Tumbling down

another mind, another soul, another body to grow old. it's not complicated. Right on cue, the youngest of them uttered the words that would dramatically speed up this little interlude. Feeling decidedly stupid at having not thought of it herself, Otem's eyes momentarily hardened in embarrassment as she watched the boy's nose dip towards a flower. Wanting to show that she wasn't completely useless, Otem tried to create an identical copy of the flower that Van was currently investigating. Its bud pushed through the soil with a faint tinkling sound, before swaying in an attempt to bop him in the nose. Otem tried to stifle a grin as if she had no hand in the flowers movements, before looking back to Erthë.  "Isopia and Volterra." She answered slowly, her throat condescending around her mothers name. It was a name that The Mountain hadn't wanted others to know or even speak, but now that she was gone protecting her name didn't really seem so important. In fact, Otem wanted to scream it from every mountain and hillside for all to hear. Inside the part of her mind that was decidedly Isopia, she knew it was irrational for others to care as deeply about The Mountain as she would. Had she sacrificed herself along with Aithniel so that they could all get through the Rift safely? Well yes, but hadn't that been her duty? If given the chance, others likely would have done the same. She wasn't really that special. But even though Otem knew that this was true on some level, her mind recoiled against even the faintest whisper of such a thought.

_{art by Chloe!}

@Erthë