"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
Amenadiel kept a close eye on the filly as she flew away, her newly found wings lifting her in the air, going into the rising sun. He turned to Aurora, his gaze following Vic as he made his way towards Jack by the lake. As they walked along the trail of smoke from Escence, Amenadiel spoke up. "No, I haven't met anyone that I wanted to settle down with," he said, his wings neatly folded by his sides. He looked over at Aurora and asked, "Are they your only children? I can only imagine how difficult it must be to raise one kids, let alone two. My heart goes out to Vic, always in his sister's shadow. But he's a great kid.” As he gazes across the water, he spots Jack lying hopelessly. The sight fills him with a sense of melancholy, as he reflects on the sacrifices that Jack has made for his family.
As the breeze rustles through the trees, he turns to his friend and inquires, "I'm curious, how did you and Jack first meet? He seems to care for you deeply."
The world around them holds a golden glow as the sun finally breaks free from the shadows of the mountain tops. Fall was settling quickly upon the lands, quieting the kingdoms of their usual chatter. She knows winter will soon take hold and prepping for it should be their main focus. But no, here they are, chasing after flames.
As her eyes remain on their surroundings, searching for any faint trace of her daughter, she welcomes the conversation with Amenadiel. “No they are not my first. I had two sons with my partner who passed long ago, Phoebus and Diavoli. After that I had another set of twins, ElisDee and Xtacee…” she reminisces before continuing. “I've lost contact with them all, which is my own fault I guess. I spent much of my time lost in myself when Rouge died during the plague. I regret not being able to save him,” her voice trails as sadness fills her heart.
Turning her caramel face to Amen she adds with a smile, “You'll find someone someday that gives your life purpose.” That is what keeps everyday worth enduring, she thinks as they begin to wind through the hills just before reaching the river. She stops at its bank as her ears flicker to Amens question, “We met on the Beach where I spent my life after the plague helping those that wished for it… Jack found me there.”
Her gaze casts across the river and there is a slight hint of smoke upon the breeze. She looks to Amen with a questioning expression, seeing if he also thinks Escence could be the cause…
A crisp winter breeze envelops them as they stand admiring the breathtaking view of the sunrise over the mountains. The warm sun slowly rises, casting a stunning array of colors across the land, leaving them both in awe.
As Aurora shares details about her children, Amen listens intently, showing his respect for her fallen partners. He gazes at her with admiration and sympathy, his eyes fixed on her as she speaks. He then looks at his reflection on the water's edge, lost in thought, contemplating the fragility of life.
Suddenly, the faint smell of smoke and fire reaches their noses, causing Amen's head to snap up. With a soft sigh, he turns to Aurora, his eyes full of concern, and asks, "Would you like me to fly ahead and find the source of the smoke?"
Turning back to look across the vast expanse of land in front of them, her eyes squint to see in the blinding sun. The ear closest to Amen flickers as he speaks but no answer comes from her. For a moment she thinks she can see a lit figure set apart from the glow of the suns rays.
"There!" She exclaims, pointing her nose in the direction directly in front of them. Ivory dipped limbs leap forward and into the waters, splashing droplets all across her feathery gown. "Is it Escence?" She questions to the winged stallion that may have opted for travel by air to gain a better vantage point.
Barely onto the other side, a small fiery figure can be seen more clearly as a cloud cast a shadow the area. "Escence!" She calls out, picking up a three-beat pace to rush to her daughters side. The gown of emerald lifts and tousles in the rush of air.
Clearly distraught the fiery girl is whimpering on the ground. Fear that she may be hurt rises.
Soon she is within speaking distance and slows to a stop beside her, "What's wrong? Are you hurt?!" Her eyes scan over the child but see no indication of injury.
"Mom!" Looking up with tear filled eyes she cries out, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt him!"
Her face lowers to brush her muzzle along her daughters face, whisking away the tears. "It's ok Escence," she says in a reassuring voice.
Escence begins to stand, not realizing the illusion of her brother is gone. She shouted, "No it's not! He's dead and I killed him. My fire, the trees all burnt and Vic was in them. I didn't know he followed me. I didn't mean to start the fire. I was just so angry..." She huffs in anguish, "I didn't..." Her voice trails as she looks to where her brother had been, "Vic?!" Her head swivels, eyes searching for her brothers body. She turns around, looking to the trees that she was sure would be charcoal and ash. "Wh...where is he? Why aren't the trees burnt?" A bewildered look comes over her as she looks to her mother, "H-He was right here...and those trees were all on fire..."
Her navy eyes look to Amen with confusion before looking to the area and then to Escence. "Vic is at home with Jack... He's safe," she mulls over the situation briefly and comes up with the only solution she can imagine for the child's outlandish story, "maybe you had a bad dream?"
Again she brushes her nose against the girls face, "Let's go home," she says to the both of them...
Amenadiel continues to trail behind, following the smoky path. He gazes ahead towards Aurora's signals as they both dive into the river, spreading his wings to keep them dry. Prior to taking flight, he catches sight of the distressed fiery filly. Folded wings, he tails after the mare.
He lowers his head towards the filly, emitting a soft sigh, empathizing with her stress and anguish. He attentively listens as the trembling filly recounts her recent ordeal. Perhaps this experience will serve as a valuable lesson, he contemplates to himself.
With a raised eye and flickering ears, he looks towards Aurora, intrigued by her perspective on the situation. With a gentle nudge and reassuring gestures, he signals his agreement with Aurora as they turn back towards their abode.
Amenadiel follows Aurora's lead, glancing beside him to observe the filly slinking along. "I apologize, Aurora," he expresses, remorseful for the circumstances.
AuroraElis
