Love, let's talk about love
The wind was picking up, and grew steadily colder. In the night dark sky above, clouds were gathering up again. Tattered and jagged they raced in towards land, across the sea where the moon had become half submerged and no longer seemed quite as big, or quite as scarlet as before. In the strange, hazy light, Seren kept gazing with earnest attention upon her friend as he spoke, absorbing his views and opinions as though it was the most important thing in the world that she remember this.
And perhaps it was. Especially as Sah seemed to be building up to something. Especially when that something turned out to be a choice, monumental and so very simple that it was hard to believe he had been agonizing over it for almost an entire year. Blue reflecting the stars above grew wide, suddenly brimming all over again with pure relief. Seren leaned back in and squeezed Sah fiercely, too emotional to say anything for a long while. When her voice no longer threatened to break, she nodded emphatically with her cheek pressed to his.
"Of course! Always. For as long as you find us worthy." The Old Gods were far from faultless, nor burdened with morals or scruples. But that did not mean that their followers had to be cruel.
"I don't want this war, Sah. I would much rather have a world where everyone gets along. But since that seems out of the question... I want to at least make sure that the world we create become better than the one we have now." Sitting up, Seren gazed at her friend and shared with him something she had been keeping to herself so far. "I want to restore the reputation of the Abandoned in the eyes of the Old Gods. Show them that magic is beautiful and capable of so much more than destruction and strife. I want to see a day when magic users are referred to as Acquired again."
Even with her face lined with tears and blood and dusted with sand, the demigod's passion for this shone through. It was in her eyes, lit up from within by the light of hope, for better times to come.
"I... don't know how, or if it's even possible. But that's what I'll be fighting for, Sah. To make sure that the end of the Voice becomes the end of persecution of people who have committed no wrongs. Her rebellion is what cast this shadow over all of you... Maybe by you choosing to turn away from her, we can both begin to show my mother and all the other gods - and people like the Order - that there's no such thing as a hopeless case." A foolish hope, perhaps. Naive, willful and hopelessly innocent. But Safrin had told her that she could stay naive if it kept her bright, and if this made her a fool, then fool she would be.
And perhaps it was. Especially as Sah seemed to be building up to something. Especially when that something turned out to be a choice, monumental and so very simple that it was hard to believe he had been agonizing over it for almost an entire year. Blue reflecting the stars above grew wide, suddenly brimming all over again with pure relief. Seren leaned back in and squeezed Sah fiercely, too emotional to say anything for a long while. When her voice no longer threatened to break, she nodded emphatically with her cheek pressed to his.
"Of course! Always. For as long as you find us worthy." The Old Gods were far from faultless, nor burdened with morals or scruples. But that did not mean that their followers had to be cruel.
"I don't want this war, Sah. I would much rather have a world where everyone gets along. But since that seems out of the question... I want to at least make sure that the world we create become better than the one we have now." Sitting up, Seren gazed at her friend and shared with him something she had been keeping to herself so far. "I want to restore the reputation of the Abandoned in the eyes of the Old Gods. Show them that magic is beautiful and capable of so much more than destruction and strife. I want to see a day when magic users are referred to as Acquired again."
Even with her face lined with tears and blood and dusted with sand, the demigod's passion for this shone through. It was in her eyes, lit up from within by the light of hope, for better times to come.
"I... don't know how, or if it's even possible. But that's what I'll be fighting for, Sah. To make sure that the end of the Voice becomes the end of persecution of people who have committed no wrongs. Her rebellion is what cast this shadow over all of you... Maybe by you choosing to turn away from her, we can both begin to show my mother and all the other gods - and people like the Order - that there's no such thing as a hopeless case." A foolish hope, perhaps. Naive, willful and hopelessly innocent. But Safrin had told her that she could stay naive if it kept her bright, and if this made her a fool, then fool she would be.
Is it anything and everything you hoped for?
SEREN
