A voice, a presence, coos, filling the space around me. Within my vision it seems the dying, fading trees and grass around me dance upon the arrival of their King. I lower my head as the earth shifts beneath my feet, a solid form gathering up before me, the air swirling around the being as it forms from the moisture sticking to the trees, falling from the treetops. The stallion formed from everything, appearing from the earth standing regally before me. Bowing my head out of respect, I raise it to admire the appearance of the God.

He speaks to me directly, my heart pounding as I glance around, still thinking he's addressing someone else. I turn back, settling on the idea that he was in fact directing that question to me and not the little robin scurrying over a branch behind me. "Well uhm— my lover—" I pause to play with the word as it rolls off my tongue, leaving a numbing pain within my chest. It was so familiar yet alien to me, the thought of calling Aurelia my lover. Is that what we were? I avert my thoughts back to the situation at hand, opening my lips to confess my worry. "She has not been home in a while, and I fear she may be injured and needing help," I hesitate before continuing, my eyes rising from the large, feathered hooves to the elegant, bulky features of the God. "But I also fear she has left me because I am not good enough. Before she vanished I was going to bring up the possibilities of expanding our little family—" I lay my eyes upon the frozen soil, pawing at it shyly. I wasn't always so open, especially not to someone I've never once met. Sure I've known about the God's existence, but I have never met him once before.

Tears threaten to spill over and down my cheeks, but the soft melody of birds whistling in harmony with one another stops the tears. I suck air, holding it as I listen to the world fall silent to listen to the serene notes falling from the beaks of the birds rising from behind the God. Their song fades to but a faint melody now, bringing peace to my mind. I exhale, the corners of my lips twitching, playing at the idea of a smile. But I can't force it, and my face falls back into a pained expression.
"Talking"