oh come forth
into the storm and rout
and be my love in the rain

The Aurelight was not so deeply entrenched in his fight against humanity and mortality any longer. With the removal of his memories, the golden man had achieved a sense of clarity that Other Kaj had clearly been lacking. Nonetheless these questions still existed in his mind, an endless stream of queries left unspoken and unanswered. Though he had not participated in the battle of the Goddess, he was often left wondering what side he would have chosen. Religion simply did not exist in his homeland, the barren waste of earth where he'd taken his first steps. There was only life and death, and your body was dragged far from the herdlands to keep the predators away. This existence of faith still baffled the giant, even more so after the scrying Isopia had led and the Earth God's ominous - but eternally vague - warning. 

Perhaps he simply needed an excuse to track her down, and was merely lying to himself about his motivations. 

Sohalia and Aleta had changed his life for the better, and Kaj intrinsically knew that. He had never loved a creature as deeply as he loved Aleta, and while he could not at the moment feel anything particularly romantic towards Sohalia, he often wondered if he was even capable of fostering such feelings. His heart had undoubtedly been broken, and it was a curious existence that he led - to still avoid the fairer gender instinctively, to feel the ache of hurt in his chest, but to not remember the events that had caused such reactions. 

Did he truly need an excuse to visit a friend in the Throat? He found himself triple guessing over and over, an unnecessary stress as he stared down into a deceivingly peaceful container of tea. Was she even his friend? Did she recall his face, his name? Would he be welcomed at their borders...at her side?

With a soft sigh the giant placed the cap on the container - a small earthen jug of sorts - and pulled the vine he'd attached to it across his shoulders for uninterrupted flight. He was not keen on walking the long distance to the Throat, after all. 

Resplendence had been more than happy to supply him with chamomile, which she claimed was a far better herb to make tea than the peppermint he'd used for the winter festivities. Kaj had grumbled and defended himself good-naturedly; peppermint went perfectly with the sharp chill of winter thank you! Whether Resplendence had any inkling of Kaj's feelings towards the lovely Diviner was unknown. Kaj barely even had a tentative grasp of his own emotions regarding the mare. She was certainly intriguing?

These thoughts accompanied him as he swept down to the borders of the Throat, careful not to jostle the jug perched just behind his left shoulder. Baby blues swept across the sunlit, sparkling waves. Would the inherent magic of Helovia bring her to him, as it so often did despite the vastness of both earth and time? Or would he have to seek her out, prolong his stay in the desert for the sake of her company and wisdom?

oh come forth
into the storm and rout
and be my love in the rain

It is not a patrol that comes to intercept him as he is lowering himself through the clouds, though he would have welcomed them kindly. In fact it is a familiar face, grown and changed but with the same eyes and smiling mouth Kaj remembered. A fond, affectionate smile crawls across his own lips, eyes soft and tender as they gaze down upon the boy turned man. His name and a greeting came tumbling out in an excited jumble, and Kaj could still see the exuberant colt hiding within the skin of this grown stallion. They grow up so fast, he mused with a sigh and an internal shake of his head. Already he could see Aleta growing up, sparks dancing across her skin like a livewire, mismatched eyes alive with light and joy. She would grow to make a beautiful mare, and he prayed to be around to see it. At least he was here to see Ilios, fully grown and comfortable in his skin. That meant the world to him already.

"Ilios," he greeted warmly in return, pumping his wings to reach forward and brush his muzzle against the boy's, if he would receive it. "Don't call me sir," he rumbled out on a laugh, the idea preposterous when he'd practically helped raise the kid. Before he deigned to answer any questions he took the moment to glance down towards the earth and the waiting sand as Ilios mentioned it. "That would probably be best for my old bones," Kaj teased, letting his wings release their resistance and spiraling in loose circles down to the sand with a solid spray. The jug battered his shoulder, liquid sloshing inside, as he adjusted his sore shoulders and turned to face Ilios. 

"The Falls is well," he commented vaguely, if only because he had no desire to speak of his herd in that moment. It was sad that he generally didn't want to at all anymore, and while his plan was shapeless and vague, he knew something had to be done about that soon. He could not live in this purgatory of regret and apathy any longer, and something would have to give. But now, here upon these sandy, sunny shores, it was not the time to be lingering upon bitterness and lost dreams. Not when his adopted son stood glowing and healthy before him, truly happy. His choice to go to the Throat had clearly been the right one, and Kaj was happy for him. 

"I was actually looking for -" and the words halt in his throat as she walks up, emerging from the sunlit horizon as if called to him by the placement of her name in his mind. His tongue goes dry, watching her approach with her pale locks draping attractively across her shoulders, odd little wings rustling behind her ears. All paling in comparison to the sharp gold of her eyes, silencing and swallowing any words he was hoping to speak. Had it truly been so long? She had seemed different in the Veins, less imposing with her barbs and burned skin. Here, she was regal, and he felt just as much cowed by her presence as enraptured by it. She spoke his name, a beacon of clarity in the murk of the world and his own emotions. Blue eyes softened alongside her own, the handsome curl of his smile gentle and almost secretive. " - Maren," he finished, transferring her name along his tongue into a proper responsive greeting. 

Her compliment twisted around the curves of his ribs like flowering vines, tickling joyously every soft spot inside of him. He supposed he did look good, in comparison to the last state he'd been in before her. Kaj dipped his head humbly beneath the weight of the rare compliment, tucking it away into his memories, folding it like an origami crane to hang upon his heart. "You look beautiful," Kaj murmured softly, unapologetic in his bold choice of words. "I'm glad the burns have healed," he noted, and perhaps a playful glint sparked in his eyes as he said it, remembering the doubtful purse of her lips and his own green-stained muzzle. It had worked, had it not?

Eyes flickered to Ilios with an apologetic smile; he would make sure to visit the boy again before he left. "I was looking for Maren, actually," he clarified apologetically. "We can speak before I leave? I have missed you," he said softly, not wanting to chase Ilios away but hoping for the privacy it would afford him, just in case he made a fool of himself. His smile as he turned back towards Maren was playful, but it quickly crumpled into something shy and almost boyish as he gestured to the earthen jug at his shoulder. "I brought you something," he clarified, and if he were capable of it his cheeks would be hot with an embarrassed blush. Gritting his teeth around the thick vine the stallion hefted it from his shoulders, settling it with a thud into the sand before languidly stretching and rolling his shoulders now that the weight was gone. "I remembered how much you liked the tea at the winter festival, so..." taking a quick breath lest he embarrass himself further with his hesitancy around the imposing woman, Kaj pulled the top off and a small billow of steam escaped, wafting the smell and tickling his nares. Setting the lid down between his hooves, Kaj smiled up from beneath his forelock at the Diviner, hoping for her approval.

"Resplendence said it's chamomile, not peppermint this time. I hope that doesn't matter?" Gods what was he, a colt with his first crush? Kaj had always prescribed to the courting method of his homeland, but even back then he had fumbled his way shyly through the process. It was nice to see time couldn't change some things. Or it would be nice if he wasn't so terribly nervous. 

oh come forth
into the storm and rout
and be my love in the rain

The flush of her cheeks is not visible beneath the pale softness of her fur, but she displays her embarrassed pleasure in the flicker of her colorful orbs, the demure smile that blooms like a desert wildflower on her pretty face. Ilios' presence does not bother him, for even if the boy uncharacteristically let such information fall from his tongue, Kaj would be unbothered by the idea of expressing favoritism or affection towards a mare from another herd. Once upon a time he had lived here even with the Edge's title tied to his name. Such metaphysical borders did not present to him any sort of challenge or dissuasion. If he found Maren beautiful and intriguing, well, he did. He would not hide that sort of expression from her for the sake of propriety. Otherwise how could he claim to feel any affection for her sincerely, if he was too cowardly to risk his name and title in the pursuit of honesty? 

Instead, his pleasure at her acceptance manifested in a handsome smile, eyes warm and sparkling like the bright, shallow waters of the ocean nearby. "You're very welcome," he rumbled pleasantly, wings unconsciously spreading and preening at his sides in delight at her acceptance of his compliment. Her laughter was merely the icing on the cake, a beautiful sound that only had his smile stretching wider, his own low chuckle emanating at the ridiculous memory. He had appeared quite ridiculous with his stained nose and coated whiskers, but at least she had been privy to the truth of his personality rather than some macho exterior crafted for the sake of impressing her. That wasn't really Kaj's style in the first place. 

Ilios' question garnered a soft, regretful look. "I'm afraid I haven't seen much of her, liefje. Perhaps you should come and visit her soon," he advised softly, worry creasing gently in the corners of his eyes. He worried for Areli, for the absence of both her idol of a brother and the supportive force of her mother's presence. She did not deserve such abandonment, though perhaps that was too strong of a word to be fair to Ilios or Parelia. But he knew she must be lonely, and wished she felt she could come to him rather than hiding away in the shadows of the leaves. 

Luckily before the mood could turn too somber, Maren's pleased compliment towards Resplendence redirected both he and his mood. 

"Is this where I say I told you so?" he teased with a playful grin and a wink, a chortle humming in his golden throat. Kaj remembered distinctly the grumbled doubt on Maren's behalf that evening, and intended to tease her with the fact that despite the messy nature of the salve, he had still been correct. 

Of course this is where Ilios took his teasing departure, and Maren exploded into noise, her accent thick as she shouted after him indignantly. Kaj couldn't help it, he laughed loudly at her flaming passion and brutal honesty. It was endearing and delightful to see a stronger, unapologetic side to the prim and proper maiden. She certainly deserved the title of a tigress, and yet she became as tame as a kitten the moment her delicate nares scented the tea being uncorked. He nearly expected her to begin purring, which was a rather amusing notion. For a moment she received a backwards revenge, a flush appearing unto Kaj as she gazed up at him betwixt long pale lashes, eyes glimmering like the Mediterranean sea. 

His mouth seemed uncomfortably dry for a moment, but Maren blessedly provided a welcome distraction as she went sauntering down the beach (he would deny that he looked but really, even Kaj could not refrain from such a sight). "I knew it would be worth it if I could steal you away from your duties for a few moments," he confessed, crooked smile returning to his handsome face as he capped the jug once more and shouldered it to follow her down the sandy bank. The ocean was different here than the Edge, and far quieter than the Falls' cascading rivers. He sank upon the clay, depositing the jug between them and inviting her beside him with a gesture of one large wing. 

"When I lived in the Edge, I would stand on the cliff just to listen to the waves crashing against the rocks," he admitted with a nostalgic smile, eyes a bit wistful as Kaj stared into the ocean before them. "But the quieter waves here are far more soothing. Perhaps we can go for a swim after we've had our tea?" Pale blue eyes cast themselves over at the beautiful Diviner, a boyishly shy smile pulling on dark lips. Was she catching on to the subtle courting he was engaging her in? Was she aware of how intriguing and captivating he found her? Kaj was not sure which answer he desired most in that moment, but with how intelligent the maiden was, he doubted he would be able to hide his intentions from her for long. 

oh come forth
into the storm and rout
and be my love in the rain

The tables had been turned as she led him down the coastline towards the sea foam and salted breeze. She was his Orpheus, and he her willing Eurydice, hoping for freedom from his shackles in the form of her retreating back. A promise out of this pit of Tartarus, a prison for the wicked and the cruel, tearing the feathers from his wings to leave him flightless in his despair. Yet here she was, a breath of reassurance, and while the only wings she held were attached lovingly to her delicate visage, she still lifted him upon the currents of her company high above the turmoil of his daily life. He had first experienced this feeling when they'd met in the Veins, and it was what had drawn him back to her in the end. A willing, tamed beast chained only by the playful look in her eyes and the fire in her smile. 

Kaj had no issue with following her lead in this manner, well aware of the fact that he was still nothing more than a visitor in her lands. He gazed up at her with a twinkling, playful gaze, trying not to grin as she flicked her tail and cocked her hip down at him. Kaj could play this little game, and he quite enjoyed playing it with her. Though she seemed to agree on his silently proffered middle ground; she had her view, he had his comfortable spot. For a moment he felt at home, here on the beautiful golden sand with the sun he so embodied warming the expanse of his wings. A gentle sea breeze tickled pale tresses against his neck, and Kaj had to consciously remind himself that this was not his home. And unfortunately that was a fact that could not change, not for quite some time nor without a drastic change in his lifestyle. But gazing upon Maren's skin awash in golden sunlight as her knees folded delicately beneath her, he wondered if that would be such a bad thing. 

It was a terrifying thought, for while he could not remember those who had shattered his heart previously, the awareness of the fact it had happened still remained. Even the gauze-covered emptiness of taken memories could not hide from Kaj the full reality of all he had suffered. And he felt as if he still barely knew Maren, which was understandable considering they had only met twice before. Nevertheless he still felt an inexplicable draw towards her guiding light, and for a ship as lost and lagging as Kaj, that was undeniably valuable. Enticing, perhaps. He desired her mind, her knowledge, the light accent of her words, the spitfire of her personality he'd glimpsed as she'd shouted at Ilios. He wanted so badly to unravel her, travel the labyrinthine structure of her personality. Truly know her. She was just so...interesting. Perhaps this day would shed light on the soul that lay pulsing in her breast. 

Kaj gently reached to brush his primary feathers against her flank in quiet pleasure as she lowered herself beside him, happily retracting his wing rather than forcing her beneath the shade of it. As Maren leaned in and inhaled the fragrant fumes, the Aurelight chuckled throatily and gazed across the sparkling water. Was the Throat always so beautiful? He never seemed to visit in the colder seasons, had only known the sun and sand in his visits. "The water must be far warmer here than in the Falls," he noted pleasantly. Cornflower blue gems turned to regard Maren as she took her first sip, a deep, almost primordial pleasure twisting in his chest as she voiced her distinct pleasure. He had satisfied her, and so in turn he was also satisfied. 

"Is it?" And so he craned his neck to mimic her, mindful to sip gently at the surface, letting the fragrant, subtly sweet concoction roll on his tongue before swallowing. The golden hummed pleasantly and smiled as he retreated. "Far milder than the peppermint tea!"  he noted with wide, captivated eyes. This was far more fun than he had expected, trying out different mixtures of herbs. "You may have doomed me, miss Maren," Kaj teased with a grin. "Now I want to explore how many ways you can make tea." Perhaps she would aid him in that endeavor? If she could bear his presence in such continuity of course. 

His eyes grew a bit distant as he smiled wistfully, recalling a mist-covered landscape and dark silhouetted trees. "Yes, the Edge is famous for its mists. It's quite heavy, but it fades out near the cliffs where the trees do not shelter it from the sun. The world falls away into ocean, a straight drop to the water. It's where the Edge received its name, I suppose." Despite the iconic mists, the ledge - accessible generally only by the herd- was still the prevalent landmark for the area. "So the water is unfortunately not easily accessible by hoof," he murmured apologetically, though he carefully labeled every bit of information she'd just shared with him, cherishing it. But as he turned to her, he could not help but stare. His gaze lingered far too long for propriety's sake, and Maren was far from an oblivious creature. Kaj ducked his head in brief embarrassment, but he gazed at her from beneath a pale cloud of lashes nonetheless, smiling boyishly. 

"No, dear. You've nothing unsightly on your face. I'm afraid I was staring for quite the opposite reason." She was crafted so finely, and while Kaj had never seen a pegasus with wings positioned the way they were on Maren, he found them so deeply endearing it was embarrassing. Especially the way she self-consciously used the dexterity of her smaller wings to try and brush an invisible substance from her pale face. "I would apologize, but I have a feeling you enchant far more than me on a daily basis," he teased, a quirk of play twisting on his lips, foxlike slant of his eyes hooding gleaming orbs. Kaj leaned forward to sip some more at the tea, allowing Maren time to compose herself or level a comeback at him if she so desired, wondering where his boldness was coming from. He couldn't help but be playful with her, equally wanting to tease her as much as he wanted to shelter and delight her. 

"You mentioned a boat. What is that? I'm afraid I don't know much of architecture, I came from a very primordial land. I would love to see it," he confessed, both out of curiosity regarding this new word and object and out of a desire to see the vessel she clearly held great pride and affection for, if the way she'd spoken of it had been any indication.