Deity remained laying down as the stranger-no-longer said her good-byes. It was quick, spontaneous— but that seemed like just the sort of character she was. When Dutch brushed her forearm, Deity jerked in surprise. ”I, uh— goodbye,” she said as the dark female turned away, stone between her jaws. She swallowed, before adding hopefully ”Perhaps our paths will cross again.”
When Dutch had been completely swallowed by the treeline, already-dark form becoming a shadow, Deity glanced upward and noted that the sun was significantly lower in the sky than it was when she’d arrived. The sky had begun to darken to a gentle lilac, and a smattering of stars were just barely visible on the Eastern horizon. The vapor from the springs, ghostlike, writhed and swirled around the pools, which looked like they were glowing in the surreal twilight. Now that Dutch was gone, and Deity was alone again, the trickle and gentle hiss of evaporating water were the only sounds. Solitude could be so sweet, but Deity felt... as though there was a hole in her chest, almost. Something within her had been filled by the interaction, something she hadn’t really noticed until its aching presence had returned.
Shaking her head, Deity quickly stood, banishing these thoughts. She was divine, a goddess, and needed no mortal affiliation to exist as she was. To survive. And in the end, survival was the most important thing. With a frustrated chuff, Deity turned towards the clementine horizon, deciding she would follow the sun. Western Borealis. There were so many unexplored lands splayed out before her, so many secrets to unlock. And so her journey began.
”Speech”
And so our haloes became collars and golden chains; our proud, shining divinity became the very thing that bound us.
|