She was accustomed to being watched—how else did a warrior become trained if the trainer did not watch and critique their movements? But his eyes, the scarlet demon pits, did not watch to critique form or fix stance. No, his eyes did neither of these things and it was foreign to the mare; her plated skin rippled the moment it is relinquished from his stare, his eyes turning to the scenery around them as his voice booms in answer. And she is surprised, not by his answer, but by the coolness that washes through her as he looks away from her; if felt like the cool embrace of the sea after leaving termikoj.

Scaled ears sweep back, unblinking large eyes leaving him for the icy threads in the distance, before glancing towards the earth as he turns a question on her. ”What will you ask for?” Had he asked her when she first found him, the answer would have confidently shot from her lips without hesitation. Poison for my vosto armilo. But now…

Her bright aqua and yellow eyes snap up to his, and there is some sharpness to her glare. Her uncertainty and her uneasiness distrust of the gods puts her on edge, on the defensive. Her tail flicks rapidly, sending a buzzing of barbs into the hair as her sharpened teeth show more than necessary in her answer, “My people are still there, in the Rift—“ but her heat raises, ridged nostrils flared and lifted towards the gods’ rock.

The sea.

A blessedly cool breeze carried the scent of brine to her nostrils. “Your gods are at the sea?” Her ears perk, defensiveness melting from her athletic body as she can nearly feel the salt’s embrace. Living in the Falls, it had been too long since she had dipped into the salt water—the longest she had ever gone.

Long limbs begin a brisk walk for a few strides, before breaking into an easy canter, and finally a slow gallop. She did not look to see if the giant followed her. His heavy, earth bound hooves would tell them with their clop against the rocks. Her own, cloven and webbed hooves made little noise, but they protested against the sharp and uneven surface. The hardened pads were no match for the rough rock and slowly began to shred; but she paid the slowly seeping blue blood no mind.

Soon she would be there, at the sea. And if these gods surrounded themselves with the ocean, how could they deny bringing her people here?

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termikoj = thermals/hot water vents
vosto armilo = tail weapon