
The girl spoke reassuring words, and Amaris felt ashamed that such a young girl would be forced to live through these events so soon, that she would be the one to offer reassurances to her, not the other way around. "You're right," she murmured in response, offering a thin smile that held no sincerity behind it - it was just a mask, a feigned motion that had no effort or truth behind it at all. Yes, Amaris knew that she was fortunate to still be alive, with her companion - and when she heard that some companions had left the sides of their bonded on their journey here, she felt a very real pang of guilt flare, as if it were her own fault, though that in itself was puzzling.
Concern bloomed within her then, as the girl spoke of her many siblings with such dismissive gestures, even shrugging them aside with a motion of her shoulders. Amaris was aware of Volterra and his many children, and she had assumed that Isopia knew as well, and that the children would be raised knowing this, accepting this as the norm - could it be that Otem was not appreciative of sharing her genetics with so many?
But was it even Amaris' place to be concerned?
She had cared about Isopia, very deeply, and she cared about Volterra too - by extension, even in her numb state, she cared about Otem and her brother too.
Still, was it her business? Why was she filled with the urge to reach out to the girl, to pull her into an embrace and help her face the tortures they had all just been through?
Amaris nodded as Otem spoke, acknowledging her words, though her gaze was sharp, enquiring - she wanted to bring this up again later, wanted to discuss it, to get to the heart of it, perhaps even to commiserate openly about the loss of Isopia, for if Otem felt emotions even a fraction of the way Amaris did, she knew the loss of her mother was not something one simply chuckled away.
"Home is where the heart is," Amaris said softly, taking a step forward, stretching out a wingtip to gently touch the side of the girl's neck, offering a more sincere smile to her.
"Yes, we should keep moving," she agreed, withdrawing her wing, and motioning to begin walking away. "I need to find my family," she began, before pausing - she didn't want to seem dismissive of Otem's presence. "I am glad to know you are alive, thank you for finding me - you are welcome to travel with me as long as you like if you so desire."
It was a genuine offer, a plea, an opportunity for the dragonmare to cling to something from her homeland, something she did not want to let go of, even if Otem was far too grown up for a mother's doting affection, Amaris felt herself wanting to give it to her anyway (if only the girl would accept).
She felt a nudge from Dramyrth - their bond, whilst not what it used to be, was still there, and snippets of feelings seemed to dribble through between them. It was a blessing, a lifeline, it grounded her more than anything else could have. As he nudged her scaled wither with his maw, he flicked his tongue out to wipe away the moisture that gathered.
It was momentary, brief, a flash of a strange vision encroaching upon the dragonmare's mind, before the link was severed again, and Amaris was left wondering what had happened. Silent again, Dramyrth merely blinked, his purrs turning into uncertain growls for a moment as he shook his head, evidently also shaking away the strange images of neon lights pulsing all around them that had surfaced in his mind.
What was happening to them? Seeing things that weren't there, being coated in a strange slime, being here, alive but changed - had Amaris not been born to a land that where unusual was more common than usual, she might not have been able to cope with everything that was happening.
And well, she wasn't coping, not really. Amaris was putting on the strong face while another stood so near to her, she was swallowing the despair and welcoming the numbness that would allow her to continue on with this charade of 'normalcy'.
The girl spoke reassuring words, and Amaris felt ashamed that such a young girl would be forced to live through these events so soon, that she would be the one to offer reassurances to her, not the other way around. "You're right," she murmured in response, offering a thin smile that held no sincerity behind it - it was just a mask, a feigned motion that had no effort or truth behind it at all. Yes, Amaris knew that she was fortunate to still be alive, with her companion - and when she heard that some companions had left the sides of their bonded on their journey here, she felt a very real pang of guilt flare, as if it were her own fault, though that in itself was puzzling.
Concern bloomed within her then, as the girl spoke of her many siblings with such dismissive gestures, even shrugging them aside with a motion of her shoulders. Amaris was aware of Volterra and his many children, and she had assumed that Isopia knew as well, and that the children would be raised knowing this, accepting this as the norm - could it be that Otem was not appreciative of sharing her genetics with so many?
But was it even Amaris' place to be concerned?
She had cared about Isopia, very deeply, and she cared about Volterra too - by extension, even in her numb state, she cared about Otem and her brother too.
Still, was it her business? Why was she filled with the urge to reach out to the girl, to pull her into an embrace and help her face the tortures they had all just been through?
Amaris nodded as Otem spoke, acknowledging her words, though her gaze was sharp, enquiring - she wanted to bring this up again later, wanted to discuss it, to get to the heart of it, perhaps even to commiserate openly about the loss of Isopia, for if Otem felt emotions even a fraction of the way Amaris did, she knew the loss of her mother was not something one simply chuckled away.
"Home is where the heart is," Amaris said softly, taking a step forward, stretching out a wingtip to gently touch the side of the girl's neck, offering a more sincere smile to her.
"Yes, we should keep moving," she agreed, withdrawing her wing, and motioning to begin walking away. "I need to find my family," she began, before pausing - she didn't want to seem dismissive of Otem's presence. "I am glad to know you are alive, thank you for finding me - you are welcome to travel with me as long as you like if you so desire."
It was a genuine offer, a plea, an opportunity for the dragonmare to cling to something from her homeland, something she did not want to let go of, even if Otem was far too grown up for a mother's doting affection, Amaris felt herself wanting to give it to her anyway (if only the girl would accept).
A m a r i s
littlewillow-art | whimzi
on deviantart
@Otem
NO YOU STOP
