tiamat

like the ocean kissed the sky—

The sea maiden is oblivious to the riptide of emotions that contorts within the dark stallion’s mind. She does not know his griefs, and cannot possibly understand the burdens that he carries across his too-young shoulders—all she sees are the smiles on his lips and the twinkles in his eye, and all she comprehends is his natural grumpiness (hardly able to fathom the losses and pains that might have carved into his youth). Still, it is her nature to be concerned, and it is with nothing but sincerity that she looks over the hard lines of his face, trying to understand the pieces that he gifts to her.

Casting a smile towards the gilded buck as he places the peculiar stone on her stomach, Tiamat finds her eyes momentarily drawn to its dull surface. Delicately, she nudges it with a cloven hoof, watching how the sun’s light catches its angles like any other rock (so unassuming), and ponders on its effects while her gaze drifts back to Rikyn. Her heart warming for his sake, she sends a surge of good feeling in his direction, not sure if he will be able to sense it (because she really has no idea how a little stone can control someone so absolutely), but she hopes all the same.

Turning her head among the grasses, her white eyes rest on him when he continues, explaining the nature of his magic. Not surprisingly, it shakes the ocean mare a little bit. “Make other people do things?” Tiamat questions with her eyes widening, one of her ears slanting sideways in uneasy question. Taking away someone’s free will is something that had never occurred to her—it is only natural and right to have one’s freedom. “Does it hurt them?” She presses, concern leaking into the contours of her expression.

Having shifted her weight to stare at the golden-marked man more intently, the blue maiden leans forward, wanting to understand the constitution of his abilities (and, more broadly, the general workings of her friend’s mind). However, when he reveals the purpose of the strange stone, a wide smile—more amused than usual—twists across her sapphire lips. “Well I suppose it serves you right, then,” Tiamat laughs softly, briefly scrunching her nose up at him and shaking her head playfully.

Tilting her head, she finds her curiosity suddenly bubbling, her interest swelling and surging into questions that reach her tongue before they register properly in her mind. “What have you learned so far? Anything useful? Anything interesting? What else has someone made you do, or feel? How long do you have to obey the stone’s power?” She stares at Rikyn with wide, excited eyes, a full moment passing before she realizes her enthusiasm. Chuckling at herself, she tucks her head bashfully, still unable to contain the passion that illuminates her expression.


“Speech.”