Set
It is still dark when he leaves the Chamber, lion’s paws padding silently from the confines of one of the many caves dotting the mountainsides. Gripping the edge, talons leaving small furrows in the rock, he leans over the edge into the wind. It’s cold but carries the promise of spring and does not penetrate the thick feathers ruffled about his head in a mock mane. It catches at his unblinking eyes, coaxing a tear or two from their corners, the salty liquid running down the side of his beak, swept away with the flick of his tongue.
He’d spent the night here once with Nazul, several lifetimes ago. An image of the dark-eyed Amazon lingers uncomfortably in his mind’s eye, accusing and pleading at the same time. Grunting, he dives over the edge, wings tucked tightly against his sides, paws curled into his body. His falling form gains speed quickly and he laughs with the thrill of it, the ground below dark and foreboding as he breaks through the low cloud cover. At the least moment, his wings unfurl, catching him with a heavy jerk, paws unfolded to gallop along the ground for two strides before a heavy downward thrust sends him back into the air. The cry of an eagle mingles with the roar of a lion, echoing off the Chamber’s borders even as he disappears from her boundaries.
It is not often that he comes to the Meadow. Wheeling high above it, he inspects the territory with a critical eye. He keeps the sun directly behind him, rendering him a dark shape in the sky, high enough that his size would go unnoticed by any without magic to aid their sight. Whistling softly to himself, he banks and soars, thumbing through the minds down below.
One in particular catches his attention. Her mind is humid and hot, a sure sign of an Amazon, tumbled and tangled, lost within herself. Lion, Lion, it echoes in her mind, drawing him closer to her in lazy circles. He can relate to her heartache, though he does not bother to suss out every detail of it. She feels as if something is missing and still looks in every corner for her. Images of Nera and Nazul threaten but he shoves them back as he alights gently next to the jaguar-mare. “If you let the missing them rule you, you’ll drown in it,” he says frankly, giving his body a little shake. The feathers and fur fall away to reveal his true form. “Though I must admit, it’s a weakness that even I wallow in from time to time.” His tone is thoughtful, ears twisting once before settling on the wayward mare.
He’d spent the night here once with Nazul, several lifetimes ago. An image of the dark-eyed Amazon lingers uncomfortably in his mind’s eye, accusing and pleading at the same time. Grunting, he dives over the edge, wings tucked tightly against his sides, paws curled into his body. His falling form gains speed quickly and he laughs with the thrill of it, the ground below dark and foreboding as he breaks through the low cloud cover. At the least moment, his wings unfurl, catching him with a heavy jerk, paws unfolded to gallop along the ground for two strides before a heavy downward thrust sends him back into the air. The cry of an eagle mingles with the roar of a lion, echoing off the Chamber’s borders even as he disappears from her boundaries.
It is not often that he comes to the Meadow. Wheeling high above it, he inspects the territory with a critical eye. He keeps the sun directly behind him, rendering him a dark shape in the sky, high enough that his size would go unnoticed by any without magic to aid their sight. Whistling softly to himself, he banks and soars, thumbing through the minds down below.
One in particular catches his attention. Her mind is humid and hot, a sure sign of an Amazon, tumbled and tangled, lost within herself. Lion, Lion, it echoes in her mind, drawing him closer to her in lazy circles. He can relate to her heartache, though he does not bother to suss out every detail of it. She feels as if something is missing and still looks in every corner for her. Images of Nera and Nazul threaten but he shoves them back as he alights gently next to the jaguar-mare. “If you let the missing them rule you, you’ll drown in it,” he says frankly, giving his body a little shake. The feathers and fur fall away to reveal his true form. “Though I must admit, it’s a weakness that even I wallow in from time to time.” His tone is thoughtful, ears twisting once before settling on the wayward mare.