He remembered when they had trained in the street outside the temple here one foggy night, a lifetime ago now. How confident Maea had been then, and how willing to flaunt her Ancient features and powers in this land which had once feared and shunned Abandoned and hated and hunted Ascended. She had been fearless then, unapologetic in her reborn skin and unashamed of her horns and tail. Seeing her now when he glanced down to speak and finding her in his shadow, hooded and glamoured, struck a chord in him.
It was dissonant. Sharp. And all that he could do was to move with careful deliberation to keep himself between her and the gazes of the curious faculty and students who occasionally looked up from their discussions to watch the visitors to their hallowed halls with open curiosity.
He could not hide his height, or his muscular build, so instead he pulled the masking cap from his head, tucking it into a pocket of his coat and tugging his braid free so the thick length of metallic steely strands could catch the faint light that cut through the heavy Flowerbirth clouds. He drew their stares and bore them with the calmly stoic patience of a King as they strolled around the grounds, and the cloaked shadow that ghosted along beside him was largely ignored in favor of the striking demigod.
"Mmh. That is also a subject of learning," he replied to her exasperation, a soft thread of amusement curling through his quiet voice, pitched for her ears alone. "Perhaps they are more studious when they are indoors?" It certainly seemed to be the way of most young creatures of his experience. Though he tended to avoid children on general principle, he had theoretically once been a child himself and had memories of that time.
It was dissonant. Sharp. And all that he could do was to move with careful deliberation to keep himself between her and the gazes of the curious faculty and students who occasionally looked up from their discussions to watch the visitors to their hallowed halls with open curiosity.
He could not hide his height, or his muscular build, so instead he pulled the masking cap from his head, tucking it into a pocket of his coat and tugging his braid free so the thick length of metallic steely strands could catch the faint light that cut through the heavy Flowerbirth clouds. He drew their stares and bore them with the calmly stoic patience of a King as they strolled around the grounds, and the cloaked shadow that ghosted along beside him was largely ignored in favor of the striking demigod.
"Mmh. That is also a subject of learning," he replied to her exasperation, a soft thread of amusement curling through his quiet voice, pitched for her ears alone. "Perhaps they are more studious when they are indoors?" It certainly seemed to be the way of most young creatures of his experience. Though he tended to avoid children on general principle, he had theoretically once been a child himself and had memories of that time.
