[private] when the storm decays and the sky it rains

[Starros]

Starros had not been in Loess when the earth had shook, when the cave he had taken shelter with his family in had turned to rubble and the inhabitants were forced to flee or be drowned in the sea that came rushing in. He is in Tephra when the storm comes, though it takes him a long time to realize that something is wrong. It is just rain, after all, even if the sunbeams of his wings flicker out and the deluge dampens the feathers enough that he wills them to disappear into his sides.

An instinct thrums in his heart, telling him to run, but he is young and bold and thinks this is just some silly remnant of when he was a young colt and got spooked by everything.

Even when the giant bolt of lightning strikes near the volcano, he tries to reason that it’s just a little abnormal. Until the trickle of lava he is walking near begins to overflow its banks, seeping and turning into a wide river - which encourages him to move a little faster.

(but still not running - this is completely fine, probably. Maybe the lava in Tephra runs like the water rivers do when they are fed by the melting snow. Maybe this happens every year here)

A rapid succession of flashes elicits a small yelp out of him, especially when one bolt collides with the ground uncomfortably close to where he is. More of the fire-hot and dangerous liquid pooled upwards from the ground. That instinct to run rises from a thrum to a roar but he is frozen now, watching in horror as the spot of forest floor that he stands on turns into an island, lava seeping around him as the rain finally begins to let up and the sunset returns to the sky.

Starros remains where he is, captivated and surprised and frightened all at once - and completely spellbound by it all. The sounds of the world begin to seep back into his mind - if someone else was near him during the storm, he hadn't noticed. His attention solely rests on the lazily flowing lava that surrounds him.

STARROS

@Rare

[Rare]

She thought she would be accustomed to being blind by now, but she is not.

The healing waters of the waterfall had not been able to alleviate the ailment that befell her after the strange journey in the mountain that had ended in the fog of Pangea, and so far neither had anyone’s efforts at using their own healing. Her other senses had strengthened, just as her grandmother had reassured her they would, but it did not make being blind any easier. She could feel herself forgetting what Tephra looked like, the grand image of its volcano jutted against a sapphire-blue sky beginning to fade into a watered down memory. The faces of her parents, once something she could recall into sharp focus, had begun to blur at the edges, slipping from her grasp.

When the storm first struck, she had cautiously made her way to nearby shelter. With her confidence already so shaken she did not often venture from places she was not entirely familiar with, but even without her sight she knew there was something different about this storm.

The air was alive with electricity, and strike after strike made contact with the earth itself. She heard her mother as she swiftly made the rounds to ensure the safety of the residents, and all Rare could do was remain frozen beneath the thick canopy of brush, her heart beating erratically inside of her chest.

When the roll of thunder stopped and the lightning disappeared along with it, she stood there for a long while to gather her bearings. In the distance she could hear the confused murmurs of others, could detect the faint awe in their tone, and eventually curiosity got the better of her. With tentative steps she made her way towards where others had gathered, her star-filled eyes bright with her own fear and confusion. The ground felt hot, hotter than usual, and the faint sound of liquid moving sluggishly tells her to stop.

Something tells her that someone is nearby—their quiet breaths, the thrum of a heartbeat that is not her own. “What happened?” she asks the stranger, almost afraid of their answer.

Rare

@Starros