my soul beats a sound loud enough to quiet the thunder.

She takes a step and the Oracle comes into her view -- she remains at a distance, but keeps her within her sight. This is her mission, the duty she has been assigned; she must keep watch over the woman, and if need be take up arms against her. There is no space in her heart nor mind for hesitation, for any sort of doubts -- she does as she is instructed. She fulfills the purpose of her birth.

The woman with shining gold hair was easy to find, as there are many people lined up to see her, for whatever purpose she does not know ( she is only told her mission, after all ). Their faces light up with gratitude and their voices get cheerier when they approach her. Her own childlike features remain solemn, unchanging, with eyes that hold no light. She isn’t aware of her own emptiness, of the blankness that to someone shrewd would suggest she was an existence beyond a simple human child.

She does as she is told and she watches over her silently. 

[My ipad is upstairs but I will totally add you to my TotR friend list if you’d like!

Richard sat down next to Sophie and claimed one of the several eggs that remained unpainted. He stared at its white surface, and unlike Sophie who already seemed to know exactly what to do, he hadn’t the faintest idea where to begin. 

“A family. I think that would be lovely. Then they’ll never be lonely,” Richard agreed, reaching for one of the brushes. He stared at the egg a moment longer, then at each of the coloured paints before turning back to Sophie. “Do you think you could help me a bit? I’m afraid I’m not quite sure where to begin.” 

“Mhm! I’m sure if they’re together they’ll be happy.” She speaks from her heart, the sentiment a bit childish but genuine above all. She can’t help wishing for the happiness of even things like Easter eggs. She’s received so much happiness from her own family -- if she could have one wish, she’d wish that everyone felt the same warmth in their hearts that she had in hers.

There was no denying the meaning of this place. Even for all the places he travelled, this was the one that he always found himself returning to.  At first he told himself it was because of the eleth that flourished naturally in this place; surely that the reason he found comfort here, yet the more time passed the more he realized it not the case. There were several places that naturally flourished with eleth, yet none he cared for as he did here. 

“I could hardly forget,” he answers simply, his eyes falling upon the names carved into the tree. Was it this tree that drew him here? That made this place feel close to some definition of home? “You tend them because of your namesake? No. Because you treasure them as you do those you once treasured this place with.” Even after all these years, understanding such things is difficult. He does not understand. 

Just that, perhaps like her, this place held some importance to him. 

“I know nothing of caring for others, even simple flowers. I would not be of much help.” 

Their relationship was a strange one. Her birth was supposed to signify his death - she was created to destroy him. For the beginning of their lives, they were enemies. Yet, they owed their current lives to the very same person. Asbel. He had changed both of them, given them both a different future. A happy future.

Now, they were friends, she thought. It had taken less time than she thought to warm up to him, to erase all the wariness from her heart. She supposed that was because of his efforts, and she knew he had done his best to prove to her that he had changed. Years and years went by, but they watched over the world together. She watched over him, too, as he did his best to live and grow, just like the flowers by their feet.

“That’s right. When I take care of these flowers, I remember a lot of things... It’s almost like they’re here with me.” She spoke simply, but kindly. Their loss still pained her, but she never felt like they were gone from the world. She would never let them truly disappear.