your eyes are like starlight now | Glowfic Constellation

to-the-river

His people are safe. That's what matters.

Druig stands alone on a rise outside the village where his people dwell, watching over them as they complete the final touches on a new home, built for the newest young family among them.

it has been three generations since he last saw the others, atop that temple in Tenochtitlan. Decades he's spent among his people as their leader, their shepherd. He is invested here.

Of course he's invested here.

His people love him, of course they do. He who saved their ancestors, and brought them in peace to these deep forests where they have made their home. To them, he is as a god. The Eternals always have been.

Once, they feared him, also. In the aftermath of the city's fall, there had been fury, there had been terror. Demon, some of them had called him. Some had lashed out. Those, he took control of until they saw reason - and many never did. Some innocents died while he was still learning that the dissenters would not change.

There are no dissenters, now. The last died some months ago, the last of those taken when they had arrived in these woods, raiders seeking to prey on a village still being established. Those raiders had been the last he'd taken, all other visitors or 'visitors' since killed, or turned away unknowing.

No one attacks them now. Few even know they exist.

But therein lies the problem. What can he do for them, when they aren't at war? He isn't like Phastos, who could shepherd them to great heights of technology - nor does he want to be. He isn't like Ajak, who could heal them of their wounds and their illnesses. All he has is control - control which goes mostly unneeded, now. He hasn't needed to step in to break up a conflict in decades. He tries to lead them wisely, but he hasn't done much leading in the past, forced to rely on the advice his own mind believes his fellows might give.

And, of course, none of his fellows would agree with what he's doing. None of them did. Not even-

He steps back, away from the edge of the rise. The home is complete, the trio moved in. There is nothing he needs to watch over, now. He turns his back and walks into the woods, seeking... something. Some answer to his troubled mind.

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to-the-river

He waves a hand, "Don't worry on my account, then, and I won't worry on yours. August," he considers the name, "Augustus, the title and the emperor. Or the English month?"

my-whole-heart

"I've always assumed the month. But I never knew my parents, so their logic behind my name has always alluded me." She considers him a little more. "You're not from my Earth then? I was wondering whether you were some witch sent to evaluate myself and the others for potential release."

to-the-river

"Well I'm not a witch, but I might be willing to release you. But no, I don't think I'm from your Earth, so I suppose it'd be less a release and more a resettlement." At least he has experience with those.

my-whole-heart

"...you don't know me. Nerissa and Noah are likely to try and kill you, or attempt to manipulate you. We were imprisoned for a reason."

to-the-river

He smirks, leaning back in his chair, "I didn't say anything about them, did I? I'd need to get to know them a little before I made any offers." He leans in again, "You haven't tried to kill me yet - are you going the manipulation route?"

my-whole-heart

...August shakes her head. "I doubt that I could, even if I were willing to. I can sense some sort of power radiating from you. You're more powerful than me. I'm not even sure I could siphon you, or if I could, I'm not sure I could handle that sort of energy. At least, not without study and time."

to-the-river

"I sure wouldn't recommend it. We Eternals are built for cosmic energy. Humans... are not. But there are humans, where I come from. My people. I won't bring anyone among them who I can't stop from harming them."

my-whole-heart

Nods. "I don't have magic of my own, I can only siphon it from others. Magic from other witches is best, but vampires and werewolves have their own type of magical energy and I can siphon that too. I've also learned how to convert natural energy, from the earth and other living things, and use that. But it takes time and a lot of concentration. It's a genetic quirk that is rare in witches. Taboo. Siphons are shunned from society. Not accepted into covens. I was lucky that the headmaster of the magical school I attend has two daughters that are also siphons, so he was sympathetic and let me enroll."

to-the-river

He considers her, "Normally you have control of it? You lost control because you were trying to drain - Noah, was it? To protect those humans."

my-whole-heart

"Yes. I can also siphon from humans. Very small amounts. But I had prepared to take from Noah, enough to knock him out, so when I touched the human..." August looks away. "Taking someones life, even unintentionally... I'm not going to do it again."

to-the-river

"...Yeah, I think I'd feel comfortable letting you into my world." His voice is noticeably gentler than it was a moment ago. It firms up some, though, when he adds, "Not so sure about your friends, though."

my-whole-heart

"We haven't been friends for a long time. But I'm not sure if I can just leave them." She looks up at him. "Will you tell me about yourself; about your world?"

to-the-river

"...only fair," he agrees.

He sips his drink as he considers where to start.

"My Earth is, let's say about four hundred years behind yours. It was the 1530s last I was paying any attention to the Gregorian calendar. Several human generations ago. My people have made their home deep in the forests at the heart of this continent, to the east of what was once Tawantinsuyu." He pauses, lips pursing, "They were calling it 'Peru', last I heard of it."

my-whole-heart

...nod. "I traveled the area around fifteen years ago. It's beautiful. Though perhaps very different to what you're used to. Canada is much further north." She pauses and shakes her head. "I was being stalked by some carnivore when I was traveling there. It killed me a couple of times. Ate me too. I'd forgotten about that."

to-the-river

"Mm," is a smile inappropriate here? Oh well. "It's a dangerous land, to wander about alone in. Particularly the part we live in. We're quite cut off from the outside, and we prefer it that way."

my-whole-heart

"It sounds nice. Isolated, but among community?"

to-the-river

"Yes. Peace and harmony, and safety, is worth the isolation. And there's little worth leaving over. The diseases the Spanish brought with them brought empires to their knees, and then the Spanish cut their bellies and their throats. It's chaos and horror out there."

my-whole-heart

August considers this. "I've been vaccinated against a number of diseases that would be present in the sixteenth century... and if I haven't... I could probably head back into my world and get them and bring them back with me and to your world."

to-the-river

"...appreciate it, but you mentioned a blizzard?"

my-whole-heart