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BY THE PRECEPTS OF HER PURITY
The saturation of the desert had fallen like waving drapes around her standing figure, loose sand rolling in a wind that was not too hot or too cold against her skin — the pleasant caress went unnoticed by her. Maren's attention was diverted to the sky. Her pearl-white ears folded with newly found intriguement. Eyes were pointing upwards to the rolling clouds that had fallen in the Sun's embrace, high up above. Their lazy puffy shapes were accompanied by shadows too large for any normal bird. Two figures seemed to be about to ascend onto the Dragon's Throat desert sands. The diviner frowned, wondered who - wondered why and for what purpose. She squeezed her gaze to distinguish the details from the blur. For a moment she thought it was Cera that was accompanying Illios. But then she felt a strange jolt flushing her veins. Her eyes followed the golden figure in their questioning state, silent in their growing softness as her frown evaporated in the warmth she felt burning on her skin. Was that Kaj? Had he finally decided he would take her up to her inviting words from back then? No, she swallowed. Too much time had passed for such nonsense to actually be true. So why would the Czar of the Hidden Falls come to the Throat?
She remembered him, shattered in front of the Gods altars, when he had stood unknown as to what he was supposed to do with the faith he did not have a purpose for. He had been so ready to give — had not understood it. Himself. Yet, in all of his own chaos he still attempted to comfort her, as if he thought their hurt to be equally important. It wasn’t, she remembered with a smile. But she still appreciated, hadn't forgotten.
... He must have business to attend to, she told herself.
... He must be here for Megaera, for some reason feeling a pinch of jealousy.
... —But I invited him first, she remembered, above all else, the unfairness of the world crawling over her uncomfortably stretched skin. She sighed, then attempted a smile. Her eyes regretful, judging her own stupidity. There was nothing she could do about it now, for who was she, to be arrogant enough to take faith in her own hands?
Her long ivory mane swept around her while her wings attempted to stay still beside her cheeks, wind flushing through the feathers that lay outstretched on the current, welcoming the two who had set hoof on the sand. Yet, she wished ignorantly and selfishly that she could just leave them be, return to her boat and curl up next to Mr. Teatime to sleep until dawn; forgetting all about the shadowy figures in the sky until the core of her stupidity had vanished once more.
Since when have I become so weak?
The wind filled with cloudy pockets of sand brushed against her back, pushing her towards them and her hooves let them as they moved themselves through the mull grounding. Her gaze found the ivy-marked stallion, she smiled, her gaze collected and calm. Showing interest. “Ilios, I see you’ve brought someone with you,” In the name of her better judgement she kept her words to a few, let her mind sit out this waiting game. She raised her eyebrows in amusement, preparing to hide her emotions underneath. “Kaj,” she welcomed with a smile that was somewhat softer than the ones she normally offered. Maren’s golden eyes flickered with a questioning shimmering. She was comparing his current gaze to the one from back when they had met before the shrines; the one she had watched attempting to detain the storm that had raged within. “You look good,” she finally said. Her outlandishly tuned words were soft, leaving a trail of something else in the air. Expectations, perhaps. Or maybe she was silently telling him, whatever he was supposed to be doing here, it wasn't too late to take her up on her invitation. Her attention wandered to the baggage he carried around his shoulder, but decided that if she would ask and it was business, a trade of some sort, she wasn't interested in knowing anyway.
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