amaris

dragonborn

Golden eyes watched everything. They observed the Field they were standing in, atop the mountain where so much had occurred. This was the first land her mother had ventured to when she strode upon Helovia's soil - this was where she held many Qian meetings, before the World's Edge had become theirs. This was where she had met Torasin, and Vikram, and Lace, and all of those who held a piece of her heart, her soul. Amaris herself had done many a great thing here too, yet as always, none so great or varied as her mother's accomplishments.

The dragonmare stared at the Fields, her focus drifting from a shifting blade of grass to a drifting cloud above, yet somehow always being aware of the stallion's presence, his actions, his words, as well. Dramyrth, silent now and stoic as a statue, almost blended in with the golden scales of his bonded's back, so determined was he not to move, not to shift or reveal anything as he drank in all of their surroundings.

There was no denial, no refutation, no argument as the stallion made his replies. The Gods were gone - they hadn't been able to stop Kaos before, and in their absence, Kaos would be all that remained. "The Gods are gone," soft words were spoken again, delivering the facts and nothing else - there was no point hoping, no point praying, for they didn't exist anymore.

Had they ever?

He mentioned Isilme then, and the dragonmare had to resist the urge to snort - it was only the pure vacant abyss within her, swallowing up any semblance of feeling or emotion that sucked the reaction away from her before she could press the air through her nostrils in such a scoffing manner. Isilme, the land broken and ruined by the mortals and the gods within it - yes, Helovia seemed to be going down a very similar route, and Amaris did not want to think about it anymore than necessary.

"I don't know what to think." She spoke again, her tone dead, flat, resigned. Tired, if anything. Her brain was too fogged with thoughts, even without emotions colouring them or wearing her down further. "I don't know what to do," she added, softer still, though the words were but echoes of all that which he had been saying.

Then, with a deep sigh and a sharp glance, she met his eyes.

"I will survive." There was a hint of a challenge in her tone, though it was faint, it was still there. The dragonmare still didn't know what she would do, how she would survive, but some deeply rooted stubbornness had risen up within her suddenly, some determination and sheer will to live, finally burst to life.

"The world will die, but I will endure."

@Aaron

sky above me — earth below me

and fire within me