She had heard the murmuring of voices as she had danced through the tunnel to rejoin them, assuming that the two had carried on some conversation in her absence, but by the time she arrives, Tiamat is too distracted by her enthusiasm to bother questioning them on their topics. Instead she smiles her characteristic grin, bright and inviting. Eagerly she accepts Rikyn’s outstretched muzzle, brushing her velvet nose against his and sharing a breath of familiarity, truly thrilled to share such a friendship with the darkly-colored stallion. Turning her attention then to the gilded mare, the Lady’s ears perk to cup Yael’s humble greeting. “Shalom,” Tiamat repeats, her smile growing as she tastes the foreign word, and wonders what it means.

However, before she is able to ponder any longer on the beauty of foreign languages, the ocean maiden focuses on Rikyn when he speaks, explaining his reason for visiting the Endless Blue. It takes her a short moment to register his words—because in her blissful excitement, she had forgotten (for a fleeting moment) why he would be investigating anything on the beach—but with a sharp jerk in her chest, she understands. “Oh! What a clever idea!” Tiamat croons with sincerity, because Rikyn is quite clever like that, despite the grief that dulls the light in the corner of her eyes.

“Kaos,” the Ocean’s Light repeats when the winged woman speaks the monster’s name, her voice choked to little more than a murmur. It leaves a poisonous taste her mouth, one that is foul and makes her stomach churn uncomfortably, while also inviting an icy chill to run along the length of her spine. An involuntary shiver shudders over her muscles. Sensing her bonded’s sudden distress through their connection, Nimue turns from where she had been crooning and chirping to Duir, and presses her round nose affectionately against the blue mare’s shoulder.

Acknowledging the Leviathan’s gesture with a brush of gratitude, Tiamat forces her spirits to rise again, sucking in a breath of air while she smiles and fights the sting of tears. “This is the first time I’ve properly been through this tunnel myself, I think. It was very generous of the Moon Goddess to create it,” with a nonchalant sniff, she allows her gaze to roam for a moment, admiring the glass structure and the reef that surrounds them. “Have you found anything yet?” Large eyes lower to the golden-marked stallion, her head tilting to the side in curiosity, wondering how long he’s been searching down here. “I wouldn’t even know where to start…” she says with a breath of laughter, looking out again into the world of the ocean, so beautiful and so vast.


notes; I'm sorry it took me so long! ;-;
“Speech.”