One foot in sea and one on shore

// ships are launching from my chest
some have names but most do not //

He doesn’t expect such a fond smile to bloom on her face, but its one he takes with ease. Every time they had spoken before had resulted in anger, frustration, yelling, points being made that didn’t have any reason to be brought back up. The past was the past and he’d moved on, had tried to become someone better, stronger, smarter. And so far, it had worked, no longer having a war to put all of his eggs into only to get the exact result he didn’t want.

He had grown since then, hit his rock bottom for at least a year before moving on, and with it came a variety of other things he’d had to learn to deal with. He hopes that Maea’s path forward is far less bumpy than his.

So when she tells him to be careful, he hums a sound of agreement that exhales with a soft sigh. “It’s best to kill the creatures if you see any. Vi’s orders.” He offers the information easily before he shifts, reaching up to pet Petronella’s cheek. “Stay safe, okay? Likewise, if you need anything, I’ll be in King’s End.” And with that, Sunjata offers a parting smile, stepping back and away to collect his bag of holding, making it far enough away from other people or trees to shift into his dragon shift, clutching his bag and letting Petronella clamor up onto his back before he takes to the sky to head home.

the flood

// if you find one, please,
let me know what piece i've lost //

I'll drown eventually so don't save me

A pale eyebrow quirked at that. Maea wasn't sure if any orders of Vi's technically applied to her, since her allegiance by default still lay with another goddess. The idea of killing anything at all for any reason beyond sating her own hunger rankled, and the whole point of this conversation had been about her reluctance to even do that.

"I'll be careful," was her only promise, before the time came to wave Sunjata goodbye.

Maea shifted too, and it was a white tiger that watched the dragon take flight into the glittering sunlight, golden eyes following the shrinking figure long after it disappeared. Only then did she turn and began a slow trek back towards the city; to some place where she might drown herself in work until she forgot all about heartache, and could stand to be in her own company again.

{Fin}

Maea