[private] i hear the voice of rage and ruin; wolfbane

[Wolfbane]

Lepis had always been a graceful flyer, each wingstroke crisp yet quiet. Watching her lift and join him above the earth, Wolfbane admired how each muscle and tendon jumped out underneath her shoulders. Both of them had been born for the air, born with wings and meant to fly, and both had their own style, but Wolfbane wanted to mimic the smooth strokes of Lepis’ wings as they levelled out and found the sweet spot beside each other during their journey to nowhere. Together they cut a nearly silent, somewhat disturbing sight from below: his form that of a large, pseudo-mythical bird while hers hovered close by.

The wind blew a steady white noise into their ears, and Wolfbane scoffed at her one-sided storytelling. Arrogant infant and threats of total destruction sounded exactly like Heartfire. Lepis must’ve made good on her threat to ally Taiga with Loess. Even better, the horse-bird stifled a sigh.

Not for the first time Bane feels confused. When had the vision gotten so blurry? When did he go from shirking responsibilities just because his title had changed, or the territory around them? The melding of two creatures saw Lepis adjust her flight and tilted his head accordingly, peering out at her from the wide, glossy saucer of a sharp eye. “I apologize.” He croaked steadily, not yet above admitting mistakes when he’d made them. “I covered you late in the season. Your initial ‘shock’ at seeing me so alive and well drove me to make asinine accusations.”

Lepis could’ve bit her tongue at that moment too instead of mocking him - but of course he wouldn’t go as far as to make her see the error of her own transgressions during his homecoming. Lepis had an uncanny way of spinning the light in her favor, on this matter. For now he was content to let her see things her way.

“Now,” He cawed, turning the pupil forward again “you may continue filling me in about our political ties.”

Underneath his lofted body, Bane clenched his talons and grit his teeth. “If Heartfire threatened war then how has nearly a year passed and you’re still here? How did you even get back from Nerine at all?”

And what of Castile? He wondered, feeling the sudden weight behind his acceptance of championing Loess after Vulgaris had gone away. What about Aten and the rest? Our Children? Through the ringing concern in his thoughts those voices they’d sworn to protect screamed out the loudest. Lilliana… He thought last of all, and his throat tightened shut.

@[Lepis]